631 - 635
Chapter 631: The Start of a Journey
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Father…" Yu BingYan stopped walking and looked at her father with her eyes hazy. She then pounced into her father's embrace with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Yu ManTang hugged his daughter tightly and was immersed in the feeling of holding his daughter in his embrace.
A long while later, Yu BingYan finally stopped sobbing and said softly, "During this trip to Heavenly Wind, while I do not dare say the same about the others, BingYan will definitely not be in the slightest bit of danger. Father can be at ease."
"'Oh?" Yu ManTang frowned for a moment before breaking out into a big smile, "Did Ling Tian make an arrangement?"
"What Ling Tian? Tian'ge is your son-in-law." Yu BingYan said shyly.
Yu ManTang laughed heartily, "Haha, that's right. Did my son-in-law make an arrangement?"
"That's right, everything is under Tian'ge's control." Yu BingYan's face reddened as she said.
Everything is under his control? As Yu ManTang heard those words, he could not help but doubt in his heart.
Since when did Ling Tian have such abilities? Yu ManTang was filled with a tinge of doubt in his heart but after seeing his daughter's confident appearance, Yu ManTang knew that he should not say anything else. However, he was no longer as worried as before.
Since Ling Tian had made preparations, BingYan's life would definitely not be in danger. As for the preparations that Ling Tian had made, it would be the best for him to be kept out of the loop, lest he accidentally divulge it. While Yu ManTang was confident in himself, he knew that he couldn't match up to his big brother's scheming and the best way for him to keep a secret would be to remain ignorant.
Yu BingYan lifted her head up and said, "Father, I hope that you can be a good host to the 500 guards that Ling Tian sent. After allowing them to tour Bright Jade City for a day or two, I will keep a few personal guards back and send the rest back to Sky Bearing."
"Naturally." Yu ManTang chuckled before asking his daughter, "These 500 guards are all brimming with energy and are definitely talented individuals. The few personal guards that my son-in-law picked out for you should be extremely skilled right? My son-in-law is truly generous!"
Yu BingYan's face turned red and she nodded her head with agreement, "I do not dare hide things from Father and any one of their martial arts would be comparable to Third Uncle."
Yu ManTang took in a deep breath of cold air! Every one of them is comparable to Yu ManTian?!
That meant that there were at least three or four individuals with such strength! Yu ManTian was already nearing the middle Gold Jade Rank. Apart from the few old fellows in the Yu Family, there were less than ten who were capable of winning against Yu ManTian! For a nouveau riche family like the Ling Family, it would be already an amazing feat if Ling Tian was able to send out four peak HouTian experts at once. However, Ling Tian had actually sent out four middle Gold Jade Rank experts at once just for Yu BingYan. It could be seen just how much Ling Tian doted on Yu BingYan!
Yu ManTang felt that the strength of his son-in-law was becoming more and more mysterious. Only at this point could he truly be at ease about Yu BingYan's safety. At the same time, he was also extremely grateful on behalf of Yu BingYan. Just from how Ling Tian was willing to send out so many experts to guard Yu BingYan, it could be seen how happy her life was in the Ling Family.
Yu ManTang twiddled with his beard and muttered, "If that's the case, then you should leave a few more of them behind. Apart from your few personal guards, you should leave a few dozen guards behind to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. Even if they are capable of retracting their aura, it is best to be careful. If the family notices that they are all top-notch experts, it may cause some troubles instead. With your first uncle's personality, he may come up with a sinister plan."
"Yes, Father has truly thought things through." Yu BingYan felt her heart shake and agreed solemnly. She originally only planned to keep Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian behind, but after her father's reminder, she realized that her original plan was extremely inappropriate. With her first uncle's character, if he found out that there were such experts in the Ling Family, he would definitely come up with a plan to exterminate them!
Under Yu ManTang's arrangements, Ling Feng and the rest entered the Yu Family in a low-profile manner. After some serious considerations, Yu BingYan kept sixty guards behind and stationed them in the courtyard where she and her father stayed. The guards were split into four groups with Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian each leading a group. They surrounded Yu BingYan's room with a water-tight defense.
The Ling Family was currently enemies with the Yu Family in the Heavenly Star Continent and the presence of the Ling Family guards naturally dissatisfied the Yu Family members. Thus, conflicts between the two groups were inevitable but Ling Feng and the rest chose to endure the humiliation rather than have conflicts with the Yu Family members.
Such a powerful mental resilience made Yu ManTang gasp with admiration. It was easy to draw the sword but difficult to bear with humiliation! Even after a month, Yu ManTang could not tell who the experts among the group were!
While the Ling Family guards moved into the Yu Family in an orderly fashion, ever since these guards entered the Yu Family, Bright Jade City was thrown into chaos. Despite it being winter, houses would catch fire all around the city for no good reason and many would complain about thefts in their homes. The whole Yu Family was filled with an extremely dark atmosphere.
The Yu Family monitored the movements of the sixty guards day and night but was helpless as they realized that these sixty guards were completely stationary when all of these bizarre events occurred. Because of that, they could only helplessly proclaim them as innocent. In this winter, Bright Jade City seemed to have been through a war and the whole city was completely devoid of energy.
Finally, just when everyone was leading bitter lives, the spring winds began to blow.
The atmosphere in the Yu Family became even tenser.
It was time for them to travel to Heavenly Wind and start the battle!
******
Ling Tian ran out from the Ling Family Courtyard as though he was escaping for his life!
For a full winter, Ling Tian was playing hide and seek with Meng LiGe and the others. Even with Ling Tian's powerful will and body, he was extremely fatigued.
They were far too persistent!
Meng LiGe and the others could not be blamed for the matter either. Ling Tian's father and grandfather were just too difficult to deal with. Old Master Ling liked to feign ignorance and every time the officials of the imperial court requested him to ascend the throne, he would feign ignorance or pretend that he was unable to hear what they were saying. "What did you say? Huh? Speak louder! Wha….t… I can't hear you." His selective listening was extremely well honed and he would never be able to hear what the officials had to say clearly. If you have the patience, alright, I shall sit here and hear you out. But after a few sentences, Old Master Ling would be tired and falling asleep…
Helpless, the various officials could only take their leave. The moment the officials took their leave, Old Master Ling would be revived and energetic, pulling his wife to play mahjong with him.
As for Marshal Ling, he was far more direct. "Scram! Whoever dares to bother me shall be served with 80 military planks!"
Marshal Ling wasn't completely lying. He had even gone to the extent of bribing his friend to put up a show with him. His friend would first attempt to persuade him and he would then give his friend 40 military planks in public. While everyone could tell that it was a show, they all knew that the next person who attempted to persuade Marshal Ling would definitely not be spared.
Under such circumstances, they naturally had no choice but to pester Ling Tian. Thus, a rare winter break of young noble Ling Tian was completely ruined by them all. Even if he wanted to find the few beauties for a nice and lovely chat, he would have to ensure that his actions were stealthy and concealed as though he was a secret agent. He was only missing a secret code with his few lovers…
The spring winds arrived and the letter of the Shui Family arrived together with them. The Shui Family requested that Shui QianRou leave a few people behind to guard the Shui Family Courtyard and send the rest of the Shui Family forces back to Heavenly Wind. However, the Shui Family did not specify a time and only requested that Shui QianRou return before the start of the generational battle.
To the Shui Family, all of the other participants of the Shui Family were already prepared. As for Shui QianRou fighting the princess of the Yu Family, there wasn't even a need to make any preparations. Thus, they weren't anxious in the slightest. Was there even a need to make any preparations when their Shui Family's number one genius was facing the martial arts trash of the Yu Family? Victory was certain!
However, while they weren't anxious, Ling Tian was. Ling Tian already felt as though his days were extremely miserable and anxiously pestered Shui QianRou to leave as early as possible.
At this moment, Shui QianRou was also extremely nervous about matters in Heavenly Wind, so they swiftly tied up all the necessary loose ends and immediately set off for Heavenly Wind.
Ling Tian brought Ling Jian along with him and the both of them mysteriously disappeared from the Ling Family Courtyard a few days before Shui QianRou set off. As for the various large and small matters of the Courtyard, he naturally dumped them all to Meng LiGe, Ling Chen, and Li Xue.
This incident made Ling Chen, Li Xue, and Xiao YanXue blow up in a huge rage. After his pleading was completely useless in the face of the three ladies anger, the three ladies joined hands to give Ling Tian a good beating.
The person who was the happiest was Die'er. Shui QianRou left her behind in Heavenly Star so that she could be with her loved one, Ling Chi. This made the originally depressed Ling Chi feel a little better.
Ling Tian had an inexplicable feeling in his heart at this moment. Ever since he received the two pieces of Heaven's Heart Jade and the mysterious phenomena it had together with the Heaven Splitter, a huge puzzle filled up Ling Tian's mind. Ling Tian was certain that there was a heaven shaking secret hidden within this puzzle and the source of this secret was in Heavenly Wind! Right at Mount Vacant!
Apart from the various plans that Ling Tian had on this trip, he also intended to solve this puzzle. At the same time, Ling Tian had a strange feeling in his heart. He was almost certain that he would definitely not return empty-handed from his trip to Heavenly Wind.
After the members of the Shui Family left, Meng LiGe and the rest found out that Ling Tian had also disappeared and angrily stomped his way to find Ling Chen to lodge a complaint. Upon arrival, he received a letter from Ling Chen which was written by Ling Tian to persuade Old Master Ling to ascend the throne.
Meng LiGe then took this letter to find Old Master Ling but was reprimanded by Old Master Ling. Returning back to the Courtyard dejected, Meng LiGe let out a long sigh.
Ling Tian was already by the sea and upon peering into the vast ocean, the words that appeared during the combination of the two jade pieces surfaced in his heart: Vacant in the East, Heaven and Earth Essence, Sharpness of Heaven Splitter, It Can Be Fought!
Ling Tian muttered those words in his heart as he fell into a daze with the Heaven Splitter hanging on his waist.
Chapter 632: Romantic Sea Journey
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Young noble, should we wait for Miss Shui before we leave?" By the side, Ling Jian, garbed in black robes, looked at the beautiful scenery opposite him with nary a change in emotion.
"If we go without them, do you think that you, Ah'Jian, will know the exact route to traverse the ocean? How about we just rent a small boat and let you row us across?" Ling Tian let out a snort as he joked towards Ling Jian.
An embarrassed expression appeared on Ling Jian's face as he replied, "I've indeed not put enough thought into this. However, if we follow behind them, it will result in inconveniences on our part. Are we just going to tolerate it?"
Ling Tian only let out a long sigh as he gazed at Ling Jian with the eyes used to look at an idiot. "Ah'Jian, why is it that your IQ seems to have fallen to rock bottom today? If we swagger onto the continent just like that, wouldn't we end up as live targets? Even if your capabilities have reached the state of being on par with Justice, you still can't fight off an entire continent's worth of people, right? Heavenly Wind Continent is also the territory of the Shui Family, tens of thousands of people!"
Ling Jian finally failed to rein in his emotions and turned red with embarrassment and shame as he hung his head down. However, this made him neglect the sly look that passed through Ling Tian's face at this moment. How dare this Ling Jian try to act cool in front of me. It's already good that I don't beat you to death on the spot! However, in this present age and time, probably only Ling Tian and a few other people would actually dare to insult the number one assassin like that!
After waiting for another couple of days, Shui QianRou brought the remaining 400 odd members of the Shui Family as they sped towards Ling Tian's location.
Shui QianRou was at the vanguard, and her snow-white fur coat fluttered in the cold wind which matched her expression. Her eyes continuously roamed around her surroundings, as though searching for something.
Just by looking at the position Shui QianRou was in currently, one would immediately understand that inside this group of 400 people, Shui QianRou had already obtained absolute authority over them. After the great battle that day, the remaining four elders as well as Shui QianHai and Shui QianHu no longer posed any threat towards her.
With a whistle, all 400 men stopped their horses orderly. Shui QianRou straightened her back, anxiously looking around in her surroundings. A disappointed look flashed across her eyes and she waved her hands. A few of the Shui Family disciples withdrew long bugle horns, before blowing hard into them. The blare of the bugle sounded from all around them, traveling to the horizon.
After a while, in the midst of the lush shrubbery of water plants, three huge ships slowly appeared, navigating towards where the Shui Family members were. At the same time, the flag on the ship was hoisted, and a huge 'Shui' word was proudly displayed.
"Little Princess, the ships are here, please board." A burly man jumped off the boat and saluted from afar.
Shui QianRou hesitated. That damned guy, why wasn't he here yet? Where did he run to this time? After this, the scenario would no longer be in her control!
Having agreed with Ling Tian to meet him at this place, Shui QianRou could not help but feel a sense of loss at not even being able to catch a glimpse of his shadow. Tears threatened to flow out of her eyes at this point.
However, a sudden teasing voice sounded softly near her, "Little Princess, the ships are already here. What are you waiting for? Could it be that you're waiting for your lover, hahaha…"
Shui QianRou immediately flared up, but the next moment, her body stiffened as she turned around. Beside her, a foot soldier with a waxy complexion wagged his brows at her as he laughed, revealing a perfect set of pearly white teeth.
Shui QianRou heavily snorted, and putting on an angry expression, she spat, "Who do you think you are, to question me as to when I want to board the ship? I'll personally come out with a punishment for you later! You will not be spared so easily!" Saying this, she commanded, "Elders, board the second boat, and my two cousins the third. As for the disciples, a hundred of you will follow me to the first boat!"
The few elders sighed as they quietly walked towards the second boat. All of them were wily old foxes, so how could they not tell that Shui QianRou had already lost all respect for them in her eyes? However, this was them reaping what they sowed, and they could not blame it on anyone else.
Shui QianHai evilly smiled as he spoke, "Little Sister, we're finally going back. Are you prepared?" Before the ship came, he would not dare to say these words even if he were to be threatened with death. One had to know that in this year or so, Shui QianRou had perfectly cemented her position as the absolute head in Heavenly Star Continent, and if he dared to step out of line, Shui QianRou would not hesitate to take care of him!
Originally, Shui QianHai thought that since their family's ships had arrived, then the final say would return to the elders. That was why he dared to open his mouth!
However, Shui QianRou merely gave him a glare as she replied, "Who are you to ask what I plan to do? I'll count to three, if by then you're not done with your nonsense and on the boat, then I'll leave you here to fend for yourself. See if I dare!"
Shui QianHai flushed red with anger and embarrassment, and in his moment of impulse, wanted to rush up towards her to attack.
At this time, Shui QianRou merely lifted up her right hand as she coldly spat out, "One!"
A tremor passed through his body when Shui QianHai saw her icy cold expression. Upon thinking how she had killed so ruthlessly in this period of time, he knew that if he did not choose the soft way and instead wanted to go head to head against her, Shui QianRou would definitely throw him down here. Viciously snorting, he turned around to board the third boat.
Shui QianRou stood outside her own room, staring frostily at the soldier who misspoke previously. In a stern voice, she snapped, "That brat who doesn't know how to respect his superiors, stay here! The rest of you, leave!"
The group immediately tucked their heads in, casting glances of pity at the unlucky fool and praying for him in their hearts. What luck, to anger the little princess just as they were returning…
No matter what was the case, they could not afford to lose themselves in joy. Everyone came to the same conclusion and shook their heads in schadenfreude as they left.
There was a jerk and a shift and the sea began to churn as they moved off. The sails of the three ships were unfurled high up, fully catching the wind as they produced flapping sounds.
Closing the room door, the fear on the waxy warrior's face suddenly vanished as he grinned, "I've come as promised. I'm not sure how little princess plans to punish me? Are you going to treat me a lesson now? As to who is the master and who is the servant?"
Shui QianRou returned the stare angrily, before suddenly bursting into laughter as she stepped forward and threw herself into his chest. Her tiny fists hammered repeatedly on his chest as though punishing… although it was completely ineffective…
"I thought that you would really not turn up… It scared me to death!" With reddened eyes, Shui QianRou pouted.
"If I did not turn up… then wouldn't little princess not have anyone to punish in the first place?!" That waxy faced person was actually Ling Tian!
"Hmph! Even if you came… I, I must still punish you! Who allowed you to scare me? Isn't it right that I get to punish you?" Her head still stuck within his bosom, Shui QianRou threatened.
"Alright, alright, when has our Princess Shui ever been wrong? This subordinate willingly accepts his punishment. Quickly punish me then!" Ling Tian lecherously spoke. Following that, he immediately bent his head down and captured those tiny cherry lips of hers, and his hands moved to slither into her robes like a snake, caressing her smooth skin and capturing two proud and lofty rabbits.
Shui QianRou's body softened, and she collapsed into Ling Tian's chest as though she did not have a single bone within her body. Her face was completely red, and her mesmerized eyes lightly closed shut even as her mouth vigorously responded…
It was only after a long time did the muffled voice of Ling Tian sound out, "…do you still wish to punish me? Little Princess, just how are you going to punish me, I'm so scared thinking about it…"
"…You, you… baddie!" Shui QianRou was totally breathless at this point, her eyes dazed.
Ling Tian immediately applied some pressure to something in the middle of his fingers, and Shui QianRou immediately let out a breathy wail, her eyelashes fluttering.
"To think that the proud and lofty little princess actually sent all her men on board after, so she could have an affair with her subordinate…" Leaning down towards her ear, Ling Tian lightly whispered.
"No… that's not the case, don't… make blatant assumptions. I didn't do anything…" Shui QianRou still tried to resist.
"No? Then what are we doing now?" Ling Tian lightly bit onto her earlobe as his tongue flicked on it. His left hand was left caressing her chest as his right hand slowly explored down her smooth back, before suddenly and fiercely grabbing onto her pert buttocks, and giving in a good squeeze and knead.
Shui QianRou immediately let out a moan, and her legs clamped together. Her body lurched forward all of a sudden from the momentum, and her lips locked onto Ling Tian, her face drunken with pleasure.
Tackling her from three different angles, Ling Tian now felt as though he was holding onto a ball of soft fluffy dough. He could not resist but whisper temptingly into her ear, "Little Princess, to have this subordinate serve you personally, do you feel good?"
The lady in question wiggled around sinuously like a snake, gripping him tightly as she stabilized herself on his body before moaning softly, "…feels good…"
"Then do you still dare to punish me in the future?" Ling Tian immediately pressed his advantage
"No… I don't dare anymore… I won't do it anymore…!" Shui QianRou was close to losing her sanity.
"En, that good. In the future, only I can bully you and punish you! Who's the master and who's the servant, are you clear now?"
"Up… to you. You can bully me however you want… and punish me… however you want…" The moment she finished speaking, her body suddenly tightened and went taut. Her mouth opened and bit hard onto Ling Tian's shoulder in order to stifle her moans, even as her body began to convulse…
Ling Tian felt a sharp pain, and he did not know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the beautiful woman in his arms. How could this be? He had barely started, and had just touched her a few times, as well as spoke a few words, but she actually… surrendered just like that?
She's really too sensitive. Listening to the crash of the waves against the ship from the outside, a fire suddenly lit up in the depths of his eyes. Stretching out his hands, he manhandled the still panting Shui QianRou up into his arms as he walked towards the posh bed in the room.
"N…no!" Shui QianRou could acutely feel what Ling Tian was attempting and immediately began to panic and struggle. "Right now… we can't!"
"You're already comfortable, but I'm feeling extremely pained…" Ling Tian stared at her with deep eyes, as he enticed. "You must know, this… I've held it in for a long time."
"Still a no!" Shui QianRou's face flushed red, but her expression remained resolute. "If I lose my maidenhood now… when I return, the family will immediately realize it, and that wouldn't be good."
"Then what do we do?!" Ling Tian felt as though his smaller self down below was on the verge of exploding. He wanted to cry but no tears would come out, if he knew this was going to happen, then he wouldn't have approached her to do such a thing! But now he was akin to an arrow nocked on a bowstring… She was probably going to kill him through blue balls!
However, his eyes twinkled as a thought ran past his mind. He immediately put on an agonized expression as he cried out, "If we can't do that… then how about… you use…"
Hearing this, Shui QianRou flushed red all the way to her neck, retorting on shame and embarrassment, "No way, how could I use…" She could not even say the final word before she buried herself into Ling Tian's chest.
"If this won't do, and that won't do either, you… are you trying to murder your husband here?!" Ling Tian's eyes displayed anxiety. What the f**k, could it be that even though this daddy here has so many peerless beauties by his side, he still had to use his five ladies [1] to do the job?
"Is it really… that painful?" Shui QianRou bit on her full lips, hesitating for a long while before she finally lowered her head, whispering in a mosquito-like voice, "Then… just this once." Her voice was barely a whisper, to the point if Ling Tian had not advanced in cultivation, he would definitely be unable to hear her speak. Even so, Shui QianRou was completely red the moment this sentence slipped out.
"Alright!" Ling Tian was overjoyed. Hehe, after once, the moment there is a precedent, there will definitely be a second time!
Shui QianRou's body began to tremble a little. "Then… how do I do it?"
"Let me teach you. First, you kneel down… sitting will also do." Ling Tian could not wait to begin…
….
After a long time, Ling Tian slowly walked out feeling refreshed, leaning on the railings of the ship as he watched it sail through the sea that was like a huge piece of blue-green jade. His emotions were extremely relaxed at this moment.
From behind him, disorderly footsteps sounded as Shui QianRou walked over. The blush on her face had not faded even till now, and she coughed twice with her head lowered.
"What's wrong? Did you choke on something? It can't be that you're expecting, right? Am I going to be 'promoted'?" Ling Tian put on a face of concern.
"As if it wasn't because of you… you baddie!" Shui QianRou angrily threw him a glare, before her hand shot like a hidden weapon to his waist and pinching it hard. Then she decided it was insufficient to quell her anger, and immediately twisted the flesh she was holding.
Ling Tian's face scrunched up together into a pile as he gritted his teeth and screamed, "PAIN… you're too vicious! This punishment is too ruthless!"
Shui QianRou snorted hatefully, before coming up to his side. She allowed the wind to freely tousle her hair as she gazed at Ling Tian with a look of pride on her face, saying, "Have you seen the ocean before? It's majestic, right?"
Seen the ocean before? Ling Tian felt a little giddy at the thought of this question. Lass, who do you think you're talking to? This young noble here even swam across the Pacific in his past life! Did you think that I had never seen an ocean before?
"No, I haven't. I was still thinking that it looks like a large river." He rubbed his nose, feeling a little miffed.
"River?" Shui QianRou laughed so hard, her eyes turned into crescents. "Could the river at your territory be so vast and without end? You bumpkin." She flirtatiously flicked at Ling Tian's head playfully.
"Lass Rou, you might not think it true, but in at most five years, this ocean here will become a river, and I'll name it Quicksand River!" Ling Tian replied a little matter-of-factly. However, a cunning gleam went unnoticed in his eyes.
"I don't believe it!" Shui QianRou spoke with absolute confidence. "An ocean is an ocean, so how could it turn into a river? Are you dreaming?!"
"How about we make a bet?" The hint of a scheme grew even stronger in Ling Tian's smile.
"Fine! Why would I not dare to bet on something that I'll win?" Shui QianRou was smug. What a joke, even a god couldn't turn an ocean into a river, what more Ling Tian who was a mortal!
"Alright! If you win, then I'll listen to whatever you want to do in the future." Ling Tian grinned as he stroked his chin, expectant of the future.
"And if I lose?" Shui QianRou's eyes gleamed.
"If you lose," Ling Tian let out an evil laugh, "Then, whatever happened within the room just now, you're to provide it to me whenever I ask for it."
[1] Five ladies refer to the fingers on one's hand.
Chapter 633: Rocky Pier
Shui QianRou's face flushed red and her eyes widened. She was angered to the point she could not even say a thing! Too much! He is going too far!
"Why? Don't you dare?" Ling Tian chuckled and provoked her.
"Why won't I dare to? It's a deal! If you lose, will you listen to whatever I say?" Shui QianRou said fiercely.
"Of course! Even if you ask me to eat mud, I will listen!"
"It's a gamble!" Shui QianRou agreed as she thought about the different ways to teach this horrible fellow in front of her a lesson after winning the bet. All of a sudden, a smirk could be seen on her face. Ling Tian, I am going to teach you a lesson for underestimating this young miss!
Ling Tian had a delighted smile on his face. Do you really think that I can't take care of you? You must be dreaming! I heard that the emperors of the previous generations have the authority to rename rivers and oceans… hahaha…
Watching the slow flowing river water with a frown, Ling Tian asked, "How long more would it take before we can reach Heavenly Wind? With this speed of ours and the distance between both the continents, it would take quite some time right?"
Shui QianRou raised her head and looked at the sails before revealing a satisfied smile, "It won't be too long. As long as the wind direction doesn't change, we would only need ten days to reach the Shui Family pier in Heavenly Wind."
"Ten days?" Ling Tian was baffled, "We actually need such a long time? This isn't considered long?!"
Ling Tian had not went out to sea before, or more accurately, he had never went out to sea on such a backward boat. In his previous life, even if one wanted to travel half the Earth, a few days would be sufficient. But in this generation where transport was still undeveloped, their journey would definitely take a much longer time!
Shui QianRou smiled and put her fringe behind her ears. Her actions were gentle and beautiful with a tinge of pride, "This is already considered extremely fast. If not for our special Shui Family ship, an ordinary ship would require at least twice the time! Of course, if the heavens help us and send a strong gust of north-east wind, the time taken would be reduced by one to two days."
Special Shui Family ship? A tortoise like this? Ling Tian rolled his eyes and said, "What if the wind blows in the south-west direction? Would that mean that we will end up in Heavenly Star?"
Shui QianRou covered her mouth and burst out laughing, "You really don't understand anything. I was still wondering if there is anything in the world that young noble Ling is ignorant of!"
Ling Tian chuckled. He was truly ignorant in this aspect. Since when would he ride such a backward boat in his previous life? Such a boat would have been sent to a museum already and everyone would only fly wherever they went. Only during a holiday would they take a cruise and enjoy on the sea. However, young noble Ling would not have such a luxury or opportunity in his previous life.
"A waterwheel is located at the bottom of the boat. Silly fellow." Shui QianRou was extremely satisfied at the opportunity to see Ling Tian stumped, "How about it?! Young noble Ling's sights must have been widened right? The waterwheel of our Shui Family was made specially and is definitely the fastest of its kind."
"I am not a celestial, how can I know everything?" Ling Tian smiled bitterly. Such a boat and such a speed can actually be considered the fastest of its kind?! It can only travel sixty miles in two hours and you really treat it as some high tech boat?
"When we arrive at Heavenly Wind, are you going to follow me, or…" Shui QianRou grit her teeth and drew circles with her feet.
"After reaching land, we will have to split up for a while. However, I will definitely rush over by 3rd March to witness the battle between the elites of both families." Ling Tian said with a smile.
3rd March, Mount Vacant; gathering of tigers and dragon, heavens and earth overturned! This is the tradition of a thousand years! Every sixty years, the two families would gather on 3rd March for a battle between dragons and tigers.
"Oh." As Shui QianRou calculated the dates, it was 1st Feburary today and after ten days of travel, they would only part for 20 plus days. She immediately felt a sense of sourness in her heart. After being used to spending everyday together with Ling Tian, she was not willing to part with her beloved one.
"During this generational battle, which family do you wish to win? Just what is your plan?" Shui QianRou changed the topic.
"It is not my wish but the truth is before our eyes." Ling Tian sighed and looked at her with a trace of pity. "Comparing the strength of both your families, your Shui Family will lose for sure without the slightest chance of victory! What you should be considering now is how you should lose. You should be considering how you can preserve the descendants of your faction while sacrificing the pillars of your uncles. This would also help you to achieve the upperhand in future as well."
Shui QianRou lowered her head depressedly. While she was already prepared for such an outcome, she still felt a tinge of bitterness in her heart. After all, the reputation of her family would be harmed and as the daughter of the Shui Family, she naturally didn't feel good.
"There isn't any meaning to the victory of a so called 'generational battle'! If the Shui Family emerges victorious, it would only speed up the death of of your Shui Family." Ling Tian glared at her, "Shui WuBo and the others would definitely send out all of their experts in the generational battle to attain the best possible result so that they can suppress your factions with merits. With their outstanding merits, they would be able to suppress your faction and attain victory in this factional battle. At that time, it would be time for a change in leader for your Shui Family. This would be an unchangeable truth at that time."
Shui QianRou let out a long sigh and the two of them stared at the river for a long time without saying a thing.
Three days later, the boats of the Yu Family also entered the ocean.
At the same time, Beyond Heavens' boat carried four individuals and entered the ocean stealthily.
On the other side of the ocean in a rocky pier, the Shui Family members had already began setting up their defences.
As the troops of the Shui Family gathered at the pier, the irrevelant people tactfully took their leave. The number three character of the Shui Family, Shui ManCheng, walked out of the carriage with a solemn expression. As he looked at the ocean before him, his eyes were filled with anger and resentment.
Shui ManCheng was the father of Shui QianJiang. During his trip to Heavenly Star, Shui QianJiang lost his life in a foreign land. For Shui ManCheng to take the initiative to lead the soldiers over, who knows what he was thinking about.
Why couldn't the one who died by Shui QianRou or Shui QianHuan?! Why must it be my son?! Why would that darn Beyond Heavens be willing to save Shui QianHuan but not my son! Shui ManCheng cried out in his heart countless of times. As time went by, he sank deeper and deeper into his anger and hatred. Since my son is dead, all of you should not think about leading a good life either! Regardless of who you are, I will ensure that you pay a heavy price!
Another wave of commotion could be heard and another carriage arrived. A feminene voice then sounded, "I was wondering who it was. It turns out to be third uncle."
Shui ManCheng looked at the teen in front of him and forced out a smile, "So it is nephew HuangFu who has arrived. I wonder what nephew is here for?"
The young teen's face was slightly pale and his eyes drowsy as though he was drunk. With a smile, he said, "I heard that younger sister Rou is coming back and I am here to receive her."
Shui ManCheng snorted and was extremely frustrated.
This young teen was the young noble of the HuangFu Family, the second largest aristocratic family in Heavenly Wind only second to their Shui Family. His name was HuangFu Jun and after a chance encounter with Shui QianRou three years ago, he stuck onto Shui QianRou shamelessly and resorted to every possible mean he had up his sleeves to gain Shui QianRou's favor. He swore that he would return with the beauty in his arms and his actions fustrated Shui QianRou greatly.
While the HuangFu Family had the title of an aristocratic family, they did not have the history of one. The HuangFu Family had only existed for a hundred plus years and with the HuangFu Family's fame, even the direct descendants of the family would not have the rights to even think about marrying the treasured daughter of the Shui Family Head. However, the sudden changes in the Shui Family over the past few years had greatly damaged the standing of the Shui Family in Heavenly Wind. Thus, even if the strength of the HuangFu Family couldn't be compared to the Shui Family, they could not be underestimated. Witnessing the internal struggles and external problems of the Shui Family, if Shui QianRou was married to HuangFu Jun in return for the support of the HuangFu Family, the HuangFu Family would provide a huge boost to the strength of the Family Head's faction. Together with the fact that HuangFu Jun could be considered to be a young and talented individual, Shui ManKong was willing to approve the marriage.
If not for the upcoming battle with the Yu Family, Shui QianRou would probably be planning her marriage the moment she returned to Heavenly Wind!
Of course, Shui ManCheng's faction would not willingly allow the strength of the Family Head's faction to be strengthened and opposed vehemently to the marriage. Now that their faction was about to gain the upperhand, how would they be willing to allow the HuangFu Family to interfere in the Shui Family affairs? Thus, Shui ManCheng and HuangFu Jun would naturally not be friendly with each other.
The two of them stood side by side with a fake smile on their faces as though they were extremely close to each other as they looked at the vast ocean.
All of a sudden, the sound of galloping horses could be heard again and a troop of over a thousand men came from afar with their destination being the pier.
Could there be a third party? Which force did this party belong to?
A sharp whistle sounded and the sprinting horses stopped immediately, filling the place with silence. A powerful aura swept past the pier and everyone who was at the pier could not help but be taken aback. How disciplined! How could such troops be an unknown force?
Before the dust could settle, a loud roar sounded, "The Sky Alliance is here for business! Everyone in front of us are to give way immediately. None of you are to move without orders. Those who defy my orders shall be killed without mercy!"
They were actually from the Sky Alliance!
They were actually the most frightening bandit organization in the Heavenly Wind Continent: the Sky Alliance! However, the Shui Family forces were here today to receive their own troops but what were the members of the Sky Alliance doing here?
Shui ManCheng shouted out, "I am Shui ManCheng from the Shui Family. I wonder which Hall Master from the Sky Alliance is here today?" His voice echoed out with prestige, fully displaying his profound inner qi.
The Sky Alliance would usually send out their nine Hall Masters for business and there were only a few individuals in the world who knew the existence of the three leaders. However, no one had ever seen these three leaders before and they were extremely mysterious characters on the continent. Shui ManCheng would naturally ask for which Hall Master had arrived and not which leader.
After a long pause, a deep and firm voice sounded, "So it is Third Master Shui. I am Tian ZhiYi." His voice spread out afar and the might of his voice was even above that of Shui ManCheng.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
What an entrance!
The most mysterious leader of the Sky Alliance had actually made a personal appearance!
Chapter 634: The Pitiful HuangFu
Shui ManCheng as well as HuangFu Jun both took in a breath of cold air, looking at each other in dismay. What exactly happened, to have this great malicious star personally come out? What they could confirm was that since it was Tian ZhiYi that came, then the troops that they brought to Rocky Pier would be insufficient!
Shui ManCheng's expression was heavy as he spoke, "So it turns out that the one who calls the shots is here. I apologize for my lack of respect. Shui ManCheng of the Shui Family has embarrassed himself." The moment he finished speaking, he passed down the command to allow the groups to give way. At the same time, he signaled to an aide close to him, with the intention of asking him to report this matter to their family.
The army shifted towards the two sides like the tide receding, revealing a wide road of about fifty feet wide. The dull hoof beats of the warhorses sounded as three people seated side by side leisurely made their way over.
The person in the center was tall and sturdy, as though he was a god. On his face was a golden mask, and when the rays of light shone down, it reflected the light everywhere, causing everyone to not dare to stare at him.
On his left was someone wearing a silver mask, his body not moving a single inch despite being on the horse, while to his right, the person wore a copper mask with a ferocious expression.
Shui ManCheng's face turned pale white as an unbelievable thought ran past his head. How could it be that the top three figures of the Sky Alliance had come today? If it was really them, then what would their motive be? This was hard to believe!
When the golden-masked man, Tian ZhiYi turned to face him, everyone scrambled out of the way, only leaving Shui ManCheng as he stood in the center all alone. He mustered his courage to cup his fists as he politely asked, "You must be the great mister Tian? Might I know the identities of the other two?"
"This one is Tian ZhiEr!" The silver-masked man cupped his hand, yet did not get down the horse, his voice harsh and grating.
"This one is Tian ZhiSi!" There seemed to be a smiling intention behind the voice of the copper mask, and the speaker seemed to be genuinely friendly at least.
Shui ManCheng's expression changed at this time, as his voice trembled, "It is indeed the three of you great misters. Shui ManCheng from the Shui Family actually had failed to entertain angels unawares, to fail to recognize such famous people." However, deep inside his heart, he felt fear. For these three to come over and survey the area, just what sort of matter was it that required the three of them to combine forces in order to accomplish their task?
The more Shui ManCheng thought about it, the more scared he became. The only person here that could possibly even force the three of them to come over would only be… me! Could it be that they came here to silence me? After thinking of this his face had already turned pale.
Standing by the side HuangFu Jun evidently came to the same conclusion, and a look of schadenfreude flashed across his eyes. He suddenly took a step forward and kneeled on the ground as he exclaimed, "This one comes from the HuangFu Family and is named Jun. I pay my respects to the three great figures! Your names and reputations have traveled far and wide, shaking the heavens and earth. To have the fortune of meeting your imposing bearings today, it is indeed a wish of a lifetime!"
"HuangFu Jun?" The man in copper mask repeated the name slowly, before a hint of a smiling intent appeared in his eyes, "You must be a descendant of the HuangFu aristocratic family. That's right, the current young master of the HuangFu family goes by this name too. How did you end up here?"
Seeing how the other party was actually aware of his hand, as well as the goodwill he showed, HuangFu Jun inwardly exclaimed with joy. However, his attitude remained respectfully as he replied, "It is indeed I, and having such great figures recognizing me really fills me with pride and honor. My purpose of coming here today is actually to escort Miss Shui."
"Shui QianRou, Miss Shui?" The eyes inside the copper mask shone, even as he smilingly replied, "The HuangFu Family members are all mighty and imposing characters, so how could I not know of them?"
"Thirdie, don't be so corny. You're making me have goosebumps." The eyes of the silver-masked man showed some dissatisfaction as he coldly replied.
All of a sudden, there were light flapping sounds, as three messenger pigeons flew up from behind the Shui Family.
The golden-masked man gave out a cold snort, and behind him, a man stood on horseback from within the Sky Alliance's troops. Nocking his arrows and pulling on the bow, three long arrows shot out at practically the same time, and the three messenger pigeons uniformly dropped from the sky as well.
Shui ManCheng's face turned pale as death!
The silver-masked man, Tian ZhiEr let out a weird laugh as he gazed at Shui ManCheng, coldly remarking, "Third Master Shui, you don't have to be too anxious. Our motive here does not involve you. We will stay in our own lane and mind our own business. It's just that we do not wish for others to know of our presence here. But if Third Master Shui does not know how to keep his birds in check, then it is unknown where the arrows will end up next.
"Definitely! Just now, my men were careless and alarmed the three of you. I beg your pardon for that…" Shui ManCheng's heart also settled. While Tian ZhiEr's words were grating to the ear, he had revealed the crucial point. They had their own matters to solve by coming here, and it was because they did not wish to be interrupted while doing so that they chose not to let anyone know of their presence! So long as they were not coming for him, then there was not much need to care. Upon coming to this conclusion, the Third Master Shui felt his shoulders relax and had a euphoric feeling as though he had been dragged to heaven from hell.
From start to the end, the copper-masked man had been staring at HuangFu Jun, with a strange posture.
"Thirdie, what are you looking at?" The man with the gold mask, Tian ZhiYi spoke in a low tone, curious.
"That brat is the first in line for succession at the HuangFu aristocratic family. He's called HuangFu Jun." Tian ZhiSi made a knowing gesture towards him.
"Interesting? How interesting is that?" The gold-masked man snorted through his nose. "Thirdie, this person is just a mere HuangFu family member. How is it interesting to look at someone with just this much of ability? I feel you're slipping backward as time passes."
"A mere HuangFu aristocratic noble isn't anything fun…" Tian ZhiSi let out a weird laugh before continuing, "But this young noble HuangFu actually came all the way here just to welcome the little princess Shui QianRou. From what I heard, this person is totally infatuated with Miss Shui, and Shui ManKong even has intentions to betroth his daughter to him. Do you think… there's going to be a good show to watch later on?!"
"Oh… hahahahaha…. in that case, things should get pretty interesting." Tian ZhiYi also burst out into laughter, his eyes immediately turning towards HuangFu Jun, as though he had seen a valuable artifact. "Since the Young noble HuangFu is present, then no matter what, things are bound to get interesting, really interesting!"
"If that Young Noble HuangFu were to perform some kind of emotional play right here and then, and our Young Noble is informed of it, things would get EVEN BETTER. What do you guys think?" Standing by the side eavesdropping, Tian ZhiEr suddenly blurted out while in deep thought.
"Young Noble will definitely catch wind of this, and I can also roughly estimate his reaction. The entire process will be amusing at the very least." Tian ZhiYi let out an unbridled laugh, "Our young noble is extremely harsh and severe when it comes to this particular area. If one really angers him, then I guess the Song Family can laugh their way up the ranks. The only problem left… is that since we did not help the young noble to 'clear the path' beforehand, do you think the young noble will punish us for not doing a good job?"
The Song Family was the aristocratic family that was ranked directly behind the HuangFus. To say such a thing, the hidden intention behind it was really obvious…
"He definitely won't. How could Young Noble be such a petty person? Besides, the great Miss Shui could be said to be the belle of this area. Even if we wished to clean the path for young noble, we might not even manage to clear them all! From my sources, another of her diehard pursuers is the Second Young Master of the Song Family, and he has already wooed Miss Shui for a few years. Coupled with this young noble HuangFu, they are akin to fellow sufferers who can empathize with each other." Tian ZhiSi stroked his chin as he replied in schadenfreude.
"What astute eyesight they have!" Tian ZhiEr could not help but praise. "To be able to see where danger lies and leap towards it. It could be said that their eyesight is indeed the best."
"I really pity the HuangFu Family, to have actually given birth to such a malignant star for a grandson that could potentially destroy the entire family." Tian ZhiYi sighed as he shook his head. As though that was not enough to describe the magnitude, he sighed once again, "The pitiful Song Family too, to have given birth to such a sentimental fool."
The three of them burst out into laughter, pleased as punch.
Their laughing was, however, going a little overboard, and everyone stared at them, unable to make out heads or tails as to what they meant!
Shui ManCheng and HuangFu Jun exchanged looks simultaneously, wondering why the three leaders of the Sky Alliance had suddenly burst into laughter like complete lunatics. HuangFu Jun even noticed them sizing him up as they laughed, and mistakenly thought that they were expressing goodwill towards him. He nodded his head from afar to signal his goodwill happily, thinking deep in his heart that he had probably caught the eye of the three leaders. If they were able to support and aid him, the status of the HuangFu aristocratic family would then rise up by another notch, and this might even allow him to obtain the hand of the little princess he was wooing!
"Say, big bro, do you think that Heavenly Wind is going to welcome a period of excitement and liveliness, now that the young noble is coming over?" Tian ZhiEr seemed to be a little nervous but at the same time expectant.
The person who replied him was surprising Tian ZhiSi instead, "Still need to think? I'm already seeing the scene of corpses strewn all over the Heavenly Wind Continent, blood flowing like rivers, and bones piled up like mountains!"
Tian ZhiYi and Tian ZhiEr immediately let out expressions of shock, "Such a tragic scenario? Why are we unaware of such a matter?"
Tian ZhiSi snorted as he looked down in disdain at his two elder brothers. His voice turned hoarse as he continued, "You guys should also know that on this journey, his aide is not Sister Chen, but rather Jian'ge? If it was just to explore and sightsee, why would he bring along this butcher who has the most blood on his hands? Since he has come, you guys should be aware of exactly what will happen when he's around!"
The other two immediately let out an involuntary shiver, looking to their left and right, before Tian ZhiEr warned with some lingering fear. "Dammit, Thirdie, it's good that you know it, but do you have to go around and spread it out? If you want to speak, at least be more discreet! If Jian'ge were to hear this phrase, then the three of us would have been ruined by you!"
Tian ZhiSi let out a faint smile. "That definitely will not happen. At the most, if Jian'ge hears it, only the two of you will be punished!"
"Why is that so?" The two of them could not wrap their minds around it.
"That's because I'll let Jian'ge know that this sentence was spoken by you. Didn't you two notice that when I spoke just now, the tone was exactly like yours? As for me, I will be the righteous one that will reprimand you two for saying such words, and maybe Jian'ge will even impart to me some sword tactics to reward me!"
"You good-for-nothing, your son will definitely not have an anus when he's born!" Tian ZhiEr got into a fury, grabbing hold of his neck and shaking thoroughly. "See what I can do to you, little brat!!"
Tian ZhiSi was shaken so hard that his eyes rolled all over the place, screaming for mercy all the way. Standing by the side, Tian ZhiYi had zero intentions to help, instead watching a good show.
Suddenly, the crowd by the shore started to move, and some people lowly spoke, "They're here."
The three of them instantly sobered up and stood on the backs of their horses as they gazed towards the sea. On the horizon, one could see three black dots the size of beans, and following the passage of time, they slowly grew bigger and bigger. They were currently the size of goose eggs.
The three Tian brothers were brimming with excitement! This literally felt like a lifetime ago. How many years had it been? They were about to meet their savior, the person which they held the firmest of beliefs towards!
On the shore, Shui ManCheng's eyes let out sparks of hatred as he clenched his fists under the robe. He muttered to himself, "You guys are back, yet my son, my only son is doomed to wander on the other side for eternity! Shui QianRou, there's no way for you to dismiss this just like that! I will definitely not forgive you!"
Chapter 635: Arrival at Heavenly Wind
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The bloodshot eyes of HuangFu Jun shone with a blazing heat as he thought of how he could finally meet the girl of his dreams after so many years. Thinking of the peerless beauty that he missed day and night, he couldn't help but be agitated. When he recalled how Shui ManKong had the hidden intention of giving him his blessing, HuangFu Jun couldn't keep himself from shaking. His dream of many years was just about to turn into reality, making this aristocratic young noble a little impatient.
"We're finally here." Ling Tian breathed out once comfortably. Smelling the scent of earth from afar, as well as looking at the scenery of the huge continent before him, Ling Tian was a little excited. To our young noble Ling Tian, the life on board was simply too boring. While the scenery offered by the sea and skies were enough to leave you intoxicated, you would still get tired of it after looking often, let alone every day and night. In addition, he had to stay beside a peerless beauty but was unable to satisfy his desires, and this made Ling Tian feel extremely suppressed. Even little Ling Tian was standing up straight every day in protest…
If it wasn't for the fact that Shui QianRou set down strict rules that all the Shui Family warriors were to remain below the deck and not come out, Ling Tian's life would be even more miserable.
Beside Ling Tian was a weirdly dressed Ling Jian, however, his back was still ramrod straight as always.
"Say, Ah'Jian, what expression do you think those kids will have the moment they see us?" Ling Tian laughed out as he breathed in the cool sea breeze.
"I believe they will immediately start crying." Ling Jian could also not control the smile slipping out from his lips.
"Really? How about we make a bet? I say that they will not cry, do you dare to bet with me? The loser will strip naked and run around the Heavenly Wind Continent, how about that?" Ling Tian sniggered as he held onto his chin, a weird light shining in his eyes.
"Nope." Ling Jian shivered once before shaking his head. What a joke, ever since young, he had never won a bet against this young noble before…
Run naked? Ling Jian's skin was not so thick. Secretly glancing at Ling Tian, he nodded his head with certainty. He believed that with the thickness of his young noble's skin, he would not turn red even if he were to strip naked and run around the Heavenly Wind Continent. Furthermore, with his current cultivation, even if he were to really run naked, who could actually even catch a glimpse of him?
The tiny black dot on the horizon gradually grew larger, and the shape of the fleet grew clearer in everybody's eyes as it neared the shore.
The Shui Family disciples had already formed two rows to stand on the two sides of the stone steps. This time, those from the Shui Family that had come were the elites and had undergone rigorous training. All of them were solemn and dignified, fully concentrated on the task at hand. HuangFu Jun even shamelessly went up to Shui ManCheng's side to line up, walking down together to await Shui QianRou's fleet of ships.
It was unsure if the Shui and HuangFu families were afraid of the Sky Alliance or that they were out of everyone's line of sight, but no one noticed that all of the Sky Alliance members had unknowingly gotten off their horses, standing quietly at the side. Their three masked heads all had emotional looks within their eyes as they gazed at the boat which had just stopped, as though waiting for a VIP.
Bugle horns of welcome resounded everywhere, as a peerless beauty walked out of the ship's hold like an immortal fairy exiting her dwelling. She elegantly took a step out, and even when faced with a thousand eyes on the shore staring at her, the iciness present on her face did not lessen one bit. She continued to exude the haughty demeanor of a noble lady, like the unrestrained clouds and sea, far beyond one's reach.
"We welcome the little princess back!" All of the Shui Family warriors raised their voices and shouted at once. The sound traveled out for miles.
A brief glimpse of pain flashed through Shui QianRou's eyes, as well as an ineffable sense of dreariness. Upon thinking of her dearest brother Shui QianHuan, who now lay alone in the cold six feet underground at Heavenly Star Continent, she could not help but sigh. Only after the pain had passed did she finally step down slowly. All the warriors of the Shui Family on board the ship were extremely excited, the sight of their homeland filling their eyes. They followed behind Shui QianRou as they descended, packed like sardines.
Under Ling Tian's workings, while the Shui Family had lost over 60% of their men in Heavenly Star, they had finally set down a foundation inside the continent in return. Furthermore, they had received the acknowledgment of the local power, the Ling Family, and so they could be considered to have fulfilled their ancestors' wishes in a certain manner. Just based on this merit, no matter the number of men they sacrificed, it was no longer important.
Shui ManCheng was furious in his heart. However, he could be considered a wily old fox, as his face did not even reveal half of his thoughts or expressions. He walked out from the cheering crowd, and warmly called out, "Niece QianRou must have suffered in his journey. Going all the way to Heavenly Star, engaging in numerous battles and then constructing a rock solid foundation over there, your merits are undeniably high. This calls for a celebration!"
Shui QianRou lightly bowed at the waist as she replied, "I thank Third Uncle for his praise. To toil for a foundation is for the future descendants of the Shui Family, so how could I dare to claim credit for myself! To think that Third Uncle would actually come personally to welcome QianRou when she returns really fills me with gratitude. Furthermore, on this journey, we've lost many an elite disciple and soldier, so how could QianRou be able to accept any sort of praise? Cousin QianJiang even unfortunately lost his life due to an assassination over there. Every time I think of it, I feel as though there were a thousand knives cutting through my heart. I'm unable to fully convey the pain I feel."
The facial muscles on Shui ManCheng's face kept twitching violently as his eyes grew sharp. He clenched his teeth before revealing a bright smile, but it got twisted somehow to look ferocious instead. From the countless letters sent back, how could he not know the exact circumstances behind his son's death? If anyone dared say that Shui QianRou had no part in it, he would definitely not believe it! However, right now he was hearing Shui QianRou speak of it in such a carefree tone, so how could he not have hatred in his heart?
"QianJiang sacrificed himself for his family, that was only natural. Rou'er, don't put it in your heart. While this Third Uncle here might grieve, I'm actually proud of him." Within Shui ManCheng's level tone, a hint of killing intent leaked out, as though it could not be suppressed.
"That's right. But for cousin QianJiang to pass on without even leaving a descendant for Third Uncle, just leaving for the yellow springs, even the heavens pity you." Shui QianRou spoke in a voice filled with guilt.
When it came to the topic of having no one to succeed his family line, Shui ManCheng finally could hold it in no longer. His face was black as a thundercloud, and he almost vomited blood in anger. It was only through hyperventilating a few times did he finally calm himself down to say, "It must have been a hard journey on your way back, so let's return to our place early for a rest. If there's anything to report, we can put it off till later."
Shui QianRou nodded in reply, "Third Uncle is right. Any matters will be cleared in the future." As she spoke, she walked down with her head held high.
Shui ManCheng's face was ashen as he suddenly asked in a sinister tone, "Why is there only niece present? Did QianHuan not return this time?"
A painful smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. Shui QianRou halted but did not turn around, instead softly replying, "Elder brother's wounds are serious. Luckily, heaven had blessed him well enough to be taken away by Heavenly Justice of the Beyond Heavens Sect for treatment. I believe it will not be long before he returns. As for what belongs to him, others need not think about it, neither will it be much use to do so." After saying these words she suddenly turned around, two cold beams of light shining from her eyes. Just like Shui ManCheng, hers were full of killing intent!
Both uncle and niece stared at each other, not breaking eye contact. From each other's eyes, they could see the deep grudge and hatred each party had for each other!
It was only after a long time that Shui QianRou snorted and broke the contact. She turned around and walked away with light steps. Shui ManCheng was left there, his fists balled up. When he went down the stone steps, his feet left indents in the hard rock.
"Shui… Miss Shui, you're finally back?" A pleasantly surprised and slightly incoherent speech sounded out suddenly. "I… I believe that you must have suffered."
Shui QianRou's face sank, and she did not even bother putting up with the pretenses as she snapped, "Young noble HuangFu, please show some respect. Am I someone you can casually mention just like that?"
HuangFu Jun was originally dizzy with happiness, but after hearing the snappish tone in Shui QianRou's voice in such a crowded venue, this was obviously not giving him any face whatsoever! His face turned dark, and he couldn't help angrily replying, "Sister Rou, you might not be aware of this, but Uncle Shui has already agreed to our marriage. Me coming to fetch you today is through the consent of your father. In the near future, my house will prepare the betrothal gift, and we will be wed as husband and wife. What sort of words can I not say?"
"Get wed? Are you still dreaming?! Are you even worthy?!!" Shui QianRou let out a derisive laugh and continued in a disgusted tone, "HuangFu Jun, stop having the dreams of a fool. It's impossible for me to agree to this betrothal and marriage! Even if all the other men in this world were to perish, I still would not choose to marry such an obscene person like you!" A cold smile then surfaced on her face as she added in disdain, "Did you think those bloody atrocities you commit in secret would really be hidden forever?"
HuangFu Jun's handsome face turned totally red, but he had no way to argue back. He had been blessed with good looks, and for him, so long as he met someone which caught his eye, even if they locked themselves inside their rooms, or even had a partner, they would still be unable to escape from his evil clutches. He had destroyed quite a number of ladies in the past few years. In addition, because of the growing strength of his HuangFu Family the past few years, no one could control him, allowing him to get away scot-free. Right now, a venomous look shot through his eyes as he thought, Don't get too happy, slut! The moment this daddy gets you into my family, when I press on top of your body, then you'll understand my prowess! However, his mouth sang a different tune, "Sister Rou, marriage is a big affair and is typically according to the wishes of our parents. Since the match has been decided, it is not something that either of us can interfere with any longer. Since your father has already agreed, then whether you have any opinions or disagreements, they're useless at this juncture."
If it was the past her, Shui QianRou would definitely panic at this point. However, knowing that Ling Tian was together with her in Heavenly Wind Continent, her heart was right now as stable as Mount Tai. How could she take the words of HuangFu Jun to heart? She only laughed out coldly as she retorted, "Is that so?" Before waiting for his reply, she had already brushed past him, walking far ahead.
Staring at her merciless back, grinding sounds came from the mouth of HuangFu Jun.
Forcibly restraining herself from turning back to look at that person's reaction, Shui QianRou chose to silently continue to walk ahead. She knew that right now, Ling Tian was probably no longer on the boat, and neither was he inside her own squad. Even if she were to turn her head now, she probably could no longer catch a glimpse of him.
After parting ways today, the next time we meet will probably be a month later, right? And this time, I will have to engage in the endless politics and mental battles back at home. Just the thought of it would make one weary! A sudden sense of sadness struck Shui QianRou.
The crowd that had just arrived on shore started to climb up their horses. As for Shui QianRou, she also straddled her own handsome white horse, slowly moving forward. HuangFu Jun had on a dark expression, as he carefully bid farewell to the heads of the Sky Alliance before shameless following behind Shui QianRou like a lustful toad.
However, HuangFu Jun's heart was still filled with some happiness. To think that he actually was fortunate enough to come across the three mysterious heads of the Sky Alliance, and even leave some sort of impression with them! If he could take this relationship one step further, and get into their good books, most likely his family would rise in strength again! This time, when he returned home, he would immediately discuss this with his father.
The poor HuangFu Jun did not know that a pair of cold eyes had actually rested on him for a long time. Beside Tian ZhiYi, there was another black-robed man seated atop a horse, staring at HuangFu Jun the whole time. An interested look could be seen in his eyes, as he mumbled to himself, "HuangFu aristocratic family? The number two power of the Heavenly Wind Continent? This indeed sounds like an interesting toy! I originally thought that I would be bored to death here, but now I need not fear boredom!"
The three mysterious heads were accompanying the black-robed man, and when they heard his words, all of them exchanged an 'I knew this would happen' look with the others before laughing. Seeing at the receding back of HuangFu Jun, all three pairs of eyes looked at him as though they had seen a little puppy that they were free to bully!
If a knowledgeable person was present, they would have recognized at first glance that where the black-robed person was situated was exactly at the core of the leaders from the Sky Alliance! Furthermore, his current position of that black-robed man was such that no matter how he turned, his vision would not be blocked, but at the same time, they closed off any way that would allow a would-be assassin to reach the man.
If a professional assassin was to see this scene, they would immediately tell that the positions of the three leaders were that of bodyguards! And as for where each of their eyes were positioned, covering all directions, this showed just how high the status of the black-robed man was in their hearts!
What sort of person would have such a high rank that even the famed Sky Alliance of the Heavenly Wind Continent, as well as their most mysterious three leaders, would deign to act like slaves?
A sharp cry sounded, and the subordinates of Sky Alliance actually got onto their horses simultaneously, with uniform movements, everyone all sitting atop their horses with ramrod straight backs. Before they came, the three heads had already warned them that during this mission, they had to be at their best behavior and highest energy levels. If anyone were to embarrass them, then they would only meet with the fate of being thrown out from the Sky Alliance!
In addition, this was the first time the three heads had treated a matter so seriously. All 800 of them were on tenterhooks, afraid that their performance would cause them to become guinea pigs. In the event that one of them was used to set an example and expelled from the Sky Alliance, he might as well commit suicide and be done with it.
It was unknown when it started, but the sky had darkened with heavy black clouds with arcs of lightning constantly flashing within them, as though heralding a storm of epic proportions. All 800 of them, however, remained unmoving atop their horses, awaiting the next command!
Looking at all of them, Tian ZhiYi was gratified. As he saw Ling Tian's eyes reveal a sense of appreciation, he finally relaxed some of the tension in his heart.
Ever since he reached the shore, Ling Tian had not addressed them once, causing Tian ZhiYi and his brothers to feel extremely pressured. They were unaware whether the young noble was unsatisfied with any area, but after looking into his eyes, the burden they felt was finally eased.
With a light smile on his face, Ling Tian nodded and galloped off, leading the pack. Directly behind him, Ling Jian was just like his shadow, only half a horse behind him as he followed closely!
Tian ZhiYi waved his whip, bellowing out, "Set off!" before following suit.
800 people were split into platoons of 100 each, all orderly following behind, and in an instant, the entire area was filled with the sound of hoofbeats like a thunderstorm. Great clouds of dust rolled up towards the sky! In less than a minute, they had actually caught up to the tail of the Shui Family members, and yet they seemed to have no intention to slow down.
Shui ManCheng already had some anger within his eyes, but after thinking about it, he weighed the costs and benefits before lifting up his whip and commanding the Shui Family members to shift towards the side, allowing the Sky Alliance members to pass.
Their millennium-old enemy, the Yu Family, was about to arrive. If they chose to offend the Sky Alliance at this time, it would be as good as signing their own death warrant!
Shui QianRou was not aware of the reason, and could not help but furrow her brows as she furiously asked, "Why should we give way to them?"
Shui ManCheng coldly laughed, as he indifferently replied, "Those three are the heads of the Sky Alliance! Do you want all of us to be buried here? If niece wishes to be skewered by them, then your third uncle here will not prevent your desire!"
"Sky Alliance!" Shui QianRou snorted coldly, but deep inside she felt a little sad. Since when was the Shui Family be reduced to even having to give away to others?
Her limpid eyes could not help but gaze furiously behind at the approaching troops, but after glancing at the lead figure, she only saw the rider look straight into her eyes before a mischievous twinkle shone as he suddenly flashed past her figure.
"Ah?!" Shui QianRou stood still in shock, so it turned out to be this detestable fellow! She hmphed in annoyance as she broke eye contact. Her meaning was simple: When I next meet you, I'll make sure you suffer! To think that this hateful guy had kept her in the dark for such a long time!
Closely tailing after the lead rider, another horse shot past without even making eye contact, but he left in his wake a biting chill, an awe-inspiring chill that penetrated to the heart.
"Eh?" Shui ManCheng looked on in shock at the two lead riders. How could it be that there were people who dared to be so brazen, overtaking the three heads of the Sky Alliance? Could it be that they were tired of living? Shui ManCheng would love to see how they would die!
However…
Hoofbeats continuously sounded as the troops in the Sky Alliance increased in speed under the command of the three leaders. They resembled a huge black dragon, roaring as it soared through the skies. When they passed by Shui QianRou, all three leaders uniformly cupped their fists in a show of respect before disappearing into the distance.
Shui QianRou's face turned red as she lowered her head. With her knowing the true identities of the Sky Alliance's leaders, she clearly knew why they would show respect to her. It was not because of her identity as the little princess of the Shui Family, but rather because it was a form of subordinates of her beloved paying respects to the Mistress upon meeting her for the first time. To think that they would be aware of such a matter even though they were situated so far away here in Heavenly Wind… could it be that the cold-faced assassin was the one with loose lips? A weird suspicion formed in Shui QianRou's heart, but try as she might, she could not envision the cold-blooded assassin who could not even show emotions to be a gossiper. If it wasn't him, then that would only leave the lecherous wolf himself. How could he be such a shameless prick?
She suddenly saw a weird movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to look. What she saw was Shui ManCheng with a smile plastered all over his face, in the posture of cupped fists.
This Third Master Shui mistakenly thought the respects paid by the three leaders to their new Mistress was towards him as thanks, and could not help but have a proud expression suffuse his face. He boasted, "Look at this, while you weren't here, your third uncle has braved the lands, traveling far and wide. Who would dare not show respect to me? Even the three leaders of the Sky Alliance still had to pay their respects towards me!"
He had actually completely forgotten that it was precisely him who was so afraid of offending them just now that he commanded the troops to move towards the side!
Even though Shui QianRou was filled with disdain and anger towards her third uncle's behavior, she still could not help bursting into laughter at this scene. She had seen many shameless personages her entire life, but not one who had such a thick skin! This was akin to imagining that one's love was being reciprocated, right?
The area surrounding Jade River City was filled with undulating mountain ranges as well as thick forests. They served to completely shield the view of the area from the curious gazes of any passerby. While this place was only a mere 150 kilometers from the city, it could already be considered a dangerous no man's land that few dared to tread.
After leaving the official roads, the 800 troops were just like a thread of smoke as they weaved their way to this area. Only after they were separated more than 30 to 40 kilometers from the nearest village did they finally stop in their tracks.
Following the order of Tian ZhiYi, all troops dismounted and lined up into a phalanx formation. With the three Tian brothers in front, long unmasked, the three leaders first kneeled down before kowtowing on the ground.
"Ling One salutes Young Noble!"
"Ling Two salutes Young Noble!"
"Ling Four salutes Young Noble!"
The troops behind them, who were still pulling straws to figure out the identities of these two black-robed men were received a rude shock. They immediately followed suit, kneeling down and shouting out, "We salute Young Noble, and we pray for his well-being!"
Ling Jian, who was closely following behind Ling Tian, immediately floated a few steps to the side as though his body was weightless, avoiding the salute.
"Rise, all of you." Ling Tian warmly laughed, "Number one, you really outdid yourself these past few years. You've far outstripped my original calculations. I'm impressed and extremely satisfied!"
"Many thanks to Young Noble for your praise, this is merely my job." Tian ZhiYi (Ling One) kowtowed again in response, before solemnly standing up. Turning around, he looked at all his subordinates, before shouting out, "Brothers, this young noble in front of us is actually the true owner of the Sky Alliance, Young Noble Ling Tian from the Heavenly Star Continent! He will also be the future owner of Heavenly Star! From today onwards, all of us, including myself, will have to follow the commands of our young noble unconditionally, without any hesitation! Furthermore, the news of our young noble coming over to Heavenly Wind Continent should be kept as the number one secret of Heavenly Wind Continent, without even the slightest leaks! Any person who disobeys will be executed!"
"Yes!" A uniform roar greeted him in response.
"Brothers, do you know why our name is called 'Sky Alliance'?" Since they had already introduced Ling Tian, the brain of the Sky Alliance now stepped up. "This is because, we are all the subordinates of Ling Tian, and thus we are the Sky Alliance! The 'sky' in our Sky Alliance, is not the sky of the heavens, but rather the 'sky' of our Young Noble Ling Tian! Do you guys understand now?" [1]
"Understood!" All 800 voices echoed in unison, and one could see the flames of passion in every single one of their eyes. Gazing at Ling Tian who was standing above them on a hill, every one of them could feel a sort of blazing passion coming from their eyes. Even though they had not affirmed it all this while, but with the convenience of information gathering within them, the matter of young noble Ling Tian had long been universally heard among them.
Young Noble Ling Tian breaking into the ranks of a 500,000 strong army just to save his father! Rushing straight into the armies, an outcome of sure death!
Young Noble Ling Tian was even pursued by the unbeatable Martial Order Medallion owner, the number one expert Heavenly Justice, and finally managed to force him to revoke the millennium-old tradition of the martial order medallion!
Young Noble Ling Tian, using the strength of one person, managed to topple a huge mountain peak, causing the course of river water to be reversed! Resulting in the defeat of the 400,000 strong army of the Xiao Family!
Young Noble Ling Tian wiped out the Yang Family, killed the DongFangs, extinguished the XiMen, punished the NanGongs, slaughtered the Southern Zheng, and eliminated the Eastern Zhao…
All these matters, whether spoken or heard, were matters that would rouse the blood of anybody. The people from Sky Alliance had long accepted the miracles created, and the shameful matters of him chasing away over ten teachers when he was five years old to him going to the brothel when he was six for 'exploration' were all harshly dismissed.
Under such forms of influence, young noble Ling Tian had almost become some sort of superstar idol within the ranks of the Sky Alliance. Thus, upon seeing such a legendary figure in the flesh today, and furthermore knowing that this young noble was actually the leader that they had sworn loyalty to, made all the soldiers present immensely emotional.
One could say that the brainwashing and propaganda done by Ling One and the rest over the years towards Sky Alliance was an extremely successful case, with definite results. As for these 800 troops that were chosen to come out today, they were the backbone of the entire Sky Alliance. They definitely couldn't be more thoroughly brainwashed. As such, how could they not feel hot-blooded upon meeting the idol of their lives?!
A few of them were already breathing heavily with emotion. If not for the strict training regimen that they went through, they would probably already have broken ranks and rushed towards Ling Tian, asked for his autograph, shaking his hand, maybe even feeling around his whole body, appearing to leave some sort of their mark on him… cough cough…
"Brothers!" The moment Ling Tian opened his mouth, the whole area turned silent. Everyone felt as though Ling Tian's voice had sounded right beside their ears, as though he was personally talking to them. They subconsciously stuck out their chests in pride, straightening themselves even more as they gazed with adoration to where he was…
"From today onward, we're considered a family." Ling Tian secretly wiped the sweat off his hand upon seeing such a scene, before continuing, "During this period of time, you guys have been great! Even in Heavenly Star, I would receive snippets of news every now and then about you, and I've always been proud of your achievements! Let's leave the bullsh*t and pleasantries aside, and I'll sum everything up into one sentence. Our target from today onward is to trample the world under our feet, and make this entire world our own piece of heaven!"
"Generals and Ministers are not created without reason, all of them had to work for it! As for the aristocrats that they have to pay respects to, are they really better than us? Among you, how many of you people will become generals, become ministers in the end? Brothers, we'll all wait and see together just how many of our own brothers will be able to leave their names on the history books, through the sands of time, told to countless generations after! When this entire battle ends, every single one of you people will be immortalized in the history books of our dynasty, leaving your grand story to be told for ages to come!"
"Oh! Oh! Oh!…." Under the encouragement from Ling Tian, the 800 men were acted as though they had just consumed viagra, all getting excited.
….
After disseminating the order for all of them to retreat, the three leaders, Ling One, Two, and Four, guided Ling Tian and Ling Jian into Jade River City, where they removed their masks and traveling robes. All of a sudden, these three were not the mysterious heads of the Sky Alliance, but rather the richest and most powerful people within the city. They domineeringly booked out the most expensive restaurant in the city, the 'Leisure Jade River Restaurant', just to hold a welcoming party for Ling Tian and Ling Jian.
The current time was barely past noon, but the table was already laden with fine wines as well as all sorts of cuisines. All of them were even unique delicacies within Heavenly Wind Continent, such as beasts of the fields and birds of the air, exotic delicacies spread all over the place in a neat and tidy manner. Furthermore, there seemed to be a never-ending stream of dishes being sent up like water…
After three rounds of wine were passed, everyone finally loosened up. The initial emotions they had felt upon seeing the young noble again also gradually calmed down.
Ling Tian was seated at the head with Ling Jian on his right. On the left was Ling One, and the order continued. Everyone sat in their positions, with only the five of them in this restaurant.
"Number One, I sent Nineteen and Twenty over here a while ago. Where are they now?" As Ling Tian dined, he casually asked.
"Those two brats are simply restless souls." On the mention of Ling Nineteen and Twenty, Ling One seemed to have gotten a headache. He groaned, "After they sent the skills over, they had no intention to leave this place anymore, saying it was under the orders of the young noble. Since you said it was an order, then just stay there quietly! But they just had to be the exact opposite, it's not like you don't know their characters, young noble. They seem to enjoy watching the world burn, and without fighting for a day, they would feel itchy and uncomfortable. After sharpening themselves in the war for so many years, they cannot even sit in tranquility for three days. They turned my entire place upside down, beating up all the brothers under me, and even claiming it was to help me to discipline them! My subordinates came running to me at all hours in those three days and two nights to grumble! In the end, I thought, since they liked to fight so much, I handed them all sorts of fighting tasks to fulfill, taking a great load off our minds…"
Everyone laughed at this point, and Ling One scratched his head in awkwardness before continuing with a laugh, "On the day young noble's letter arrived, we had just received a large order, and while escorting a convoy, we had actually gotten robbed! The two of them took off that very night to slaughter the whole bunch of them. We've just received news yesterday that the two of them had found leads, and are on the pursuit."
"Oh." Ling Tian nodded. Ling Jian on the other head interjected, "In other words, ever since the two of them came, the three of you have been lazing around, right? Your skills probably haven't improved a single bit as well, right?! The brothers under you have been trained by Nineteen and Twenty, but what about you guys?! Your original skills were much better than Nineteen and Twenty, so why can't you guys defeat them, furthermore when its three against two? Do you have a reason for me?!!"
"Cough cough cough…" The three of them immediately choked and went on a coughing fit. Their faces turned from red to white and then to green! Ling Two and Four hatefully stared at Ling One, cursing his big mouth and wishing nothing better than to beat him up.
"No problem, to laze around every now and then is actually natural. After all, you guys are now high ranking officials. I never had any intention to blame you guys." Ling Jian suddenly smiled in a hair-raising manner. "After we finish this meal, let me see how much you guys have progressed. En, I think I'll have a little spar with you guys, just to give some pointers."
"AH?!" The three of them almost fell out of their seats upon hearing the first half, but after the second half of the sentence was completed, the three looked as though their faces could turn into a shade of purple. What bullsh*t luck was this, one sentence and they actually received such a severe punishment! Ling Two and Four's gaze at Ling One became all the more unfriendly, with a clear meaning: D*mn you and your big mouth! Upon thinking of the beatings they suffered from Ling Jian in the early few years of their lives, the three couldn't help but shudder involuntarily.
Ling One sat there as though he was making preparations for a funeral. He could not wish to smack his own mouth, cheap, how cheap was his mouth! To blurt out everything so easily…
Sensing their pleading gazes on him, Ling Tian could not help but laugh out as he replied, "Alright, even if we want to spar, let's wait till after this meal. By then, you guys will have more strength. You guys, just willingly accompany your Jian'ge to spar, he has been suppressing his desire for battle throughout the entire journey here."
The three of them screamed inwardly. There seemed to be no hope left for them…
"By the way, how goes the progress at Mount Vacant Sky?" Ling Tian brought up the question that he was most interested in.
"Mount Vacant Sky has already become the property of the Shui Family and has turned into a forbidden ground for the whole of Heavenly Wind Continent. No one is allowed to trespass." Ling One sighed, "We initially thought that the Shui Family was planning something fishy within the mountain, but the two times we infiltrated the place, there was actually nothing out of the ordinary. However, we were unable to make it all the way to the deepest recesses, so if there are any discrepancies, I'll apologize to the young noble in advance."
"It's like this?!" Ling Tian asked in curiosity. Why was this so? Could it be that the Shui Family was aware that Mount Vacant Sky held some secret? Ling Tian stroked his chin as he asked, "Unable to thoroughly check the place?… It's nothing, there might not be anything present in the area. At that time, I also mentioned it out of convenience! It's just that…. based on your observations, which part of the mountain was the most tightly guarded?"
Ling Four knew that since the young noble had asked, then there had to be some sort of reason behind it. While he said that he only asked out of convenience, it was merely a show to ease the anxiety of the three of them. He thus pulled aside a plate of fish and began to draw a map instead. "Young Noble, please look. There are three peaks on Mount Vacant Sky, and they form a '品' formation. If we take this fish as an example, then the head of the fish would be the east while the tail would face west. On both sides, they are not very strictly guarded, so long as one's movement techniques are profound enough, one can forcibly infiltrate the area and return. However, no one has tried going deeper. I believe in the deepest recesses, there would be at least seven to eight layers of traps, and unless we choose to launch an all-out attack, otherwise…
"The middle peak?" Ling Tian opened his eyes wide. The Shui Family is tightly guarding the middle peak? This is really the heavens aiding me!" He shook his head and laughed out, looking overjoyed.
Following this, Ling One, Two and Four talked about the difficulties and strange observations that they had made throughout their years here in Heavenly Wind. Ling Tian listened with gusto, and before long, it was already the evening.
Having met after so long, and with much experiences to share from both parties, even Ling Jian had long forgotten that he wanted to whip Ling One, Two and Four back into shape. However, the sudden sound of hoofbeats broke the calm atmosphere, causing everyone on the street to exclaim. Ling Tian frowned, for directly outside was the most prosperous and busy street of Jade River City, and the crowd never thinned. For someone to use such a speed on a horse, he was as good as not putting the lives of the commoners in his eyes.
[1] The Tian in Ling Tian is the word for Sky.