Book 10: Chapter 4 – News
All those teenagers, Ye Qing included, stared with widened eyes and gaping mouths in the northern courtyard of Dongyu Restaurant. If described, this incident of the familiar, old caretaker bringing down the Scarlet Flame Knight, Sand Tiger, would be unbelievable to these teenagers, let alone describing their familiar, sickly teacher causing the group of people and their horses to disappear with simply a wave of his hand!
“Teacher, you, you?” Ye Qing stared at Xue Ying. It didn’t make sense. Their teacher’s body was indeed unwell. A dozen years had passed at the very least, and since he had been living with his teacher for severals years, this was something he was clear about. Furthermore, there was no reason for their teacher to pretend to be so sickly either all the time.
“Actually… Dong Bo is just my last name.” Xue Ying proclaimed, “I am called Dong Bo Xue Ying!”
“Dong Bo Xue Ying?” Doubt welled up in Ye Qing as well as the others.
Who was that?
“Hahaha…” To the side, Palace Head Chen burst into laughter. “Xue Ying ah, it seems these disciples of yours had never heard of your name. Haha…”
Xue Ying also felt somewhat speechless. Back when he was a Legend ranker, even he had known quite a few Transcendents’ names.
Compared to when he was of similar age, this disciple of his, Ye Qing, was weaker than him in terms of combat power, his knowledge likely being halved as well. To weaker individuals, Transcendents were truly too far away and usually only heard in stories or folktales set a very long time ago. Even though several stories about the current Xue Ying circulated around the world, this only happened within a few places.
Furthermore! He also knew this type of information because he loved reading these stories of biography! And this disciple of his, Ye Qing, was someone who did not read biographies.
“You will know about it eventually.” Xue Ying chuckled.
“Mn.” Ye Qing felt quite of ashamed too, feeling guilty for being ignorant of not knowing the significance of his teacher’s real name. He decided, deep down in his heart, that he would certainly go and ask around about ‘Dong Bo Xue Ying.’ Being his disciple, how could it be possible for him not to know of the name of his teacher?
“Teacher, that big senior…” Ye Qing said.
“He isn’t your big senior anymore.” Xue Ying shood his head.
“That Long Tian Yun, how should I deal with him in the future?” Ye Qing asked.
“Just act as if you don’t recognize this person.” Xue Ying concluded, “Alright, I still have some matters to attend to. Go and do your own stuff for now.”
He turned around and accompanied Palace Head Chen down the corridor once he finished speaking.
As they walked down the corridor…
Xue Ying, Palace Head Chen, and Jing Qiu walked shoulder by shoulder. The old caretaker, Wu Lei, followed behind them.“Xue Ying, your disciple is truly something… When choosing a disciple, their heart is extremely important.” Palace Head Chen laughed. “Either you accept them after filtering for temperament, nature, and innate talent or groom them while they are still young!”
“I am just casually teaching them some fundamental spear techniques while traveling around the different parts of Xia Clan World.” Xue Ying stated, “Everything is determined by destiny. I don’t desire much.”
Jing Qiu countered, “That Long Tian Yun was the oldest one when he began learning spear techniques, having already turned 15 years of age! Since he was 15 years old, he was too set in his ways, thus being too resistant to character development. I knew he had a bad temperament and disagreeable character, and I had encouraged Xue Ying to chase him away. Xue Ying, however, still feel that he was truly too pitiful back then.”
“His bad temperament and disagreeable character are a result of his family background!” Xue Ying explained, “His father was a gambling addict and had recklessly hit him, scolded him, and tortured him. Not to mention the debts… he was physically sick and had almost died of hunger. I allowed him to come over to learn spear techniques at my school just so I could provide him some meals. Should I have chased him off simply because of his bad temperament and disagreeable character? Thus letting him die of sickness or hunger? Since he came over to learn some spear techniques, it demonstrated that our destinies crossed paths. Therefore, I decided to straighten him out of his quagmire!
“Neither I nor anyone else, however, would have thought that despite his character being relatively disagreeable at that time, the lack of evil deeds committed, and the obedience he showed me, he would cause me to become even more disappointed in him the older he became.” Xue Ying shook his head.
The older he got…
The revelations concerning Long Tian Yun’s temperament and shortcomings began unveiling as his combat power increased—ruthless and battle-hungry, wasteful and ostentatious! It was like his childhood had been too bitter, causing him to become more excessive as he grew older. Due to his older age and limited talent in cultivation, Xue Ying’s initially desired to groom all the three disciples well, find a good husband for the second disciple while asking for the Dragon Mountain Manor to take care of her, and bequeath the restaurant to the eldest disciple.
But who would have thought that the eldest disciple would become a spendthrift immediately upon gaining a bit of money. Even though Xue Ying had reprimanded him, the thought of his eldest disciple stealing his second disciple’s dowry to be spent on alcohol and courtesans had never crossed Xue Ying’s mind! Long Tian Yun was just throwing away the money! Xue Ying had truly been infuriated at that time and had savagely reprimanded him. As a result, Long Tian Yun might as well have broken off all relations with Xue Ying. Long Tian Yun thought his wings had hardened enough and his combat power strong enough for him to venture out into the outside world.
“Your heart is still too soft.” Palace Head Chen amended, “But I can foresee that such a person who bites the hand that fed him would certainly suffer in the future.”
“When he was young, it was fine for me to take care of him. But now? I don’t really care anymore,” Xue Ying said.
Palace Head Chen nodded slightly.
Xue Ying could be considered as someone who was firm in his decisions. He did things out of his heart. Those whom he thought should be saved, would be saved, and those whose fate ended with him, would be ended. This was the ruling of his heart.
……
Soon after, the three of them entered the living room and sat cross-legged facing a table filled with small dishes, fruits, desserts, and wine.
“I came here for a very important matter.” Palace Head Chen immediately began his explanation after sitting down.
“Oh?” Xue Ying and Jing Qiu were both startled.
Of the two of them, one was a Saint mage while the other was a person with a hex poison in his body. What could be so important that he came to personally speak to the two of them?
“It’s related to the Crimson Rock Mountain,” Palace Head Chen continued.
Xue Ying’s expression changed slightly as he blurted out, “Does Jing Qiu have to leave?”
Ordinary Xia Clan Demigods did not have any qualifications to know about the Crimson Rock Mountain.
“You will eventually tell her of this matter anyways, so there is no need for her to leave,” Palace Head Chen answered.
“Crimson Rock Mountain?” Jing Qiu became puzzled as she listened to the side, “Where is this? I’ve never heard of such a special place called Crimson Rock Mountain.”
Palace Head Chen laughed, “Crimson Rock Mountain is an extremely unique place. It is located more than 50,000 kilometers underground in our Xia Clan World!”
“More than 50,000 kilometers underground?” Jing Qiu was shocked.
At about 150 kilometers underground, unseen laws of obstacles would start showing up. The deeper one went, the stronger the laws of obstacles would increase within the material mortal world. Thus, even a Demigod of the Xia Clan wanted to travel 50,000 kilometers underground, it would still be extremely difficult for him. At such a deep region, there was actually a place called ‘Crimson Rock Mountain’. Jing Qiu could sense things amiss.
“Xue Ying should know that ever since Crimson Rock Mountain descended from the Deity World, falling into our Xia Clan World, several powerful existences have been sending teams of Demigods into our Xia Clan World,” Palace Head Chen extrapolated.
Xue Ying nodded.
Jing Qiu’s heart fell into further confusion.
Sending Demigods over? If Demigods were to be sent over, they would usually be sent through the Temporal Temple at an extremely terrifying price! Thus, other than outsiders who relied on that coincidental moment where the space cracks aligned, they would ordinarily have to depend on the Temporal Temple to send them over. The price for sending a single Demigod was truly frightening! There was no need to mention sending over a team of Demigods.
“Crimson Rock Mountain is truly too dangerous; only one out of ten adventurers make it out alive.” Palace Head Chen explained, “Of those who had entered Crimson Rock Mountain in the past, truly too many of them were non-native Demigods who died within. Thus, in the past million years, the Xia Clan World has been quite peaceful still, though occasionally there would be a team or two coming over.”
“But it is different now.” Palace Head Chen became serious.
Xue Ying frowned as he continued to listen.
“Several powerful existences in the Deity World and the Dark Abyss must be aware of the Sorcerer God and the Great Demonic God’s plan! Thus, during this timeframe, there will be a continuous chain of outsiders coming here, all sent over by the Temporal Temple. Furthermore, I’ve heard that every single outsider has brought with them a Deity weapon for this sole occasion.” Palace Head Chen took a deep breath before continuing, “This time, it is evident that powerful existences in the Deity World and the Dark Abyss are going to take a huge gamble.”
“Bringing Deity weapons?” Xue Ying was stunned.
Sending those apex Demigods over was already exorbitant, but sending Deity weapons over was even more expensive.
These outsiders all bringing their own Deity weapon? This was insane!
“The Temple of the Earth God already had a team of Demigods arrive on our Xia Clan World.” Palace Head Chen said, “I’ve already met them and have requested them to assist our clan in bringing you into Crimson Rock Mountain as well!”
“I’m entering Crimson Rock Mountain?” Puzzlement swept over Xue Ying.
“Xue Ying, the Six Ghost Resentment poison plagues your body. It has already been a hundred years now, and, most likely, the effectiveness of the medicine has deteriorated immensely. You should be spending practically every single moment in torturous agony, right?” Palace Head Chen queried, “Can you withstand living on in such pain?”
“It’s fine. I’ve just downed some medicine earlier, so my condition is significantly better,” Xue Ying remarked.
“If we wait until the medicine becomes completely ineffective, then you will end up being in so much pain that you can’t even control your body well enough. By then, how are you going to fight?” Palace Head Chen frowned. “Right now, you are still able to control your body and can still battle! Thus, it is better for you now to fight for your life in the Crimson Rock Mountain. If you delay it any further, you might not even have a chance of fighting. If you were to ask me, only Crimson Rock Mountain may hold the cure to your situation.”
