Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Luo Dajiang’s parents watched helplessly from the sidelines. They looked afflicted, words at the tip of their tongues, but forcefully swallowed them back.
It was evident that this was a scene they had witnessed one too many times. It was not that they did not know what to say – they just didn’t know how to say it. If they did, who should they advise? Who could be persuaded? It was a dilemma, without a clear sense of who was right or wrong.
“Ah, ah, so it’s Lady Jiang Luoluo.”
Yun Yang laughed. “Lady Jiang’s arrival at our place is the Residence of Nine Supremes’ pride. Please come in. We’re immensely thrilled and pleased to have you here… I’d like very much to have a friend like you since I first glanced at you, Lady Jiang. Come in quickly, come in.”
As he spoke, he eyed Jiang Luoluo. Realization colored the young lady’s eyes as her expression changed and she chuckled, replying lightly, “Nice to meet you, Supreme Cloud. I’m Jiang Luoluo. Greetings. You’re my friend now, Supreme Cloud. It feels like meeting an old friend seeing you, we could have been friends all of our lives.”
“That’s right. We hit it off well, we’re friends for life. Lady Jiang, hurry now. Come on in,” Yun Yang invited with a laugh.
Jiang Luoluo stepped into the Residence of Nine Supremes proudly, puffing her chest without a second word, no longer concerned with Luo Dajiang.
Luo Dajiang was exasperated.
“First Supreme Cloud, you… Jiang Luoluo, you can’t come in!”
“What are you saying? Who are you to say this? Didn’t you hear that it’s my best friend, Supreme Cloud, who invited me inside? It has nothing to do with you. Who are you to meddle with my freedom? I didn’t come here with you- I’m here to visit my good friend. Supreme Cloud is my good friend!” Jiang Luoluo retorted with an upraised chin.
Luo Dajiang was speechless.
“Brother Luo,” Yun Yang said melodiously, still looking as friendly as ever, “I must do my best as a host when I have a friend visiting from so far away. If there’s any issue at all, let’s talk about it in the future… Tonight, we’re going to throw you fellows a welcoming party!”
He cut off Luo Dajiang’s words and congenially invited Wu Menghuan and Luo Dajiang’s family members into the Residence of Nine Supremes.
Wu Menghuan had been watching everything from the side. A genuine smile suddenly found its way to the corners of his lips as his posture relaxed. He laughed. “Since it’s a welcoming party, is there wine? Will there be enough if there is?”
“Of course there is, and good wine at that. Surely there’s enough for everyone!”
“That’s great, that’s great…”
Wu Menghuan said no more, entering shoulder to shoulder with Yun Yang and ignoring Luo Dajiang who was standing, stunned, by the door.
Standing there dumbly for a moment, a wash of relief flashed across Luo Dajiang’s eyes. He sighed softly and followed the crowd. His eyes quietly shifted to the red-gowned silhouette beside Yun Yang, fondness pouring from his gaze.
It was a surprise that Jiang Luoluo turned around abruptly and glared at him. She then scoffed and tipped her chin high, prideful as she walked forward.
Luo Dajiang felt a pang in his heart. He saw the tears that filled the girl’s eyes sprinkling in the air as she turned away. He could feel her finally letting the pressure slip a tiny bit away from herself.
“Perhaps, the Residence of Nine Supremes is really where my destiny changes. I hope it doesn’t encounter disaster due to my arrival,” Luo Dajiang murmured inwardly.
…
That night, Dong Qitian mercifully gave everyone a break so that the Demiurge-Flawed Ten could reunite and drink as a form of welcome to Luo Dajiang and Wu Menghuan.
Such an enjoyable night did not come by easily. After the drinking session, Luo Dajiang and Wu Menghuan would begin their trip to hell as well.
Around the table, there were twelve people who were intoxicated – Yun Yang, Qian Duoduo, and the Demiurge-Flawed Ten, Young Master of Dark Fog, Shi Bujia, Traceless White Blade, Ren Qingkuang, Tri-Autumn Swordsman, Shi Wuchen, Yellow Gowned Sword of Frost, Lan Ruojun, Violet Robed Golden Needles, Wu Menghuan, Gol-Hand Scholar, Tie Qingcang, Vicious Physician, Ping Xiaoyi, Star-Souled Saber Knight, Luo Dajiang, Serene Soul of Nine Springs, Kong Luoyue, and Day-Long Assassin, Guo Nuanyang!
…
Reunited after a long period of separation, each one of the Demiurge-Flawed Ten had an endless story of their own to tell. All of them had experienced countless sufferings and untold bitterness. In spite of it, no one spoke a word about their encounters after their separation now that they had gathered. All of them picked interesting martial world tales to recount, laughter filling the air, making the atmosphere a lighthearted one.
Drinking towards the later hours of the night, all ten of them were highly intoxicated. Wu Menghuan suddenly laughed and let out a drawn-out howl, saying in a scratchy voice, “Today marks the end of the past. I shall not be a whetstone from now on!”
The other nine men were stunned momentarily before they cried in unison, “Alright – Let’s not be a whetstone from now on!”
Yun Yang, who sat at the main seat, looked nonchalant as he spoke slowly, “I think, actually, that there’s nothing wrong about being a whetstone.”
Once he had spoken, all ten men glared at him with anguish and rage.
The humiliation of being a whetstone had lived with them for far too long. Now, someone actually dared to say that there was nothing wrong being a whetstone right in their faces?
Put nicely, one who was never in their shoes would not know how it felt; otherwise, it was barely concealed mockery, picking at the scabs all ten of them nursed.
Yet, the one who had said it was Yun Yang. The Demiurge-Flawed Ten was very respectful towards Yun Yang, the leader of the Residence of Nine Supremes. They were upset, but they did not say anything. However, their mood was visibly dampened, no longer ecstatic and motivated like before.
This was also the doubt that lived in them, despite being hopeful towards Yun Yang, questioning his motive of recruiting the Demiurge-Flawed Ten. They wondered if Yun Yang was going to mold them into whetstones specifically suited for the Residence of Nine Supremes, that he was going to hold them here while giving them a home ground, so he could thoroughly utilize and exploit them.
Otherwise, why would he say what he did?
“I don’t know what all of you actually think what a whetstone is.”
“First and foremost, no one can deny that a whetstone has its value. If there isn’t a value to it, no one would actually look for you, even if you want to become one. Do you all agree?”
Shi Bujia raised his brow and replied, “Of course we understand this, but all these years…”
“I don’t care about your past encounters. Those aren’t relevant to our current topic. We’ll talk about them when it comes into the picture in the future.”
Yun Yang continued saying, “I’ll just ask you fellows; did your cultivation base grow rapidly in these years that you’ve been a whetstone?”
“For sure! If we didn’t achieve anything, we’d have long been dead!” said Luo Dajiang.
“How about your battle results throughout these years? Are they all losses?” Yun Yang asked, keeping a straight face.
“How could that be? In fact, we’ve won more than we’ve lost. Truth be told, we rarely lost.” Wu Menghuan said with a prideful grin.
