Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
After sending off Venerable Black Turtle, Zhou Bao could not wait any longer and started to practice the Dharma Power-restoring Skill. Having acquired a lot of benefits from the Heavenly Jade Technique and the Snake-like Breath Holding Skill, he was now more enthusiastic about the Seven Wonderful Techniques than the Yin and Yang Heavenly Sword. However he was disappointed by the final result. The Seven Wonderful Techniques were really wonderful techniques. His recovery was faster when he used it than when he had used the Mysterious Divine Light. He believed that as long as he continued to practice it, he would have a greater advantage in restoring his combat capability if he should meet with a formidable enemy in the future. However, when he used the Dharma Power-restoring Skill together with the other two wonderful techniques, he did not receive any reaction. He found that although the Seven Wonderful Techniques could be used as a combination, the effect depended largely on the situation. The Heavenly Jade Technique was used to exert power, and the function of the Snake-like Breath Holding Skill to restrict the spirit also worked for the Internal Qi and demonic spirit. However, the Dharma Power-restoring Skill was used to restore Qi, which was the exact opposite function of the other two skills. After all, it is not possible to restore and launch your Qi at the same time.
Thus, they could not be used at the same time; let alone producing specific effects.
“What are the other three wonderful techniques? And is there a technique that can coordinate with the Dharma Power-restoring Skill? It would be awesome if there were!” Not having achieved the desired effect, Zhou Bao began to speculate.
“Your Royal Highness, the eight biggest well-known families have sent you gifts to celebrate your birthday. Would you like to meet them?”
Jiang Xiao came in through the door, bowed and asked him this question.
“No, take the gifts and let them go!” Zhou Bao had been in a good mood, but when he heard the news of the eight biggest well-known families, he looked extremely annoyed. He wondered why Jiang Xiao had asked him this question. He was well aware that Zhou Bao did not like the eight biggest well-known families and should have known what his answer would be.
Thereafter, Jiang Xiao continued, “Your Royal Highness, this time the young aristocrat Li Xiu has been sent by the Li Family of Pingzhou!”
“Li Xiu? That guy?” An image of a proud and aloof teen came to Zhou Bao’s mind. However, when he met him the second time, he had become an adulterer who had seduced Prince Ning’s fiancee. In Taiyuan Heaven, Li Xiu had fully matured. As a famous teen expert in the world, he had initially cultivated his own Qi Power. What changes would there be in him this time?
“Tell him to wait in my study room and send the others away!”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness!”
It had been some time already in the study room of Zhou Bao’s Inner Yard.
Li Xiu looked at Zhou Bao, who was in a green robe and looked very much the same. A complex look flashed in his eyes. The young man, who was his peer, had grown very much stronger over the years and had now become a deterrent to the world.
Yes, a deterrent to the world, now that Zhou Bao had grown in strength.
Although Li Xiu did not know the extent of Zhou Bao’s enormous strength, he thought over these facts: that the world’s most powerful five biggest sects and the Jin’s eight biggest well-known families had barely managed to restrain him and managed to do that only through joining forces; that the Qin Family of South Mountains, the strongest family among the nine biggest well-known families, had been destroyed by him alone. Li Xiu realized that Zhou Bao, now, in the Jin, and even in the whole Central Mainland Region and Four Eastern Regions had become a legend.
Li Xiu thought he was the leader of the younger generation, but he was filled with a sense of powerlessness when he came face to face with Zhou Bao.
“Hey, don’t stare at me like that. You’re not a woman!” Seeing the strange look in Li Xiu’s eyes Zhou Bao gave an involuntary shiver, and sat directly opposite him. A folding fan appeared in Zhou Bao’s hand and he snapped it open.
“Hey, do you think I should read more books? I have heard many people say that I’m such a boor and an unlearned man, yet I am dressed like a scholar. Heehee!”
“Uh!” Li Xiu’s expression changed. He didn’t expect Zhou Bao to make such a comment in his opening sentence. Then he answered, somewhat ashamed, “Your Royal Highness, you must be joking. Who would dare to say this based on your present power?”
“Really? I don’t think so. Well, why are you here today?”
“I came to Wuyang Region mainly to congratulate you. At the age of 20, Your Royal Highness has attained such an achievement. You are a role model for the world!”
“I thought you were here to make fun of me!” Zhou Bao glared at him, “It’s my 20th birthday and I’m so young. I know you are all wishing that I will grow old and hopefully die within the next few years, don’t you?”
“No, no!” Li Xiu’s face was covered with sweat, “You misunderstood me, Your Royal Highness!”
“Well, forget about my birthday then. I am just having a bowl of plain noodles on my birthday. There’s no need to celebrate. Is there anything else? Going by your character, if there were nothing else, you would not come all this way just to see me!”
At this, Li Xiu became serious, he stood up and bowed to Zhou Bao, “I am here to apologize to Your Royal Highness on behalf of our Family Head. It wasn’t my family’s intention, but…!”
“You were intimidated by the five biggest sects and the seven other well-known families. There was nothing you could do about it. Anyway, you’re a big family!” Zhou Bao gave a strange laugh.
Then he continued, “I felt bad about it, but it was good too because it took away my worries.” At this point, a strange look appeared on Zhou Bao’s face. “When I was alone, I didn’t bother too much. Now that I have my own family, I have more to worry about. Now that’s a good ending, isn’t it?”
“Yes, yes!” Li Xiu replied. He was somewhat surprised at Zhou Bao’s attitude. In his memory, Zhou Bao was not a man willing to accede to losses. Although what he said was reasonable, it was not in accordance with Zhou Bao’s character.
Seeing Li Xiu’s hesitation, Zhou Bao laughed again and said, “People change. Dude, I remember the first time I saw you, you were much haughtier than Lu Shaoyou was, and how about now?”
The words made Li Xiu blush. When he was a teenager, he, like other boys of his age, admired the legendary White Blademaster. To attain the white robe and the formidable Qi Power was his ultimate dream, but now everything had changed.
Harsh reality had taught him that it was foolish to imitate others. There was only one White Blademaster in the world, and there was only one Li Xiu. In the same way, he could change, and so could Zhou Bao.
Technically, Zhou Bao was superior to him, both in strength and mind. Otherwise, he would not have made such a big deal in Jiang City, nor would he have become so powerful in such a short period of time, standing far above those millennium families and even the Royalty.
He breathed a secret sigh of relief at the thought. Among the eight biggest well-known families, the Li Family of Pingzhou was the weakest in terms of strength and the least ambitious. In recent years, they had maintained a good relationship with Zhou Bao and had managed to achieve considerable development. Pingzhou and Wuyang Region had become semi-allies, each having a stake in each other’s state. Therefore, once their relationship with Zhou Bao deteriorated, they would suffer more losses than the other eight biggest well-known families. They would be taken over by others who had already been eyeing them covetously.
Li Xiu was relieved to find Zhou Bao was not disgruntled at the Li Family.
“Although you’re generous, we Li Family are to be blamed this time, so…!”
“All right, let’s stop using this kind of diplomatic language! I know what you mean. It would be impolite for me not to accept your sincere apology. Today is my twentieth birthday. You’re just in time to have a drink with me!”
“Good!” Li Xiu was relieved to hear that. Zhou Bao had invited him to drink, which showed that Zhou Bao did not intend to anger the Li Family, so Li Xiu was willing to accompany him.
“20 years old, hehe, 20 years old, I’ve been in this world for 20 years. Damn, why do I always feel like I’ve lived for more than 100 years already?” Having sent away excited Li Xiu, Zhou Bao sat alone in the yard, staring dazedly at the full moon over his head. How rare to see such a round and clear moon. This thought suddenly occurred to him while he was holding a pot of wine. All of a sudden, all sorts of feelings welled up in his mind.
“Your Royal Highness!” At this point, Yan Yunfei came to Zhou Bao with their two children. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing, nothing!” Zhou Bao smiled, picked up the two babies in Yan Yunfei’s arms, and began to play with them.
“Your Royal Highness, I know, you’ve been in a bad mood lately…!”
“It was because I could not figure it out before. Now, that I have, I feel so much better.” Zhou Bao smiled when he heard Yan Yunfei’s words. “However, so many people are here to celebrate my birthday, and I’m only 20 years old. Hehe, I’m still not used to it!”
“That’s because your fame is growing so fast!” Yan Yunfei also smiled. Although she did not care much about the affairs of the outside world, she had never heard of anyone whose 20 year old birthday could rouse such feelings in eight biggest well-known families at the same time, not even for her Brother Prince. With the exception of Li Xiu, Zhou Bao did not see anyone and sent them back.
“Well, it’s cold. Take our babies in!” Playing with the two babies for a while, Zhou Bao gave them back to Yan Yunfei, “Is there a letter from the Western Capital?”
“Father and Brother Prince have both sent letters, but they were all family letters and there were no mention of official business!” Yan Yunfei took the two babies, smiling helplessly. “However, some of my brothers have written to me, and my sister Yunyan has asked someone to bring a letter to me the day before yesterday saying that she would be coming to see me soon.”
“Let them do it!” Zhou Bao smiled, “I can’t handle worldly affairs at all, so I left them to you. If you feel tired, hand them over to Renzhen Cuo and Jiang Xiao. Don’t worry too much about these things!”
“Yes!”
“Yes? We’re husband and wife, not a superior and vassal. Don’t be so distant!” Zhou Bao took Yan Yunfei and his two babies in his arms with a smile on his face, “Now, I really don’t think the treaty signed under coercion is that annoying!”
