Chapter 428: Masters of the Templar
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
“Haha! Nothing would have happened if you didn’t reveal your secret identity. To tell you the truth, my options are limited.” Old Fart striped a slice of smoked salmon and hand it to Wang Tong.
“Come on! I don’t like to be followed and watched all day long! I just want a … normal life.”
Old Fart clapped his hands in sheer excitement. “Exactly! Right? There’s …booze and b*obs outside, but I had to sit here on that cold and clammy seat, listening to the old man preaching! ‘Save the world,’ ‘don’t save the world’… Bah! I’m so sick of it! For you, there is still one way out of this as long as you are willing to enter the Hall of Valhalla. I can request to have you training in the outside world, sort of like a sabbatical leave.”
“A leave? Is it temporary?”
“You idiot! The power over the Templar’s court is quite a fortune that I can pass down to you. What if you got down on your luck out there and wanted to come back here? You know, you will always have a place to go!” Old Fart rebutted.
“Hehe… I do see sense now. If I really can’t survive out there, I could always come back here and turn it into a private training school or whatnot. It should be profitable.”
“That’s right!”
The court didn’t restrict the movements of the young warriors. So, as soon as they arrived, the young fighters would join the different branches of the court that they were most interested in and started learning.
Although the Templar’s Court didn’t lack powerful and legendary fighters, Patroclus continued to enjoy his idol status even inside the court.
Wherever he went, his fans followed him, asking for selfies and signatures. Despite being the home base of the Blade Warrior, people admired Patroclus for becoming the youngest Einherjar the world had ever seen.
Lie Jian’s eyes had turned green with envy; even Michaux seemed to have more fans than him.
During the time of their stay, the young fighters had skimmed through many skills and techniques unique to the Court. However, so difficult were these techniques that none could be mastered in a short time. But, the powerful fighters were not here to learn new techniques anyway. Their goal was the secret inside the Hall of Valhalla.
The young warriors were granted access to all parts of the court, which had been an eye-opener for them. Their first impression of the Templar’s training was old school and intense.
Wherever the boys and girls went, they were greeted by excited disciples, ready to spar with some of the most powerful fighters of their age. All of the disciples had followed the tournament from start to finish.
Meanwhile, inside Wang Buting’s living quarter, the grand master hosted a family reunion party. There were only three attendants: Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and himself. Old Fart praised the marriage proposal between Wang Tong and house Ma, and had even paid a subsequent visit to Ma Dutian. After the conversation, Old Fart was absorbed in reflection. He realized the heavy burden on Wang Tong’s shoulder, particularly after he had revealed his connection with the blade warrior to the world. As soon as Wang Tong entered the real world, he would face formidable opponents who were backed by centuries of accumulation of power and wealth. He would need allies such as House Ma. After having toiled in the world more than a half century, he knew well that the world was not a perfect place, much like the court. However, Wang Tong’s achievement so far had greatly impressed him.
Thinking so, he glanced over at Wang Tong, who were wolfing down a drumstick, and Ma Xiaoru. Their happy faces warmed his heart. But, there was something else. A forlorn darkness lurked behind the intimate scene, threatening to take over. The world was not fair, and some tragedies were inevitable.
When Old Fart was of Wang Tong’s age, he too was convinced that his fate was in his own hands. After half a century of falling, getting up, and falling again, he had finally given up the hope of shaping up his own destiny. The only wish he had was to make Wang Tong’s life better. While living with Wang Tong in Shangjin, Wang Buting had learned to care for others and change his point of view. He found it hard to force Wang Tong to take up the responsibility that was too heavy for even a grizzled old soul, much less a teenager. As a father, Old Fart would be content with whatever Wang Tong chose to be.
“Old Fart, are you fasting? Eat more, or you gonna starve.” Wang Tong shouted.
“Buzz off! I’m still young. If you have time, you should visit the other branches of the Court with Ma Xiaoru.”
“Stop that! You know I hate it when you tell me to do things.” Wang Tong was in no mood to receive old and tired preaching from those old and tired masters.
“Xiaoru, you need to work on him. I had been successful all my life, but I failed to educate him properly. Sigh…”
Ma Xiaoru giggled at Old Fart’s whimsical lamentation. The joyful old man with a radiant face was very out of character for a grandmaster.
Ma Xiaoru was grateful for an easygoing father in law. Their marriage from here should be smooth sailing. Ma Xiaoru had reckoned the importance of her marriage, since it would affect not only herself, but also the world.
Disciples life in the outer court was practically no different from that of a regular academy, except for the doubled down sense of pride and honor. However, the life in the inner court was different. Every inner court disciple needed to follow their master’s order to the letter. Discipline and dedication were essential qualifications of the inner court disciples, and also what set them apart from the outer court.
In the three centuries after Blade Warrior’s passing, never once had the Templar’s court failed to produce top warriors thanks to those traditions.
Most of these mighty warriors were unknown to the outside world. The current grandmaster, Wang Buting, for example, was a living legend while he trained under the Blade Branch. The same went for all the other ten masters. However, little was known about their power, especially to the outside world.
The Templars were not bonded together by blood like the great houses. They were connected by a shared belief, the belief of the Blade Warrior.
Ma Xiaoru often wondered what would happen to the world if the Templars decided to reveal all of their secrets? She knew it was a big question, so she never bothered to seek the answer. Looking at Wang Tong sitting next to her, she felt the same question come over her again. From the outside, Wang Tong was still the same person, going about his business with the same nonchalance and carelessness. But deep inside, Ma Xiaoru knew that he had changed.
Old Fart left the table as he has some other matters to take care of.
“Xiaoru, do you think I am ungracious? “Wang Tong blurted out.
Ma Xiaoru paused for a second and replied, “Why do you say that?”
Wang Tong finished chewing the food and put down his chopsticks. “I know that he had high hopes for me. Sigh… I never thought life could become so complicated. I just wanted everyone to be happy. But, after what I have been through, I have to admit that it’s not that simple. I can’t make EVERYONE happy.”
“Hehe… You have finally grown up.”
“Don’t poke fun at me. I don’t think I can make the world a better place. I mean… nothing is wrong with the world, is there. So, I doubt it would need me anyways.”
