Chapter 113: No Face Given, Monk Runs Rampant
Town Sea Alliance!
Xie Kun’s expression changed, and then he met a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling yet not, immediately feeling his heart tremble violently, sensing the trouble.
If it were ordinary Jianghu Guests or general forces intercepting the Alligator Dragon, he could simply display the prestige of the Jiangling Xie Family and pressure them with power.
He could even issue an order to directly seize it by force, killing without mercy.
But it just had to be that rapidly rising figure who had become famous throughout Mingzhou in a short time: the Zhenhai Dragon King, Divine Prison Spear Master, Hong Yuan!
Why would the other party appear in Xingqing Prefecture?
And capture the Cave Abyss Alligator Dragon they had been bitterly pursuing!
Xie Kun’s expression changed dramatically, flickering between light and dark.
The Xie Family guards behind him also recognized Hong Yuan; their originally aggressive charging momentum involuntarily stalled, subconsciously pulling tight on the reins, kicking up sand, soil, and dust.
Xie Kun’s gaze shifted, already seeing that Alligator Dragon being dragged by a group of Town Sea Alliance sailors and guards, about to be pulled onto the deck.
His heart was greatly anxious; robbing it was impossible—that would be pure suicide.
That Hong Yuan was a supreme figure who could kill two Microscopic Level Grandmasters with a casual raise of hand and foot, breaking an army single-handedly; before such a ferocious god, his dozens or so men were no different from chickens and dogs.
But if he just watched helplessly as the other party took away the Cave Abyss Alligator Dragon, Xie Kun truly could not accept it.
Taking a deep breath, he continued urging his horse forward, already standing in the shallow river water, and called out loudly: “It turns out to be Alliance Leader Hong of the Town Sea Alliance in person. I’ve long heard of your great name; seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary.”
Xie Kun looked toward that Alligator Dragon, his voice echoing along the riverbank: “Alliance Leader Hong may not know, but this Alligator Dragon was indeed discovered by our Xie Family, tracked and surrounded for many days, costing much manpower and resources. Please give us face, Alliance Leader Hong, and return this beast to us—Xie would be endlessly grateful…”
Hong Yuan did not reply, merely smiling: “And who might Your Excellency be?”
Xie Kun was stunned, then cupped his hands: “I am Xie Kun, merely a steward of the Jiangling Xie Family…”
In his words, there was an indescribable arrogance.
“One of the Eight Great Clans, a steward of the Xie Family—quite an impressive background…” Hong Yuan nodded, then his gaze sharpened, staring up and down at Xie Kun.
The other’s eyes were calm and peaceful, without any sharp aura, yet Xie Kun felt uneasy being looked at, with a sense of apprehension, and let out an unnatural dry laugh: “I wonder what is improper about me? Why is Alliance Leader Hong looking at me like this?”
“Merely witnessing the might of one of the Eight Great Clans. A mere steward dares to be so arrogant, sitting astride his horse while speaking to me? Impressive!”
Hong Yuan exclaimed in admiration, then his voice suddenly changed, instantly like thunder and lightning crashing down: “Get off your horse!”
Boom!
It was as if a bolt of thunder from a clear sky split the heavens, resounding in Xie Kun’s ears. Xie Kun instantly felt his head buzzing, his heart seeming to stop beating, his eyes rolling back as he suddenly toppled toward the riverbed below.
With a ‘plop’, Xie Kun rolled into the river water.
At the same time, the galloping horses neighed madly as if startled, their hooves kicking wildly. Those Xie Family guards who were farther away also felt dizzy and disoriented, their minds blanking as if crashed, one by one tumbling to the ground.
Some with bad luck were immediately trampled by the panicked horses, letting out shrill screams.
Hong Yuan had used the Soul Chime Skill; though just recently mastered, with his robust Qi and Blood and powerful Root Bone, the strange force it produced far surpassed Qi Changkong’s decades of cultivation.
Even without full exertion, a single sentence made dozens of elite fighters collapse to the ground.
On the cargo ship, the guards, thugs, and that steward were all dumbfounded.
“Can’t even use ‘God Avoidance’, yet dares to ask me to give face—ridiculous…”
Hong Yuan lazily stretched, not returning to the cabin, and instructed the pale-faced steward nearby: “Set sail, return to Linjiang Prefecture City… and bring me a chair up here.”
“Yes!”
Soon, that Alligator Dragon was dragged onto the deck, crashing to the ground with a ‘boom’, showing its weight.
Hong Yuan did not kill this exotic beast, merely knocking it out with force; after all, he could not cook it himself, and the ship’s cooks had limited skills.
Better to bring this exotic beast back to Linjiang Prefecture City and find a specialist to prepare it.
The cargo ship parted the waves, slowly sailing on the Jade Belt River, gradually receding into the distance.
Xie Kun’s head throbbed with pain, his limbs numb and unresponsive; clearly in shallow water, yet he was still choked with several mouthfuls of river water.
He was the closest and the primary target of Hong Yuan’s Soul Chime Skill, suffering the greatest shock to his mind.
Xie Kun struggled in the shallow water, completely disoriented, not knowing directions, his mind blank; after swallowing half a bellyful of water, finally some guards who had recovered stumbled over to pull him up and drag him to the shore.
“Steward Xie…”
“Steward…”
Xie Kun lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, the world spinning, hearing calls in his ears that seemed very distant; then someone shook his body.
After an unknown time, Xie Kun finally ‘spit’ out a large mouthful of river water, vomited for a moment, then staggered to his feet, his face full of horror.
“Steward, are you alright? We…” A guard leader came forward anxiously, inquiring.
“Shut up!” Xie Kun roared lowly, his face pale as paper, his eyes full of fear as he looked toward the Jade Belt River—where was the shadow of the Town Sea Alliance cargo ship?
He clenched his fists tightly, but his whole body was weak, his standing form swaying; the guard leader quickly supported him, his own face also filled with shock.
The Divine Prison Spear Master’s fame had long spread through the prefectures of Mingzhou, but no one had told him it was such a terrifying figure?
Without even moving a finger, a single sentence left their dozens of men limp and dizzy.
Xie Kun closed his eyes and said slowly: “Immediately send a message back to the prefectural city, report this matter exactly to Young Master Lingjun—this is no longer something we can handle!”
After a day on the ship, Hong Yuan could not stand the slow pace and directly got off the boat.
As for that Alligator Dragon, it was left on the ship for them to transport back to the prefectural city.
Hong Yuan had briefly studied the Alligator Dragon; it was about seven meters long, with scale armor as hard as rock, no inferior to refined iron.
Even breaking through the scale armor, the skin and flesh had considerable toughness; besides its immense strength, the most special feature was the bright yellow vocal sac at its throat.
When it awoke, it let out a roar like muffled thunder, dizzying the nearby sailors and guards for a good while—quite similar in effect to the Soul Chime Skill.
It seemed the Jiangling Xie Family had been pursuing this beast likely because some Xie Family heavyweight cultivating True Skill or Gang Body needed it.
Hong Yuan did not care.
He then knocked the Alligator Dragon out again, having its limbs and ferocious big mouth bound up.
Near dusk, Hong Yuan returned to his loyal Linjiang Prefecture City.
His figure flickered, landing in the Tao Mansion’s courtyard.
After Hong Yuan moved in, in fact Tao Gongwang, Tao Jingxing, and others had long moved out to another villa.
Leaving only Tao Xiyue to attend to Hong Yuan.
Of course, there were also numerous maidservants, servants, and such.
Before entering the inner residence, a clear and pleasant zither melody arose, sometimes light and lively like a girl running amid blooming mountain flowers, sometimes plaintive like longing for a distant lover.
Hong Yuan slowed his steps, listening to the zither music.
Soon, the music stopped abruptly, followed by applause and Xu Qingjing’s praise: “Sister Tao, your zither playing is so beautiful; no wonder the Young Master likes it.”
Hong Yuan smiled upon hearing it.
In truth, Xu Qingjing was a few months older than Tao Xiyue.
He stepped inside, laughing: “I like Qingjing very much too.”
The sudden voice stunned the two girls in the courtyard, then they each bloomed into smiles.
“Young Master!” Tao Xiyue cried out in surprise, leaping up from the cushion, her red skirt flying as she passed over the zither, pouncing into Hong Yuan’s arms like a burst of fiery fireworks.
Tao Xiyue pressed her cheek to Hong Yuan’s chest, rubbing against it like a kitten.
Xu Qingjing walked lightly to Hong Yuan’s side, her pretty face smiling, lips pursed, saying nothing.
After a moment, Tao Xiyue frowned slightly, her slender hands wrapping around Hong Yuan’s neck, climbing up like a koala, giggling softly by his ear: “Young Master smells.”
“Hm?”
Hong Yuan sniffed; after a day on the cargo ship, no matter how neat he kept, and after studying that Alligator Dragon for a while, he inevitably picked up some odd smell.
“Dare to dislike me? Punish you by accompanying me to bathe!”
Tao Xiyue’s body was suspended in air, her long legs entwining around Hong Yuan’s waist; the girl, having tried this many times, knew what would happen next.
Her face flushed hot, somewhat shy but more expectant, her eyes seeming to glisten with water, nibbling Hong Yuan’s ear: “This servant doesn’t; it’s the Young Master being naughty.”
A hint of envy appeared on Xu Qingjing’s face; alone with Hong Yuan, she was quite bold, but in front of Tao Xiyue, she hesitated.
“Qingjing, come scrub my back.” Hong Yuan reached out virtually, the Net unfolding, pulling Xu Qingjing involuntarily toward him.
“Ah… alright!” Xu Qingjing nodded involuntarily, then as if remembering something, quickly said: “Young Master, something happened in the prefectural city; I need to report it to you.”
“Just a small matter?”
“We can talk later.”
In the misty hot spring pool, the water gently rippled.
Hong Yuan’s clothes half-open, leaning at the pool edge; Tao Xiyue’s cheeks steamed pink by the heat, her hands gently kneading his shoulders, but soon her hands grew soft, breathing slightly quickened as she leaned to his side, softly saying: “Young Master, Xiyue is a bit tired.”
As she spoke, her eyelashes trembled lightly, a shallow smile on her lips.
Hong Yuan leaned down for soft words with her; they smiled at each other.
Soon, the pool water stirred gently; Xu Qingjing appeared from the side, lightly stroking the water surface, slightly turning her head to arrange her black waterfall-like long hair.
Hong Yuan gently drew Tao Xiyue in, leaning her at the pool edge; she was already fully relaxed, letting him tend to her tenderly.
After a long time, Tao Xiyue and Xu Qingjing grew weary, successively closing their eyes to sleep. Hong Yuan called maidservants to arrange their clothes, then carried them one to each side into their rooms to rest.
As for what Xu Qingjing had wanted to report earlier, it would wait until tomorrow.
The next day.
Tao Xiyue and Xu Qingjing were still asleep; Hong Yuan, draped in a loose white robe, was having breakfast when soon a servant reported that Qing Lingzi had arrived.
Soon, Qing Lingzi entered, bowing to Hong Yuan: “Greetings, Alliance Leader.”
Hong Yuan took a sip of soup; the Tao Family was after all a noble clan passed down for nearly two hundred years, so the mansion’s chefs were naturally skilled.
But whether the dishes were good or not could not depend solely on the chef’s skill—it also depended on appearance.
For example, was Huang Rong’s cooking really better than the imperial chefs?
But if you could go to the Legend of the Condor Heroes world, choosing between an imperial chef and Huang Rong’s dish, which would you pick?
Hong Yuan now had Xiyue for writing, Qingjing for adding fragrance, Ou Shuyao for warming the bed; he was still short one cook for deftly preparing soup…
Putting aside the messy thoughts, Hong Yuan glanced at Qing Lingzi, slightly frowning: “You’re injured?”
Qing Lingzi said: “Just a minor injury; it can even be considered a blessing in disguise, bringing me closer to comprehending Force Microscopic Level, and I estimate I’ll soon reach the Microscopic Level.”
In Qing Lingzi’s words, there was a trace of irrepressible excitement.
Wuding Sword Sect had produced a Microscopic Level Grandmaster before, but that was long ago; in these decades, there had been no more, so the sect had superior Microscopic Level secret techniques yet had to hide them carefully, lest a child carry gold through a busy market and attract covetous eyes.
Although…
Qing Lingzi slightly raised his head, glanced at Hong Yuan, then lowered it again.
“Tell me, what happened…”
Qing Lingzi nodded and immediately began reporting.
It turned out that the day Hong Yuan left Linjiang Prefecture for Xingqing Prefecture, Qing Lingzi had tracked an Immortal Aunt from Biwu Immortal Realm to Baoguang Temple.
In the end, he captured that Immortal Aunt whose identity was Abbess Dinghui of Shuiyue Nunnery, and also caught Baoguang Temple’s abbot Hongfa.
Capturing the abbot of a monk temple was one thing, but the problem was that Hongfa’s identity was not simple.
He was the illegitimate son of Vajra Temple’s Disciplinary Courtyard Head Huitong!
This gave Qing Lingzi a headache; he definitely could not release him, nor could he kill him privately, so he imprisoned him in the Town Sea Army’s jail.
Awaiting Hong Yuan’s return for judgment.
“Vajra Temple?” Hong Yuan’s eyes flickered, knowing there was more, otherwise Qing Lingzi would not be injured: “Those monks didn’t come knocking, did they?”
Though Vajra Temple was one of Mingzhou’s three great sects, Hong Yuan now had strong wings and intended to test his sword against the world’s heroes; he did not see it as trouble, but rather an opportunity.
Qing Lingzi nodded slightly: “Three days ago, three great monks from Vajra Temple came demanding the man. I naturally refused, so we fought; those three monks’ martial arts had all reached the Freely Control level, and I could only barely hold my own against them.”
“However, what I didn’t expect was that they came not as three, but six; two others caused chaos in the city, and the last infiltrated the Town Sea Army to rescue Hongfa!”
“I discovered it a step too late, exchanged only a few moves with that person before retreating in defeat.”
Qing Lingzi’s expression was grave as he said: “That person should be a Microscopic Level Grandmaster; if not a Huitong-generation high monk acting personally, then it was probably Vajra Temple’s Traveler Chen.”
The so-called ‘Traveler’ was the sect’s external spokesperson.
At this point, Qing Lingzi gave a self-mocking smile: “Whether a Huitong-generation high monk or Chen, they both showed me mercy.”
Hong Yuan waved his hand: “Who it is does not matter; I’ll first help you reach the Microscopic Level.”
