Chapter 42 – The Teachings
On the third morning after Su Ming returned to the tribe, he walked alone to Grandpa’s abode. In the center of the tribe where they gather for the man awakening, Grandpa as usual was wearing his coa.r.s.e clothes, his head of white hair fully braided and seemed to be in good spirits. His gaze swept across and landed on Bei Ling, Lei Chen Su Ming and another girl who looked about as old as Su Ming.
This girl is called Wu La, she was determined to have a Man-body after the Man-awakening, since many months have pa.s.sed, she has already reached the second level of blood condensation. What’s More, she is on the verge of condensing her eleventh blood vein to breakthrough into the third level of blood condensation.
Behind Grandpa stood two other people, one of them was the tribe’s marksman who was also Bei Ling’s father. His body was extremely st.u.r.dy like a steel paG.o.da, yet he was bright eyes revealing some gentleness.
The other person had a cold expression, silent and unsmiling was the leader of the hunting team Shan Hen. His figure was covered by animal hide draped over him, making him seem even fiercer. He had never spoke much but had the respect of most of the tribe. In addition to the fact that his hunting party is the ones in charge of protecting the tribe and provided food for the tribe, thus his position in the tribe was high.
“My WuShan Tribe is small and can’t be compared to the Feng Zhen Tribe so every few years we will have to make some offerings to them to show our respect. In the past few years I have not personally went down so it would be good for me to go along this year. Other than out Wu Shan Tribe, the Wu Long tribe and the Hei Shan tribe as well as a few other small tribe will be there in four weeks.
As such, to you all this is also a test, having to face other tribesman from your generation. Whether you all can come out ahead and whether you can live up to the name of the Wu Shan Tribe is also all up to you.
This time the few of you who were chosen were because you have to most potential in this generation, exposing yourselves now will also be of great help to your future.
Amongst you now, Bei Ling had partic.i.p.ated twice, so if you all can ask him for details if you wish.” Grandpa slowly spoke as his husky voice echoed about.
Bei Ling softly acknowledge as his gaze swept towards Lei Chen, then towards the girl called Wu La and finally towards Su Ming where he frowned.
“Grandpa, will it be the previous two times? Will there be the… … Grand Test?” Bei Ling hesitated slightly and respectfully asked Grandpa, seeing Grandpa nod, Bei Ling’s eyes flashed as he pointed at Su Min.
“Grandpa, I suggest that Su Ming does not go, he is not a Man-Cultivator, so even if he goes he is of no help, why not let someone else go insead?”
Bei Ling’s words made Lei Chen who was standing by the side angry, immediately walking up, he growled.
“Can’t go if he is not a Man-cultivator? Bei Ling what do you mean by that!”
The girl called Wu La had a calm expression, her gaze resting on the Su Ming who was in deep thought , although there was some contempt she did not get involved in the exchange of words.
“Grandpa, every time we visit them, we can only bring four of us juniors, and in the Grand Test every year, only I managed to get into the top fifty, this year with Lei Chen around, perhaps he can make it too, then there is Wu La whose cultivation is not high but during the Man-awakening the totem flashed nine times so maybe she can make it to the top hundred as well.
Such results are indeed better than the previous years but wouldn’t it be better if the last person were to be able to enter the top hundred as well? This Su Ming going would be a complete waste of a spot.”
“Su Ming will not enter the Grand Test, me bringing him along has its own reasons.” Grandpa slowly spoke.
Bei Ling wanted to speak more but the Marksman standing behind Grandpa was already glaring daggers at him, making Bei Ling swallow the words he wanted to say. Afterall, his father was somebody he was afraid of since he was small.
“That’s enough, we do not have much time so let us be on our way.” Grandpa raised his right hand making a grasping action towards the clear skies. Instantly came the roaring of thunder as many white clouds appeared which also then quickly blackened.
At the same time, on Grandpa’s face a Man-tattoo could be clearly seen formed by his blood veins, it was precisely one of a black python. After the Man-tattoo surfaced, the black clouds in the skies seemed to be shaped by an invisible hand. Coiling together, it transformed into a long and vicious looking black python spanning tens of feet.
(TLN: Although I translated it as a black python it is specifically a 乌(Wu)蟒. I am not sure if this 乌(Wu) refers to its color or its species of python.)
This sight shocked Lei Chen and the Wu Long tribesmen who stood there stunned. As for Bei Ling, he still managed to barely maintain his cool as he coldly stood there.
Su Ming on the other hand stared at the giant black python, taking deep breaths his expression revealed a sense of great yearning.
The Marksman standing behind Grandpa revealed a sense of respect as he looked at the giant python. As for Shan Hen, as he looked at the giant python, a trace of fanaticism seemed to flash in his eyes.
After this python was formed even the individual scales could be clearly seen. A relatively strong aura could be felt from its huge bulk. With a flick of its head, its menacing red eyes were revealed, however it only lasted for an instant before fading away and transforming into a soft gaze as it descended from the skies, with its head bowed while lying submissively by Grandpa.
Grandpa moved his feet and stepped onto its head.
“All of you come up.”
Bei Ling was the first to start moving and got onto the giant python’s back and sat there cross-legged, Lei Chen, Wu La also climbed onto the python before finally Su Ming after hesitating slightly climbed up as well. Just as he was intending to take a few steps towards the back to sit with Lei Chen, Grandpa’s voice came from the front.
“Su Ming come to my side!” Grandpa’s voice was harsh, bitterly Su Ming got to Grandpa’s side and sat down seeing Grandpa staring at him.
“Grandpa……. I was wrong……. I really understand I was wrong……” Su Ming hurriedly spoke.
Grandpa ignored him, only waiting for the Marksman and Shan Hen to get on the python before waving his right hand. Instantly the black python roared as it flew towards the skies into the clouds.
The tribe below them quickly shrank in their sights until it finally turned into just a small dot. As the black python soared, the wind whistled like thunder beside them making Su Ming immediately turn pale.
Lei Chen and company were in the same situation, but at this time the Marksman and the Hunting Party leader each stood at the wait and midsection of the python respectively to shield the Bei Ling trio.
As for Su Ming, in this fierce gale even breathing was difficult, but quickly he felt a warm power envelop over him as Grandpa exuded his powers, allowing Su Ming to withstand this discomfort.
“You know you were wrong? How were you wrong, obviously that La Su from the Wu Long tribe borrowed five thousand coins from you and mortgaged his spear.” Although the winds were howling by his side, Grandpa’s words could clearly be heard by Su Ming. Under the control of Grandpa’s blood qi only the two of them could hear this conversation.
“This… …” Su Ming’s face was filled with awkwardness. When he had originally returned to the tribe, he had excitedly ran up to Grandpa to tell him about it, only after Grandpa found out about it his face instantly fell. After scolding him he took away the spear sent Su Ming back to his home sighing non-stop, not knowing what exactly he did wrong.
“Grandpa, I know it’s my fault…… I should not have went and taken Si Kong’s Man-tool, I should not have been greedy……” Su Ming bitterly spoke as he watched Grandpa’s expression, carefully choosing his words.
“More importantly I also should not have made him write that blood contract, ai Grandpa, I know it was my mistake.” Su Ming helplessly looked at Grandpa.
“Oh? Is that all? Is there nothing else, you keep thinking until you know what you did wrong.” Grandpa looked at Su Ming as he slowly spoke.
Su Ming was stunned as he subconsciously scratched his head, pondering about Grandpa’s words, trying to see the meaning behind them, other than these things he did were there actually even more mistakes?
Su Ming frowned as he seriously thought about it in his mind, suddenly his eyes flashed as he raised his head.
“Grandpa, I got it, i should have killed him and disposed of his body then take his Man-tool!”
Hearing Su Ming’s words, Grandpa’s pupils could be clearly seen to have contracted. Staring at Su Ming, but his gaze contained a meaning unknown to Su Ming.
“Oh? Why do you think that that was a mistake, and you even want to kill him now?” Grandpa gazed at Su Ming and slowly spoke.
“Because he wanted to kill me, Grandpa you may not know this be he was really trying to kill me, if I had been slightly less cautious you would not have seen me again. But…… but I also could not bare to kill him, I felt that if I did, it would bring trouble to the tribe……” Su Ming thought of the event a few days back, with some fear still lingering in his heart as he hesitatingly spoke.
“That is right……Su Ming, you must remember this, in the future if you run into people who want to kill you, you must exterminate the threat from its roots!” Grandpa shut his eyes, until after some time pa.s.sed before opening them and looking at Su Ming once more, this time with kindness in his eyes.
“However, the mistake I was referring to was not this, keep thinking, what did you overlook? To kill someone is simple, however after killing someone, how do you maintain your own safety? How can you escape from a dangerous dead end onto a new path of safety?” Grandpa softly spoke as he looked at Su Ming.
Su Ming scratched his head, he was after all still a youth, although he may not look like one, in the end he was nothing more than a teenager. As for Grandpa’s words, he did understand some of it, however there was even more which left him confused.
“Just think about it, you don’t have to rush to give me an answer, just tell me after you understood it. You need to learn to think and learn to meditate.” said Grandpa before he shut his eyes once more.
Regarding things like this, as Su Ming was growing Up, Grandpa would occasionally do something like this. As Su Ming grew up, Grandpa’s teaching eventually played a major role in his life.
Su Ming’s was in deep thought as he recalled the happenings of that day, as he was outside the Wu Long tribe and got bombarded by that spear, then gotten chased by Si Kong until finally……
As time slowly trickled away, an hour had already pa.s.sed, and over half the distance to the Feng Zhen tribe had been covered, as the fierce winds blew this black python’s body trembled slightly causing its pa.s.sengers to all tremble as well. As Su Ming’s body shook, a thought flashed in his mind like lightning.
“Grandpa……I got it……” Su Ming muttered as he felt his back burst out with a cold sweat.
TLN: The were a few contradictions in this chapter regarding Wu La’s (乌拉) name which is sometimes written as 乌龙 (Wu Long) in the raws……I just used Wu La since she was introduced as such… and since some Chinese forums refer to her as such.