Zheng Feng-er and the people from the Fufeng Stronghold bowed nonstop to Han Changsheng. With a look, he signaled Lu Qingqian, then beckoned him to deal with it.
Lu Qingqian curbed his starry-eyed infatuation. Puffing up his cheeks into the most dignified expression he could bare, he strode forward. The people of the Fufeng Stronghold looked at him curiously, thinking he wanted to be nearer.
Looking down at Zheng Feng-er, Lu Qingqian said, "I am the right guardian for the Tianning Cult. Do you want to work for the Tianning Cult?"
Zheng Feng-er was shocked, and her men immediately began to chatter. When he called Han Changsheng the cult leader, they doubted its truth. Now, they were shocked to hear Lu Qingqian say it. The young man in the Yuehua Sect disciple"s clothes was Han Changsheng, the leader of the Tianning Cult. He was rumored to be ferocious, and had committed imaginable crimes.
Coldly, Lu Qingqian asked, "Do you want to repent?"
Zheng Feng-er was talented. Many men in the stronghold worshipped her. She had first-cla.s.s means and was proficient in her information. So, Han Changsheng and Lu Qingqian wanted to use her services for the Tianning to keep themselves up-to-date. There were special envoys for these people. However, if the Tianning Cult wanted to accept people, they couldn"t accept them so casually. They had to be sincerely loyal to the Tianning. If the relationship was forced, it was better without.
"No, no, no!" Zheng Feng-er insisted. "This little brother saved my life, what I said stands. I"m just surprised that the two little brothers, so handsome and kind, could be part of the demonic cult…"
Lu Qingqian"s eyes widened in anger when he heard them called him kind.
"Cough." Han Changsheng hurriedly smooth things over. "Do you want to work for the Tianning?"
Looking up with pride in her gaze, Zheng Feng-er said, "Don"t worry, master. Even though I am a woman of cla.s.s, I also value loyalty. I don"t pay attention to the famous sects. I do things by my interest, I never abide by the so-called rules of the Jianghu. What about the Demonic Cult? I like it, it"s the best cult in the world!"
Appreciating the affection, Han Changsheng was satisfied. Having decided on the matter, An Yuan flashed through his mind. "What about the guy you captured?"
"In the red house on the mountain," Sheng Feng-er said. "He was rendered unconscious by my underling"s incense of dazedness."
Afraid that An Yuan would wake up at any moment, Han Changsheng didn"t dare to delay. Asking Lu Qingqian to stay and negotiate, he left them. He had to go up the mountain to get An Yuan, then they would leave.
Before parting, Han Changsheng called back, "Xiaoqing, do you believe me now? You broke my heart earlier!"
"En!" Lu Qingqian nodded eagerly. "I"ll beat up the four hall leaders when I get back! How dare they speak ill of the cult leader!"
Seeing Lu Qingqian so serious, Han Changsheng couldn"t help but chuckle. "I"m going first. There are still many key points in my master plan that"s not completed! The rest is up to you!"
Lu Qingqian nodded repeatedly.
Leaving the group, Han Changsheng ascended the mountain alone. As expected, he found An Yuan sleeping in a red house. Curling his mouth, he made a face at him. Han Changsheng said, "If you didn"t have Laozi, you would have become the one-egg Dog Lord!"
Carrying An Yuan on his back, he started down the mountain with his light footing skill.
After several hours, An Yuan finally woke up. He had inhaled too much incense, and he was still a little dizzy. Squinting, he looked around only to see that he was in a deep valley surrounded by mountains. Birds sang overhead and flowers bloomed underfoot. A dense bamboo forest and its towering stalks surrounded them.
To his side, An Yuan saw… a meditating man? An Yuan silently watched him.
It was a young man. From his face, An Yuan could tell he was in his early twenties. His skin was white and clean, his eyes were slender, his nose high, and his lips crimson. He was very good-looking. But, his hair was white, hanging to his ears, making him look old. He wore a black and white Taoist robe. Beneath it, he was thin and empty, giving him a sense of immortality. Coupled with the surrounding aura, An Yuan could feel he was an otherworldly man.
An Yuan frowned. "Who are you? Where are we?"
Han Changsheng slowly opened his eyes. He had deliberately changed his appearance and already had his origin story planned for when An Yuan asked.
"I am…" Han Changsheng started, his face shifting as he spoke.
The true Qi began to run around inside him again, making him uncomfortable.
He had to force down what he wanted to say. To keep from Qi deviation, he held down his own Tanzhong acupoint and began to circulate his breathing. The old man Xuanji taught him a series of methods that temporarily suppress the internal power, circulate his breathing at the center of his chest. He rubbed the acupoints and meridians around, then returned the escaping air pressure.
The Tanzhong point was located at the center of his chest. Han Chagnsheng slowly moved his fingers upwards with the real Qi. When he met the place where the real Qi didn"t agree with the control, he rubbed it hard and held it back.
An Yuan saw was a cold, n.o.bleman rubbing his chest with pain on his face. Now and then, he let out groans. An Yuan couldn"t tell if they were joyful or painful…
Han Changsheng met An Yuan"s disdainful gaze. He wanted to cry, yet no tears came out. "It"s not what you think. I"m practicing kung fu…"
An Yuan: "Ha ha."
Finally returning the pressure, Han Changsheng breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Why am I here?" An Yuan asked.
"You don"t remember what happened?" Han Changsheng looked at him.
"I was in a pavilion," An Yuan said, frowning. "Someone gave me an incense of dazedness, and I lost consciousness. Before I was unconscious, I saw two strange men coming to me. I don"t remember what happened after."
"Those were people from the Fufeng stronghold," Han Changsheng said, "They kidnapped you to be the stronghold leader"s husband. I rescued you when I was pa.s.sing by."
"Did you?" An Yuan looked at him incredulously.
Clearing his throat, Han Changsheng said, "I"m a gorgeous and unrestrained person who is a great martial art G.o.d."
An Yuan: "…"
Some people called themselves a great martial art G.o.d.
"When a villain brought you here, I took him down," Han Changsheng said. "I"ve been practicing here for 20 years and no one has bothered me. It"s fate that you came here. I have no successor for my exceptional martial arts, so I"ll try my best to accept you as my sweeping disciple."
Sneering, An Yuan asked, "Twenty years? How old are you this year, elder?"
Twisting his hair, Han Changsheng said, "I am seventy and nine this year. But, because I"ve practiced martial arts, it makes me look much younger."
An Yuan stared at Han Changsheng, the words "I wouldn"t believe it even if you threatened to kill me" written in his gaze. Seventy nine years old? Who are you trying to deceive!
Han Changsheng just smiled at his disbelief. Suddenly, his sword sprang free of its scabbard, long and sleek. Several cold lights flickered past, and Han Changsheng jumped out with his sword, then landed and slowly drew the it back.
The moment the sword and scabbard met, ten bamboo stalks clattered to the ground.
An Yuan was shocked. Regardless of how unreliable he looked, Han Changsheng"s swordsmanship was powerful.
Triumphantly, Han Changsheng said, "How about it? Do you want to take me as your teacher?"
An Yuan was silent for a moment. Then, without expression, he spoke. "Do you want to teach me how to rub my chest?"
Han Changsheng angrily threw his sword to the ground. "I said I was practicing kung fu! Practicing! It"s only attainable at Laozi"s level. You"re not qualified to learn!"
An Yuan: "…"
Supporting himself with a bamboo, An Yuan turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Han Changsheng asked, his voice laced with surprise.
An Yuan ignored him, stumbling along his way.
"Don"t you want to be my apprentice?" Han Changsheng asked, hurriedly stopping him. Shaking his sword, he added, "This is a powerful sword technique. Don"t you want to learn it?"
"There is no such thing as a free meal. I don"t believe this is such a good thing." An Yuan"s face was expressionless.
Han Changsheng was furious. It was just a fall from a cliff. How did An Yuan change from such a good-looking young man with four advanced cultures and five qualities of beauty to someone so gloomy? Was there any basic trust between other humans?!
An Yuan bypa.s.sed Han Changsheng and continued to walk out of the valley. Han Changsheng grabbed him. "What do you think I can do to you? I pay the most attention to fate. How can you not believe me? What do you think I want from you?"
An Yuan c.o.c.ked his head. His voice cold, he said, "My beauty?"
Han Changsheng: "…"
Han Changsheng slammed his Longyin sword to the ground, desperate for something to curb the impulse to beat An Yuan"s face in. Taking a deep breath, he smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I admit it. I want you. I"ve lived alone in the mountains and forests for twenty years. It"s so lonely that I want to find someone to accompany me."
An Yuan squinted, considering his credibility.
Han Changsheng thought about it. If he wanted to teach An Yuan martial arts, he wouldn"t be able to do it in two or three days. It would take him at least a month to make a great show at the Wulin conference. It wasn"t so easy to live in seclusion in the mountains and forests. Han Changsheng was a slacker who didn"t want to work hard and didn"t want to live without others.
So, Han Changsheng said, "Besides, I"m short of someone to serve me here. I"ll teach you martial arts. You just have to cook and wash clothes for me."
An Yuan: "…"
An Yuan still wanted to leave. Han Changsheng was so angry he pulled out his sword and pointed it at him. "No! I will never let you leave here alive today! Even if you don"t learn martial arts from me, stay to cook and do laundry for me!"
Finally, An Yuan stopped. He turned to look at Han Changsheng in silence. Han Changsheng"s head was held up straight and bold for him to examine. After a while, An Yuan turned and walked back.
"Do you want to stay?" Han Changsheng asked, following him.
"You would let me go?" An Yuan replied, expressionless.
"Of course not!" Han Changsheng insisted, shaking his head.
An Yuan sneered.
Walking back to the bamboo forest, An Yuan asked, "You"ve lived in the forest for twenty years?"
Han Changsheng nodded. "Yes."
Looking around suspiciously, An Yuan asked, "Where is your residence?"
It shocked Han Changsheng. Where was his residence? Yes, he couldn"t live out in the open. He had to have a house.
Seeing An Yuan staring at him with clear suspicion, Han Changsheng hurriedly raised his head and said, "The wind was strong a few days ago, it blew down my bamboo house. You are just in time. Help me build a new house."
An Yuan: "…"
The sky was gloomy, and rain was in their midst. Han Changsheng didn"t dare delay any longer and immediately began to build a shelter. An Yuan was injured, unable to be much help, but while Han Changsheng cut pieces, he laid them into place.
Building a bamboo house wasn"t complicated. They worked together, and soon they finished it. Stepping into the house, Han Changsheng laid down on the bed made of banana leaves, stretching comfortably across it. After jumping off a cliff, receiving internal power, and robbing people, he was exhausted. He couldn"t remember the last time he"d laid in a bed.
An Yuan followed him, and rain began to fall just as the sun slipped below the horizon.
Scratching his head, Han Changsheng said, "It"s too late today. This master will reluctantly allow you to sleep in the same room. I"ll set up another room for you tomorrow."
He wanted to kick the Dog Lord out into the rain. However, if An Yuan got sick from the cold, the time delay was his misfortune.
Still, An Yuan"s face revealed no emotion. He didn"t know what he was thinking, but he didn"t object.
Remembering some wild fruits he"d picked, Han Changsheng reached for them to quell his hunger. The sky overhead was very dark, from horizon to horizon, but lit with an occasional flash.
"I will teach you swordsmanship tomorrow," Han Changsheng said. "Let"s rest today."
An Yuan still didn"t speak. He sat in the house"s corner, examining his wounds.
Digging out a can of Du Yuefei"s special wound medicine, Han Changsheng handed it to him. "Use this on your injuries. It will only take three or four days to get better."
An Yuan took the medicine and gave it a sniff. He didn"t trust Han Changsheng, so he tossed it aside without using it.
Han Changsheng curled his mouth. He could be inclined to use or not, there is no need to drop it.
After such a long time, Han Changsheng was exhausted. He slept by the door, but wasn"t worried about An Yuan running away. His foot injury was bad, he wouldn"t get far if he tried. He bedded down for the night.
After laying down for such a long time, his Dantian began to burn again. Immediately, Han Changsheng pressed his Tanzhong acupoint, but it was a moment too late. The attack came on too fast; he had no time to suppress it. The true Qi began to run wild and a stream of heat rushed to the top of his head, giving him a strong impulse. He didn"t know how to send it. He was so upset that he felt around on the ground until he felt a cool, soft body.
Roaring painfully, he threw himself at it!
Translator(s): Empress
TL Check: Teo
Editor(s): Nadialuxxor
Proofer(s): Dark