Late autumn.
The plants atop Clearbreeze Peak grew desolate as the northern wind chilled. Su Xiaoyu saw a tall man in the distance once she reached the summit. He was standing on a large boulder with his hands crossed behind his back. Dressed in white robes with flowing black hair, his back gave her an air of regal ice. If not for the different robes, Su Xiaoyu might have a.s.sumed he was His Highness instead.
Who is he?
Where’s that senior Han Chen?
Su Xiaoyu’s heart was full of doubts as she silently drew closer. Then she realized her mistake: this guy wasn’t like His Highness at all.
His Highness’s chill came from the domineering air of a monarch, while this man was pure ice that distanced himself from all mortals. Judging from his back, he was a merciless type who would be hard to provoke.
Anyone who can show up at Clearbreeze Peak has to be part of the Wolf Sect if they’re not our men. So this must be one of senior Han Chen’s disciples.
As she made to speak, the man suddenly turned around. It was obvious that he’d sensed her long ago. Tossing her a sword, he said, “Fight a round.”
Su Xiaoyu backed up a step and let the sword clatter to the ground. She was completely lost. “Who’re you? You’ve found the wrong girl.”
“Are you Su Xiaoyu?” he asked coldly.
“I’m Su Xiaoyu, but who are you? What do you want? Where’s your master? Have him come out! It’s not easy to get this girl to be his disciple!” Su Xiaoyu crossed her arms and arched a brow. She was nothing like a girl of 12 or 13, but more like a teen of 17 o 18.[1]
Han Chen’s icy face didn’t show any ripples. He knew the girl had misunderstood, so he asked coldly, “It’s been three days and you still haven’t decided whether you want to take a master?”
“I don’t even know what your family’s master looks like, what skills he has, or the depths of his sincerity. How could I choose?” Su Xiaoyu said, then added, “He wants me to accept him as master just by thowing me ‘Han Chen?’ Sorry, but I’ve never heard of him before!”
No one knew the name of Han Chen in Cloud Realm Continent, but it was a loud and sonorous name in the Mysterious Continent. Its presence sent shocking waves wherever it went! Children who wanted to take him as master could line up in a queue long enough to cross the entire Ice Sea! But to him, it didn’t matter whether people coveted him for his name, or were cluelessly ignorant than Su Xiaoyu. All he saw was the child’s temper and personality. If they caught his fancy, he’d take them in even if they were harboring ulterior motives.
Han Chen didn’t answer Su Xiaoyu, but summoned her sword from the ground. He casually cleaved to the side to send up a wave of sword qi that destroyed ten nearby trees.
Su Xiaoyu gaped. If Han Chen’s disciple could be so tough, would he be even stronger? Her heart wavered in that moment!
If I have power like that one day, I’ll have enough confidence to tell His Highness I can protect master and the little master!
Han Chen ignored Su Xiaoyu’s shock. With his right hand wielding the sword, his left hand slapped the blade until it cracked into pieces. Inside was hidden a very exquisite, sharp short sword. It glowed with a gloomy light, its hand encrusted with unknown gems. The blade itself cowed anyone from looking at it directly.
“This is Lanming.[2] It’s two levels below your masters’ Moye and Ganjiang swords, but it’ll be enough for you to use for now,” Han Chen said coldly.
Su Xiaoyu loved fine things, especially treasures. She had never heard of Lanming but couldn’t help swallowing her saliva at the sight of the blade’s gloomy blue glow. Still, her thoughts were preoccupied by something else.
“What do you mean, my masters?” she scolded unhappily. “My master is the daughter of your master. You have to call her ‘Young Miss!’ As for His Highness, you should call him ‘Sir Son-in-Law!’”
Once again, Han Chen ignored her words. But he did walk off the boulder and approach the girl. He was simply too tall, so Su Xiaoyu felt like a mountain was pressing down on her when he got close. The usually fealess girl unconsciously backed away.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
Han Chen loomed over her as he realized she was really too young. Since she only reached his waist, he was forced to crouch down. In a cold voice, he said, “This Honorable One is Han Chen, looks and all. You have the time it takes to brew a pot of tea to figure things out. Then tell this Honorable One whether you want to take me as your master.”
Su Xiaoyu grew alarmed. She looked back at the ten toppled trees, then at Han Chen’s Laming sword, before moving up to stare at his impeccably handsome face. At last….she realized how stupid she’d been!
The entire time, this fellow had been showing her his skills, sincerity, and looks. He was none other than the old senior, Han Chen! Master’s father, a high-level expert in the Mysterious Continent and the an His Highness called “senior,” had always been an “old senior” in her eyes! Isn’t he supposed to be very old?
She a.s.sumed Han Chen would be a sixty or seventy year old man with white hair and beard, like those old celestials. But…
But this guy doesn’t even have any facial hair!
Su Xiaoyu studied his face in depth. Leaving aside the flawless features, it was very cold and completely indifferent to desires of the world. G.o.ds and Buddhas were like this too, but at least they had compa.s.sion, hearts, and pity for sentient beings.
This man simply looked heartless.
Now Su Xiaoyu was very curious about his age. Judging from her master, this man had to be in his forties! But besides a hint of white at the side of his forehead, she couldn’t see any signs of aging on him. If she didn’t know who he was, she might even guess he was in his thirties.
Why is some of his hair white? He doesn’t look like a man with any worries. Could he have experienced cultivation insanity in the past that made him deviate and hurt himself?
Su Xiaoyu gave an involuntary shudder at the thought. Who knows how he’ll torment me in the future if I take him as my master? I’d just be asking to suffer!
Her wavering heart immediately turned to dread. She wanted to leave this fellow in the next instant.
“Have you thought it through?” Han Chen asked icily.
Su Xiaoyu immediately shook her head. “I don’t want it!”
“What are your terms? Tell me whatever you want,” Han Chen said. It was rare for him to have interest in a child after all these years. He wasn’t going to give up so soon. Truthfully speaking, he preferred Han Yunxi’s personality to Su Xiaoyu’s, but his daughter was already grown and possessed the Phoenix energy.
He needed a small sapling that could be nurtured to cultivate inner energy from the start. As Su Xiaoyu was around 13, she was older than the ideal, but still moldable.
Su Xiaoyu was about to flat out refuse when she thought of something: Bai Yanqing! She hadn’t even seen him yet! If she refused this fellow outright, he’d hold a grudge against her. Then she might never see Bai Yanqing again.
To Su Xiaoyu, avenging herself on Bai Yanqing was the most important thing! Thus, she plucked up her courage and decided to trick Han Chen once!
Pretending to waver, she successfully caught Han Chen’s attention. He said coldly, “Just say whatever’s on your mind.”
Su Xiaoyu bolstered her guts and said, “I heard that cur, Bai Yanqing, is in your hands. We still have a private debt to settle between us. Let me finish my grudge against him first so I can consider your offer for three more days! How’s that sound?”
“Consider?” Han Chen seized on the main point immediately.
“Yes. I’ll think it over carefully. After all, it’s a big deal to take a master,” Su Xiaoyu replied.
Han Chen was rather easygoing. “Follow me,” he said simply, then turned to leave. Su Xiaoyu silently exhaled.
This doesn’t count as lying, right? I never said I’d definitely take him as my master. Once I deal with Bai Yanqing, I’ll have my master send someone to pa.s.s on the rejection in my place. In any case, all this is a matter of choice. Nothing can be forced!
Thus comforted, Su Xiaoyu’s nerves calmed as she trailed after Han Chen.
--
In the afternoon, Han Yunxi had Long Feiye accompany her to Clearbreeze Peak.
“Han Chen is the leader of a Mysterious Continent sect. He wouldn’t stoop so low as to trick one of your servant girls,” Long Feiye said frostily. He disliked Han Yunxi running about, especially up mountains.
Actually, everyone was puzzled over Han Yunxi’s lack of emotions towards her father. They a.s.sumed he’d shown up too suddenly for her to accept it. Only Long Feiye knew the truth of Han Yunxi’s transmigration and how normal it was that she’d feel so indifferent. He was quite happy to see this pa.s.s and hoped she’d only have feelings for himself.
“I’m not worried about little Yu’er, that shrewd pixie! She might even end up s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g Han Chen over!” Han Yunxi grinned.
“You’re underestimating Han Chen,” Long Feiye said objectively.
“No. It’s Han Chen who will underestimate little Yu’er. She’s a child, so he’ll lower his guard against her,” Han Yunxi said seriously.
Long Feiye didn’t want to argue with her over such a pointless topic, so he moved to Han Yunxi’s side. A little hesitant, he eventually moved to gently touch her protruding stomach. After busying themselves for so long, sending off Ning Jing and Tang Li, and taking care of some urgent issues, he finally had her get a good night’s sleep. This morning he had snuck by her side to lie down a little bit longer, resisting the urge to touch her womb in case he woke her up.
Today at last, he could have a half-day break to spend time with he and the child. Still, he could only stay in Medical City for a maximum of two days. After that it was back to the army to quell the still restless Western Zhou and Northern Li. Taking them down wasn’t even an issue, but establis.h.i.+ng a kingdom and rules in its place would need work.
A whole new empire with its own set of rules, power structure, and hierarchy would be ma.s.sive work. Defeating established kingdoms was only the first step. The battle to keep your own kingdom alive was a war without smoke or fire, requiring wisdom and power that the battle-thirsty Mysterious Continent couldn’t hope to compare to!
Of course, none of that was as important as his wife. He had to make sure she was safe and secure before heading for the battlefields. As his hand rested on Han Yunxi’s stomach, Long Feiye suddenly felt extremely nervous…
1. With this, we have a better idea of how many years have pa.s.sed since Su Xiaoyu entered the Duke of Qin’s estate--4 to 5 years! And since HYX was already married for at least a year then, that means our couple has been together for 6 years or more.
2. Lanming (蓝冥) - it’s got a pretty cool name, actually. Lan is “blue,” but Ming can mean “dark/obscure/dim, underworld/netherworld, deep/profound, funerary, gloomy/night/deep.”