âHow impudent, I see you two are really tired of living.â Steaming from the sarcasm, even the veins could be seen on Marquis Anâs face.
âHoho, how unexpected. To think a state of etiquette like Da Xia would also threaten others weaker than themselves with their power. He Lao San and He Lao Dai did not rob, did not steal, and their businesses are all legitimate tax paying organizations. Even if you bring it up with the king, thereâs no fault to be found.â Seeing the carbon copy of An Ming Xia in this Marquis An, Ling Yue starts venting steam through her nose at their shamelessness.
âAnd who are you? How dare you talk me my father like that?â In recent days An Ming Xia had made some breakthrough so her cultivation was very close to breaking into the Dan realm. Then through much nagging and begging, she somehow managed to convince her father to bring her along for the ride. The goal today for her was to locate a suitable artifact for herself once she reaches the new level.
âI am called Thirteen, an extra helping hand invited by the He Lao brothers. Pardon me for saying more, but the opening of the Tai Yi School is about to happen. If we lack a single piece of the map then none of us can get inside.â Scanning the area, Ling Yue figured Hou Hong and his goons are the first to arrive since she canât locate any of the other forces nearby.
âLord An, we need not say more with these devious miscreants. Let us first rest inside the tea hut until the other powers arrive.â As Crown Prince of Da Xia, it appears Hou Hong was the only one with the clear mind here. Strange but true.
Doing just that, it wasnât until noon that another party entered the vicinity of the mountain base. Different from Ling Yueâs group that came in a rush, this team looked relaxed in how leisurely they walked.
Among them were two outstanding young individuals that caught the eyes of everyone. The girl looked beautiful with a high ego while the man looked handsome and prestigious. They are both at the peak of the Dan realm, making them very capable for their young age.
Then further behind were the guards. Some are old and some are young, regardless, the one that stood out the most was the elderly old man that gave off a similar aura to He Lao Dai thatâs a fourth element master.
Seeing this level of entourage, Prince Hou Hong and Marquis An were both shocked. Hurrying to get up from their seats, the two swiftly went up to greet the newcomers.
âWhat a pleasure, so itâs North Qingâs Kai Jiang Manorâs people.â
Note: Kai Jiang actually means âopening up new frontier in Chineseâ. I Should technically be using this but I went with the pinyin instead because it just sounds so awkward saying opening up new frontier manor.
Ling Yue was just in the middle sipping her tea when she overheard this. As a result, she sent some more glances their way out of curiosity.
Speaking of the Kai Jiang Manor of North Qing, they do have quite the history.
Years ago when Feng Shenâs father was still alive, the man was known as the God of War of North Qing, a title recognized far and wide. Then after the former Phoenix Lord perished in battle, leaving behind only a sick and frail child for the Phoenix Manor, thatâs when the Kai Jiang Manor rose to power and championed the title belonging to the former Phoenix Lord.
As for that pair of youngsters with the outstanding looks, they are the young lord and lady of the Kai Jiang Manor. The boyâs name was called Chen Tuo, heâs the third son. As for the girl , sheâs called Chen Xuan, the sixth daughter. They are both born of the side consort and not the main wife.
As for the fourth element master behind them, the elder was a talented individual working under Lord Kai Jiang called Elder Yue.
It would appear one of the map pieces to the Tai Yi School had fallen into Lord Kai Jiangâs hand, hence the reason why this group is here. He Lao Dai softly explains the details to Ling Yue, giving her a better insight to their background.
For Prince Hou Hong and Marquis An to lower themselves to the children of a side wife, the influence of this Kai Jiang Manor must be quite large in North Qing. Ling Yue murmurs this after listening.
âThen why, why did Lord Kai Jiang not send his eldest son instead of these two?â Ling Yue wonders.
In Da Xia, aside from an extremely abnormal bastard son like Hong Feng, children of a consort are usually met with a very tragic fate in their life. Therefore, itâs very questionable as to why the son and daughter of a side wife would act as the representatives for the Kai Jiang Manor.
âSir Thirteen, now this is your mistake. That heir to the Kai Jiang Manor is no ordinary person. He had already entered the Limitless Sword Sect, a power thatâs considered a ranked entity in these lands. Compared to the ancient Tai Yi School, that sect can be considered on par in terms of size and wealth so thereâs no reason for that heir to come.â He Lao Dai explains.
Since ancient times, whether it be powerful kingdoms or empires, these organizations would often avoid offending a sect thatâs already surpassed the norms of the world.
Take the Kai Jiang Manor for example, their success today cannot be separated from the Limitless Sword Sect.
âThen which of these two powers would be stronger, the Limitless Sword Sect or the Sky Armor Sect?â Ling Yue had thought her information was already very good and thorough, but after hearing He Lao Daiâs explanation, she realized how amateurish sheâs been.
Sure, she got a flood of information regarding the members of the Hong House, but as for the sects and powers behind each member, itâs clear more work needs to be done there. After she returns, Ling Yue will have Yanche go investigate the Sky Armor Sect supporting Zhu Ge Rou.
If not for that woman, Hong Feng would never have driven herself and her mother out of the Hong House. That woman must pay!
âThen it will have to be the Limitless Sword Sect. They are a first-rate school and can only be surpassed by those otherworldly sects thatâs no longer involving themselves in the mortal world. The Sky Armor Sect is good, but at most they are only at the second-rate class, the same as our Quick Finger Sect during our peak.â He Lao Dai started rambling on after the topic reached his own sect, something Ling Yue didnât ask for.
âItâs just a Limitless Sword Sect, my Heartless Sect isnât afraid of them.â Unhappy over the fact sheâs being ignored, Bo Qing grumbles as she continued to peel the pumpkin seeds for herself.
But who wouldâve guessed. As soon as Bo Qing did so, Little Squeak would jump up in a swish and snatch the seeds out of his hand. This of course left her very frustrated because she canât do anything about this fluff ball.
âThat woman is the witch from the Heartless Sect?â Since Chen Xuan and An Ming Xia are of similar age â plus their temperament left a lot to desired â they quickly hit it off and began treating each other like sisters.
Naturally, their target would be on the most outstanding woman among the batch, which was Bo Qing there.
âYa, thatâs her. If not for the map piece in her hand, that witch would never be qualified to enter the Tai Yi School with us.â An Ming Xia sneered, her eyes filled with contempt.
While the girls were bickering there with jealousy, Chen Tuo on the other hand had his eyes pinned to Bo Qingâs enchanting face. His eyes beaming a lustful light thatâs hard to miss.
Considering how intimate these two groups are right now, itâs clear they are teaming up for the trip. After all, the ruins of the Tai Yi School arenât exactly what you call a place for fun.
Now that the He Lao brothers have teamed up with the evil cult known as the Heartless Sect, Xia Hou Hong must make arrangements for himself.
âThe remaining party missing should be the Fire Wielder Sect and the Sun Sect now. They sure got some nerve to make us wait here.â Marquis An and that Elder Yue was starting to become dissatisfied.