Chapter 21
“Congratulations on completing Side Quest 3, earning 5 Available Points . ”
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“Quest Rating: A (Pass) . ”
3The instant Nie Changqing’s bowed head touched the ground, the virtual system messages popped up in front of Lu Fan’s eyes .
Lu Fan’s heartbeat quickened .
This time the Quest Rating was an A! That was unexpected!
Excitement rose within Lu Fan . He had been rewarded with 5 Available Points, with which he could achieve Refined Qi Level 2 .
All sorts of feelings welled up in Lu Fan’s heart . Finally, he could level up…
That hadn’t come easily .
This was his first time leveling up . Deep down, Lu Fan had a feeling of anticipation .
The rain stopped . The sky cleared as fast as the storm had come .
The wind dispersed the dark clouds .
The moon, round and smooth like a jade plate hanging in the sky, finally came out .
1The moonlight flowed down from the sky and covered the ground in a thin veil .
Kneeling on the ground, Nie Changqing bowed . His head was soaked in the rain .
It had taken him a long while to make the decision to follow Lu Fan .
It had been a tough decision to make, and not just because of his pride as the former Daoist No . 10 .
He was more concerned about Lu Fan and Nie Shuang’s safety .
Nie Changqing was a Daoist outcast, and the Daoists had been trying to hunt him down .
Once he started to follow Lu Fan, the young man would be involved, too .
Lu Fan, however, had given the order to kill Han Lianxiao without hesitation . At that moment, Nie Changqing realized his worry was unnecessary .
Lu Fan had been prepared to accept the consequences of angering the Daoists from the moment he decided to kill Han Lianxiao .
With that realization, Nie Changqing decided to follow him .
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He wanted to learn “Spirit Pressure,” the technique Lu Fan had demonstrated earlier that belonged to cultivators .
Next to Nie Changqing was Nie Shuang . He was also kneeling respectfully on the ground .
Following Nie Changqing, Nie Shuang had also bowed to Lu Fan .
He said in his little boy’s voice, “Me too!”
Holding the umbrella handle with both hands, Ni Yu couldn’t help but titter .
Lu Fan came to himself, pulling his attention away from the system messages . Seeing what Nie Shuang was doing, he also chuckled .
“Okay . Get up . ”
1“It looks like there’s a buy one get one free deal on followers today . Sounds good to me . ”
He gave a light smile .
Nie Changqing rose to his feet, pulling Nie Shuang up with him .
“From today on, you will follow me . I happen to need a coachman . So, for now, how about you fill that spot and start teaching Ni martial arts on the side?” Lu Fan said .
The original Lu Fan had paralyzed legs . Even though he could use his wheelchair to move short distances, he had to resort to carriages if he needed to go anywhere farther .
“Yes . ” Nie Changqing cupped his hands in front of his chest .
“Shuang, you are welcome to join Ni in practicing martial arts,” Lu Fan said with a smile as he glanced at Nie Shuang, who was holding his father’s hand .
“Let’s see which of you can become a Second Tier martial arts practitioner first! Your Young Master will reward the winner handsomely,” Lu Fan said . He leaned back in his wheelchair and let his fingers tap casually on the armrest .
Ni Yu was still holding the umbrella . Her eyes instantly lit up .
Nie Shuang’s eyes flicked up to Lu Fan, his lips compressed into a determined line .
“Young Master! Ni promises never to disappoint you!” Ni Yu’s baby face was flushed a deep red with ambition and excitement .
She clenched the umbrella handle more tightly and shot a slightly defiant look at Nie Shuang .
Nie Shuang, who was apparently a boy with few words, simply tightened his fists .
Nie Changqing brushed a hand lovingly over Nie Shuang’s head .
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“Okay . It’s getting late . Your Young Master is a little tired…” Lu Fan said lazily, dropping his chin back into one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose .
“Yi Yue, take care of the dead bodies, if you will . Sister Ning, please push me back home,” Lu Fan said . “Nie, why don’t you and Shuang come and stay at Lu Manor?”
Nie Changqing slightly pursed his thick lips .
In truth, he still had a lot of questions for Lu Fan .
When he obtained the cultivation method, he gave it a try using the Transfusion Technique, yet it didn’t work at all . He then concluded that the “Immortal Encounter” was fake .
The Knife Control Technique had claimed it could allow one to control a knife without touching it and kill an enemy from several miles away . He had thought such claims must be nothing more than fantasy .
After he saw Lu Fan perform Spirit Pressure, however, he started to believe it .
Lu Fan mentioned that all Nie Changqing needed was a special moment . He was curious about what that could be .
Ni Yu was standing by the side with a blush still on her pretty . She suddenly spoke up, as if something had just occurred to her .
“Young Master, the Master sent us to the Chen family to inform them that we’ll be using some of their property instead of requiring that they pay us rent . Are we still going?”
Lu Fan paused, remembering the purpose of today’s trip .
“Okay . Let’s pay the Chen family a visit on our way back,” Lu Fan said with a nod . He lightly rubbed the spot between his eyebrows .
Securing the use of this property would be of considerable significance to Lu Fan . That was where he planned to build his own Supreme Power .
This property would become the starting point of the fantasy universe he was about to build .
“Nie, how about you go home and pack up?” Lu Fan asked . “You can report to me at Lu Manor tomorrow . ”
He glanced at Nie Changqing, who was soaked and covered with wounds . Water was still dripping from his jaw .
“No need . Shuang’er and I don’t have much to pack . We can go with you now,” Nie Changqing said as he lowered his head respectfully, holding Nie Shuang’s hand in his .
Lu Fan nodded and turned to Ning Zhao . “Okay . Sister Ning, give him a bottle of golden boils potion . ”
Lu Fan fell silent, and Ning Zhao took out a small bottle of potion and tossed it to Nie Changqing . Then she started to push the wheelchair, heading out of the tight alley .
Holding the umbrella, Ni Yu followed behind them .
Lu Fan glanced at her and smiled . He gently touched her head and said, “The rain has stopped . You don’t need to cover me anymore . ”
Nie Changqing picked up his basket and put the slabs of pork back in place . He followed Lu Fan with slow steps, still holding onto Nie Shuang with one hand .
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Yi Yue waited until Lu Fan and the others disappeared at the opening of the small alley before she set about her duty . Her gaze traveled to Han Lianxiao’s dead body .
Mixed feelings filled her heart .
Han Lianxiao, Daoist No . 9, had almost taken her life with a single move .
Yet that same man had writhed like an insect when the Young Master pinned him to the ground .
The Young Master was far stronger than any of them had expected .
She made up her mind to become as strong as her Young Master so that she could protect him . She wanted to be taken seriously .
Yi Yue turned her gaze up to the shining moon . Her eyes glared with determination .
She snapped her whip, which instantly wrapped around the bodies of Han Lianxiao and the other two First Tier martial arts practitioners . She then headed out of the alley, dragging the bodies along behind her .
A red puddle was the only remaining sign of everything that had happened in the alley .
The thick odor of blood hung in the air .
The study of Lu Manor .
The candle flame danced merrily on its wick .
The heavy rain outside the window had been coming down all night, but it had finally slowed to a drizzle over the last few minutes . Water dripped rhythmically from the wooden frame of the window .
At the desk, Lu Changkong was writing on a satin-bound scroll . He lifted the brush with one hand as the other hand held his sleeve . While he wrote, his hand moved as smoothly as the wind .
Lu Changkong soon finished, but he waited until the ink had dried to call for someone outside the door .
“Luo . ”
The carved wooden door was pushed open .
Luo Yue entered the study . He was wearing a dark set of armor and had his sword with him . His hand rested formally on his sword’s pommel .
“Take this letter to the capital city as soon as possible . Tell His Majesty that I will be on my way tomorrow, and I will be bringing the captured Grandmasters from the martial arts world with me,” Lu Changkong said .
“Keep in mind that you have to hand this letter to the emperor with your own hands . ”
Luo Yue took the letter and bowed his head seriously . “I promise I won’t fail you, City Master . ”
Lu Changkong smiled . “The world is falling into chaos…Those Grandmasters had been following the Imperial Advisor’s orders, yet they suddenly betrayed us . If it weren’t for Ning Zhao, Beiluo City would have been taken . At this moment, Tantai Xuan’s forces would be heading straight for the capital city . ”
Luo Yue fell silent . As a trusted general under Lu Changkong, he was well aware of the importance of that battle .
“Back in his day, the Imperial Advisor could don his Confucianist gown, take a feather fan in hand, and deter all the schools and sects of the martial arts world . He even kept the Philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy at bay . Now, however, the Imperial Advisor is getting older and weaker, and the martial artists are acting up again,” Lu Changkong said with a sigh .
Lu Yue also took a deep breath . “Those people just don’t learn!” His tone was serious and cold .
“The world is different now . The late emperor passed away, and the Imperial Advisor’s time has passed . ” Lu Changkong grew quiet for a long moment, then sighed again .
“Go ahead . ” Lu Changkong waved his hand, gesturing to Luo Yue that he could go .
Luo Yue cupped his hands to Lu Changkong and left the room . He put on his helmet and hurried to have his horse prepared .
Lu Changkong was wearing a Confucianist gown . He stood in front of the carved wooden window with his hands clasped behind his back .
He watched the moonlit night outside the window .
“Huang, is Fan’er doing alright?” Lu Changkong asked suddenly .
A black shadow appeared quietly in the room .
The man had a hunched figure, and rainwater still dripped from his body . He cupped his hands to Lu Changkong and said, “When the rain was heavy earlier tonight, the Young Master killed a Daoist officer . ”
“Really? Daoist officer? Which one?” Lu Changkong asked, hands still clasped behind his back . He was a little surprised .
“You hear ‘Song of the Waves,’ you see Daoist No . 9, Han Lianxiao,” the hunched figured said in a husky voice .
“Daoist No . 9, the Fifth Resonance Grandmaster who liked playing the flute?” Lu Changkong raised an eyebrow . “How was he killed?”
Lu Changkong was curious . It was unlikely that Ning Zhao could kill a Fifth Resonance Grandmaster .
The hunched figure fell silent . The man seemed to be unsure of how to explain the scene with words .
He had been watching from a distance, so he hadn’t seen it very well .
It had looked like the flute-playing Grandmaster fell flat on the ground in front of Lu Fan . Then, as the man laid there like an idiot, Ning Zhao ran her sword through him . But how could the man say something so ridiculous to Lu Changkong?
It was too weird…
“That’s fine . What’s done is done . Someone in the capital city has started taking action . The Daoists won’t dare to make any moves for now . You keep protecting the Young Master… Ning Zhao is a Grandmaster now, but she is still too young,” Lu Changkong said as he noticed that Huang seemed to be hesitant .
“Yes, Master . ”
The hunched man bowed .
His shadowy form burst into countless pieces and vanished from the room like a wave crashing on the beach .
Standing in front of the window, Lu Changkong squinted his eyes and raised his hand .
In his palm, a light blue flow of energy was glowing . That one wisp of Spirit Qi moved freely in the center of his palm .
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