HSSB118: Yan Zhaoge given the cold shoulder?
Looking first at Feng Yunsheng, then at Sikong Qing, Yan Zhaoge could not help but smile as he shook his head, "Since senior apprentice-aunt Fu has left seclusion, this is something that should still be expected."
"Let's go; we depart for the North Heaven Region at once," Yan Zhaoge clapped his heads, then strode on ahead.
As though his earlier words had been prophetic, Zhao Ming also just happened to be preparing to depart for the Scarlet Rainbow Sect of the North Heaven Region, thus joining them on their way.
After having met their First Seat Elder in the North Heaven Region, Yan Zhaoge and the others bid Zhao Ming farewell before he set off for the territory of the Scarlet Rainbow Sect, with Yan Zhaoge's group continuing on their way to the Cloud Pavilion Lake.
The Cloud Pavilion Lake was situated within the territory of a small kingdom located to the east of the North Heaven Region. While it did not occupy a huge area, it still made for a beautiful and unique scene.
Looking over from afar, from the rippling light on the lake's surface, one could faintly see that in the air above the centre of the lake, there were white clouds gathered which remained forever undispersed.
Unique ripples of spiritual qi enveloped the entire Cloud Pavilion Lake, with the formation of a unique existence at its centre.
The water vapour within the air was condensed into clouds, yet there was no wind, no rain.
Here, it was spring all year round, even the surrounding temperature not seeing much change, such that those white clouds would never disperse, seemingly having erected a massive pavilion at the centre of the lake.
A structure which was eternally there, formed out of cloud qi.
Yan Zhaoge and the others all already being Martial Scholars, they directly walked on the water, heading towards the centre of the lake.
But before they had neared the pavilion formed of clouds, a screen of water suddenly rose up on the lake's surface all around it, resembling a barrier.
Gazing over, Yan Zhaoge instantly rolled his eyes.
On the screens of water, words were actually visible.
'Those of the Yan Family wait outside; the rest can enter.'
Seeing this, Ah Hu's face instantly turned bitter, "Young Master…"
Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing stared at each other. However unclear they had been on the situation before, they knew for sure now that that rumoured Elder Fu really didn't like the sight of Yan Zhaoge and his father.
Ah Hu rubbed his hands, secretly sending a sound transmission over to Yan Zhaoge, "Young Master, we have no way to force our way in there ah."
While the screen of water before them appeared flimsy, if one were really to think that it was weak, then it would really be that there was a hole in their brain.
This was formed of the longtime Martial Grandmaster expert Fu Enshu using her fist intent to manipulate the water.
It was like how Shi Tie had previously used his fist intent to lock down the heavens and the earth, directly causing Yan Xu to neither be able to advance nor retreat.
To those whose level of cultivation was similar to or superior to Fu Enshu, this screen of water naturally wouldn't count as much, but to Yan Zhaoge and Ah Hu, this flimsy-looking thing was something that was even more tough and indestructible than walls of copper and ceilings of iron.
Seeing the screen of water before them, Yan Zhaoge could not help but laugh as he shook his head, "It's fine."
Turning to look at Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing, he said smilingly, "Senior apprentice-aunt Fu's orders; the two of you should enter first."
Gazing over, the two saw Yan Zhaoge with a calm and unruffled look on his face.
After such a long time had passed, they more or less knew that Yan Zhaoge was really a person who caused others to suffer a loss and did not suffer them himself; this was so even faced with those of the clan's senior generation.
Looking at them, Yan Zhaoge smiled lightly, "After you enter, I will naturally be able to enter as well."
The corners of Feng Yunsheng's mouth twitched, as she looked like she was smiling while also not. Secretly shooting Yan Zhaoge a thumbs up, she no longer hesitated, immediately walking towards that screen of water.
Glancing silently at Yan Zhaoge for a moment, Sikong Qing nodded slightly, before turning and heading towards that water barrier as well.
As they arrived, a gap naturally formed in that screen of water, letting them both in.
"Young Master, how does one say it again?" Watching them enter, Ah Hu sent over a sound transmission in a slightly pained voice, "It is better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel; it is better to offend a scoundrel than a woman?"
"Who offended her? She's just narrow-minded," Yan Zhaoge curled his lips, "Just relax your mind and wait for a moment and it'll be fine."
"Very soon, she will ask us in on her own accord."
Ah Hu was silently left speechless. His Young Master had always been domineering to the extreme; this he knew full well. However, the other party now could not be viewed like any ordinary person.
In terms of rank, Fu Enshu was on the same level as Fang Zhun and Shi Tie; even if her strength as well as position were slightly inferior, it was still not something that disciples of the younger generation could stand up to.
…Especially when, this woman was not at all quite a reasonable person.
If she really wanted teach a disciple of the younger generation a lesson, pushing him to the point of being half-dead, there would also be nowhere for him to seek justice to.
This was the real one of Yan Di and Shi Tie's generation of Broad Creed Mountain young disciples who was their greatest chaos-inducing demon lord in the past.
Of the Chief of Broad Creed Mountain Yuan Zhengfeng's personal disciples, Yan Di was the youngest and also the one who entered the clan the latest, when most of the others had already been apprenticed.
When Yan Di had entered, amongst all his young senior apprentice-brothers and sisters, the one Yuan Zhengfeng had trusted the most in was Shi Tie and the one whom he had appreciated the most for his talent was Fang Zhun, but the one who could make him the happiest was actually Fu Enshu.
Fu Enshu's parents were not just from the same clan as Yuan Zhengfeng; they were also close buddies with whom he had gone through some life-and-death situations before. Sadly, they had both died early. Fu Enshu had then virtually been raised by Yuan Zhengfeng, the two sharing a relationship as close as a true father and daughter pair.
On some level, Yuan Zhengfeng had just doted too much on Fu Enshu since young.
Yan Zhaoge thought from the bottom of his heart that there were really many people who had to thank Shi Tie.
If not for this strict, serious senior apprentice-brother pressing down on them from above, many times not even giving face for Yuan Zhengfeng, Fu Enshu, this tyrant of Broad Creed Mountain would have done a lot more damage than she had.
Looking at Yan Zhaoge, Ah Hu smacked his lips, "Young Master, even faced with Elder Fang, you are still so confident. For that, I would be even more confident than you; after all, Elder Fang is a very reasonable person."
"However, if it is Elder Fu, she does things most of the time based on her mood."
Yan Zhaoge shrugged, putting up three fingers.
"Firstly, while senior apprentice-aunt Fu does as she likes more than others, being wild and unbridled in her actions, making decisions based off her own personal likes and dislikes, at the end of the day, she still passionately loves our clan."
"Having been born there, raised there, with Grand Master looking upon her as a daughter, doting on her, how would she not love and respect Grand Master as a father?"
Yan Zhaoge said as he kept back a finger, "Faced with significant matters which would truly be beneficial to Broad Creed Mountain, she can suppress her own feelings, thinking for the clan's sake."
"Secondly, saying such things about the senior generation behind their backs is not very nice, but this senior apprentice-aunt Fu is impatient towards most things. Even if she gets interested in them, it's also generally 'three days going fishing, two days letting the net dry'."
Yan Zhaoge kept back another finger, "However, senior apprentice-aunt Fu is extremely passionate towards martial cultivation, many years feeling like a single day for her. Don't be fooled by that chaos-inducing demon lord personality of hers in her youth; her diligence in cultivation is something that even eldest apprentice-uncle praises."
"Towards yet known secrets of the martial dao, senior apprentice-aunt Fu has an extremely strong desire to get to the bottom of them. When there are some things that she cannot understand, she will find it hard to eat and tough to sleep, just having to comprehend the profundities within before being willing to let it go."
Saying thus, Yan Zhaoge also praised, "If she were not a crazy devil…being able to reach her current cultivation realm, senior apprentice-aunt Fu naturally didn't do so by luck."
"Senior apprentice-Fu loves her face and likes holding grudges, but compared to her face, the difficult problems in the martial dao that she cannot crack gets to her even more."
Saying thus, Yan Zhaoge smiled, keeping his final finger, "The third ah, hehe; of the entire Broad Creed Mountain, senior apprentice-aunt Fu has one of the most impatient personalities, not being able to hold patient easily…"
Before his words had fully sounded, the water barrier before them, silently and noiselessly, suddenly opened.
HSSB119: How to chase the leaders?
The words on the screen of water vanished, while also not expressly allowing Yan Zhaoge in.
Still, staring at the gap that had opened within the water barrier, Ah Hu was left dumbstruck.
With a calm, serious expression on his face, Yan Zhaoge bowed towards the faraway screen of water, "We thank senior apprentice-aunt Fu."
Then, he walked towards the doorway that had opened up for them within the screen of water.
Still a little stunned, it was completely based on reflex that Ah Hu followed behind Yan Zhaoge.
It was quite a while before he finally regained his wits, "Young Master, how exactly did you do it?"
Yan Zhaoge snapped his fingers, "Upon seeing junior apprentice-sister Feng, senior apprentice-aunt Fu was unable to grasp the profundities behind her Extreme Yin Physique gradually recuperating. Unable to resist, she just had to let us in."
Ah Hu stared blankly, "As simple as that?"
Yan Zhaoge shrugged, "This is just how senior apprentice-aunt Fu is as a person; as opposed to face, she is more concerned about such stuff."
"Moreover, she's not actually directly angry at me; I'm also not my father ah."
His hands behind his back, Yan Zhaoge walked neither urgently nor slowly, "Of course, senior apprentice-aunt Fu is also a person who changes her face faster than flipping the pages of a book. When the mystery has been unravelled, who knows that she won't personally throw me out again."
Ah Hu shrunk back his head, "Young Master, please try to keep something in reserve; if you are thrown out, I'd surely suffer the same fate too."
As the two talked, walking on the water, they had already arrived at the centre of the lake.
Under the massive pavilion formed of the white clouds was a small island, the sky above it completely enveloped by those very white clouds.
On the peak of a hill on the island, Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing were currently standing by the side. Before them was a woman garbed in green, currently silently looking over downwards.
The age of this woman was somewhat hard to determine; she looked to be in her early twenties, whilst also seeming like she was in her thirties.
Her features were beautiful, not inferior to that of Sikong Qing and Feng Yunsheng in the least.
From her bearing cultivated over time, looking over at this moment, she actually even seemed superior to the two younger girls in terms of appearance.
Walking up the hill and seeing this woman, Yan Zhaoge immediately went up and bowed, "Senior apprentice-aunt Fu."
This woman was naturally Fu Enshu. Her expression appeared normal, from which it was completely impossible to tell how she had refused Yan Zhaoge entry and forced him to remain outside earlier.
"I'm very pleased with them; I'll be taking them both as apprentices. On the registration book over at the clan, they can be recorded as direct disciples."
Fu Enshu's first words upon meeting Yan Zhaoge was to express her satisfaction towards Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing.
Looking at Feng Yunsheng, Yan Zhaoge saw that many emotions seemed to be welling up within her right now, but most of it spoke of her firm determination.
Having the hope of rising up once more, to the Feng Yunsheng who had endured more than a fair share of hardship before this, grabbing hold of the chance before her was the most important thing.
Speaking of it, although having entered Broad Creed Mountain, her identity was kept secret, with most not knowing of her true origins, only thinking of her as a talent the clan had come by inadvertently, when the news of her being promoted to a core, direct disciple eventually spread, it would probably make quite a controversy.
After all, she had entered the clan for but half a year, then ascended into the heavens with a single step.
The Sikong Qing beside her was also someone who had been in the clan for many years and gone through much tempering before being able to arrive at where she was today.
Looking at Sikong Qing, Yan Zhaoge saw that within her clear gaze could also be seen joy as well as anticipation.
Towards Feng Yunsheng, she was not dissatisfied in the least.
She was one of the few who knew about Feng Yunsheng's Extreme Yin Physique, but towards the Extreme Yin Physique, she actually didn't really care about it.
To Sikong Qing, what was more important was the outstanding talent the other party displayed in the area of the martial dao.
Swivelling her head over to glance at Feng Yunsheng, Fu Enshu said, "According to her, she met with an accident previously, with the Extreme Yin energy within her body completely drying up as a result."
"But now, it has already recovered quite a lot."
Fu Enshu's words were speedy as consecutive shooting bullets, "How did you do it? Yunsheng said you used a golden needle acupuncture technique to stimulate her already dried up Extreme Yin arteries and veins."
"I can also detect that on your golden needles were applied the grease of the seed of the Concealed Visibility Grass. However, the gold needle acupuncture technique should be something special."
Smiling slightly, similarly pretending that the earlier matter had never transpired, Yan Zhaoge said, "It is indeed like that. I will demonstrate; may senior apprentice-aunt guide me."
Saying, thus, he came before Feng Yunsheng and did a demonstration.
Just after watching that first needle of his, Fu Enshu was already nodding slowly, "So it was like this."
Yan Zhaoge smiled as he kept his needle, secretly sending a sound transmission over to Feng Yunsheng, "How is it, the feeling of finally having met someone who speaks even faster than you?"
Although she was before Fu Enshu, Feng Yunsheng blinked, replying, "While master says ten lines, I can say eight. There's a difference, but it's not unsurpassable."
Yan Zhaoge drew back the corners of his mouth, "Nice, aspirations indeed!"
Now, Fu Enshu turned over to look at Yan Zhaoge, directly asking, "I've heard from the clan that you want to be placed in charge of the cultivation of Yunsheng's Extreme Yin energy?"
"You will naturally be overseeing her martial cultivation, senior apprentice-aunt," Yan Zhaoge candidly met Fu Enshu's gaze, "However, I indeed have some thoughts about her training as a Maiden of Extreme Yin, with winning the Extreme Yin Crown as a goal."
Fu Enshu said, "From your acupuncture, I can tell that you indeed have quite the expertise in this area."
"So, tell me your thoughts."
Of Broad Creed Mountain's higher echelon experts, it had always been Fu Enshu preparing for the grooming of their future Maiden of Extreme Yin; she was the one with the greatest authority on the topic.
It was fine earlier when Fu Enshu had yet to leave seclusion, but now that she had, she naturally had to appraise how much knowledge Yan Zhaoge truly had in the area.
After all, the matter of Maidens of Extreme Yin was a very significant one, not allowing for any mistakes to be made whatsoever.
Yan Zhaoge said neither hurriedly nor slowly, "First is helping junior apprentice-sister Feng to regain her Extreme Yin Physique. Other than golden needle acupuncture, I also planned to find a precious land of solitary yin also containing solitary yang for her."
"I have set my eyes on the Mountain Domain's Cloud Portent Mountain, on one hand to manage our relationship with Infinite Boundless Mountain, and on the other for junior apprentice-sister Feng's recovery."
"Other than that, I have also researched a medicinal bath for her to use then, with the help of all these factors, aiding junior apprentice-sister Feng's recovery."
Here, Yan Zhaoge paused momentarily, "As for after junior apprentice-sister Feng's recovery, with her returning to cultivation as per normal, I naturally have some thoughts on this; I believe you, senior apprentice-aunt Fu, do too."
"However, a problem that we must face is: junior apprentice-sister Feng lost a few years of her time, only just having managed to get back on track, with Meng Wan and the others meanwhile already far ahead of her."
"Her opponents won't stay stagnant waiting for us; on the contrary, the one who obtains the Extreme Yin Crown will only improve at a higher rate."
"Under such circumstances, what should junior apprentice-sister Feng do to catch up to them?"
Yan Zhaoge spread out his palms, "At the end of the day, it is not like having a Maiden of Extreme Yin would mean that all is right with the world. Our clan finally having obtained a Maiden of Extreme Yin only gives us the qualification to participate in the Extreme Yin Bout, not having to sit on the sidelines like we do every year. Still, if we end up continually 'accompanying the Crown Prince in his reading' in the future, acting as accompaniment, then having a Maiden of Extreme Yin would be as good as not having one."
"Grooming a Maiden of Extreme Yi, participating in the Extreme Yin Bout; it's all to win the Extreme Yin Crown!"
Feng Yunsheng nodded gently by the side; this was actually the real crux of the matter.
Herself regaining her Extreme Yin Physique, would merely be the beginning.
Fu Enshu looked at Yan Zhaoge. As compared to Feng Yunsheng regaining her Extreme Yin Physique, this was actually also the true problem that made her head hurt.
If there was no Feng Yunsheng, if Broad Creed Mountain was lucky and could find a Maiden of Extreme Yin for themselves, they could also groom her from scratch.
However, having fallen behind the other Sacred Grounds these past few years, how could they make up for this gap and contend with them?
Having researched on the cultivation of Extreme Yin Energy these past few years, Fu Enshu was completely confident that if she was given a Maiden of Extreme Yin and the same starting point, her disciple would definitely not be any worse than those of the other Sacred Grounds.
However, if they wanted to chase the leaders, the difficulty of this would be immense.
Fu Enshu knit her brows slightly, "What you mean is; you have a plan?"