Finally, he had the little critters all to himself.
Yun Yang consulted Supreme Wind’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of All Beasts before he began his examination on the creatures; he pulled their ears, looked at their stomachs, flipped their eyelids, peered into their nostrils, studied their throats, and even directed a small amount of mystical Qi into their small bodies to check. All of the tests matched the characteristics that were laid out in the book.
At last, he had confirmed that these were the cubs of the ninth class beginner mystical beasts, Eclipse Panther!
The Eclipse Panther was as swift as the wind, extremely adept in camouflage and concealment, and blisteringly fast when hunting its prey. It was hardly surprising that it carried the title of “Assassin among the Mystical Beasts”. A full-grown Eclipse Panther could consume gold and jade as sustenance, and it would be near-indestructible with skin malleable as bronze, and bones as strong as steel.
Yun Yang was exhilarated.
An undercurrent of curiosity marred the joy he felt for the the discovery. What was the real identity of his eighth brother, Supreme Wind? The Ximen family, being of the top eight, as well as Ximen Wandai’s companions are made up young masters of significant status. Even their guards and servants were all experts. They had not suspected a thing while these extremely rare creatures frolicked right under their noses. Each of the families had the wisdom of a thousand years, but that knowledge paled in comparison to a book tossed negligently besides Supreme Wind’s pillow!
Even if each field had its own master, this was not something as simple.
Yun Yang tucked the question somewhere in his heart; intent on finding out his eighth brother’s identity and completing his brother’s unresolved undertakings.
First things first, however. He had to recover from his injuries and elevate his cultivation before he could once again face his enemies head-on!
“Young master, you…” Lao Mei was flabbergasted.
Just a day ago, his young master had gone out and come back with a monkey and a lively young woman in tow. Today, his young master had gone out again, and this time, he brought home five cats… and a dying man.
“Young master, when you next come home, will you bring back a pack of a hundred or a thousand wolves? Or perhaps another large group of men and women?” Lao Mei was torn between amusement and horror at the very thought of it.
“It’s nothing really, just a few pets,” Yun Yang informed his manservant in all seriousness. “Inform Ma and Qin to come over to the Residence of Yun tonight. Tell them there’s something, ahem, good in store for them this time.”
Lao Mei wanted to shake his head.
Inform them?
Do they still dare to come?
Wouldn’t these young masters still be traumatized?
“I am certain they will come, this time,” Yun Yang proclaimed in confidence.
“…” Lao Mei was somewhat confused by Yun Yang’s conviction. Just as he was about to leave, Yun Yang took a small bag out and handed it to him.
“There are some cultivation resources inside, please use them. The sooner you can break through to the sixth peak, the better.”
With a bow, Lao Mei accepted the bag and left. It was only when he had left Yun Yang’s sight that he opened the bag and let out an astonished gasp. His hands shook with such intensity that he almost dropped the bag.
Inside, 50 mystical stones and 10 mystical crystal sparkled with a merry shimmer and radiated spiritual Qi. These were invaluable gems that would greatly accelerate cultivation!
“Where did the young master get these from? There’s so many of them!” Lao Mei wondered, as his heart was flooded with warmth. For a long five years, he had been stuck at the bottleneck of the fifth peak, but with these, there was no doubt that he could advance to the sixth!
“Where did young master get these from? There’s so much of it.” Lao Mei thought, his heart filled with warmth. He had been stuck at the bottleneck of the fifth peak for approximately five years already.
There was a premise for martial artists who wished to cultivate to the level of true experts, “Six innately awakened chakras are incredible, with those, one could step right into the level of a mystic; however the heavens dictate only three parts of your fate, the extrinsic seven parts that could make or break it can only be dictated by you. ”
This meant that only those with six or more innately awakened chakras could be a mystical Qi martial artist. Even then, six innately awakened chakras were only gifts bestowed by God, nothing would come out of it if there were no effort put in.
Only then would the proverb be of relevance… “twelve peaks of skill levels, a heaven’s difference between each”!
The sages once proclaimed, “The cultivation of martial artists is like going up a mountain weighed down with a burden; only by traversing the path to the peak can one see where the next peak lies.”
This age old adage meant that a person will always believe that there is no higher mountain than the one he knows of; before arriving at the first peak, you would never know that there existed a taller mountain in this world than the one you were at. This mystery was more commonly known as a knowledge barrier.
There was then another saying, “To reach the heavens, one must first claim the peak; thereafter, a heaven lies.” It simply meant, “A whole new world awaits those who claim the peak of a mountain.” Therefore, “There are twelve peaks of skill levels with a heaven’s difference between each; conquer all twelve before all else, and brave the ninth heaven thereupon”!
It seemed simple and easy to comprehend, laced with some droll/,tasteless humor even, but it was a theoretically progressive maxim indeed!
“I’m back!” Ji Ling had a timid tiny silver animal sitting on her shoulder as she charged in excitedly.
“Look, I’ve bought a Silver Moon Celestial Wolf! What do you think? You were talking about this little fellow, were you not?”
Yun Yang stepped forward to have a look and nodded in approval. “Right, right, that’s it! You were lucky it didn’t get snapped up this whole time.”
Ji Ling’s eyes were squinted with joy. “This is all thanks to you! The whole market is still talking about your shocking bet and no one has the mood to get back to business…” she graciously admitted.
“Haha…” Yun Yang chuckled loudly and said, “I’ll start training your pet tomorrow.”
“How about we start now...”
Yun Yang interrupted her request before she could complete it, with an air of disdain.
“There are still many tasks I have left undone this day. Do you not see that there is a critically injured person here?”
“This bastard is certainly unchivalrous. How could he be so rude and uncompromising to a pretty girl?” Ji Ling muttered under her breath and stomped her foot indignantly, pouting as she left.
She didn’t speak as softly as she thought she did, so Yun Yang had naturally heard it, the corners of his lips lifting into a dismissive smirk.
What is chivalry? Can it be eaten? Why is it that men have to be chivalrous towards pretty girls? Why do they have to compromise? If this pretty girl will ultimately become this man’s wife, perhaps it would be alright to take a step back, but not every woman will become a man’s wife. Should I bend over backward just because you are a woman?
I would be digging myself a hole, not practising chivalry!
Yun Yang did not say these out loud. Of course, if Lao Mei had known Yun Yang’s thoughts, he would have definitely replied in frustration, “Young master, there’s a reason why you’re still unattached when you’re already 19!”
Yun Yang was heading into a room when he felt a vague unease, indicating that something felt off. He couldn’t put his finger on where the feeling came from, but it was when he reached the bedside of the critically ill man that he thought about it.
Why is there powder dropping from my stomach?
He instinctively thrust his hand into his robes. Sucking in his breath with a hiss, he immediately extracted a bag that lay within. By all accounts it still looked the same… except that the bag that was rather large earlier had shrunk to less than half its original size.
Yun Yang’s eyes widened into the size of two copper bells. What was going on?
Opening the package, he could see that the contents were still the same; the mystical stones, mystical crystals and mystical pills won from today’s bet.
The mystical pills are unchanged, still two of them here.
The mystical stones, however… There aren’t as many as before. How did two hundred of them go missing? The remaining stones seem to have shrunk in size as well!
The mystical crystals too, there should be thirty of them. I’ve given five to Lao Mei, there should be another twenty five. Why are there only… thirteen?
Where did the other twelve go?
Besides these items, there were copious amounts of powder in the package
Yun Yang felt slightly giddy as he looked at them.
Have my mystical stones and crystals… all turned into powder?
Yun Yang entered his subconscious in distress and saw that the leaves of the Lotus of Endless Fate were swaying in glee. Although the second lotus leaf had yet to grow, it was apparent that its shade had turned darker and stronger. Crystal clear mist coiled and condensed at the root of the Lotus of Endless Fate. Yun Yang shuddered with heartache as he looked upon it
Is this not the most refined mystical Qi within the mystical crystals and stones?
I was wondering how they turned into a powder…They were actually stolen!
“Despicable thief!” Yun Yang glared at the seedling in rage.
The cultivation resources procured at the cost of offending the Ximen family in a game of chance had actually been depleted by this Lotus of Endless Fate in the blink of an eye!
As if sensing Yun Yang’s anger, the small seedling swayed gently, its leaves coiling about as if in guilt. Somehow, it actually managed to appear abashed. It looked much like a misbehaved child who was admitting their mischief in as precocious a manner as possible, “Aww, I know I’m wrong…”
The enchanting sight had Yun Yang’s temper dissipating into thin air within an instant.
“Those calming Frost Jade on my neck and arm, under my pillow, and in my study days earlier… did you steal them as well?”
The seedling’s leaf curled up even tighter, almost into a ball, as it swayed lightly.
Feeling amused yet inexplicably annoyed, Yun Yang finally understood what was happening.
It seemed like this little thing needed not only the simple air of injustice to grow but also spiritual Qi from heaven and earth, as well as the refined air of treasured materials and gems of the earth.
The only difference was that the air of injustice could increase the growth of its leaf and accelerate the leveling up process, while the spiritual Qi from both heaven and earth, as well as treasured materials and gems, could make it stronger.
“Just like a child who needs to grow tall and strong…” Yun Yang acknowledged. “Alright, don’t sneak around next time, just take it openly. But don’t you touch those I required, otherwise, none for you!”
With a soft ‘wah’ sound, the leaf immediately uncurled itself as the seedling swayed happily, dancing in celebration.
Yun Yang could distinctly feel the pleasure radiating from the seedling and the corners of his lips could not help but lift into an equally happy grin.
A lotus that can understand what I am saying?
Yun Yang felt like laughing even as he thought about it. Who would believe him if he dared to share this revelation openly? Yun Yang watched the seedling tremble before a ray of green light shone through and shot into his meridians, as if in reward. Instantaneously, Yun Yang felt a cooling sensation throughout his body as an indescribable vitality filled his meridians. The injury he had sustained from Ximen Wandai’s strike disappeared, and the pain subsided. At the same time, he felt rejuvenated, his mind awash with clarity once again.
This little fellow can heal me? Yun Yang was delighted as he asked, “Could my cultivation base be restored to how it was a year ago, as soon as possible?” Yun Yang had yearned for his abilities for far too long! Without them, he could not even hope to accomplish anything.
The seedling swayed slowly, and seemed to be shaking its head in despair.
Yun Yang had finally asked and had his doubts answered.
It would seem that his cultivation base could no longer be recovered. After the lotus had merged itself into his blood and meridians, it had utterly devoured his cultivation base, the chance of it rebirth gone up in smoke. When the air of injustice came along, it would then sprout.
Oddly enough, he could sense that the seedling was trying to convey an implicit message, “Your power was utter rubbish… it wouldn’t make any difference if you possessed it or not anyway.”
Yun Yang had ambiguous feelings about this, and resigned himself to the fact that he would just have to start all over again.
“It’s awkward to call you seedling or Lotus of Endless Fate every day. Why not allow me to give you a new name?” Yun Yang asked in parley, “You have the shape of a rattan with flower and leaves; Rattan? Stemmie? Flower? Leafy? Lolo? Emmie1?”
The seedling swayed in disagreement until the last name, ‘Emmie’, came up. It was immobile for a short moment before its sprout nodded slightly in agreement.
Did it just actually respond to this name?
Yun Yang felt a terrible headache approaching. Of all the names, the one he thought was the worst and least acceptable was actually Emmie and that was why he had placed it last.
Who would have known that the name he had discarded for being the worst sounding was actually well accepted?
Emmie…
“Oh no… Emmie…” Yun Yang slapped his forehead, feeling speechless, “What kind of revolting name have I given you?”
In his subconscious, Emmie was undulating merrily, one of its tendrils rolled and twisted into various shapes in celebration that it had finally gotten a name.
“Emmie!” Yun Yang remembered the task at hand, “You have to think of something, that man in my room has to live!”
Emmie seemed to be stunned, but its tendrils quickly resumed waving about.
“No problem!”
Translator’s Note:
Emmie (绿绿lǜ lǜ): Lotus of Endless Fate’s nickname given by Yun Yang; literally means light green and light green. Emmie is derived from emerald and attached with suffix –ie to make the nickname sound cute.