Du Shaofu turned to look at the brawny man and said, “You didn’t get the chance to improve your cultivation level, I think it you must have done some stupid things.”
As a matter of fact, Du Shaofu didn’t know anything about the brawny man. He was merely deducing from what he had seen.
He was a Xiantian cultivator but he was merely a guard. Despite being the leader of the guards, he didn’t receive any promotions from the higher ranks. Judging from his age, he had been a guard in Lan Ling Prefecture for a long time now, otherwise, he wouldn’t be the leader of the guards. One could easily figure all of these out with some effort or contemplation, but it couldn’t be applied to him because the bystander always had a clearer vision.
“How did you guess all of these?” He looked at Du Shaofu and continued. “If your words were backed with good reasons, I will release you. If they were nonsense, I will beat you up,” the leader threatened.
“A fortune teller would probably deceive you for eight or ten years, but I am not one of them. Today, you would find out the truth immediately.”
Du Shaofu said with a smile. “Judging by how you handled my arrival, it was enough to portray your incompetence.”
“What do you mean?” His big eyes moved, doubting whether this brat was just playing a trick on him.
Du Shaofu continued, “Try think about it, I requested to see the Lord of Lan Ling Prefecture just now, but you didn’t even inform any of the people inside. What if I am really a relative of the Lord? At that time your misfortune would certainly find you because I would surely not let you go.”
After pausing momentarily, he continued, “If I deceived you, you just have to beat me up to express your anger. You wouldn’t suffer any losses. So why don’t you inform the people inside that I want to see the Lord? Perhaps I may give a few positive comments about you in front of the Lord. At that time, maybe you would get promoted.”
Movements were seen on the brawny leader’s eyes. Despite thinking that what Du Shaofu said was reasonable, he still didn’t believe him. “Brat, why would I believe you? If you are a liar, the Lord would certainly berate me and I will be the unlucky one!”
“You would certainly believe me with this.” Du Shaofu took out a sword. It was an ordinary sword with some cracks on it. The sword was given by his drunken dad before he left Stone City. His dad wanted him to bring this word to the Lord of Lan Ling Prefecture, Ouyang Ling.
Du Shaofu passed the sword to the brawny leader and said, “This is a token from me. Bring this to the Lord and I’m sure that he would seek the owner this sword once he sees it.”
The guard hesitated for a moment before he finally agreed. He took the sword from Du Shaofu and said in an impolite tone, “You will wait here. I will go and inform the Lord.”
He then walked into the courtyard after finishing his sentence. He instructed the other five brawny guards to fix their eyes on Du Shaofu, fearing that he would slip free.
Du Shaofu was standing in front of the grand door with composure in his eyes but he wasn’t really confident if this would succeed, he didn’t know how close his dad and the Lord of Lan Ling Prefecture was. All of these were only based on his assumptions.
After the courtyard was a whole stretch of palace-like buildings.
Inside a grand hall, in a study that was renovated in antique style, a middle-aged man was holding a jade scroll in his hand. The talisman texts on it were fluctuating. It was a news jade scroll. This type of news jade scroll wasn’t a rare item, it was normally used as a gadget for getting the latest news. It was a very convenient tool as texts and sound could be recorded in it.
The middle-aged man had a handsome face. His thick eyebrows were rebelliously pointing upwards and curled slightly below his eyelashes due to its length. Both of his eyes were closed while extracting the latest information from the jade scroll. His nose bridge was tall and his skin was fairly dark. Regardless of how you see it, he was a man with attractive features.
*Hu*
A moment later, he opened his eyes. The clear and morning-dew-like eyes glittered as he muttered, “It has been almost seventeen years. He finally moved.”
“Brother Ning.” The door of the study was pushed open when a beautiful woman with a fire-red dress ran in.
This was a pretty married woman who seemed to be in her early forties, but she looked younger than her age. She had a slim and attractive figure. As her feet touched the ground gently, sounds of knocking from the jade pendant against her body was heard. Her dark hair was tied in a cloud-flowing knot* that was stuck with a few stalk of flowers. She rushed to the middle-aged man in just a few steps.
“Shan Mei, our kid has already grown up but why are you still being so impatient? Don’t tell me that it was because she had done some terrible things?”
He turned to look at his beauty. His eyes exuded love and tenderness.
“Brother Ling, see…”
The beautiful woman lifted her head. The jade-like skin on her face was slightly reddish and her eyes were filled with excitement while she handed a long sword to him.
His gaze fell upon it, it’s a sword. His eyes moved with his body as he grabbed the long sword. He swallowed while touching those cracks and marks on the sword. He then said, “Green Veins Sword. Yes, there is no doubt about it. This was the sword I gifted him at that time.”
He then shifted his gaze to the woman and asked, “Shan Mei, is it that fellow? Did he come to Lan Ling City?”
The woman in red dress slightly shuddered and shook her head. “They said it is a young man. He said that he is your relative.”
“A relative…”
The middle-aged man muttered and smiled, saying, “It must be that fellow’s son. I have received the news about the father and son from Liu Yun County. I have never thought that the kid would come.”
“It’s Sister Ao Tong’s kid. Her kid is very pitiful. We will welcome him to our home.” Her eyes were mildly welled up with tears.
“Welcoming him to our house…”
The middle-aged man’s eyes moved as he murmured. “That’s right. He is that fellow and Ao Tong’s kid, which means he is our kid too. That kid is truly pitiful.”
She then replied in a soft tone, “Since he had come, we have to take care of him nicely on behalf of Sister Ao Tong. We can’t let him nurse a single grievance.” After finishing, she immediately turned to bring Du Shaofu in.
*Weng*
When the sword was unsheathed, a clear sound was produced from it.
“Shan Mei, slow down.”
He called her woman to stop while looking thoroughly at the Green Vein Sword.
“Brother Ling, what is it?” She asked doubtfully.
The middle-aged man then pointed at the Green Vein Sword and said, “Shan Mei, what do you see?”
“I can see that this is the Green Vein Sword, there isn’t anything else apart from it.” She didn’t notice anything special about it, besides its name and usual features.
“That fellow let his kid come and find me, but why is a token needed in order to see me? Could it be that he needs something from us?” The man looked at the sword in his hand and sighed. He then said, “I gifted this Green Vein Sword to him because he saved my life. Now he had sent his kid and the sword to me, which would only mean that he wants to entrust me with something.”
“Brother Ling, you mean…” The red-dressed lady said in astonishment, her facial expression changed quite a bit. “Could it be that that fellow wants to be a lone ranger? So he sent his kid to our care without considering the kid’s future anymore?” She continued.
“I’m afraid that that might be the case. He had waited for nearly seventeen years and now that his kid has become an adult, he won’t have any worries anymore after sending his kid to us.” He sighed.
“That fellow, how could he go alone? He wouldn’t be able to deal with that powerful and mighty figure alone.” The red-dressed woman also sighed but her gaze turned cold as she added,, “Unfortunately, our strength isn’t enough yet to help them.”
“He had sent the sword and his kid to us. I think that he did not really want to entrust his son to me. Why would he need to entrust me with something given my close relationship with him? I don’t think that this is his real intention.”
The middle-aged man’s brows fluttered slightly. The Green Vein Sword shook in his hand, releasing a wave of sword energy that produced a buzzing sound. It was swift and fierce. He then said. “From the sword intent, it says quick and forceful. That fellow wants me to fulfil his responsibility. He wants me to train his kid!”
Outside the grand door, Du Shaofu was waiting quietly. A few moments later, he saw the brawny leader rushing out.
“Brat, the superiors want you to wait.”
The brawny man came before Du Shaofu with a depressed face. When he went into the palace, he was stopped by the vice chief before meeting the big chief. He didn’t even have a chance to meet the Lord.
“Alright.” Du Shaofu replied. He didn’t know why but he started to feel nervous.
He never have much understanding about his drunken dad nor his friends.
Now, the Lord of Lan Ling Prefecture that he was about to meet was the first person whom his drunken dad mentioned. He could probably use this chance to know more about the past of his drunken dad. This was one of the things that he really wanted to know. Now, he finally had the chance to get in touch with the people that was related to his dad’s past, so naturally, he would feel nervous.
The brawny guard looked at Du Shaofu and noticed his composed expression. He then said, “Brat, treat this as returning me a favor for helping you to inform the Lord. Tell me whether you are a relative of the Lord or not. Even if you aren’t, I guarantee that I won’t beat you up.”
Du Shaofu rolled his eyes and asked, “What is your name?”
“Wang San, I am ranked number three in my family.” He was stunned and said.
“Wang San, I will remember you.”
Du Shaofu patted his shoulder and said with a serious expression. “I will surely give a few positive comments about you in front of the Lord. So that you would be promoted soon.”
The guard’s eyes were filled with doubts while staring at Du Shaofu. He didn’t know whether to believe this brat or not. He somehow felt that this brat’s words didn’t sound truthful to him.
*Krrek*
At this time, the grand door of the compound was opened. Normally, only the small door beside the grand door would be opened.
There were people rushing out of the entrance. The first was a woman in red dress....
Note:
Cloud-flowing knot- http://www.xiziwang.net/uploads/allimg/160613/725_160613142425_3.jpg
All name of skills will not be capitalized as they are considered common nouns. Some terms are subject to change when better suggestions are selected.