Chapter 224 - Hardships
The moon was hanging up high in the sky, and the stars were thinly spread.
Yu Ruohan walked in front, leading both of them out of the market, passing the harbor and into the shipyard.
A fleet building up their own shipyard? They’re rich as hell.
The guards patrolling bowed as soon as they saw Yu Ruohan. Seeing Lu Mingshu trailing behind, they bowed to her as well before leaving.
After passing through a few doors, they ended up in a small courtyard.
Yu Ruohan brought Lu Mingshu in, and there was a cup of unfinished tea on the table.
“Take a seat.” Yu Ruohan pointed to a seat opposite her casually.
“Thank you, Senior.” Lu Mingshu looked around and sat down.
Yu Ruohan didn’t even care that the tea was already cold. She finished the cup of tea in one shot and passed Lu Mingshu a cup as well. “If you want water, get it yourself.”
Lu Mingshu stared at the cup blankly. She had never met a woman like Yu Ruohan before. She seemed to lead a rough and simple life, but she was unrestrained and elegant.
“Shocked?” Yu Ruohan smiled widely at her.
Lu Mingshu nodded. “Master never talks about his past.”
The smile disappeared from Yu Ruohan's face. “If it was me, I wouldn’t want to talk about it either.”
How high-spirited one used to be, to turn into today’s dire and listless state…
Both looked at each other in silence for a moment.
They didn’t know each other to start with, and the only common topic between them was the person they both knew, but that person was something that neither of them were willing to talk about.
“Senior, is my master very close to Senior?” At last, Lu Mingshu made up her mind to ask.
Yu Ruohan shook her head. “Not really. We first met in Zhongzhou and nearly got into a fight. Afterward, I settled in Beiming, and when he came to travel, we met again coincidentally. We can be called friends, I guess.”
After pausing for a while, she looked at Lu Mingshu, eyes twinkling. “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth; I used to like him a lot, but your master is too slow-witted. Back then, I was still young, so I didn’t tell him. More than ten years have passed, and I’m regretting it now. If I had told him, would everything still be the same? Hey, help me ask him when you get back, eh?”
Lu Mingshu looked at her, dumbfounded. Does she mean that, or is she just joking?
This sent Yu Ruohan into laughter. “You’re very serious, just like your master.”
“What do you plan to do about the Ye Family?” Yu Ruohan asked, no longer laughing.
Lu Mingshu bit her lips and pondered. “I’ll see what the Ye Family does first.”
“You’re so sure that they’ll give the queen of Zhongzhou face?” Yu Ruohan’s expression was unreadable.
Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. What Yu Ruohan really meant was, “Is your relationship with the queen of Zhongzhou that good?” She’s trying to probe for the truth!
“It’s not a big deal. Why would they bother with a younger generation member?”
Yu Ruohan smiled thinly. “It’s not a big deal to you, but not others.” Ah, she’s still young, that’s why she doesn’t get it. “Ye Zhenyan likes to hold grudges. Why would he just laugh it off after you defeated him publicly?”
Seeing Lu Mingshu staring at her feet, Yu Ruohan sighed. “Typical youngster. Nevermind.” She pointed to a room behind her. “It’s getting late, there’s no need to go back now. Rest here. We can still protect you for now.”
Lu Mingshu stood up and bowed. “Thank you for lending me a helping hand, Senior.”
Yu Ruohan smiled a little. “I glad I could meet my old friend’s disciple. It’s just a small matter.” She then called over a servant girl. “Clean up the guest room and receive this Miss.”
“Okay,” the servant girl answered and turned toward Lu Mingshu. “Miss, please.”
Lu Mingshu bowed to Yu Ruohan again before leaving with the servant girl.
Under the flickering candlelight, a man walked out from a room. “You went up against the Ye Family for her?”
“What, is she not worthy?” Yu Ruohan smiled at him thinly.
It was a slender figure with a scholarly appearance. It was Sir Ning. “The conflict between us and the Ye Family is already worsening. It wasn’t an appropriate move.” He furrowed his eyebrows.
But Yu Ruohan shook her head. “The past few years, the Ye Family has been suppressing us anyway. It wouldn’t be any better even if I didn’t intervene. Moreover, she has a close relationship with the queen of Zhongzhou, so this is a good chance for us to get closer to Zhongzhou’s royalty.”
“How can you be so sure that she’s actually valuable?”
Yu Ruohan grinned. “If the news from Zhongzhou is true, then 80%.”
Sir Ning pondered for a moment. In the end, he didn’t object. He only sighed. “Others think the Bon Voyage Fleet is well-off. Who knows what sufferings we have?”
Speaking about this, Yu Ruohan felt mentally drained too. “Not only the Ye Family. In Beiming, the aristocratic families are trying to eliminate us ordinary people. Luckily, we got the Mountain Whale this time, or it would’ve been bad.”
In the eyes of the Jianghu people, the Bon Voyage Fleet was more well-off than even some smaller aristocratic families. They were the only ones who knew about their own difficulties.
Beiming wasn’t peaceful and carefree the way it seemed in the eyes of others. Cultivating above the Harmonization Realm was like entering a snake pit because all the resources were controlled. For example, the Mountain Whale they caught this time; the Pure White Grace Pavilion had plenty of resources to afford a thousand mystic crystals. However, the Ye Family gave them too much pressure, and the pavilion didn’t want to make things ugly, so the whale went to an aristocratic family.
In the early days, Beiming used to be a paradise for commoners. Ancient Jade Summit was Beiming’s peak, standing alone, occupying the most abundant resources in Beiming. Aristocratic families didn’t hold much power; facing the dangerous river, they were too weak even if they banded together.
That was why, despite the dangerous environment, it attracted many Jianghu people to stay in Beiming, and it slowly developed into a big power.
The Bon Voyage Fleet and the Pure White Grace Pavilion were just two of the representatives. They gathered a group of commoners and had a rather powerful position in Beiming.
However, since the three biggest aristocratic families emerged, everything changed.
The aristocratic families slowly started to eliminate the commoners. Not only that, but they took over territories as well, then kicked the commoner’s out. Lower-level martial artists might not have felt it because the resources they needed for their cultivation weren’t expensive or rare. However, after the Harmonization Realm, the aristocratic families had a tight hold of everything.
The Bon Voyage Fleet and the Pure White Grace pavilion were obviously not easy to take out, but with the alliance formed by aristocratic families, their space in Beiming was slowly being compressed.
That was why, these years, the Bon Voyage Fleet had no choice but to explore new hunting grounds, and each trip cost a huge price.
However, this could only postpone them being taken over by the Ye Family.
“As soon as the Ye Family gains a second Assimilation Realm Elder, their ambitions will become unstoppable,” Sir Ning said. “Unless we gain an Assimilation Realm cultivator, we will soon be swallowed up by them too.”
Hearing that, an idea popped up in Yu Ruohan’s head. “About that matter, what do you think if we find that girl as external help?”
Sir Ning blinked. “You want to let her go over to Jasper Sun Mountain?”
Yu Ruohan grinned. “Not suitable?”
Sir Ning raised his eyebrows. “She’s good, but not as good as Ling Wuxia.”
“Well, she’s better than our young ones.”
Sir Ning hummed. “Right.” He pondered for a moment before raising his brows. “I’ll go discuss this with Brother Mao.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Ning.” Yu Ruohan nodded, smiling thinly.
Chapter 225 - Killing Numerous Birds with One Stone
“Seventh Master, servant did all this for Master! Third Young Master has always been pampered, and a trip to Remainder Island wronged him. If both grandmasters find out, I’m afraid that they would think it was Master who didn’t take care of him well, that’s why your servant wanted to take revenge for the Third Young Master! I swear to god that all I say is true and there’s no lie!”
Looking at his leg being hugged and his pants being used to wipe In-Charge Bi’s mucus and tears, Ye Seventh Master shivered in disgust and kicked the in-charge away violently. “Get lost!”
“Aiyo!” The in-charge rolled a few time before stopping, then scrambled up and crawled back to Ye Seventh Master. “Seventh Master, Seventh Master!”
“Stop! Don’t come over!” Ye Seventh Master yelled.
In-Charge Bi stopped immediately. “Yes, yes.”
Ye Seventh Master sighed in relief and sat down slowly. “Ah Bi!”
“Servant is here.”
“These years, I have treated you well, haven’t I?”
“Yes, you definitely did.”
“Then why did you try to bootlick Xiao San’er?”
“Servant really only-”
“Speak the truth!” Ye Seventh Master yelled.
In-Charge Bi dared not deceive him anymore. He kneeled on the floor, so low that his head was going to be buried.
“Seventh Uncle, who angered you now?” A particular voice came from outside, and shortly, Ye Zhenyan entered.
Other than his pale face, he looked fine, as if he never experienced the traumatic events earlier.
Seeing him, Ye Seventh Master plastered a smile on his face. “Xiao San, why not get some rest when you’re still not feeling well?”
Ye Zhenyan looked down at In-Charge Bi. “It’s just a minor injury, no big deal. Seventh Uncle is the one that doesn’t look good! What did this slave do to anger Seventh Uncle?”
Being reminded of the matter, Ye Seventh Master gave In-Charge Bi a death glare. “This dog, he sent someone to capture that Missy whose surname is Lu. If he handled it properly, whatever, but he only sent one person to get her! He didn’t catch her, and that Missy embarrassed him! If I hadn’t made it on time, where would we put our face? Best of all, that Yu Ruohan came to take that Missy back, so we don’t even have another chance to make a move!”
“Ah, that’s why Seventh Uncle is so angry. Nephew thought that it was because the in-charge didn’t know who his boss is!”
Ye Seventh Master bit his lips. “Why would I be mad about that? We’re both his boss. He’s right to take revenge for you, but this is just too ugly. I won’t let him off!”
Ye Zhenyan nodded. “Seventh Uncle is right. If he settled it, fine. Now, he has acted rashly and alerted the enemy. Ten deaths aren’t enough for him!”
“Servant knows my mistake, servant knows my mistake. Seventh Master and Third Young Master, please be lenient and spare this dog’s life!” The conversation made In-Charge Bi jump out of his skin and kowtow non-stop, pleading for them to spare him.
However, they both turned a blind eye to him.
Ye Seventh Master glanced over at Ye Zhenyan. “Xiao San, you want to get rid of her too?”
“Seventh Uncle thinks that I am a sore loser?” Ye Zhenyan replied coldly.
“Heh, of course not. You’re so smart, you’ll always do things with consideration.” Well, who the hell knows what you’re thinking?
Ye Zhenyan hummed. “It’s nothing if she defeats me, but Seventh Uncle should not forget that Jasper Sun Mountain…”
Ye Seventh Master’s expression changed. “You mean…?” He pondered for a while and looked back. “Can’t be, right? How could she know about that?”
“Is Seventh Uncle sure?”
Ye Seventh Master thought and looked at Ye Zhenyan, eyes widening with shock. “Oh no, the Bon Voyage Fleet…!”
“They haven’t had a good time these past few years,” Ye Zhenyan said calmly. “The last time Seventh Uncle went to discuss with them about taking in the fleet, they postponed it, didn’t they?”
Ye Seventh Master sneered. “So what if they postponed? How long can they take? Idiots.”
“It’s enough to say that they are still unwilling to give up. I remember that Old Sir Mao has been in seclusion training for years, hasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“He wants to break through to the Assimilation Realm.”
“Hmph!” Ye Seventh Master looked at Ye Zhenyan proudly. “How is it so easy to break through? They don’t have a blessed land, and…”
The last sentence wasn’t finished, as Ye Seventh Master thought of something. “Could it be…?”
“Seventh Uncle has noticed?” Ye Zhenyan stared at him. “You should know that, once Old Sir Mao reaches the Assimilation Realm, it will be impossible for us to swallow up the fleet.”
The Ye Family wasn’t so greedy to take them down when there was an Assimilation Realm present.
“At this point, the Bon Voyage Fleet would surely grab hold of this precious chance. Why would they not sell the information in order to achieve what they want?”
“…” Ye Seventh Master didn’t want to admit defeat, but the truth had to be said – he wasn’t as smart as Ye Zhenyan. He only thought about this possibility when he mentioned Yu Ruohan.
“So what do you think we should do?”
“We could have initially taken her down quickly,” Ye Zhenyan said coldly, before giving In-Charge Bi a death glare. “But now, thanks to this slave, it’s all gone.”
Just a glance made In-Charge Bi’s blood run cold, and chills ran down his spine. He immediately knew what trouble he had caused, and he dared not ask them to spare him anymore. He buried his head on the ground, not daring to look up.
I’m so done. With Third Young Master’s character, and now, I messed up such a big event, and I still want my life? It’s good enough if he only kills me….
“Third Young Master, Third Young Master!” Thanks to his reaction speed, which was fastest when he met with danger, In-Charge Bi immediately thought of an idea. “Servant here has an idea!”
“Oh?” Ye Zhenyan looked at him, half smiling. “Tell me about it. If it’s good, I may consider letting you off.”
“Pure White Grace Pavilion! We can win the Pure White Grace Pavilion over!”
“What nonsense is that? They aren’t the Bon Voyage Fleet, we can’t take them in.” Ye Zhenyan furrowed his eyebrows.
The Pure White Grace Pavilion had been making business for quite a while, and they had franchises in every one of the nine states. The Ye Family only had control over White Heron State; they weren’t capable enough to take the Pure White Grace Pavilion down. In fact, they wanted to team up with the other two great families and take it down.
“Third Young Master, please hear me out!” Afraid that his hopes would be crash, In-Charge Bi wailed. “The Pure White Grace pavilion is powerful and not as cooperative as the Bon Voyage Fleet, but we have people there.”
“So?”
“We can’t interfere with the Bon Voyage Fleet, but with the Pure White Grace Pavilion, we can. We only need to…”
After In-Charge Bi finished, Ye Zhenyan side-eyed him for a moment, but remained silent.
In-Charge Bi looked at him, then at Ye Seventh Master. Both of their expressions were unreadable. Like a cat on hot bricks, he immediately added on. “Third Young Master and Seventh Master! If all this works, it would be settled even without us doing anything. The fleet’s hopes would be dashed, and they would have to come to us eventually. And the Pure White Grace Pavilion would lose trust.”
Ye Zhenyan smiled and patted him. “Well, this dog servant is quite smart, eh?”
Hearing this, In-Charge Bi released a stone in his heart. My life is saved. “Servant will go and get this done, and get it done perfectly!”
Chapter 226 - What Do You Need Me to Do?
That night, Lu Mingshu had a good rest. She was unaware of what was happening when she was asleep.
When she stepped out of her room, Yu Ruohan was already in the hall. Seeing Lu Mingshu enter, she flashed Lu Mingshu a bright smile.
“Morning, Senior.” Lu Mingshu sat down where Yu Ruohan was pointing at.
Yu Ruohan called over a servant girl to bring breakfast over.
In many worlds, cultivators didn’t like to eat because the food was too oily for them, but in this world, it was different. Martial arts needed to be trained from a young age, and everyone valued the nutrition from food. Even though Yu Ruohan could directly fuse nutrients into her blood already, eating was still the simplest way to gain mystic force.
While they were eating, Yu Ruohan turned to Lu Mingshu. “Where are you planning to go next?”
Lu Mingshu thought for a while. “I have a conflict with the Ye Family now. It’s best if I don’t stay here anymore. I guess I will go to Black Crane State next.”
“Do you have any goals other than travelling?”
“Goal?” Lu Mingshu paused. “Erm, finding resources to forge a sword.”
“What resources are you lacking?”
She had acquired some Mystic Yellow Stones, so it was only Fairy Gravel that was left. “Fairy Gravel. Has Senior ever heard about it?”
Yu Ruohan nodded and understood. “It’s difficult to find. It comes mostly from meteorites, so it’s all about luck.”
“So that’s why.” Lu Mingshu felt her head aching. Even in the Heavenly Wheel, it wasn’t easy to get it. It depended on luck.
“But,” Yu Ruohan smiled thinly, “I know a friend who has it.”
“Really?” Lu Mingshu squealed. “Can Senior please refer me to him?”
Yu Ruohan shook her head. “No need for the trouble. I can get it for you.”
Lu Mingshu was dumbfounded. When she finally regained her senses, she saw Yu Ruohan smiling brightly at her, eyes wrinkling. “May Junior know what Senior needs in return?” she asked carefully.
Yu Ruohan placed her chopsticks down and looked at Lu Mingshu with admiration. “To be honest, I need to ask for your help. But please be at ease, it’s not going to cause you harm, only benefits.”
Even though Yu Ruohan said that, Lu Mingshu dared not believe until she heard the details.
Yu Ruohan let out a laugh. “Jasper Sun Mountain. Have you heard of it?”
“One of the mountains in Beiming. I heard that beasts have taken over the mountain, and no one is allowed inside.”
Yu Ruohan said, “Tianzhu Mountain, Jasper Sun Mountain, and the North Pole Mountain; three mountains in Beiming. Tianzhu Mountain is where Ancient Jade Summit is. There are no signs of mankind on the North Pole Mountain. As for Jasper Sun Mountain, it isn’t filled with ferocious beasts. The real reason is that a grandmaster is living there.”
Lu Mingshu’s jaw dropped when she heard this. “Grandmaster? Void Realm?”
“Yes, one can only be considered a grandmaster when he or she is in the Void Realm.”
When one could see the world clearly, it would be a completely empty space for him. It was said that the number of grandmasters in China could be counted with one hand. Even if one counted the ancient grandmasters that were no longer alive, the number would not be more than ten.
Every grandmaster was a powerful cultivator that surpassed even the powerful sects. When they became a grandmaster, there was nothing in the world they cared about anymore. For example, the grandmaster from Nine Jade Palace left ten years ago, and nobody knew where he went.
It was as hard as finding a needle in the sea to find a grandmaster in this world.
“Is this for real?”
“Of course. There are witnesses.” Yu Ruohan nodded.
“In that case, why is this information not known to the public?”
If there was really a grandmaster living in seclusion on Jasper Sun Mountain, Master would surely have written it down in his book, and someone in Zhongzhou would have told me before I left.
Yu Ruohan smiled in response.
Lu Mingshu understood what she meant from her smile.
Why would they spread out the news that there’s a grandmaster in Beiming? To them, one more person knowing was equivalent to one less chance for them.
“If it’s fast, it’ll be three to five years. It may even take up to ten years. The small stream of water connecting Jasper Sun Mountain to the Ming River will lower, removing the barrier. During that time, one can enter Jasper Sun Mountain.”
“So…”
“If someone’s performance catches his eyes, he will ask him or her to stay with him for a period. You should know the benefits of this, right?”
Lu Mingshu nodded furiously.
She used to envy Gao Xiang a lot because he was able to stay with Senior Uncle Zhuo daily and learn from him. An Assimilation Realm Elder was incomparable to a Spirit Realm.
Assimilation Realm cultivators were already so powerful, so what about the Void Realm? The higher their cultivation was, the bigger the difference. It was said that a Void Realm Elder was like a god. The world in his eyes was surely more exciting. If one could stay with a Void Realm grandmaster for a period of time, how much benefit would they gain? Everyone yearned for the chance.
“Senior hopes that I’ll go?”
Yu Ruohan nodded. “Yes.”
“Why me, though? Is Senior not eligible?”
Yu Ruohan shook her head and sighed. “To this grandmaster, the Spirit Realm is already fixed, and there’s no point in teaching since we can’t make any changes at this point. The Inner Breath Realm is too weak, so there’s no point in wasting time. The Harmonization Realm is the most suitable, since they’re strong but still moldable. Even if I went now, he would not favor me.”
“I see….”
After calming down and sorting out her thoughts, Lu Mingshu realized that the benefit was extremely large.
“When is the next time we can enter? And how many know about it? And how do we present ourselves to the grandmaster?”
Yu Ruohan stuck out her finger. “First question. Not long ago, we got news that the weak stream’s water is decreasing slowly now. It will be in approximately three months.”
Three months? Lu Mingshu nodded. Not too long, I can afford to wait.
Yu Ruohan stuck out another finger. ”Secondly, only a few sects, aristocratic families, and various powers. About ten groups know about this, and every group will send three people. That means there will be thirty people entering Jasper Sun Mountain.”
Third finger. “I can’t really answer this question. There’s only two who have ever gotten the grandmaster’s approval, and they have two different circumstances.”
Lu Mingshu calmed down. “Then, what does Senior gain from this? Even if the grandmaster approves of me, what will Senior get out of it?”
“If you get his approval, you can spend a period of time with him, and you can also request something. I hope that you could let us have the request.”
“If I get the grandmaster’s approval, I would no longer be under Senior’s control. Can Senior be at ease with that?”
“If we send you there and you go back on your words, we would be enemies with you from now on.”
“But if I never step into Beiming again, that threat is nothing to me, right?”
Yu Ruohan smiled, unreadable. “We have five Spirit Realms, are you sure you would like to offend us?”
Lu Mingshu smiled. She really didn’t think that five Spirit Realms would be that hard to tackle. If she got what she wanted, she was sure that she would be able to enter the Spirit Realm. When she did, five Spirit Realm enemies would be nothing to her. If I was such a scaredy-cat, I wouldn’t have dared to fight the Ye Family’s Third Young Master.
“So what does Senior want?”