Pine Mist City was flourishing and prosperous, and it seemed to have become the number one city in the southern territory.
All of this was caused by the Chen Clan.
It was even to the extent that it wasn’t exaggerated to say that in terms of the clan with the greatest prestige in the Darchu Dynasty, then it was undoubtedly the Pine Mist City’s Chen Clan.
This was absolutely an extremely great reputation that only the Chen Clan deserved to possess.
Moreover, no one could imagine that the Pine Mist City’s Chen Clan that was renowned in the world and like the scorching sun in the midday sky had actually almost been annihilated over 100 years ago.
All of this was like a miracle that everyone could only exclaim with admiration at, and the people who created this miracle were the renowned brothers of the Chen Clan — Chen Xi and Chen Hao!
On this day, a young man that rode a black donkey arrived at Pine Mist City, and he strolled slowly through the streets and unknowingly arrived before the Chen Clan Estate.
He stood here and silently stared at the extremely large estate for a short moment before turning and leaving.
Within a teahouse, the attendants were pouring tea with meticulous attention while a storyteller was recounting a story with pleasure. Guests moved in and out like streams of water, causing all the seats within the teahouse to be occupied, and it seemed to be extremely bustling.
The young man sat alone before a table and silently sipped his tea, but he was mostly listening to the legendary story related by the story teller.
This legendary story had been heard by the residents of Pine Mist City for countless years and innumerable times, yet it was still able to draw the praise of people every time the storyteller told it.
The reason was that the main character of this legendary story was Chen Xi. It started from his experiences at a young age, how he boldly seized first place in the Hidden Dragon Rankings, how he seized the position of champion in the Goldlake Meeting, how he obtained the first in the Allstar Meeting, how he became renowned in the world, and so on and so forth.
All of these experiences had become the most striking and legendary story the storyteller possessed.
The young man listened with great interest as well, and his expression wasn’t much different from the other guests.
“Young man, since you’ve come, then why don’t you come meet me?” When the storyteller was about to finish the story, a light and aged voice suddenly resounded by the side of the young man’s ears.
The young man was stunned, and then he stood up and cupped his hands towards the distance with a humble and warm expression and in a courteous manner.
This strange action instantly drew the attention of many people in the teahouse.
The young man seemed to have not noticed this at all. He raised his hand before placing a jade bottle on the table, and then he smiled warmly to the storyteller. “The story was very interesting. This is my thanks, please do accept it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he’d turned and left the teahouse.
These actions caused everyone in the teahouse to be stunned, and they shot their gazes towards the jade bottle on the table in unison. This jade bottle was only four inches long, and it was completely white like jade.
“Let me see exactly what is contained within this little bottle.” A cultivator walked forward and directly picked up the jade bottle. As soon as he opened a small gap in the cap, a strand of refreshing and sweet fragrance drifted out, and it seemed capable of entering one’s soul.
Instantly, the entire bustling teahouse became quiet as everyone revealed an intoxicated appearance. Their entire bodies were refreshed, and it felt as if a clear spring had washed their entire bodies and mind.
The storyteller’s reaction was the quickest. He took a vigorous stride forward and grabbed the jade bottle before carefully placing it in his pocket as if he was deeply afraid of shattering the bottle.
“A hundred spirit stones. Sell this jade bottle to me!” The cultivator recovered from his shock as well, and a wisp of indescribable excitement appeared on his face while he slapped a storage pouch on the table without the slightest hesitation.
“No!” The storyteller shook his head firmly. Even though he didn’t know exactly what was contained within the jade bottle, yet he firmly believed it was an extraordinary treasure.
“A thousand spirit stones!” The cultivator was stunned, and then he gritted his teeth before speaking once more.
The storyteller still continued to shake his head because the reaction of the cultivator caused him to understand the preciousness of the jade bottle even more clearly.
“Fuck! Don’t be too greedy, you little fellow! Don’t force me to use force!” The cultivator shed all pretenses and spoke fiercely.
“Do it if you have the balls!” The storyteller wasn’t afraid in the slightest, and he said loudly, “But I have to remind you that this is Pine Mist City. You can only dream of living once you kill me!”
The cultivator was stunned. His face turned livid before he spat on the ground, and then he flicked his sleeve and left with rage.
It couldn’t be helped. This was Pine Mist City, and even an Earthly Immortal Realm expert didn’t dare cause trouble here because the Chen Clan resided here.
The storyteller couldn’t help but laugh proudly when he saw this, and it was pride that came from being a resident of Pine Mist City.
…
Deep within the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range, at the banks of the isle at the center of the lake.
The young man walked on the clear lake water with a leisurely bearing, and his clothes fluttered about while he seemed to be carefree.
“Who dares to trespass into the territory of my clan!?” A robust figure suddenly appeared before the isle, and he looked at the young man from afar while warning.
This was a tall youth with dense brows, large eyes, a heroic bearing, and emanated a fierce and swift aura.
“This person is very strong.” At the same time, another figure appeared by the side of this youth.
This was similarly a youth with a handsome appearance, slanted brows, starry eyes, a graceful figure, and a tranquil and calm bearing, and he seemed extraordinary.
As he looked at the two little fellows with completely different bearings, the corners of the young man’s mouth couldn’t help but be suffused with a warm smile, and he especially took another glance at the youth with a calm bearing and said, “If I’m not wrong, your parents are Chen Xi and Qing Xiuyi, right?”
The youth said calmly, “Speak your name and intentions first before I answer you.”
The young man was stunned as he never expected he would be stopped by a youth, and this felt extremely novel to him.
“Yu’er, An’er, take it easy. It’s I who asked him to come here.” Right at this moment, a thin figure appeared before the isle. His face was lean, and his eyes seemed to be calm yet revealed a sense of experience and insight that saw through the world. Surprisingly, it was Ji Yu.
Those two youths were naturally Chen Yu and Chen An.
“Qiu Xuanshu greets Senior.” The young man briefly sized Ji Yu up and seemed to have noticed something, causing his expression to become solemn as he bowed.
Shockingly, this young man was the innate saint from the Unknown Lands that had obtained the first in the grand meeting of the immortal sects, Qiu Xuanshu!
All the years ago, he’d payed a visit to Chen Xi, yet never had the chance to meet Chen Xi. But the Sect Master of the Nine Radiance Sword Sect, Wen Huating, gave him a very rare evaluation — In the world now, Qiu Xuanshu is the second extraordinary young man I’ve met, and his future is limitless.
Later on, Qiu Xuanshu left the Nine Radiance Sword Sect and started wandering the world, and his whereabouts were unknown. Probably no one would have expected that he would actually come to Pine Mist City.
“Come, little fellow. Since you’re a disciple of Azureforest Academy in the Unknown Lands, then you’re no outsider.” Ji Yu waved at him before turning around and walking towards the isle.
Qiu Xuanshu was stunned, and he chased up hastily before he asked with an even more modest expression. “Senior, how did you know where I came from?”
He was indeed very curious. Amongst the myriad of living beings in the Dark Reverie, only a very small portion were able to know about the Unknown Lands, whereas the amount of people in this small portion that possessed knowledge about Azureforest Academy could be counted on one’s hand.
However, someone in a small world and deep within the mountains had actually revealed his origins with a single sentence. How could Qiu Xuanshu not be surprised?
The matter that interested him the most was when Ji Yu said he was no outsider, because these words were truly thought provoking.
“Sit.” Ji Yu sat on the rocking chair and asked Qiu Xuanshu to sit, and he couldn’t help but shake his head when he saw the latter sitting down respectfully and with a rather modest expression. “You’re not like your master at all.”
Qiu Xuanshu was stunned and said, “Senior, you know my master?”
Ji Yun smiled lightheartedly and said, “Since ancient times, the Azureforest Academy has always consisted of two people. One that guards the books and one that reads the books. You’re probably the one that reads. Since you’ve left the academy now and started to wander the world, then it means that you’ve finished reading all the books in the academy.”
Qiu Xuanshu nodded and said with an even more respectful expression, “Senior really does know everything.”
He did indeed feel admiration because just as Ji Yu had said, he was the one that read books in Azureforest Academy, whereas his master was the one that guarded the books. But his master had already left Azureforest Academy for many years.
On the other hand, if he wanted to become the one that guarded the books, he had to search the world to find a disciple that possessed literary talent, bravery, and insight. He had to enroll this disciple into Azureforest Academy and allow the disciple to read and comprehend books in order to replace him as the one that read books.
Ji Yu shook his head and sighed. “Could it be that your master never told you where the one that guards books will go to cultivate in the future?”
Qiu Xuanshu said with disappointment, “Master had already left when I joined the academy.”
At this moment, it was Ji Yu who was stunned instead, and then he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sure enough, only the fourth would do something so absurd.”
Qiu Xuanshu took a deep breath and said seriously and sincerely, “Senior, may I know if this ‘fourth’ you mentioned is my master?”
Needless to say, Qiu Xuanshu was indeed a respectful, modest, and warm person. His seemingly innate scholarly bearing that was neither arrogant nor rash and restrained was branded into his bones.
It was extremely easy for others to have a good impression of a such a person, and others wouldn’t arouse any feelings of aversion towards him.
“Yes, your master’s honorific title is Nine Regrets. Presently, he’s cultivating in Oracle Mountain and studying the Dao of Talismans. He’s the fourth amongst all his brothers and sisters.” Ji Yu said casually.
Qiu Xuanshu had obviously heard of the existence of Oracle Mountain as well because his eyes opened wide while he lost his composure upon hearing that his master was actually cultivating in Oracle Mountain.
He asked after a short moment. “Then may I know who senior is?”
Ji Yu smiled lightly and said, “I’m just a criminal of the three dimensions, and there’s nothing worth mentioning. If I’m not wrong, you probably came to Pine Mist City because of Chen Xi.” Qiu Xuanshu nodded. “Exactly. I intended to discuss the Dao with Chen Xi all those years ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to meet him. So I came here with the intention of searching for the traces of his growth and to see exactly what sort of environment he grew up in.”
“Now do you understand?” Ji Yu asked.
“Junior understands completely after meeting you,” said Qiu Xuanshu.
“Unfortunately, you’re still mistaken. Everything he possesses isn’t greatly related to me, and he searched for all of it himself.” Ji Yu shook his head.
Qiu Xuanshu was stunned and felt slight disbelief.
But Ji Yu didn’t explain any further. He just raised his eyes and stared towards the distance and said, “Someone came to Pine Mist City just like you. However, unlike you, he seems to have aroused killing intent.”
Qiu Xuanshu’s expression turned serious, and he concentrated and sensed for a moment before he said, “It’s really as Senior has said, I seem to recognize that person.”
“Then I’ll trouble you to kill him,” said Ji Yu indifferently.
“In whose name should I do it?” asked Qiu Xuanshu.
“In the name of your Little Martial Uncle.” Ji Yu smiled as he glanced at Qiu Xuanshu.
“Little Martial Uncle? So he’s a disciple of Oracle Mountain as well. No wonder.” Qiu Xuanshu came to a complete understanding, and a wisp of a complicated expression flashed on his face before he nodded. “Then Junior will go ahead right now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and cupped his hands at Ji Yu before his figure flashed and vanished on the spot.