Book 4 - Chapter 18

B4C18: Family reunion

“The action was already started? Why so fast? How is the current situation? How have the Black Water bandits been dealt with? Does the Shangguan clan sincerely side with us or not?” Qin Yu cannot wait to ask Manager Li.

He is obviously shocked to know that Qin De started the action so early. He basically never thought that his father would initiate the war so early. Originally Qin Yu was very worried about the Qin clan’s ambition to unify the Chu kingdom because, after all, the Xiang clan was too strong while his clan was still being threatened by the bandits.

“Don’t worry, 3rd Prince, everything was well prepared when His Highness started the war. Since the order was given, our armies have advanced with unstoppable momentum while suffering almost no losses. By now we have occupied 10 counties of the Chu kingdom.” Manager Li waves his hands, saying. He still does not know that by now Zhen Yang County has been defeated. After all, it is impossible for that news to be reported so fast.

Qin Yu is surprised: “What, 10 counties?”

He simply cannot imagine how his father has been able to deal with the Mu clan and the Shangguan clan in such a short time.

“Ha-ha, 3rd Prince, there are many things about His Highness’s devising of the plans that you don’t know. The 300,000 Black Water mountain range bandits have secretly been loyal to our Qin clan since the beginning. As for the Shangguan clan, it wanted to plot against us but His Highness used a trick to seize control of its 2 Northern region counties at one stroke. And the 3 Southern region counties … I’m not sure what happened there either, but they have inexplicably leaned on His Highness.”

In a short while, Qin Yu’s mind has already understood almost the entire course of the war.

“He took the 2 Northern region counties through plotting?” Knowing that his father was able to take control of the 2 Northern region counties, he can figure out that the methods most probably used were assassination, entrapping and the like.

Qin Yu frowns, his eyes flashing: “Uncle Li, where’s my father? And where are my big and 2nd brothers?” What he wants the most at the moment is to meet his relatives. After all, he has been away from them for so long. Moreover, with his current power, he can probably help them out as well.

Manager Li thinks for a while then says: “His Highness is in the town of Xiyang nearby in the Black Water mountain range. But 1st Prince is commanding his army in Lei Xue County and 2nd Prince is in the town of Wuxue next to the town of Xiyang.”

“The town of Xiyang?” Qin Yu’s eyes brighten.

After he left Misty Villa at the age of 13 to begin carrying out assassination missions, he often wandered around the Chu kingdom with Xiao Hei so he became very familiar with its many cities and even small towns. Now, as soon as he hears the town of Xiyang mentioned, he remembers where it is.

******

In a courtyard house in the town of Xiyang,

“Your Highness, if that Xiang Yang had really struck a killing blow, you would’ve been dead. No matter what happened, you shouldn’t have played with your life like that.” Xu Yuan says to Qin De angrily.

However, seeing that Qin De is alive, he also secretly lets out a sigh of relief.

The brocade purse that Qin De gave him talks about how various affairs of the Qin clan are to be handled once Qin De dies. Seeing the contents of the brocade purse, Xu Yuan knew that things were not good. Luckily, Qin De has eventually flown down from the sky alive.

“Xu Yuan, people who are also Xiuzhenists like me simply can’t hide from an early phase Yuanying expert. In the mortal world, I, who have reached the Jindan stage, am like a bright lamp in the dark. He can find me very quickly.” Qin De says with an indifferent smile.

Xu Yuan also understands what Qin De means but he still says: “Is Xiang Yang really formidable, Your Highness? Not even you and Shangxian Fengyuzi can cope with him?”

Xu Yuan is exceptionally intelligent but he still does not know much about the Xiuzhen world.

Qin De cannot help forcing a faint smile: “Even if I and Fengyuzi join forces, we still won’t be able to cause him a scratch. It’s early Yuanying stage, no less! The difference in power between us is too great!” Qin De is worried in his heart, worried about how to handle Xiang Yang.

If he cannot eliminate Xiang Yang, even if the Qin clan seizes control of the kingdom, a furious Xiang Yang will probably wipe out its members.

“For the moment I can only tell the armies to stop attacking. If this problem can’t be solved, attacking again will only provoke this terrifying fella Xiang Yang.” Qin De frowns deeply. Soon after Xiang Yang left, he has already dispatched people to the armies with the order — to stop attacking!

Xiang Yang!

How to deal with a super expert of the early Yuanying stage?

Qin De racks his brains but the difference in power between them is so great that all of his tricks have been rendered useless.

“Your Highness, did Wu De come here just now?” A clear voice rises. Qin De looks back and sees Fengyuzi fly into the courtyard directly from the distance in the sky on his flying sword. There is some anxiety in his eyes.

“Wu De? If he had come here alone, it would’ve been good. The Xiang clan’s Great Ancestor was also with him.” Qin De shakes his head and says smilingly.

Fengyuzi has also heard of Xiang Yang’s famous name. He slightly frowns, saying: “Xiang Yang, the 1st emperor of the Xiang clan? If he’s still living, he’ll have practiced for nearly 1000 years. Perhaps his power is close to Wu De’s, right?”

“Close? If that was the case, I wouldn’t be so distressed. It’s early Yuanying stage.” Qin De says frankly. “Xiang Yang has reached the early Yuanying stage.”

“What? My goodness! Early Yuanying stage? How is this possible? The gap is too big, really too big!” Fengyuzi’s face totally changes color. An early Yuanying expert can deal with 3 or 4 late Jindan experts whereas he is only a middle Jindan expert and Qin De is even worse, an early Jindan expert. They simply cannot compare with Xiang Yang.

“When the Xiang clan suddenly has such a super expert, isn’t your plan is done for?” Fengyuzi knows very well about Qin De’s plan and he understands one thing —

An early Yuanying expert cannot be killed with mass attacks, nor can he be killed by him and Qin De.

Qin De gives a disappointed smile: “Brother Feng, let’s play a game with me first and talk later.” In general, when Qin De cannot solve a problem after thinking very hard, he will put it aside to take a rest first before continuing to think about it.

Fengyuzi also nods: “Then I’ll play a game with you, Your Highness.”

Qin De and Fengyuzi immediately sit down and start to play a game of Go in peace.

……

In Lei Xue County, in Qin Feng’s room,

“Marshal, His Highness has ordered that you must defend the cities and mustn’t come out to attack.” An order-delivering soldier informs Qin Feng clearly of Qin De’s order. After hearing it, Qin Feng cannot help asking: “Then when is the battle going to start?”

The order-delivering soldier says: “His Highness said you are not to attack for the moment, unless His Highness gives another order.”

Qin Feng frowns and dismisses the order-delivering soldier with a wave of his hand. He then begins to ponder: “Isn’t this order by father meant to stop us from attacking again? Also, it doesn’t have an exact time limit. We’re on the verge of victory in this war, why has father …”

“Marshal, has His Highness given some orders?” An over 40 year old middle-aged man approaches him.

Qin Feng nods, saying: “Yes, my father has ordered that we only need to defend the cities and mustn’t come out to attack. Plus, there’s no exact time limit.”

The middle-aged man slightly frowns but says nothing.

“Brother Ximen, for the moment I’ll put you in charge of my 100,000 troops. Do remember that you only need to defend the cities and can’t come out to attack. I have to see my father in person to ask what actually happened.” After receiving this order, Qin Feng is unable to put his own mind at rest.

He does not worry that something will happen after he leaves either. After all, if the attack is restarted, his father will definitely send people to spread this order. Because he will be in the town of Xiyang at that time, he will naturally know about it.

“His Highness? So you want to go meet him?” Ximen Xin asks doubtfully.

Qin Feng nods: “I’m going right now. This is my authority card. It’s only defending the cities. I believe in your talent, Brother Ximen. In terms of defense, not even I am as good as you.” Qin Feng says smilingly. He is very confident to give a cautious veteran like Ximen Xin control of the defense.

******

Qin De and Fengyuzi have been playing the game of Go for 12 to 14 hours straight, seeming to have forgotten time.

Xu Yuan is watching silently on one side. He also knows that both Qin De and Fengyuzi are not mortals and do not really have to eat. Therefore, while he himself has had a meal, he has not interrupted them.

Qin De holds a white piece and thinks for a long time without putting it down. Fengyuzi only looks on and does not urge him. After a long time, a hint of happiness appears on Qin De’s face. He puts the chess piece down with a clack.

“Brother Feng, it looks like you … oh.”

Both Qin De and Fengyuzi stand up all of a sudden and look eastwards.

“Experts, experts far more powerful than you and me.” Qin De’s expression becomes very serious. The appearance of Xiang Yang alone has given him a headache. But now 2 overwhelming auras seem to be approaching extremely fast. Their speed is really shocking.

Fengyuzi’s face has also become solemn.

Whizz!

A black blur and a light silvery blur dive down directly from the sky at a very high speed like 2 meteors. It seems to take them only a moment to come into the courtyard. Now the appearances of these 2 mysterious experts can finally be seen clearly.

Qin De is instantly dumbfounded.

Fengyuzi and Xu Yuan are also dumbfounded.

The 3 of them look at the young man who has just appeared before them in disbelief. He has that familiar aura, that familiar look, and even that familiar black eagle.

“Father!”

Qin Yu eventually says first in a choked voice. After staying in the Wilderness for over 10 months and going through a journey of 100,000 li, finally he has returned and can see his father Qin De. This word causes Qin De to shake all over.

His eyes are filled with a mixture of disbelief, excitement and ecstasy.

It is basically unbelievable that the look in a person’s eyes can contain so many meanings at the same time.

“Yu … Yu’er!” Qin De says in a quivering voice. “It’s you. Are you still alive? I’m not dreaming, am I?” He simply cannot believe this. That day Qin Yu’s heart was penetrated before him, but now a living Qin Yu has unexpectedly appeared. However, Qin De also thinks that his son is really alive.

Qin Yu seriously nods his head. At the same time he gets misty-eyed: “Father, I’m living. I’m still alive.”

The father and the son then stare at each other without saying a word. All of their feelings are expressed completely through the eyes.

A person’s aura can gradually change according to his power level or his intuitive enlightenment, but not to a large extent. Fengyuzi has also noticed that the Qin Yu lookalike in front of him has an aura very similar to Qin Yu’s. The only difference is that this person’s aura is even more stable and fierce than Qin Yu’s in the past.

As for Qin De, he basically has no doubt. After the 2 of them exchanged their feelings through their eyes, Qin De has already judged that this is his son because of the look in his eyes. Moreover, the inherent telepathy between father and son has allowed Qin De to confirm that this person is Qin Yu.

He does not understand at all how his son was able to survive.

But, does he have to find out the truth about it? After knowing that his son survived, Qin De has already felt that he is very lucky and has thanked Heaven for this, why would he want to investigate how Qin Yu was revived?

……

It is still late at night, but Qin De immediately orders his subordinates to prepare a sumptuous banquet. Since returning from the site of the tribulation, he has never felt so happy and excited. Because he, who has stopped really caring about even food and drink, suddenly orders a banquet, his subordinates and cooks all become very busy.

It is late at night, but the entire town of Xiyang is peppered with firelight. In Qin De’s courtyard house, Qin De, Xu Yuan, Fengyuzi and Qin Yu, 4 people altogether, are sitting at a stone table. Various dishes are brought out continuously. When 6 trays have been filled with them, the servants stop temporarily.

Not far from the stone table, there is a huge roast sheep. It has been prepared for Xiao Hei.

“Xiao Hei, I never knew that you preferred cooked food. I thought that you only liked eating wild beasts raw.” Qin Yu says to Xiao Hei using his holy sense. Just now, when the dishes started to be put on the stone table, Xiao Hei unexpectedly told Qin Yu via his holy sense that he wanted to eat roast sheep.

Qin Yu of course let his father know about this. Qin De had felt that Xiao Hei was strong and had been secretly amazed by his power so, when told by Qin Yu, he immediately ordered the cooks to prepare roast sheep.

Xiao Hei has no choice but to say: “Don’t blame me, big brother. Before I overcame the tribulation, my intelligence was still low. After the tribulation I had to practice again. It was all practicing on the way back here too. And with your internal flame and mine, if we had wanted to roast wild beasts, they would’ve been turned to ashes in an instant.”

After overcoming the 4-in-9 Heavenly Tribulation, Xiao Hei has become almost as intelligent as humans so he naturally has had many thoughts.

“Yu’er, it’s really unimaginable that that heavenly-tribulation-like beam of light was a teleportation technique. Having practiced in the Wilderness for so long, you should’ve already gone through the 4-in-9 Heavenly Tribulation, right? I feel that you’re not only more powerful than me, you’re even more powerful than your Uncle Feng.” Qin De says emotionally.

Qin Yu says smilingly: “There’re quite a few demonic beasts in the Wilderness. I was able to improve so fast only because I killed demonic beasts and refined their jindans. As for my power, dealing with late Jindan experts shouldn’t be a problem to me.”

Qin Yu is even being modest. His and Xiao Hei’s power cannot be judged by appearance. When he was still at the early Nebula stage and Xiao Hei was at the early Jindan stage, they were already able to kill 2 late Jindan Black Wind leopards by unleashing their special techniques. After refining the 2 late jindans of the leopards, both of them advanced one step in power.

At the moment Qin Yu is at the middle Nebula stage and Xiao Hei is at the middle Jindan stage so it will be really easy for them to deal with late Jindan experts.

As Qin Yu finishes saying, a familiar voice rises outside the courtyard house.

“Father.” At the same time, the gate of the house is opened. It is Qin Feng. He has been hurrying to this courtyard house since he reached the town of Xiyang after going extremely fast for a long time. “Father, why did you give that order …? Ah! Xiao Yu!”

When Qin Feng sees Qin Yu, his entire body freezes as if he has been struck by lightning.

End of b4c18.