Chapter 36
HSSB36: The off-track Main Character
"Having survived his ordeal, that fella surnamed Ye actually experienced a huge leap in cultivation. Even with your low-grade artifact in hand, Young Master, the disciple he thrashed was not able to defeat the bare-handed him."
Listening to Ah Hu’s narration, Yan Zhaoge was not surprised.
It was that main character’s halo; he was the Chosen One, after all. Having managed to get through a tough ordeal alive, he was naturally going to undergo a level up in strength.
Still, Ye Jing’s current doings still diverged somewhat from the him in Yan Zhaoge’s memories.
"More antagonistic, more stubborn, while also more temperamental, and quick to anger," Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower jaw, pondering, "Looks like while that ring has managed to help him reforge his fleshly body, it has also brought about some negative side effects."
"If it is a secret art which negatively affects one’s emotions when cultivated that Ye Jing, whose current cultivation base as well as strength of will both require tempering, is currently cultivating in, it would be very easy for him to fall under its effects."
"From this point of view, having had his fleshly body first destroyed, then reforged, might not actually have been suitable for the current Ye Jing. If he had experienced this tribulation when his cultivation was at a higher level, perhaps this problem wouldn’t have cropped up."
"From the feel of it, a certain person’s MC route seems to have gone a little off-track? Oh, what a grave sin; what a grave sin indeed."
"Still…" Yan Zhaoge’s gaze gradually turned cold, "You have the right to go around beating people up just because of this?"
Having sorted out his thoughts, Yan Zhaoge looked towards Ah Hu, "After the clan received the news, what did they say?"
Ah Hu drew back his lips, "Firstly, that fellow having heavily injured a fellow disciple out of ill intentions, he will naturally have to be punished. Of course, an investigation will still be in order to get to the bottom of things; the clan will not just listen to a one-sided claim."
"Next, Young Master, your judgment that day was also proved to be right; of Ye Jing managing to survive through his ordeal, even managing to get out of the Sealing Dragon Abyss alive."
"However, because the hatred and anger Ye Jing holds towards you is just too intense, there are still people who doubt your initial explanation, believing that there remains an inside story regarding this matter that is still waiting to be uncovered."
"Therefore, after capturing and securing Ye Jing, I’m afraid that you, Young Master, will really have to go and perform a Blood Soul Recollection ceremony together with him."
Yan Zhaoge shrugged his shoulders, "I’m totally fine with it. Looking at Ye Jing’s performance now, second apprentice-uncle’s side probably won’t want to kill him in order to frame me. Instead, they are probably thinking about how to personally obtain the so-called inside story from him directly, in order to make things difficult for me."
Ah Hu scratched his head, "How come I didn’t discover it earlier; that fella surnamed Ye seems so proficient in creating trouble ah."
"Haha…" Yan Zhaoge just laughed, not speaking.
What’s up with this already?
Ah Hu gave a simple laugh, "This fella; it looks like he’s going to ruin himself in the hands of the clan this time."
"Young Master, since the clan has already made a decision, isn’t it that we don’t have to bother about him anymore? It’s also to avoid being talked about, lest we make others feel that you have something you want to hide at all costs, thus wanting to kill that fellow."
"Under such a situation, if you, Young Master, are once again made the scapegoat by others, it would be too unfair. If there is anything
Yan Zhaoge just said mildly, "Just not killing him is fine."
"Don’t bind his hands and feet, and inform me as soon as you have found him. I will personally go and give him a good one, to account for things to junior apprentice-brother Lan, before pa.s.sing the matter over to the clan."
"Junior apprentice-brother Lan was injured by Ye Jing on my account, remember that that is reflected afterwards."
"Other than medicine for his wounds and other nouris.h.i.+ng supplies, also tell him that I have a mid-grade artifact reserved for him here. The day when he reaches the Martial Scholar realm is the day that the artifact will pa.s.s into his hands."
Ah Hu laughed in a simple manner, "Yes, Young Master."
Yan Zhaoge nodded his head, his vision falling once again onto the lofty mountain peaks in the distance.
At this moment, a black-clothed man materialised in front of Yan Zhaoge, carefully presenting him with a stalk of spirit gra.s.s, "Young Master, it’s been found!"
Yan Zhaoge’s eyes instantly brightened, "Ten-Leaf Golden Orchid!"
Receiving the spirit gra.s.s and appraising it carefully for a moment, the smile on Yan Zhaoge’s face blossomed, as he fought back the urge to laugh uproariously to the heavens.
He had originally thought that the stalk of Ten Leaf Golden Orchid would only be a few hundred years old. However, it had turned out to be one that exceeded a thousand years of age. How could Yan Zhaoge not be happy at that?
After all, the Ten Leaf Golden Orchid was extremely rare. Added on to the fact that they were often plucked before they had grown of age, a thousand-year Ten Leaf Golden Orchid was not any easier to obtain than a seed of Li Flame True Fire.
Now, having obtained such a stalk of it so smoothly, Yan Zhaoge naturally rejoiced.
That black-clothed man continued speaking, "Young Master, while searching for the Ten Leaf Golden Orchid, we discovered an extraordinary valley by accident."
Yan Zhaoge asked, "Extraordinary in what way?"
"It was a glacial valley!"
Somewhat interested now, Yan Zhaoge asked, "Oh, a glacial valley? Where?"
At this current time of the year, the Luliao Mountains were swelteringly hot. However, glaciers were actually present; this naturally drew Yan Zhaoge’s attention.
That black-clothed man answered, "That’s right; it is indeed a glacial valley. Also, it seems to be on a ma.s.sive scale as well, while not looking like it came into existence naturally."
"It’s just that when we discovered it, there appeared to be some sort of abnormalities occurring there; it’s like an earthquake was taking place."
Having already gotten his hands on a Ten Leaf Golden Orchid, Yan Zhaoge had nothing better to do anyway.
He said, "Lead the way; let’s go take a look."
The party advanced through the mountains. The further into their depths they walked, the cooler the surrounding air became.
This was obviously not a result of a natural change in climate. During this season every year, the entire Luliao Mountains had always been as hot as the inside of a steamer.
Yan Zhaoge understood that the party was already getting closer and closer to that glacial valley.
After walking for yet some distance, despite the fact that the fiery sun was s.h.i.+ning right above their heads, an obvious coolness could already be felt within the air.
Ah Hu walked to a distant precipice, staring into the distance for quite some time before finally letting out a long breath, "Young Master, we’ve arrived!"
Yan Zhaoge also walked to the edge of the precipice. What appeared in front of him was, impressively, a huge canyon, what was out of the ordinary being that it was completely covered by ice and snow!
Meandering on for several tens of kilometres, the valley resembled a world of ice, as if an enormous, white dragon was crouching within a dense forest.
On the cliffs that formed the valley were ice and snow that were transparent and crystal-like, flickering with a blinding radiance under the rays of the sun. When viewed by normal people, they would feel a sharp pain a.s.sailing their eyes, almost as if they were about to be rendered blind.
Outside of the valley, there still existed the verdant, primitive forest of summertime; yet, walking into the valley, it was as though one had instantly gone straight from the height of summer to the peak of the harshest winter. The extreme difference between the two emanated a strange feeling.
Having observed this for a moment, Yan Zhaoge began his descent as he said, "Let’s enter."
At the mouth of the valley, it could evidently be felt that the land inside of the valley was rumbling furiously, the source of this coming from down below the ground.
As the party advanced into the fray, what greeted them was a world completely made up of ice and snow, as their figures were reflected off huge, transparent glaciers whose surfaces were as smooth as mirrors.
Yan Zhaoge and Ah Hu walked at the forefront. As they reached the core, innermost region of the valley, an enormous lake of ice appeared before them.
Turbulent undercurrents could be seen at the bottom of the lake, surging in turmoil, as the faint sound of a dragon’s roar resounded.
Yan Zhaoge gazed at the surface of the lake for a moment, then looked again at the surrounding valley for a bit, before muttering to himself, "This place, actually appears to be the resting ground for the bones of a Glacial Chi-Dragon. It is no wonder that even in such a swelteringly hot environment, such a strange glacial valley could be formed."
"The souls of dragons reside within their bones. Someone must have disturbed and roused the soul of the Glacial Dragon, thus leading to the abnormalities here and causing all this unrest."
Hearing his words, Ah Hu’s eyes instantly sparkled, "A Glacial Dragon Bone Soul? Young Master, this is indeed a good object ah."
Immediately afterwards, he rubbed his big hands together somewhat embarra.s.sedly, "But, Young Master ah, if it really is a Glacial Dragon Bone Soul, I’m afraid it can only be obtained by a Martial Grandmaster; whatever shall we do?"