ASER - Chapter 139
Chapter 139: Tiangou
A'Diao was released, and several people brought her to the banquet, openly and justifiably.
Han Zhuo's face was frosty, staring at her as if he wanted to poke holes in her, but many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Was it over?
My big brother is indeed still formidable.
Come, let the banquet liven up, continue eating.
A'Diao truly hadn't had a single bite of hot food tonight. The preceding events had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Just as her chopsticks picked up some food...
Buzz!
A colossal illusion of spiritual light suddenly appeared in the sky above the sea.
A giant scroll, thousands of meters wide, with black characters on a white background, exuding an ancient charm. And on the scroll was written—The Academy Entrance Examination is set for November 11th, limited to those under 25 years of age within the Tang Song Nation. Lushan Academy.
It remained for ten minutes before dissipating. And this scroll could be seen from anywhere in the entire Tang Song Nation, as long as one had a clear view and looked up at the sky.
This was an art, an incredibly terrifying art.
It served only to announce—since the First Generation, the strongest, most awesome, and most prestigious educational institution in the Tang Song Nation was about to recruit.
And there was still a month until November 11th.
Later, someone recalling the events of that night summarized the techniques Young Master Zhao used in his "fierce as a tiger" operation: a melodramatic romance essay + diverting disaster onto others + the self-inflicted injury ploy + weighing pros and cons.
The so-called melodrama had to be melodramatic with logic, turning the most taboo matter of the uncle and sister-in-law, which was most detrimental to Xie Jingyu's reputation, into her own responsibility, and she had to appear young and ignorant. Secondly, she had to present herself as someone already tormented, suffering unbearably, and wishing for death, so that people would feel that letting her die would be letting her off too easily. Thirdly, she had to bring out influential people to endorse Zhao Ritian, using even greater melodrama to cover up the melodrama of the uncle-sister-in-law affair.
"To take it ten thousand steps back, even if they hadn't premeditated all this, they couldn't possibly kill me."
"The reputation of the name Zhao Ritian wasn't built by relying on the Zhao Clan."
Many people said Zhao Ritian's awesomeness lay in the fact that she not only survived but was also genuinely acknowledged by the Zhao Clan. The Zhao Clan had to swallow this bitter pill in silence.
But later still, many people said the Zhao Clan had gained divine insight, that their ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke, and that there was definitely an old charlatan fortune-teller within the family who had divined it—acknowledging Zhao Ritian was the most awesome investment their family had made since its founding.
But right now, no one knew what the future held. In any case, the news of the Lushan Academy entrance examination had stunned everyone.
Although rumors had been flying everywhere for a long time, the mysterious Lushan Academy had never publicly responded, nor had a date been set.
Only now had the dust truly settled.
Song Erhu and the others looked both excited and nervous.
This experience in the Southern Sea Region not only honed their sense of life-and-death crisis, gave them the combat experience of struggling for survival, and allowed them to unearth their potential through bloodshed, but more importantly, it shattered their worldview and raised their upper limit of understanding regarding geniuses.
Young, a Forbidden Master? Awesome, huh?
Look at the cultivation levels of those big brothers and big sisters in their 30s.
Glimmer, Star Rank.
What about their backgrounds and statuses?
At every turn, the might of warlords, imperial power, and clan annihilation.
This world is too vast; what do they amount to?
Do you have the kind of deranged yet resourceful ability like the peerless tough guy Zhao Ritian?
No?
Then just lie low and protect your own head.
After the banquet ended, A'Diao left the bustling crowd and walked through the Sea-Sky One Hue hotel, which had been reconstructed by a 3D printing fanatic using A-grade Forbidden Items. She was settling her bill.
The general manager, however, said there was no need to pay. Hey, it was several hundred million!
"It's the headquarters' decision. In this incident, our Huayao Bank was also a victim. Because most people didn't have much aptitude, they would have originally been fed to the Snow Demons. But the Five Elements Cult probably had other plans for us, so we were all locked up. However, if Mr. Zhao hadn't intervened to save us, we would have undoubtedly died. Therefore, such great kindness cannot be forgotten. I originally intended to pay this bill for you, but headquarters said there's no need to pay; it has been automatically written off. Moreover, your VIP level has been upgraded. From now on, you are our core VIP member. This is your card. And this is a thank-you gift secretly teleported to me an hour ago by an expert from our headquarters. To ensure this matter isn't leaked, he won't meet with you and only asked me to pass it on."
A'Diao figured that scoundrel Dongguo Yunmiao had been holding these employees hostage to extort Huayao Bank. The entire Sea-Sky One Hue had collapsed, leading to the capture of everyone residing inside. Although there were unavoidable environmental factors, it greatly damaged the reputation for safety of the Huayao conglomerate's properties. If even the employees were captured and died tragically, and if something was filmed and posted online, it would definitely be an implicit loss of trillions for Huayao.
Fortunately, no one died, and most residents were safe and sound. The Five Elements Cult was also eliminated. A crisis was quietly resolved, and Huayao Bank naturally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're too kind, how can I accept this? Actually, I know that with Huayao Bank's strength, if the teleportation array inside the hotel hadn't been directly destroyed by the collapse, you could have mobilized Star Rank experts to provide support. Unfortunately, the enemy was too cunning; it truly wasn't your bank's fault. Look, after the main army returned, as soon as you were free, you immediately spent vast resources to instantly construct the necessary building shelters, contributing to the resistance. We've all witnessed this. Looking around the world, who offers service like Huayao?"
Oh my, this Mr. Zhao really knows how to talk; his words are like a refreshing spring breeze.
After some friendly mutual flattery, A'Diao took the storage ring and left Sea-Sky One Hue, quietly following the Xiao siblings to the Grand Governor's Mansion.
Half an hour later, the Grand Governor's Mansion issued a decree for the Five Prefectures.
Qingzhou Governor-General Zhao Ritian, ranked first among the Governor-Generals of the Five Prefectures. However, due to the complexity of affairs in the Five Prefectures, he will operate covertly and not reveal his true form, fully cooperating with the Grand Governor's Mansion and the Intelligence Bureau to handle the cleanup of traitors and betrayals in the Southern Sea Region.
In short, Zhao Ritian would don the official status of Qingzhou Governor-General and operate completely incognito within the Five Prefectures to thoroughly investigate and eliminate traitors and their remnants.
She would be the sharpest and most terrifying blade in the Five Prefectures henceforth.
And such special authority also meant that the Xiao Mieluo siblings had truly achieved sole dominance over the Five Prefectures, and the Imperial Court temporarily couldn't control them.
Two days later, at Jinling Academy, Qu Jiangnan brought Xie Jingyu back to her residence. Looking at the simple and tranquil dwelling, Xie Jingyu was quite satisfied.
"Actually, staying away from all that troublesome business and living here is quite good. It suits you." Xie Jingyu verbally disdained Danzhou as a small place, but she actually knew Qu Jiangnan liked it here very much.
"However, I heard you have a disciple?"
Qu Jiangnan, who was organizing books, said calmly, "I have one, a decent young girl. Shall I call her over for you to meet?"
She was feigning an advance as a form of retreat.
"No need. However, I think that little girl named Song Ling is quite good. A mental power mutant. She's the one who dismantled that sacrificial altar, right?"
This time, Qu Jiangnan didn't hide it. She knew Xiao Mieluo and the others had seen through it, and estimated that the principal of Qingzhou Academy had probably figured it out too. It was likely they would contact the Song family to recruit her soon, but that was the principal's job.
She hadn't expected Xie Jingyu to want to recruit her as well.
"It was her. I also didn't expect her to be so bold. When I first went down into the lair, I sensed she was up to something. I didn't expect her to actually succeed, so I casually protected her for a bit and did some cover-up."
"Truly audacious, but also formidable. At her age, we didn't have such courage and decisiveness. Moreover, her mental talent is excellent; it's a hundred percent match with her aptitude, which is incredibly rare. Hand her over to me. I'll take her to my Chen Commandery to train for a month. For a mental power mutant, it would be a pity not to go to Lushan."
"Alright, you can discuss it with her yourself."
"Oh? You don't find it a pity?"
Qu Jiangnan glanced back at her reproachfully but smiled without saying anything.
She knew Xie Jingyu wanted to give her additional support. If Song Ling could enter Lushan, it would provide her, as a teacher, with an implicit connection. Lushan's background was extremely formidable; once inside, one wouldn't even need to bow to princes or princesses.
That was the most powerful sacred place in the entire nation.
Of course, this was also beneficial for the Xie Clan of Chen Commandery. In the current world, true geniuses were too rare, and all top factions were trying to win over geniuses. The Xie Clan of Chen Commandery was naturally no exception.
Xie Jingyu knew she understood, so she didn't say more. That day, Qu Jiangnan called Song Ling over. However, Song Ling set off an hour early and knocked on the door of Shanzhu Ju before going to Qu Jiangnan's home.
The doorbell chimed softly. A'Diao opened the door, her eyes dark and bruised, looking as if she hadn't slept for centuries.
Song Ling entered, and as the door closed, she asked softly, "Catching up on a month's worth of homework?"
This single sentence said it all.
A'Diao raised an eyebrow and smiled, getting her something to eat and drink from the refrigerator. "How did you know it was me?"
Song Ling: "A feeling. And the way you look at me."
Just... the kind that's quite caring.
Huh? There's such a way of putting it?
Comparable to a woman's intuition, but surprisingly accurate. Perhaps this was the awesome aspect of a mental power mutant.
"It seems my acting skills are still lacking. How did you mutate?"
"I don't know. It happened during a talent awakening. I almost died in the process, but I pulled through. I felt it was a secret and didn't dare tell anyone, so I slowly figured things out. But I guess it was only a partial mutation at first, and the complete mutation happened at the sacrificial altar."
A'Diao had a realization, but this kind of thing was as exceptional and inexplicable as her damaged foundation and fractured spirit clusters. So she changed the subject, "But this time, I guess that Princess big sister wants to take you in. Train hard, and I'll see you at Lushan in the future."
As A'Diao said this, Song Ling smiled, her beauty clear and striking. She took the water cup and gently clinked it against A'Diao's.
Clink!
Smart people don't need to connect the dots; understanding is enough.
Neither mentioned her alias or military merits.
Nor did they mention her life-and-death struggle in the lair below, stripping the Snow Demon's talent, or her mental mutation.
Not to mention the recent experiences and actions of the Xiao Clan of Qingzhou, all of which proved that the power structure of the Tang Song Nation was undergoing a massive change. Future crises loomed like shadows. Even Qu Jiangnan had such a bleak experience. They were all already embroiled and could only continuously strive to rise above and fight for a sliver of hope for themselves.
Whether the future holds a golden age or a chaotic era, only the strong will walk with you.
And some forms of strength need to be plundered through bloody battles.
Do you think those with distinguished military achievements in the Five Prefectures are enjoying glory?
Do you think she is enjoying the gift of resources?
Do you think...
In reality, she's just like you corporate drones, pulling all-nighters to catch up on homework and work, toiling until she's dizzy, without even time to eat instant noodles.
While Song Ling went to acknowledge her super awesome and noble master, A'Diao finally finished two days of frantically catching up on a month's worth of homework and handling the administrative affairs of the Qingzhou Governor-General, simultaneously sending the official documents back to Xiao Jin using a Forbidden Item.
The Soaring Serpent belonged to their family, so it naturally had to be returned. However, Xiao Jin was quite generous and gifted A'Diao a similar communication Forbidden Item, no worse than the Soaring Serpent.
It's just that the name was a bit... well.
A-grade - 104, Tiangou.
A'Diao could have tolerated it, but that woman Xiao Jin was too black-bellied; she even set up an automatic reply message.
"Soaring Serpent received. Thank you for your hard work, Tiangou."
Tiangou, tiangou (bootlicker), a pun.
A'Diao didn't dare confront her directly, so she secretly went to protest to Bifang.
Xiao Mieluo: "Understood."
Upon hearing this, A'Diao thought that as the older brother, he would surely speak to his sister on her behalf. Then, just as she sent a "thank you," an automatic reply came.
"Bifang received. Thank you for your hard work, Tiangou."
"..."
Fuck!!!
I just want to build a career, why is it so damn hard!! When I break through to Glimmer, I'll hang you all up and beat you!
Fortunately, after finishing her work and taking a bath, A'Diao finally had time to sort out her resources.
Mysterious Person A Sima Yu's legacy: 2,000 Skeletal Remains, 15,000 Level 5 Spirit Cores, 2,000 Level 6 Spirit Cores, various secret manuals, Forbidden Items, etc. (valued at 10 billion).
Treasure inside the Snow Demon King's chrysalis: Level 13 Snow Demon King's inherited bloodline transformed into an eye.
Five Elements Cult Leader Dongguo Yunmiao's legacy: a metal coffin, 5,000 Skeletal Remains, 20 Level 7 Spirit Cores, the Forbidden Item Black Tortoise, an A-grade mysterious Spirit Plant Body Ancient Spirit Gathering Array, the Dongguo Clan's inherited secret manual "Dan Yuan Fluid Body," and various other Forbidden Items, Spirit Plant Bodies, etc. (valued at 60 billion).
Overall, A'Diao felt the three most valuable things were:
First, the Level 13 Snow Demon King's inherited bloodline transformed into an eye. This thing was a treasure passed down through generations of the Snow Demon clan. It was said that if the previous Snow Demon King leader unfortunately perished, while still conscious and with enough time, they would condense all their body's bloodline into a bloodline-eye to leave for the next Snow Demon King, helping them accelerate their evolution and upgrades. The Snow Demon King A'Diao and the others had encountered before had such awesome aptitude and rapid progress precisely because of the benefits of this bloodline-eye. Calculating it, a Level 13 Demonic Spirit-grade Snow Demon King was roughly equivalent to the peak of the Star Rank in the human world. Demonic Spirits were creatures that emphasized bloodline purity, unlike the human race whose bloodlines often became complex after diverse reproduction and intermingling. Furthermore, the Snow Demon clan ranked among the top ten Demonic Spirit clans, so their bloodline was naturally powerful. No wonder this bloodline-eye was coveted by Dongguo Yunmiao.
Second, the A-grade mysterious Spirit Plant Body, the Ancient Spirit Gathering Array. After spiritual energy disappeared, those old items from the First Generation era either vanished into the river of history or were collected by people. But after the resurgence of spiritual energy, some could still be used, while others encountered new opportunities—they mutated into Spirit Plant Bodies. This was very normal; Spirit Plant Bodies all came about this way. However, some of the rarest and most top-tier Spirit Plant Bodies often had specialized functions. Look, an ancient Spirit Gathering Array from the First Generation era actually gained its own spirit. Isn't that terrifying?
Only then did A'Diao understand why Dongguo Yunmiao's cultivation speed was so fast; he was already at the middle stage of Glimmer and still had the spare capacity to plot a breakthrough to Star Rank, skipping levels.
So, just like her, he had a cheat.
However, it was estimated that basically all top prodigies in this world had cheats.
A'Diao specifically tested this Ancient Spirit Gathering Array and found that its spiritual energy release effect was equivalent to five large spirit gates.
A'Diao: "..."
Awesome.
No wonder the cultivation speed was like a rocket.
"Now, if you told me there were geniuses in Kyoto who had cultivated to Star Rank, I wouldn't be surprised." But thinking of Xie Jingyu, A'Diao became less certain.
"Why do I feel something is strange? Back in the First Generation, spiritual energy also emerged, but the cultivation speed of the golden generation back then was definitely not as terrifying as our generation's. It feels like, as the saying goes, everyone has treasures, everyone has heaven-defying aptitude. Is this normal?"
A'Diao couldn't help but ask.
Toilet found her question very abrupt. It fell silent for a moment, then said: "You're standing on the shoulders of giants. After all, during the First Generation, there were no Skeletal Remains for you all to absorb. And this coffin in Dongguo Yunmiao's hands, the body lying inside should be that of his ancestor, the remains of a Grandmaster."
That seemed to make sense. A'Diao didn't dwell on it and turned to look at the third treasure.
The remains of a Grandmaster, huh. A'Diao glanced at it, somewhat disdainfully. "He looks quite good, but unfortunately, he produced unworthy descendants."
The glory of the ancestors had ultimately dissipated; all that remained were resources and remains.
However, these remains were very useful to her.
Toilet: "This single set of remains is worth ten thousand Skeletal Remains because it's complete. Dongguo Yunmiao currently lacked the ability to digest it and had to resort to the sacrificial altar route to break through to Star Rank. His urgency was likely also because he wanted to devour it. Otherwise, you might not have survived his hand this time."
Thinking back now, A'Diao still felt a lingering fear. Although Dongguo Yunmiao didn't have many items, they were all supreme treasures. Digesting even one would have been enough for him to advance by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, his endeavor was cut short halfway by A'Diao's ambush. Otherwise, this person would have quickly soared, and competing with those top prodigies in Kyoto would have been no problem. He would also have basically been able to enter Lushan.
"Sigh, what a pity. I suddenly feel a little guilty." A'Diao put her palms together towards the Dongguo ancestor and smiled faintly. "Although I killed your most talented descendant, hindered your family's rise, and helped wipe out your family, I can still do what your descendant couldn't. Soon, you will become a stepping stone for my rise. Do you agree?"
"Your silence means you tacitly agree, okay?"
"Thank you."
A'Diao had not the slightest respect for this ancestor. After all, she had almost died at the hands of Dongguo Jiaoqing, and the things this grandfather-grandson duo did were utterly disgusting. It wasn't as if they lacked aptitude or foundation; what path to rise couldn't they take? They just had to collude with Demonic Spirits.
You know, even when she was at her most destitute, she only thought of getting rich by blowing up toilets. Compared to her, this Dongguo family was truly despicable.
Pah!
Toilet watched, feeling its metaphorical hair stand on end: This little evil dragon of ours isn't just ordinarily vile and malicious. Could she be thinking of farming Mental Power from the dead? What if she angered it back to life?
Comments
Post a Comment