Chapter 70: Master Isn’t Home: No Place to Run

On the stream of water in the mountain, a bamboo raft floated down the water.

On the raft sat a green-clothed scholar and a child only four or five years old.

Sitting on the raft, besides controlling the direction of advance of the raft, the two people not only didn’t paddle to accelerate, they instead controlled the raft to not drift too quickly with the stream.

A couple of bubbles suddenly appeared in the water beside the raft. Afterwards a completely soaked black-clothed youth rushed out of the water, nimbly landing on the raft and greedily breathing in the fresh air.

“If only we had Master’s Black Cloud Flag, we wouldn’t need to waster so much effort.” The black-clothed youth is naturally Xiao Yan. The mana in his body circulated and hot air steamed from his body, instantly drying his clothes.

Zhu Yi said: “Saying that stuff now is all useless. This method may still be very slow, but at least we won’t reveal our position.”

Xiao Budian jumped up from the raft and smiled saying: “My turn.” He plunged into the water and dived to the bottom. Xiao Yan’s black metal greatsword was sunk in the sand under the water, dragging out a straight vertical line underwater from where it came.

Xiao Budian grabbed the black metal greatsword. The heaviness is secondary, the crucial part is that his mana has become stagnant. He thought: “This thing of Eldest Apprentice-Brother’s is truly strange. Even though it is a burden, it is indeed a shame to throw it away. We’ll just take it back and let Master see it.”

Afterwards Xiao Budian drooped the tip of the black metal greatsword on the floor, dragging it on the sand and lifting his head looking at the raft above to determine his direction.

On the bamboo raft, Xiao Yan laughed helplessly: “Could I be considered wanting money over my life?”

Zhu Yi smiled faintly: “A saying that Master frequently says is ‘There are always more solutions than problems’. It may be shallow, but it holds a strong element of truth.”

The three people spaced out in the mountain for half a day and finally thought of this solution that isn’t a solution, using the water route to hide their tracks. But the black metal greatsword is too heavy and the small bamboo raft is simply unable to transport it. So they can only take turns dragging it in the water.

A couple of kilometers behind the three people, a group of people were purusing them down the stream.

The leader is a young man. It is precisely the member of the main branch of the Yu clan, Yu Tian. His appearance is relatively handsome but his expression right now is incredibly dark: “This kind of stream in the mountains has countless branches. Chasing like this, it’s very easy for us to go the wrong way.”

He turned around and walked to the very back of the group. There is a black-clothed elder with a plain face, resting with his eyes closed and sitting on a chair, being carried by a couple of Yu clan servants using rods.

Yu Tian greeted him respectfully: “Elder Yue, please use your skill once. This is very important to the clan.”

The black-clothed elder named Elder Yue didn’t even move his eyelids and said coolly: “I am only responsible for protecting your safety, anything else is not my problem.”

Yu Tian slightly knit his forehead, but he did not dare to persuade him again. He could only back off to the side and think: “Why did the clan send this old monster over, what bad luck.” He doesn’t dare to actually say this and instead glanced at Elder Yue with an expression of fear. Afterwards he hurriedly lowered his head and turned around leaving.

The black-clothed elder’s body didn’t reveal any hint of man, but just sitting there resting with his eyes closed, he was like an immovable mountain. (嶽, yue, mountain.)

………….

The raft turned around a river bend and their vision opened up. Zhu Yi stood at the front of the raft looking into the distance: “Next we have to return back on land or else we will stray further and further.”

Xiao Yan nodded his head and used his mana to transmit his voice to Xiao Budian. Afterwards he jumped onto shore with Zhu Yi.

Xiao Budian also dragged the black metal greatsword and walked out from the water. He gave the black metal greatsword back to Xiao Yan while he himself recovered his mana while walking.

Zhu Yi asked: “Right now there are pursuers behind us. Do we still go back to Mount Heng to wait or should we go directly to Master?”

Xiao Yan pondered. Before he could answer, an old voice suddenly rose up” “Young Master Yi has actually already taken someone else as his master? This really isn’t good, the Marquis once said that before Young Master Yi completes his studies, you cannot practise martial arts and cultivation.”

The expressions of Zhu Yi and his apprentice-brothers all changed. Zhu Yi’s eyebrows shook and he said calmly: “Mister Tao Er.”

The person who came is a skinny and shriveled old man. It is precisely the second steward of the House of the Marquis of Xuanji, Mister Tao Er.

Following the appearance of Mister Tao Er, more and more cultivators of the house of the Marquis walked out from the mountain.

Tao Er closely sized up Zhu Yi, revealing an expression praise: “In not half a year’s time you reached qi disciple level 6. Young Master Yi is very gifted, the Marquis’ blood truly flows in you.”

“But you disobeyed the Marquis’ instructions, this is very bad.”

Zhu Yi took a deep breath and said with a heavy voice: “The profundity of Father’s cultivation level is his own skill. My cultivation level today originates from my own hard work and my master’s teachings.”

Tao Er shook his head: “Young Master Yi, you do not understand. The Marquis is just and harbors the future in his mind. His arrangements are absolutely correct, all you need to do is walk according to the path the Marquis has arranged for you.”

Hearing this, not only Zhu Yi, Xiao Yan and Xiao Budian also wrinkled their foreheads.

But Tao Er did not care and continued to say slowly: “The reason I came out this time is, one, to investigate the matter of Huang San’s disappearance, and two, to find Young Master Yi.”

Zhu Yi said calmly: “Huang San and the other died by the hand of the Mt. Shu Sword Sect’s aurous core stage cultivator, Liu Yang. I witnessed it myself.”

“The Mt. Shu Sword Sect.” Tao Er nodded his head and continued asking: “Then how did Young Master Yi you escape from danger, and what about those rebels of the Society of the Strong Gale?”

Zhu Yi answered saying: “The people of the Society of the Strong Gale escaped through a transportation formation. My Master saved me and afterwards I have been following Master and learning cultivation.”

Tao Er nodded his head: “If that’s so than we can only leave things like that for now. Young Master Yi, come home with me right now. You have been away from home for many days and the Marquis and the Lady all miss you very much.”

Zhu Yi said calmly: “I want to follow Master to learn cultivation. When I have achieved success in the future I will naturally return.”

Tao Er laughed: “Young Master Yi, you jest. You may not be the legitimate son of the Marquis and cannot learn the Marquis’ cultivation path and skills, but the Marquis naturally will also arrange a suitable master for you. There is no need for you to find your own master.”

“So, come back with me to Tianjing right now Young Master Yi.’ Tao Er said as a matter of factly: “If you are worried that Master of yours will not let go of you, I will go speak to him for you. If he really is an enlightened master, he will naturally understand reason. How could he bear for his disciple and parents to be separated?”

Xiao Yan’s and Xiao Budian’s expressions both slightly changed, their bodies were just about to move but they were stopped by Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi lifted his eyes looking at Tao Er, he said calmly: “Master has saved my life and taught me. One day my master, always my master. I appreciate your kindness but I cannot accept it. Please return and report to Father that one day, I will definitely return to Tianjing, but it is not now.”

Tao Er stared straight at Zhu Yi and sighed saying: “Young Master Yi has always been the most filial, yet now you have been guided onto the path of evil by someone. It is clear that Master of yours must be a treacherous man. Young Master Yi, please tell me where he is right now? I will go exterminate this demon right now.”

“Such a demon should have his cultivation level destroyed, be immersed in feces and paraded through the streets to warn to world.”

Not only did Xiao Yan and Xiao Budian show expressions of anger, even Zhu Yi’s face also darkened. But they heard Tao Er continue to say: “In addition, before coming out, the Marquis instructed me that if I find Young Master Yi, I must be sure to bring back Young Master Yi safely.”

“The Marquis’ order must be completed.”

While speaking, the cultivators of the House of the Marquis of Xuanji behind him had already spread out, surrounding Zhu Yi and his apprentice-brothers in the center.

For a moment, the three people’s hearts all sank to the bottom.

…………..

In the Netherworld Bead at the heart of the river, Wang Lin had still yet to awaken within the sphere of light. Lin Feng sat quietly above the light sphere, his mind was still seriously studying the Netherworld Nirvana Manual from the black stone pillar.

The True Netherworld Water in the distance suddenly started to crash and gurgle. Surging True Netherworld Water supported a human figure who was rapidly approaching.

The human figure is precisely Sikong Nan. He saw Lin Feng and instantly laughed out loud: “Kid, the humiliation that you gave to me before, right now I will return it to you 100 fold!”