Chapter 309: Run, Little Tyrant

“Fellow daoist Yu, this concerns the future of all wandering practitioners. To tell you the truth, I have already made the utmost preparations, and have already found the participants for the Essence and Azoth category. Presently, a Foundation practitioner is all I’m missing.” Hua Lin’s expression sank, and then sighed. “I am aware that my lifespan is running out, and though I do not regret dying, I am unwilling to see wandering practitioners stay in such a low standing forever.”

Zhu Yao was a little hesitant. Hua Lin’s thoughts were good, and they were all for the sake of wandering practitioners as well. Just by looking at this Wandering City alone, he indeed had thoughts of expanding the wandering practitioner business into greater heights. Towards an elderly with such enthusiasm for public service, she really found it hard to reject him. However, unfortunately, the place where the Great Inter-Sect Tournament was being conducted in had to be Ness Cesary Sect out of all places.

Zhu Yao unconsciously tapped her fingers on the table, and after a moment of silence, she said. “I have to consider this matter for a while more, I can’t give you answer right now.”

Hua Lin’s enthusiasm instantly extinguished, and he glanced at her with slight disappointment and regret. With a bitter smile, he nodded. “Alright! Three days later, the disciples and I will set off from Gathering Frust Mansion. Hua Lin shall patiently wait for fellow daoist Yu’s good news.” After saying that, he turned to look at little tyrant with a face filled with unwillingness. His mouth moved up and down, yet he still kept his words to himself and left through the door.

Only after they were no longer able to see his figure, did an inquiry sounded behind Zhu Yao.

“Grandma, why didn’t you agree to it?”

Zhu Yao turned her head around, looked at little tyrant for a moment, and lightly smiled. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? The one participating isn’t me, but you.”

He was stunned for a moment. “But… You’re my master.” Shouldn’t such matters usually be decided by one’s master? This was why Hua Lin asked for her opinion earlier.

“A matter as huge as this naturally has to be decided by the one involved in it.” She valued human rights greatly, after all. Zhu Yao immediately pulled him over to sit, and spoke in a serious tone. “Then tell grandma… are you truly prepared to return to Ness Cesary Sect once more?” As part of the wandering practitioners’ faction.

Little tyrant was stunned. He slowly lowered his head, and his hands cycled between loosening and tightening. After a while, he finally spoke up. “I don’t know either…”

“What? Are you afraid of losing?”

He shook his head. His brows furrowed, showing a complicated look.

“Then… Do you still hate Qu Jiang and the rest for ousting you out of the mountain?”

“Of course not!” He strongly shook his head. He had long since thought those things through. “I can’t put them into words either.” He just did not want to return to that place.

“I know now. Something like that is rather understandable.” Zhu Yao nodded in a profound manner.

“…” I’m not even clear of it myself, grandma, just what did you understand?

“This is called post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“Ah?” Little Bai was puzzled.

“This is a very professional term.” Zhu Yao pondered for a moment. “To give an example somewhat…”

“What? Nut!?” The glutton Little Eighth who was sleeping on her shoulder immediately woke up. “Where?”

The corner of Zhu Yao’s lips twitched, as she pressed Little Eighth’s bird head back down.

“The meaning of post-traumatic stress order, is a condition when even after one has fully recovered from injuries, he or she would still unconsciously try to protect one’s injured spot.”

“…” Was grandma trying to tell him that there was a knot in his heart?

“Little tyrant!” Zhu Yao stroked his head. “I understand that you have already put behind those things from a few years ago, but a scar has already been formed in the depths of your heart. However, you can’t possibly turn your eyes away from people of Ness Cesary Sect all your life, right?” You must not become a shut-in, alright? “To give an analogy, let’s say you once have accidentally fallen into a latrine, no matter how averse you are to latrines from then on, you can’t possibly hold it in forever and never take a dump again, right?”

Little tyrant: (﹏)~

What kind of analogy was that, hey?

“Grandma, I have already abstained from food.” So there’s no need to take a dump anymore.

“Uh…” Alright, she had forgotten that practitioners were all ‘clean’. “Why don’t I give you another analogy?”

“No need, grandma!” Little tyrant immediately stood up, the corner of his lips twitching. “I already understood.”

“Ou…” What a pity. She had actually wanted to use the taste of vegetables as an example!

Eh? Why did she say taste?

“Since you have already understood, then think about it carefully. No matter what your decision is, grandma will respect it.” Zhu Yao gave him a thumbs up. After pondering for a moment, she added. “However, I hope that the decision you make is an outcome of your deliberation, and not just to vent out your frustration.”

Little tyrant’s figure twitched for a moment.

Zhu Yao had nothing else to add, so she turned around and left the room.

This time, little tyrant began to ponder about it seriously. Just like that, he stayed in his room for three whole days pondering about this issue. Zhu Yao was even planning to pack up and head on home, when he suddenly opened the door to her room. It seemed like the depressing atmosphere surrounding him had been swept away, as he looked more refreshed than before. It was as if the dark clouds had scattered, revealing the warm sun behind them.

“Grandma, I want to participate in the tournament, in the name of Wandering City.”

“You have decided? You’re not going to change it?”

“Mn.” He smiled, as though he had returned to being that sunny and handsome youth of five years ago. “I’m a wandering practitioner. No matter if I take a good position in the tournament or not, I just want to prove that penta spirit veins are not trash spirit veins.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Zhu Yao pulled him out. “Hurry and inform Hua Lin, he might even give us some money for taking part.” After all, he was a star practitioner who had just become a champion in the recent tournament.

“……”

“…”

————————————————

The Wandering City today was especially bustling, with people filling every corner of the streets. Most of them were in groups, just that those practitioners did not comprise of just wandering practitioners, but uniform wearing sect practitioners as well. Wandering City was located at a rather central position in the cultivation world. These sect disciples were heading to participate in the Great Inter-Sect Tournament as well, and were here to take a break or to replenish their supplies.

As Zhu Yao and little tyrant made their way over, they saw several waves of people. Compared to the leisureliness of wandering practitioners, these uniform wearing disciples evidently looked more excited. Some would occasionally bring up the matters concerning the tournament, basically making it impossible for others to not recognize them as participants for the tournament.

“I heard that an Azoth Core practitioner with penta spirit veins appeared in Ness Cesary Sect!”

Zhu Yao’s feet stopped. Penta spirit veins? It couldn’t be fellow student Ye Qingcang, right?

“Penta spirit veins, are you serious? Isn’t it hard for penta spirit veins holders to even establish their Foundations?”

“I know right? And I heard that he had merely used twenty years.”

“Isn’t that even faster than heavenly spirit vein holders then? Who is it?”

“He seems to be called… Ye Qingcang.”

“I have also heard that this senior-martial uncle Ye is proficient in the arts of pellet refining as well. Presently, he is already a fifth rank Pellet Refining Master.”

“Isn’t that a little too heaven-defying? Can a penta spirit veins holder truly become this incredible?”

“I have also heard that the Peak Lord of Talisman Spirit Peak has betrothed him his personal succeeding disciple.”

“The personal succeeding disciple of Talisman Spirit Peak? Are you talking about junior-martial sister Qu Yi?”

“That’s right! A hero is worthy of a beauty, after all! Even I want to get to know someone like him. That way, I will be able to rub off a cup of wedding wine from him too.”

“Hahahaha…”

The people in front slowly walked far off, and in a few moments, Zhu Yao and little tyrant could no longer hear their voices. Zhu Yao could not help but glance at little tyrant next to her.

“Sad?” I can lend you my shoulder, you know.

Little tyrant was startled, and asked back. “About what?”

“Qu Yi…” Zhu Yao reminded him. His childhood friend was about to get married, and the groom wasn’t him.

He instead smiled it off. Let alone any pain or dejection on his face, not even a hint of regret could be seen. He shook his head and said. “Grandma… I have long seen through that matter five years ago.”

“Are you really alright? Not sad? Not frustrated?” Zhu Yao bore a suspicious look. “Don’t worry little tyrant, no matter of you smack your love rival to a pulp, or spit at him with a mouth full of cola, I will always… cheer for you.”

“…” Is she not going to help him? “I really am fine!”

“Really?”

“Really!” He nodded heavily, and sighed. “Actually, thinking back about it now, back then, I might not have truly loved junior-martial sister Qu Yi. Most of my feelings came from wanting to take care of her as my sister, just that it had already become a habit of some sort after being with her from young. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have realized that she liked junior-martial brother Ye.” His eyes shone, as he spoke with slight envy. “Though, junior-martial brother Ye sure has startled me. I never expected him to form his Azoth Core so quickly.”

“Alright, I believe you now.” It seemed like little tyrant truly did not love Qu Yi, and she suddenly felt things had become rather boring. “Why don’t we still try to crash their wedding and steal the bride or something?”

“……”

“…”

“I shall lay out the plans for you. I promise you that you won’t get beaten to death~”

“……”

“…”

“It will be perfect. It will be safe, reliable, and no damage to public properties will be made!”

Little tyrant immediately left.

Haah, as expected, the older he gets, the less cute he becomes.

————————————————

When they arrived at Gathering Frust Mansion, Hua Lin clearly broke down from happiness, as he left a trail of dust behind him to welcome them from afar.

“Dear…” When he recalled the addressing problem, a series of words appeared in his mind. From, little sister, to elder sister, to friend, and finally, he decided. “Daoist!”

“…” The hell was ‘dear daoist’? Why did she feel like he was calling out to a pair of fake fortune tellers!?

“I knew you two will definitely come.” He was thoroughly moved. Just when he was about to start singing praises and give his leader’s speech, Zhu Yao immediately stopped him from chattering.

“Let us just hurry to Ness Cesary Sect.”

Hua Lin was startled. Looking at the sky, it was indeed getting late. Only then did he suppressed his tongue and turned to ask the Azoth Core practitioner next to him. “Has Wu Jia not arrived yet?”

That practitioner’s face paled, as he replied with a bow. “To reply old ancestor, this… Wu Jia promised that he would send it over at this time. It should be soon… soon.”

“What’s wrong? Is there still a participating disciple who hasn’t arrived yet?” Zhu Yao asked.

Hua Lin’s expression stiffened. “He’s not actually a participant.”

Then what was he? Zhu Yao had yet to ask when suddenly…

A fatty came running over noisily from the other side of the streets. As he ran, he gasped heavily for air. “I’m… I’m… I’m here, old ancestor. This lowly one is here.”

“Mn.” Hua Lin nodded. “Where’s the thing?”

“Here!” The fatty pulled out an item from the storage pouch on his body. It was a jade scepter embedded with various gems, and it was dazzling to the point of being overboard. Evidently, it was the mark of an arriviste.

“It’s this!?” Hua Lin opened his eyes wide with scorn.

The fatty chuckled, as he tried to fawn over him. “Old ancestor, this is the one and only eighth rank mystic artifact which this Wu has seen all these years. There isn’t any other than this!”

Hua Lin stared at the jade scepter for a while with a complicated expression, and in the end, he simply gritted his teeth as he made a compromise. “Nevermind. With how things are now, there’s no other way left.”

After saying that, he received the scepter. Throwing it into the air, he chanted a sword flying art, and the jade scepter instantly turned several hundred times later. It looked even more luxurious and dazzling. Zhu Yao felt that she was about to be stabbed blind.

“Jiang Cheng, call over all of the participating disciples now. We will depart immediately.”

“Yes!” The Azoth Core disciple next to him nodded, and then left while leading the fatty to their destination.

Wait a minute!

The corner of Zhu Yao’s lips twitched. “Old man, we can’t be riding on this mystic artifact to Ness Cesary Sect, right?” Even if you beat me to death, I won’t do it, alright? This will simply make me lose fans!

Hua Lin had a complicated expression as well. He glanced at his surroundings, and then spoke with a suppressed voice. “Daoist Yu, you should be aware of this as well. We wandering practitioners, since the start… do not have any sort of reserves. Furthermore, I can only refine talismans, and not artifacts. This mystic artifact is already the one with the highest rank which I can find.” He had a dispirited look. In order to hold some face during their entry, he went through a great deal of trouble. “Furthermore, this one is merely a rental, and he had only managed to get it through his connections.”

“…” He had to find a sponsor for something like an eighth rank mystic artifact!? “You guys are seriously not doing well at all!?”

“There’s no other choice…” He shook his head. “We can’t possibly have the wandering practitioners fly over on their own, right? That Scaled Dragon of mine is indeed shocking, but unfortunately, it isn’t in a good condition recently. If something were to happen there later on because of it, in front of the various sects, the wandering practitioners will be even more…”

Zhu Yao: “…”

For this wandering practitioner business, he sure had taken quite intense pain and worry.

Raising her head, she looked at the jade scepter which was still emitting light and heat…

But she really did not want to lose any fans!

“Master, master! Emergency, please reply.” Zhu Yao immediately transmitted her voice in order to look for support.

“Speak.”

“Please assist me by sending a transportation tool which many people can ride, one that exudes a quiet extravagance, which looked as if there’s meaning behind it. It would b best if it is of a higher rank.” After pondering for a moment, she added. “Other than a brick!”

The moment her words fell, the storage pouch on her body shook.

“Master, I love you. Muuacks!”

Zhu Yao immediately pulled it out, and realized it was a green-coloured jade boat. He immediately passed it to Hua Lin.

“Daoist Yu, this is…” Hua Lin was startled.

“The return gift for the spirit stones from before.”

Only then did Hua Lin carefully inspect the article in front of him. As he looked, he took in a couple of few cold breaths. “Tenth… Tenth… Tenth rank mystic artifact.”

“To be more precise, it is a tenth rank mystic artifact of the extreme grade.” If her master was the one who created them, then their qualities were ensured.

Hua Lin’s hands trembled, and was this close to dropping it with his unstable hands. Tenth rank. An extreme grade even. This was not logical. He had lived… for so long, and though he had seen a tenth rank mystic artifact before, one with an extreme grade was just a legend, right?

“Daoist Yu…” Hua Lin’s eyes were a little red. I really want to cry, what to do?

“Uh…” Old man, do you have to be this moved? Wipe off your snot, hey!

Hua Lin sniffled. “Daoist, please feel at ease. Once this Great Inter-Sect Tournament ends, I will return this artifact with my own hands.”

“No need.” Zhu Yao waved her hand without a mind. “I have a lot of it at home.”

“Ah!?”

“Uh… I’m speaking about reciprocity! You gave me something a few days ago, so I returned you a gift.”

This gift is a little too expensive, isn’t it!? I feel like I’m in a dream. Though he knew that she was a late-stage Demigod Sovereign, and that she would most certainly have several good items on her, he never expected that she would take out something like this so casually.

Hua Lin fiercely rubbed his nose. His heart was feeling a little sour, and even the hand he was holding the mystic artifact with felt slightly heavy. This was the friendship between him and Daoist Yu!

A moment later.

“Daoist Yu…”

“What is it?”

“Can I hug you?”

“Scram!”