Chapter 274: Get Out

“Great fortune?” Dongbo Xueying’s gaze swept across the people before him, including the golden-robed man.

At this moment, the golden-robed man smiled and said, “I, Sha Hu, have lived in Baijiang City for many years and have long heard of a tavern here, whose owner, Master Dongbo, is an extraordinary painter. It’s only today that I finally get to meet you.”

“A painter?” Palace Master Chen chuckled beside him. It was indeed amusing to hear the mighty Dongbo Xueying referred to as a painter.

Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly and said, “I’ve long heard of the name of the Flame Knight Sha Hu. May I ask what brings you here today?”

“My master has come here—” Young silver-robed Long Tianyun glared.

“Tianyun, be silent,” the golden-robed man frowned slightly.

“Yes,” Long Tianyun immediately obeyed, closing his mouth respectfully.

The golden-robed man continued smiling, “I came here because Dongbo, you have an excellent apprentice, Ye Qing.”

“Ye Qing?” Dongbo Xueying furrowed his brow. Over the past century, he had casually and simply taught some people the spear techniques, among whom he had grown fond of a few. But only his third apprentice, Ye Qing, possessed true talent that caught his eye. As for his first apprentice, Long Tianyun, second apprentice Chen Qin, and others he had taught, their talents were truly mediocre. Although Dongbo taught according to their abilities, it was highly unlikely they would ever reach the level of a named warrior.

After all, while a master’s guidance is important, the apprentice’s innate talent is even more crucial. Ye Qing belonged to the category of those with extraordinary talent.

“Ye Qing!” the golden-robed man turned his gaze toward Ye Qing.

“Senior Sha, if you have any issues with me, take it up with me directly. Why involve my master?” Ye Qing, the red-robed youth, said angrily.

The golden-robed man replied, “I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to take you as my apprentice.”

“Take me as your apprentice?” Ye Qing was taken aback.

Dongbo Xueying also showed a hint of astonishment.

Trying to steal an apprentice?

“Haha, I never thought the young man my daughter fancied was actually you!” the golden-robed man laughed. “Although you unintentionally offended me before, my daughter likes you, and your talent is quite impressive. So why not become my apprentice directly? Join the Flame Fortress, become my disciple, and I will ensure you reach the rank of a named warrior! I will provide you with the finest martial arts techniques, accelerate your cultivation, and even offer superior weapons. Haha, later, you could even become my son-in-law, and we would be family!”

Baijiang City wasn’t that big, and Ye Qing’s strength naturally caught the attention of Flame Knight Sha Hu.

Upon closer inspection, Sha Hu was shocked… This young man, barely twenty, had already attained the level of a master in spear techniques! An ordinary person might not have recognized it, but Sha Hu himself was a master, and with one glance, he could tell—this was a true master of the spear. Considering that many named warriors hadn’t even reached the level of mastery in combat techniques, this young Ye Qing was almost certainly destined to become a named warrior. Upon learning that his daughter had always had feelings for this young man, Sha Hu decided to act. He had Long Tianyun lead him straight to Dongyu Tavern.

“Impossible,” Ye Qing shook his head.

“What did you say?” the golden-robed man, Sha Hu, thought he had misheard.

“My master has been like a mountain of kindness to me. Back when I was under his tutelage, I was only eleven, the youngest. I had no father, and my mother neglected me, leaving me hungry and cold. It was my master who fed me, bought me clothes, and taught me the spear techniques and martial arts. To me, this place is my home,” Ye Qing said.

Dongbo Xueying listened with a warm heart, involuntarily smiling.

This kid Ye Qing…

“I can’t leave, and I won’t join your Flame Fortress. Senior Sha, you are a named knight, one of the most elite figures in the entire Baijiang Prefecture. Whether I join your Flame Fortress or not makes little difference,” Ye Qing continued.

“You’re going to stay here, practicing crude spear techniques with a bunch of children?” the golden-robed man frowned and said angrily. “Ye Qing, you should have a broader horizon!”

“My master’s health isn’t good, so naturally, I must stay by his side,” Ye Qing replied. Dongbo Xueying, standing beside Palace Master Chen and Jing Qiu, felt even more delighted. This quiet kid, Ye Qing, had already mastered the spear techniques to such a high level, yet still came every day to practice with the young children just to keep him company, all because he was concerned about his master’s health.

Among all his apprentices, Dongbo Xueying indeed favored Ye Qing the most.

The first time he saw Ye Qing, the boy was only eleven, thin and frail, looking like an ordinary seven or eight-year-old. He wore tattered clothes even in the bitter cold of winter. He was usually obedient, hardworking, and never complained.

Little did Dongbo know that for Ye Qing, Dongyu Tavern had already become his home, and Dongbo himself had become his family.

“Hmph!”

The golden-robed man growled, “Enough! I don’t have time for nonsense! Do you like my daughter or not?”

“Of course I do,” Ye Qing replied.

“Then come with me!” the golden-robed man roared. “If you dare refuse, you and my daughter will never have a future together! And with a single order from me, your sickly master’s tavern will be shut down for good! Even a slight gesture from me could make life miserable for your master and you!”

“You—” Ye Qing was furious, but he was well aware of the influence of the veteran named knight, Sha Hu. In the entire Baijiang Prefecture, Sha Hu was among the top three most powerful named knights!

“Shutting down my tavern and making life miserable for me? What bold words you speak,” Dongbo Xueying said with a smile.

“Truly, such audacious words. Even the Witch God and the Great Demon Lord sought your demise, yet they faltered,” Palace Master Chen beside him added with a dark chuckle.

The golden-robed man, Sha Hu, was momentarily stunned.

The Witch God? The Great Demon Lord?

Was he referring to the Witch God from the Temple of the Divine Witch and the Great Demon God of the Demon God Sect? This puzzled him, for those two entities were far too remote—mighty deities from the Divine Realm and the Abyss, existing far beyond the mortal plane of the Xia Clan’s world.

“Wu Lei, teach him a lesson and throw him out,” Dongbo Xueying said casually.

“At once, Master!” the white-haired elder replied respectfully.

At this moment, in the martial arts training ground, Flame Knight Sha Hu, his large group of subordinates behind him, Long Tianyun, and even apprentice Ye Qing, all stood there stunned by the scene.

The white-haired elder then turned his gaze toward Flame Knight Sha Hu.

“You…” Flame Knight Sha Hu was taken aback. How dare an old man lay hands on him?

“Daring to show disrespect to my master,” the white-haired elder raised his hand, and his palm instantly transformed into white mist. A massive hand of white mist instantly seized the golden-robed man. Sha Hu felt himself surrounded by mist, and as he struggled, he couldn’t budge even an inch! A look of terror crossed his face—he was a named knight, yet he couldn’t resist at all.

Grabbed by the white mist hand, the golden-robed man Sha Hu was stretched out, arms and legs spread wide, and slammed face-first onto the ground.

Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!

The mighty Flame Knight Sha Hu, his face pressed against the ground, was struck over a hundred times in an instant, each blow heavy and forceful. Even the Flame Knight’s robust body began to bleed. Despite his formidable physique as a named warrior, he was bleeding, yet the ground beneath him didn’t even show a single dent.

With a casual flick of his wrist, the white-haired elder sent the golden-robed man Sha Hu flying to the side like a dead dog. Everyone nearby stood in stunned silence, and Long Tianyun was even more bewildered.

“Senior!” the golden-robed man Sha Hu quickly scrambled to his feet, ignoring his injuries, and bowed respectfully, even showing a hint of flattery. “Senior, may I ask who you are?”

Sha Hu was a cunning old fox. He immediately recognized that the white-haired elder was an extremely formidable presence, undoubtedly a transcendent being.

The white-haired elder, Wu Lei, replied, “I am merely the weakest of my master’s servants.”

This was no lie. Among the divine warriors under his command, Wu Lei was indeed the weakest, yet he still possessed the strength of a seasoned demigod.

“The weakest of your master’s servants?” Sha Hu looked at Dongbo Xueying, Yu Jingqiu, and Palace Master Chen standing together in the distance, his heart filled with terror.

“Master!”

Suddenly, a loud cry rang out.

Pengtong!

Long Tianyun heavily knelt on the ground, his eyes red with tears. Looking at Dongbo Xueying, he cried out, “Master, I was wrong! Tianyun was wrong!”

Dongbo Xueying was momentarily startled. His eldest apprentice had once again exceeded his expectations. Dongbo had long given up on him, but now he wasn’t just disappointed—he was utterly speechless. How could a person be so shamelessly despicable?

“Get out!” Dongbo Xueying suddenly waved his sleeve.

Boom—

An invisible force instantly enveloped the golden-robed man Sha Hu, Long Tianyun, and all their subordinates outside. In a flash, the entire group vanished.

…

Within a luxurious castle in Baijiang City, spanning over two miles, even larger than the Snowstone Castle, the sheer size of the estate within the entire prefecture city demonstrated its immense power. This was the Flame Fortress!

In the training ground of Flame Fortress, where guards usually gathered for drills, a large group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, along with a group of horses.

Long Tianyun still knelt heavily on the ground, while Sha Hu was somewhat dazed. The soldiers and the horses were all momentarily stunned before breaking into a cacophony of commotion, the horses neighing loudly. The sudden change in surroundings had clearly unsettled the animals.

“This… this is Flame Fortress?” Sha Hu was momentarily stunned. He recognized this place—it was his home.

“Have we arrived at Flame Fortress?” Long Tianyun was also stunned. “With just a flick of his sleeve, we were all transported from Dongyu Tavern to Flame Fortress?”

“Divine and demonic techniques! I’ve heard of transcendent beings before, but none as powerful as this. Could this be one of the legendary demigods of our Xia Clan?” Sha Hu swallowed hard, somewhat terrified.

At this moment, a large group of guards and family members from Flame Fortress rushed over.

They were all astonished and confused.

“Father, why are you here? Ah, Father, why are you covered in blood and dirt?” a bright-eyed, green-robed girl ran over.

“My dear daughter Xiaoqi,” Sha Hu laughed heartily. “It’s nothing, Father’s fine. I fully support your relationship with Ye Qing, very much so! Haha, bring Ye Qing over to visit us sometime.”

“Me and Ye Qing?” the girl was momentarily stunned by the sudden, delightful news.

Sha Hu suddenly turned his gaze toward Long Tianyun, who was still kneeling and staring blankly beside him, his eyes filled with disgust. He roared, “Throw this Long Tianyun out! He will never be allowed back into Flame Fortress again!”

“Yes,” a group of guards immediately surged forward and seized Long Tianyun.

“My master… my master…” Long Tianyun would never forget the image of his frail, sickly master Dongbo waving his sleeve, transforming the heavens and earth with a single motion.