Chapter 31: Kong Youyue

The news that the great mage Bai Yuan resided in Xueshi Mountain quickly spread throughout Yishui Domain.

On the mountain path of Xueshi Mountain…

“Halt!” A checkpoint had been set up on the road. Xueshi Castle was certainly not open to just anyone. A group of soldiers watched as several young men and women approached the checkpoint. These youths wore simple clothes and had unremarkable auras—clearly commoners.

“What business do you have?” one soldier barked.

One of the better-looking young women quickly replied, “Esteemed sirs, we heard that the great mage resides on Xueshi Mountain, so we’ve come to seek an audience and hope to become his disciples.”

“Yes, please, sirs, let us through so we can meet the great mage!” the youths pleaded together.

They were all young, filled with yearning for the future!

How exalted a mage’s status was! They all longed to become mages themselves.

“Hmph.” The officer in charge, a thin middle-aged man, sneered, “Little brats, let me ask you—do you even have the talent to become mages?”

“We don’t know.”

“If we could just meet the great mage, he would know if we have talent or not!”

The youths all spoke in unison.

“What a joke!” the thin man scoffed. “Do you have any idea how precious the great mage’s time is? He won’t meet just anyone. And you come here without even knowing whether you have talent? Do you really think the great mage will personally examine each and every one of you?”

“But maybe one of us does have great talent and will be favored by the great mage!” one girl immediately countered.

“Enough, enough,” the middle-aged soldier shook his head. “Go on, go on. These days, I’ve seen countless dreamers like you! Youngsters, face reality! I, your humble uncle, once joined the army and risked my life several times just to learn Aura of Rivalry. Who do you think you are, that the great mage would take you as disciples?”

“Let me tell you plainly, the great mage has already issued orders—he sees no visitors, not even nobles. Let alone you,” the soldier added.

“Ahh…”

The youths looked at each other helplessly. The soldiers guarding the checkpoint were dutiful and wouldn’t let them pass no matter how much they begged.

Not long after, a carriage came galloping forward. Behind it followed a large group of cavalry. The carriage was luxurious, subtly inlaid with magical formations. No matter how fast it sped, the cabin remained perfectly stable.

“Halt!” the soldiers of Xueying Domain still called out.

“We are from the Cao Clan of Yuncui, and our master wishes to visit your lord,” the carriage driver replied.

“Yuncui’s Cao Clan?”

The soldiers exchanged glances.

There weren’t many major families in Yishui City, but the Cao Clan of Yuncui was barely ranked within the top ten. In the past, when Xueying Domain was still weak, the Cao Clan had been slightly superior. But now, with Dongbo Xueying recognized as the strongest warrior in Yishui City, the gap between the Cao Clan and the Dongbo family had widened even further.

“No more than ten soldiers may accompany you up the mountain,” the thin middle-aged officer said. “It is the lord’s order, please understand.”

“This…” the driver hesitated.

“Alright, Old Pan, you five come with me. The rest stay here,” a voice came from inside the carriage.

“Yes.”

Five powerful knights, clearly formidable, followed the carriage past the checkpoint and up the mountain.

“We also wish to visit the lord! Let us go up the mountain!” One of the young women, who had been lingering nearby, shouted.

“Hmph, visit our lord? Just because the great mage won’t see you, you think our lord will?” The thin officer shook his head and sneered. “Give it up.”

…

In the days leading up to the New Year, Xueshi Castle became busier than ever.

Some commoners hoping for luck could be ignored, but many nobles from Yishui Domain also came to visit. Since the great mage refused to see anyone, they turned to Dongbo Xueying, hoping he could help them secure a nominal disciple position under the great mage. They believed… since the great mage had settled here, he must surely respect Dongbo Xueying, the domain lord.

However—

Dongbo Xueying also refused to see anyone! It was always Zong Ling who turned them away.

In the morning…

A male servant sprinted toward the bamboo pavilion at the back of the mountain, but the pavilion was empty, and Dongbo Xueying was nowhere to be found.

“Lord! Lord!” the servant shouted loudly.

His voice echoed…

Midway up the back mountain, a stream cascaded from high above, crashing into a pool below, from which a stream meandered into the distance.

On a large rock beside the pool, Dongbo Xueying listened to the sound of the rushing spring water while practicing a martial art form—his Aura of Rivalry technique, the “Three-Stage Flame Method.” As he practiced, his entire body surged with power. Each movement was coordinated and graceful, perfectly harnessing every ounce of strength, naturally drawing in the fire energy from the surrounding world.

The fire energy in the heavens and earth continuously flowed into his body, transforming into flame Aura of Rivalry.

“Inhale… exhale…”

With each movement and breath, Dongbo Xueying felt countless flames entering his body, strengthening him as he absorbed the external energy.

He had only recently awakened his ancient bloodline, and both his Aura of Rivalry and physical body were rapidly growing stronger. Dongbo Xueying practiced his fists to perfectly control every bit of this surging power.

“Lord!” a voice called from a distance.

“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying abruptly stopped, lifting his head to look upward.

“I’ve been refusing all noble visitors, so why are they still coming to me?” Dongbo Xueying was puzzled. He casually picked up his Feixue spear.

Whoosh!

He vanished like a shadow. To a normal person, it would seem as though a mere silhouette had passed, and Dongbo Xueying had disappeared from sight. Such was the terrifying speed of a powerful warrior!

“Whoosh!” A figure flickered before the bamboo pavilion, and Dongbo Xueying reappeared.

“What is it?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

Startled by the sudden appearance of his lord, the servant hurriedly replied, “Master Zong Ling sent me. He said that your father’s old friend, ‘Kong Hai,’ has arrived and wishes to see you.”

“Uncle Kong?” Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly.

Other than Uncle Zong and Uncle Tong, his father had very few friends. His grandfather had wandered to Yishui City as a refugee during a famine. As an outsider, he had been isolated and mistreated in the village. After losing his life in the mountains while hunting, his father had left with no attachments and joined the army. Eventually, he cultivated Aura of Rivalry and, even after retiring, continued to risk his life in dangerous ventures.

His father had only a few friends in the army, and since he had been adventuring for so long, most of them had long since lost contact. Only Kong Hai had visited regularly. Dongbo Xueying had met him many times as a child. After his parents were captured, Kong Hai had visited once more. Since then, every year, he had sent gifts for the New Year, and Dongbo Xueying had reciprocated, maintaining a small connection.

But with his parents gone, Kong Hai had not visited in person for a long time.

“Haha! Xueying, it’s been years! Now you’ve become the strongest warrior in Yishui City. Truly impressive!” In the hall, upon seeing Dongbo Xueying walk in, a stout middle-aged man stood up and laughed.

“Uncle Kong Hai,” Dongbo Xueying smiled slightly.

Kong Hai secretly regretted his absence.

After retiring from the army, he had become a merchant, skilled in socializing and making many friends. Dongbo Lie had been just one of many friends. After Dongbo Lie and his wife were captured, Kong Hai had visited once to console the young Dongbo brothers, but had not returned since. However, out of habit as a merchant, he had continued to send annual gifts to maintain the connection.

Every year, he sent lavish gifts to many old friends, and for important ones, he even visited in person.

He had not paid much attention to his old friend’s two sons before. But who would have thought that Dongbo Xueying would single-handedly destroy the feared Cutlass Alliance? It was simply unbelievable!

“Come, Youyue, greet your Xueying brother,” the plump Kong Hai pulled the hand of a green-robed girl beside him.

“Xueying Brother,” the girl said shyly.

“Youyue?” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “You’ve grown so much. I remember seeing you when you were little, but you probably don’t remember me. You were only four or five back then.”

He had met Kong Youyue as a child. She was Kong Hai’s eldest daughter, three years younger than Dongbo Xueying.

“I’ve come today to ask for your help, Xueying,” Kong Hai said with a smile. “Youyue has the talent for magic, and I wish for her to become a disciple of the great mage—even just a nominal one would suffice! I’ve brought the five thousand gold coins required for the great mage’s discipleship. However, with so many nominal disciples under the great mage, a mere nominal disciple might not receive much attention. I hope you, Xueying, could personally recommend her, so the great mage would take more notice of Youyue.”

“Oh, this is a small matter. Uncle Kong, rest assured,” Dongbo Xueying nodded in agreement.

The great mage was known for charging exorbitantly for disciples.

For a direct disciple, it was fifty thousand gold coins!

For a nominal disciple, it was five thousand gold coins—but even that had a quota.

But fifty thousand gold coins was an astronomical sum for the nobles of Yishui City. So far, only Dongbo Xueying had managed to meet the great mage’s demands by offering the heart of a Silver Moon Wolf King.

Even five thousand gold coins for a nominal disciple was a high price, and many nobles sought Dongbo Xueying’s help to reduce the cost.

Yet Kong Hai had actually prepared the full five thousand gold coins! So Dongbo Xueying merely needed to speak a word—truly a small matter.

“Also, after Youyue begins studying magic under the great mage, she will reside on Xueshi Mountain for a long time. I hope you, Xueying, could look after her,” Kong Hai added.

“It’s no problem. There are plenty of houses in the castle. I’ll make sure to reserve one for Youyue,” Dongbo Xueying said. He often cultivated in the bamboo pavilion at the back mountain, and such a matter only required a simple order.

“Haha! Speaking of which, I once joked with your father that if the two of you got along well, we could arrange a marriage between you,” Kong Hai laughed heartily.

“Father!” Kong Youyue blushed deeply.

“Of course, it’s up to the two of you. Your parents said the same before—they wouldn’t force anything,” Kong Hai continued with a smile. “But if I could have a son-in-law who is the strongest warrior in Yishui City, I’d be grinning from ear to ear!”

“Father, enough!” Kong Youyue couldn’t take it anymore. She was still young and shy, and her face burned red.

Kong Hai chuckled as he looked at his daughter.

Back then, he had indeed joked with Dongbo Lie and his wife about a marriage between their children. But Dongbo Lie and his wife had always said, “It’s up to the children.”

But now, he brought it up again!

Because he had high hopes for Dongbo Xueying and wished for his daughter to marry him. If that happened, the status of the Kong family would rise significantly.

In fact, he didn’t even care about the great mage of Bai Yuan! Learning magic? As a merchant, his daughter could easily choose any Sky-tier mage as a teacher. Why spend five thousand gold coins to learn from the great mage?

The five thousand gold coins weren’t for the great mage!

They were for Dongbo Xueying!

Because the great mage resided on Xueshi Mountain!

He wanted his daughter to live on Xueshi Mountain, to be with Dongbo Xueying day and night! In time, it was likely that she would grow close to Dongbo Xueying.

A merchant must have long-term vision and know when to invest. Kong Hai had risen from a retired soldier to become a well-known merchant—proof of his capability.

…

That very day, Dongbo Xueying personally introduced Kong Youyue to the great mage Bai Yuan!

After receiving the five thousand gold coins, the great mage Bai Yuan’s face broke into a wide smile, promising to nurture Kong Youyue well.

That evening, Kong Hai departed, entrusting Dongbo Xueying to take care of Kong Youyue.

In truth…

Dongbo Xueying was no longer young. He had been precocious since childhood and could easily see through Kong Hai’s intentions—intentions that Kong Hai had deliberately revealed. As for the little girl he had once met—Kong Youyue—Dongbo Xueying had no romantic feelings for her. She was still very young, only thirteen after the New Year, her body not yet fully matured. She was still just a naive little girl.

“Whoosh!” “Hua!”

The spear danced.

Dongbo Xueying lived in solitude in the bamboo pavilion at the back mountain, practicing his spear techniques. The spear’s shadow howled through the air, naturally stirring up swirling snowflakes. Amidst the snow, the black-clad youth’s figure seemed ethereal, his form and the spear’s shadow merging as one.

“Xueying! Xueying!” Tong San, the lion-man, personally rushed over, bounding forward with heavy steps that cracked the frozen snow beneath him.

“Uncle Tong?” Dongbo Xueying sheathed his spear.

“Master Si An of Longshan Pavilion has arrived,” Tong San said.

Dongbo Xueying’s eyes lit up. Finally, news of his parents?

“Let’s go.” Without bothering to clean up or change clothes, Dongbo Xueying immediately followed Tong San toward the castle.