Heavenly Jewel Change

Duan Tianlang said with a hint of jealousy: “Ahh, why was I not the one who met Weiqing first…” Shaking his head helplessly, he turned to leave. He was afraid that if he stayed there longer, he would not be able to resist trying to snatch this outstanding disciple from Long Shiya.

Long Shiya said solemnly: “Weiqing, time is of the essence. I will give you three days to settle everything with your Peerless Battalion and arrange everything for them. After that, we will set off. I have already thought of the perfect place where a Heavenly Spirit Fire is burning. Today, you rest well and finish recovering, tomorrow onwards you finish settling everything.”

After accounting all that, Long Shiya also turned to leave. As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Shangguan Fei’er rushed in.

“Little Fatty, how are you?” In a flash, she appeared before Zhou Weiqing. Looking at his various areas where his injuries used to be, seeing the broken bones seemed to be fully normal now, and that he was conscious, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Zhou Weiqing managed to raise his freshly-healed arm with much difficulty, and Shangguan Fei’er quickly held his hand. “Don’t move.”

“Fei’er, I’m sorry for hurting you…” Zhou Weiqing said gently. Saying that instead of saying ‘worrying you’, and as soon as she heard that, Shangguan Fei’er’s eyes reddened.

Zhou Weiqing said softly: “I know, I am very greedy, an insatiably avaricious man. No matter Bing’er, Tian’er or you, being able to gain any one of your love is truly an unbelievable fortune from all my past lives. However, I truly cannot cut loose any of my feelings. I do not know how to explain it to you… I…”

“Enough, don’t say anymore.” Shangguan Fei’er lowered her head, biting his hand lightly before saying through gritted teeth. “Who asked me to fall for a little scoundrel like you… However, I will not be reconciled so easily. I will make you love me more than the others! Anyway, no matter what, I will not allow you to lose to that Gu YingBing again. I, Shangguan Fei’er, my man, has to be the strongest!”

Zhou Weiqing had thought of many possible scenarios, but he had never dreamed that Shangguan Fei’er would actually be so thoughtful and understanding. In that moment, his feelings overwhelmed him and he tried to sit up and wrap her in his arms tenderly.

“Don’t move. I’ll go get some water and wipe you down.” Shangguan Fei’er fled out of the tent, blushing furiously.

Not far from the tent, Shangguan Xue’er appeared steadily in a flash, dressed in a set of army uniforms and wearing a mask. When Long Shiya was in the tent, she had not dared approach to listen, but she had heard the entire conversation between Shangguan Fei’er and Zhou Weiqing.

“Fei’er, is he really worth you giving so much, paying such a price?” Shangguan Xue’er couldn’t help but ask.

Shangguan Fei’er looked at her sister and sighed lightly: “Sis, some problems, once you have thought through them fully, aren’t anything at all. Just now, when Senior Long was helping to cure Little Fatty, I was thinking a lot. To me, how much would the pain from sharing him with other women be, and how would it compare to the pain from leaving him? In that moment, my heart had already told me the answer… that the latter is far stronger. In that case, why should I give him so much extra trouble, and make myself suffer more as well? Instead of making everyone suffer, making him suffer as well, we might as well all be happy together. In truth, perhaps if he truly gave up Tian’er easily today, I might look down on him instead.”

Shangguan Xue’er stared at her sister dazedly. Finally, she said: “Fei’er, do you know, I suddenly had the feeling… our Heaven’s Expanse Palace Little Demon Girl has finally grown up.”

…

Before long, Shangguan Fei’er brought back a basin of warm water to Zhou Weiqing’s tent, helping him to cleanse all the dried blood and dirt from his body. Even some particular ‘important’ areas were not avoided, though she was blushing furiously the entire time. Currently, she was like a little wife, caring for her husband tenderly, all the way until she had helped Zhou Weiqing into a fresh set of clean clothes.

With her tender care and devotion, Zhou Weiqing immediately felt much more comfortable, and his energy whirlpools continued drawing in power, fully helping his entire body recover.

“Little Fatty, what do you plan to do?” After looking after him, Shangguan Fei’er could not help but ask.

Zhou Weiqing replied: “Fei’er, in a few days, I will be leaving for some time.”

Upon hearing his words, Shangguan Fei’er was taken aback. “You are going to the Heavenly Snow Mountain? No! You can’t go… it will be complete suicide. You…”

“Fei’er, wait. Hear me out first. I am not going to the Heavenly Snow Mountain.” Zhou Weiqing quickly said.

Only then did Shangguan Fei’er calm down. “Where are you going then? What are you planning to do?”

Zhou Weiqing said: “Previously, I had always thought that my strength was not bad at all, especially after last time when we faced that Han Tianyou from the Blood Red Hell, and successfully tricking and injuring him. However, today’s fight has truly let me learn the truth. If an enemy knows about me… or does not underestimate me… or is able to counter me… my powers are far from being sufficient. No matter what, Five Jewels is still Five Jewels. Without Absolute Power behind them, no matter how many Skills I have, no matter how highly rated they are, it is still useless. I have discussed with Master, and he will be bringing me to a special place that is highly suited for me to train… and I will be going through closed door cultivation there for some time. Master’s Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts only starts being of proper use from the Six-Jeweled cultivation stage onwards, and I plan to cultivate for some time until I reach that stage.”

Shangguan Fei’er furrowed her brow and said: “How long will you be going then? From Five Jewels to Six Jewels… wouldn’t that take a few years?”

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: “Do not forget, your husband, I, am a genius. How could I possibly take such a long time? At most, I should be back within four to five months… definitely not more than five months, alright?”

Shangguan Fei’er said: “If you go, what about the Peerless Battalion?”

Zhou Weiqing said with a bitter smile: “Alas, we can’t always have things both ways. I can only leave the Peerless Battalion in all your hands. Luckily, the Battalion is already on the right path, and with you, a core of the Heaven’s Expanse Palace here, I’m sure the Northwest Army Command will not send us to any overly tough fights. Oh, that reminds me, how are the Berserker and Gold Crow Tribes doing?”

Shangguan Fei’er said: “Everything has been arranged. However, a large majority of both Tribe’s warriors have been injured, and they are all resting, getting treatment and recovering. We have arranged to temporarily loan quite a few army doctors from the Seventh Legion to help in this matter. Originally, the two Tribe Leaders wanted to see you, but I told them that you were injured and currently resting. As for how you were injured or the extent of your wounds, I have not told anyone else, lest they be worried.”

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: “Very well, that is good. Alright, I will rest for the rest of the day and recover first. Tomorrow morning, please gather everyone for a meeting, and we can arrange everything for the Peerless Battalion for the next few months while I am away. When I return, our Peerless Battalion should be in decent shape, at least with proper formation, and it might be time for us to leave as well…”

Shangguan Fei’er nodded. At this point, she was also lost in her own thoughts. Since Little Fatty is going off to closed door cultivation, perhaps it is the opportune time to do what I promised Sis, to return to the Heaven’s Expanse Palace. I wonder how Bing’er’s closed door cultivation has been going… if she is out, I will need to explain everything to her clearly. But… perhaps I need to wait until the annual war with the WanShou Empire is over… otherwise how could I just leave like this?

…

The next morning, after a day of rest, Zhou Weiqing had just recovered his ability to move. As discussed, he gathered all the officers and leaders of the Peerless Battalion to the command tent for a meeting.

Shangguan Fei’er, Hua Feng, Wei Feng, Lin TianAo, all the various Main Company Leaders were there, with the addition of the two new Tribe Leaders of the Gold Crow and Berserker Tribes who had just joined them.

“Battalion Commander Zhou, how are your injuries?” Lowering his head to enter the tent, the Tribe Leader Ma Long’s resonant voice rang out loud.

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: “No problems, no problems. Thanks so much for Tribe Leader Ma’s concern, it was just a few minor injuries.” This was after all an official meeting of the Peerless Battalion, and he naturally would not address Ma Long as Uncle Ma like he did personally.

At the side, Shangguan Fei’er pursed her lips slightly upon hearing his words. With his wounds yesterday, he still called it minor injuries?

Ma Long laughed and said: “That’s good to hear. You all have truly opened my eyes yesterday! Battalion Commander Zhou, your Peerless Battalion is indeed unique, no wonder that little brat Ma Qun has such great esteem for you all. If not for your timely aid yesterday, both our tribes might be in critical danger…”

Zhou Weiqing said seriously: “Tribe Leaders Ma Long and Hong Yu, since you both have trusted us enough to actually migrate your entire Tribes here, how could we possibly stand by and do nothing when you run into danger? That is our responsibility.”

At this point, everyone had reached. Hong Yu had a similar character with Ma Long, frank and straightforward. All of sudden, she asked solemnly: “Battalion Commander Zhou, may I know how you are planning on arranging our Tribesmen?” This was the question that both she and Ma Long were most curious about. Choosing to migrate their entire Tribes to seek Zhou Weiqing, it was mostly because the Fei Li Empire were just trying to squeeze too much out of them, and their lives were just too difficult… even the survival and continued lineage of their tribes was starting to be a problem. Otherwise, who would be willing to leave their homeland?

Towards Hong Yu’s question, Zhou Weiqing had long expected it and was fully ready for it. With a faint smile, he said: “Tribe Leaders, regarding the Gold Crow and Berserker Tribes, this is my plan. I’m sure that both Ma Qun and Crow have already told both of you my current situation, and I also have nothing to hide. I am a man whose homeland has been conquered… the Heavenly Bow Empire is my homeland, and it had been destroyed by the Bai Da Empire. The reason I have formed this Peerless Battalion is mainly to return to my homeland to restore it, to defeat the conquering enemies and recapture my Empire.”

“Perhaps, our current numbers might not seem like much. However, I have always believed that for an army, the most important thing is quality, not quantity. With our Peerless Battalion’s power, I believe that recovering my homeland is not just a foolish dream, but a definite possibility in the future. I can promise both of you that once I successfully recover my homeland, and restore the Heavenly Bow Empire, then I will open up a section of fertile lands for the Berserker and Gold Crow Tribes to be your territory, and both your Tribes will be my Heavenly Bow Empire’s honoured Guardian Tribes.”

Ma Long furrowed his brow and said: “Battalion Commander Zhou, I am indeed highly interested in your terms. However, all of that is extremely far in the future. Your Heavenly Bow Empire has been destroyed by the Bai Da Empire, and we know very well what the Bai Da Empire is like, especially since we are from the Fei Li Empire. No matter what, it will not be an easy task to restore your Empire. I understand what you mean, and we are willing to fight on behalf of your Peerless Battalion. However, we also need to know how our Tribes will survive… how many of us will be left alive by the time you succeed in restoring your Homeland and are able to fulfil your promise to us.”

Ma Long’s worries were also shared by Hong Yu. Although both of them had already accepted and approved of Zhou Weiqing in their hearts, they were after all Leaders of their Tribes, and they had to consider the futures of all their tribesmen. They could not make any decisions easily without full thought and clarity into the entire situation.

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: “I have previously considered and laboured over the very same concerns that the two Tribe Leaders have brought up. Both of you can rest assured that I have already come up with an appropriate series of methods to deal with everything. How about this, each of your Tribes will contribute a thousand warriors; this number should be within acceptable confines for both of you. As for these two thousand warriors, their training, equipment, including their Consolidated Equipment and Stored Skills, all costs for that will be borne by our Peerless Battalion.”