Chapter 304: Mister Taijia!
Chapter 304: Mister Taijia!
"But since it is Brother Jiang and Brother Chai who are asking me for this favor, I can let him go. However, not now." Just when the duo thought that they would have to return in failure, Wang Chong suddenly changed his tone, giving them a spark of hope.
"May I know when does Brother Wang intend to let Abutong go?" Jiang Feng and Chao Zhiyi were delighted to hear those words. In truth, they didn't think that Wang Chong would accede to their request in the first place, and the reason why they headed over was due to the overwhelming pressure heaped upon them.
"Soon. When the timing is ripe, I'll naturally let him go," Wang Chong said calmly.
"May I know if he can be released by today?" Jiang Feng tried to sound Wang Chong out.
Wang Chong nodded in affirmation.
"Thank you, Brother Wang!" Jiang Feng and Chai Zhiyi immediately thanked Wang Chong profusely. To say the truth, they didn't want to do this dirty job. The Wang Clan was one of the powers which the Jiang Clan and Chai Clan were actively trying to strengthen their ties with, and matters like this could easily sour their relationship.
But the person who requested this matter of them was simply too influential.
Thus, they were already gladdened by the fact that Wang Chong was willing to let Abutong go today. As for the rest, they couldn't be bothered with it.
After all, the ones suffering wasn't them. Why should they?
"Brother Jiang and Brother Chai, why don't you sit down and have a cup of a tea as well?" Wang Chong flicked two empty Yixing teacups over.
"Hahaha, I would love to!"
"It's rare that Wang gongzi is treating us to a cup of a tea, how can we possibly turn down this offer?"
With hearty laughs, the duo caught the teacups and took a seat. The tension on their faces alleviated slightly.
As members of prestigious clans, they would often be forced into situations beyond their control. Take, for example, the incident with the Duke of Liu Residence. In order to save Su Hanshan's little sister, he now owed a favor to the latter.
Thus, if the Duke of Liu Residence were to request help, the Wang Clan would not be in a position to turn them down.
This reciprocation was a common practice among prestigious clans. Having grown up in the circle, Wang Chong was well-versed in such matters.
After putting aside Abutong's matter, the atmosphere among the group grew relatively happy. Jiang Feng and Chai Zhiyi also expressed their interest to join the group.
Unwittingly, several hours passed.
------
"You brat, you sure know how to enjoy yourself!"
A deep and lively voice suddenly sounded by everyone's years. Following which, with loud metallic clanging sounds, the armored Zhao Qianqiu and Zhou Huang strode into the room.
"Brat, you have had your fun already. It should be time for you to hand him over, right?" Zhao Qianqiu walked directly to the table, took a teacup from Wang Chong, and gulped down a cup of tea.
"Haha, is Instructor Zhao here under someone's request?" Wang Chong chuckled as he watched Zhao Qianqiu pour himself yet another cup of tea leisurely.
"What nonsense are you spouting? If not for me, the other instructors in the training camp would have trampled this manor of yours already!" Zhao Qianqiu raised his hand and smacked the back of Wang Chong's head.
He had learned of the conflict between Wang Chong and Abutong relatively late because someone had intentionally hidden the news from him.
And when Wang Chong gained the upper hand, someone else intentionally made the entire matter known to him. Zhao Qianqiu was no fool, and he immediately realized what was going on.
On one hand, Zhao Qianqiu felt a little frustrated. Those bastards were simply going too far. This was a training camp that the Sage Emperor was keeping an eye on, and yet they still dared to cause trouble here.
On the other, Zhao Qianqiu was also displeased. This was the first time that there was such a huge conflict among the recruits, and if he were to let this matter rest easily, he would be going too easy on them.
At the same time, leniency would only promote the reoccurrence of such incidences.
Thus, he was determined to teach the perpetrators a heavy lesson!
On this aspect, Zhao Qianqiu and Wang Chong were of the same mind. Thus, Zhao Qianqiu tapped into his authority to interfere in this matter.
King Qi might possess vast influence, but this was limited to beyond the training camp. Even the Bureau of Military Personnel couldn't stretch their hands in here. However, Zhao Qianqiu was different.
The lord behind the training camps was his direct superior. Zhao Qianqiu could simply find that superior of his to suppress this entire matter.
Since Abutong was the one who caused this matter, he had to be punished firmly so as to serve as a deterrence to others.
As such, Zhao Qianqiu actually supported Wang Chong's actions.
"Brat, there is a limit to what you can do. It's about time already, so let him go," Zhao Qianqiu said.
Despite the strict orders against instructors getting too close with recruits, Zhao Qianqiu still enjoyed Wang Chong's company. Somehow, the latter's personality seemed to suit his preferences.
"Xu Qi, you heard Instructor Zhao's words. Take Abutong down!" Wang Chong gestured, and with a chuckle, Xu Qi and a few others immediately stepped forth to free Abutong from the tall pole.
With this, this matter could be considered to have come to an end. However, this was just the beginning of Abutong's humiliation.
"Let's go!" Xu Qi, along with Nie Yan and Gao Feng, left by the side door.
Seeing that Abutong was finally allowed to leave the Deflecting Blade Manor, Jiang Feng and Chai Zhiyi heaved a sigh of relief.
"Brat, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Let's play a game first..."
Right after Xu Qi left, Zhao Qianqiu immediately whipped out a Go chessboard from his sleeves and slammed it on the table.
"Sure, how can I possibly dare to disobey the words of Instructor Zhao?" Wang Chong smiled.
After losing five rounds to Wang Chong consecutively that day, he had become addicted to challenging Wang Chong. Thus, whenever he had time, he would visit the Deflecting Blade Manor and grab Wang Chong for a match.
Zhou Huang was the same as well.
The rules of the training camp dictated that ordinary recruits couldn't leave the training camp freely. Zhao Qianqiu's help was required to grant this privilege to Xu Qi, Nie Yan, Gao Feng, and the others. As such, Wang Chong sat down and played a round with him.
Nevertheless, the disparity in abilities was simply too great.
In just less than half a tea's time, Zhao Qianqiu was completely crushed.
------
Kacha!
A streak of light flashed across space, and thorny vines with the thickness of an infant's arm were sliced across. A gray-robed elder with cold eyes stood up amidst shrubs.
With his sharp eyes and sudden movements, the elder felt like a snake prowling the grounds, waiting to strike at its prey.
An aura of danger lurked around him, warning others to keep clear.
Gazing at the vast mountain filled with trees and thorns, the elder asked, "Mister Taijia, is this really the place in your divination?"
"There's no mistake. A hunch suddenly came to me half a month ago, so I spent some time divining, and this was the result I got. Under normal circumstances, it is definitely impossible to divine this far. Even seers of equivalent prowess to me will only have a one in a thousand chance after repeated divinations to zone in on this location."
Behind the elder stood a dignified and scholarly daoist, who wore a white robe with a Taiji symbol in front.
The daoist's long hair was held in place with a purple hairpin, and in his left hand was a unique gold dual-layered compass. He was currently standing above a boulder as he formed seals with his right hands, seemingly divining something ceaselessly as he surveyed the surroundings.
"The malicious aura is growing stronger as we advance. 'A blessed land concealed within malicious, an earth dragon veiled amidst nature', this geographical terrain is shaped after the famous Yin-Yang Facade. The only way to determine the true nature of this region is to travel here, or else even the best of seers will find it hard to divine the presence of a spirit vein here."
"The malicious aura has the attribute of yin whereas the spirit vein has the attribute of yang. This is a rare Complementation of Yin-Yang! I am certain that we're getting closer and closer to our destination," the daoist holding onto the compass said.
“A purple hairpin to determine one's destiny, two geomantic compasses to crush Yin-Yang.” If Wang Chong was here, he would surely recognize the daoist present here as the famous Mister Taijia of the capital.
Among Yin-Yang practitioners who divulged the secrets of the heaven, Mister Taijia was one of the most esteemed figures in the field.
Many had heard of his affairs, but very few knew him.
Furthermore, he was under the direct command of the royal family.
"Mister Taijia, I know not of divination, I work only for the welfare of the Third Prince. I believe that you should know how highly His Highness thinks of this matter. If there's indeed a huge spirit vein in the deep mountains, it'll definitely become an invaluable support to the His Highness's goals. Thus, I hope that you won't disappoint His Highness," the gray-robed elder said.
"Phantom Hands, don't worry. It's impossible for there to be any mistakes in my divination. Let's proceed ahead, I'll bring you to the secret spirit vein that no one knows of," Mister Taijia replied confidently.
The elder known as Phantom Hands nodded silently. With a wave of his hands, the yellow-robed guards that came along with them began paving the way once more.
The journey was plagued with thorns, poisonous insects, venomous worms, and ferocious beasts.
It was already their third day on the mountain, but regardless of whether it was the unfathomable elder known as Phantom Hands, the seer that many addressed as Mister Taijia, or the powerful-looking guards who clearly came from a distinguished background, none uttered a word of complaint at all.
Standing within the expansive mountain range, the group trudged forward like an insignificant group of ants, searching for their goal.
Just as everyone was fatigued by the journey, Mister Taijia abruptly pointed forward while gazing at his compass, and he exclaimed with a particularly excited tone, "I have found it! It is right in front!"
The compass in his left hand was trembling far more than it had throughout the journey.
Upon hearing those words, the crowd was revitalized, and immediately paved the way with greater vigor.
Kacha!
When last few thorny vines and trees were knocked apart, the sight before them abruptly opened up. Standing beneath a few large trees, they saw a verdant mountain of several hundred zhang tall towering right before them, like a resting colossal dragon. A primordial aura drifted in the surroundings.
Even if Mister Taijia didn't say anything at this point, everyone could feel the heightened concentration of spiritual energy in the air.
Under a slight breeze carrying the concentrated spiritual energy, the gray-robed elder shuddered in comfort, and he found his fatigue being washed away.
"Wonderful!" the elder trembled in excitement. They had spent four days trudging arduously through the wilderness, but their diligence had paid off.
Finally, they had found the treasure hidden in the mountain range.
With this unprecedentedly immense spirit vein, the Third Prince's plight would surely improve greatly. He would be able to attract and groom even more experts, thus giving him more leverage in the fight against the other princes.
"Mister Taijia, you have truly contributed greatly to us this time around! His Highness will surely be delighted to learn of this!"
The voice of the agitated Phantom Hands was slightly higher than usual.
"Hurry up and send a messenger to inform His Highness of this matter-"
But before Phantom Hands could finish his words, a shocked exclamation sounded in the air.
"How could this be?"
"Lord, look over there. How can there be houses over here?"
The royal guards pointed to the peak of the mountain and uttered in astonishment.
Phantom Hands, along with the exhausted Mister Taijia, immediately jolted in shock. They hurriedly lifted their gazes in the direction the guard was pointing at.
Hong long!
Unfolding before their flabbergasted gazes were several majestic golden palaces rising amidst the clouds.
As though lightning had struck him, Phantom Hands froze.
Dumbfounded, Mister Taijia didn't even realize that he had dropped the golden dual-layered geomantic compass in his hands.
How could this be?
This was the only thought that filled Mister Taijia's mind in this very moment.