Chapter 38: As Busy as a Marketplace!
The Old Marshal looked down at his own hand, unable to fathom what had just happened.
His table, which had been made of solid jade, was a gift from His Majesty the Emperor and was considered a treasured gem. How could it have shattered with just a slap? Even if he had slapped it using his entire cultivation base, it still should not have shattered into such fine particles! At most, it would have just developed cracks.
Yet how could he explain the sight in front of him?
His Majesty the Emperor could not have done this, and as for Yun Yang... The Old Marshal was certain that his cultivation base had not yet achieved the first heaven of mystical Qi and that the fellow had not even crossed the first peak. To turn this jade dining table into fine dust while maintaining its shape without anyone noticing was just plain impossible.
"This is sheer madness..."
The corners of the old marshal's lips curled up in amazement, he sincerely believed that this could be constituted as one of the wonders of the world!
...
When Yun Yang got home, Lao Mei looked bemused and even Fang Mofei wore a strange expression on his face.
"Young master, ever since you went out today, our residence has been plagued by a constant stream of guests." Lao Mei had to tone his grin down a notch. This was the first time in his three years in the Residence of Yun that it had gotten as busy as a noisy marketplace, with an endless tide of people coming and going.
"Who were they?"
"Ling Family, Ma Family, Qin Family... all seven young masters had people sent over. Among them, the young masters from the Family of Ling, Ma, and Qin had come personally while the others had men coming over, bearing a multitude of gifts."
"Certainly. What else?"
"The young masters of East, South, West, and North all came today as well." This practically covered the eleven families who had appeared today.
"Yes, yes."
"Furthermore, there were six or seven... beautiful ladies who came bringing their guards and maids. They looked rather put out when the knew that the young master wasn't in." Lao Mei looked at his young master with a mystified air, unable to comprehend all of these.
Since when was his young master such a ladies' man for so many beautiful ladies to come to their residence just to pay him a visit?
Yun Yang pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly massaged the spot with two fingers as he asked, "Are they all gone?"
"They are all gone. Young Master Dong Tianleng came by to wait here the entire afternoon. He only just left not too long ago, heaving deep sighs to himself." Lao Mei said.
"There's no need to bother about him." Yun Yang felt it was a wise decision to hide outside for the whole day. So many people had come for him, the continuous efforts at socialization would probably have given him a splitting headache.
"How are you today, Old Fang?"
"Better than yesterday," Fang Mofei replied with a confident now.
"Rightly so." Yun Yang nodded and went to his room reeking of alcohol. However, the moment he entered his room, the smell of spirits and the bewildered look he sported vanished in an instance.
"Meow..."
Meawoo..."
Weak whimpers emanated from the corner of Yun Yang's blanket on his bed. It soon raised itself and four tiny snow-white heads popped out. They looked like a set of quadruple kittens on the outside but their individual mewlings were sufficiently different to set them apart.
All four little critters continued to hide their bodies in the blanket and only their heads showed, eight pairs of glassy eyes looking at Yun Yang.
Yun Yang was overwhelmed by their lovable mannerisms at once.
"Have I not told you little critters a few times by now?" Yun Yang frowned and pulled a long face in front of the three tiny Eclipse Panthers. "Don't go 'meawoo' next time. Say 'meow'. Is that so hard to remember?"
"Meawoo..." The three little beasts looked at Yun Yang as if he was wrong in the head as they mewled once more.
"Alright, you've got me there." Yun Yang smacked his forehead. The three tiny beasts waddled out of the blanket and happily clambered on Yun Yang.
Yun Yang felt an inordinate sense of accomplishment. Eclipse Panthers would normally make sounds that resonated 'ooawoo', rather similar to that of a tiger's, but Yun Yang had already forcefully changed them into 'meawoo'.
He was already halfway there. If he managed to change the other half... these little guys would most probably have caused a commotion in the mystical beast world. They would become Eclipse Panthers that mewled 'meow' like a cat, an utterly groundbreaking feat. Apparently, Yun Yang was steadily making progress on this route.
...
Yun Yang sat down with folded legs and began cultivating. The Endless Divine Art gradually began to flow once more. Yun Yang was intent on breaking through the first peak today! However, even as he began, Yun Yang could already feel a difference in his surroundings..
This time, his meridians seemed to possess an additional load of spiritual Qi. Besides, his mystical Qi had gushed out violently the moment he began cultivating. It was much stronger compared to it's levels this morning! This was normally a situation that could only occur after going through the first peak.
What was going on?
Yun Yang grasped hold of his mystical Qi as he began to charge through his level but strangely, there was no difficulty whatsoever, He had practically gone through without encountering a barrier! Furthermore, the spiritual Qi in his meridians still had the excess energy to push his cultivation base forward a tiny bit beyond after stabling the first level.
Yun Yang's dantian's Qi had only dissipated after he managed to break through the first level. Before he could examine himself, he dived into his subconscious. The excess energy he felt had come from the inside and was definitely not an external force.
Other than Emmie, there was no other possibility. As the surroundings began to gain clarity, Emmie could be seen swaying around happily like it was dancing.
Squinting to take a closer look, he saw that Emmie's fresh green leaves had turned shades darker!
Catching sight of Yun Yang, Emmie got even more excited as it shook once before a fine vine extended towards Yun Yang.
It had even grown its vine now, and it could extend itself to such a great length! Yun Yang was suddenly frightened as he pulled himself out of his subconscious with a 'sha' sound, leaving Emmie's fine vine hanging in midair as it could not react in time.
Why did he leave so fast when he had just gone in?
Yun Yang briskly examined his body to see what he had lost once he came out of his subconscious. Had something by his side been devoured? Shockingly, he did not notice anything missing after checking high and low. Looking at Emmie, it was definite that it had absorbed something of great nourishment. Otherwise, it was impossible to have such a distinct change.
But what had it consumed?
Yun Yang went into his subconscious again. After much threatening, Emmie leaves finally drooped helplessly and projected an image of a table, indicating the item it had devoured earlier.
Yun Yang was dumbfounded upon seeing it.
Was this not the table in Old Marshal Qiu's house that had been made with Cooling Heart Nephrite? He had just dined on that table just now!
It was said that His Majesty the Emperor had taken pity on the Old Marshal who had devoted his entire life to serving the military and had specifically gifted a set of gems to him. The set that included a bed, table, chairs, and cutlery that were all made from Cooling Heart Nephrite. It was the only set of its kind in the entire Empire of Yutang!
Who would have known that the table with magical properties would be consumed in this manner once the Old Marshal had invited him over? Yun Yang was at a loss for words. Looking at the dejected Emmie with its drooping leaves, he did not have the heart to chide it. He could only sigh and try to think of a way to make it up to the Old Marshal in future.
Sigh, it was fortunate that the Old Marshal had not asked him to stay the night, otherwise the bed would have met the same fate!
As Yun Yang's train of thoughts carried him to a logical conclusion, a hint of regret arose, "Why didn't I behave better? If the Old Marshal had asked me to stay the night, then his bed would have been eaten as well!"
...
Throughout the night, Yun Yang cultivated endlessly, turning the excess energy that came from within him into his own. The Endless Divine Art flowed through him in endless loops.
Whatever gem it was, it was still only a gem. There was no external force that could compare to having that force himself! It was only when his meridians felt like exploding that Yun Yang had stopped.
Amidst this process, a tiny shadow came in from outside the window. Yun Yang did not have to open his eyes to know that it was the Eclipse Panther he had sent away for a mission. Seeing that Yun Yang was cultivating when it came back, the panther hopped right into his embrace and stayed there quietly, not returning for the entire night.
The three Eclipse Panthers and the Lightning Cat that had been with Yun Yang all this while stayed obediently by his side, not fighting for a spot in his embrace.
All of them knew that the eldest among them was carrying out its mission outside and was rarely back, thus the best spot had to be reserved for it. After all, they had plenty of chances as they were staying by their master's side the entire time.
It was dawn when the tiny white silhouette made a slow walk around Yun Yang longingly before leaping out of the window again.
...
Yun Yang opened his eyes slowly as a flash of light gleamed through them. One would only see the first heaven after conquering the first peak. One peak would be more difficult than the other. Before breaking the first level, Yun Yang was but a tiny shrimp in a vast ocean. Although he had mastered countless techniques and experience within himself, he could not utilize any of them. However, upon breaking through the first level, he had finally obtained the ability to protect himself, even if it was a weak one.
Moreover, the resilient mystical Qi in his body made him feel utterly rejuvenated!
Yun Yang picked himself up. He was still in high spirits even though he had not slept for the whole night.
A peculiar jade glimmered in his hand. Yun Yang cultivated to activate it and letters began to materialize on the jade's surface;
"Fierce battle broke out in the north of the city during midnight. Four undercover guards dead, thirteen injured; culprit fled bearing heavy injuries. Tracking is in progress."
"No results regarding the assassination of Young Master Yun."
"No results regarding the assassination of Young Master Yun."
"No results. Suspect that the assassin has left Tiantang after missing the target."
...
No results.
Yun Yang's eye gleamed wickedly.
Could the assassin really have left?
Yun Yang sincerely doubted it but he quickly put it the thought away. Since the assassin had accepted the mission, he would not give up that easily and would wait for the opportunity to arise again. That was certainly not a matter of terrible concern.
However, as for the killer who had escaped, that was another matter altogether. He had actually slipped through the exceptional hands of the Residence of Marshal and Yun Yang could only wait for news to arrive before he would find out more.
The more urgent matter that awaited him right now was none other than Dong Tianleng - Young Master Dong, who had been waiting by the door since early morning!
When Yun Yang caught sight of Dong Tianleng, he was astounded. They had only been apart for one day but Dong Tianleng looked completely different now.
"You're..." Yun Yang looked at the wreck in front of him. His eyes were blacker than that of a panda's, his nose crooked and his lips had a two-inch swell; his ears were torn and his face sported various degrees of colors...
In short, he looked nothing like how did yesterday!
"I'm Dong Tianleng..." Dong Tianleng opened his mouth to speak in a agonized tone; he was trying hard to open his swollen eyes that were only slits now. Yun Yang could see that his gums were still bleeding.
"..." Yun Yang was at a loss for words.
He had just left him for a single night. How did he end up looking like he had been walloped by one hundred burly men?
"What is the meaning of this?" Yun Yang looked over at the two guards beside Dong Tianleng. They looked peacefully calm, with not a single sign of injury on them. They did not even seem bothered to see their own young master beaten up to a pulp.
This was remarkably bizarre!
Besides, the Double-Headed Elysian Lion was also missing patches of fur and was bleeding all over its entire body. Judging by its sorry state, it was obvious that it had also been beaten up as well.
Yun Yang did not know what to make of this entire state of affairs.
If they had been in battle, Dong Tianleng's guards would have died before allowing the young master to arrive at such a state but these two men looked perfectly fine and dandy!