Chapter 60: Old Dugu. The Medallion of Gratitude

On the other eight tables, dishes and wine were served on their tiny surfaces; even the goblets were filled.

Yun Yang sat down alone with his head lowered.

He ate a mouthful of the dish and then drank another mouthful of wine, not speaking a word.

Old Dugu sat at a corner looking at the eight empty seats, looking at the dishes and wine served on the eight tiny tables. After looking for a while, he slowly closed his eyes.

Two tracks of tears streamed down silently.

...

"I found a place." Supreme Blood's voice was ecstatic. "We can go drink there."

"Where is it? Is it reliable?"

"Of course! Besides, the old man there only knows how to make one dish, that is the Chinese cabbage tofu. It is absolutely the best!"

"Only Chinese cabbage tofu?"

"Only Chinese cabbage tofu."

"Then we must go try it out."

...

"Not bad indeed. Big brother, let us all go next time."

"Alright."

"That old man's personality is peculiar; his business is terrible and there aren't many people who visit. When we go, we can pay him more too."

"Alright."

...

"Last night's drinking was gratifying."

"Me too. I feel very relaxed going to that small shop. I haven't felt this way for a long time!"

"Ol'nine seems to have gotten drunk last night."

"Everyone, please be understanding. Ol'nine is still a child, he doesn't know anything yet. His hair isn't fully grown, and he tries to drink?"

"Hahaha!"

"You're the child! Your whole family are all children! You're the one whose hair hasn't fully grown!"

"And yours has? Show us!"

"Hahaha..."

...

Yun Yang drank goblet by goblet as bits and pieces of his memories rushed into his mind. His memory of each incident was so clear as if all eight brothers were still sitting at their own seats, drinking and looking at the other brothers silently.

Each of them was still happy and content.

The fragrance of the wine and dishes merged together as if the souls of the nine brothers had melded together as well.

Yun Yang drank another gulp of wine. Suddenly, a pang of sadness squeezed through his heart as he coughed and choked all at once.

"Cough, cough, cough..." He covered his mouth and lowered his head deeply, coughing endlessly as the tears dropped from his eyes bead by bead.

It was a long while later when his coughing stopped.

In his heart, he had already reported his discoveries during this period of time to his brothers, "I'm doing it, I'm doing it! Have you fellows seen it?"

...

"Old Dugu, where will you go?" Yun Yang's voice was low and dull.

"I don't know either," Old Dugu said blearily.

"Come to my house." Yun Yang said, "My residence is extremely lacking in manpower."

"No." Old Dugu looked at the back of Yun Yang who was half laying on the table lovingly, like an elderly looking at his weakened son who could no longer bear the heavy weight on his shoulders. He continued in his coarse voice, "I have things to do as well..."

Yun Yang said in a daze, "Yes... we have things to do..."

After a long while, Yun Yang finally stood up, looking at the tiny tables longingly, looking at the eight dishes and wine that remained untouched; he could barely contain the sorrow in his heart as he closed his eyes and said in a raspy voice, "I will be leaving now."

Looking at Yun Yang's back that vanished after turning a corner, Old Dugu's remained sitting there for a long time. The midnight breeze caressed his wrinkled face, the lines on his face were like the etches of better times that had passed.

"Child... you're too worn out..." Old Dugu murmured soundlessly, "Blood... is my only family... I picked the little fellow back from his swaddled blanket in the middle of the snow storm, watched him grow up day by day, watched him achieve merits and contribute to the nation day by day. In the end... I've received such news in return..."

"Thankfully there is at least still one left..."

Old Dugu's expression gradually changed. "Since there is still someone left, I am relieved as well. I am going to do what I should have done. A blood debt... how can I not requite it!"

His sight turned sharp, like two strikes of lightning that sliced through the night sky, and his hunched figure by the door of the shop straightened.

Boom!

A soundless aura poured in a large gush. Behind him, the entire shop, including the tables and chairs, the kitchen utensils, and the whole house, turned into powder without a single squeak.

Then with a spin of his body, his entire being vanished as if melted into the air.

Yun Yang walked on the street, a depressing gloom was all that loomed over him.

Can't I go to the shop anymore after this last time?

In front of him, a faint shadow of a person suddenly appeared before his eyes. The person looked as if he was standing amidst a cloud of fog, he could not be seen clearly. Yun Yang could only see a vague outline.

"Young one, here is a gift for you." This blurry silhouette said and with a wave of his hand, Yun Yang felt something was placed in his robe.

He called out into the night, "Old Dugu?" He could detect the scent of oil and smoke.

Could it be that this Old Dugu was actually an otherworldly expert?

The blurry silhouette did not reply, disappearing into thin air with a swoosh, leaving nothing behind.

Yun Yang lifted his head and looked around. There were only blinking stars and the bright moon in the sky. Had there been a blurry silhouette at all?

His extended his hand into his robe and took the item out, dumbfounded when he saw what it was.

It was a metal plaque, dark red all over.

In the middle was a word etched, "Gratitude".

It was made of Nine heavens mystical steel, a dictum to requite gratitude!

Yun Yang was shocked.

This was a kingly gift!

The Medallion of Gratitude!

There had been an otherworldly swordsman in the martial arts world who had mined steel of the nine heavens and the refined essence of deep ocean to forge three secret weapons that were called the Dictum of Soul Pursuer!

However, his swordsmanship had improved to the point where it was peerless. The Dictum of Soul Pursuer had become useless by then - a man and his sword was enough to run the world, why else would he need secret weapons?

Therefore, he remade the three secret weapons into the three Medallions of Gratitude.

There were three people who had helped him tremendously or had saved his life; he had subsequently given the medallions to them.

The meaning was clear, "As long as the Medallion of Gratitude reaches me, I will do one thing for you as recompense - regardless of what it is!"

Regardless what it is - four very heavy words!

No one knew who he had given them to but among the three Medallions of Gratitude, the return of two medallions had wreaked havoc on the world.

One of the medallion's return had the Empire of Ziyou's His Highness the crown prince, alongside his guards in the Residence of Crown Prince, aides, advisors, concubines, maids, eunuch - a total of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight people - dead under the sword of this swordsman.

The return of another Medallion of Gratitude had the School of Slashing Saber uprooted - everyone after the school's master in the most powerful clan of the martial arts world at that time were all slaughtered.

It was a grand total of three thousand people who had lost their lives for just being in the school.

Until now, the remaining survivors from the School of Slashing Sabers dared not address themselves as members of the said school in the martial arts world.

After the swordsman had killed the crown prince of Ziyou, the Empire of Ziyou had sent countless experts to capture him but he had remained unharmed. Instead, those sent to pursue him had all died under his sword with no exception.

It was from then on that this swordsman was called the Unrivaled Swordsman!

Jun Moyan was his name.

He crosses thousands of mountains in black clothes and wields a black blade, this sword is in the hands of Jun Moyan;he overlooks the worldly matters from above the clouds, the return of the Medallion of Gratitude shakes the heaven and earth.

Two of the three Medallions of Gratitude had been returned. This also meant that the Medallion of Gratitude in Yun Yang's hands was the one and only piece in this world!

With this medallion, he could summon the Unrivaled Swordsman Jun Moyan once!

Regardless of what his need was.

Yun Yang sucked in a breath and turned around in a quick sprint.

Who was this Old Dugu? How had he come to possess such an earth-shattering item?

However, this gift was too much to accept; Yun Yang dared not receive it with the weight it bore.

Yet when he had returned to where the alehouse had stood, he only saw a floor covered with powder.

There was not even scum where the alehouse had been; only powder as fine as sand was left covering the ground in a thick layer.

On the wall by the side, a piece of paper was tacked onto it with the shiny kitchen knife.

It was an empty piece of white paper.

With a command from his heart, Yun Yang grabbed onto the spiritual Qi in the air and soaked the paper with it. A row of handwriting surfaced on it slowly, "Do not look for me! My son has died, someone has to pay the price. Be at Yutang, I will go Dongxuan, Ziyou, Tianci, and Dayuan."

Laid within the handwriting was a great and murderous intent.

Yun Yang shuddered.

My son has died!

My son.

Who?

He thought of Supreme Blood who had always made a fuss to come here every time and who was always happy whenever this place was mentioned. This place had been discovered by Supreme Blood as well.

This is Supreme Blood's father! My brother's father.

This aged father had quietly looked over his children here, right at this old shabby alehouse, to this day. Even if he had otherworldly skills, he had lived on poorly.

That was because he knew that as long as he was here, his son could find him.

His children would have a home.

Each time he cooked for his children, his heart was filled with happiness. He needed not the instability of the martial arts world, he needed not renowned reputation. He had only wanted to see his children safe.

He had been waiting here when the whole world had announced the death of the Nine Supremes, he was still waiting for a slim hope; he had waited for one long year.

Finally, Yun Yang had arrived.

The old man could be completely eased of his worries now, yet he had also completely given up hope!

The moment Yun Yang asked him to serve dishes and wine to the other eight tables, he knew his child was really gone.

He knew not who this remaining one was, who among the nine people he was but he would never ask. A secret shall remain a secret. The children's secrets were also his secrets!

He had left immediately after he was sure he had seen one of them, one with his real face.

He was going to exact revenge.

This trip he was going on would be full of uncertainties and bloodied fights but he would not return anymore - because his heart had died.

He had left Medallion of Gratitude before he left.

Keeping the Medallion of Gratitude with me would at most kill a few more people but keeping it with this child could unleash an unimaginable force. Besides, let it be an amulet for my child from me!

I shall tell Jun Moyan that I've given the Medallion of Gratitude to this child.

With the Medallion of Gratitude from the Unrivaled Swordsman on him, who would dare touch my child?

"Uncle!" Yun Yang's heart was trembling fiercely. He suddenly growled to the sky, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

He then collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming like a gushing spring.

If only he had known earlier, that this was his brother's father...

I yearn for a family too. Even if you're my brother's father, you're my father too... Why have you never said so?

Why didn't you stay? I could have been a filial son!

Even if it was revenge, couldn't we have achieved it together?

...

At the South gate of Tiantang City, a grey blurry shadow had flown as if riding on a cloud out from the city gate to the outside of the city amidst the night fog and through the air.

He inhaled deeply and turned to look back.

Tiantang City stood proudly in the velvet night, magnificent and unmoved.

"My child, take care."

He sighed lightly and made his way towards the distance, his body hunched over.

On the opposite, a tall black clothed silhouette had rushed over flying from further away in the night. Both men met head on.

A sense of extreme danger rose in Marquis Yun's heart as if he had suddenly met an enemy who would be difficult to overcome. This person was filled with a terrible rage and emanated an aggressive, destructive, and explosive aura.

He was like a volcano waiting to erupt.

Marquis Yun could not help but shudder as he looked towards the elderly man with a hunched back in front of him.

When Old Dugu's bleary eyes met Marquis Yun's face, he actually smiled and said gently, "Take care!"

His body then sprung from the ground into the air and disappeared with a thunderclap, leaving not a single trace behind.

Marquis Yun was sweating cold bullets. It was at this moment that he finally knew who this person was.

Shocking thunder quakes the sky, thunderbolts follow wherever he goes; the name of Dugu is a lonesome one in the worldly realm!

Dugu Jimo, a matchless expert that was just like a myth - why did he suddenly come out from Tiantang City? When was he even in Tiantang City?

And he told me to "take care!"

What does that mean?