HSSB119: How to chase the leaders?
The words on the screen of water vanished, while also not expressly allowing Yan Zhaoge in.
Still, staring at the gap that had opened within the water barrier, Ah Hu was left dumbstruck.
With a calm, serious expression on his face, Yan Zhaoge bowed towards the faraway screen of water, “We thank senior apprentice-aunt Fu.”
Then, he walked towards the doorway that had opened up for them within the screen of water.
Still a little stunned, it was completely based on reflex that Ah Hu followed behind Yan Zhaoge.
It was quite a while before he finally regained his wits, “Young Master, how exactly did you do it?”
Yan Zhaoge snapped his fingers, “Upon seeing junior apprentice-sister Feng, senior apprentice-aunt Fu was unable to grasp the profundities behind her Extreme Yin Physique gradually recuperating. Unable to resist, she just had to let us in.”
Ah Hu stared blankly, “As simple as that?”
Yan Zhaoge shrugged, “This is just how senior apprentice-aunt Fu is as a person; as opposed to face, she is more concerned about such stuff.”
“Moreover, she’s not actually directly angry at me; I’m also not my father ah.”
His hands behind his back, Yan Zhaoge walked neither urgently nor slowly, “Of course, senior apprentice-aunt Fu is also a person who changes her face faster than flipping the pages of a book. When the mystery has been unravelled, who knows that she won’t personally throw me out again.”
Ah Hu shrunk back his head, “Young Master, please try to keep something in reserve; if you are thrown out, I’d surely suffer the same fate too.”
As the two talked, walking on the water, they had already arrived at the centre of the lake.
Under the massive pavilion formed of the white clouds was a small island, the sky above it completely enveloped by those very white clouds.
On the peak of a hill on the island, Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing were currently standing by the side. Before them was a woman garbed in green, currently silently looking over downwards.
The age of this woman was somewhat hard to determine; she looked to be in her early twenties, whilst also seeming like she was in her thirties.
Her features were beautiful, not inferior to that of Sikong Qing and Feng Yunsheng in the least.
From her bearing cultivated over time, looking over at this moment, she actually even seemed superior to the two younger girls in terms of appearance.
Walking up the hill and seeing this woman, Yan Zhaoge immediately went up and bowed, “Senior apprentice-aunt Fu.”
This woman was naturally Fu Enshu. Her expression appeared normal, from which it was completely impossible to tell how she had refused Yan Zhaoge entry and forced him to remain outside earlier.
“I’m very pleased with them; I’ll be taking them both as apprentices. On the registration book over at the clan, they can be recorded as direct disciples.”
Fu Enshu’s first words upon meeting Yan Zhaoge was to express her satisfaction towards Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing.
Looking at Feng Yunsheng, Yan Zhaoge saw that many emotions seemed to be welling up within her right now, but most of it spoke of her firm determination.
Having the hope of rising up once more, to the Feng Yunsheng who had endured more than a fair share of hardship before this, grabbing hold of the chance before her was the most important thing.
Speaking of it, although having entered Broad Creed Mountain, her identity was kept secret, with most not knowing of her true origins, only thinking of her as a talent the clan had come by inadvertently, when the news of her being promoted to a core, direct disciple eventually spread, it would probably make quite a controversy.
After all, she had entered the clan for but half a year, then ascended into the heavens with a single step.
The Sikong Qing beside her was also someone who had been in the clan for many years and gone through much tempering before being able to arrive at where she was today.
Looking at Sikong Qing, Yan Zhaoge saw that within her clear gaze could also be seen joy as well as anticipation.
Towards Feng Yunsheng, she was not dissatisfied in the least.
She was one of the few who knew about Feng Yunsheng’s Extreme Yin Physique, but towards the Extreme Yin Physique, she actually didn’t really care about it.
To Sikong Qing, what was more important was the outstanding talent the other party displayed in the area of the martial dao.
Swivelling her head over to glance at Feng Yunsheng, Fu Enshu said, “According to her, she met with an accident previously, with the Extreme Yin energy within her body completely drying up as a result.”
“But now, it has already recovered quite a lot.”
Fu Enshu’s words were speedy as consecutive shooting bullets, “How did you do it? Yunsheng said you used a golden needle acupuncture technique to stimulate her already dried up Extreme Yin arteries and veins.”
“I can also detect that on your golden needles were applied the grease of the seed of the Concealed Visibility Grass. However, the gold needle acupuncture technique should be something special.”
Smiling slightly, similarly pretending that the earlier matter had never transpired, Yan Zhaoge said, “It is indeed like that. I will demonstrate; may senior apprentice-aunt guide me.”
Saying, thus, he came before Feng Yunsheng and did a demonstration.
Just after watching that first needle of his, Fu Enshu was already nodding slowly, “So it was like this.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled as he kept his needle, secretly sending a sound transmission over to Feng Yunsheng, “How is it, the feeling of finally having met someone who speaks even faster than you?”
Although she was before Fu Enshu, Feng Yunsheng blinked, replying, “While master says ten lines, I can say eight. There’s a difference, but it’s not unsurpassable.”
Yan Zhaoge drew back the corners of his mouth, “Nice, aspirations indeed!”
Now, Fu Enshu turned over to look at Yan Zhaoge, directly asking, “I’ve heard from the clan that you want to be placed in charge of the cultivation of Yunsheng’s Extreme Yin energy?”
“You will naturally be overseeing her martial cultivation, senior apprentice-aunt,” Yan Zhaoge candidly met Fu Enshu’s gaze, “However, I indeed have some thoughts about her training as a Maiden of Extreme Yin, with winning the Extreme Yin Crown as a goal.”
Fu Enshu said, “From your acupuncture, I can tell that you indeed have quite the expertise in this area.”
“So, tell me your thoughts.”
Of Broad Creed Mountain’s higher echelon experts, it had always been Fu Enshu preparing for the grooming of their future Maiden of Extreme Yin; she was the one with the greatest authority on the topic.
It was fine earlier when Fu Enshu had yet to leave seclusion, but now that she had, she naturally had to appraise how much knowledge Yan Zhaoge truly had in the area.
After all, the matter of Maidens of Extreme Yin was a very significant one, not allowing for any mistakes to be made whatsoever.
Yan Zhaoge said neither hurriedly nor slowly, “First is helping junior apprentice-sister Feng to regain her Extreme Yin Physique. Other than golden needle acupuncture, I also planned to find a precious land of solitary yin also containing solitary yang for her.”
“I have set my eyes on the Mountain Domain’s Cloud Portent Mountain, on one hand to manage our relationship with Infinite Boundless Mountain, and on the other for junior apprentice-sister Feng’s recovery.”
“Other than that, I have also researched a medicinal bath for her to use then, with the help of all these factors, aiding junior apprentice-sister Feng’s recovery.”
Here, Yan Zhaoge paused momentarily, “As for after junior apprentice-sister Feng’s recovery, with her returning to cultivation as per normal, I naturally have some thoughts on this; I believe you, senior apprentice-aunt Fu, do too.”
“However, a problem that we must face is: junior apprentice-sister Feng lost a few years of her time, only just having managed to get back on track, with Meng Wan and the others meanwhile already far ahead of her.”
“Her opponents won’t stay stagnant waiting for us; on the contrary, the one who obtains the Extreme Yin Crown will only improve at a higher rate.”
“Under such circumstances, what should junior apprentice-sister Feng do to catch up to them?”
Yan Zhaoge spread out his palms, “At the end of the day, it is not like having a Maiden of Extreme Yin would mean that all is right with the world. Our clan finally having obtained a Maiden of Extreme Yin only gives us the qualification to participate in the Extreme Yin Bout, not having to sit on the sidelines like we do every year. Still, if we end up continually ‘accompanying the Crown Prince in his reading’ in the future, acting as accompaniment, then having a Maiden of Extreme Yin would be as good as not having one.”
“Grooming a Maiden of Extreme Yin, participating in the Extreme Yin Bout; it’s all to win the Extreme Yin Crown!”
Feng Yunsheng nodded gently by the side; this was actually the real crux of the matter.
Herself regaining her Extreme Yin Physique, would merely be the beginning.
Fu Enshu looked at Yan Zhaoge. As compared to Feng Yunsheng regaining her Extreme Yin Physique, this was actually also the true problem that made her head hurt.
If there was no Feng Yunsheng, if Broad Creed Mountain was lucky and could find a Maiden of Extreme Yin for themselves, they could also groom her from scratch.
However, having fallen behind the other Sacred Grounds these past few years, how could they make up for this gap and contend with them?
Having researched on the cultivation of Extreme Yin Energy these past few years, Fu Enshu was completely confident that if she was given a Maiden of Extreme Yin and the same starting point, her disciple would definitely not be any worse than those of the other Sacred Grounds.
However, if they wanted to chase the leaders, the difficulty of this would be immense.
Fu Enshu knit her brows slightly, “What you mean is; you have a plan?”