“There’s no need to be so formal. You should go on ahead.”
Wang Chong waved his hands and said.
Without saying anything else, Miyasame Ayaka stood up, walked up over to the tree which she was tied at previously, sat down cross-legged, and started cultivating.
Looking at Miyasame Ayaka’s back, Shen Hai and Meng Long shook their heads. The feeling that this female assassin gave them was extremely bizarre, very different from anyone they had encountered before.
It was a moment ago that she was acting so domineering, but at this moment, she was able to utter the word ‘master’ so naturally. Not many in Great Tang were able to do so.
In the Central Plains, there were people who called the one whom they were serving ‘old master’, ‘gongzi‘, and ‘young master’, but very few would use ‘master’.
The stronger a person is, the more arrogant he is, the less likely he will call anyone ‘master’. Yet, such logic didn’t seem to apply to this female assassin.
Wang Chong noticed the confusion of the duo, but he didn’t explain the matter to them.
The culture on the Eastern Islands was very different from Great Tang. Miyasame Ayaka’s actions may be considered as bizarre here in Great Tang, but from her homeland, according to Wang Chong’s knowledge, it was normal.
“Meng Long, there’s no need thinking about such matters. I still have a matter I want to entrust you with.”
Wang Chong suddenly said.
After solving the ‘huge threat’, Miyasame Ayaka, and obtaining this spirit vein, Wang Chong suddenly remembered another matter.
Most of the locations where spirit veins were located had extraordinary geographical terrain.
Wang Chong seemed to recall a huge deposit of superior metal ores in a location not too far away from this spirit vein.
However, while Wang Chong knew of its existence, he didn’t know the exact location of it.
That would require Meng Long to lead a team to search, check, and dig up the potential spots!
The reason why Wang Chong recalled this was because the metal ores in the deposit around this area had extremely high quality, as though they were nourished by the spirit vein, thus making them the ideal material for forging weapons of war.
If he could find this mine, it would be greatly useful to his future goals!
Chapter 135: Descending From the Mountains!
Meng Long quickly scaled down the mountain along with a few guards of the Wang Family Residence. On the other hand, Shen Hai had returned back to the Wang Family Residence to call a few more men over.
Even though his two capable aides had left, leaving him with just a bunch of workers, Wang Chong wasn’t worried in the least. With Li Zhuxin and the newly accepted assassin, Miyasame Ayaka, beside him, there was no need for Wang Chong to worry about any danger.
Regarding Miyasame Ayaka, Wang Chong hadn’t fully trusted her yet, and thus, he only told her a portion of the sutra for resolving the flaws of Spectre Steps.
This incomplete sutra couldn’t make up for the weakness of the Spectre Steps, but it could lighten the damage it had already caused on Miyasame Ayaka’s physical body.
The latter should notice it as soon as she starts cultivating it.
Wang Chong continued to train on his Single Character Consecutive Slash until he had mastered the technique. After which, he started working on Dragon Bone Art once more.
Under the nourishment of the spirit vein, Wang Chong’s progress in the Dragon Bone Art increased swiftly.
Under the effects of the Dragon Bone Art, the bones across Wang Chong’s entire body grew smoother, more durable, compact, and resilient.
This was the effect of the Tiger Bone.
The more powerful one’s bones were, the greater one’s stamina!
The cheetah might run out of strength in just hundred meters, but a tiger could continue pursuing its target ceaselessly.
This was what Wang Chong felt now. The growth of his strength wasn’t apparent cultivating the Dragon Bone Art—it was far from matching up to Might of the Barbaric God—but Wang Chong could sense that something deeper, his stamina and endurance, were gradually improving!
Around half a month later.
Weng!
A mysterious sensation suddenly diffused from the depths of Wang Chong’s body and he jolted. Under the nourishment of the spirit vein, he finally broke through his limit and reached Tiger Bone 2-dan.
A new surge of strength sprouted in his body, and he could feel the bones throughout his body forming one compact and powerful system. It felt as though he could wield explosive strength from any single part of his body anytime he wished.
“So this is Tiger Bone 2-dan!”
Wang Chong opened his eyes and he felt as though his vision had grown much sharper. In the past, he could only see two to three peaks in the distance, but now, five to six peaks appeared in sharp clarity before him.
Furthermore, by focusing, Wang Chong could hear many sounds he had missed out in the past. The effective radius of his hearing had also expanded.
In the distance, a deer atop a boulder pricked its ears as it listened warily to the surroundings. A few birds chirping merrily took off from their nest.
All of these, Wang Chong could hear clearly.
“Upon reaching a certain level of mastery in the Tiger Bone, a martial artist’s sight, hearing, smell, and the other various senses would indeed be heightened!”
Seated on the empty ground, a thought flashed across Wang Chong’s head.
The benefit of this breakthrough wasn’t just limited to his strength. He felt revitalized, as though he had reborn.
But of course, this was a just a feeling. It was impossible to tell from the outside.
“Master!”
Suddenly, a voice sounded. Wang Chong turned around and saw Miyasame Ayaka looking at him with bright eyes. She was still dressed in a tight black suit, and her face was veiled with a black cloth. It seemed like she was already used to this getup.
“What’s wrong?”
Wang Chong asked.
“Master, I’ve some things that I need to tell you.”
Miyasame Ayaka looked troubled, as though there were many worries plaguing her mind.
“Oh?”
Wang Chong’s interest was piqued. It had been many days since the other party had submitted to him, but it was her first time taking the initiative to talk to him.
“Do you remember me telling you that we, assassins, have an organization?”
“Un, what’s wrong?”
Wang Chong asked curiously.
“This organization is known as Assassin Pavilion. Spectre Steps was taught to me by the Pavilion Master of the Assassin Pavilion. Given that I have betrayed him, he would definitely utilize all means to kill me. On top of that, since the mission isn’t accomplished yet, he’ll definitely find more people to hunt you down. In fact, he might even make a move himself.”
“The Assassin Pavilion doesn’t allow any failures.”
Miyasame Ayaka said worriedly.
“Oh, is he formidable?”
Wang Chong smiled casually.
“Very formidable!”
Miyasame Ayaka answered seriously.
“Even more so than Mister Li?”
Wang Chong gestured to Li Zhuxin, who was standing in the distance.
“Mister Li is not bad, but I’m afraid he isn’t a match for our Pavilion Master.”
Miyasame Ayaka’s answer took Wang Chong by surprise. In an instant, Wang Chong’s smile disappeared, replaced by grimness.
Even Li Zhuxin also couldn’t help but turn over.
Wang Chong knew how powerful Li Zhuxin was, and Miyasame Ayaka had experienced his strength for herself as well. Yet, she said that the Pavilion Master was stronger than him.
Wang Chong finally felt the severity of the matter
If that Pavilion Master was that strong, then he must be at the pinnacle of True Martial realm, perhaps eve
n reaching Profound Martial Realm.
If that was the case, then this matter had to be dealt with carefully.
“However, even though the Pavilion Master is powerful, he rarely makes a move himself. Besides, the rules of the Assassin Pavilion is very much different from other places. Before confirming my whereabouts and my present condition, they won’t abruptly send anyone after you. Thus, I will try my best to stay hidden during this period of time. However, master, you must remain careful as well! The Pavilion Master of the Assassin Pavilion is truly fearsome!”
Miyasame Ayaka spoke with an extremely grim tone, as though Wang Chong life was like a candle flame which could be possibly extinguished at any moment. Wang Chong couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Master, what are you laughing for?!”
Miyasame Ayaka suddenly felt a little infuriated, “I am being serious here!”
“I know.”
Even so, Wang Chong still couldn’t help but smile.
“You said that before they confirm your present condition, they won’t make a move easily, right?”
“That’s right!”
Miyasame Ayaka replied seriously.
“Then, how confident are you in staying hidden from them?”
Wang Chong asked once more.
“Three months… No, if I try my best, probably three and a half month. That’s my limit.”
Miyasame Ayaka pondered seriously before replying.
“Hehe, there’s no need to go through so much trouble! Three months? This problem can be solved in a month!”
Wang Chong spoke confidently.
“Ah!”
Miyasame Ayaka stared at the youngster before her with eyes widened in shock.
“Impossible!”
Miyasame Ayaka’s first reaction was to think that it was impossible. It was already difficult for Wang Chong to even deal with her, needless to say, the fearsome Pavilion Master of the Assassin Pavilion.
“Haha, surely you don’t think that I’m alone? Since your Pavilion Master has a bunch of underlings, do you think that I will be so rash as to charge in and fight with him singlehandedly?”
Wang Chong smiled.
The Pavilion Master Miyasame Ayaka spoke of did seem like an impressive person. If it was anyone else, he would surely be helpless against him, doomed to live every single day in fear.
However, Wang Chong wasn’t anyone else.
Miyasame Ayaka was right. One had to be careful while dealing with top-notch experts. However, Wang Chong didn’t have the habit of handing the initiative to others.
“You wish to mobilize the guards in the Wang Family Residence? It’s useless. The guards in master’s residence, even when including the two monks, the archer, me, and Mister Li, won’t be a match for the assassins of the Assassin Pavilion!”
Understanding the meaning behind Wang Chong’s words, Miyasame Ayaka shook her head.
While it was true that Wang Chong possessed incredible backing as a son of a general clan, this advantage didn’t mean much to those assassins.
Wang Chong’s thinking was dangerous, and this made her worried.
“Haha, you’ve misunderstood my intentions!”
Wang Chong shook his hands and quickly refuted the other party’s inference.
“Why would I use the guards in the residence to deal with those assassins? Those guards are hand picked by my father off the battlefield, and the death of any single of them would cause my heart to ache. To deal with those assassins, there’s no better candidate than the Imperial Army!”
Hong long!
Suddenly, all sound vanished from the vast mountain forest. The workers who were secretly eavesdropping on their conversation froze and astonishment marked their faces. Even Li Zhuxin, who was usually composed, couldn’t help but feel shocked by Wang Chong’s words.
The Imperial Army was the guards of the Son of Heaven, and only the Sage Emperor wielded the authority to move them. Yet, this youngster claimed that he was capable of mobilizing them.
This was a huge taboo!
“You can mobilize the Imperial Army?”
Unknowingly, Li Zhuxin had walked over to Wang Chong and started assessing the youngster before him from head to toe. More than shock, what he felt was disbelief.
Wang Chong was only a teenage child. Even though he was the descendant of a prestigious clan, it should be far beyond his means to mobilize the Imperial Army.
Wang Chong simply smiled without explaining the matter. Zhao Fengchen’s silhouette appeared in his mind. At present, the other party was already a marshal of the Imperial Army.
The Pavilion Master of the Assassin Pavilion might be formidable, but it was impossible for him to compare up to this future Grand Marshal of the Imperial Army.
As for mobilizing the Imperial Army…
A bunch of assassins appearing in the capital was a huge affair, and it wouldn’t be out of place for the Imperial Army to move to eradicate them. No matter how capable the assassins were, it was impossible for them to stand against an entire army, needless to say, the most elite Imperial Army.
“Do you know the location of the Assassin Pavilion?”
Wang Chong suddenly asked.
“Un.”
Miysame Ayaka nodded blankly.
“Even though they don’t have a fixed base of operations, they would gather at a specific location every month.”
“That’s enough!”
Wang Chong nodded. He decided to inform Uncle Li Lin of the matter after he returns and leave the matter to him.
Miyasaka Ayaka didn’t know that the fate of the organization she was in had been sealed with this single decision of Wang Chong’s.
After cultivating for a few more days at the mountain peak, Shen Hai finally returned with a few guards from the Wang Family Residence.
“Gongzi, Mister Tuoba asked me to invite you back! He said that he had completed the crafting of the saber and that the rest is up to gongzi. Also, Madam has sent word that something has happened and gongzi should quickly return to the residence!”
A Wang Family Residence guard dressed fully for battle kneeled with a single knee respectfully before Wang Chong.
“Oh!”
Hearing those words, Wang Chong’s eyes suddenly turned slightly absentminded. He hadn’t been keeping track of the days since coming to the mountains, and unknowingly a long period of time had passed. Tuoba Guiyuan’s slender-blade thick-blunt saber had already been forged.
(Blunt -> Blunt edge of the sword)
Thinking about it now, it should have been done long ago. The experts from the Imperial Army were probably walking to and fro the entrance of the Wang Family Residence impatiently for the completion of the sword.
As for his mother…
It was indeed long since he had last returned. As a son, while it was important for him to become stronger, he mustn’t neglect his family in the midst of doing so.
“Mister Li, prepare yourself. We’ll be descending from the mountains soon.”
Wang Chong suddenly said.
It was time for them to scale down the mountain.
Leaving the matter regarding the spirit vein to Miyasame Ayaka, Wang Chong, along with Li Zhuxin, scaled down the mountain the very next day.
The saber is similar to a single-edged katana
What he means is that the blade is somewhat like a triangle; the sharp edge formed the tip, while the blunt edge is quite wide. I presume that this helps add force to the slashes, though it makes it much harder to use as well.
By slender, it means that in proportion to the length, the width of the blade is rather thin. (Similar to a tall and skinny person)
Chapter 136: Teacher?
After being away from the capital for a long time, Wang Chong suddenly felt that there was something foreign about it. The atmosphere of the capital had turned a little bizarre. To describe it, it seemed like it had turned slightly ‘poetic’.
Even though there were people who recited poems h
ere and there in the past, the art had never attained such a level of popularity before.
“Does gongzi not know? A poem praising Consort Taizhen to be the world’s number one beauty has leaked from the royal palace, and the poem is said to be extremely beautiful. Gongzi, do you see those plaques? Places like ‘Springwind Pavilion’, ‘Jade Pavilion’, ‘Fairy Pavilion’, and ‘Beauty Pavilion’ have been sprouting up all around the capital, as though bamboo shoots after a rain.”
“Most of them are old pavilions who have changed their name to go along with the trend. In fact, some of them even hung the poem at their entrance, using it as a couplet for their door!”
Amidst the raging crowd, a guard of the Wang Family Residence explained excitedly.
Wang Chong hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings upon entering the capital. Upon hearing his words, he took a closer look and saw an extremely familiar sight.
On the left: Clouds, one thinks of her clothes; flowers, one thinks of her countenance.
On the right: The spring wind sweeps dew from her balustrade, splendid and dense.
And in the center: Springwind Pavilion.
Another different couplet was hung on the pavilion at the direct opposite of the Springwind Pavilion.
On the left: If not seen at the peak of the Jade Mountain.
On the right: Then she will be encountered under the moon on the gemstone terrace.
And in the center: Beauty Pavilion.
Huge plaques like this were hung before the entrances of the taverns and teahouses.
“Beauty wine! Beauty wine! Heroes deserve to drink the wine of a beauty! …”
“Fairy tea! Come, come, come. Have a cup to revitalize yourself!”
…
Shoutings could be heard from the taverns and teahouses from the both sides of the street.
Hearing those shoutings, Wang Chong’s expression suddenly turned extremely bizarre.
Not many people knew that he had helped King Song on the Consort Taizhen incident, as well as the poem that he wrote.
At the very least, the Wang Clan didn’t know of it.
He was completely caught off guard by the sudden change in the capital. At this moment, he had no idea how he should react to the sight before him. But soon, Wang Chong caught the scent of something.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 73
