“I appreciate that,” Yunxiao answered readily. Then, he chuckled and said with a meaningful tone in his voice, “You are at the height of your youth and vigor, Manager You, and your future is boundless.”
You Kangshun’s body jolted. With an awkward smile, he said, “Thank you for saying that, Young Master Yun!”
As he watched Yunxiao and Duan Yue leave, he felt like it was all unreal like a dream. He was dazed for a moment, and when he saw that Yunxiao had gone far away, he put on a serious face as he turned and told Xiaoya, “I’m going to the branch in Skyfragrance Empire and will be back soon. You will make your own decisions on everything until I’m back. If that young man comes again, try your best to fulfill any of his requests. If it works out this time, your salary will be increased tenfold.”
“Tenfold!” Xiaoya was shocked. She stared in terror as You Kangshun left, and she felt her head turn completely blank. “What did that young man tell Manager You?” she murmured to herself.
Suddenly, You Kangshun’s voice came from the distance, interrupting her thought, “I forgot to add, any requests except borrowing money!”
Xiaoya, “…”
On the way to the seaport, Duan Yue finally could not help but ask, “Boy, what did you tell him?”
Yunxiao glared at him and said while dragging his voice, “Curiosity kills the cat. Just follow me and don’t ask if you don’t understand.”
“F*ck you!”
Duan Yue was so angry that he wished he could kill the other with a punch now. ‘All the way, he had not let me feel comfortable even once. Moreover, he keeps fueling my curiosity to a level that it is about to explode, and yet he just won’t tell me anything! Damnit!’
“Little Yue, you are familiar with this place, so lead the way.” When they arrived at the seaport, Yunxiao saw many warriors coming and going, each with a different expression, as if they were in a wet market. The sea was calm and windless, and the sky was cloudless.
“Ha! So, you do need help from me, eh?” Duan Yue was excited. Like he had just been given a shot in the arm, he beamed and walked to the front while holding his head high as he led the way.
Duan Yue seemed to have made quite a name for himself in Qinghai. Many people looked at him in fear and stayed away when they saw him. The more that happened, the more imposing he felt. Finally, he could show off in front of Yunxiao.
“Eh, Senior Duan?” Suddenly, a voice called out in surprise. Face wreathed with smiles, a middle-aged man in silk looked at Duan Yue as he hurried over and bowed. “I’ve not seen Senior Duan for the past few days, and I had even sent my men to search for you.”
Duan Yue turned to the man as he frowned and asked, “Ma Wendi, what do you want with me?”
This Ma Wendi was a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect, which was one of the major powers in Skyfragrance Empire. He spent his days loafing about Qinghai and was fond of seizing every chance to gain advantages by trickery.
“Of course, it’s about something big!”
Ma Wendi glanced at Yunxiao. The cultivation base of a one-star Great Martial Master made him ignore the latter’s existence. With an enigmatic look on his face, he grabbed Duan Yue’s arm and said, “Recently, I found a good stuff and plan to organize a large operation. I wonder if Senior Duan is interested in participating?”
“Not interested!” Duan Yue pushed his hand away and rejected without hesitation.
The so-called ‘good stuff’ was referring to a rare sea beast. Normally, when hunters encountered higher-level sea beasts, they would gather a group of people to hunt it down. Of course, the benefits would be agreed upon before departure.
Ma Wendi paused a moment and then said hurriedly, “Oh, don’t reject me so quickly. Senior Duan, you are a famous hunter, and you have always been seen in all kinds of large-scale huntings. I’ll definitely not let you suffer any losses this time.”
“I’ve told you, I’m not interested. I’ve fallen in love with acting alone these days. Get out of the way, I’m going out to sea now.” Anxious to find the treasure in the rainbow fog, he did not have the mood to participate in any large-scale hunting.
“This is not your style, Senior! The sea beast we are going to hunt this time is a sixth-tier one!” Ma Wendi lowered his voice and said, his eyes flashing with a hint of excitement.
“Sixth-tier!” Duan Yue was taken aback, and he said in horror, “You’re looking for death! What sea beast is it? Who else will join you?”
A sixth-tier sea beast was equivalent to a human Martial Grandmaster. However, as it was in the sea, only a Martial Emperor could rival it. As a lone warrior, Duan Yue had always been acting alone in Qinghai, but he liked to participate in this kind of large-scale huntings as well, because the earnings were much higher. His interest was aroused instantly when he heard that it was a sixth-tier sea beast.
“Hehe!” Ma Wendi smiled triumphantly as he lowered his voice and said, “Lord Coldcrow of the Coldcrow Palace, Shi Hongcai from the Foursquare Library, Yan Feiyue from the Tiger Slayer Sect, Situ Xing and his wife, and me. If Senior is joining us, our team will have seven people.”
“Oh, you plan to use the Seven Stars Array, don’t you? With these people and the array, it’s worth a try. What sea beast is it?” Duan Yue murmured.
Ma Wendi’s face grew slightly serious as he said, “A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon!”
“What! You’re crazy!” Duan Yue’s face fell, and his eyes were filled with terror as he said, “Where did you find that thing? It is a seventh-tier existence!”
Standing behind him, Yunxiao’s pupils constricted suddenly. His eyes gleamed as he asked, “Is it a juvenile Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon?”
“Eh? How do you know?” Ma Wendi gave Yunxiao a somewhat surprised look and said approvingly, “Yes, it is exactly a juvenile one. Otherwise, we would not dare to target it, no matter how bold we are!”
He continued to urge Duan Yue, “It is an extremely rare opportunity. Think about it, the beast has only the strength of a sixth-tier sea beast, but every part of it is worth the same as a seventh-tier one, and some even higher. Where are you going to find such a good fortune again if you skip this time?”
Duan Yue was slightly moved, and his face looked hesitant.
Yunxiao said softly, “The Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon is rumored to have the blood of the ancient True Dragon. When young, they are sixth-tier, and when they become adults, they automatically evolved to seventh-tier. If they can survive for more than five hundred years, they can further evolve to eighth-tier. A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon who lives a thousand years can even break through the ninth-tier. After that, if it can experience a Heavenly Tribulation, it can evolve to a dragon, restore the blood of the ancient True Dragon, and step into the Ten Worlds realm.”
Ma Wendi froze a moment after he heard that. He did not know about these things either, and he only knew that Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragons were generally seventh-tier sea beasts, and that they were rare. Only then did he begin to seriously study Yunxiao. “Little brother, since you know so much, you should be from an extraordinary family, right?” he said in surprise.
He was asking Yunxiao, but his eyes were looking at Duan Yue. He guessed Yunxiao was Duan Yue’s disciple.
“I don’t know anything about his family, you ask him yourself,” said Duan Yue grumpily.
Ma Wendi was taken aback. He gave Yunxiao another surprised look, and then paid him no more mind. Instead, he said enthusiastically to Duan Yue, “Senior, do you want to join us this time?”
Duan Yue was tempted. A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon was so rare that if he skipped it this time, he might not come across another one in his life, let alone a juvenile, sixth-tier one. He turned around and gave Yunxiao a look, asking his opinion with eyes.
The detail was caught by Ma Wendi, and that startled him instantly and filled his eyes with suspicion.
“The blood of a Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon is poisonous, which is exactly what I need,” said Yunxiao lightly. “But, how will the loots be split after it is killed?”
Ma Wendi glanced at Duan Yue and saw the inquiring look on his face, so he held back the suspicion in his heart and said, “The loots will be split into eight shares. I’ll take two shares, and each of you will take one. Also, I will pay everyone fifty thousand superior-grade Primordial Stones. What do you think, Senior?”
The method was relatively common. Usually, the organizer could get an extra share and would compensate the other participants with some Primordial Stones. The split would be carried out by the organizer, but he would be the last to take to guarantee the fairness of the split. As for the order of picking the shares, some did it based on contribution, and some based on the level of cultivation base; most were done with the latter. In any case, as long as the organizer was the last to take, nobody would have any objections.
Yunxiao asked concernedly, “I wonder where do you rank among these people with your strength, Sir Duan?”
Duan Yue gave a cold snort and said proudly, “Apart from that Lord Coldcrow, who is about as strong as me, the rest of them…hmph, I’ve never taken them seriously.”
Yunxiao said joyfully, “If that is the case, we can participate. Our matter depends on luck anyway, so we are not in a hurry.”
The timing for a rainbow fog to appear was irregular. If they were lucky, they could encounter it as soon as they arrived. Otherwise, they might have to wait a few years or even decades.
“Ha! Excellent! I’ll join you and see what exactly is this legendary Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon!” Duan Yue was very happy. He was a seasoned hunter, so a rare sea beast like this, which was within his ability to kill, had a strong attraction to him.
A shocked look came over Ma Wendi’s face, and he studied Yunxiao once again. Duan Yue was a famous Martial Grandmaster, and many powers had failed to recruit him. But, he obeyed a young man now. If Yunxiao were not his disciple, could he be his illegitimate son?
‘He is so young, but he is already a one-star Great Martial Master. It’s very likely that he’s Senior Duan’s illegitimate son!’
Ma Wendi decided in his heart. At the same time, he was overjoyed. Duan Yue had always been a loner. He did things according to his own preferences, and it was very hard to invite him without great benefits. But, since he had an illegitimate son now, it would be much simpler to get his help through this young man. A lad was always easier to control, since he had not experienced too much.
“Excellent! Please come with me, Senior! The others have been waiting for a long time. Initially, I thought if I can’t find you, I’ll just replace you with a random Martial Grandmaster. But, we were fated to meet, I must say!” Ma Wendi made a gesture and looked delighted.
Duan Yue showed a satisfied smile, as if he very enjoyed the feeling of showing off in front of Yunxiao. Perhaps, he had been suppressed for too long.
The three of them ran quickly toward somewhere at the seaport. Soon, an exquisitely and luxuriously decorated Tigerking chariot could be seen hovering in mid-air, its surface carved with a huge flying sword, which was the symbol of the Flying Sword Sect. They leaped into the air and turned into three beams of light, flying directly into the chariot.
Meanwhile, Ma Wendi shouted in a booming voice, “It’s time to go to sea!”
“I appreciate that,” Yunxiao answered readily. Then, he chuckled and said with a meaningful tone in his voice, “You are at the height of your youth and vigor, Manager You, and your future is boundless.”
You Kangshun’s body jolted. With an awkward smile, he said, “Thank you for saying that, Young Master Yun!”
As he watched Yunxiao and Duan Yue leave, he felt like it was all unreal like a dream. He was dazed for a moment, and when he saw that Yunxiao had gone far away, he put on a serious face as he turned and told Xiaoya, “I’m going to the branch in Skyfragrance Empire and will be back soon. You will make your own decisions on everything until I’m back. If that young man comes again, try your best to fulfill any of his requests. If it works out this time, your salary will be increased tenfold.”
“Tenfold!” Xiaoya was shocked. She stared in terror as You Kangshun left, and she felt her head turn completely blank. “What did that young man tell Manager You?” she murmured to herself.
Suddenly, You Kangshun’s voice came from the distance, interrupting her thought, “I forgot to add, any requests except borrowing money!”
Xiaoya, “…”
On the way to the seaport, Duan Yue finally could not help but ask, “Boy, what did you tell him?”
Yunxiao glared at him and said while dragging his voice, “Curiosity kills the cat. Just follow me and don’t ask if you don’t understand.”
“F*ck you!”
Duan Yue was so angry that he wished he could kill the other with a punch now. ‘All the way, he had not let me feel comfortable even once. Moreover, he keeps fueling my curiosity to a level that it is about to explode, and yet he just won’t tell me anything! Damnit!’
“Little Yue, you are familiar with this place, so lead the way.” When they arrived at the seaport, Yunxiao saw many warriors coming and going, each with a different expression, as if they were in a wet market. The sea was calm and windless, and the sky was cloudless.
“Ha! So, you do need help from me, eh?” Duan Yue was excited. Like he had just been given a shot in the arm, he beamed and walked to the front while holding his head high as he led the way.
Duan Yue seemed to have made quite a name for himself in Qinghai. Many people looked at him in fear and stayed away when they saw him. The more that happened, the more imposing he felt. Finally, he could show off in front of Yunxiao.
“Eh, Senior Duan?” Suddenly, a voice called out in surprise. Face wreathed with smiles, a middle-aged man in silk looked at Duan Yue as he hurried over and bowed. “I’ve not seen Senior Duan for the past few days, and I had even sent my men to search for you.”
Duan Yue turned to the man as he frowned and asked, “Ma Wendi, what do you want with me?”
This Ma Wendi was a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect, which was one of the major powers in Skyfragrance Empire. He spent his days loafing about Qinghai and was fond of seizing every chance to gain advantages by trickery.
“Of course, it’s about something big!”
Ma Wendi glanced at Yunxiao. The cultivation base of a one-star Great Martial Master made him ignore the latter’s existence. With an enigmatic look on his face, he grabbed Duan Yue’s arm and said, “Recently, I found a good stuff and plan to organize a large operation. I wonder if Senior Duan is interested in participating?”
“Not interested!” Duan Yue pushed his hand away and rejected without hesitation.
The so-called ‘good stuff’ was referring to a rare sea beast. Normally, when hunters encountered higher-level sea beasts, they would gather a group of people to hunt it down. Of course, the benefits would be agreed upon before departure.
Ma Wendi paused a moment and then said hurriedly, “Oh, don’t reject me so quickly. Senior Duan, you are a famous hunter, and you have always been seen in all kinds of large-scale huntings. I’ll definitely not let you suffer any losses this time.”
“I’ve told you, I’m not interested. I’ve fallen in love with acting alone these days. Get out of the way, I’m going out to sea now.” Anxious to find the treasure in the rainbow fog, he did not have the mood to participate in any large-scale hunting.
“This is not your style, Senior! The sea beast we are going to hunt this time is a sixth-tier one!” Ma Wendi lowered his voice and said, his eyes flashing with a hint of excitement.
“Sixth-tier!” Duan Yue was taken aback, and he said in horror, “You’re looking for death! What sea beast is it? Who else will join you?”
A sixth-tier sea beast was equivalent to a human Martial Grandmaster. However, as it was in the sea, only a Martial Emperor could rival it. As a lone warrior, Duan Yue had always been acting alone in Qinghai, but he liked to participate in this kind of large-scale huntings as well, because the earnings were much higher. His interest was aroused instantly when he heard that it was a sixth-tier sea beast.
“Hehe!” Ma Wendi smiled triumphantly as he lowered his voice and said, “Lord Coldcrow of the Coldcrow Palace, Shi Hongcai from the Foursquare Library, Yan Feiyue from the Tiger Slayer Sect, Situ Xing and his wife, and me. If Senior is joining us, our team will have seven people.”
“Oh, you plan to use the Seven Stars Array, don’t you? With these people and the array, it’s worth a try. What sea beast is it?” Duan Yue murmured.
Ma Wendi’s face grew slightly serious as he said, “A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon!”
“What! You’re crazy!” Duan Yue’s face fell, and his eyes were filled with terror as he said, “Where did you find that thing? It is a seventh-tier existence!”
Standing behind him, Yunxiao’s pupils constricted suddenly. His eyes gleamed as he asked, “Is it a juvenile Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon?”
“Eh? How do you know?” Ma Wendi gave Yunxiao a somewhat surprised look and said approvingly, “Yes, it is exactly a juvenile one. Otherwise, we would not dare to target it, no matter how bold we are!”
He continued to urge Duan Yue, “It is an extremely rare opportunity. Think about it, the beast has only the strength of a sixth-tier sea beast, but every part of it is worth the same as a seventh-tier one, and some even higher. Where are you going to find such a good fortune again if you skip this time?”
Duan Yue was slightly moved, and his face looked hesitant.
Yunxiao said softly, “The Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon is rumored to have the blood of the ancient True Dragon. When young, they are sixth-tier, and when they become adults, they automatically evolved to seventh-tier. If they can survive for more than five hundred years, they can further evolve to eighth-tier. A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon who lives a thousand years can even break through the ninth-tier. After that, if it can experience a Heavenly Tribulation, it can evolve to a dragon, restore the blood of the ancient True Dragon, and step into the Ten Worlds realm.”
Ma Wendi froze a moment after he heard that. He did not know about these things either, and he only knew that Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragons were generally seventh-tier sea beasts, and that they were rare. Only then did he begin to seriously study Yunxiao. “Little brother, since you know so much, you should be from an extraordinary family, right?” he said in surprise.
He was asking Yunxiao, but his eyes were looking at Duan Yue. He guessed Yunxiao was Duan Yue’s disciple.
“I don’t know anything about his family, you ask him yourself,” said Duan Yue grumpily.
Ma Wendi was taken aback. He gave Yunxiao another surprised look, and then paid him no more mind. Instead, he said enthusiastically to Duan Yue, “Senior, do you want to join us this time?”
Duan Yue was tempted. A Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon was so rare that if he skipped it this time, he might not come across another one in his life, let alone a juvenile, sixth-tier one. He turned around and gave Yunxiao a look, asking his opinion with eyes.
The detail was caught by Ma Wendi, and that startled him instantly and filled his eyes with suspicion.
“The blood of a Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon is poisonous, which is exactly what I need,” said Yunxiao lightly. “But, how will the loots be split after it is killed?”
Ma Wendi glanced at Duan Yue and saw the inquiring look on his face, so he held back the suspicion in his heart and said, “The loots will be split into eight shares. I’ll take two shares, and each of you will take one. Also, I will pay everyone fifty thousand superior-grade Primordial Stones. What do you think, Senior?”
The method was relatively common. Usually, the organizer could get an extra share and would compensate the other participants with some Primordial Stones. The split would be carried out by the organizer, but he would be the last to take to guarantee the fairness of the split. As for the order of picking the shares, some did it based on contribution, and some based on the level of cultivation base; most were done with the latter. In any case, as long as the organizer was the last to take, nobody would have any objections.
Yunxiao asked concernedly, “I wonder where do you rank among these people with your strength, Sir Duan?”
Duan Yue gave a cold snort and said proudly, “Apart from that Lord Coldcrow, who is about as strong as me, the rest of them…hmph, I’ve never taken them seriously.”
Yunxiao said joyfully, “If that is the case, we can participate. Our matter depends on luck anyway, so we are not in a hurry.”
The timing for a rainbow fog to appear was irregular. If they were lucky, they could encounter it as soon as they arrived. Otherwise, they might have to wait a few years or even decades.
“Ha! Excellent! I’ll join you and see what exactly is this legendary Purple Nine Neonate Flood Dragon!” Duan Yue was very happy. He was a seasoned hunter, so a rare sea beast like this, which was within his ability to kill, had a strong attraction to him.
A shocked look came over Ma Wendi’s face, and he studied Yunxiao once again. Duan Yue was a famous Martial Grandmaster, and many powers had failed to recruit him. But, he obeyed a young man now. If Yunxiao were not his disciple, could he be his illegitimate son?
‘He is so young, but he is already a one-star Great Martial Master. It’s very likely that he’s Senior Duan’s illegitimate son!’
Ma Wendi decided in his heart. At the same time, he was overjoyed. Duan Yue had always been a loner. He did things according to his own preferences, and it was very hard to invite him without great benefits. But, since he had an illegitimate son now, it would be much simpler to get his help through this young man. A lad was always easier to control, since he had not experienced too much.
“Excellent! Please come with me, Senior! The others have been waiting for a long time. Initially, I thought if I can’t find you, I’ll just replace you with a random Martial Grandmaster. But, we were fated to meet, I must say!” Ma Wendi made a gesture and looked delighted.
Duan Yue showed a satisfied smile, as if he very enjoyed the feeling of showing off in front of Yunxiao. Perhaps, he had been suppressed for too long.
The three of them ran quickly toward somewhere at the seaport. Soon, an exquisitely and luxuriously decorated Tigerking chariot could be seen hovering in mid-air, its surface carved with a huge flying sword, which was the symbol of the Flying Sword Sect. They leaped into the air and turned into three beams of light, flying directly into the chariot.
Meanwhile, Ma Wendi shouted in a booming voice, “It’s time to go to sea!”
