Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1066 – Meeting Yu He And Wenren Wu-shuang, Another Challenge

“Just say what you want to say. Don’t show such attitude deliberately. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Qing Shui said softly as he focused on the wine in his hand.

His words may have sounded nonchalant to the average person, but to this man, these words had rubbed him the wrong way. He wasn’t the type to be angered easily by Qing Shui. Even if he was angry, he wouldn’t show it in his face. Either way, he had already made his decision: he was determined to make Qing Shui pay the hefty price of looking down on him.

“The Violet Dragon Mountain, the Beiming Clan, and the Wan Clan are on good terms with each other. Also, the third daughter of the Beiming Clan is my wife. Do you get what I’m getting at now?” The man was calm on the surface as he continued to talk to Qing Shui with a passive voice that contained a bit of coldness in its tone.

Those who had known him for years could tell that he was actually infuriated. A lot of people in the Northern Sacred Lu Continent felt pity for Qing Shui, despite him being an extraordinary cultivator who had annihilated the Beiming Clan and Wan Clan. However, it seemed like this would be the end of the line for Qing Shui, as he would be faced against the formidable Violet Dragon Mountain soon.

There were three forces in the Northern Sacred Lu Continent that travellers from other continents feared because they were the three foremost types of powers within this continent. The first was the Lion King’s Ridge that represented the existence of a great sect. The second was the Clan of the Sacred Region that represented the existence of an aristocratic clan. The last was the Violet Dragon Mountain, representing the existence of a reclusive power.

In the Northern Sacred Lu Continent, they were the three strongest forces in existence- the embodiment of the sects, the aristocratic clans, and the reclusive forces. Their influences were immensely powerful, which was why most people felt pity for Qing Shui. No one in the Five Continents had been able to go against a powerful clan like the Violet Dragon Mountain.

“Oh, that means people who are friends with you or have good relationships with you can kill innocents without repercussions. Are you trying to tell me that?” Qing Shui said as he cocked his head upwards to look at the man in violet robes.

“You you….. Having a sharp tongue doesn’t mean anything.” This man didn’t expect Qing Shui to reply with such sharp words in front of the crowd. Even worse, he wasn’t able to immediately refute Qing Shui’s words.

“They came all the way from the Northern Sacred Lu Continent to the Greencloud Continent, acting like overlords and using their identity as martial cultivators to rule over inns and hurt innocent people. Hundreds or even thousands of them came. Could it be that the Violet Dragon Mountain is going to charge towards me because you support their behavior, associating yourself with such despicable practices? Are you seriously going to stoop that low?” Qing Shui didn’t speak with a loud voice, but the crowd around him was able to listen to each of his words clearly and distinctively.

Many among the crowd were people from the other continents. Even though the Northern Sacred Lu Continent was quite populated, the other continents had a combined population that surpassed that of the Northern Sacred Lu Continent. In actuality, most people were uncomfortable with the behavior of the Northern Sacred Lu Continent’s overlord. After listening to what Qing Shui had to say, the others began to start discussions of their own, spurring speculation and opinions towards one another.

“The Violet Dragon Mountain is so powerful. How could a righteous clan become friends with such despicables like the Beiming Clan and Wan Clan?”

“That’s not surprising. There are a lot of two-faced people in the world. The same thing goes for sects as well.”

“This is the Northern Sacred Lu Continent, after all. It’s better to walk off with their tails between their legs in other people’s territory, otherwise they will be easily killed ifthey act recklessly.”

“Annihilation of clans will only incite bad blood. There’s no right or wrong in this place anymore. It’s foolish to blindly listen to the words said by someone from other continents, but who is to say that he is right or wrong? Power is everything, after all.”

There would always be those who liked to nitpick about everything without the fear of causing themselves trouble in this world. These people would only listen to things, without a clear understanding of the situation. No one would know which side they were on – whether they supported the Northern Sacred Lu Clan or the other continents – based on the way they talked.

“Don’t place yourself on such a high pedestal. You don’t even have proof of those things you’ve said. I only know one fact: you have killed the Beiming Clan and Wan Clan, and that’s enough proof for me. Do you not have the gall to admit to your wrongdoings?” The man in violet robes stared at Qing Shui fiercely as he spoke out firmly.

“I did kill some people, but only those who fell into the category of trashes and hooligans. As for the Beiming Clan and Wan Clan, I have never heard of them. Perhaps you are talking about the two Guardian Clans of the Northern Sacred Lu Continent? Why did they go to the Greencloud Continent in the first place? That’s not the Northern Sacred Lu Continent. Did the Guardian Clans all die in the Greencloud Continent?”

Everyone knew that the Greencloud Continent was the weakest continent of all. Qing Shui was trying to give the man in violet robe a bad name. The Guardian Clans were known to be among the strongest of forces in a continent. If that man admitted that the Beiming Clan and the Wan Clan were the Guardian Clans of the Northern Sacred Lu Continent, then he would also admit that the Greencloud Continent was superior to the Northern Sacred Lu Continent.

“Are you implying that the Northern Sacred Lu Continent is no better than the Greencloud Continent?” said the man as he looked at Qing Shui with a wrinkled frown.

“I didn’t say that. Don’t push your blame on someone else. I’m just a minor character who came here to enjoy the thrilling excitement of the atmosphere and to test my luck in other continents. Perhaps you’re trying to pick on us foreigners from other continents as targets to bully?” Qing Shui felt like he had contended with a lot of people using words as his primary weapon.

“Young one, elder sister will back you up. Let’s see if anyone will bully you after that.”

Just as the man in the violet robe was about to speak, a pleasant feminine voice rang out and cut through their conversation.

Before Qing Shui could see who that was, he was already smiling. This voice was all too familiar to his ears. He turned to look at a group coming towards them, and the leader of this group was none other than Yu He.

As he laid his gaze on her, he couldn’t help but reminisce about the first time he had seen her in the Hundred Miles City. That was also the time the Qing family went to Yu He Inn to have a meal. The sensation he had now was similar to the feeling he had when he had first met her.

Yu He had a voluptuous figure, with the right degree of firmness in the right places. Her body was well-developed but not exaggerated. Her legs were long and slender, and her buttocks were round and firm without being too corpulent. Her waist was dainty and slim – a prime example of a woman with a great figure: slender with ample bosoms and buttocks.

Her bosoms were firm and round, without a hint of droopiness of an aged woman. Her neck was slender and delicately white, which was exceptionally sexy and alluring. She has a beautiful face that could entice the soul of any man. Most importantly, Qing Shui was most attracted by her dignified demeanor, her deep black eyes, her dainty nose, and her alluring and perky red lips.

Qing Shui felt at ease after seeing Yu He again, but when he saw the woman behind her, he was stunned. This woman who walked out from behind Yu He was the one who had been the cause of Qing Shui’s concern and worry for a long time.

Wenren Wu-shuang!

Seeing her again made him feel as if he had recovered something he had lost for a long period of time. He even felt like he had been reborn again. Qing Shui had felt afraid that he would never be able to find her again. He stood up and walked towards the direction of Yu He and Wenren Wu-shuang.

“You can’t leave without settling this matter properly!”

An old man behind the man in violet robe stepped forward and blocked Qing Shui’s path.

“I have something to attend to now. I don’t have time to waste on you.” Qing Shui shook his head, extending the qi of the State as Immovable as Mountains in an instant. An invisible force pushed away the old man immediately, opening a path for Qing Shui to proceed.

“Impudence!”

The old man felt gloomy when he was brushed away by Qing Shui’s aura. He extended his hand in mid-air to claw at Qing Shui’s shoulder, followed up by a trail of ghastly apparitions as he shouted in a screeching voice.

Qing Shui shifted his body nonchalantly and evaded the old man’s palms. He then said: “This will be the first time. I don’t want another attempt like this. Even if I don’t bully other people, that doesn’t mean I will allow others to bully me.”

“How arrogant. I will force you to stay.” As soon as the old man was done talking, he leapt towards Qing Shui.

Taichi Cloud Hands!

Single Whip!

Clack!

Ka-chak!

It was all too fast. All anyone could hear was a distinct sound, followed by a dull growl. There wasn’t even a change in Qing Shui’s footstep, too. The combination of the prowess of the Nine Palace Steps and his proficiency in Taichi was able to break the old man’s arm with dexterity and ease.

When the others were about to make their moves, the man in the violet robe extended his arm and stopped them from doing so. He then turned his gaze at Qing Shui, who was making his way towards Yu He and Wenren Wu-shuang.

Qing Shui didn’t care about the number of people around him and immediately grabbed onto Wenren Wu-shuang’s hand tightly. Still, there were people watching them, so he didn’t do anything excessive, other than holding her hand. He didn’t care about the opinions of others, but he still needed to think about the ladies and restrain his actions.

Wenren Wu-shuang was a bit dumbfounded. When she had initially left the Qing Clan, she had intended to go back to the Hundred Miles City to burn an incense stick for her elder sister. However, she didn’t go back to Qing Residence after stopping by for a few days, but went towards the Northern Sacred Lu Continent instead.

She didn’t know exactly why she had come to this place, but she had never thought of intentionally leaving Qing Shui’s side. Wenren Wu-shuang felt extremely empty in her heart. Even though suicide was the last thing in her mind, she couldn’t seem to find joy in living despite having already exacted revenge for her elder sister.

Her elder sister would be watching her from the heavens, and she had decided that she must find happiness on her own accord. If she could do that, her sister would be happy and finally rest in peace.

Watching Qing Shui gripping her hand tightly, she could tell that he was afraid that she would disappear from his life again. He didn’t even ask her why she had left in the first place, and he didn’t blame her for saying her goodbyes either. She felt warm looking at the man who truly cared for her. This was a subtle kind of familial affection that she was feeling in her heart.

Yu He was filled with envy looking at Qing Shui’s worried expression and how much he cared for Wenren Wu-shuang. She kept her composure naturally as she smiled at both Qing Shui and Wenren Wu-shuang.

Suddenly, Qing Shui’s other hand grabbed onto Yu He’s tightly. She struggled for a bit, but did not shake off his touch. Yu He lowered her head in embarrassment, but felt warmed by his gesture. However, she still felt a bit unnatural due to the mass of gazes from the crowd.

Many people were looking at Qing Shui with admiration and shock. He had already come with a couple of women by his side earlier on, and everyone knew they were women of unrivalled beauty, even though their faces were covered by veils.

Now, he was leading two more women without veils along with him. Wenren Wu-shuang was strikingly beautiful, whereas Yu He had a certain charm about her that could incite the fantasies of many men. She was mature, elegant, and graceful. Moreover, she had the most dignified matureness and modesty of any woman they had ever seen. That was part of her charisma as well.

“Let’s go over there. Sister Yu, we’ve meet again. Wu-shuang, I didn’t take good care of you…..” Qing Shui was a bit agonized and couldn’t finish his words. He looked at Wenren Wu-shuang with a pained expression.

“Qing Shui, it’s my fault…..”

“It’s alright, Wu-shuang. Let’s go. They are still waiting for us over there.” Qing Shui held her hands and led the two ladies back to the others.

The group of people with the man in violet robe had become background characters in the current situation. Mostly everyone had already forgotten about them, but only remembered them when they saw the group again. The focus of attention was again on the man in violet robe and Qing Shui’s group.

“Qing Shui, let’s fight. Let’s use this fight as a form of communication. What do you think?” The man in the violet robe called out to Qing Shui in the distance.

Everyone was surprised when they heard the man in violet robe speaking out to Qing Shui.

“I’ve already said this, there will be no next time with the Violet Dragon Mountain. I see now that the message was not well received. I don’t know who you are in the Violet Dragon Mountain, but are you able to shoulder the responsibility of the words you have said in front of the mighty martial cultivators here?” Qing Shui said without looking at the man in the violet robe. He paced towards the beast leather carpet as he uttered those words at him.

“Everyone should know each other by now. I don’t need to make introductions then.” Qing Shui said with a smile.

“Wu-shuang, why did you leave without saying anything? He was close to going crazy because of you. He’s been looking for you a bunch of times, and he even came to Hundred Miles City just for you.” Di Qing held onto Wenren Wu-shuang as she spoke to her with a light giggle.

Yiye Jiange, on the other hand, held onto Yu He. The members of the Demon Gate only gave Qing Shui a smile as they watched on from afar.