Free Web NovelChapter 210: Chapter 161: Demonic Cultivation Art (Part 2)
Watching the two of them leave, Su Junche asked in surprise, "So that young man is Yu Fei? The disciple Yan Sea took in? The one who inherited the Calamity Sword?"
He had assumed Yu Fei was a relative of the Martial Saint Honglian, never imagining he was actually Yan Sea’s disciple.
Zhuo Feiming said casually, "I only found out he was Yan Sea’s disciple after organizing the Celestial Pride Positioning Competition. It was on my way, so I brought him along."
Su Junche immediately understood. To be personally brought along by a Martial Saint meant that she clearly valued the young man’s potential. He was truly a person of great fortune.
He laughed heartily. "That young man is certainly lucky. Speaking of which, I have him to thank. If he hadn’t helped my son-in-law resolve his inner turmoil, allowing him to successfully advance to the Grandmaster Realm, I’m afraid my daughter would still be unattached! *Sigh*!"
Zhuo Feiming couldn’t help but ask, "Inner turmoil? A flaw in his mental state?"
She was a little curious. Logically, given Yan Sea’s way of handling things, he shouldn’t have encountered such a problem.
So, Su Junche recounted the events of the past one by one.
Zhuo Feiming’s brow furrowed as she listened, and she finally came to a conclusion in her mind.
’There’s a problem with the Cultivation Technique Yan Sea is practicing! Even when cultivating an Aspect, one’s inner turmoil shouldn’t be this deep-seated. It must be the work of that dead master of his.’
She had never had a good impression of Mr. Lanren, but she made it a point not to interfere in the private affairs of the soldiers under her command.
From her brief glance just now, she could tell Yan Sea’s Evil Qi was heavy and his spiritual soul was murky. His power was strong but lacked purity. It was obvious there was a problem with his cultivation.
Zhuo Feiming considered this and quickly came up with a solution. As a veteran Martial Saint, her personal collection was all-encompassing. Yan Sea’s problem wasn’t a major issue.
After some thought, she said to Su Junche, "I wonder, what are your plans for him, Mr. Su?"
Su Junche replied helplessly, "I had wanted to arrange for him to cultivate under my command, but he doesn’t seem willing. He’s bent on investigating the cause of his master’s death. I’m quite worried about it. The boy has had a difficult upbringing and is very stubborn."
Zhuo Feiming suddenly had an idea and smiled leisurely. "I do have a solution, but I’m not sure if you’re willing to let your precious daughter be wronged a little, Mr. Su."
Su Junche’s eyes lit up. "My Lord, I beg for your guidance!"
"It’s quite simple, really. Yan Sea values loyalty, doesn’t he? ...All you have to do is this and that."
Su Junche pondered for a moment, then steeled his resolve and said with a wry smile, "Then I will have to trouble you, My Lord. *Sigh*..."
Master and disciple were finally reunited. Though it had only been half a year, it felt like a lifetime ago. Yan Sea led him to meet Su Yue.
This gentle and graceful master’s wife had a radiant smile on her face, overflowing with happiness.
"Well, well, if it isn’t our S-rank Celestial Pride!"
"Master’s wife, congratulations to you and Master on finally tying the knot."
Su Yue said happily, "We have our dear Celestial Pride to thank for that! If it weren’t for you, who knows..."
She didn’t finish her sentence. The threads of fate are tangled; it’s hard to trace cause and effect.
Yu Fei had been instrumental to Yan Sea’s success, but without the wholehearted support of Yan Sea and Su Yue, his own martial path would not have been so smooth.
With the Fate-Defying Pearl on his person, he would have risen eventually, but the process might have been incredibly arduous.
If he had missed this Celestial Pride Positioning Competition, Yu Fei didn’t know how long it would have taken him to catch up to the other prodigies of his generation.
Talent does not equal combat strength; it must be converted through sweat and time.
"Alright, let me find a place for you to settle in. You can cultivate here for a while. Just relax and enjoy yourself," Su Yue said generously. Just as she was about to make the arrangements, she suddenly received a message from her father.
Lord Honglian was about to depart, and everyone was to see her off, as was proper.
"Mr. Su, please, don’t trouble yourself. I’ve bothered you long enough. I’ll be leaving now."
Su Junche smiled and waved his hand. "It was no trouble for you to come. It’s my honor to see you off."
’He was more than happy to watch a good show.’
Just as they were speaking, Yan Sea and the others arrived.
Seeing the situation, they quickly bowed in greeting.
Then, they heard Zhuo Feiming’s stern voice. "Yan Sea, you were once a soldier in the Shenxiao Army. What, after being away for ten years, have you forgotten how to give a military salute?"
Her words were heavy, especially coming from a Martial Saint. Suddenly, the wind died down and the leaves stilled. You could hear a pin drop, the only sound being Yan Sea’s ragged breathing.
Yan Sea suddenly snapped to attention, clenched his right fist, and struck it against his left chest, roaring:
"Yan Sea, former Lieutenant Colonel of the Thunderbolt Assault Battalion, reporting to the Commander, My Lord!"
Zhuo Feiming studied Yan Sea carefully. She remembered every officer with the rank of Major or higher in the Shenxiao Army. This man was straightforward and a fierce fighter, but he’d had terrible luck, ending up as Sima Hong’s disciple and getting dragged into a series of struggles.
After sizing him up for a moment, Zhuo Feiming said sternly, "Lieutenant Colonel Yan Sea, you have been evading your duties for ten years. When do you plan to return to the ranks?"
Yan Sea’s face flushed red as he tried to explain, "This subordinate... back then, it was because of my injuries..."
Zhuo Feiming cut him off. "Can you just run away because you’re injured? If that were the case, couldn’t any soldier in my army simply claim an injury and desert their post?"
This was, frankly, a distortion of the facts. Yan Sea had gone through the proper channels to request a discharge back then. But one couldn’t expect a Martial Saint to argue reasonably, especially when she had no intention of doing so. With his straightforward personality, Yan Sea was instantly backed into a corner by Zhuo Feiming’s words, with no room to argue.
Su Yue grew anxious and tried to speak, but she couldn’t get a single word out. She was clearly being suppressed. Yu Fei was just as anxious but found he couldn’t take a single step.
When a Martial Saint was angry, the world fell deathly silent. The only sound was Yan Sea’s heavy, ragged breathing.
Zhuo Feiming spoke again, her tone slow, yet filled with an will that could not be defied.
"You claimed to be injured, yet today I see you are full of life and have even entered the Grandmaster Realm. How do you explain that? Never mind. Since you have evaded your duties for ten years, I will sentence you to ten years of service in the vanguard. Do you submit?"
Yan Sea practically ground his teeth to dust before saying in a low voice, "I submit!"
"Heh..." Zhuo Feiming chuckled lightly. "I know you only submit in word, not in spirit. But that’s fine. There’s plenty of time. We’ll see how it plays out."
Zhuo Feiming paused for a moment before saying with an enigmatic tone, "Yan Sea, you cultivate the Frenzied Blood Spirit to manifest the Blood Evil Dragon Aspect. That is an ancient demonic Cultivation Technique. Have you never wondered why your master would give you such a technique?"
Yan Sea stubbornly retorted, "Techniques are merely tools. Power itself is neither good nor evil. How can you distinguish between orthodox and demonic?!"
Zhuo Feiming laughed in spite of herself. "You are a Grandmaster now. You should read more, or you’ll end up misleading your own disciple. Never mind. Since your wedding is approaching, I will gift you two manuals. Study them well!"
With a wave of her elegant hand, two manuals flew into Yan Sea’s arms, giving him no chance to refuse.
Then, she turned and walked away.
"My Lord! Please wait..."
Su Junche anxiously took two steps forward. Zhuo Feiming stopped and looked at him in confusion.
"My Lord, since Yan Sea is now under the jurisdiction of the Shenxiao Army, I dare not say much more. However, my daughter and Yan Sea are about to be married. Could you possibly allow him to report for duty at a later date? *Sigh*! It hasn’t been easy for them, and they’ve finally reached this point. I beg you to be lenient, My Lord."
As he spoke, he gave a long, deep bow.
Zhuo Feiming stepped forward and gently took Su Junche by the arm. "Mr. Su, there’s no need for this. Since you have spoken up... very well. Yan Sea, I will grant you a six-month deferment. Do you understand? Make the most of it!"
No one saw the fleeting glint of amusement that passed between the two corps commanders as Zhuo Feiming helped Su Junche to his feet.
The Night Blade Corps and the Shenxiao Corps had forged a strong bond on the battlefield. The two of them had known each other for a long time and were good friends in private, though others were not aware of it.
One of these two commanders was acting for his daughter’s sake, while the other had her eye on Yu Fei’s potential. Both used Yan Sea as a pawn. Honest men were always the most vulnerable and the easiest to manipulate.
As the Martial Saint Honglian departed, the various restraints naturally dissipated. Su Yue rushed forward and anxiously took Yan Sea’s hand, while Yu Fei found he could finally move again.
It was a truly bizarre power. He had felt completely normal, yet he had been unable to move or speak, as if his body had simply forgotten how.
Su Junche turned to the young couple with a complicated, sorrowful expression. "I never expected Lord Honglian to make a special trip just for Yan Sea’s matter. I tried to stop her, but the will of a Martial Saint cannot be defied! Yan Sea, you must cherish the six months I managed to buy for you!"
He shook his head and continued his attempt at consolation, "Look on the bright side. Lord Honglian has always had a good reputation. She won’t mistreat those who work for her. Yan Sea’s return to the Shenxiao Army might even be a good thing."
