Free Web NovelChapter 942: Chapter 190 He Did Not Lose Face
Yan Jia personally took the lead as the vanguard, and Jiang Wang, to express his gratitude, followed closely behind.
To show that he shared the risks and would not just freeload on the crossing of the bridge.
The two of them were extremely cautious, walking in the front row, one after the other, the first to cross the bridge. However, what awaited them on the other side of the Boundary River was not a dense army of the Sea Clan but rather an endless emptiness.
There was nothing as far as the eye could see.
"Having stayed in the Pure Land for too long, sometimes you forget what kind of place the Lost World is," Yan Jia said with a laugh as he looked around.
His hair was very short but not completely shaven, just long enough to leave some stubble, his brows steep, his eye sockets slightly deep, and his overall demeanor was quite stern. However, he was relatively gentle in his interactions with others.
This man possessed extremely clever healing Dao Techniques, and Medical Practitioners generally did not inspire much confidence in pure combat. But judging by his ability to lead a support team, his Killing Power should not be underestimated.
All in all, he was a person of contradictory temperament, and it was exactly this contradiction that formed his unique charm.
Jiang Wang breathed a sigh of relief following him. The absence of the Sea Clan’s army lurking in front of the Boundary River indicated, as Chen Gen and Yan Jia had previously speculated, that the White Elephant King had indeed retreated into the Sea Nest by now.
It was certainly good news that Ding Weifloating Island had survived.
Yan Jia spoke words full of Wentun, as though to say that the peace in Floating Map Pure Land had slackened his will, but Jiang Wang had no doubt about what sort of destruction he would unleash once faced with the Sea Clan.
Therefore, he just said, "This can also be seen as another kind of scenery."
"Scenery?" Yan Jia shook his head, not saying anything more.
This time he brought over two hundred cultivators, all armored and valiant, clearly the finest of the Monks of Yang Valley.
Though they were an elite force, this number of troops was not enough to fully occupy the Ding Wei region. It should be said that the goal of Yang Valley for the time being was probably to consolidate the defenses of the existing Floating Islands. It was indeed unrealistic to venture out completely without a thorough investigation of the neighboring areas.
After all, compared to Ding Weifloating Island, Floating Map Pure Land was a territory of far greater strategic significance.
Jiang Wang also noticed that Yan Jia and his men were carrying a dazzling war flag, which did not match the proclaiming war flag hanging over Ding Weifloating Island,
After all his men had crossed the river and finished forming their formation, Yan Jia put away the bridge.
In just that short amount of time, only half of the bridge was left. This showed how terrifying the consumption of the Boundary River was.
Jiang Wang led the way ahead, heading straight for Ding Weifloating Island.
When he had left Ding Weifloating Island, he was being hunted everywhere by the Sea Clan. Now returning, he was accompanied by a troop of valiant elites.
He felt quite a difference from before.
The departure could not be called anything but embarrassing, yet the return could not be called anything but imposing.
However, for some reason, the lingering frost from the Divine Power Seed in the second Inner Mansion bore a subtle sense of oppression.
Jiang Wang had an inexplicable feeling, as if at some point he had made a choice that wasn’t "wrong" but not very "harmonious."
But delving into it, he came away with nothing.
It could only be attributed to the fatigue after prolonged combat that even made it somewhat difficult for him to control his own Divine Skills.
He would need to find a place to recuperate properly after returning. Jiang Wang thought to himself.
Still a good distance from Ding Weifloating Island, Fu Yanqing emerged from a shadow.
Yan Jia’s gaze moved to Fu Yanqing before Jiang Wang’s.
"Your Playing Shadow Skill is certainly growing stronger," he said to Fu Yanqing.
It turned out that Fu Yanqing’s skill was called Playing Shadow.
Jiang Wang’s first thought was this, and his second was that it seemed these two did not have a particularly good relationship. Competition appeared to be more prevalent than warmth between them.
Fu Yanqing did not say anything about his own skill, nor did he ask about the objectives or tasks of Yan Jia’s team. He must have observed the entire team before he appeared, and so he simply asked, "Did you bring the materials needed to repair the Island Defense Formation?"
"Of course," said Yan Jia with a smile.
Fu Yanqing nodded, then turned to Jiang Wang, "You’ve already completed your mission to cleanse your sins, why haven’t you returned?"
Yan Jia showed a trace of surprise in his eyes, clearly having no idea that Jiang Wang was in the Lost World to cleanse his sins.
This also showed that the warriors living in the Lost World had become quite isolated from the rest of the world. Even as an important figure from Yanggu Power in the Floating Map Pure Land, he was completely unaware of the major events that were already stirring considerable discussion in the Near Sea Archipelago.
It seemed that only something as significant as the establishment of the Seize Sea Alliance would be known to the cultivators of the Lost World in the shortest possible time.
Jiang Wang said with a grimace, "I wasn’t too lucky. There weren’t enough Thorn Boats or Scorching Sun Flying Boats available in Floating Map Pure Land to get me directly back to the Near Sea."
Fu Yanqing fully understood Jiang Wang’s plea for help and said directly, "Then let’s go. There happens to be a group of brothers who need to return to the Near Sea for rest and recuperation, I’ll arrange a spot for you."
No sooner had he spoken than he disappeared back into the shadows.
Like Jiang Wang’s Samadhi True Fire and Astray Path, they were usually only used at critical moments. Because employing Divine Skills was also a tremendous drain, especially at the Divine Power Seed stage, it was difficult to use them without restraint.
Fu Yanqing seemed to have always walked in the world of shadows, and this might be due to the special nature of his divine skills, but it also sufficiently demonstrated that he had developed his divine skills to an extremely high level.
Jiang Wang did not find Fu Yanqing’s attitude objectionable, but Yan Jia was pensive.
From his perspective, although Fu Yanqing was not the type with an excessively high opinion of himself, he was also usually reticent. Even within the Yang Valley, how often had anyone seen him being so amiable?
His current attitude could only mean that Jiang Wang had earned Fu Yanqing’s approval.
Apart from breaking through the encirclement for help, what remarkable things had this Jiang Wang from Qi Country done?
The great battle at Ding Wei’s Floating Island had just subsided, and these so-called "reinforcements" were not in a position to chit-chat on the road. They held their observations to themselves and continued to press on.
Many cruel things existed in the world, but nothing manifested the word "cruelty" more clearly and directly than a battlefield after a great war.
Unfortunately, Ding Wei’s Floating Island was just such a battlefield.
Jiang Wang still remembered his first visit to Ding Wei’s Floating Island—the rush of his journey then yet the amazement he felt for the place. It was a surprise akin to stumbling upon a splendid garden in the midst of a silent wasteland. Returning from the chaotic wilderness to the peaceful Floating Island felt like the joy of a traveler returning home.
But now...
The two tall Huabiao pillars had fallen, and the white stone plaza that once brimmed with cultivators had completely disappeared. What remained was a dark, gaping hole, like the maw of some monster, waiting to consume something. How many lives had been lost there?
Where there used to be pavilions and terraces, mountains and waters, now only remains, broken walls, blood, and smoke.
Jiang Wang was silent, Yan Jia was silent, the entire team supporting Ding Wei’s Floating Island was silent.
Without needing command, the monks of Yang Valley from the Floating Map Pure Land dispersed on their own, each busily engaging in tasks—filling holes, repairing damages, and treating the injured.
Yan Jia, highly skilled in healing Dao techniques, was so busy he did not touch the ground and had no time for further conversation with Jiang Wang.
Fu Yanqing, who had been busy with his own matters, emerged once more from Jiang Wang’s shadow, saying, "Come, I’ll take you to the boat."
Only then did Jiang Wang withdraw from the relief work and followed Fu Yanqing. He couldn’t help but ask, "What about the Island Master?"
"Recovering from injuries," Fu Yanqing said.
"May I visit him?" Jiang Wang felt a sense of gratitude towards Ding Jingshan.
"Not necessary," Fu Yanqing said without turning back. "The Island Master said, as long as you remember to repay your debt, it’s fine."
"...Ten Liang of Lost Crystals, I remember," Jiang Wang said.
"No, there’s also the Sunburnt Flying Boat. In covering your escape, one Sunburnt Flying Boat was directly destroyed," Fu Yanqing spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone.
Jiang Wang could only grudgingly say, "That’s only right."
"Ahem," Fu Yanqing coughed, seemingly a bit embarrassed, before continuing, "The Island Master’s injuries are also partly your responsibility. It wouldn’t be too much to bring some ointments for wounds, right?"
"...Not too much," Jiang Wang concurred. ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Actually, I also sustained some injuries..."
"I understand," Jiang Wang said in a muffled voice, passing forward a storage box, "These are spoils from slaying members of the Sea Clan. Would you like to take a look and pick out anything suitable?"
Fu Yanqing did not stand on ceremony, taking the box and sifting through it while walking, casually remarking, "The bridge was for you to carry out missions, you don’t have to compensate for it."
"Should I say thank you?" Jiang Wang asked.
"Ahem, not necessary," said Fu Yanqing.
After some time walking one behind the other, it was still Jiang Wang who said, "Tell me about Chu Mi."
Chu Mi had sacrificed himself to construct a bridge, allowing Jiang Wang to cross the river, yet Jiang Wang still hardly understood anything about the man.
Fu Yanqing did not cease his movement, continuously transferring items from Jiang Wang’s storage box into his own, and asked as if offhandedly, "He didn’t cause us any embarrassment, did he?"
"His final moments could be called great," replied Jiang Wang, "It was his self-sacrifice that built the Star Bridge, allowing me to successfully reach the Floating Map Pure Land. It gave me the chance to strike back at Yu Siqing and others, accomplishing the purification of my sins."
"That’s good to hear," said Fu Yanqing simply.
After thoroughly examining the storage box, Fu Yanqing seemed rather unimpressed, "How come you’ve collected such worthless junk?"
Handing the storage box back to Jiang Wang, he continued, "Chu Mi came to the Lost World together with his master to serve their sentence. However, his master had bad luck and died at the hands of the Sea Clan a few years earlier. Since then, he kept saying he was innocent. He claimed that he came to the Lost World because he took on some of his master’s guilt, and now that his master was dead, there was no need to bear the guilt anymore. He even sought me out, hoping we could help clear his name so he could return to Qi Country, but that’s a matter for your Qi Country; how could I possibly help? And, you know the man... He’s been talking about this for years, always seeking someone to champion his case. However, no one believed him. I don’t know whether it’s true or not."
Fu Yanqing walked ahead, "But one thing I’m sure of, he and his master were indeed as close as father and son, and as such, he hated the Sea Clan with intense loathing. That much couldn’t be faked. So, at least when it comes to facing the Sea Clan, he could be trusted."
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(Today is... 6K of the mighty!)
