Chapter 345: Bringing a Treasure Back
Not far from Tianlang City, on a provincial official road.
The tavern waiter was greeting guests as usual. However, being in a remote area meant there weren’t many visitors most of the time.
Suddenly, a burly man with a fierce look, a scarred face, and a single eye approached, wielding a broadsword. Though the waiter felt a bit intimidated, he forced a smile and put on his best charm: “Guest, you look tired from your journey. Would you like to sit, take a break, and enjoy some tea?”
The man shot the waiter a glare that could freeze hell over, making the poor guy feel like his soul had left his body.
But in the end, the man didn’t say a word. Instead, he silently walked to a table, sat down, and pointed at the largest jug of wine.
The waiter instantly understood and hurried off to fetch the wine.
Once the drink arrived and after munching on a few peanuts, the man suddenly said:
“What? Did you follow me all this way just to enjoy my misfortune?”
“Hey, that’s a misunderstanding, Marshal,” a voice chimed in as Young Master Sang strolled in, looking nonchalant, and plopped down across from Xu Yourong, casually pouring himself some of the wine the latter had bought.
“We’re both down-on-our-luck folks, after all. I just got expelled from the Holy Kingdom and I can’t get a bite to eat from the National Master’s table either.”
Xu Yourong narrowed his eyes, glancing sideways at Sang, and coldly replied, “Kid, I’m no longer the Tianlang Wei Marshal. Don’t call me that.”
“Then how about I just call you Brother Xu? Is that okay?” Young Master Sang grinned and continued, “They say you don’t get to know someone until there’s some punching involved. I figured you and I have no deep grudges—just doing our own jobs.”
“Now that the mess in the Holy Kingdom has settled, how about we just sit here, have a few drinks, and chat? How delightful, right?”
“Hmph.” Xu Yourong didn’t buy into Sang’s friendliness, retorting, “Cut it out with the niceties. We’re not that familiar.”
“A little chat here and there can build familiarity, right?” Young Master Sang chewed on peanuts and grinned, “Aren’t you curious if that Li Shanyan in the palace is the real deal or not?”
Xu Yourong fell silent for a moment.
“It doesn’t matter if that Li Shanyan is the one you impersonated or not. The moment I hesitated to take the gamble, I lost. The truth doesn’t even matter anymore.”
“Simply put, I can’t compete with you, and there’s nothing else to say. If you’re here to enjoy my misfortune, you better clear out before I lose my temper.”
Young Master Sang raised his eyebrows, unable to resist joking, “Taking losses with grace, huh? Brother Xu, I respect you for being a man.”
“Alright, I won’t beat around the bush anymore. Yes, that Li Shanyan was indeed impersonated by me. I was betting on how terrified you are of him, Brother Xu.”
“Honestly, if you’d just come out swinging back then, who knows who would be on the throne by now?”
Xu Yourong’s expression softened slightly as he shot a sidelong glance at Sang.
“…So, what exactly do you want to say?”
“I just wanted to ask, Brother Xu, what are your plans going forward?”
“Plans?” Xu Yourong laughed heartily, “As a prominent figure in the Great Ascension, there’s nowhere I can’t go! I could even set up my own sect. Given some time, I could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Holy Kingdom. Worst case, I could just head back to my southwestern mountains and continue ruling over my hills.”
“Setting up a sect sounds exhausting.” Young Master Sang began, sounding like a nosy aunt on the street, “You need resources, connections, and by the time you get it all going, the cucumbers will cool down!”
“In my view, with your cultivation, Brother Xu, any random sect would treat you like a revered ancestor.”
Sang’s flattery made Xu Yourong feel a bit pleased.
But he quickly caught the hidden meaning in Sang’s words and narrowed his eyes, saying, “I think I understand.”
“You’re here to poach people for your Demon Cult, aren’t you?”
“Hey, it’s a win-win, how can you call it poaching?” Young Master Sang waved his hand dismissively, “This is called legal recruitment.”
“Besides, it doesn’t matter where you go, Brother Xu. I just don’t want you falling into some low-tier sect and ruining your prospects!”
“Let me tell you, our Demon Cult, as a newly rising sacred-level sect, has a complete corporate culture and future planning. Each employee we recruit—”
“Enough.” Seeing Sang was about to go on a tangent, Xu Yourong immediately interrupted him.
“As a Great Ascension expert, do you think your Demon Cult can handle me if you dare take me in?”
“No problem!” Sang smiled brightly, “After all, we have both me and the Sect Leader in the Demon Cult!”
Hearing this, Xu Yourong’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a hint of mischief. He sneered and teased:
“Well, since you’re so eager for me to join, I might consider it.”
“But… do you know why I chose to join the Holy Kingdom in the first place?”
Young Master Sang stared at him quietly.
“Because of Li Shanyan,” Xu Yourong said slowly, “Because I couldn’t beat that old man, I willingly chose to stay with Tianlang Wei. After all, in the cultivation world, the strong rule. That old man was strong enough to make me feel safe as I lay low under his wing.”
“And your Demon Cult… two newly promoted Great Ascension experts? Individually, none would be a match for me, so why would I work for you?”
“If you want me in your Demon Cult, sure.” He mocked, “Just let me sit on the Sect Leader’s seat, and I might give it a thought.”
Young Master Sang wasn’t angered by Xu Yourong’s words. Instead, after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly shot back:
“So, does that mean, Brother Xu, you just want to follow someone stronger?”
“Exactly,” Xu Yourong replied proudly.
“Then how about this,” Sang proposed, “Let’s have a match. If I win, you’ll come back with me to the Demon Cult. If you win, I’ll fully support you in taking the Sect Leader position, knocking that anime-watching loli off her perch. How about it?”
Xu Yourong hesitated for a moment, then frowned: “Kid, you’re so confident you can beat me?”
“Well, we won’t know until we actually fight, will we?”
Young Master Sang laughed cheerfully and added, “But we need to find a remote location for our fight.”
“I think the East Sea would be perfect. It’s not far away, just four to five days back and forth. What do you say?”
Xu Yourong scrutinized Sang thoroughly.
At least in his eyes, this newcomer to the Great Ascension realm was far too young and underqualified to be on his level.
After a long moment, he suddenly burst out laughing.
“Good!”
“Kid, you’re straightforward. I like people who let their fists do the talking, no fussing around.” Xu Yourong said heartily, “It’s been a while since I’ve had some action.”
“Let’s do it then. We’ll have a three-day, three-night showdown over the East Sea until a victor emerges!”
As he spoke, he picked up his broadsword and was about to get up.
Young Master Sang’s eyes flickered over the broadsword, and he suddenly asked: “Brother Xu, your weapon doesn’t seem like an ordinary one.”
“Ha, of course not. This old buddy has accompanied me through life and battle,” Xu Yourong replied, a hint of pride in his eyes as he looked at his sword. “I found this blade in a secret realm when I was just a nameless nobody.”
“After that, it accompanied me through many battles, being tempered time and again, it’s now at a level beyond average. Many ordinary weapons would shatter after one blow.”
“It seems, Brother Xu… you really love your weapon.”
Young Master Sang’s gaze lingered on the broadsword for a moment before his smile returned, though only those familiar with him could catch the bad intentions hidden within.
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