HSSB385: Great gratitude and great enmity
Gazing into the distance, Yan Zhaoge fell into deep silence.
Sikong Qing looked rather curiously at Yan Zhaoge, who recovered after a while, saying, “I will be heading to the region of sea about Long Ocean Island next.”
“The battlefield where Grand Master and the others are clashing with the Flame Devil Kings definitely cannot be approached, but I intend to face the other Flame Devils for a bit.”
Yan Zhaoge looked at Sikong Qing, “Will you return to the inner mainland or come together with me?”
Sikong Qing’s expression was as per usual, “While my cultivation base is low, I can still fight against Flame Devils at the level of Martial Scholars. In having left the Mountain this time, my motive has been to temper myself. Senior apprentice-brother Yan does not need to worry about affecting me.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “Alright. If you want to stay behind, it is also fine. Such an environment is indeed more suitable for tempering people.”
“However, the great battle with the Flame Devils covers a vast area, not just being a matter of a city or a region or a deathmatch between one or two people, instead virtually being a war. If you want to participate, you had best not act alone, or an accident might occur, others getting drawn into it.”
“Senior apprentice-aunt Fu is the current East Sea First Seat Elder, and should be moving alongside Old Man Mo and the others. Having arrived at Long Ocean City, you should listen to her arrangements.”
“Senior apprentice-aunt Fu similarly believes in tempering through actual combat; you won’t have to worry about not having the chance to temper yourself.”
Sikong Qing naturally also had such an understanding of her Master as she nodded, “En, I understand.”
The two rode the vessel, heading east.
On the way, Sikong Qing would ask Yan Zhaoge some questions regarding the martial arts she cultivated in from time to time.
While she was in great admiration of Yan Zhaoge’s glorious achievements, what she actually looked up to most, at the end of the day, was still the martial dao itself.
Not speaking of those achievements of his which seemed like miracles, having attained such a cultivation base at such a young age, Yan Zhaoge himself could also be considered a miracle.
Sikong Qing was cold and aloof, seldom interacting with others. However, over the years, she had gradually grown more familiar with Yan Zhaoge, admiring him greatly. Therefore, she was instead more casual before Yan Zhaoge, asking him for pointers in what of her martial arts she did not understand.
Yan Zhaoge was also not stingy in giving pointers to this junior apprentice-sister of his.
While he would not probe on his own initiative, he was growing more and more interested in the mysteries surrounding Sikong Qing, very much wanting to see what heights she could attain in the future.
From interrogating that Ouyang Qi, Yan Zhaoge had come to know that the experiences of him and Chang Ning had been very similar to those of Sikong Qing.
While they had all been outstanding talents in the Body Refinement realm as well, it was basically still within a generally accepted range.
However, having stepped into the Martial Scholar realm, their cultivation speed had suddenly erupted, as though they had been reborn anew, their bodies reforged.
Having already been outstanding, they displayed even greater talent and potential, beginning to preside over and suppress all the usual genius figures.
It was just that this had happened without any prior signs whatsoever, the reasons for it unable to be found.
Chen Qi, the Master of Ouyang Qi and Chang Ning, had not been as polite as Yan Zhaoge.
Chen Qi had carefully examined the changes in the two’s bodies.
In the end, other than those strange runes that would appear when on the two with each other’s assistance, no other abnormalities had been found.
Thinking about those strange runes, Yan Zhaoge squinted, continuing to ponder.
As the two headed east, having received the message of Yan Zhaoge and Jade Sea City, Ah Hu brought Pan-Pan along in meeting up with them.
“Young Master, it’s good that you’re okay,” After their meeting, Ah Hu first heaved a sigh of relief as he saw that Yan Zhaoge was safe before he asked curiously, “Jade Sea City has really successfully forged a Sacred Artifact?”
Yan Zhaoge answered, “That’s right. It’s a sword, named the Jade Sea Pill Heart Sword, being extremely cohesive with Jade Sea City’s supreme martial art, the Jade Sea Formless Sword, such that when that sword art is executed with that sword, its power is boosted yet further, being truly remarkable.”
He generally described the process and its key points, conveying them to Ah Hu.
While Yan Zhaoge spoke in a casual manner, not especially exaggerating anything, Ah Hu still grinned widely at his words as he chortled, “Young Master, that was really too awesome this time!”
“Definitely this!” Saying thus, Ah Hu shot him a thumbs up.
However, after the thumbs up, Ah Hu hesitated slight for a moment before hesitantly saying, “Still, Young Master, the debt owed to you and Broad Creed Mountain by Jade Sea City this time is really too great.”
“While it is said that we are all joined by the root against the Flame Devils, neither the lips nor the teeth able to survive without the other as it is only right for us to help one another, if not for you and the old Chief this time, even their City Lord Song Wuliang included, Jade Sea City would have been completely toppled by the Flame Devils this time, one of the six great Sacred Grounds directly being eliminated from the Eight Extremities World.”
Yan Zhaoge looked at Ah Hu, “Continue.”
Ah Hu scratched his head, “Young Master ah, I don’t know any great principles, but there is an old saying that sometimes, raising breeds gratitude, fighting breeds enmity.”
“Erm, maybe this doesn’t convey the meaning properly, it should be called great gratitude while also great enmity or something like that…”
Ah Hu looked a little worriedly at Yan Zhaoge.
Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly, “I understand your meaning, but there is still nothing to worry about for the time being.”
He turned and looked back in the direction of Jade Sea City. There, it was calm where the sky and the sea met, East Dragon Island and Jade Sea City already no longer visible.
“For the time being, let us believe that Jade Sea City at least have their most basic principles and bottom line. Even if they don’t…” Yan Zhaoge chortled, “…Even if they don’t, as long as the Sacred Sun Clan does remain, this great gratitude will not turn into great enmity.”
Hearing his words, a thoughtful look appeared on Ah Hu’s face.
The relationship between Jade Sea City and Broad Creed Mountain aside, their enmity with the Sacred Sun Clan had already existed for many long years.
It was when the Sacred Sun Clan had originally tried to trample on Broad Creed Mountain during the great tribulation of Broad Creed Mountain, when Broad Creed Mountain had eliminated the Sacred Sun Clan’s Great Sun Heaven Measuring Ruler in return, that the tensions between the two sides had risen to a similar level of enmity as existed between Jade Sea City and the Sacred Sun Clan.
Before that, all this time, it was Jade Sea City and the Sacred Sun Clan, one water, one fire, that had been the most famed for being unforgivingly at loggerheads, the enmity between them having reached a point that could not be remedied.
The years when Huang Guanglie’s Master, the Purple Sun Martial Saint Zhang Chao, had presided gloriously over the Eight Extremities World, had been the hardest times in Jade Sea City’s history.
Sikong Qing sat quietly by the side, also looking in the direction of Jade Sea City.
Yan Zhaoge asked, “Have there been any latest news?”
Ah Hu answered, “The Heavenly Thunder Hall’s Hall Lord Shen Li and the Sacred Sun Clan’s Huang Guanglie both arrived on the Outer East Sea a while back, stabilising their footing alongside the Painting Saint Old Man Mo and Meng Wan, wielding the Extreme Yin Crown, keeping the Flame Devils obstructed in the boundary between the region of sea about Long Ocean City and the Outer East Sea.”
“Infinite Boundless Mountain’s Chief Chu, along with the Heaven Cleaving Axe, has arrived by the sea at the edge of the mainland, currently sitting over the western part of the Water Domain.”
Hearing his words, Yan Zhaoge nodded slightly, “Huang Guanglie, Old Man Mo, Grand Master and the Clear Qi Robe as well as Song Wuliang and the Jade Sea Pill Heart Sword.”
“Adding on Turbid Wave Pavilion’s Pavilion Lord An, the Extreme Yin Crown and the Heavenly Thunder Hall’s Shen Li…right, it should at least be sufficient to stop this wave of attacks by the Flame Devils, unless other great changes occur once more.”
Yan Zhaoge took out his nine ice shards, “If the situation so allows for it, I will be able to attempt it.”