<strong>Chapter 167: You Know, That’s Immoral...</strong>
“Are you an idiot? Ohh, I like idiots. Idiots are good. Idiots are great. Eee? [1. A quick word about "Eee?" This is a sound made in Chinese to express surprise or amazement. I hear it all the time, and it literally sounds like you are saying the letter E in a questioning tone. I could have tranted it as "oh" or "ah" or something, but I think this transliteration more urately captures the feeling of this uniquely Chinese sound. In Chinese it’s 咦 yí.] Howe you haven’t teleported away yet? Wait, are you actually an idiot? Why did that bird pick an idiot?” The meat jelly continued to chatter without stopping.
Patriarch Violet Sieve raised his head up to the sky and howled. He shot closer, lifting his hand. All the light in the area seemed to grow dim, and ripples spread out everywhere, which then began to copse in toward Meng Hao.
Meng Hao’s face went pale. With a bitter smile, he looked at the glittering shield in front of him that was protecting him from Patriarch Violet Sieve. It was rapidly copsing. Up ahead, the faces within the ck aura emitted by the cage roared with rage. There was no time for Meng Hao to think. He pinched the good luck charm, and a roar sounded out. Pain filled his body. To everyone watching, it looked as if the moment before the protective shield broke, a ck hole appeared next to Meng Hao. It swallowed him up, along with the meat jelly.
Meng Hao disappeared, along with echo of the meat jelly’s voice:
“Although it actually makes me like you more, are you really an idiot? No way. There’s really no way. That bird is the root of all immorality, and yet the person he selected turns out to be an idiot... idiot... idiot....”
The voice echoed out into silence. It was the only sound to be heard. Patriarch Violet Sieve stood there, his face unsightly, rage surging from his eyes. The chain fell to the ground in front of him. The meat jelly had bonded Meng Hao as its master, and had cast off the chain.
“Bonded....” panted the Patriarch. “It actually bonded a master. ording the ancient records, it can’t bond a master! It has never bonded a master!” He lifted his head up and roared.
The beautiful, middle-aged woman took a deep breath. After a moment, her eyes glittered. The cage disintegrated and the chain broke up into countless pieces and drifted away. The figures within the ck aura began to fade, and the aura itself dissipated. As it did, Patriarch Violet Sieve’s heart trembled.
“A good luck charm from the Milky Way Luck Sect.... So, that person was able to leave because of that object. I will find him. I will pay any cost necessary to find him. But his Sect can’t find out. Ultimate Vexation has bonded a master. That’s excellent. A new variable. Perhaps Longevity Qi cannot be produced, but Longevity Pills can!!”
Meanwhile, in the Southern Domain.
Near the sphere of influence of the Blood Demon Sect was ake. Theke was as smooth as a mirror, and emitted spiritual energy, causing the entire area to be covered with mist throughout the year. It had a very otherworldly look.
But, that was only from the perspective of mortals. Although the spiritual energy in the area wasn’t bad, it was far from being close to what is was within the five great Sects. Even some smaller Sects had greater umtions of spiritual energy.
Although this area was within the sphere of influence of the Blood Demon Sect, it was on the very edge, on the area bordering the Solitary Sword Sect’s territory. asionally, Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect would fly by this area. In actuality, it was a rtively dangerous ce.
That was because the Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect had a blood feud, which wasmon knowledge amongst Southern Domain Cultivators. Although no major conflicts had broken out, small fights would asionally ur.
Many areas surrounding theke were actually battlefields for the Solitary Sword Sect and the Blood Demon Sect.
Next to theke was a mountain vige, which was inhabited by a n by the name of Xiao. The most powerful member of the n was of the mid Foundation Establishment stage. Seven or eight n members were at the Qi Condensation stage, and the rest didn’t have anytent talent whatsoever. Years ago, the n Lord had been a disciple of the Blood Demon Sect. However, he was growing old, and had been injured. His Cultivation base could make no further progress, and his longevity was running out.
In most cases, disciples like this are asked to leave the Blood Demon Sect and found ns in the surrounding areas. Their heirs will then have the chance to enter the Blood Demon Sect.
Generally speaking, even if the Solitary Sword Sect came into the region, they would ignore such people. As a result, the Xiao n’s territory had been rtively peaceful in recent years.
However, that peace was mostly because norge Sect had made any attempt to bully them; often there would be friction with surrounding Cultivator ns.
This was especially true because of the position they upied next to the Spiritke. Many surrounding Cultivator ns coveted theke, and red at it like a tiger eyeing its prey. Were it not for the Cultivation base of the Xiao n Lord, their n would definitely have been carved up like a melon.
Unfortunately, Xiao n Lord Xiao Chang’en’s [2. Xiao Chang’en’s name in Chinese is 肖长恩 xiào cháng ēn - Xiao is a family name. Chang means "long." En means "favor" or "kindness"] longevity was reaching its end, and his body was beginning to deteriorate. A crisis was forming. Today, members of the Xu n had arrived with ill intentions. They strolled through the Xiao n, cold smiles covering their faces.
“Fellow Daoist Chang’en,” said the Xu n Lord Xu Luodi [3. Xu Luodi’s name in Chinese is 徐洛堤 xú luò dī - Xu is amon family name. Luo has no particr meaning. Di means "dyke" or "embankment"] with a false smile and a sinister voice, “you should carefully consider my proposal. If we form a marriage alliance, then we can share thiske. That will ensure that the names of Xu and Xiao will exist forever. The day when our ns can re-enter the Blood Demon Sect will be just around the corner.” Behind him trailed ten or more n members with Cultivation bases at the Qi Condensation stage. The most conspicuous among them was at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He was currently casting smiles toward one of the members of the Xiao n, was a tall, slim young woman with a scowl on her face.
The girl wore a long green robe. Wind from theke lifted her silky hair. She had beautiful features and skin like jade. Her intelligent eyes were like those of a red phoenix, tilted upward gently. She was truly a rare beauty.
Xiao Chang’en stood next to her, looking somewhat sickly. The me of his life force was growing dim. Behind him were the seven or eight Qi Condensation n members. He nced at the people from the Xu n, and opened his mouth to speak, but then trembled and began to cough. The young woman reached out to support him, a worried look on her face.
Xiao Chang’en took a deep breath and then said, “Xu Luodi, you can have theke, but as for a marriage alliance, that’s impossible.” He patted the hand of the woman who stood next to him, and then nced at the people from the Xu n. He was clearly weak, but his look could chop nails and slice iron.
“The Xu n wants thiske,” said Xu Luodi. “As for the Xiao n’s talisman expert girl, we want her too. If you agree, excellent. But if you disagree....” A smile covered his face, and yet his eyes glowed with killing intent. He took a step forward.
As his foot descended, a wave of mid Foundation Establishment pressure emanated out, filling the area. The faces of the Xiao n Qi Condensation Cultivators went pale and filled with nervousness and uncertainty. Ripples spread out across the surface of theke.
At this exact same time, however, the sky above, which had previously been filled with zing sunlight, suddenly seemed to grow dark.
It went back to normal in an instant. It happened so fast that if you blinked, you might not even notice.
However, the faces of both the Xu and Xiao n shed, and they all gasped. A look of disbelief appeared on Xu Luodi’s face, and as for Xiao Chang’en his heart was currently filled with the mes of fury, and yet all he could do was gape in astonishment. All of the n members present were currently staring toward theke.
A gigantic ck hole had appeared above theke, sending theke waters roiling. A person appeared from within the ck hole, emerging along with massive amounts of ck aura. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. A noisy voice could suddenly be heard.
“I’m not finished. Are you really an idiot... idiot... idiot?”
Face pale, Meng Hao emerged and nced around. His gazended upon the Cultivators from the Xu and Xiao ns. As the ck hole disappeared behind him, Xiao Chang’en stopped panting and collected himself. A strange light gleamed in his eye. The woman next to him was about to open her mouth, but Xiao Chang’en lightly covered it with his hand.
He did this because he was the owner of theke. Xu Luodi wasn’t the only person who hade here recently with ill intentions and a desire to take a superior position. The current situation caused Xiao Chang’en’s heart to be filled with anxiety. His eyes immediately began to shine with a stern aura. A cold smile appeared on his face.
At first, he had been nervous, but after checking Meng Hao’s Cultivation base, he let out a light sigh. He was still a bit suspicious, though, considering the strange nature of Meng Hao’s arrival.
“Fellow Daoist, who are you, and why have you intruded upon this Spiritkend?” These words were uttered not by Xiao Chang’en, but by Xu Luodi. From what he could see, Meng Hao was at early Foundation Establishment. Considering how tenuous the situation the moment, he couldn’t be certain that this person wasn’t here to assist Xiao Chang’en.
As he spoke, the seven or eight members of the younger generation of his n started to get nervous and stare at Meng Hao.
“Senior, some problems urred with my teleportation and I inadvertently appeared here.” Meng Hao’s body flickered, and hended on the shore of theke. When he did, Xiao Chang’en pulled the woman back with him a few steps, away from Xu Luodi. His fellow nsmen followed suit. He said nothing, but an enthusiastic look had suddenly appeared in his eyes.
When Xu Luodi saw this, he frowned. As Meng Hao stepped foot onto the shore, Xu Luodi suddenly strode forward, the power of his mid Foundation Establishment Cultivation base ring into power. A hypocritical smile filled his face as the pressure radiated out.
The hat on Meng Hao’s head suddenly began speaking to him.
“You know, that’s wrong. That’s very immoral. You shouldn’t tell lies. You obviously came here because you were fleeing for your life. You did have a reason toe here. You came here on purpose!”
Meng Hao’s face grew dark and Xu Luodi stared in shock. Xiao Chang’en’s eyes narrowed, although his expression went back to normal in an instant. The woman next to him looked in wide-eyed astonishment at the hat on Meng Hao’s head.
Meng Hao frowned, then took the hat off his head, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it away as hard as he could.
“Fellow Daoist,” he said, ignoring the hat, “where am I? What is the nearest Sect?” He nced at Xu Luodi’s rippling Cultivation base and vignt expression, and then looked at Xiao Chang’en.
“Fellow Daoist there’s no need to ask when you already know the answer. Why did you....” Xiao Chang’en was starting to get a strange feeling about the situation. But before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed that the hat which had just been crumpled and thrown away, suddenly restored its shape, and was back on Meng Hao’s head.
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<i>This chapter was sponsored by Eric Layne, Calvin Yee, Sergio, Max Baraniak and TwistedShells</i>