Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Rong Jielin looked at his grandson. The more he looked at him, the more pleased he became. He gently said, “Kaixuan, you managed to discover the heart of a Martial Artist during your first experience with a situation that put your life on the line. Ho-ho, this is really a rare gift.”
Rong Yihe nodded and said, “Father is right. While it is important to have the gift of being able to cultivate True Qi, a Martial Artist who only knows how to cultivate True Qi will not have much of a future ahead of him. That’s because after one has reached a certain amount of True Qi, you will not be able to comprehend and improve it further unless you fight. Otherwise, the cultivation of True Qi will only be good for strengthening the body.”
Rong Jielin nodded gravely and said, “Kaixuan, since you have such a wonderful constitution, you should not waste your gift of cultivating as a Martial Artist.”
Rong Kaixuan blinked a few times and asked, “Grandpa, are you asking me to give up on cultivating as a Spiritualist and switch to cultivating as a Martial Artist instead?”
Rong Jielin went quiet for a while. He opened his mouth to speak, but he had no words.
He was a Peak Stage Martial Arts Teacher and had cultivated in Martial Arts all his life. Even so, he couldn’t find it in himself to say that it was better to cultivate as a Martial Artist than to cultivate as a Spiritualist.
Any normal person knew that it was much rarer to be able to cultivate as a Spiritualist.
The spells that Spiritualists were able to release were not just an energy that came from themselves but an energy that had been gathered from the universe around them. Just comparing the potential force they could muster alone was already more powerful than the power that a Martial Artist at the same stage could muster.
Besides, Spiritualists always attacked enemies from afar and seldom faced the danger of a close-range battle.
Regardless of whether you looked at it from the perspective of safety or practical use, Spiritualists always almost seemed to have a brighter future than a Martial Artist.
Rong Yiyang glanced around at everyone. While he was very excited, he was also upset.
It was definitely a good thing that his son had such an extraordinary gift, but he couldn’t believe that he didn’t notice any of it even after he had taught and trained his son all these years. The moment he brought his son back to the family, his son had bloomed beautifully and attracted the attention of everyone.
He wondered how he had been living all these years. His son’s gift was so amazing, but he had never discovered it.
The only thing that made him glad in his heart was the fact that he chose to return to the family. Otherwise, his son’s talent was going to be buried by him for the rest of his life.
After a few moments, Rong Jielin let out a long sigh and replied, “Kaixuan, you can choose what path you want for yourself. Then again, cultivation as a Martial Artist is also useful in strengthening one’s body.”
Everyone exchanged glances and tried not to laugh.
Cultivation as a Spiritualist also strengthened one’s body.
Suddenly, a servant came rushing into the courtyard and passed an embossed card to Rong Cai.
Even though Rong Cai was a servant in name, everyone in the household knew that his status in the house was not much different from the head of the family.
Rong Cai took the card and was stunned.
He soon came forward and said, “Master, someone wants to see Young Master Kaixuan.”
Rong Jielin scoffed and replied, “Kaixuan needs to focus on cultivation. He doesn’t have time to see anybody.”
Rong Cai smiled bitterly and said, “Master, this is from Rong Kaixin.”
Everyone was surprised by this. Their expressions started to look strange.
They all knew what happened between Rong Kaixuan and Rong Yitie and his son. After the incident, the two families were now pretty much enemies.
Since both families had the same surname and were part of the same clan, they couldn’t really fall out with one another.
Rong Jielin and the family had all agreed that they would just never have any interaction with the other family.
Thus, when they heard this request, they couldn’t understand where it was coming from.
“Heh-heh, Kaixuan, it’s not a bad idea to see him.” Rong Jielin though for a while and said, “Our family cannot appear cowardly to him, so go out and see what on earth he’s trying to do.”
Rong Kaixin was from a younger generation and had come by himself, so Rong Jielin and the other older ones wouldn’t go out to meet the boy.
With the permission of his elders, Rong Kaixuan walked out to the main hall of his family’s house to meet this brother within the same clan.
After a while, Rong Cai led Rong Kaixin into the main hall.
He was dressed the same way. His expression was dark, and his gaze was cold. There was nothing but hatred in his eyes as he stared straight at Rong Kaixuan.
Since Rong Kaixin looked at him like that, Rong Kaixuan knew immediately that he wasn’t there to make peace.
Rong Kaixuan kept a cold expression on his face and asked, “Why are you looking for me?”
Since the other party was an enemy, he couldn’t be bothered with being polite or going through small talk. Thus, he just asked Rong Kaixin directly.
Rong Kaixin puffed his chest out and replied loudly, “Rong Kaixuan, I lost to you the last time because I wasn’t prepared for it. I’m still indignant about it, so I would like to challenge you to a fight officially.”
Rong Kaixuan was surprised and replied in confusion, “Challenge me to a fight?”
“That’s right.” Rong Kaixin said in a low voice, “According to the rules of the clan, if two parties have any unsettled feuds, they can fight each other on a Battle Platform and settle it once and for all.” His eyes were energetic and alert. “Thanks to you, my father and I are both famous in the entire clan. Humph, so since I’m challenging you today, I’m sure you won’t be so weak as to refuse me, right?”
Rong Kaixuan had a knowing smile on his face. “I’m afraid you and your father were already infamous in the clan before this, right?”
Rong Kaixin’s face turned red. He angrily responded, “Rong Kaixuan, don’t change the subject. If you don’t dare to take me on just say so.”
Rong Kaixuan tilted his head slightly and replied in a quiet voice, “I really don’t understand.”
Rong Kaixin was surprised by his response. “What?”
“You’re only a Middle Stage Martial Artist, yet you want to challenge me to a fight. I don’t understand where you get this confidence from,” Rong Kaixuan said with disdain.
Even though the True Qi that a Middle Stage Martial Artist had was a lot stronger than the little that Rong Kaixuan had gathered over a month, Rong Kaixuan was also a Spirit Gatherer now.
He was able to evoke Spirit Body Fighters, and everyone knew how powerful a Spirit Body Fighter was.
By challenging him to a fight, Rong Kaixin was asking to be soundly beaten.
Rong Kaixin smiled coldly and stared hard at Rong Kaixuan as he said, “Since I dare to challenge you, that also means that I’m sure I will win. Are you going to accept the challenge or not?”
Rong Kaixuan laughed loudly and replied, “Since you want to be beaten so badly, of course, I’m going to take it up.”
Rong Kaixin immediately became excited and said, “Alright then. I’ll see you at the clan’s Battle Platform tomorrow at 11 a.m.”
Rong Kaixuan’s words were dripping with sarcasm as he said, “Brother Kaixin, you’ve just come out from the Water Prison, and I’m afraid that you’re not fully recovered yet. Don’t you think tomorrow is a little too soon for a fight?”
Rong Kaixin was furious. He had been sentenced to reflect on his actions in the Water Prison, which was already a terrible embarrassment to him. Even though he didn’t end up having to go because his older brother had interfered, nobody dared to mention the matter in front of him.
Only Rong Kaixuan, the reason for his sentencing in the first place, was able to say those things without holding back.
At the same time, Rong Kaixin only knew how to hate Rong Kaixuan. He had never thought that it was his own actions that had caused him to land in such a predicament.
Rong Kaixin scoffed loudly and said, “Tsk, I’ll tell you right now. My older brother used his accomplishments and contributions to the clan to write off our punishment in the Water Prison. If you think I would really go and suffer in that filthy and disgusting place, you can continue dreaming.”
Rong Kaixuan was surprised and asked, “Contributions to the clan can write off your punishment?”
Rong Kaixin looked at him arrogantly and said with great disdain, “You haven’t seen the world yet, huh.” He waved his arm and left.
Rong Cai watched Rong Kaixin leave and quietly said, “Young Master Kaixuan, you’ve been too rash.”
Rong Kaixuan shook his head slightly and replied, “Grandpa Cai, he’s a Middle Stage Martial Artist, so there’s no reason for me to turn down his challenge.”
Rong Cai shook his head and said, “You could have delayed it for a bit so that you can check where this confidence is really coming from. Agreeing to a challenge so easily is too rash of you.”
“Ho-ho, Cai, Kaixuan hasn’t done anything wrong.” A relaxed voice could be heard as Rong Jielin walked into the main hall with his sons. He laughed and said, “If he still hesitated and shrank back at a challenge from a Middle Stage Martial Artist, that’s definitely not what a Martial Artist would do.”
Rong Kaixuan felt a warmth in his heart when he saw his elders come into the main hall.
He knew that Rong Jielin and his sons were worried about him, so they had come along to see what was happening. Otherwise, there was no way his elders would have bothered about matters between a younger generation.
Rong Yiyang went forward and asked quietly, “Kaixuan, are you confident?”
Rong Kaixuan nodded vigorously and replied, “Father, don’t worry. Even if he comes up with his father, I’m confident of winning.”
They all exchanged glances and sighed in their hearts.
A Spiritualist was a Spiritualist alright. The spells that Spiritualists cast were enough to hold back a Martial Artist at the same stage.
“Alright then, have a good rest today and show them what you’ve got at the clan’s Battle Platform tomorrow,” Rong Jielin said. “Even if you don’t kill him on the spot, he deserves to be at least crippled.”
There was fierce anger hidden in these words. Rong Yiyang immediately shuddered upon hearing them.
What made Rong Yiyang feel embarrassed was that besides him, nobody else, including his son, Rong Kaixuan, seemed to have felt anything at all.
****
Wang Xiaoxiao removed her veil within the residence of the Clan Head. She sat at the window sill and quietly looked at the flowers blooming beautifully in the garden.
Those flowers were just like her face, and they formed a breath-taking picture. But nobody was appreciating such a beautiful moment.
She suddenly sensed something and looked up. “Second Uncle, you’re here.”
Rong Yihuo strolled into the garden and smiled. “Xiao’er, how are you?”
“Second Uncle, everything is well with me,” she bowed and replied. “Thank you for your concern.”
“Your father entrusted you to me, so if you’ve suffered, I will be too embarrassed to face Elder Brother.” Rong Yihuo burst out laughing and said, “You’ve loved flowers since you were a child, and you’re looking so intently at them. Are you trying to gain some enlightenment from them?”
“Indeed,” Wang Xiaoxiao replied. “I’m stuck at my current Spiritualist stage, and I still haven’t found the way to reach Spiritualist Mentor level. So, I’m trying some unconventional ways to see if I could perhaps find a way.”
Rong Yihuo nodded and replied, “That’s a good way of thinking, but I have a suggestion for you.”
“Please speak your mind.”
“Rong Kaixin has challenged Rong Kaixuan to a fight today, and they will fight it out tomorrow at the clan’s Battle Platform.” Rong Yihuo laughed and said, “Never mind this Rong Kaixin, but Rong Kaixuan is a true genius. I’m really looking forward to his performance.” He paused for a moment and added, “I think you should go and watch this battle. It might inspire you.”
There was an excitement in Wang Xiaoxiao’s beautiful eyes as she softly replied, “I will be there.”