Stranger Danger

Chapter 318: Mister Nine

The Artificing Department was the place where the Pacification Bureau forged, refined, and repaired their Strange Artifacts. As soon as Ye Qing had entered the department, he immediately went up to a steaming workshop where the blazing flames were so bright that they overpowered the natural light outside the building.

A white-haired, spirited-looking old man sitting on a rocking chair inside the building couldn’t seem to feel the heat, however. He was sipping his wine when he saw Ye Qing and called out to him.

“What, I can’t visit you when I’m free?” Ye Qing smiled while handing over a pair of wine jars.

The old man was none other than the one who had refined the Fog Demon into the Boundless Mara Buddha’s artifact spirit before, Old Zhang. He might look and feel like a normal person, but in reality he was powerful beyond measure. The workshop was so hot that even he, the guy who was reforged by a fucking flaming tornado, was feeling a little uncomfortable, but Old Zhang couldn’t even seem to feel it.

Since he cultivated the “Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra”, his spiritual power was far greater than before. That was why he could clearly sense the terrifying power hidden within the old man’s seemingly frail body.

“A thirty-years-old Pear Blossom wine? Wonderful!” Old Zhang took a sniff and poured the sweet liquid down his throat twice.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What do you need me for?” Old Zhang asked after he had had his fill.

“Hahaha...” Ye Qing took off the Blue Demon Hand and asked, “Can you check if it’s possible to refine this pair of gloves? Upgrade its level so to speak?”

Although the Blue Demon Hand was just a Red-class Strange Artifact, it had saved Ye Qing’s behind time and again. This was especially true for Hundred Poison, a stealthy and deadly poisonous gas that was useful even to this day. That was why Ye Qing was hoping that Old Zhang, the first or second greatest artificer of Strange Artifacts in Luo Shui, could improve its quality and extend its longevity.

“Oh? Let me see.”

Old Zhang accepted the Blue Demon Hand and gave it a casual glance. He then said, “It’s made from the scalp of the Hatred-class Stranger, the Blue Demon, tempered with the Hundred Poison, and forged using the Netherflame. Judging from the materials used, whoever made this was very ambitious. Unfortunately, their skill is so shoddy that the end product couldn’t even survive the tribulation, which damaged its roots and made it far weaker than it should have been. Shame, shame.”

“Impressive, Old Zhang! I can’t believe how much you figured just by looking at it!” Ye Qing praised. It wasn’t an empty compliment. He found out the Blue Demon Hand’s origin only because he had the Annon Sutra. Old Zhang found out through countless years of experience.

“Keep the bootlicking to yourself. Anyway, you’re lucky that the glove is made using very fine materials, but I’m still going to need a ton of materials to remake it better than what it was. In short, you best prepare your wallet for the worst.” Old Zhang set down the Blue Demon Hand and took another gulp of wine.

Ye Qing smiled and dropped a whole pile of Strange Artifacts and materials on the floor. “Will these work, Old Zhang?”

The pile consisted of countless Malice-class Strange Artifacts and materials and even four or five Hatred-class Strange Artifacts. He had gotten it from the jianghu warriors he killed, of course. He had kept a select few that he deemed were useful, but the rest were useless to him.

He was going to sell them or exchange them for contribution points down the line, but he absolutely didn’t mind spending them on the Blue Demon Hand if that was possible.

“Oh ho? It looks like you’ve collected quite the pile of useful garbage!” Old Zhang chuckled.

Ye Qing grinned. “Do you think they’re usable, Old Zhang?”

“More or less. I can see a handful of items that will be beneficial to the Blue Demon Hand’s upgrade.” Old Zhang dug through the pile a bit before asking lazily, “Oh right, didn’t Li’l Xuan give you a scale?”

“Li’l who?” Ye Qing was confused.

“I’m talking about Xuanhuang. Just gimme that scale already!” Old Zhang said impatiently.

“Oh, you mean Brother Xuanhuang?” Ye Qing exclaimed in realization before producing the scale the Xuanhuang Bow had gifted him. “Is this the one?”

“It is,” Old Zhang replied and made a grabbing motion. His hand was nowhere near Ye Qing, but the scale automatically slipped out of Ye Qing’s hand and into his own. “Li’l Xuan is a Phenomenon-class Strange Artifact made from the muscles, bones and scales of the Disaster-class Stranger, the Xuanhuang Drake, and this is a scale from the Xuanhuang Drake itself. It’s naturally an extraordinary artificing material.”

“I asked Li’l Xuan many times for a scale in the past, but that brat just wouldn’t agree no matter what. Hmph!”

Xuanhuang is a Phenomenon-class Strange Artifact? No wonder it’s so powerful, Ye Qing thought. “Do you need it to upgrade the Blue Demon Hand?”

The scale contained one full-powered attack of Xuanhuang, so it could save his life at a critical time. That was why he was reluctant to part with it.

“Yes. With this scale, I am certain I can upgrade the glove to Hatred-class,” Old Zhang answered.

“Just Hatred-class?” Ye Qing was a bit disappointed.

“Do you want to upgrade your Strange Artifact or not? If not, then get out of my sight!” Old Zhang immediately exploded.

“Of course I do! I never said I didn’t want to upgrade it!” Ye Qing hurriedly begged for forgiveness. “So, how long do you need to reforge the Blue Demon Hand?”

“What? You’re in a hurry or something?” Old Zhang asked.

Ye Qing replied, “Chief Gu is sending me to Tian Yong to participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet. I’ll have to depart in ten days if I want to make it there in time.”

“Oh, the Hidden Dragon Meet? That’s great. I expect to hear good things about you.” Old Zhang smiled. “Anyway, there’s nothing to worry about. You can come back ten days later to grab your Strange Artifact ten days later.”

“Thanks, Old Zhang. I’ll be taking my leave now.” Ye Qing took his leave after thanking Old Zhang.

The artificer gulped down some more wine and stared at Ye Qing’s back for a bit. He then let out a chuckle and muttered, “The Hidden Dragon Meet, huh? That is the competition that will decide if you’re a worm or a dragon; if you will soar to the heavens, and lay in the mud like the rest of us.”

“Do your best, boy.”

......

After Ye Qing left the Artificing Department, he went straight to Heavenly Heart Clinic and caught up with Uncle Feng for a bit. Then, he met up with Feng Qingyou, who had just finished seeing a patient.

“Are you here for the ‘Nine Impetus of Tai Chi’?” A smiling Feng Qingyou asked while pouring him a cup of tea.

“You’re half-right.” Ye Qing gratefully accepted the tea and took a sip. The refreshing flavors spreading inside his mouth seemed to wipe away the fatigue he had accumulated for the past few weeks in a flash.

Two days ago, he had paid the Heavenly Heart Clinic a visit to thank Feng Liunian for his protection and enjoy some quality time with Feng Qingyou as usual. While he was talking about the “Nine Impetus of Tai Chi”, Feng Qingyou mentioned that she could read tadpole script, so he requested her aid to translate the martial arts manual.

He was entering the Martial Tower tomorrow. If the “Nine Impetus of Tai Chi” was as good as he believed, he was planning to add it into his training schedule.

That said, the “Nine Impetus of Tai Chi” wasn’t the only reason he came to the clinic today.

“Oh? Before you give me the answer, allow me to venture a guess.” Feng Qingyou elegantly sipped her own tea and shot him a pure, tranquil smile. “Are you going to leave Tian Yong and participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet soon?”

“Cough! Cough...” Despite being a Spirit Purifier, Ye Qing was this close from spilling tea through his nose and mouth. He voiced his puzzlement after he collected himself, “How did you know, Qingyou?”

Gu Suitang had only informed him of the decision today. How did Feng Qingyou find out about it so quickly?

Feng Qingyou smirked. “It’s quite easy to guess, actually. June sixth is when the Hidden Dragon Meet would take place, and it is a grand festival that is celebrated not just in Tian Yong, but all of Chu. Since the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau is subordinate to Tian Yong, it makes sense that they would send someone to participate in the event. Finally, this year’s Hidden Dragon Meet is slightly special compared to the ones before.”

“Special?” Ye Qing didn’t understand what she meant.

“Hasn’t Chief Gu told you about this? Oh, right. He might not have caught wind of the news yet.” Feng Qingyou explained slowly, “I heard that Mister Nine from Jixia Academy would be attending the meet as a spectator.”

“Mister Nine? Who’s that?” Ye Qing blinked.

“You really don’t keep up to date with anything, do you?” Feng Qingyou’s eyes curled into crescents as she chuckled. “Mister Nine is the ninth disciple of the Chief Libationist, also a member of the Jixia Academy. He was the top scorer of both the literary and the martial examinations three years ago, and his name is Chu Wangsun. It is said that the blood of the imperial family flows in his veins.”

“After becoming the top scorer of both the literary and the martial examinations and taking the realm by storm, he turned down the major clans\' and sects’ attempts to recruit him and even refused the post offered to him by the emperor himself. Instead, he asked to become the Chief Libationist’s disciple. It was said flocks of birds circled the sky, and extraordinary sights appeared in celebration when this happened. The Chief Libationist took him as his ninth disciple on the spot.”

“Since then, everyone calls him Mister Nine.”

“The Chief Libationist?” Ye Qing’s eyes lit up. The Chief Libationist was the highest authority in the Jixia Academy. In a sense, he was similar to the headmaster of an academy or the head of a sect.

Not anyone could become the Chief Libationist as a matter of course. Only someone who possessed both a treasure trove of knowledge and immense strength was entrusted with this position. To provide a clear picture, anyone who was the Chief Libationist’s disciple might as well be standing at the center of Chu.

Besides that, Chu Wangsun sounded like an impressive fellow. Not anyone could become the top scorer of both the martial and the literary examinations of Chu.

Feng Qingyou continued, “Because Chu Wangsun is attending this meet, this year’s Hidden Dragon Meet is sure to be exceptionally grand. Anyone who catches his eyes would most likely be recommended into the Jixia Academy and rise to the top of the heavens.”

“Oh! Now I get it.” Ye Qing asked curiously, “But how did you know about this?”

Feng Qingyou smiled. “It’s not really a secret. A lot of people knew about it.”

Ye Qing squinted at her suspiciously. Are you trying to hoodwink me? If “a lot of people knew about it”, then why did Old Gu know nothing about it? Or maybe he knew, but didn’t tell me for some reason?

“If you are participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet, you may put on a good showing and try to join the Jixia Academy. It would not be a bad career path for you,” Feng Qingyou ended in an indifferent tone before producing a martial arts manual. “Anyway, here’s the translated version of the ‘Nine Impetus of Tai Chi’. It’s a Grandmaster-stage martial art.”

“Grandmaster stage?!” Ye Qing’s eyes lit up when he heard this.

Feng Qingyou took a sip of tea before continuing, “Technically, the ‘Nine Impetus of Tai Chi’ doesn’t count as an offensive-type martial art. It is a martial art about neutralizing and borrowing forces. Someone who grasps the nine impetus—activity or inactivity, rigidity or flexibility, fast or slow, light or heavy, leisure or urgent, real and unreal, strong and weak, yin or yang, life or death—shall grasp the timing of movement, the theory of weight, the concept of rigidity and flexibility, the idea of what is real and unreal, and finally achieve harmony in both yin and yang, and life and death. They would attain ‘Tai Chi’ and become impervious to anything and everything.”

“So, it’s a defensive-type martial art?” Ye Qing asked[1].

“Yes, and no. You’re half-right.” Feng Qingyou returned his earlier words to him.

“What do you mean?” Ye Qing couldn’t figure out her meaning since he didn’t possess her wealth of knowledge or experience. Luckily, he was never ashamed to ask a question.

Feng Qingyou answered dutifully, “The ‘Nine Impetus of Tai Chi’ is a defensive-type martial art, but it can be used offensively once you have mastered the nine impetus, familiarized yourselves with many martial arts and magic, obtained the keys to yin and yang, understood the power of life and death, and figured out the Way of Change. To put it in simpler terms, you would be able to borrow anyone’s strength as your own and reflect any attack that is thrown at you right back at them. This martial art has amazing potential.”

“What the heck? That’s Star Shift[2]!” Ye Qing blurted out without thinking.

“Star Shift? What’s a Star Shift?” Feng Qingyou tilted her head to one side in puzzlement.

“Ahem... it’s er, it’s also a godlike martial art that could borrow another’s strength and reflect any martial technique right back at the attacker,” Ye Qing explained.

“Hmm? That sounds very similar to the ‘Nine Impetus of Tai Chi’. But why haven’t I heard of it before?” It was Feng Qingyou’s turn to scrutinize him now.

Ye Qing tried to laugh it off, “There are countless martial arts in this world, haha. It’s perfectly natural that you wouldn’t know about it.”

“Those are reasonable words, but I’ll have you know that I know at least one to two thousand martial arts,” Feng Qingyou replied unhurriedly before enjoying a sip of tea.

Ye Qing: “...” I suspect you’re one-upping me, but I didn’t dare to question you because it might actually be the truth!

“Anyway, that’s not important.” Ye Qing forcefully changed the subject. “What is important, is that anyone who masters this martial art is no one to be scoffed at.”

“Correct. This is a martial art with amazing potential. Here, this is the translated version. I’ll be keeping the original for myself. You don’t mind, do you?” Feng Qingyou asked smilingly while handing over the translated version of the “Nine Impetus of Tai Chi”. She knew Ye Qing was changing the subject but didn’t press the matter.

“No problem. It’s not like I can read the original anyway,” Ye Qing answered happily while putting away the martial arts manual. Assuming that what Feng Qingyou said was accurate, to say that it had amazing potential would be an understatement. Sure, it was no match for the “Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra”, but it was still leagues above your average martial arts.

The good news was that this martial art was incredible. The bad news was that the pile of martial arts he needed to study after entering the Martial Tower had increased by one. It’s back to school, dammit!

The duo conversed with each other for a while longer before Ye Qing finally took his leave. He still had to arrange Kung Fu Frog and Wawa accordingly and make his preparations.

“Would you be attending the Hidden Dragon Meet, Miss?” Uncle Feng appeared in the room and asked after Ye Qing was gone.

Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, “Who knows? I may get involved if it turns out to be interesting.”

Uncle Feng grinned. “Understood. I shall make the preparations then.”

After Uncle Feng was gone, Feng Qingyou caressed her cup and spoke to herself, “Wannabe dragons and tigers will be fighting in the Hidden Dragon Meet. Will they soar to the heavens, or be buried in mud?”

“This should be interesting.”

1. LOL I can literally imagine Feng Qingyou fuming on the inside. ?

2. A powerful martial art in Jin Yong’s books, able to reflect any attack back at one’s enemy. ?