Stranger Danger

Chapter 721: Showing Respect to One’s Forefather With One’s Fists

“Hehehe… if harsh words are a sign of affection, then a beating is a sign of love. You really do love me to death, don’t you?”

Beside himself with joy, Zhang Lingyang moved his face closer to Mo Beiqiu and said, “Hit me then! Hit me hard enough to kill me! I am your man, and you have my word that I am strong enough to take any love you can throw at me!”

Instead of answering, Mo Beiqiu revealed a smooth, fair palm and slapped Zhang Lingyang in the head.

Zhang Lingyang spun twice on his feet before steadying himself. He wasn’t harmed in the slightest.

It looked like the duo were flirting with each other, but Yun Qingxiao knew that it was anything but.

Mo Beiqiu’s slap looked weak and powerless, but it really contained enough force to shatter a river or snap a mountain in half. She had seriously hit Zhang Lingyang with the intention to smear his body across the earth.

However, Zhang Lingyang was called the Little Heavenly Master for a reason. He had taken the slap head on and transferred every sliver of force to the underground via force manipulation and neutralization. That was why he was perfectly unharmed.

Of course, the surrounding earth was a different story. Yun Qingxiao could tell that the ground beneath their feet had turned into fine powder.

Yun Qingxiao could withstand a full-powered hit from Mo Beiqiu as well, but there was no way he could’ve neutralized it with the ease Zhang Lingyang had shown. It was no wonder the man was the champion of the Human Champions Ranking.

Mo Beiqiu too knew that there was little chance she would be able to harm Zhang Lingyang unless she was ready to turn this into a full-on brawl. So, after shooting Zhang Lingyang a cold look, she ignored him and walked to one side with her hands clasped behind her back. After she gave Yun Qingxiao a nod—to which he returned cordially—she devoted her full attention to the basin.

After shaking his head twice to clear away the lingering effects of the slap, Zhang Lingyang put a sunny grin on his face and walked next to Mo Beiqiu. “I knew you couldn’t bear to kill me, Beiqiu. After all, you won’t find another man like me if I die, hehe…”

“Indeed, there is no one under the heavens who has a thicker face than you,” Yun Qingxiao groaned out while palming his forehead again. What was the temple master thinking when he took Zhang Lingyang into the sect? They might never wash away the shame even in a millennium.

Zhang Lingyang and Mo Beiqiu’s relationship was no secret in the jianghu.

In fact, it was a cliche “fall in love at first sight” type of relationship.

Of course, it was Zhang Lingyang who fell in love with Mo Beiqiu at first sight. From the start until now, Mo Beiqiu had never shown any interest in the young man.

Some people might be confused how it was possible for the titular disciples of two opposing factions could possibly share such a relationship. It was an understandable confusion. After all, Zhang Lingyang was the Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, one of the Three Temples of Dao, whereas Mo Beiqiu was the Saint of the Demonic Mountain, one of the Nine Dark Ways. The orthodoxy and the Dark Ways were directly opposed to one another, and it was commonly believed that good and evil could not coexist with each other, and there was no way these sects would tolerate each other’s existence in any way. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like betrayal and a grave breach of honor for Zhang Lingyang to fall in love with Mo Beiqiu.

In reality, such beliefs were merely one-sided delusions from the jianghu warriors that neither Dragon Tiger Mountain nor Demonic Mountain actually shared. In fact, most orthodox and unorthodox factions were perfectly okay with co-existing with each other barring those who were truly inhuman and monstrous.

Generally speaking, sects disliked each other only because their principles and martial ways did not align, and if they fought, it was usually over profit, power, and the Dao. That was all. Barring a few exceptions, there was no river of blood that existed between most sects; no immortal debt that could only be resolved via total annihilation of the other sect.

Even for the exceptions, that hatred were usually confined to one or two generations only. After all, it was always difficult for the future generation to empathize with the previous generation’s hatred. At the very least, they wouldn’t fight their supposedly enemy to the death upon meeting.

While Zhang Lingyang’s infatuation with Mo Beiqiu had definitely earned him some criticisms from other orthodox sects and even his own sect, the current Heavenly Master had suppressed it all in one statement, “Whatever controversy might arrive from this pursuit, it is something for the youngsters to worry about, not old, decrepit people with one foot in the grave like you and me. Besides, assuming Lingyang actually succeeded in wooing that girl from Demonic Mountain, then Dragon Tiger Mountain would’ve earned a new genius disciple, and Demonic Mountain would’ve lost theirs. What is there to be unhappy about?”

It was a statement that was very Heavenly Master Mansion and Zhang Lingyang so to speak.

As for the heretics of the Dark Ways, they were perfectly happy to enjoy the show from the sidelines. After all, it was the Little Heavenly Master who was infatuated with their Saint, so it was the Heavenly Master Mansion and the orthodoxy who stood to lose face here, not them. If their Saint managed to persuade the Little Heavenly Master to switch over to the Dark Ways, then even better!

Long story short, one is willing to give a beating, and the other is willing to take a beating[1]. No outsider had the right to stick their nose into the matter or criticize the parties involved.

“Say, Beiqiu totally loves me to death, right Young Yun?” Zhang Lingyang kept flying back and forth between Mo Beiqiu and Yun Qingxiao like a bird; the former to lavish affection upon his beloved and the latter to boast about his “love”. “I can’t help it that I’m both handsome and talented! Is there any lady who doesn’t love someone like me?”

Yun Qingxiao pretended he didn’t hear Zhang Lingyang and asked Mo Beiqiu, “Miss Mo, you mentioned that the warrior’s body is stronger than yours. Do you know him?”

“No. He isn’t someone on the Human Champions Ranking,” Mo Beiqiu replied indifferently. “But judging from his movement, force, and qi circulation, I believe he’s a practitioner of the ‘Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra’ of the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect.”

“The Chaos Demon Tempering Sect of the thirty six unorthodox sects? Is it even possible for that crumb-sized sect to produce such a powerful disciple?” Zhang Lingyang exclaimed in astonishment.

Mo Beiqiu ignored Zhang Lingyang and continued her explanation, “However, there is no way he could reach the level of body he has with the ‘Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra’ alone, much less attract a Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribulation, so there are other factors in play here.”

“In your opinion, what are the chances that this warrior might overcome the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribulation?” Yun Qingxiao asked another question.

“Do you even need to ask? Of course he’s probably going to succeed. It might not be a good thing though,” Zhang Lingyang interrupted.

“Correct. He would probably succeed, but whether this would end well for him remains to be seen,” Mo Beiqiu agreed.

“Heh! It looks like our hearts are linked as one, Beiqiu! Even the heavens wish for us to be together!” Zhang Lingyang chuckled.

Mo Beiqiu ignored this, of course. She continued to observe the mysterious warrior with cold, calculative eyes.

In any case, Yun Qingxiao understood their meaning perfectly. There was a high chance the warrior would overcome the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribulation, but it remained to be seen whether this would be a good thing. It sounded like the two statements contradicted each other, but it really described the mysterious warrior’s situation perfectly.

After all, just because the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribulation was over did not mean that the warrior’s tribulation was actually over.

He still had to overcome the human tribulation after all.

He alone could sense seven or eight people around the area. He was sure there were more people hiding in areas where his perception could not reach. Like vipers, they were all waiting for the opportunity to strike the mysterious warrior down and claim his boon for themselves.

If underestimating a heavenly tribulation was folly, then underestimating the human heart was a death sentence.

……

Inside the basin, Ye Qing looked at the Earthly Sovereign created from a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi and froze in his tracks. He performed a salute while floating in the air, saying, “This junior, Ye Qing, greets the Earthly Sovereign.”

He was paying his respects both to the world and his forefather.

As if he was actually sentient, the Earthly Sovereign responded with a kind smile and raised his hand slightly. It was a gesture meaning that Ye Qing did not need to be polite around him. Then, he said,

Ye Qing straightened up and clasped his fist, declaring, “Please, teach me your ways.”

Once again, the Earthly Sovereign returned the gesture without a word.

It was at this moment Ye Qing pushed off the air and shot toward the Earthly Sovereign with a boom. His fists were already poised to strike.

He would show his respects to his forefather with his fists.

1. Meaning that it is a matter of mutual consent. ☜