Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Neither human beings nor anything inside could move a step, even though they were not hurt. It turned out that Zhou Bao had launched the constraint function of the Golden Flame Mirror and imprisoned all of them.
âZhou Bao, what do you want?â
The middle-aged man in white, who could not display his cultivation because of the constraint, gradually gathered himself after his initial rage and coldly asked Zhou Bao with a disconsolate stare.
âNow you have fierce anger. Let me make you angrier!â With a fingertip, Zhou Bao launched a layer of light-colored firelight, which later surrounded the man confined in the golden light. The middle-aged man turned white and began to shiver as if suffering from a great deal of pain. He gritted his teeth, which produced a buzzing sound, but said nothing, showing an unyielding personality.
âOh, you are one tough nut!â Zhou Bao slightly raised his eyebrows and sneered. When he was about to increase the power of the firelight, an expert at Level Seven beside the middle-aged man said, âZhou Bao, donât you think that you are too audacious? Even though what we have done might have offended you, you shouldnât fight against us without any warning and kill three Elders of our Kunlun Mountain. Donât you know that your reckless behavior will bring you a catastrophe!â
Zhou Bao threw a glance at him, a fat guy with tender skin with an expression of amiability on his face. In other circumstances, Zhou Bao believed that he would have definitely beamed, showing a comfortable smile. The first time that Zhou Bao saw him, he knew that it would be much more difficult to deal with this fatso than the middle-aged man.
âA catastrophe, indeed!â Looking at the fat man, Zhou Bao shook his head and said, âBut itâs not I that caused the catastrophe, but you, Kunlun Mountain!â
As he spoke, he glanced at the surroundings with his cold eyes. âYou know that Northern Yuan has fallen and the Jinâs attitude toward the Northern Yuan convicts is clear. At this time, you Kunlun Mountain dare to help stragglers of Northern Yuan rebuild tribes. Do you want to rebel?â
âWe just helped those poor herdsmen find a place to stay, not rebuild their tribe!â Zhou Baoâs words made the fatso a little nervous. Certainly, he would not admit they had given assistance to the stragglers to make a comeback. âThey wander in the prairie and act as a symbol of the regional instability. If you donât pay a close attention to them, they will become thieves or bandits. I think you Jin donât wish to see those bandits run wild in the northern prairie, do you? We help them build shelters, not to fight against the Jin, but to ensure the stability of the north!â
âReally? I donât think so!â Zhou Bao grimly laughed at the fatsoâs words. âThis is my territory. Those people are my citizens because they stay in my place, and should obey the rules that I established. Now, they occupy a piece of land and start a tribe without authorization. Their behavior is equal to a rebellion and you Kunlun Mountain are exactly the backers behind them. By all means, Iâll report this matter to the Imperial Court!â
The fatso paused for a short while and then determined to change the topic. The meaning of Zhou Baoâs words was clear and obvious. As the lord of the territory, he did have the right to kill several sinners on his property, which was a piece of cake, and would not be punished by the Jin. As for the three murdered Elders of Kunlun Mountain, Zhou Bao could easily lessen his responsibility. From the angle of justice, his action was reasonable. Arguing with him about this matter was equivalent to asking for trouble.
Therefore, the fatso gave up debating with him about the issue. âReasonable, what you say is reasonable. This is your territory. You could do anything that you like here. Even if you call a circle a square or black, white, no one will oppose you. But I have to remind you that although the Jin is powerful, this place is beyond the reach of its power because of the long distance!â
âRight, youâre right. This place indeed is beyond the Jinâs grasp and many people in the Imperial Court are waiting to see me as a joke and how I die. Thus, no one will help me if I submit a report concerning this matter. The Jin officials will, at most, order to reprimand you Kunlun Mountain!â
âNow that you know that, why are you so aggressive?â The fatso frowned.
He was not fond of smart people, especially intelligent and insightful ones like Zhou Bao. In front of those people, you should not talk useless nonsense.
âWhy canât I be aggressive? This here is my territory. If Iâm not aggressive, who will obey me?â Zhou Bao lifted the corners of his mouth and looked at the fatso with a faint smile. âI know your Kunlun Mountain is powerful and now colludes with Prince Ning. But I have to warn you that Prince Ningâs abilities and wisdom donât match his great ambition, even though these virtues are good. Be careful not to be involved in trouble with him!â
âWhat do you know?â The fatsoâs face changed and took on a ghastly expression. He was acquainted with the cooperation between Kunlun Mountain and Prince Ning and indeed impressed by the competent royalty. Though his impression was favorable, his heart sank after hearing Zhou Baoâs words.
That should have been a secret. Now this young lord said it lightly. What did that mean?
It meant that the collaboration that seemed to be watertight and confidential turned out to be a joke.
âHow do you know that?â the fatso asked with mixed feelings.
âItâs not up to you to ask me this question!â Zhou Bao coldly said, âKunlun Mountain has a history of thousands of years in the northwest. For the sake of their long history, I will not spite you this time, but youâd better leave here immediately with your companions. And tell Kunlun Master, âIf you are actually interested in my Pure Yang Celestial Device, come to take it by yourself! Iâll wait for you. If members of Kunlun Mountain make trouble for me again before we meet, Iâll kill them just like your three Elders!'â
After saying this, Zhou Bao unfolded the golden light and set the experts and masters of martial arts of Kunlun Mountain free from the light.
âYou can go now!â
âBut, can they?â The fat man grabbed the middle-aged man who was going to fight and firmly held his arms in case he should rashly act. He clearly knew Zhou Bao had a Pure Yang Celestial Device, so they were no match for him.
âTheyâre all sinners. Now that they have shown up in my territory, I have the right to manage them. According to the Jinâs laws, theyâre now my property, specifically my slaves. Do you have any complaints?â
âNo,â the fatso shook his head and said. Hardly did he want to be irritated by Zhou Bao once more at this moment.
â¦â¦
â¦
âYour Excellency, the members of Kunlun Mountain have all returned!â
âTake them back. Tell Old Gesang that theyâre all sinners or slaves, and he should treat them the way that he treats prisoners of war. F*ck, they must get tired of living. How dare they create a disturbance in my territory!â
After Jiang Xiao and Zhu Ba arrived, Zhou Bao pointed at these several hundred people who had gathered together into one place and been imprisoned, and coldly spoke.
âYes, Your Excellency!â Jiang Xiao and Zhu Ba quickly directed the underlings to tie the hands and feet of those people and take them away without further delay. In fact, they were as annoyed as Zhou Bao was.
Zhou Bao seldom handled the affairs of the territory and handed them over to his subordinates, including Jiang Xiao. Mainly focusing on the town centralization and the yard at the foot of Jilei Mountain, Jiang Xiao hardly paid attention to any herdsmen wandering in the territory. Influenced by Old Gesang, he generally adopted a conciliatory approach toward those homeless sinners and herdsmen, but he did not expect that some people would harbor evil designs and regard him as a real sucker. How dare they make trouble under his nose.
If that could be tolerated, then what could not?
Jiang Xiao made up his mind to torment these jerks and let them know who administered this land once he returned.
âYour Excellency, you can rest assured. Iâll surely give them a lesson!â
âI donât care how you give them a lesson because itâs none of my business. But I donât want to witness similar incidents!â Zhou Bao coldly said and then glowered at Zhu Ba, âFella, you should also be vigilant and let your underlings of urban management buck up their energy. Once any unusual movement appears, suppress it and kill all the people who revolt!â
âYes!â
Hearing Zhou Baoâs murderous words, Zhu Ba nodded with a shiver and did not dare to do anything playful in front of him.
âYour Excellency, we offended Kunlun Mountain this time. In your viewâ¦â
âNo need to worry about that. Even though I destroyed the Taoist rites of Kunlun Mountain, I will work out a solution. You should only mind your own business,â Zhou Bao said with a mild tone as he looked at the worried face of Jiang Xiao.
âYes!â Jiang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief because of Zhou Baoâs assured air. Of course, he only breathed one sigh of relief. Who knew what would happen in the future and whether Zhou Bao was able to bear the pressure from both Kunlun Mountain and Prince Ning.
Three days later, on a clear and scantily starred night, a flash of a green figure streaked across the sky and appeared in Zhou Baoâs territory.
âYouâve come so fast!â Seeing the green figure in the yard, Golden Rooster squinted and smiled.
It turned out to be Wang She.
âGolden Rooster, long time no see. I am told that you got a fat job, didnât you?â
Wang She joked upon seeing Golden Rooster. They were old partners in the Immortal Palace, so they were very close.
âDamn it! Itâs not a fat job. I just work as security. If you want to grab some profits, you can find Zhou Bao. I am told that he obtained great benefits in the Azure Secret Area this time!â
âI will certainly not let him go!â Wang She grinned with a glance at the surroundings and then asked, âThe guy is not here, right?â
âThat guy is a lord and naturally doesnât live here. But I think heâs coming,â Golden Rooster said with a smile and then pointed at Moon Deer of the Extended Net beside him. âThis is Moon Deer of the Extended Net. You have met him before. Mouse is working below, but we shouldnât disturb him, otherwise, he will stamp around with rage!â
Wang She nodded and then lightly raised his eyes. âZhou Bao must be coming. Good heavens! What a fast speed!â
Before his voice had died away, Zhou Bao appeared in front of the three of them.
âChief Wang, Iâm very honored to have you visit me here. Itâs not right for me to be so slow!â
âBoy, you really have a good tongue!â After seeing Zhou Bao, Wang She gently patted his palm with a little fan in his hand. âYou always think of me when you get into trouble, which never happens when good things come your way. Do I owe you something?â
âWhy do you say âtroubleâ?â Zhou Bao laughed. âIf I was really in trouble, I would not dare to ask you to come here!â
âHehe, then Iâd like to see what good things you asked me to come here for!â
âThousands of years have been passed since the establishment of Kunlun Mountain, so the school must have lots of treasure and now, we can get some of them. Weâll feel sorry for ourselves if we donât grab some profit. Itâs time for us to bring trouble to them.â
âYou want to rob Kunlun Mountain?â After hearing these plain words from Zhou Baoâs mouth, Wang She was a little bit shocked.
âRob Kunlun Mountain? Iâm not so stupid. I have a solitary goal, Kunlun Mountainâs Pure Yang Celestial Device!â Zhou Bao sneered and turned over his hand and a shiny, milk-white bead appeared in his palm. âI donât know what it is, but Iâm sure itâs at least a celestial device at the Mysterious Level. Any Level Seven expert of Kunlun Mountain can show this kind of device, so the school must have a rich collection. With one Pure Yang Celestial Device in my hand, Iâm not afraid of them. To defeat me, they might ask Kunlun Master or an expert with Pure Yang Celestial Device for help. Itâs not easy to ask Kunlun Master to fight, so I guess someone will fight against me with a Pure Yang Celestial Device. If so, wouldnât it be easy for us to get that Pure Yang Celestial Device?â
âKunlun Mountain is not like the Emperor of Xining. Itâs not easy to get stuff from them!â Wang She interrupted. âThe Pure Yang Celestial Device is invaluable. Even if itâs stolen by you, they will try their best to get it back!â
âThatâs the reason why I asked you to come here!â Zhou Bao said, âI already have a Pure Yang Celestial Device and itâs meaningless to have another. As long as you help me defeat Kunlun Mountain, the Pure Yang Celestial Device that we get this time will be yours!â
âHow generous you are!â
âI have no choice!â Zhou Bao shrugged. âIf I was able to swallow it by myself, I would do just as I treat the Azure Secret Area. Unfortunately, I have a limited appetite and have to share with others. So, you donât want the Pure Yang Celestial Device?â
âSharing with others, and at the same time, you can distract their attention away from you. Clever trick to get rid of trouble!â Wang She opened the little fan in his hand, a little bit relaxed with a smile. âCompared to the precious Pure Yang Celestial Device however, I can ignore the trick that you play. Iâve heard a lot about the Pure Yang Celestial Device in Kunlun Mountain and itâs exactly what I need!â
âDoes that mean thereâs no problem?â
âYes!â Wang She was also a straightforward person. âItâs not easy to wait for such a good thing, but I want you to do me a favor!â
âWhat?â Zhou Bao pulled a long face. It was always hard to complete Wang Sheâs tasks. Many years ago, when his cultivation was only at Level Three, he was asked to protect Wang She at the entrance of a geocentric fire vein. Another time, to help this guy, he was almost killed by Raging Fire Ancestor. So, what did Wang She want this time?
âYou can rest assured. Itâs nothing difficult for you, just a piece of cake!â
âIf itâs as easy as you say, then itâs unnecessary to ask me for help, right?â Zhou Bao wanted to get more information before making any promises.
âI donât have any choice. Iâm not suitable to deal with it by myself and I need everyone to know that Iâm clean, so I have to show up when you do it!â
âAn alibi?â Zhou Bao blinked his eyes and seemed to get it. Then, he nodded his head and said, âWell, you can tell me the details after I finish the task. If itâs really as easy as you said, I will help you!â
âYou sly dog!â Wang She taunted. âAnyway, I came here to help you. Youâre not going to arrange for me to stay in a house that hasnât been built yet, are you?â
âHow could that be? When you arrived, you found the way into this yard. I didnât invite you here, and I have arranged your room. You are a Level Nine expert, distinct from ordinary people, so you donât care much about secular living conditions, right?â
âScrew you!â Wang She scolded him in a low voice, not hopeful about Zhou Baoâs arrangements.
What happened next proved that his thoughts were correct.
In fact, Zhou Bao had prepared nothing but only arranged for Wang She to stay in the study room of his courtyard, which was sparsely furnished and clean but not elegant at all, making Wang She really unsatisfied.
âYou really do save money and cannot even serve better tea!â
âSo what? The most annoying thing I find is that you guys are always particular about tea. For me, all the tea tastes the same. No need to spend more money on it!â Zhou Bao scornfully said, âWe are men with cultivation and should have high aspirations. If our minds are full of enjoyment, that will hinder our mental state and become a roadblock to higher cultivation!â
âBullshit, donât mention âhinder the mindâ or âroadblockâ. I think youâre just mean!â
âYeah, Iâm a poor lord with no money, so then just accept the tea calmly!â Zhou Bao shrugged and said, âOh, you said that you heard a lot about Kunlun Mountainâs Pure Yang Celestial Device. What is it?â
âYouâll find out,â Wang She said. âWhy do you care about that? If theyâre really going to fight against you with that Pure Yang Celestial Device, it will be mine if we steal it!â
âYeah, yeah, I know that. But as the saying goes, âif you know the enemy and yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battlesâ. Since my Golden Flame Mirror has been used several times, people in Kunlun Mountain know it well. If I donât know anything about their Pure Yang Celestial Device, it will be not good for us to fight in the battle!â
âKunlun Mountainâs Pure Yang Celestial Device is the Invisible Dragon Rod, a celestial device designed for constraint and it looks like a golden ring. When it starts, one will become nine, or more specifically, one ring turns into nine golden ones. Itâs so amazing that it can firmly tie up the enemy with those rings. Although you can practice the Three Realms Division, there is no chance for you to run away from the Invisible Dragon Rod!â
âInvisible Dragon Rod, one into nine, and constraint?â Zhou Bao thought to himself and then he said, âA celestial device designed for constraint⦠Is there any method to crack it?â
âThereâs no method. Kunlun Mountainâs Invisible Dragon Rod has never failed!â Wang She shook his head with a bitter smile. âYou know, we are in a big world, but the number of influences with powerful strength is limited. Most of them know each other and have similar strengths, so those at normal levels havenât caused big conflicts, and well-known families with Pure Yang Celestial Devices havenât really fought with each other. For several thousand years, Kunlun Mountain has indeed met several crises, but each crisis was pacified mainly due to the Invisible Dragon Rod. In those cases, many powerful enemies of Kunlun Mountain were tied up by the device, such as Level Nine experts, and even experts in the Mysterious Realm!â
âExperts in the Mysterious Realm?â Zhou Bao was very shocked. âThe Invisible Dragon Rod is able to tie up experts in the Mysterious Realm?â
âOf course. Otherwise, what do you think is precious about Pure Yang Celestial Devices? Itâs their powerful strength that makes them different. So, you may get into real trouble this time!â
âHumph, Iâm afraid of him? Donât forget, I have a Golden Flame Mirror!â
âThe Invisible Dragon Rod is not the Octupole Exquisite Pagoda and its controller is not a rookie like Yan Fei. Your Pure Yang Celestial Device is indeed powerful, but itâs only a match for the Invisible Dragon Rod. Itâs most likely that you can defeat your rivals with your Pure Yang Celestial Device but are subdued by the Invisible Dragon Rod, both being defeated and wounded,â Wang She gently said.
âMy Golden Flame Mirror is extremely defensive. Perhaps I can resist the Invisible Dragon Rod with it!â
âDonât say âperhapsâ on this issue! When it comes to Pure Yang Celestial Devices, everything will be in vain if you arenât 100% sure.â Wang She shook his head and said, âIn the past, fights between Pure Yang Celestial Devices were rare. I donât have such experiences, either. So, before we put the weapon right, weâd better make full preparations. And there is one more thing that we shouldnât ignore!â
âAnd whatâs that?â
âPeople. All Pure Yang Celestial Devices are manipulated by people, just like you treat the Octupole Exquisite Pagoda. Yan Fei is no match for you, so you could fight against him without any scruple. However, if the person who manipulates the Octupole Exquisite Pagoda is more powerful than you, Iâm afraid that you should consider plenty of conditions. The Invisible Dragon Rod is Kulun Mountainâs Pure Yang Celestial Device, so the manipulator will be a Level Nine expert, not a rookie like Yan Fei. If so, you will be put in an absolutely disadvantaged position for your strength!â
âI asked you here to help me, not to frustrate me!â Zhou Bao said with exasperation.
âDo you want to know the best approach?â
âTell me!â
âGive me your Pure Yang Celestial Device, and let me deal with the people of Kunlun Mountain. Even if Kunlun Master comes, it doesnât matter!â
âThatâs a good idea, but itâs impossible for you to use my Golden Flame Mirror because I have already refined it!â Zhou Bao said with a smile, âIs there another choice?â
âNo other good choice!â Wang She shook his head.
âI have one!â Zhou Bao laughed, âIâll deal with Kunlun Master and you fight against Kunlun Mountainsâ Pure Yang Celestial Device. What do you think of that idea?â
âHaha, you really have guts to face Kunlun Master alone. Boy, do you want to know the feeling of being killed?â
âKunlun Master may be very powerful, but donât forget that I have a Pure Yang Celestial Device and Iâll give it a shot, just like I treated Dark Lord Mie Chen. He is not weaker than Kunlun Master, but he was still finished by us, right?
âWe had good luck and you used the power of your Fiery Eyes that time. Now, we are against Kunlun Mountain in public and you canât take advantage of your strange eyes. Whatâs more, Kunlun Mountain might have more than one Pure Yang Celestial Device!â