Pursuit of the Truth
chapter-232

Hu Zi crouched by the side, watching Su Ming asking questions and Zi Che answering them, and he had a dazed expression on his face. When he saw Zi Che’s change between how he had acted previously to how he acted now, he could not help but think of his previous actions.

‘Youngest junior brother sure has a good trick up his sleeve. I’ll definitely have to learn to do this.’

Hu Zi ran through Su Ming’s every single word and action in his head and once he believed that he had learned it, a prideful smile appeared on his face.

"Heaven Gate? Great Frozen Plains? That’s utter nonsense. Youngest junior brother, if you don’t like Si Ma Xin, then I’ll teach him a lesson for you. If we can’t win against him, then we can just run and go back to the ninth summit to look for second senior brother."

Once he heard Hu Zi’s words, warmth blossomed in Su Ming’s heart.

"By the way, youngest junior brother, why did you come to me? If you didn’t come for me, then I’ll go out for a while. I haven’t been out of the mountain for days. I’m worried that the people outside will miss their Grandpa Hu."

Hu Zi picked up his wine gourd and swung it a little. There was not much wine left in it.

"About that, third senior brother, you’re familiar with Freezing Sky Clan. I’d like to go to the school’s Artifact Storage Hall and bring out some of the papers second senior brother spoke about for me to use on a regular basis when I practice clearing my mind.

"But before I go, I’d like to borrow Master’s Clan Master’s plate," Su Ming said, smiling

"Clan Master’s plate? You don’t need to go and get it from Master, I have several of them with me here."

As Hu Zi spoke, he ruffled through the things in his cave abode before bringing out a purple ice shaped in the form of a plate.

"Here, that’s the one. Master has a lot of these. When I went there last time, I brought a few back. I’ll give you one, take it and scare away other people when you feel like it."

Hu Zi threw the plate in his hand to Su Ming while speaking.

Su Ming was stunned. When he caught it, he immediately felt a freezing chill travel into his body and circulate around him once. By the looks of it, it was crafted with fine detail and did not seem fake.

However, he was not the only one stunned. Zi Che was also stunned. He sucked in a sharp breath, because he recognized what that plate was, and Hu Zi’s words threw him into a state of disbelief.

‘The ninth summit… So this is the ninth summit…?’

Zi Che’s heart trembled.

"Let’s go. I’m familiar with the Artifact Storage Hall. I taught a lot of the people there a lesson before."

Hu Zi patted his chest and was about to take Su Ming and leave, but once he took a few steps forward, he turned around and walked towards Zi Che to glare at him.

"Hey, jerk, your Grandpa Hu is about to leave. You’re the ‘living thing’ second senior brother gave us. Remember to follow behind us. Second senior brother might have sealed your power, but he said that you have to protect my youngest junior brother when he goes out, so you have to do it. Don’t lie to me anymore, or else I’ll teach you a lesson in my dreams!"

Zi Che felt incredibly aggrieved and quickly said, "But… my power has been sealed, I can’t fly on my own…"

"Shut up. Your Grandpa Hu will bring you out and throw you off in midair. If you don’t know how to fly, then you’ll fall to your death. Don’t blame me for not saving you then."

As Hu Zi spoke, he lifted Zi Che and grinned at Su Ming before he bent his body down and went out of the cave abode before him.

Su Ming followed behind. When he looked at the plant covered Zi Che being lifted with an expression filled with anger and indignation, he smiled and followed after.

The three of them turned into long arcs and charged out of the ninth summit towards the center of the nine summits, located far in the distance underneath Heaven Gate. There were many buildings there and it looked so grand that it exuded a vast and mighty air.

The buildings seemed like they were cut from jades and gave off a magnificent aura. There were numerous people walking in and out of the buildings, and it gave the place a lively air.

Hu Zi, who was leading the way in midair, let his right hand go loose the moment he flew out of the ninth summit’s area. He tossed Zi Che off and let out a huge shout, "Hey, I’m letting you fall now!"

Zi Che’s face paled as he plummeted downwards, but once he fell about 1,000 feet, surprised delight suddenly appeared on his face. His plummeting body came to an abrupt halt and he flew up into the air.

Yet very soon, the joy on his face turned into anguish, because he realized he could only be in area not too far away from Su Ming and Hu Zi, or else his power would be sealed up once again.

He did not even need to try it. He already knew that if he attacked Su Ming and Hu Zi, then his temporarily released power would immediately be sealed once again.

"Hmph, how dare you pretend before your Grandpa Hu? Isn’t it out now? What are you looking at? Hurry up and follow us."

With a single glare from Hu Zi, Zi Che fell silent and sighed, falling behind Su Ming.

As Su Ming watched Hu Zi’s actions and his words, his smile grew wider.

"Youngest junior brother, that is the eighth summit. The eighth summit is very interesting. There’re quite a lot of them staying there, and they’re usually very cautious. It’s as if they’re hiding something.

"But I’m me, I’m the most intelligent Grandpa Hu on the ninth summit. There’s no secret in the world that can be kept hidden from my eyes. I even know the things second senior brother does.

"I can pass through the enchanted maze in the eighth summit even if I close my eyes. I saw a lot of interesting things. In the past, I saw a disciple nephew who is actually a girl disguising herself as a boy! I even saw her taking off her clothes…"

As Hu Zi spoke, his eyes started beaming with joy.

"That’s the seventh summit. All the disciples there are weak. The enchanted maze may be weak, but the people there are far too careful, which is a pity. I was almost caught a few times in the past… There were even a few times where I was captured, but I was fast enough to escape, still, it’s a pity… second senior brother refused to help and simply stood by the side as I got hit…

"This is the second summit. It’s also where Zi Che is staying. Hmph, they can’t keep their secrets away from Grandpa Hu’s eyes either. In the past, I…"

Su Ming did not think much about Hu Zi’s boasts. While he simply started to think that they sounded a bit odd the more he heard about it, Zi Che was laughing bitterly by the side.

There was one particular rumor among those in the second summit that the disciples who ventured out at night would feel as if someone was watching them. They only learned much later that it was Hu Zi who was doing it.

This person would always appear in the summits whenever he was free and hide in secluded spots, all the while snickering as he watched other disciples. Almost everyone knew about it in Freezing Sky Clan.

The three of them flew through the air and after around the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, as Hu Zi kept on talking about his achievements in Freezing Sky Clan and all the secrets he learned through peeking at people, the three of them arrived at the center of the nine summits, which was also located under Heaven Gate.

Hu Zi took the lead and charged towards one of the many buildings on the ground with a huge leap. He flew down quickly, and there were quite a number of Freezing Sky Clan disciples venturing in and out of the buildings who would accidentally get in his way. Once they saw Hu Zi though, they would quickly move out of the way with odd expressions on their faces, as if they did not want to provoke this unreasonable person and end up having him sneak into their summit and peek on them.

It was especially so for the female disciples. Once they saw Hu Zi, they would grit their teeth. Some of them even looked as if they were about to fly towards Hu Zi, but when they saw Zi Che following behind him, they would move back hesitantly.

Zi Che’s fame in Freezing Sky Clan was great due to him placing ninth in the Great Frozen Plains.

When he saw what was happening, Zi Che suddenly understood why Hu Zi insisted on bringing him here. Su Ming also understood, and laughed wryly as he cast a glance at Hu Zi, who was flying with a swagger and an incredibly smug expression.

"Hm, what are you Berserker Children looking at?!

"If you continue watching, I’ll sneak into your rooms tonight and watch you as much as I like!

"Hey, disciple nephew! How dare you not come and greet your Grandpa Hu when you clearly saw me?! Can’t you see that even Zi Che is flying behind me?!"

Hu Zi continued shouting on the way, and his words made Zi Che’s expression darken continuously, while Su Ming did not know whether he should laugh or cry in this situation.

When he saw that Hu Zi was about to act even more outrageously even though he had been flying around the buildings in the center of the nine summits under Heaven Gate with a smug look, Zi Che, who had been following behind Su Ming, found himself to be unable to bear with the pressure any longer and whispered to Su Ming.

"Um… Su… Uncle master Su, uncle master Hu has gone past the Artifact Storage Hall eight times…"

As he spoke, he pointed towards a hall not too far into the distance.

Su Ming let out a fake cough. Once he cast a glance at the Artifact Storage Hall, he looked towards Hu Zi, who was shouting at some of Freezing Sky Clan’s disciples before him, then he smiled wryly and said, "Third senior brother, how about we go to the Artifact Storage Hall first? If you still want to walk around, then I’ll ask Zi Che to accompany you later. I… I still have to go back and train in the mountain."

The moment Hu Zi heard it, while there was a look on his face that said he had not fully enjoyed himself, he still turned around with a stern look.

"Youngest junior brother, who said that I like loitering around? Bringing my youngest junior brother to the Artifact Storage Hall is the most important thing to me. I just couldn’t find the place. Let me see… Hmm? The Artifact Storage Hall is over there!"

Hu Zi pointed towards the Artifact Storage Hall not too far away with a look of surprised delight.

Hu Zi had arrived at the door to the Artifact Storage Hall while he spoke. However, the door to the hall was closed. Su Ming remembered seeing the people inside immediately closing the door when they saw Hu Zi passing by.

"Open up! Your Grandpa Hu is here! I’m not here to hit someone today! If you don’t open the door right now, I’m going to get angry!"

Hu Zi went up to the door and lifted his foot to kick it.

Very soon, the door flew open, revealing a man with a handsome face, but with a sullen expression. He was frowning, but there was a clearly resigned expression on his face. The man stood behind the door and looked at Hu Zi, then opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"Hmm? You’re here today? So that’s why the door was closed. Youngest junior brother, she’s the person I said was actually a woman disguising herself as a man. I saw…"

The man’s expression instantly turned incredibly dark, and veins even started popping on his face.

Su Ming quickly went up front to pull Hu Zi back, who was still shouting out in surprised delight, and smiled towards the man apologetically.

"Disciple nephew, about that…"

Su Ming had yet to finish speaking when a focused look appeared on his face. He heard the sounds of an uproar nearby. Even the man standing before him lifted his head and looked towards the air behind Su Ming with a fanatical and respectful look.

"The Seven Colored Light! Eldest senior brother Si Ma has returned!"

"There’s no way we can be mistaken. That’s eldest senior brother Si Ma’s Seven Colored Mountain. Look, isn’t that eldest senior brother Si Ma sitting on the mountain?! Hmm? There’s a girl sitting beside him. That girl… seems rather familiar."

"It’s really big brother Si Ma!"

Uproars broke out everywhere around him. From the corner of his eye, Su Ming saw a seven colored light piercing through the sky, traveling towards where they were. He slowly turned around and looked up.