The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-20

The nine people on the list dreamed of getting revenge. All of them desired to drink and eat the blood and flesh of their enemy.

“Hm?”

When Teng Qingshan read the eighth sheet of paper, he thought to himself, “This was suspected to be related to the Gui Yuan Sect?”

The person described on the eighth sheet of paper was named Xue Xin, a citizen of Wuan County in Yangzhou. In Wuan County-City, the Xue Clan had been an ancient and great clan with a history of two to three hundred years. However, when it came to the generation of Xue Xin’s father, Xue Chengdao, the Xue Clan only had three men: Xue Xin; Xue Xin’s father; and Xue Xin’s Second Uncle.

Xue Xin was the only son!

Xue Xin had lived his childhood and teenage days leisurely. Due to his father’s influence, Xue Xin had loved to read starting from a young age. In Wuan County-City, Xue Xin was a famous and gifted scholar! However, at the age of 16, his father, Xue Chengdao had obtained a treasure, which was said to be a poetry manuscript written by the Poetic Sword God, Li Taibai. It was the Flowing Cloud Manuscript!

Li Taibai was an Omnipotent Expert.

In the literary circles, Li Taibai’s status was transcendent. His poetry manuscript was definitely worth over ten thousand Gold. To someone who loved poems, this Flowing Cloud Manuscript was definitely as important as his life.

“To think that Xue Chengdao actually acquired the poetry manuscript of the Poetic Sword God Li Taibai,” Teng Qingshan praised, “However, it’s such a pity that he ran into misfortune because of this!”

After Xue Chengdao obtained the Flowing Cloud Manuscript, he’d kept it carefully.

Unfortunately, under the influence of alcohol, his brother, Xue Chengqian, had accidentally revealed the Flowing Cloud Manuscript to others, boasting proudly to his friends about it. It was precisely what he revealed under the influence of alcohol which attracted the attention of the poetry enthusiast, Zhao Fu who was also the nephew of the provincial official of Wuan County-City. On that very same day, Zhao Fu visited Xue Residence and offered to pay a huge price for the Flowing Cloud Manuscript.

If the Xue Clan had sold the Flowing Cloud Manuscript, then everything would have been fine.

However, Xue Chengdao viewed the Flowing Cloud Manuscript as important as his life. How could he sell it? He tactfully rejected Zhao Fu’s offer, claiming that he did not possess the Flowing Cloud Manuscript and that his brother had merely been boasting lies due to the influence of alcohol!

“This person named Zhao Fu is ruthless!” Teng Qingshan commented. The next few sentences on the sheet of paper sent a chill to Teng Qingshan’s heart. ‘Three days later, the soldiers of Wuan County-City arrested and incarcerated Xue Chengdao and Xue Chengqian. Then the next day, the Xue Clan was falsely accused of being the devious surviving members of Tie Yi Hall. All the men, women, and children of Xue Clan, a total of eighteen people, were arrested and executed. However, Xue Xin alone managed to escape.’

As Teng Qingshan read the few lines of words, he sighed inwardly.

In front of a tyrant of Qing Hu Island, a rich and wealthy family was not considered anything great. Just the label of being the ‘devious surviving members of Tie Yi Hall’ had been enough to get them all killed.

Three months after the execution of the entire Xue Clan, a major event which astounded the entire Wuan County had occurred…

A huge poisoning case had occurred in the residence of Wuan County’s provincial official.

87 people in the entire Provincial Official Residence had died. Yet, Zhao Fu had not been poisoned to death. Still, the deaths of so many people had infuriated the Provincial Official of Wuan County City. Immediately after, an investigation had been conducted. In the end, the result of the investigation showed that the culprit of this poisoning case was the delicate-looking teenager, Xue Xin… It was the poetry enthusiast!

At once, the teenager Xue Xin had then become wanted in the entire Yangzhou.

Xue Xin had then concealed his identity and gone into hiding, disappearing for a total of three years. According to the investigation the Snowy Lotus Cult conducted, it was suspected that the Gui Yuan Sect had been involved with Xue Xin during these past three years.

In August of this year, Xue Xin had been invited by a security office to be an escort. Hence, he then returned to Wuan County-City. He now worked as an escort for Chang Sheng Security Office in Wuan County-City by the alias of ‘Wu Yi.”

……

Teng Qingshan perused the written information about Xue Xin.

“Before the destruction of his clan, Xue Xin was merely a scholar. The intelligence agency of the Snowy Lotus Cult is truly powerful. They actually managed to find the current identity of Xue Xin.

“Disappeared for three years? It’s suspected that the Gui Yuan Sect has been involved during these past three years?” Teng Qingshan pondered.

“Hm. Let’s see what this fellow is really like.”

In actuality, Teng Qingshan could choose anyone out of the nine people. However, because of the words, ‘suspected that Gui Yuan Sect has been involved during these past three years,’ Teng Qingshan was more inclined to choose Xue Xin.

“Roar~~”

The Six Legged Bladelike Chi’s enormous body soared up into the pitch-black night sky. Teng Qingshan stood on the back of the Six Legged Bladelike Chi, facing against the wind, while the Whole Gale Eagle rested on the Six Legged Bladelike Chi’s back lazily.

“Wuan County!”

“In the past, I had arranged for Little Jun to settle down in Wuan County. I never expected that I would return there again.” Teng Qingshan smiled and thought to himself, “If this fellow named Xue Xin is really a man of great potential, then I will accept him as my disciple. I will stand up for him and get revenge for him!”

Teng Qingshan’s purpose was… to fight the Qing Hu Island!

Standing up for his disciple was be a very proper reason for fighting! Moreover, no one would expect someone to provoke the Qing Hu Island deliberately.

“Whew~Whew~~~”

The Six Legged Bladelike Chi pierced through the wind as it flew from Nanxing County to Wuan County. The flight merely took less than an hour.

……

At a restaurant opposite Chang Sheng security office in Wuan County City:

“Brother Wu Yi, this mission went well because of you. Otherwise, I really don’t know if I would’ve survived. At least, this leg of mine would be crippled if not for you. I will just keep these words of gratitude brief. Let me propose a toast to you!” At the second floor of the restaurant, three cultivators were drinking together.

“Our lives are at risk in every mission. I helped you this time, so I am sure you will help me next time… It’s the right thing to do. Please don’t thank me.” The young man with a scar on his face raised his wine cup as he replied.

The three cultivators gobbled big mouthfuls of meat and drank to the fullest. It was obvious that they had just returned from an escorting mission. All three of them appeared very happy.

At the corner of the second floor, a white cloaked man with a long sword on his back was

drinking leisurely.

“This is Xue Xin.” Teng Qingshan glanced at the escort named Wu Yi and remarked, “It’s no wonder the subordinates of the Provincial Official of Wuan County could not recognize him… He no longer looks like that delicate-looking teenager who only reads books. If it wasn’t because of the information written on these sheets of paper, I wouldn’t be able to believe that this guy was a delicate-looking teenager just three years ago.”

The escort named ‘Wu Yi’ was Xue Xin.

Xue Xin had grown to a height of seven Chi and three Cun. He looked tough with a stocky build, and his arms were thick and strong. He also had a horrific scar which slashed past his nose and covered almost half of his face. When he opened his eyes, a knifelike gaze shot out.

“Three years. Within only three years, he has transformed from that delicate-looking scholar into a strong cultivator.” While observing Xue Xin’s style of conversation and the expression showed through his eyes, Teng Qingshan nodded inwardly.

Teng Qingshan observed Xue Xin secretly for three days. During these three days, the thing which made Teng Qingshan decide to accept Xue Xin as his disciple was that Xue Xin had actually gone to a run down beggars’ shelter one night and given the kids who were shivering in the cold winter some crushed silver.

“When Xue Xin was sixteen, he was listed as wanted by Qing Hu Island. Thus, he fled throughout the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures… He must have been a beggar before. This is probably why he has a soft spot for those beggars.”

Standing in the dark corner, Teng Qingshan watched Xue Xin’s actions. This scene was precisely the reason to why he finally decided to accept Xue Xin as his disciple.

……

With this, Teng Qingshan spent a day purchasing a luxurious mansion in Wuan County-City which cost him over ten thousand silver. In the cover of night, the Six Legged Bladelike Chi and the Whole Gale Eagle descended inside this luxurious mansion at lightning speed. This mansion was named ‘Jing Residence’ by Teng Qingshan.

“Xing Yi Martial Arts… Xing Yi… Xing Yi… I will use the alias ‘Jing Yi’ when I fight with Qing Hu Island.” After Teng Qingshan bought the mansion and helped the Six Legged Bladelike Chi and the Whole Gale Eagle to settle down, on that very night, he stealthily made his way to Chang Sheng Security Office.

At Chang Sheng Security Office:

As Teng Qingshan felt Xue Xin’s presence within his domain, he managed to find Xue Xin easily.

“Eh? Within only three years, he became a high-ranking escort.” Teng Qingshan stood on the rooftop of a building. His entire being was concealed in the cover of night as he gazed downward at the young man who was practicing with a saber at the center of the courtyard. It was Xue Xin!

“Pu! Pu! Pu!”

Xue Xin was half-naked. He held a horse-slaying saber and paced within the courtyard at the speed of lightning, occasionally slashing forward and occasionally holding the saber up horizontally. At times, he made blocking movements with the horse-slaying saber like an enemy was really before him. As he struck each move, sounds of air explosions rang out.

With eyes as keen as knives, Xue Xin practiced repeatedly.

“Eh? This fellow is not using inner strength?” Teng Qingshan was slightly surprised. With his understanding of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth, Teng Qingshan could distinctly determine that Xue Xin had no inner strength. This caused a radiant smile to creep onto Teng Qingshan’s face as he said, “This young fella is using physical strength!”

Xue Xin’s saber was extremely fast and extremely fierce!

“True. Three years ago, he had no knowledge of martial arts, and he was already 16 years old at that time… He had no inner strength when he was sixteen. So, even if he was given secret manual of inner strength at the age of sixteen, he wouldn’t have been able to make any achievements.” Teng Qingshan knew well that it was most effective for one to begin the cultivation of inner strength at a young age.

“Moreover, no one taught him him any martial arts when he was fleeing. He could only use his physical strength to wave his saber. The power of his strike definitely displayed a force of a few thousand Jin,” Teng Qingshan thought to himself.

“However, why did the information state that this may be related to the Gui Yuan Sect?”

Although Teng Qingshan felt puzzled, he did not spend much time pondering about it. He waited silently for Xue Xin to finish his saber practice.

“Whew!”

Xue Xin withdrew his horse-slaying saber. His muscular upper body was covered with drops of perspiration.

As he gasped for breath, a cold glint flashed in his eyes and he muttered, “Grandmother, Father, Mother, Second Uncle… Big Sister, Second Sister… I will kill Zhao Fu and avenge all of you. I will!”

Everyday, Xue Xin had no audacity to relax even for a moment because of this hatred.

Unfortunately…

The strength of his enemy was far too great.

……

The night was pitch-black. The moment Xue Xin sheathed his horse-slaying saber and prepared to return to his room…

“Whoosh!”

A figure seemed to have teleported, suddenly appearing before Xue Xin. The eerie figure then solidified. It was Teng Qingshan, who donned a white cloak and carried a trenchant sword on his back.

Xue Xin was astonished and quickly retreated a step.

Xue Xin immediately calmed himself and asked, “Who—-who are you?”

“Young fella.” Teng Qingshan looked at Xue Xin with a smile and asked, “You were the one that gave some crushed silver to those beggars last night, right?”

Hearing this, Xue Xin was stunned.

“Attack me with your saber.” Teng Qingshan was still smiling as he said, “Remember, use your most powerful saber art… and maybe I will accept you as my disciple.”

“You wish to see my saber art?” Xue Xin couldn’t help but feel a sense of elation.

He had no idea of the identity of the person before him, but he had never seen or heard of this terrifyingly fast Qing Gong which the person before him had just performed… If he could become the disciple of the person before him, then he might be able to get revenge.

“Don’t worry. I won’t use my sword,” Teng Qingshan chuckled while looking at Xue Xin.

“You won’t use your sword? What if I hurt you?” Xue Xin asked in a slightly worried tone.

Teng Qingshan burst out in laughter as he replied, “Wound me? If you can hurt me even in the slightest, I will help you attain Innate Realm within a year.”