The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-418

Since the situation had already come this far, Fu Dao was no longer hesitant to answer Teng Qingshan. He nodded and smiled, “Yes, the Fu Clan used to be the Yu Clan that lived upon the Godly Axe Mountain.”

Teng Qingshan couldn’t help but recall the task that had been entrusted to him by the Emperor Yu at the Heavenly Flood Palace of the Great Yan Mountain.

“Emperor Yu told me to take care of his descendants if they were to decline. And now on Duanmu Continent, I have coincidentally run into Little Ping, who turned out to be a descendant of Emperor Yu.” At this moment, Teng Qingshan couldn’t help but lament the fickleness of life and how fate teased people.

“Now, Fu clan has obtained around 40,000 Jin of Fiery Gilt Steel. With that amount, it’s completely enough to forge accoutrements for around 1000 Innate Calvarymen! An army like that is enough to help the Fu Clan establish a name and place on Duanmu Continent.”

Obtaining 15 % of the Fiery Gilt Steel Ores and a good relationship with the Rising Sun Trading Company surely benefit the Fu Clan’s progress in the future.

“Fu Dao, why did you guys change your surname to Fu?” Teng Qingshan asked.

In the Land of Nine Prefectures, the surname Yu still existed. Teng Qingshan did not find it weird that the Yu family of Godly Ax Mountain had changed their surname, he only wondered why they had changed it to Fu.

“There was nothing we could do about it.” Fu Dao shook his head. “During Yu clan’s glory days, the surname Yu brought us glory and pride. We were eyed covetously by all the other clans; and after we fell, the Yu clan naturally became the target for ridicule. After the capture of Godly Axe Mountain, we could no longer use the Yu name, because it would cause fear among the other clans, who would jointly attack us.””

Teng Qingshan nodded his head.

“The Yu Clan originated from Godly Axe Mountain and our ancestor, the Godly Axe Deity, used an axe… However, there is no surname known as “Axe,” so, we used the surname Fu instead.”

TLN: In Chinese, the word for axe is also pronounced “fu” but in a different character.

Teng Qingshan suddenly understood.

Beside them, Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal sighed. “On Duanmu Continent, there are two surnames dreaded by others. One is Yu, the other is Duanmu. The the surname of Mu Clan was Duanmu. We are descendants of the Thunder Blade Deity. However, the surname Duanmu made it difficult for our clan to survive, so we changed our surname. We used the pronunciation of ‘mu’ from Duanmu as our family name.”

Teng Qingshan was amazed.

The Mu family was the descendant of Duanmu Deity?

The Fu family was the descendant of Godly Axe Deity?

“Haha, Qingshan. Not many know of Fu Clan’s secret. However, although the Mu Clan being the Duanmu Clan is a secret, almost all the great clans knows about it.” Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal laughed. “After all, the Mu clan has been flourishing for more than 3000 years. With a big family and lots of properties, it’s hard to hide secrets.”

Beside him, Mu Wang smiled.

He beamed with pride. In the Duanmu Continent, the Mu Clan was the only clan that flourished for over three thousand years.

“Duanmu and Yu…” Teng Qingshan sighed gloomily.

Different customs yielded different results.

In the Land of Nine Prefectures, one’s bloodline is not seen as important. In the eight Supreme Sects of the Nine Prefectures, the sect leader was selected by skill, and bloodline has nothing to do with it. Therefore, Emperor Yu’s Hall, the descendants of the Emperor Yu, only had the surname “Yu” which they can be proud of, other than that, they were nothing special.

However, Duanmu Continent was different.

Duanmu continent is controlled by clans; things in the clans were passed down according to the bloodline. Duanmu Clan’s wealth and power would naturally be passed down to descendants of the Duanmu bloodline. Similarly, Yu Clan’s wealth and power would also be passed down in such a manner. In Duanmu continent, the Yu and Duanmu Clans possessed a lot of influence among the ordinary people below them.

Because of this, the other clans saw the Duanmu and Yu Clans as enemies, giving the two clans no choice but to change their surname.

Now in Duanmu continent, there was no clan with the last name Duanmu or Yu.

After this, Teng Qingshan carried Li Jun and the big metal case and left on the Blue Luan to catch up with the Whole Gale Eagle. The Whole Gale Eagle was significantly slower than the Blue Luan, and they caught up with the eagle easily.

Soon after, they traveled towards Dreamy Cloud Ancient City in the West Tang Region.

As for the other five stone inscriptions of the Fu family, the Rising Sun trading company was quickly bringing them toward Dreamy Cloud Ancient City.

……

Within the the Rising Sun Inner City in Dreamy Cloud Ancient City:

Teng Qingshan and his followers settled down in Rising Sun Inner City’s ‘East Flower Garden’. The East Flower Garden had beautiful scenery. A roundish lake took up 80 percent of East Flower region. East Flower Region’s buildings were built right on top of the lake.

During the day, one could row a boat on the lake, and at night one could watch the scenery downstairs.

“Brother Teng.”

Mu Wang smiled, pointing at a metal case in front of him and said, “In here lies Fu Clan’s five stone inscriptions of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》. Now that I have delivered the stone inscriptions, I have finished my task.”

“Thank you, Brother Mu.” Teng Qingshan said as he opened the case.

Clang!

In the metal case neatly placed on top of each other were art pieces that seemed to be made out of a massive jadeite. Seeing this, Teng Qingshan could not help but feel happy. To his surprise, the stone inscription placed on the very top was the tenth form from the Thirty-six forms. Teng Qingshan had seen the ninth form in the past, but now he had the eleventh and twelfth forms.

The pieces could be completely connected. They would be much easier to understand once they were put together in order.

The other four…” Teng Qingshan held down his excitement and took the stone inscriptions out one by one.

“Haha, Brother Teng, you practiced so much that you have become obsessed.” Mu Wang laughed. “I will not bother you anymore.”

“Sorry to have troubled you, Brother Mu.” Teng Qingshan cleared his mind of the stone inscriptions and smiled as he walked Mu Wang out the door.

Then, Teng Qingshan immediately sent the five stone inscriptions to his secret practice room. In the room, there were already seven other stone inscriptions. They were the sixth, eleventh, twelfth, and seventeenth through twentieth stone inscriptions. And the five stone inscriptions of the Fu Clan were—

Number ten, eleven, thirteen, and fourteen. Twenty one and twenty two.

“My luck is quite good.”

“In addition there is the ninth form I saw when capturing Dong Zhezi. Many of them are sequential and connected.”

From the ninth form to the fourteenth form, the connection was complete.

From the seventeenth form to the twenty-second form, the connection was complete as well.

……

Whether it was the Fu clan or Duanmu clan, everyone knew that the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 only became deeper and deeper. So the ones that they had left were all the beginning forms, and as they racked up, there were many connected forms.

“The heavens are on my side.” Teng Qingshan smirked.

In communion with the Splitting Mountain Axe, he immediately began comprehending those forms.

Time went by quickly. It’s already been nine days since they left Ox-Head Mountains and arrived in Dreamy Cloud Ancient City.

In the East Flower Garden, inside Li Jun’s room.

In the bed, Li Jun reclined peacefully. Teng Qingshan held a small bowl, and fed Li Jun one spoon at a time. Li Jun was unconscious and she could only take in the thin porridge by instinct.

“Li Jun, these three years, you have taken care of me. And now, it is my turn to take care of you.” Teng Qingshan said gently, and smiled at Li Jun.

After he opened up his heart and clearly examined himself, Teng Qingshan no longer avoided Li Jun’s feelings.

“Brother Teng, brother Teng!” Voices yelled from outside.

Teng Qingshan put down the bowl and spoon. He wiped Li Jun’s mouth with a towel and walked out.

In the living room.

Elder Mu Wang looked at Teng Qingshan and smiled. “Qingshan, do you know why I am here?” Teng Qingshan looked at Mu Wang’s hands. “Brother Mu, Tianfeng Martial Immortal told me the other day that the antidote would be here in ten days. Today is already the ninth day, it should be here. So please hand it over.”

Although he said it this way, Teng Qingshan still felt nervous.

“Haha…” Mu Wang laughed and took out a small embroidered case. He opened it, an inside was the same, dark green colored, antidote. “Qingshan, this is the antidote that Tianfeng clan sent.”

Teng Qingshan took it and sniffed it. He couldn’t help but become happy.

Sure enough… there was a faint but pungent smell.

“Elder, please drink some tea.” Fu Yuping carried a tray of tea and walked into the room. When she saw the antidote in Teng Qingshan’s hand, shock and joy appeared on her face. She said, “Uncle, this… is this the antidote that can cure sister Li Jun?” Those days, when Teng Qingshan was not taking care of Li Jun, Little Ping was the one taking care of her.

Afterall, Teng Qingshan needed to spend the majority of the time analyzing the Splitting Mountain Axe Art and comprehending the Dao of Heaven.

After a short period of time, Mu Wang left.

“Let’s go.” Teng Qingshan took the antidote. Fu Yuping, Teng Shou, and Yangdong followed closely behind him. They had also just received news that Teng Qingshan had obtained the antidote. Nervously, they all waited and hoped for Li Jun to wake up.

……

Inside Li Jun’s room.

A faint fragrance filled the air. Li Jun reclined there peacefully, as if she was asleep.

“You must wake up.” Teng Qingshan took a deep breath and stepped closer. Gently, he fed Li Jun the antidote. The antidote slid into Li Jun’s mouth and turned into a dark green liquid.

Standing next to Li Jun, Teng Qingshan waited and hoped.

“Li Jun, wake up, quick, wake up.”

“I was wrong before. I can see myself so clearly now.” Teng Qingshan waited, hoping.

As Teng Qingshan, Teng Shou, Fu Yuping and Yang Dong waited… suddenly--

Li Jun’s eyes fluttered.

Teng Qingshan’s eyes brightened up.

Slowly, Li Jun opened her bright,beautiful eyes. But there was also a hint of confusion in her eyes. She turned to look at the people by her bed, and when she saw Teng Qingshan slowly happiness appeared on her face.

“Brother Teng… I… I’m not dead?” Li Jun couldn’t hide the happiness in her eyes.

“Yes, you’re fine now. You’re fine.” Teng Qingshan held Li Jun’s hands, excited.

It’s been nine days…

Throughout these nine days, Teng Qingshan had waited quietly. He was prepared to give Li Jun a surprise today.

“Teng…” She froze when Teng Qingshan held her hands.

She had dreamt of Teng Qingshan holding her hands like this before. But he had never done so in the past.

“Li Jun, can I ask you something?” Teng Qingshan took a deep breath.

Li Jun had just woken up. She saw the serious look on Teng Qingshan’s face which caused her heartbeat to speed up. The look in Teng Qingshan’s eyes...made Li Jun blush for no reason.

“Will you…”

“Marry me?” Teng Qingshan asked, his gaze frozen upon Li Jun.