Chapter 24: Protecting Loved Ones
After Li Mu had spoken, Li Cheng was feeling very nervous as he went towards the blood-soaked coffin. His palm hit the coffin cover, and it flew away revealing the dead body of a sixteen to seventeen-year-old boy!
The color of the boy’s skin had turned to a muted green, so dark that it looked almost black.
When Li Cheng got a clear look at the youth’s face, his entire body trembled and his eyes became red-rimmed as tears fell from his face. “Feng’er! My Feng’er!” Li Cheng carried the boy’s body out of the coffin and hugged him tightly.
“My Feng’er!”
“You cannot die, Feng’er!"
Li Cheng’s mournful wails were heart wrenching.
And when Li Mu saw the young boy’s face, tears fell from his face. He stood there and cried, no longer caring about face or dignity before the crowd.
“Brother, Brother!” At this moment, Li Lu who was standing beside Huang Xiaolong dashed out to reach the young boy, sobbing pitifully as both of her hands shook the young boy’s shoulder. “Brother, what’s wrong with you? Brother, please wake up! I don’t want you to die, I don’t want to you to die!”
“Brother, please wake up!”
“Wake up!”
Li Lu’s sobs were choked, unable to come out.
At this time, the guards, maids, and experts of the Li Residence all knelt down and cries filled the area. The young boy who died was Li Lu’s brother, Li Feng and Li Cheng’s only son. Li Feng’s was very talented, and like Li Lu, he possessed top grade nine martial spirits. Three years ago, he was spotted by Distinct Cloud Sect (Chu Yun Zhong), one of the most prominent sects of Luo Tong Kingdom, and was taken as an inner court disciple. No one could have imagined that he would be killed and sent back to Li Residence as Li Mu’s birthday gift!
All the patriarchs of the other families and experts who were present shook their heads. They came to congratulate Old Patriarch Li on his eightieth birthday, but instead this scene unraveled before them!
“Feng’er, this is Grandfather’s fault. Grandfather harmed you!” Li Mu knelt down, both of his hands trembled as he touched his grandson’s face. His tears fell on on his grandson’s body, but his grandson could no longer move, and could no longer hear his voice.
“Rest assured, Grandfather definitely will avenge you! Absolutely!” Determination showed in Li Mu’s eyes.
From afar, Huang Xiaolong’s eyes were red as he watched the scene before him.
All around was silence.
After a long time has passed, Li Mu carried his grandson’s body into Li Residence, and everyone followed. Inside the Li Residence, the once festive and colorful decoration with the red cloths are now offensive to the eye.
The birthday banquet did not happen.
And not long after, the patriarchs and experts who came to convey congratulatory wishes left. The initially festive and lively Li Residence became gloomy and deadly silent.
In the end, only Huang Xiaolong’s group of five were the last to remain in Li Residence.
“Brother Li, I’m sorry for your grief.” Huang Qide came beside Li Mu and said in barely a whisper. “If there’s anything, all you need is to send a message, our Huang Clan Manor will be the first to assist!”
Even Huang Qide didn’t imagine such a thing would happen; given the circumstances, it no longer made sense for them to stay any longer at Li Residence.
“Brother Huang, thank you!” Li Mu said in a sorrowful voice.
Huang Qide nodded for there’s nothing more that could be said; turned around and was about to leave with Huang Xiaolong and the rest, Li Lu suddenly ran over to Huang Xiaolong, sobbing, ”Xiaolong, don’t go, okay?”
All present turned to look at Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong blanked. He hesitated for a moment, and then he patted Li Lu’s shoulder gently, and said, “Don’t worry. I will come and visit you often. I will kill whoever is responsible and avenge your brother.”
Hearing Huang Xiaolong’s words, everyone smiled while shaking their heads; they took his words as something naïve children would say, and none of them took Huang Xiaolong’s words seriously. Even Li Mu wasn’t confident to kill the other party, not to say an eight-year-old child?
“Then you definitely must come and see me.” Li Lu said as tears ran down her face.
Huang Xiaolong could only nod.
Li Mu got up and personally saw Huang Xiaolong’s group out of the Li Residence and only went back in when the five silhouettes vanished.
By evening, Huang Xiaolong’s group of five reached Huang Clan Manor.
Huang Xiaolong did not practice that night. He stood on a peak in the back mountain, looking at the twinkling stars in the evening sky.
Two meters behind Huang Xiaolong, stood Fei Hou, keeping watch.
Out of nowhere, Huang Xiaolong suddenly asked,“Fei Hou, when people die, do you think they will become a star in the night sky?”
Fei Hou was stunned, for he didn’t expect Huang Xiaolong would ask such a question. “Stars in the night sky?”
“In my previous hometown, someone once said that when a person dies, they become a star in the night sky to protect their loved ones.” Huang Xiaolong explained softly.
“Become a star in the night sky? To protect their loved ones?” Fei Hou shook his head, smiled. “In this world, only those with power and strength can guard and protect their loved ones.”
“Power and strength!” Huang Xiaolong repeated.
“Yes, power and strength!” Fei Hou nodded.
That’s right, power and strength! Huang Xiaolong clenched his fists tightly. Under the night sky, his eyes shone like the stars-- only the strong have the power to guard and protect loved ones.
He must become strong! He had to grow stronger quickly!
Only this way he could guard and protect his loved ones!
An invisible aura emanated from Huang Xiaolong, scaring Fei Hou.
“Let’s go back!” Huang Xiaolong said lightly a moment later while withdrawing the aura emanating from his body. He turned around and headed downwards towards Huang Clan Manor and Fei Hou followed.
Once back at Huang Clan Manor, Huang Xiaolong took out the cold jade bed, sat down, and started practicing Asura Tactics as the spiritual aura from the netherworld gushed down like an endless waterfall.
……
Time flies and quickly ten months went by.
Huang Peng noticed that his son had increased his effort in training ever since he came back from Li Residence. Every day, his son stayed inside the small courtyard to practice, hardly stepping out. His parents' hearts ached to see their son’s crazed training regimen, so they decided to go to the small courtyard and visit Huang Xiaolong.
In the past ten months, Huang Xiaolong’s battle qi increased at a monstrous rate. Half a month after he came back from Li Residence, he advanced to mid-Fourth Order from peak early-Fourth Order, and two months later, late-Fourth Order.
After ten months, not only did Huang Xiaolong breakthrough to the Fifth Order, he actually advanced to peak late-Fifth Order!
As for the Body Metamorphose Scripture, he had reached the fifth stage – Power to Haul Nine Bulls Like One.
This morning, the weather was sunny. At the back mountain, Huang Xiaolong swung his blades and a hundred rays of light appeared, forming two five meters tall cyclones circling nonstop. As Tempest of Hell rotates, every tree and bush in its path were cut into a hundred pieces, when suddenly the two cyclones swerved to the left, and then swerved again to the right!
In ten months, not only had Tempest of Hell’s power increased ten times, but Huang Xiaolong could already control the direction according to his will. Now, his Tempest of Hell could last twelve to thirteen breaths of time.
“Tempest of Hell has reached major completion and now it only lacks power!” Huang Xiaolong mumbled to himself as he surveyed the surrounding. He has already grasped the mood of Tempest of Hell and its power will continue to increase along with his battle qi.
It states on that piece of paper, once there was someone who used this move, it would annihilate everything within a ten thousand li radius and not even a blade of grass would survive!
“There are only twenty more days to the next Clan Assembly.” Huang Xiaolong thought to himself as he recalled Blades of Asura and they flew back into his arms.
Note:
For Chinese, red represents luck, fortune, happiness….whereby in funerals black and/or white are dominant.
If you’re saying six people (iFei Hou)instead of five returned to Huang Clan Manor, I hear you. Maybe he didn’t count.
One li = 500 m