Chapter 98: ‘Fate’
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor:
Duan Ling Tian's brows twitched.
Pei San, the third son of Swallow Mountain County's County Governor, his arm was precisely cut off by Duan Ling Tian.
He didn't expect that the news had already spread.
With a quick thought, Duan Ling Tian quickly realized something: there wasn’t an impermeable wall in this world, let alone one that could block explosive news such as this.
Before long, the waiter had brought out and served the dishes and wine.
Duan Ling Tian's group chatted as they ate.
"I've heard of the Swallow Mountain County's County Governor's third son, Pei San. Allegedly he broke through to the third level of the Core Formation Stage before the age of seventeen and is a famous youth genius in Swallow Mountain County,"
Meng Quan's eyes flickered as he slowly spoke.
"Since the arm which he uses to execute martial skills was crippled, his life can be considered to be completely ruined," said Xiao Yu.
"Doesn't he still have the other hand?" asked Meng Quan in a daze.
Xiao Yu shook his head and laughed.
Meng Quan was puzzled. He turned his gaze toward the violet-clothed youth. "Duan Ling Tian, what does Xiao Yu mean?"
"Meng Quan."
Duan Ling Tian looked at Meng Quan as he smiled. "Which hand are you skilled in executing martial skills with?"
"Of course it’s my right hand!" Meng Quan bluntly stated.
"Then when you eat with chopsticks or write, which hand do you use?" asked Duan Ling Tian.
"My right hand as well. It’s been a habit since I was small."
Meng Quan didn’t ponder and directly answered.
"That’s right. So to speak, if your right hand was crippled as well, and you were unable to execute martial skills… how long would it take you to make your left hand replace your right hand completely?"
Duan Ling Tian threw out another question.
"This…."
At this moment, Meng Quan seemed to have understood.
A person’s entire life was only for a few tens of years.
If the most important arm of Pei San was crippled and he wanted to cultivate his martial arts anew on his left hand, or change entirely to kicking technique martial skills… it would certainly require a huge amount of time. And this would in turn delay the speed at which his cultivation level increased.
As time went by, even his peers who had inferior natural talent to him in the past would now throw him off far in the distance.
"Tsk tsk."
Meng Quan couldn’t stop himself from being astounded. "I wonder who was so ruthless to cut off Pei San’s arm with a single sword strike… That’s the son of our Swallow Mountain County’s County Governor; if they find out who he is, I’m afraid he will die a graveless death."
Xiao Yu made nothing of it. "So long has passed, but I’ve never heard of the Governor’s Estate being able to find the assailant. They probably can’t find him."
"That’s true as well."
Meng Quan nodded.
Duan Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed as he took his time to eat and acted as if everything that Meng Quan and Xiao Yu were talking about wasn’t related to him.
"But Duan Ling Tian, you were really ruthless earlier… Those four youths from the Yu Clan were directly blasted away instantaneously by you. This matter would probably spread around the entire Iron Blood City not too long from now. At that time, the Yu Clan will have really lost face."
Xiao Yu looked at Duan Ling Tian as he shook his head and laughed.
"Even if they lose face, it was something they brought upon themselves. There’re so many people eating here in the restaurant, but they just had to come to our table."
Duan Ling Tian rolled his eyes with an indifferent expression.
"The Yu Clan won’t cause trouble for us, right?"
Meng Quan was slightly worried.
"Meng Quan, you’re overthinking things. Even if the Yu Clan wanted to cause trouble for us, it would be a year from now… The members of the Yu Clan earlier have decent strength and should be able to enter the Genius Camp. At that time, it isn’t even certain if they will still be alive."
As Xiao Yu finished speaking, killing intent flashed within his eyes.
Duan Ling Tian’s brows slightly twitched.
He felt a strand of true killing intent coming off Xiao Yu…
This was something that the other youth martial artists he encountered didn’t possess…
Obviously, Xiao Yu had killed someone before… And it wasn’t only one or two people.
After eating their fill, Duan Ling Tian’s group left the restaurant, but they were still deeply remembered by the crowd of young geniuses within the restaurant.
Especially Duan Ling Tian, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old fourth level Core Formation martial artist. It was impossible to wish that he wouldn’t be remembered.
Duan Ling Tian’s group went around Iron Blood City before returning to the inn to rest.
Tomorrow, they would head to the Iron Blood Army’s camp ground to register themselves.
Duan Ling Tian didn’t cultivate tonight. Instead, he lied there on his bed and recalled his experiences this past year…
He couldn’t help but sigh.
"Now I can be considered to have completely integrated myself into this world."
A warm smile appeared on the corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth.
He thought of his mother, Ke Er, and Li Fei…
They were the people he cared the most about in this world.
For their sake, he was willing to go against the entire world!
Deep in the night, Duan Ling Tian fell soundly asleep.
He had a very long dream.
In this dream, he spent his days with Ke Er and Li Fei and even had plenty of kids later on…
When the ninth child had just been born.
"Duan Ling Tian!"
A thunderous voice jolted Duan Ling Tian awake.
"F**k! Meng Quan, you’ve destroyed my sweet dream."
Duan Ling Tian casually cleaned himself up and changed his clothes before walking out of his room and shouting the four-letter word.
Meng Quan embarrassedly touched the back of his head and laughed naively.
"Let’s go and register ourselves."
At this time, Xiao Yu came out as well.
On the east side of Iron Blood City, a vast area had been divided. This was precisely the Iron Blood Army’s camp grounds.
Presently, at the entrance to the Iron Blood Army’s camp ground were lines of queues that were as long as dragons.
Plenty of youths had lined up into neat lines.
"We’re still too late."
Meng Quan was stunned when he saw the packed and dense lines of youths.
"It doesn’t matter if we’re late as long as someone wasn’t late."
As Duan Ling Tian looked off into the distance, a smile appeared on his face.
"Huh?"
Xiao Yu and Meng Quan had puzzled expressions.
"Let’s go, someone has helped us reserve some places."
Duan Ling Tian brought along Xiao Yu and Meng Quan. He took the lead and walked towards the front of the line.
"Hey! Have a bit of morality and line up."
"Shame on you for cutting in line!"
"Kid, we’re talking about you."
...
Immediately, the crowd of youths that were drenched in sweat from lining up couldn’t help themselves from berating Duan Ling Tian’s group.
Xiao Yu and Meng Quan were both slightly embarrassed.
"Duan Ling Tian, let’s just go and queue up," Meng Quan said, in a low voice.
Duan Ling Tian ignored Meng Quan and instead looked towards the people who raised a clamor. He frowned as he said, "What are you all fussing about? When did you see me cutting the line? We’ve been here since early in the morning, and our companions have reserved a place for us in the front."
Hearing what Duan Ling Tian said, the group of people who raised a clamor went silent, but now they had doubtful expressions as they looked at Duan Ling Tian.
Meng Quan and Xiao Yu were both stunned.
Companions?
Why didn’t they know that they had companions?
"Hey! Brothers, sorry for troubling you to line up for us, lunch is on me."
Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian had already arrived at the front of the queue and slapped his hand on the grey-clothed youth’s back.
"Which bastard touched me…." the grey-clothed youth roared, but when he noticed Duan Ling Tian, he swallowed whatever he was going to say. "You…you…"
"Brothers, thank you for all the trouble."
Duan Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed as he smiled and interrupted the grey-clothed youth before looking at the other three youths and nodding.
Although seemingly friendly, Duan Ling Tian’s eyes flashed with a trace of threatening intent.
These four youths weren’t anyone else but precisely the four youths that Duan Ling Tian taught a lesson to last night in the restaurant…
Only now did Meng Quan and Xiao Yu get it, and they secretly gave Duan Ling Tian a big thumbs up.
In this manner, Duan Ling Tian’s group successfully cut the line.
Upon seeing the grey-clothed youth’s reaction, the surrounding youths that were glaring fiercely naturally thought that Duan Ling Tian and them were really companions…
Of course, there were some youths who were coincidentally eating at the restaurant last night and had recognized Duan Ling Tian and the grey-clothed youth.
But they didn’t speak a word of it.
They had all experienced Duan Ling Tian’s strength and were frightened of bringing trouble to themselves.
The grey-clothed youth’s face was flushed and his heart trembled.
"Dammit, have I offended the gods in these past two days?"
"Why is it that everywhere I go, I meet this bane? Not mentioning yesterday at the restaurant, today I queued up since early in the morning but I still had to let him cut in," he thought, but he just didn’t dare to say anything.
Or else he could imagine his end would be even more miserable than yesterday…
"Yu Xiao, this guy is going too far."
The three youths behind the grey-clothed youth were filled with rage; however, they only dared to use a voice that sounded as loud as a mosquito when they spoke.
"Then tell me what should we do? Why not you three chase him away?"
Yu Xiao rolled his eyes at his three companions.
Hearing this, the three youths immediately acted as if they didn’t hear him; they looked around and maintained their silence.
Before long, it was the turn of Duan Ling Tian’s group.
After filling in the simple registration form, the three of them each obtained a number card.
Duan Ling Tian’s number was 137.
Xiao Yu was 138.
Meng Quan was 139.
An Iron Blood Army soldier who wore light armor said, with a cold and unfeeling expression, "Before noon tomorrow, use your number cards and enter our Iron Blood Army’s camp grounds to participate in the test… You’ll be a member of the Genius Camp once you pass the test."
Duan Ling Tian’s group of three nodded before turning around and planning to leave.
"Thanks, brothers. In consideration of us having so much ‘fate’ together, I’ll treat you to some tea when we’re free."
Before leaving, Duan Ling Tian patted the grey-clothed youth on the shoulder and grinned, revealing a row of neat and white teeth. "Also, your name isn’t bad… Yu Xiao, it sounds like an extraordinary name the moment you hear it. I’ve learned some divination in the past; trust me when I say that you will surely be a great figure in the future."
Obviously, Duan Ling Tian heard the discussion between Yu Xiao and his three companions.
The corners of Xiao Yu’s and Meng Quan’s mouths twitched, as they forcefully endured the urge to laugh…
Yu Xiao’s face went blank.
What did this bane actually want to do!?
Duan Ling Tian smiled and patted Yu Xiao’s shoulder as he slowly said, "OK, brothers, hurry up and get your number cards, or else Mr. Soldier over there won’t be too happy."
Duan Ling Tian walked away with large strides as soon as he finished speaking.
Just at this moment.
"The four of you are together?"
The Iron Blood Army soldier’s face sunk as he asked Yu Xiao and the three youths behind him.
"Yes, Mr. Soldier."
Yu Xiao hurriedly nodded.
Even though he was a disciple of the County City’s Yu Clan, the Iron Blood Army inspired awe throughout the kingdom, and the soldiers within the army were said to be extremely cruel and merciless, so he didn’t dare to be presumptuous.
The Iron Blood Army soldier seemed to have transformed into a glaring guardian warrior of the Buddha as he howled, "It’s been some time since the three people in front of you finished obtaining their number cards, but you four only come over now. Are you four purposely trying to make it hard on me?"
"No, No…."
Yu Xiao hurriedly waved his hand in denial.
"Humph! In consideration of you four delaying the people behind, the four of you scram to the back of the line and queue up once more!"
The Iron Blood Army soldier had an expression that didn’t allow any arguments.
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Hi everyone!!!
Thanks for supporting me and Lucas, and of course WSSTH!
As a little celebration/event for the first 100 chapters being published, and to thank everyone for supporting us thus far. There will be a 10 chapter bonus release on webnovel.com!