Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 493 - 151: Reunion After Three Years (2/2)

There was no one.

Qin Xiao stood at the entrance, peering inside.

The somewhat dilapidated courtyard was tightly locked, and it was reasonably clean inside, but visibly empty. He glanced at the courtyard - despite it being New Year's Eve the day before, there were no traces of fireworks, which made him unconsciously twist his mouth in dissatisfaction.

He was born into royalty, his mother was celebrated for her military achievements, and her relationship with the current Emperor was extremely close. Each year during the holidays, ingenious firework displays were designed by the artisans of Heaven Capital City.

The night sky would burst into brilliance, rivaling the daylight.

Even the vast array of stars in the sky seemed dim in comparison, and that day, Tianhe County City's night sky featured twin Milky Ways, outstanding in their splendor.

Unfortunately, he was unable to see it this year since he and his brother were studying at the Taoist Sect, leaving only his parents at home - he wondered if they felt lonely.

Qin Xiao somewhat missed his family.

The aged Taoist squeezed his way through the gap in the door.

"Hey, quite the bad timing."

The black bear was sprawled on the ground, refusing to move another step, its body covered in short, stiff fur that seemed slightly bristling, beads of sweat appearing.

Zhang Tingyun stopped stroking his 'pet,' which drew fearful glances, and cast a look at the courtyard. With no young man emerging from the tightly shut doors, his eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment.

The old Taoist chuckled and lifted his gaze toward the northwest direction of the village, staring intently for a few moments before shifting his attention toward the direction of Great Liang Mountain and suggested with a smile:

"Why not go up the mountain to have a look?"

"The old Taoist thinks that by going up to the high ground to get a broad view, we might just be able to find that little guy."

Zhang Tingyun nodded and tugged at the thin rope. The black bear had come reluctantly, but now, seeing that there was no one in the house and no horses either, it perked up at once.

Pulled by the leash, it didn't resist at all and stood up immediately.

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Because its fur had become somewhat fluffy recently, the black bear looked even more sizable than usual, almost like a mountain spirit or wild monster, emitting a low growl from its throat, its wild aura permeating the air, startling a large flock of birds and appearing quite proud of itself.

Qin Xiao followed behind, looking at the black bear with a somewhat gleeful schadenfreude.

That old Taoist's seniority in the Taoist Sect was terrifyingly high; if he mentioned going up the mountain, he definitely wasn't intending to just enjoy the scenery. Of all the famous mountains in the world, how many could compare to the grandeur of the Taoist Sect's ancestral home resting like a tiger and crouching like a dragon?

It seemed likely that the person they were looking for was on this mountain.

He glanced at the black bear and called it a stupid bear, then looked once more at Zhang Tingyun's retreating figure, tightening his clothes around him. He absolutely had to leave a good impression in front of the people close to Zhang Tingyun.

It was a strategy of encircling Wei to rescue Zhao, a roundabout way of serving his country.

The so-called grand plan of his life hinged on this moment.

Qin Xiao's expression grew serious, as he silently psyched himself up.

The old Taoist glanced at Qin Xiao, struggling to hold back his laughter, one hand holding a gourd of liquor while the other led young Tingyun toward Great Liang Mountain, with the black bear and Qin Xiao following closely behind.

Great Liang Village was under the jurisdiction of Wangxian County of Great Qin's Yulin State, merely a small village near Jinxian County. The villagers were few, and having been to the County City was considered worldly - how could they have seen such an odd group?

An elderly Taoist.

A pair of children that were cute and charming like golden boys and jade girls, the little girl with a thin rope in hand, at the other end of which was tethered a huge, fierce black bear.

Truth be told, if it were not for the fierce appearance of the black bear, the locals would have already formed a crowd around it. Instead, they only dared to watch from afar, as an old man with a goatee stroked his head, talking knowingly about the rules of Jianghu he had heard in the city.

Patches of stubborn hair clung to his almost shining scalp.

He said that there are taboos when traversing Jianghu: don't mess with monks or nuns, don't mess with women and children, and don't mess with the elderly. This group had ticked all the boxes for Jianghu taboos and even brought along the fiercest of the black bears, a real force to be reckoned with.

Not to be provoked, not to be provoked.

It's best just to watch from a distance.

The old Taoist couldn't hold it in and sprayed out all the liquor in his mouth. Turning back to look, he saw the villagers, who had previously been huddled around watching the commotion, suddenly freeze, then scatter like chickens and dogs, vanishing in a moment. Seeing this, the Taoist couldn't help but burst into laughter.

As the group reached the base of Great Liang Mountain, the black bear, having returned to its true nature, strutted about proudly. This was the land where it was born and raised, a mountain forest it could freely roam. Sadly, it had suffered a calamity three years ago. This was its first time back.

If it were a human, tears would already be streaming down its face.

Lifting a paw onto a piece of bluestone, it smashed the stone with one swipe.

Especially excited, the black bear's spirit was lifted, and Zhang Tingyun's eyes also brightened slightly as he looked at the snow-caged Great Liang Mountain. The old Taoist took a drink, laughed heartily, and waved his sleeve, sending snowflakes flying against the current, the path ahead vast and clear.

With one sleeve, he cleared ten miles of snowy path, while snow continued to fly on both sides. Such an immortal's technique caused Qin Xiao's eyes to widen in awe.

Amidst the flying snow, the black bear, which had been cultivating its behavior and eating vegetarian meals at the Taoist Sect's ancestral home for three years, invigorated its spirit, shook its body, and roared loudly. Its deep roar echoed through the mountain forest, startling flocks of birds.

The accumulated snow fell off, and the bear raised its head high, standing next to Zhang Tingyun.

Qin Xiao, to his surprise, found that this black bear, which had been treated like a fat cat, also possessed a hint of the majestic air of a beast king. It was not the comical giant cat he had imagined.

The old Taoist took a swig of liquor and casually pointed in a direction, saying:

"Let's go this way."

Neither of the two had any objections. Qin Xiao, with his family's martial arts heritage, aside from practicing martial arts since his childhood, watched as the black bear, upon entering the mountain, displayed a natural, majestic posture, leading the way. He almost started to see it in a new light.

The two people and the beast continued up the mountain road for half a moment when suddenly a muffled sound came from the gray sky. Qin Xiao looked up with caution, but seeing the white-haired Taoist drinking beside him, he relaxed.

The black bear stepped forward to Zhang Tingyun's side, its body slightly bent, letting out a deep growl from its throat as its tusks protruded, its bear eyes staring fixedly in that direction.

The old Taoist continued to guzzle his wine, unconcerned.

That inconspicuous wine gourd seemed bottomless, able to pour out clear, pungent liquor after so long a drink.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Qin Xiao watched the withered forest ahead with caution—it all felt so ashen, as though a monster might burst out from among the trees at any moment.

The young boy swallowed his saliva.

Three or perhaps five breaths passed when another muffled sound echoed between heaven and earth, followed by a streak of fire lighting up the vast land, flaring as if shooting across the sky, then hitting the ground to bound upward again.

In the moment it touched the ground, Qin Xiao could clearly see that it was a horse, a terribly thin one, with bright red mane flying distinct and fiery, creating the illusion of flames—until the next moment, when Qin Xiao began to doubt whether it was an illusion at all.

As the horse landed, it reared up, neighing loudly; fire streamed from its hooves. The sound was clear and piercing-like striking gold or breaking stones as it shot into the sky. A low growl came from the bear's throat, and it assumed a defensive stance in front of Zhang Tingyun.

It seemed to have a certain obstinance toward the horse.

But the thin red-maned horse seemed uninterested in the black bear's provocation.

With a stamp of its four hooves, it was ready to bolt again, but as it leaped, frost and snow arose with the wind, the dry forest shuddered, and a figure in green robes emerged, with a whirl of wind and snow underfoot, clothes fluttering slightly, and with a flash, he appeared beside the horse.

He spoke in a low voice, his tone tinged with anger.

"What a stubborn horse."

"Disobedient."

Raising his right hand, his fingers curled into a fist, lightning flickered about the edge of the fist. Zhang Tingyun's eyes lit up, while the black bear felt a threat, each hair on its body bristling at the sight of that figure, growling louder.

Wang Anfeng grasped the mane of the unruly thin horse with one hand and clenched his right fist.

Restless lightning danced in the air. Qin Xiao felt a slight sting on his skin and instinctively reached for the weapon at his waist. As his fingers touched the metal hilt, a blue and purple spark erupted between his fingertips and the hilt, causing him to exclaim softly.

Thunder streaks flashed in Wang Anfeng's pupils.

His right fist smashed out fiercely, striking beside the horse's head. With the bursting Thunder Vigor, he retracted his fist instantaneously and then threw another punch. Before the Thunder Vigor from the first fist could disperse, it was hooked by the edge of the second fist, rapidly followed by a third and fourth, up to the eighth punch.

A total of eight Heavenly Thunder Fist strikes layered together, triggered completely by the final punch.

Thunder resounded in all directions.

Amidst a dull and brutal booming sound, fierce yang lightning shock waves radiated from the man and horse at the center, raising the air's temperature. Meeting the frost-laden wind, it formed a visible vortex, the constraint over the thunder breaking, scattering throughout the land with the whirlwind.

The blazing temperature swept the frost and snow flat.

Within ten paces, visions of thunder and fire took shape, rejuvenating the earth to reveal black soil. Beyond those steps, the snow fell harder, pelting Qin Xiao's face and the bear's dumbfounded face, making the handsome young boy look even more stunned than the bear.

"You beast, have you submitted?"

Wang Anfeng exhaled, releasing the flipped-over red horse and turning to look at the others, Thunder Vigor still present within him, emitting a puff of white breath.

His right hand was still tightly clenched into a fist.

Lightning twisted around the edge of the fist.

The reflection of that fist appeared in the brown eyes of the black bear. The once beast-like black bear shivered at the sight of Wang Anfeng and tensed its muscles under its fur, as if it might pounce the next moment.

Then, precision in its actions, it did indeed lunge forward, suddenly sprawling on the ground, its mouth full of sharp teeth, capable of swallowing a human head, now opened as if to please.

"Ao woo..."

The familiar big black bear and the little girl leading it.

A nostalgic smile appeared in Wang Anfeng's eyes.

"Tingyun..."

The little girl took a few steps towards Wang Anfeng, her arms spread wide to greet the boy she hadn't seen for three years, then buried her little face in Wang Anfeng's chest with a soft "poof".

The estrangement of three years seemed to vanish at once.

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback, a smile on his face, his hand moved to rub the little girl's black hair.

"You've grown up."

The young girl hugged him, murmuring in response.

"Mm."

Qin Xiao watched the scene, feeling as though his heart was pierced by a myriad of swords, intuitively grasping Zhang Weiran's sentiments from the previous day.

He felt he should unsheathe his sword to express his inner anger, but glancing at Wang Anfeng's fair right hand, the corner of his mouth twitched and he wisely abandoned the tempting thought.

He glanced at the well-behaved black bear beside him.

With a melancholic sigh, he then emphatically crossed out "Plan Eighteen" from his mental list.

PS: The second update of today is here...