Chapter Nineteen: Wailing and Bewailing
“Ha ha, young friend, have you come to visit?”
“...”
Before Su Ling could speak, Gu Can interrupted.
“You old geezer, how dare you enter my house without my permission!”
“A grown man like you, don’t you know basic manners?”
“Hey! Old man, are you deaf or what? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“...”
Watching from the side, Su Ling couldn’t help but laugh, casting a playful glance at the indifferent Liu Zhimao.
On the surface, Liu Zhimao appeared calm and composed, but inwardly he was cursing Gu Can, that damned brat, in no uncertain terms.
Seeing Su Ling’s silence, Liu Zhimao first bowed in salute, as a form of greeting, then fixed a cold, sharp gaze on Gu Can.
“Hmph!”
“You insolent child! Don’t you understand respect for your elders?”
“Who do you think you are, daring to boss me around? Get lost!”
Without engaging in a verbal fight, Liu Zhimao snorted coldly, swished his sleeve, and unleashed a trace of his power, instantly intimidating the still shouting Gu Can into silence.
“Sir, Gu Can is still young; don’t let his childhood be overshadowed by such fears.”
As Gu Can found himself trapped and helpless, Su Ling infused a sliver of martial energy into his voice.
The energy spread, and the dazed expression on Gu Can’s face shifted instantly; he broke free from his predicament and glared furiously at Liu Zhimao.
“You old geezer! How dare you play dirty tricks on me!”
This time, Gu Can didn’t act recklessly; he quickly darted behind Su Ling, half-hiding like a bullied dog that barks wildly, emboldened by its master.
“Such robust martial energy!” Liu Zhimao was somewhat shocked; after all, Su Ling’s martial energy was truly thick and special.
Indeed, his martial energy was forged through daily hammering and physical training, honed in a hellish environment to become the ultimate essence.
The quality of his energy was far beyond what any warrior of the same level could contend with, leaving the well-experienced Liu Zhimao astonished.
Moreover, as his physique strengthened daily, his martial energy constantly evolved and renewed.
Not only Liu Zhimao was amazed, but Ruan Qiong, who personally taught him blacksmithing, was equally astonished.
Over time, Ruan Qiong became numb to Su Ling’s extraordinary constitution.
After all, with such simple daily training, his physique and strength soared as if fueled by some divine elixir—almost enough to say he was destined for greatness.
Even a mere trace of Su Ling’s martial energy was enough to dispel Liu Zhimao’s Nascent Soul power.
The glimpse Su Ling revealed was enough to intimidate Liu Zhimao, who claimed the title of True Lord of the River’s End, making him wary of reckless moves.
“This young disciple of Master Ruan is truly promising,” Liu Zhimao forced a smile and insincerely flattered.
“Heh, you flatter me,” Su Ling replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, speaking carefully and guardedly.
Liu Zhimao frowned; he had already realized that this disciple of Ruan Qiong seemed to have set his sights on him, though he didn’t yet understand why.
“May I ask your honorable name?”
Belatedly, Su Ling took the initiative to inquire about Liu Zhimao’s identity.
“I am Liu Zhimao. I’ve met you, young friend.”
“Not bad. You seem like a cunning and deceitful man,” Su Ling said bluntly, leaving Liu Zhimao speechless, as if his throat had been suddenly grasped.
“Well…”
“Sir, you’ve come to this small town seeking opportunity, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
Though Liu Zhimao was inwardly displeased, he maintained the demeanor of a superior figure and didn’t stoop to petty quarrels.
“Then let me boldly guess—you’re here to take disciples, and you’ve already chosen someone.”
“…Yes.”
Surprised, Liu Zhimao wondered how Su Ling knew he intended to take Gu Can as his disciple.
Despite the challenges ahead, he was determined not to give up on Gu Can, the precious jade.
“In that case, go ahead and take the disciple. Don’t mind me; I’ll just watch from the sidelines as a passerby...”
“...”
Liu Zhimao was stunned, and Gu Can was equally astonished, even stopping his barrage of curses.
“You mean, you old geezer, you’re here to take me as your disciple?”
Gu Can realized and was about to curse loudly, but Liu Zhimao’s cold glare silenced him instantly, like a goose with its neck squeezed.
Just then, Gu Can’s mother, preparing a meal in the kitchen, emerged carrying a steaming plate of meat dishes.
The earlier commotion was loud, but Gu Can’s mother remained unreactive because someone had deliberately blocked out the sound.
“Time to eat…”
As she stepped out, a stranger suddenly appeared in the courtyard, causing her to freeze.
“No need to worry, I am…”
Liu Zhimao stepped forward to explain. Had Gu Can not been her son, Liu Zhimao wouldn’t have bothered with a mountain village woman.
Soon, reassured, Gu Can’s mother invited Liu Zhimao to share lunch, but he refused outright.
Outside in the stone dining area, while Su Ling ate heartily with Gu Can’s family, Liu Zhimao used his own arts to probe Gu Can’s personal fate.
Before long, Liu Zhimao frowned deeply; he discovered that the disciple he had chosen, Gu Can, was entangled with a certain outsider.
He knew exactly who that outsider was; the important thing wasn’t the muddy farmer, but the close companion of the muddy farmer—Su Ling!
“This is troublesome.”
Only now did Liu Zhimao understand why an unexpected challenger had appeared midway—it all stemmed from this connection.
“No wonder Ruan Qiong’s disciple would interfere with me,” Liu Zhimao mused.
Though this matter was critical to him, as long as he didn’t offend that troublesome spirit, he had no worries.
After all, Ruan Qiong’s fierce reputation came alive from Baoping Continent; better to offend Qi Jingchun than to provoke the warrior Ruan Qiong.
But soon, Liu Zhimao devised a plan: since he couldn’t touch Su Ling’s friend Chen Ping’an, he would avoid direct confrontation and seek another opportunity to sever the bond between Gu Can and Su Ling.
As for how Su Ling knew about Liu Zhimao’s disciple-taking plan first, even Liu Zhimao was baffled.
Perhaps it was merely the good fortune of that farmer named Chen.
After the meal, Su Ling ignored Gu Can’s plaintive cries and strode away from Gu Can’s home.
Truth be told, the law of truth is eternal: those who just moments before resisted Su Ling’s arrival now wished he would stay forever.
As for the conspiracy against Chen Ping’an, it had already unraveled with Su Ling’s involvement.
He trusted that Liu Zhimao, a crafty old fox, would naturally make a choice that would satisfy him.
Gu Can’s mother’s cooking was quite good, and Su Ling had polished off three large bowls of food.
At that moment, he was walking bored down the silent street of the afternoon.