Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Forty: The Youngest Grandmaster

The Marquis's estate was deathly silent, save for the agonized whimpering of Rong Yulu.

Venerable Luo finally spoke, his voice heavy with caution: "Cease now. Any further, and he will not survive."

Sun Qingya looked toward Jiang Wang. Jiang Wang gave a slight nod. Only then did Sun Qingya withdraw his hand. The now-freed Rong Yulu gasped for air, but the strain on his throat nearly choked him; he came perilously close to dying simply from the desperate urgency of his own breathing.

Venerable Luo cast a glance at him before turning to Jiang Wang. "Since he has been sufficiently punished, let this matter pass. If she wishes to study martial arts, there is no one in all of Kutan more qualified than me to teach her. If the young Marquis wills it, I am willing to instruct him as well."

Jiang Wang considered that Venerable Luo was, after all, an old acquaintance of his father—otherwise, he would have had Sun Qingya finish Rong Yulu off right then and there. Yet, it was precisely because of Rong Yulu’s presence that he could never trust Luo to take Xiao Yu away.

"Xiao Yu must stay by my side. If you have the time, old man, you may teach her here in the estate. If you lack the time, then so be it. Kutan is vast; I can always find her a better teacher."

Venerable Luo felt a surge of frustration, thinking Jiang Wang was being petty and still refusing him because of Rong Yulu. Having recognized Xiao Yu’s peerless talent for martial arts, he knew that even if he stayed in Hun City for a time, he risked losing her to another if he could not secure her for the Martial God Temple.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "I will not be staying in Hun City for long. I shall teach her with all my heart during this time, but the young Marquis should consider the bigger picture. If your maid can enter the Martial God Temple, her future achievements will be limitless."

Luo was confident that by spending every day with Xiao Yu and teaching her secret techniques, the maid—trapped in a tiny place like Hun City—would eventually be willing to follow him to the Martial God Temple.

Jiang Wang looked at Xiao Yu and asked, "Are you satisfied with this teacher?"

Xiao Yu looked at Venerable Luo, who offered a very kindly smile. "I leave the decision entirely to you, Young Master."

Jiang Wang nodded. "Very well, then. Although you are an old friend of my father's and should rightly be hosted within the estate, I do not like that fellow named Rong. I must ask you to find lodgings elsewhere."

Venerable Luo did not seem to mind. "I already have a place to stay. There is no time to lose; I shall begin teaching her now." He directed the last sentence toward Xiao Yu.

As Venerable Luo followed Xiao Yu to the spot where she usually practiced her swordsmanship, Jiang Wang patted Sun Qingya on the shoulder. "Throw that Rong fellow out."

Sun Qingya grabbed Rong Yulu and swung his arm. Accompanied by a shrill scream, a figure flew over the garden wall, fulfilling the order to be thrown out quite literally.

The old steward stepped forward at that moment. "Kutan has the Sword Pavilion, the Yuyuan Academy, and the Martial God Temple. Luo Xianshan holds a lofty status; only the Sword God could afford to ignore him. While it is said he was an acquaintance of the late Marquis, their friendship was never deep. The Marquis always kept him at arm's length."

Jiang Wang replied languidly, "My father's affairs have nothing to do with me. His former friends—if I do not like them, they are not my friends. His enemies—if they suit my taste, they can be my friends."

"I don't care why my father kept Luo Xianshan at a distance. But if he can truly train Xiao Yu into a master, then he is naturally my friend."

The old steward sighed and said no more. The late Marquis had spent little time at home, and though he was attentive to Jiang Wang, the boy’s illness had kept him confined to the estate. From the days of eagerly awaiting his father’s return to the eventual indifference that followed, there had been no opportunity for their bond to grow. They were, in every sense, the most familiar of strangers.

Though Sun Qingya was the commander of the Black Flame Army, he dared not discuss the relationship between the Marquis and his son. He changed the subject: "There is likely no martial artist in Kutan who does not know Luo Xianshan. Even in the entire Sui Kingdom, Grandmaster Luo Xianshan is considered the premier martial artist, capable of crushing peak Dongming-realm cultivators."

"Were it not for his age, his strength might have reached even greater heights. Having him teach Xiao Yu is truly the best possible choice."

Jiang Wang said, "Brother Sun, you may watch as well. After all, he is a grandmaster. Perhaps you might gain some sudden insight and advance your own cultivation."

Sun Qingya, who had secretly hoped for just that, thanked the young master and hurried away.

...

By evening, because Xiao Yu had been practicing hard, Jiang Wang had Zhao Si prepare a lavish feast, which thoroughly exhausted the painter.

Venerable Luo Xianshan was present, his eyes filled with profound satisfaction as he looked at Xiao Yu. As he began to truly teach her, he grew increasingly stunned by her talent. Difficulties that had once plagued Luo himself were like childish scribbles to her; she grasped them effortlessly. Even when Xiao Yu did not fully understand the logic behind them, she could execute them perfectly.

He had taught many disciples, but never had it been this easy or enjoyable.

"In all the Sui Kingdom, there has never been a martial artist with higher aptitude than the leader of my Martial God Temple. But Xiao Yu is her equal. If she could follow me to the Martial God Temple, and I could then bring her to the Divine Capital to be taught personally by our leader, she would undoubtedly become the youngest grandmaster in history."

Luo Xianshan was desperate to whisk Xiao Yu away, hinting constantly that Jiang Wang should not ruin her future. Jiang Wang felt a pang of hesitation. If things were truly as Luo claimed, sending her to the Martial God Temple was indeed the best choice. However, because he suspected Xiao Yu’s enemies were powerful figures within the imperial court, he feared that rushing to the Divine Capital might not lead to her becoming a young grandmaster, but rather to her dying in the streets the very next day.

Seeming to sense Jiang Wang’s hesitation, Xiao Yu spoke up directly: "I want to stay by Young Master's side for my whole life. I am not going anywhere."

Luo Xianshan said urgently, "How can you speak such nonsense? You are a mere maid, yet you possess the greatest talent for martial arts. Your horizons should be the stars and the sea. What kind of life is it to be a maid in the Marquis's estate forever?"

The old steward placed a piece of red-braised pork into Xiao Yu’s bowl and said calmly, "Since Xiao Yu does not wish to go, why must you force her, Venerable One? Everyone has their own ambitions. What you desire for her is not necessarily what she wants for herself."

Luo Xianshan retorted, "Tong Ji, you should know how much I thirst for talent. You had mediocre aptitude, yet I still taught you with all my heart back then. Why should it be different for Xiao Yu? She could stand at the very pinnacle of martial arts; how can you let her sit here like a frog in a well?"

The old steward replied quietly, "If I hadn't been with the late Marquis, would you have taught me so earnestly? It was all for the sake of power. Now that you yourself are a power, and you see Xiao Yu’s talent, perhaps your intentions are genuine—but if she does not wish to go, what can you do?"

Luo Xianshan was left speechless. Back then, he was merely an ordinary martial artist—or perhaps slightly better than average—constantly looking to cling to the powerful. The poor and the mediocre had never caught his eye. It was just as the steward said: if not for the fact that the old Marquis had assigned him as the personal guard to the newborn Jiang Wang, ensuring they grew up together and were firmly bound as master and servant, the spindly, weak boy that Tong Ji once was would never have been worth Luo Xianshan’s time.

The meal ended on a sour note, and Luo Xianshan took his leave.

Back in the courtyard, Jiang Wang looked at Xiao Yu. "Actually, Venerable Luo makes a fair point. To seek your revenge, you must become stronger. While I will also strive to grow stronger, without a good teacher to guide you with dedication over a long period, the day of your revenge will naturally be delayed."

He ruffled her hair. "But I worry more that even if it is the Divine Capital, the dangers may be even greater than in Kutan. After much thought, if you lose your life, revenge becomes impossible. As long as you are alive and possess your talent, revenge is only a matter of time."

Xiao Yu reached out and cupped Jiang Wang’s face, leaning closer. "Everyone says I have great talent. Then I shall learn all of Venerable Luo's skills in the shortest time possible. That way, I won't have to go to the Divine Capital, and the day of revenge will not be delayed."

Jiang Wang froze. Was this the difference in perspective between a genius and someone of mediocre aptitude? What he had agonized over for days seemed, to Xiao Yu, like a problem that could be solved with simple efficiency.

...

The next day, the temple fair took place as scheduled. Because Shu Ni and Ning Shisi were searching for immortal relics near Qixia Street, they did not cross paths with Luo Xianshan.

At the Half-Day Leisure Inn, Rong Yulu rubbed his bruised neck, his voice dripping with venom. "A broken estate in Hun City, and they truly think they are nobility? If I do not avenge this, where will the honor of the Lu Pu Rong family be?"

With the Marquis dead and only the young Marquis left—without even a household staff—even if the estate was opulent, it was destined to decline. Such an estate truly could not compare to the Rong family.

Luo Xianshan sipped his tea in silence. "The late Marquis was the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom, one of the nations of the world in his time. In a sense, Jiang Wang is a grandson of the Emperor. Though a grandson of a fallen kingdom, his bloodline is nonetheless noble."

"The Black Flame Army was the most invincible force of the Qi Kingdom. Even if the older generation has largely perished on the battlefield, they are not to be underestimated. The person who defeated you so easily came from the Black Flame Army."

He looked at the indignant Rong Yulu. "Though I taught Tong Ji, his aptitude was mediocre, and he has since abandoned martial arts for the path of cultivation. I cannot discern his current level, but based on the aura he exudes, he is at least at the peak of the Dongming realm."

"Even if there are only a few people left in the estate, if you wish to retaliate, you would have to exhaust the entire strength of the Lu Pu Rong family. Why would your grandfather be willing to pay such a price just to vent your anger?"

Rong Yulu was not a fool; Luo Xianshan’s meaning was clear. The Martial God Temple would not become his tool for revenge, and the Rong family would not sacrifice a century of heritage for such a trifle. If he wanted revenge, he would have to rely on his own ability.

But he couldn't even defeat Sun Qingya—how could he hope to retaliate against the entire estate? Rong Yulu had never felt so humiliated.

They spoke by the window of the inn, unaware that someone was listening from the floor above. As more and more seekers of immortality arrived in Hun City, most of whom were cultivators, Luo Xianshan had paid no mind to the presence on the upper floor, nor would he have thought twice about it even if he had sensed them.