Chapter 664 Price of greed (14)
"On their present condition yes, as for the others, I only have a few guesses here and there.." answered Yang Qing.
After a bit of the shock had waned from his body, Ling Qi alternated his gaze between the founder of the Ocean Refining Cauldron Pavilion, and Yang Qing trying to make sense of what they were talking about.
He wasn't the only one who seemed confused by the conversation of the duo as the remaining three cultivators all seemed confused along with Su Jinjing who had just arrived with Li Yao.
"Seeing that you could tell my name, you probably know of my background already, not with the Ocean Refining Crucible Pavilion, but before that.." said Li Yao with a nostalgic gaze.
"I only know of a bit, especially your 2,000-year relationship with your apprentice brother.." Yang Qing said with a light chuckle.
"Looks like Shu Mei sold me out to Instructor Lu Bei.." Li Yao said with a bitter laugh.
"As strange as it may sound, we use it to keep in touch with us wandering in different places for years on end, it's the only way we can find out about each other whilst also telling each other where we are and we are okay.
I know a communication talisman would do the job well, but it's something we got used to. It's hard to change.." added Lu Bei with an awkward smile.
"It's quite the unique way of keeping in touch.." said Yang Qing as he thought the two apprentice brothers were truly cut from the same cloth if badmouthing and impersonating each other was their way of checking in on each other.
"You're not one to judge, Yang. Don't you have the same relationship with Senior Lei Weiyuan.." whispered Su Jinjing.
Yang Qing who had been leaning comfortably on his seat almost fell over backwards from Su Jinjing's words.
It took extreme control to prevent himself from tipping over.
"Jinjing you? Are you cursing me?! What do you mean the same?! Old fiend Lei isn't my brother, nor do we check on each other.. well I do faithfully curse him when I wake up in the morning and eagerly check on him to see if it worked, but that's it..
It is not the same!!"
"Yes, yes, boss...It's not the same.." Su Jinjing said in a pacifying tone.
"Meili, tell her!" Yang Qing pleaded.
"Jinjing, stop teasing him. You know he is not ready to admit it yet..that he enjoys coming to work because of Senior Lei Weiyuan.."
"You?! Forget it.."
Yang Qing seeing that he would easily lose out and get teased endlessly decided to throw in the towel early rather than give them more material to torture him by.
"Jinjing, I thought you were the nice one.. the only ones I can rely on now are Bolin and Haishi.." thought Yang Qing as he made a silent note to take them out to relax at Meifeng's place after the case was done.
The exchange between the trio wasn't long, lasting just a few seconds, ending just about when Li Yao was resuming his testimony.
"Long Zemin and I were orphans when our master found us. We used to do odd jobs here and there, some good, some unsavory. Whatever we could do to get food in our bellies we would do.
It was during one of our escapades that we stumbled upon our master, Shi Tian. This short, scruffy-looking old man with a genial face and old worn robes.
We had not started cultivating at the time, so we couldn't tell he was a cultivator and judged him to be just another passerby who could possibly be our meal ticket for the day either willingly on his part or unwillingly in case he didn't see things our way..."
Li Yao couldn't help but smile as memories of that day flashed in his mind.
"So, me and Long Zemin approached him, playing the part of obedient and curious little kids with saint hearts looking to help a stranger in an unfamiliar place.
Our master played along and even gave us a few silver coins for showing him around a place where there wasn't much to see, and we even made plans the next day to take him to the neighboring small forest to help him pick some herbs.
We embellished and oversold our expertise in that area. We did know the forest intimately, not because of its components, but because it was the best place to mug someone, especially a weak-looking stranger from out of town.
The next day arrived, me and Long Zemin had been sleepless the previous night as we stayed up all night giggling about how we were going to take our master for all we could, the moment we stepped into the forest.
The flawless and easiest robbery we expected to happen transformed into one of the most flawless beatings we have ever received.." Li Yao said with a slightly scared smile.
"Though Long Zemin cried more than I that day. I didn't know he could yell that much.." he added with a cheeky laugh.
Yang Qing nodded in appreciation of Li Yao's strict adherence to the petty dao. As an occasional dabbler of the particular dao, Yang Qing respected Li Yao's commitment and discipline in it.
Even when giving his testimony, he didn't forget to pull his brother a peg or two down.
"After receiving a beating that could last us several lifetimes, our master made us his assistants for herb picking, and what started off as something temporary, that would last maybe a few days ended up lasting years.
Two rough-looking kids who didn't know any better and couldn't see beyond their next meal ended up seeing and experiencing more than they could have imagined, and it was all thanks to our master.
He was temperamental, easily embarrassed, loved his face a little too much, a shameless braggart, and too stingy even with things he shouldn't be stingy about but despite his numerous, oh-so-numerous flaws, neither I nor Long Zemin would be here today if it wasn't for him.
He gave us an opportunity to a life we would have never had a chance to see if left to our own devices and expanded the scope of what we knew.
He wasn't that good at herbology but even though he wasn't good at it, he loved learning about it.
Just because you were not good at something doesn't mean you can't love it he always said, so he moved from place to place studying all sorts of plants he could come across.
To him, plants were a marvel, they were stuck in the same place but for immobile things, they were the most adaptable things he had ever met.
They could endure and transform themselves to adapt to whatever was thrown at them. He admired their resilience and grace because they could also transform the area around them into something better, something that wasn't only beneficial to themself but to those around them.
It was the reason he took us in. I'm not sure if he was just bragging at the time, but he said he could tell we were talented from the moment he laid his eyes on us.
He knew for him, Qi refinement was the highest he would ever get and before his time came, he hoped just like the plants he so admired, he could maybe emulate them and transform the life of someone and give them a chance at something.
He did that..." Li Yao said with a somber sigh.
"even at the cost of his life, he did it just like the plants he admired, he provided an opportunity for two rough buds that were destined to shrivel to overturn their fate and grow into something they didn't think possible.." he added.
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