Chapter 271: Grandfather and Grandson
Facing a Great Sovereign head-on? Ye Guan wasn't that foolish.
Ye Guan wasn’t foolish enough to face a Great Sovereign head-on. The most important ability one could cultivate in life was self-awareness. Ye Guan knew that there was no way he could defeat a Great Sovereign, even with the Path Sword.
The gap between cultivation bases was just too great for even his overpowered sword to cross. Moreover, he was still too weak to wield the Path Sword properly.
To make matters worse, his Master Pagoda was unreliable, his father wasn't around, and his aunt wasn't available. Left with no other options, he had to call his grandfather.
Ye Guan had made a gamble, and he didn't expect that it would pay off. However, his grandfather before him wasn’t his grandfather’s true body. He was just an avatar, but Ye Guan couldn’t afford to be picky at the moment.
The simply dressed middle-aged man stared at the blue-robed man with a frown. His keen senses were telling him that the unassuming blue-robed man before him was an extremely dangerous opponent.
The blue-robed man grinned at Ye Guan.
Ye Guan hesitated before calling out, "Grandfather?"
Sword Master Qingshan burst into hearty laughter. "Yes, your grandfather is here!"
Ye Guan was dumbfounded. This guy seemed even less reliable than his father! He finally understood why Master Pagoda’s personality was so eccentric; it seemed like that kind of attitude ran in the family.
Sword Master Qingshan asked, "Has your father ever mentioned me to you?"
Ye Guan shook his head and replied, "No."
Sword Master Qingshan furrowed his brow and muttered, "That rascal..."
Ye Guan was silent.
Sword Master Qingshan examined Ye Guan from top to bottom and smiled. "You're not bad, but you still have a long way to go compared to me during my prime."
Ye Guan didn’t know what to say. It seemed that birds of the same feather would truly flock together, and his Master Pagoda’s personality had truly been shaped by both his grandfather and father.
Sword Master Qingshan wanted to say something, but Ye Guan suddenly gasped.
“He pointed at the simply dressed middle-aged man and exclaimed, "Watch out, Grandfather! That’s a Great Sovereign right there!"
Sword Master Qingshan glanced at the simply dressed middle-aged and chuckled.
"Did your father not tell you just how strong I am?" he asked.
Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "Master Pagoda told me that you abandoned my father and that you don’t deserve to be a father."
“Fuck!" Little Pagoda screamed. He trembled in fear as he argued, "What are you talking about?! When did I say that? Don't make things up! You have no idea just how dangerous words can be!"
Meanwhile, the smile on Sword Master Qingshan's lips had vanished.
Little Pagoda panicked.
Sword Master Qingshan opened his palm, and a tiny pagoda appeared in his hand. He looked down at the tiny pagoda and said, "I was wondering why my son was so rebellious. It turns out that you've been instigating him!"
Little Pagoda trembled as he cried out, "Old Master, I don’t dare! As for your grandson... h-h-he’s just mischievous!"
Sword Master Qingshan seemed somewhat displeased. "Nonsense! I find this young man very sensible—he’s more sensible than his father. Little Pagoda, don't you dare speak ill of my grandson, or I'll give you a piece of my mind!"
Little Pagoda was speechless.
The simply dressed Great Sovereign suddenly said, "Fellow Da—"
Sword Master Qingshan whipped around and thrust his sword.
Shwik!
The simply dressed Great Sovereign was instantly immobilized, petrifying everyone. Ye Guan's eyes widened, and his face filled with disbelief. A Great Sovereign was immobilized with just one sword move?
His grandfather was truly formidable!
Sword Master Qingshan cast an annoyed gaze at the simply dressed Great Sovereign and grumbled, "My grandson and I are talking, so you should mind your business."
The simply dressed Great Sovereign’s eyes filled with fear as he gazed at the blue-robed man. One sword move from the latter had immobilized him! Even worse, the blue-robed man had done it so quickly that he failed to react to it.
He was a proud Great Sovereign, so it shouldn’t have been like this. In addition, how come the Guanxuan Universe still had a supreme elite like the Sword Master?
The nearby Divine Spirits were as still as statues.
Sword Master Qingshan smiled at Ye Guan and explained, "It’s not that shocking. They’re called Great Sovereigns, but they’re mere ants."
Ye Guan was silent. His grandfather was just showing off, but he didn’t dare to point it out or argue. Everyone here was indeed like an ant in front of his grandfather.
Sword Master Qingshan’s gaze landed on the Path Sword in Ye Guan's hand.
“Grandfather!” Ye Guan exclaimed, and he proudly said, "This is the Path Sword, and it's really strong!"
“Strong?” Sword Master Qingshan replied calmly, "It's just a broken sword."
Hum!
The Path Sword let out a resonant hum and vibrated.
Ye Guan's face turned pale. It felt like the Path Sword was about to throw a tantrum.
Sword Master Qingshan chuckled and said, "What's wrong with what I said? What? Do you want to fight me one-on-one? Come here, then. Let me teach you a lesson."
The Path Sword went silent and melted into Ye Guan's glabella. The Path Sword knew that the blue-robed man didn’t have the word shame in his dictionary, so the Path Sword decided to avoid a direct confrontation in the meantime.
Ye Guan was truly surprised by the Path Sword’s reaction.
It was the first time he saw the Path Sword so timid. It seemed that his grandfather was even stronger than what he could imagine at the moment.
The cogs in Ye Guan’s mind turned rapidly, and his brain soon reached a conclusion—he had to suck up to his grandfather and inflate his grandfather’s ego.
“Grandfather!” Ye Guan suddenly exclaimed, “He’s a Great Sovereign, but you took care of him in a split second! Goodness, Grandfather… Y-you’re incredible!”
Little Pagoda was at a loss for words.
The blue-robed man laughed boisterously and said, “Stop trying to suck up to me, you brat. I’ll let you know, but bootlicking is my weakness.”
“A Great Sovereign is like a god to me, but you made quick work of such a powerful elite.” Ye Guan chuckled bitterly and shook his head with a sigh before saying, “I feel like I brought you shame, Grandfather.”
The blue-robed man smiled and said, “It’s fine; you're still young. When I was your age, I was far more—Well, let's just say I was pretty remarkable. Not to brag or anything, but I’m probably the most heaven-defying talent since the universe’s conception."
Little Pagoda was left speechless.
Unfortunately for the blue-robed man, Little Pagoda had borne witness to the three generations of the Yang Family, and Ye Guan was undoubtedly the most talented out of the three. His father and grandfather’s talent just couldn’t compare to him.
Actually, Sword Master Qingshan was quite pitiful back then. People were chasing and attacking him every day. In fact, he almost perished by having his head smashed in!
Ye Guan hesitated briefly before asking, "Grandfather, I'm curious. You’re an extremely powerful supreme elite, so you must be a renowned supreme elite. And that’s exactly why I find it weird that I’ve never heard of you before. Why is that?”
Sword Master Qingshan smiled and replied, "It’s not weird that you haven’t heard of me. It’s been many years since I’ve vanquished all of my enemies who were born in the same generation as me.”
Ye Guan froze and went silent.
Sword Master Qingshan’s smile deepened as he said, "It’s my turn to ask you a question, and I want you to answer me honestly."
Ye Guan nodded. "Ask away, Grandfather."
Sword Master Qingshan chuckled and said, "You said that all your descendants will bear the Yang surname. I assume you know about certain matters between your father and me. So tell me, was it my fault or your father’s fault?"
Ye Guan was at a loss for words.
He felt like his very own grandfather had just created a hole for him to fall into.
Little Pagoda laughed heartily, finding the situation quite amusing.
Ye Guan’s brain worked on overdrive, and he soon answered, "It’s only natural for a man to endure some hardships and difficulties, but I agree with what Master Pagoda said about how it’s a bit too much for a parent to abandon their children without any guidance or help.
”My enemies are so formidable, and I need even the tiniest bit of help to defeat them; otherwise, it’s just impossible for me to overcome the so-called hardships and grow stronger. By then, it’ll be abuse rather than letting your children grow.”
“That’s what Master Pagoda said to me, and I think there’s some truth to it.”
Little Pagoda was at a loss for words.
The mysterious voice laughed and pointed out. “He wants you to take the blame!”
Little Pagoda felt like crying.
Sword Master Qingshan asked, “Is that what you think, too?”
Ye Guan smiled and replied, “We’re family, Grandfather. We can be frank with each other during conversations. In fact, I’ll be frank: there’s nothing wrong with leaving your children to fend for themselves.
“I believe a person who had to start from scratch is bound to achieve great things. The hardships will build and temper their character, tenacity, and willpower. I’m sure even you, Grandfather, had to go through many hardships when you were young.”
Sword Master Qingshan grinned and nodded. "That’s right."
Ye Guan went on, "Grandfather, you left my father to raise himself with the intention that he could reach the heights you've achieved today. That initial motive was undoubtedly good."
Sword Master Qingshan’s smile grew even warmer as he listened to his grandson's words. He found himself growing increasingly fond of Ye Guan.
Ye Guan added, "However, I think you should have paid more attention to the bond between father and son, Grandfather. You probably didn't spend a lot of quality time together with Father. For example, look at us; we’re having a heart-to-heart conversation."
Sword Master Qingshan was silent as he reflected on Ye Guan's words.
Ye Guan continued. "Actually, I think my father never blamed you for leaving him. I think the source of his resentment is that he never felt any fatherly love from you throughout his childhood and beyond.
”I doubt he blames you for the hardship he had to face because he knows the importance of facing hardships; we’re cultivators, after all. However, the absence of a father's love and companionship is just—I think that’s why he resents you."
A certain thought abruptly popped up in Ye Guan’s mind.
"Were you left to fend for yourself, too?"
Sword Master Qingshan nodded without saying anything.
Ye Guan reeled in shock. Why are my ancestors such bad parents?
Ye Guan took a moment to compose himself before saying, "I believe that companionship is the most important thing when it comes to relationships between two people.
”In fact, you were just a name to me until now, Grandfather. However, you decided to help me in my time of need, which makes me feel all warm inside. I also feel like we now have a connection.
“You’re no longer just a name to me, Grandfather. You’ve become family in my eyes, which is exactly why I think that from now on, we should talk to each other more often for the sake of nurturing our relationship. Grandfather, can you leave me a way to contact you?”
Little Pagoda, the mysterious voice, and Sword Master Qingshan were speechless.
There wasn’t anything wrong with Ye Guan’s words, but why did it sound so wrong?
Sword Master Qingshan stared deeply at Ye Guan.
Ye Guan was staring at Sword Master Qingshan with an unwavering gaze, but Sword Master Qingshan had already seen through Ye Guan’s intentions. He burst into a peal of boisterous laughter. “Pfft! You little rascal… hahaha!”
"Grandfather, how can I contact you if I want to see you in the future?" Ye Guan asked earnestly. He had made up his mind. He needed someone who could come and help him whenever he needed help.
Otherwise, he would eventually get himself beaten to death.
Sword Master Qingshan chuckled and said, "Don't worry about that for now. Just focus on becoming even stronger. You're my grandson, so you don’t have to worry about the rest of the riffraff. I won't let anyone bully you."
Ye Guan went silent; he was still somewhat reluctant to let go of the issue. He was about to ask more questions when Sword Master Qingshan suddenly pointed his finger at him.
A wisp of sword energy melted into Ye Guan’s glabella.
Ye Guan exclaimed in surprise, “What is this?”
Sword Master Qingshan smiled. “A sword technique; it’ll serve you well.”
Ye Guan closed his eyes slowly. Beheading Heavens Sword Art?
Just then, Sword Master Qingshan said, “I have to leave.”
“Grandfather, wait!” Ye Guan hurriedly said, “We still have to—”
He tugged on Sword Master Qingshan’s sleeve and dragged him into the True God Hall.
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