Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Old Friends Meet (Seeking Subscriptions)
"Master, do you think anyone in this generation will qualify to inscribe their name on the Heroic Spirit Bell?"
As the first referee was announcing the list of participants, Daoist Xuhuai was discussing an important issue with Master Honest.
Master Honest pondered for a moment before answering, "In terms of aptitude and strength, Young Monk Shi surely qualifies. But..."
A sheet of paper lay spread out on the stone table before both of them. If Shi Xiaole were here, he’d surely be surprised, because detailed accounts of his exploits since he embarked on his martial path were written on it.
From his entanglements with the Grand Elder from the Huajian Sect to the massive gang war between the Golden Phoenix Tower and the Spring and Autumn Hall, to the eradication of the Black Evil Gang, everything was described in great detail.
This document had just been delivered by various intelligence agencies.
"This boy doesn’t have wrongful intentions, but lacks tolerance. For instance, after witnessing the brutalities of the Black Dragon Village, he wiped out all its occupants, which was a bit too ruthless."
Master Honest pointed at one particular event written on the paper, his eyebrows knitted tightly.
As a devout Buddhist temple, Shaolin always advocated for tolerance and giving people second chances. The way Shi Xiaole handled many situations upset him.
Daoist Xuhuai, with profound eyes, smiled faintly and said, "Young people are always impetuous and detest evil deeds. It’s inevitable that their methods will be excessively harsh."
"This old monk also hopes that he can curb his violent inclinations and exhibit more compassion towards others. Otherwise, if his behavior continues, I worry he might walk down the wrong path. As for the Heroic Spirit Bell, I’m afraid he’s no longer qualified to inscribe his name on it."
With a wave of Master Honest’s hand, the paper on the stone table turned into scraps and scattered with the wind. Seeing this, Daoist Xuhuai only sighed in response.
Shi Xiaole remained unaware that his approach towards handling certain matters had cost him an exceptional honor. But knowing him, he probably wouldn’t mind.
He was not a seeker of fame. He did things according to his principles, without regrets. If he had to go through all of it again, he would still make the same decisions.
After the grand martial contest concluded, though the spectators on the side peaks still remained enthusiastic, they started descending the mountain in an orderly manner, abiding by the rules. The heroes on the main peak, on the other hand, were gathered together.
"Young Hero Shi, this is your reward from the Qingxue Alliance."
The first referee sized up Shi Xiaole before handing over a square wooden token approximately three inches in size with a smile. The token didn’t weigh much and had the word ’Found’ carved on it.
"A Founding Token?"
Although Shi Xiaole had never consumed pork, he had seen pigs run, thus he quickly recognized the token.
The Huajian Sect had tried several times in the past to apply for recognition as an orthodox sect and, at that time, he had heard others describe what a Founding Token looked like. Although the token seemed ordinary, it was actually produced by the Treasure Horse Pavilion and each token was unique. There was a special method to validate it, so no one could counterfeit it.
The Flying Horse Dynasty had a vast territory, with numerous sects. Yet, over seventy percent of them were non-orthodox sects, with many individuals unable to acquire a Founding Token for the life of them.
This was because the treatment afforded to non-orthodox sects and orthodox sects with Founding Tokens differed like the distance between heaven and earth.
For instance, there were explicitly stated imperial laws restricting the number of members in non-orthodox sects to one thousand, and the number of weapons and territories owned by them was also strictly controlled. If these restrictions were exceeded, it was considered illegal, and the authorities had the right to issue punishments.
On the other hand, orthodox sects could accommodate up to five thousand members, and their quotas for territories and weapons far exceeded that of non-orthodox sects, allowing essentially unrestrained growth.
Of course, this didn’t mean that orthodox sects were necessarily stronger than non-orthodox sects. It depended on their development. Some expertly managed non-orthodox sects didn’t care for orthodox sects. Meanwhile, some non-orthodox sects covertly grew, splitting their organizations into many parts.
Regardless, having a Founding Token relieved a lot of worries, even though the taxes paid by orthodox sects were much higher than those of non-orthodox sects each year.
One could say, from the moment Shi Xiaole received the Founding Token, he became eligible to establish his own sect, and it would be recognized as an orthodox sect from the beginning.
Many ambitious heroes looked at him with envy, their eyes ablaze with a hidden intensity.
Shi Xiaole thanked the first referee and stowed the token in his bag.
He didn’t have any plans to start his own sect for now. Wandering freely, enjoying the pleasures of life, was what he found most fulfilling. But things were never absolute, thus he wasn’t foolish enough to rule out future possibilities.
...
This was another magnificent mountain range, its altitude and length far surpassing Qingxue’s Mountain of Heroes by tens of times.
At the highest point of this mountain range stood a grand hall made from black rocks, spacious and wide, at the center of which hung a giant bronze bell.
Ding...Ding...Ding...
On this day, the bell started ringing of its own accord, and the sound rolled across hundreds of miles.
The two old men in the hall abruptly opened their eyes, expressions of shock spreading across their faces.
"Just a few days ago, the Heroic Spirit Bell had shown signs of activity as if anticipating something, and now it’s suddenly ringing continuously, exactly like it did when the Martial Emperor came into existence."
The elder sitting on the left on a straw mat was astonished and puzzled. He paused and didn’t speak again until the bell stopped ringing.
"Eighty tolls."
The two old men exchanged a glance, feeling a tremor run through them from head to toe.
"The bell rang ninety-nine times when an emperor was born. But now it tolled eighty times, indicating the coming of someone just short of an emperor."
The elder on the left couldn’t keep still.
The elder on the right responded, shaking his head, "No, from the sound of the bell, it seems to have been interrupted halfway. But I have no idea why."
While speaking, he fell into deep thought.
The elder on the left said, "Senior Brother, there’s no need to worry. As long as someone can cause the Tian State’s Heroic Spirit Bell to show signs of activity, they are surely exceptional individuals who will grace their states’ bells with their names. All we have to do is sift through the feedback information from all the states and choose wisely."
The old man on the right finally nodded.
There are few in the world who know the origin of the Heroic Spirit Bell, but the two Elders in charge of guarding it do. The connection between the mother bell here and the child bells scattered throughout the Flying Horse Dynasty is known to them. At this moment, it must be that someone in a certain state is inscribing a child bell, transmitting their destiny through the mystical realm, causing the mother bell to react anomalously.
However, why was it suddenly interrupted? It is as if it was unable to receive certain information. This had never happened in the past history.
...
"The bell in Tian State has rung again."
In a deep swamp, a man wearing a devil’s mask sat cross-legged in mid-air, cloaked in black. Numerous strands of black Qi emerged from the swamp, wrapping around the man’s body like chains. His eyes, underneath the mask, were fixated on the east, their depths impossible to discern.
"Six hundred years have passed and smoke from the battle is still rising. Now, it seems that a new hero is emerging in the Righteous Path. Very well."
The words of the man in the black robe echoed from beneath his mask, his voice eerie and disconcerting.
"Humph, those hypocritical people of the Righteous Path must be delighted now. Unfortunately, our master has already cast his net wide. Any emerging elite simply become fish caught in our net."
Outside the swamp, another man in black knelt, his head bowed, his face obscured. His reverence to the man in the black robe bordered on godlike.
"The Righteous Path is full of wise men, they may preemptively stop our plans. Because of this, you must exercise caution and can’t afford to tip our hand."
The words of the man in the black robe made the heart of the man in black jump, and he quickly corrected his posture, stating loudly, "Master, rest assured. If I fail in the fishing plan, I will offer my head."
...
After waiting for a full two days, Shi Xiaole and the others were finally allowed to descend the mountain. By that time, most of the warriors who had come to watch the fight had dispersed. At the foot of the mountain, various sect masters immediately rushed over to greet their disciples.
"Lele."
"Junior martial brother."
"Martial Uncle."
A group of people also ran towards Shi Xiaole. A streak of red was at the forefront. Before the person arrived, a familiar yet alien fragrance had already drifted into his nostrils. Then, he was caught in a tight hug.
"Auntie."
Hearing the panting voice at his ear, Shi Xiaole stunned for a second and then hugged her back.
His auntie’s figure had become even more voluptuous. As he touched her back, he could feel her smooth skin even through her red clothing. But Shi Xiaole felt no illicit thoughts at all, only sentimentality and warmth.
They used the hug to express the longing they had been holding back.
"Lele, will you come home with Auntie this time?"
Releasing her hold, Su Yanru chuckled melodiously, her beautiful eyes sparkling.
After two years of not seeing each other, the boy who was only two inches taller than her had now grown so tall that she had to look up to see him clearly. The childlike features on his face had completely faded, replaced by the energetic charisma of a young man.
If it weren’t for the crowd here, Su Yanru thought, I would definitely twist your ear and drag you all the way back home.
"Okay."
Sensing the threat in his auntie’s eyes, Shi Xiaole had no choice but to ’submit’. Of course, after wandering abroad for two years, he also wanted to take a break himself.
Su Yanru smiled satisfyingly and tactfully stepped aside, allowing the people from the Huajian Sect, Golden Phoenix Tower, and even the Positive Pole Sect and the Will Sect to come talk to him.
The reunion of old friends naturally precipitated many sighs.
Yu Fangge had reached the Qi Absorption Realm Level 3 in his training, while Yuan Qiuwei and the other three disciples accumulated knowledge and progressed, even surpassing their master.
Similarly, Lan Ning, Jin Wuwei, and Sha Zongheng from the Golden Phoenix Tower had all reached Qi Absorption Realm Level 2 and made a name for themselves in the Cloud Triangle.
Shi Xiaole was amazed at everyone’s progress, not realizing that in their eyes, he was the one who epitomized mystery and abnormality.
He had left the Cloud Triangle two years ago, not even having reached the Qi Absorption Realm. Now he was at the Qi Absorption Realm Level 7, and had even become the top young fighter in the Qingxue State. They truly had no idea what he had gone through in the past two years.
"Martial Uncle, we missed the time this time. Fortunately, hearing the good news about you balanced out a lot."
Yang Zheng of the Positive Pole Sect laughed, his eyes full of admiration when he looked at Shi Xiaole. Others were all chattering, trying to get a word in.
"Nephew, do you recognize me?"
Just then, a hearty laugh echoed into everyone’s ears. They saw a middle-aged man with a stern expression leading a group of people over. Among them were Xu Nianxue and Wang Zuying.
"It’s the patriarch of the Xu Family from the Four Great Houses, Xu Beihe."
Shangguan Xing informed Shi Xiaole using voice transmission.
"Nephew, your father saved me many years ago. Over the years, I have been unable to do anything for you and for that, I owe you an apology. You’ve suffered much."
As he spoke, remorse and affection were written all over Xu Beihe’s face.
He genuinely regretted it. If he had known about Shi Xiaole’s incredible potential earlier, no matter how tired he was back then, he would have sent someone personally to bring Shi Xiaole to Xu’s Family, and raise him as his own son.
That way, he wouldn’t be so unfamiliar now.
