Chapter 388: Terrifying
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Unable to enter the city?
How could the Lan Family afford to bear such shame? After all, Young Master Lan had taken on the responsibility towards this reclusive prodigy. Furthermore, if he needed something like a permit to enter the city with his already soaring status and background, his face would have been thrown on the ground and trampled on to no end.
Once the popinjays got out of the forest, they had sent messages home accordingly.
The expedition consisted of two hundred and twenty people; only seventeen had returned. There was a lot of casualties. Hearing that their children or grandchildren had gone through such danger, the seniors of each noble families – especially the direct elders of the young masters and ladies - were all petrified. They whined and blustered about how their children had suffered.
As such, there were already members of each noble family waiting outside the city gate. When the group came near, they had come out to surround them. Several women in the families were the most striking as they bolted out in search of their children. Seeing that their babies were safe and sound, they tamped their violent reactions but hugged their flesh and blood while sobbing.
Although the youths would not normally have enjoyed being treated like children, their emotions after meeting their family again upon escaping death were remarkably different. Anyone who had a near-death experience would not be the same person as he or she was before.
Yun Yang watched the scene unfold in front of him with indifference; a hint of loneliness flashed across his face. It was as if he had hidden from this world for far too long that he was estranged from the human emotions and was now unfamiliar to it.
Facing the friendly association and good words of the families, Yun Yang wore his nonchalant expression with an indifferent gaze. It was not arrogant or cold, but it was obvious without any attempt at concealment that he had no regards for the families’ influence and power.
In spite of this, the people who were sent by the noble families for external affairs were all maestros of interaction. All of them knew full well from the relayed messages of their young masters that this man possessed amazing capabilities.
For such an unparalleled prodigy, it was but a common sight for them to be arrogant, cold, and even unreachable. The team was naturally cautious and reverential as they interacted with Yun Yang.
The group then entered the city gate merrily.
Permit? What permit?
Yun Yang glanced at the officials conducting checks at the city gate with a straight face.
These people had no idea that the person they were supposed to guard against had already been welcomed in.
"Old Sir is still in assembly, but has already relayed his message to not falter in honoring our guest of honor and must practice utmost chivalry when greeting you… Old Sir has also prepared a grand feast to welcome you tonight."
Lan Family’s butler simpered before Yun Yang with a hunched body.
The saying had it that the Residence of Chancellor housed seventh-ranked officials while the main housekeeper of the Residence of Lan was at least a fifth-ranked official. At this point, however, he did not display any sense of superiority, and instead, tried to be as subservient as he possibly could.
He knew that such an expert must be invited to his residence.
They were all officials who had mingled in the field of politics for years. In such chaotic times, who did know not the benefit of housing such an unparalleled prodigy?
The invisible and intangible benefit was greater than heaven itself.
"What is that?" Yun Yang asked with a curious tone, gazing at the city gate as his asked the question absently.
"To answer our guest of honor, this is the city officials verifying the visitors and locals’ identities." The butler was talkative and had long gotten used to being observant. "The main purpose of this complicated affair is to capture a dangerous target. Anyone who doesn’t have a permit or has inconsistent identity verification will have their permits seized to be legally prosecuted. We ask for all threats to be wiped out right at the very beginning."
Yun Yang hummed faintly and said, "I don’t have all these."
"Of course you aren’t limited by this restriction." The butler smiled fawningly and said, "The so-called permit is only for the identity verification of the common people. How can it be in the eyes of our guest of honor? Even if there’s a need, our residence will prepare it for you. There shall be no worries about it."
Yun Yang shook his head, disinterested, and cast his gaze low. By ignoring the other families who came forward to make their acquaintances, he had acknowledged the status of the Residence of Lan being the main host.
…
From the moment Yun Yang entered Zilong City, all the mystical beasts, and animals in the vicinity of Zilong City laid on the ground in unusual silence, unmoved.
Even reptiles like snakes, lizards, centipedes, and others stayed stationary where they were, like statues.
These creatures were not the same as humans. They could distinctly tell that two of the four kings of the mystical beasts had arrived at Zilong City alongside another two of the utmost superiority!
Yun Yang’s wrist had a small snake, while a small, black, bear cub followed beside him; on the head of the cub were two kittens sitting obediently, snuggled together in slumber.
The bear cub’s eyes were alight with panic, a pure hysteria like it was about to wet itself.
These two on my head... how terrifying!
They look like they have yet to reach adulthood, but why do I feel such pressure? I can’t even sense their particular levels, so why do they intimidate me so badly?
Are they of a much higher class than I am?
How can such terrors have an owner and exist only as pets?
How powerful is our owner then?
The paramount of this world? Unrivaled? Pinnacle of cultivators? Perhaps he is a living legend.
I should just stop thinking, otherwise, I would scare myself to death!
…
Yun Yang, who had arrived at Lan Family residence, enjoyed a reception more honorable than the emperor.
Not only was he brought to a secluded and serene yard, a child from the family that had third peak cultivation base was specifically placed by his side to serve him.
The child was less than ten years old, but he already had a cultivation base of the third peak. One could only imagine the extent of his innate talent. Moreover, his surname was Lan; it was obvious that he was a descendant meticulously cultivated by the Lan Family and his status might not be any lower than that of Young Master Lan himself.
Sending him over right away signified Lan Family’s sincerity but more of their hope that the child could earn Expert Yun’s penchant. If he could be taught a thing or two by such a prodigy, the future of this child would be even more secure!
Yun Yang knew as much but he would not do something that would benefit the enemy even if he had to be beaten to death. They had only just met anyway; he would just do only what he was supposed to. He need not volunteer to help, befitting his lonesome image of a reclusive prodigy.
At night, the Lan Family held a grand feast to welcome the arrival of their honorable guest.
The Empire of Ziyou’s chancellor, Lan Wuxin, hosted the banquet personally and seated Yun Yang at the most esteemed seat. Those sitting on the side as were all the eight noble families’ family heads.
The four young masters and ladies of the group were all descendants of these families. It was because of that fact that each one of them was spoiled, especially the girl in blue, Zi Yunyan. She was the Empire of Ziyou’s Prince of Concord, Zi Yuanxiang’s biological granddaughter – a truly royal nobility.
Even the Prince of Concord, Zi Yuanxiang, had personally attended the banquet tonight.
The banquet was exceptionally grand. Everyone was feasting happily in a cheery atmosphere but the guest of honor himself seemed to be a little impatient about the current merriment; he had only drunk a goblet of wine despite the straight face he wore. In spite of this, anyone with eyes could see the discontentment bubbling within him.
If he had not taken a few bites of the dishes, everyone might believe that this expert was a total recluse who consumed nothing of the worldly realm.
Lan Wuxin said with a smile, "Senior Yun has saved the juniors’ lives and can be considered our families’ great savior. Does our wine disagree with you?"
Knowing that Yun Yang was an unparalleled prodigy who had been living as a recluse for at least three hundred years, Lan Wuxin dared not be full of himself, despite his civil official family background and influential status. However, he was not a gullible man.
This group of people was made up of old, sly foxes. No matter how suspicious or doubtful they were on the inside, their words were courteous and polite.
Yun Yang understood how these things worked. It was a piece of cake to deceive the young ones, but it would not be as easy to pull a fast one on these old men.
Hearing that Lan Wuxin was asking about the wine of the banquet, Yun Yang shook his head immediately and said, "This is called wine?"
The noblemen and officials were taken aback by the audacious reply and chuckled dryly.
If it had been any ordinary person who had said that he had seen some great things, he would almost certainly be accused of boasting.
However, when a certain heavyweight character said that he had seen some great things in a formal setting, the listeners would only listen politely even if the former was tooting his own horn. On the surface, it would look like the audience thought the same as well and appreciated the reasoning in the other person's speech.
This was the exact situation that was taking place.
The banquet by the chancellor’s residence hosted top-ranking guests of honor. How could the wine be ordinary? It was already the most expensive, of the best grade. It was the best wine in the entire Zilong City or even the entire Empire of Ziyou!
Before Yun Yang had commented upon it, everyone had enjoyed it heartily.
However, Yun Yang had unexpectedly blurted "This is called wine?".
The guests did not feel humiliated or feel that the man was making things up. Instead, all of them instinctively realized that Elder Yun must really think that the wine was lacking; that must be the reason he only sipped at his beverage the entire night!
To an old monster who had been living as a recluse for more than three hundred and fifty years, who knew what great things he had seen? Furthermore, he was a prodigy whose mystical cultivation base had reached the pinnacle of this world!
Why would a person like this simply exaggerate his words to bring his status higher? He would also not be so tactless to insist that the host’s wine was utter rubbish in front of other noblemen.
He must have had the best wine, the most fantastic wine, before!
"Sir Yun must have tasted better wine, before this." Lan Wuxin said chuckling.
With Lan Wuxin’s identity and status, speaking so would actually lower his status, but he had thrown out his feelers as well. He wanted to see what gem this reclusive expert could produce.
You can’t even get anything, wanting to fish for benefits in these sly foxes’ homes just by putting a high front? Perhaps if you were a reclusive expert...
"Hmph."
Yun Yang scoffed softly. With a swipe of his ring, two pots of wine suddenly appeared on the table.
The noblemen were baffled by the feat.
What the ears heard were false while only what the eyes saw were real. They had heard of thin air storage before, but it was something else to witness it with their own eyes.
The thin air storage was already an item of fantasy but connecting it to Yun Yang’s identity and the wine he produced that he assumed to be great, it must really be an extraordinary grade of wine!
Everyone could not help but revere him even more.
"This wine… can be barely drunk." Yun Yang said faintly, "What I’ve produced isn’t the best. After all… I haven’t been doing work for a few hundred years now. My hands are unfamiliar to it already."
Chancellor Lan dared not slack. He immediately sent someone to break the mud seals.
A refreshing aroma filled the atmosphere at once.
The wine Yun Yang produced belonged to Lei Dongtian’s family. About a dozen pots of wine were already inside and were not consumed when he had gifted Yun Yang the ring.
Of course, such wine was nothing to Lei Dongtian, but it was still wine that only existed in Bound of Universe. Moreover, it was a wine that the hefty characters in Bound of Universe’s noble families would usually drink. Otherwise, why would Lei Dongtian bring so many pots of them with him all the time?
That being said, the wine was much better than what the Tianxuan Continent currently had, whether in terms of ingredients or brewing skill. It was more than appropriate for Yun Yang to gloat using it.
As the wine was drunk, everyone came to a simultaneous realization – this is what wine should be!
The so-called best wine in the Empire of Ziyou that they had drunk just now was just trash compared to this wine!
It would be mindboggling instead if an expert like him who had gotten used to drinking such fantastic liquor was willing to drink such terrible wine!
Everyone exchanged looks discreetly.
The banquet went on as the guests continued drinking, of course, the wine that Yun Yang just produced. What was different was that everyone was even more reverent of Yun Yang now.
Not only was this elder’s cultivation base amazing, he was equipped with thin air storage and the ability to summon the world’s mystical beasts. He could even produce a great wine easily the likes of which had never been seen in Ziyou – no, it had never been seen in Tianxuan. There was no other liquor that could triumph over this beautiful wine…
It seemed that he was the real deal.
During the banquet, a guard of the Prince of Concord had too much to drink and went forward drunkenly to ask Yun Yang for a friendly match. He was then severely injured by Yun Yang’s faint exhalation, flying several hundred feet away, spitting blood and landing right outside the hall.
The guests were baffled.
This was a seventh peak expert! That much damage from just from an exhaled breath?
How could the distance be so accurate? He did not calculate it beforehand, did he?
How terrifying!