Chapter 127 – A breakthrough within sight
(TL’s note: Wednesday’s regular chapter.
Ps: caught a lil sniff after biking around in the rain, hence the delay (I have a nice cruiser, so its too much fun taking it out for a spin in the rains… really couldn’t hold back that urge )….)
“Medical examination…… is he going to strip you naked?” Jun Mo Xie pensively held out his finger and made a poking gesture as he winked: “Is he also going to check your ass?”
“I’ve heard that they even check your anus.” Tang Yuan replied in a gloomy tone: “Right now I’m not going to be able to pass that exam.”
The fatty was standing on his feet, and one could tell that the man was quite scared of what was coming his way: “Third young master, I have heard that the eunuchs are asked to strip naked… completely…. Gives me the creeps, really ah…..and then they put all kinds of things inside your body ah.”
“And now I have the creeps.” Jun Mo Xie scratched his arms, which were studded with goosebumps.
If something was so terrifying that even the king of all assassins was terrified of it, then just imagine how horrifying the situation must be!
“So is there no solution to this? Brother I’m counting on you!” the fatty looked at his friends with a hint of hope in his eyes.
“There is! But you have to go to the palace as soon as possible for the check up, and I’ll help you prepare for it myself, uh, so …..so…..” Jun Mo Xie smiled and winked, and then broke into a laugher.
“I don’t understand… what do you mean?…..” Tang Yuan was standing with a blank look on his face.
“You don’t understand? I can’t have you working at the palace okay… I was thinking about doing business with you… as a partner. Over time, both of us could make a fortune, together.” Jun Mo Xie smiled as he continued to observe Tang Yuan’s face.
“Do business together??” Tang Yuan’s face lit up, and he blinked twice in quick succession: “Third young master…. You’re like my second parent! You’re like my….”
“Get out of here; you won’t be able to live up to your father’s expectation, but what’s your father going to do once his own actions lead to your disqualification?” Jun Mo Xie stretched his legs and kicked the fatty in his buttocks.
Tang Yuan clutched his buttocks as he grimaced in pain: “Nothing. As long as the royal decree goes against me, father will not kill me…. I hope. So you’re say that if I fail and use my father as the scapegoat.. ha ha ha ha…..?”
Tang Yuan’s body language changed the moment he realized that he was out of danger. Jun Mo Xie was laughing so hard that all the sorrowful thoughts of his heart seemed to have washed away; this fatty is one heck of an amusing clown.
He was still laughing when he suddenly recalled Tang Yuan’s earlier words: ‘Tang Wanli’s friend from forty years ago had suddenly popped out of nowhere, and the man was a super-expert.’ He paused in the middle of his laughter: a super master? How could this be? Does this mysterious occurrence have anything to do with the news about the Xuan Core? But so quickly? If so, then then there’s a storm coming towards the Tian Xiang Country…..
Suddenly the Qi Inside Jun Mo Xie’s body started working automatically. Jun Mo Xie could clearly feel the strength of the Qi which was flowing through his body’s meridians at the moment, and could tell that it was beginning to reach the point of saturation now. The originally thin and weak flow of energy, had now transformed into a strong and turbulent current, and he was able to carry out his normal physical movements which much greater ease at present.
Jun Mo Xie’s heart was carrying a very strange feeling, which had no logical explanation, but he felt that once this energy reaches the saturation point, then he might be able to open the second layer of the Pagoda!
So this time, Jun Mo Xie didn’t ignore it. He started spending his entire time in circulating this energy throughout his body, and ended up spending the next two days in promoting his state. After he was done, Jun Mo Xie was pleasantly surprised to realize that not only was the Pagoda capable of absorbing his body’s aura, but could now also assimilate aura from the outside world; only a little amount though. But this was still indicative of a major step in forward direction!
Jun Mo Xie had big expectations from the second layer of the Hongjun Pagoda, since the first layer was only the basics of its foundation. If the basics were so amazing, then the second layer…..
In the recent days, the atmospheric temperature had dipped, and the autumn winds were rustling brazenly throughout the city. Dried out yellow leaves were falling from the sky, but Jun Mo Xie was spending his entire time inside his room; practicing. He was busy absorbing energy from his surroundings, and was trying to feed it to the Pagoda; if he couldn’t feed some part of the energy, then he’d scatter it around in his surroundings, such as his courtyard, and that of his Third Uncle’s, and Guan Qing Han’s. Due to this sudden influx of Aura, the courtyards were actually still lush green, almost as if it was still the peak of the summer. In fact, some of the tree branches had even started sprouting new buds. Even though this quite bizarre, Guan Qing Han was cherishing this new life in their courtyard; while this phenomenon was quite abnormal, she was beginning to care about these new buds almost as if they were a priceless treasure.
The winds were rising inside the Tian Xiang city, so Jun Mo Xie was obviously under tremendous pressure!
In fact, pressure can be a very powerful driving force! And so, Jun Mo Xie was forcing himself since he wanted to be prepared for this unpredictable change in climate, which was now approaching the Tian Xiang city, and wished to be strong enough to brave through this upcoming turbulence in weather!
He had always been a lone wolf in his previous incarnation, and would always act freely! However, his circumstances had changed now, and he was no longer alone; he was now burdened with the protection of an entire family! He could still act freely and remain unaffected by the fate of his family; but having an entire family supporting his actions would fuel his ambition further; in this world, power and influence were very eminent and necessary factors.
Jun Mo Xie had personally trained three hundred men in the past, and now they would all come in handy.
For the first time, Jun Mo Xie was going to work with a team.
For the first time, he was going to be a team player!
Just as grandfather Jun was developing his own army’s strength for the uncertainties of the future, Jun Mo Xie had also started secretly training his own. He needed decent men…. Otherwise, what would a handful of silver and Gold Xuan fighters be able to do in the face of a storm?
It takes a real master to overcome a storm! In case of mediocrity…. It’s just better to give up!
But if the servant becomes a top level expert, then would I be able to keep him in control?
Jun Mo Xie scratched his head, and suddenly he remembered something that he read in his previous life: ‘… Even the heroes of this world bow in front of great men, and follow them with utter devotion; they remain loyal to such men, and this is the basic foundation of any organization….’
“If I can portray myself as a great man, then even the Supreme divine Xuan experts will follow me loyally…. How wonderful.” Jun Mo Xie scratched his chin, and smiled crookedly.
He held out the three invitations in his hand, and started thinking about accepting the second prince’s invitation. The place of the meet with the second prince was obvious: Ni Chang pavilion! He had been there once on an eavesdropping mission, and was well aware of Lady Yue’er’s deep seated hatred for the Jun Family, which now beginning to linger in his mind.
If this woman finds out that I’m there, then she’ll try to get to the bottom of the situation, and then she’ll try to cause trouble.
But then again, Jun Mo Xie had been presented with an excellent opportunity of meeting the Second Prince, and he simply didn’t wish to let it slip by.
There are, uh, according my calculation, a long time had passed since the incident regarding the Xuan Beast tendons and crossbows, and even though grandfather looked into the matter, we still haven’t heard anything new…
Anyway, the second prince had organized a nice banquet along a beautiful river, which Jun Mo Xie obviously didn’t mind. As far the other distractions and attractions of the locality were concerned, Jun Mo Xie wasn’t even remotely interested in them.
I’ll go to the Ni Chang pavilion today!
Jun Mo Xie was beaming a radiant smile as he stepped out into the courtyard. He was completely prepared to blatantly tell his grandfather that he wished to visit a brothel, and would require a couple of bodyguards for protection; a couple of his best and strongest body guards….
Just as stepped out of his room, he saw Guan Qing Han sitting in the courtyard, dressed in a snow white robe. She looked at him coldly as he approached her: “Where are you going?”
“Well, I’m going out to the Ni Chang Pavilion.” Jun Mo Xie replied honestly, almost as if there was nothing shameful about it. The son of the emperor has invited me for a meeting there, so there’s obviously no blame attached to my head, right?
“Shameless! Now you’ve even started acting so boldly about visiting that shameful place! I thought that maybe you’ve straightened up, but no, you just put on a false robe! You’re betraying the trust of your grandfather!” Guan Qing Han’s face was flushed with rage, and she was already unwittingly leaning forward, ready to teach him a lesson. Just look at this guy! He was only acting to be upright for a few days, and now he’s even started boldly stating that he’s visiting a brothel to fool around?! He’s so annoying! If he wasn’t my brother-in-law, I wouldn’t have tolerated his non-sense!
Jun Mo Xie ignored her angered remark and laughed as he said: “Sister-in-law, in fact, I think you look even prettier when you’re angry; I’m just saying the truth, really…..”
Guan Qing Han’s face went cold, and she charged towards him without saying anything further: If I don’t teach this kid a lesson today, then he’ll just go back to his old ways! Anyway, I won’t let him go today; I’ll teach him lesson and then I’ll drag him to the grandfather’s chambers!
Jun Mo Xie quickly ducked and dodged her palm, and then smoothly slid his feet and distanced himself from her body, and smiled: “Later sister-in-law; right now I have an important appointment. I’ll practice with you once I return, but right now someone important is waiting for me. Bye.” Then Jun Mo Xie ran out.
He could tell by her heaving chest that she was quite angry with him! Jun Mo Xie would have told her the truth; the Second Prince was indeed waiting for him at the Ni Chang Pavilion; but then again, Guan Qing Han hadn’t really given him a chance to explain. She had just naturally assumed that he was visiting a prostitute as always. How could she not have flowing into a rage then?
“This kid had just started turning a new leaf…. I will not allow him to degenerate into that scum again! If I let this happen, then how will I show my face to my in-laws and his deceased brother someday….?” Guan Qing Han bit her lips and quickly started walking towards grandpa Jun’s chambers.
Jun Mo Xie was quite amazed with his progress; his physical actions had become so subtle, that he could barely believe it. Some time ago, if he was encountered with Guan Qing Han’s anger, then given that he can’t attack her back, or kill her, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge her easily. In fact, it was awfully hard for him to control his urge to kill her in combat. But right now, he had been able to dodge her attack very easily; in fact, it had happened almost instinctively!
And then, the other day, he had managed to dodge a Sky Xuan’s attack and had also managed to strike him, without killing the man! Even though the man hadn’t expected the retaliation and wasn’t exactly ready to defend either, the fact that Jun Mo Xie was able to counter, and that too without causing a fatality, was undeniable!
Previously, Jun Mo Xie didn’t have the ability to do these things, but now these things were beginning to happen naturally! Was Jun Mo Xie even aware of his own progress?