The noise level within the hall spiked as everyone chattered to one another. They all felt unsure how to react. Whatever else could there be as important as the matter with elder Cheng? Especially if it had to do with a single trainee.
âOne moment, fatherâŚare you saying it was the trainee that killed the intruders? All of them!?â
A single trainee guard killing the Soul Exalts and Soul King? It was a preposterous idea! No one would even entertain such a thought if not for Yao Tianji saying it himselfâŚÂ
Yao Tianji nodded. âA few other trainees were watching. Thereâs no doubt about it.â
âButâŚhow?â Yao Wuchen asked. âThat traineeâŚis the one Wang Tong and Feiyun brought back the other time, isnât he? The âamnesiacââŚdidnât he ingest a dreamcalling pill?â
âThat is the very same one.â
âWhat are you talking about? What outsider was brought back?â No longer able to contain his curiosity, Dan Teng prodded Yao Tianji for an answer.
âAbout a month ago, when we didnât know who these intruders were or what reason they came here for, Feiyun, Wang Tong, and Kai Wen went to the outer ranges of the Qimang Mountains and came across a scouting group. We found out they were from the Soul Refining School and learned about their intentions after interrogating them. The three also brought back with them a single âvillagerâ who was only just awakening to his soulforce. Due to an injury of some kind, he was said to have lost his memories. A dreamcalling pill was given, but it had little effect. He failed to become a Soul Sprite even after Wang Tong gave him a fireseed pill. It was decided for him to be stationed as a guard at the western repository after thatâŚthe same place those intruders went to. They fought there, and according to eye-witnesses, two of those intruders were bitten to death by a dog and the other two were killed by a spearâŚâ
The story grew harder and harder to believe the longer he explained. Everyone looked at one another in disbelief. Did any part of this story make sense? They didnât think soâŚÂ
Knowing what the others were possibly thinking, Yao Tianji stared at everyone there. âI, too, thought it was ridiculous. But after I saw this âTang Longâ, I was startled to see thatâŚhe is by no means a âvillager who just awakened to his soulforceâ as Feiyun says he is!â
âWhat do you mean by that, father?â
âOn his bodyâŚwere seven heaven-tier soul armaments!â
âCrack crack crackâŚâ
Several teacups fell and shattered onto the ground. Their owners had seemingly lost grip of the cups once they heard this news. It was hard to blame them. How could anyone remain calm after hearing that?
âSeâseven heaven-tier soul armaments?! Are you saying Tang Long has seven of them?! How!?â
A voice quivered from the right side of the group. It was the overseer of the western repository, elder Yu. Hearing Bai Yunfei being said to kill those intruders was hard to believe. Hearing him have seven heaven-tier soul armaments was even harder.
âHave you been paying close attention to him, elder Yu?â
âIâŚI have notâŚâ
Bai Yunfei shouldâve been a lowly trainee, what attention was needed?
âThen have you ever wondered about the two bracers on his arms? Or the gloves he wore? Or the many space rings on his fingers? Or the armor he wore? Or evenâŚthe cloth he wore on his forehead?â
âIâŚ.â Elder Yu stammered. What could he say? He never once thought about it. He didnât even know Bai Yunfei had any space rings. As an elder, the man had more important things than take a look at the accessories any trainee wore. If anything, elder Yu figured Bai Yunfei had no space ring to begin with.
âThen allow me to tell you this. All those items I explained, barring the space rings, are all heaven-tier soul armaments! As is that spear he used to kill the two enemies! And half of them are mid-heaven tiers!â
âWhat?!â
Elder Yu could hardly believe his ears. Maybe he was still on the battlefield and this was the work of an enemy illusion?
âHey heyâŚwhy does this sound somewhat odd?â
Wu Dijian muttered to himself. He leaned closer to Dan Teng to whisper, âTwo bracers, two gloves, a cloth wrapped around his head, and a mid-heaven tier spearâŚthatâs what he said, yes?â
He continued to mutter to himself. For a while, he just sat there and thought to himself before he noticed several people were giving him a strange look. âThat personâŚâ He finally said at last, âthe one youâre talking about, does he have the CoreâŚa small stone on him?! A stone shaped like a square seal?!â
Several members blinked. What did he mean by that?Â
âYouâŚyou know about it?! There was indeed a small bracelet he wore with a small stone on it. I didnât sense anything strange about it, howeverâŚâ
âCrash!!â
The chair beneath Wu Dijian went flying along with his teacup when he immediately stood up. âWas the glove on his right hand of the fire-type? And the one on his left metal-type? Was his spear a fire-type? Did he have with him a soul armament thatâs shaped like a brick?!â Wu Dijian looked almost beside himself with excitement.
âThatâsâŚâ Yao Tianji was so surprised with these questions that he started to answer them before he thought about it. âHow did you know about his gloves?! But the spear was an earth-type, and I didnât see any brick-shaped soul armament with himâŚâ
âEarth-type?â Wu Dijian repeated. That didnât make sense. âIt doesnât matter, please take me to him! I have to see him!â
Dan Teng had been confused about what Wu Dijian was getting at until the part about the âfire-type spearâ was mentioned. His eyebrows flew to the top of his forehead as he snapped his head towards Wu Dijian. âBrother Wu,â he gasped, âyou canât possibly be talking aboutâŚthereâs no way!â
This caught everyoneâs immediate attention. âYou twoâŚknow this person?â Yao Wuchen asked at once.
Wu Dijian was already hopping on both feet repeatedly, âBring me to him at once, please!â He pleaded a little impatiently.
âââââââââ
There stood a spacious courtyard within the clan compound. Two figures sat at the stone table in the courtyardâs garden. One figure was Yao Feiyun and the other was a middle-aged woman dressed in white robes.
âMom, why did grandfather and everyone else come rushing over? They even told us to look after big brother Tang, why? And when will he finally wake up? Should IâŚgive him another soulmending pill?â
Yao Feiyun spoke rather lazily. He was fiddling with his fingers as he stared off at one of the rooms near the courtyard. The confusion and concern he was feeling could easily be detected by the way he spoke to the person with him.
The woman smiled. Fondly petting the head of Feiyun, she replied, âThereâs no need to worry. Your grandfather and father are taking care of everythingâŚâ
âOhâŚI knâeh?â His head snapped up to stare towards the entrance of the courtyard. Ripples of energy were starting to form from space before opening up to show a group of people hurrying out from behind.
âDad! Grandfather!! What are yoâis that uncle Dan Teng?! Youâre back!â
He was smiling at first upon seeing the faces of his grandfather and father. He moved to greet the two when he took notice of Dan Teng next to him and cried out with surprised joy.
Hardly anyone in the crowd seemed to notice him, however. Led by Yao Tianji, everyone walked straight towards a particular room.
The doors slammed open as Wu Dijian rushed through them to be the first to enter the room.
Like the wind, he rushed to the first bed he saw with a person resting inside. The moment when he saw the person sleeping on there was the moment he froze upâŚÂ
Yao Tianjiâs eyes narrowed suspiciously upon seeing Wu Dijian freeze up. With his son, the two walked briskly into the room after him.
âBrother Wu, is it reaââ Dan Teng was the second to enter the room. His eyes were looking for the bed as he entered and froze just like Wu Dijian did when he found what he was looking for.
Yao Tianji and Yao Wuchen paused where they stood. âSeventh brother,â Yao Tianji asked Dan Teng, âdo you really know him?! WhoâŚwho is he?!â
The look of absolute wonderment on Dan Tengâs face was hard to miss when he turned to look at Yao Tianji. Regulating himself by breathing in and out, he spoke: