Chapter 246: Shan Jia
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Chi Guyan, being as smart as she was, knew exactly what Xing Yuanguo meant. However, since he had used the emperor's name, that meant that he had made up his mind.
Ping Yang knew that Xing Yuanguo wanted her to hide for now. It was a good thing she was a bully, and she did not like being bullied.
As such...
She ran off with Fang Zhengzhi without putting up a fight.
"Kill!" The morale of the soldiers under the cauldron hit a high as their roar echoed throughout the throne room.
"Are you trying to bully us with numbers?" Bai Xing looked at the thousands of soldiers before glancing back at his nine companions. His gaze finally locked onto Xing Yuanguo as he sneered.
Being humiliated by a 15 year old boy was incredibly infuriating.
However, when faced with a powerful enemy, he could not let his emotions get the better of him. Furthermore, now that the morale of the soldiers was at an all time high, he had to find a way to calm himself down.
"Time and space are both in your favor. The only thing I have is the people." Xing Yuanguo replied coldly.
"People? Hahaha... what a joke. I do not dare comment about the others, but I must say I have some confidence if I had to compete with your people!" Bai Xing chuckled.
Xing Yuanguo's expression darkened. He had battled Bai Xing many times over the years. He knew that Bai Xing was a difficult man to deal with. Bai Xing never fought a losing battle.
Is there an ambush?
Just as he was thinking about it, the lyrical music from a flute rang out from the stone door. It felt like rain in the desert - incredibly soothing and hypnotising.
When Xing Yuanguo heard the flute, his expression changed instantly.
"You all actually..." Even the battle hardened Xing Yuanguo could not keep his cool.
At this point, he was sure that this was all a set up. When the Dragon Protection Squad had passed the message to the capital, they had fallen into the trap.
He also knew why the demons chose Cang Ling Mountain. They could only set up this trap on Cang Ling Mountain.
"Hahaha, Xing Hou, please put your hands together to welcome a good friend of the demons, "Shan Jia"!" Bai Xing pointed flamboyantly towards the stone door as he spoke.
Xing Yuanguo ignored Bai Xing.
His gaze was trained on the middle aged man standing at the entrance.
That man was covered from head to toe in green rattan. He had a thick beard and wore no armor. He had a green flute in his hand.
He looked like a barbarian.
However, Xing Yuanguo did not underestimate him. His eyes glimmered; he was even more solemn than when he saw Bai Xing appear.
The male also looked at Xing Yuanguo. However, it was no more than a glance. He did not speak as he sauntered over to Bai Xing's side.
All of the soldiers were in disbelief when they saw that man.
"His... surname is Shan!"
"Shan Jia!"
"Exactly, only people from that area will use rattan for clothing. But... why is his surname Shan?!"
The thousands of soldiers were in disbelief when they realized the identity of the man. Their disbelief was quickly replaced with fury.
"Ever since the Great Xia Dynasty was founded, we have protected the Southern Mountain Range. As a Shan, you should know this better than anyone else! Why would you ally yourself with the demons?!" Xing Yuanguo's tone was dangerous, his arm at his waist.
Shan Jia was silent. However, when Xing Yuanguo said "as a Shan" his tiger like eyes flashed with pain.
"Shan Jia, do you know the consequences of your actions? Do you know what this means for the citizens of the Southern Mountain Range?" Xing Yuanguo continued.
Shan Jia did not speak, almost as if he didn't hear Xing Yuanguo at all.
"Come on Shan Jia, you have spent more than 20 years in Cang Ling Mountain, it is time for you to show them your abilities!" Bai Xing glanced at Shan Jia and sneered.
Shan Jia nodded but still remained silent.
He was not as respectful as the other nine black robed men nor as disciplined as the soldiers. He did not even greet Bai Xing. He merely nodded, then placed the flute to his lips.
In an instant, a melodious tune filled the room.
However, this time, the music was clearly more rushed. It's hypnotic nature was a lot more intense this time.
"Kaboom!"
A loud sound echoed out from the stone door.
"Roar!"
A beast's roar reverberated throughout the throne room.
At the stone door was a beast with steel like blue fur. It's sharp black claws glowed icily. More uniquely, there was a fiery red line of fur that extended from its forehead all the way to its tail...
"Blue Fire Wolf!"
"No, it's the Blue Fire Wolf King!"
Before the soldiers could finish, additional figures came through the door. A second, a third...
Within moments, nearly a thousand Blue Fire Wolves had made their way inside.
Apart from the Blue Fire Wolves, there were various other ferocious beasts. There were the Steel Limb Golden Apes, the Tri-horn White Rhinoceros, and the sharp fanged Torrential Thunder Lions...
They packed the entire room.
However, they were all quite disciplined. It looked like a trained beast army There were 1000 Blue Fire Wolves on the perimeter whilst no less than 500 Tri-horn White Rhinoceroses took point. The Steel Limb Golden Apes rode the Rhinoceroses whilst the Lions guarded the back.
Xing Yuanguo frowned deeply.
From the moment Shan Jia entered through the stone doors, he had expected to face such an army. However, he did not expect Shan Jia to have trained them to such an extent.
These were all different species of beasts.
More importantly, they were all beasts which lived in herds!
They valued cooperation more than anything else in the world.
However, they only cooperated with their own species. Shan Jia's feat of making them cooperate with different species could not be over exaggerated.
"It is no wonder you're the top clan of the Southern Mountain Range!" Xing Yuanguo waved, his two handed sword in his hand.
His sword was pure black and ancient. Its sharp blade was inscribed with complicated runes, each one shining elegantly.
"Kill! For our pride!"
"Kill!"
The army charged under the leadership of Xing Yuanguo. None of them fled in the face of the beast army.
They were the elite soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty.
For pride and glory!
...
At the back of the throne room, Ping Yang grabbed onto Chi Guyan's arm tightly. She looked on unwillingly as she saw the army clash with the beasts.
"Fang Zhengzhi, you said you found a lead towards the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, where is it?" Ping Yang pouted.
Chi Guyan did not speak. She knew that Fang Zhengzhi had made up an excuse to drag them both away. She had no reason to shame him now.
Fang Zhengzhi did not speak. He did not even hear what Ping Yang said. His gaze was fixed onto the herd of Blue Fire Wolves.
"Worked for 20 years?!"
"20 years ago..."
Eight years ago, when he was seven, he had killed a Blue Fire Wolf at the edges of Cang Ling Mountain. It was a lone wolf, but it was much larger than those he saw now.
In the moment that it died, it had looked back into the depths of Cang Ling Mountain. It's eyes seemed relieved, but also unwilling.
At that time, the Blue Fire Wolf had already spent about three to four years at the edges of Cang Ling Mountain.
No one knew why there was a lone wolf on the edges of Cang Ling Mountain. Despite its loneliness, it never stepped into the depths of Cang Ling Mountain, choosing to roam the perimeter.
12 years...
Fang Zhengzhi clenched his fists tightly.
That Blue Fire Wolf was the king of these thousand wolves, it was a king!
Until now, Fang Zhengzhi could still keenly remember the gaze of the Blue Fire Wolf as it died, as well as its lonely last howl.
"Aroo!"
Fang Zhengzhi subconsciously made a noise as he recalled that scene.
A lonely and bright howl reverberated throughout the throne room.
It interrupted that hypnotic flute music.
All of the thousand Blue Fire Wolves stopped immediately. A thousand pair of eyes stared at Fang Zhengzhi, their eyes filled with disbelief.
This was the intelligence of the beasts.
Fang Zhengzhi knew how smart these beasts were. Since he was capable of discerning their location by sound, he was equally adept at imitating the sounds they made.
As such, he howled once again. "Aroo!"
In that instant, all of the thousand Blue Fire Wolves were moved.
It was not just the Blue Fire Wolves, even the other beasts subconsciously looked towards the 15 year old youth at the back of the throne room.
"12 years ago, he chased your king off Cang Ling Mountain!"
"At that time, he promised your king freedom. He promised that he would let your king go!"
"In fact, he didn't!"
"He killed your king and dumped the body at the base of Cang Ling Mountain. He skinned your king!"
Fang Zhengzhi stood at his original position, completely absorbed in his storytelling. His actions were even slightly comical.
Strangely, all of the beasts were completely engrossed in his comical actions.
"Rubbish! I, Shan Jia, descend from the top family of the Southern Mountain Range. I have been vegetarian my whole life. I never wear fur or leather. I drink only water from the spring! I am friends with the trees and partners with the beasts! How dare you accuse me of such atrocities?!" Shan Jia's expression changed when he heard Fang Zhengzhi.
As the top family of the Southern Mountain Range, they had their own methods of cultivating. They too believed in the Dao of All Creation. However, they were more focused on using their body to connect with nature.
They lived in the woods and lived off the land. As such, only the top family of the Southern Mountain Range could have the surname Shan. They revered nature and everything it represented.
They were partners with the beasts. They drew on the powers of the beasts to protect their homeland. In return, they never ate meat or wore fur or leather!
Shan Jia was infuriated. What Fang Zhengzhi had said went completely against everything he believed in.
It was almost as if someone told a monk that he had impregnated a woman. Even the most refined monk would protest vehemently against such an accusation.
When Xing Yuanguo had interrogated and even threatened Shan Jia, he did not even reply.
However, the moment Fang Zhengzhi said a few cryptic words and made a few comical actions, Shan Jia was completely infuriated.
This stunned the thousands of soldiers.
Even the nine robed men behind Bai Xing were stunned. Having known Shan Jia for so many years, they knew that Shan Jia was a man of extremely few words.
His only replies have either been a nod or a shake of the head.
Yet now...
This introvert was speaking up?!
Chi Guyan looked at Fang Zhengzhi. She knew what Fang Zhengzhi was saying, but, How did Fang Zhengzhi manage to deduce that Shan Jia chased their king out twelve years ago?
After all, this was the first time Fang Zhengzhi had seen Shan Jia. 12 years ago...
Fang Zhengzhi could not have been more than three years old?
"I'm falsely accusing you? What if I have evidence?" Fang Zhengzhi could not be sure. However, his gut told him that Shan Jia had chased out the Blue Fire Wolf King.
But what did this have to do with anything? Speaking rubbish was not a crime. If he got it right, the benefits could be immense. If he got it wrong, it would not matter anyways.
"What evidence could you possibly have?" Shan Jia was in disbelief. He had never done such a thing, what evidence could this boy possibly have?
"Of course I do!" Fang Zhengzhi produced the hide of a huge Blue Fire Wolf with a wave of his hand.
Eight years ago, when he had killed the Blue Fire Wolf, he had brought the hide back, wanting to sell it for some silver. However, because Chi Guyan had gone to the Southern Mountain Village, he had no choice but to guard against her coming to the Northern Mountain Village.
As a result, he did not get a chance to sell the Blue Fire Wolf hide.
As his family became richer, Fang Zhengzhi dismissed the idea of selling the hide. He decided to keep it as a memento of his first kill.
It was being put to good use now.
Shan Jia's gaze was fixed on the hide of the Blue Fire Wolf. All of the other Blue Fire Wolves also concentrated on that hide.
That was the hide of their king.
"Aroo!" In an instant, the thousand Blue Fire Wolves howled in despair. Their howls rocked the throne room, almost like an offering to their fallen king
Shan Jia's expression darkened.
"It's you! You killed their king, you bloody villager!"