Stranger Danger-Chapter 1268: Making Wind and Clouds By Killing A Half-Sage

“April fifth, cloudy. Ye Qing was surrounded and attacked by a massive Xi Huang brigand group named One Gust at Cloud Smoke Canyon. At the end of the battle, the Mad Lord wounded one hundred and sixty two and killed thirty eight. The dead included the Eight Vajras, the Three Heads, and the Gust Leader himself. As a result, One Gust is no more.”

“April sixth, drizzle. While staying a night at Incense Leaving Monastery[1], Ye Qing sparred with the temple head, a Great Trueman, and emerged victorious. Their spar caused all mountains within five kilometers of the temple to collapse into smithereens. The only mountain that was spared from destruction was the one Incense Leaving Monastery was located at.”

“April seventh, downpour. While continuing eastward and passing through Horse Rocky Slope, Weak Water True Lord and Mountain Sweeping King, the fifty-eighth and sixty-third champions on the Earth Champions Ranking respectively, triggered a mountain flood and a landslide using the downpour and attacked Ye Qing with them. Ye Qing suppressed the natural disasters in one punch, broke it with his second, and killed both Weak Water True Lord and Mountain Sweeping King with his third. He left the scene confidently.”

“April eighth, post-pluvial[2]. While continuing eastward and passing through Huai Shan County, Ye Qing slew eighteen Westwind wretches who were hiding in the area. They were eight Truemen and ten Spirit Masters.”

“April ninth, clear day and calm weather. Ye Qing encountered four Great Truemen—head of Luo Sen Sect, Sen Luo; head of the Myriad Manifestations Mountain, Mister Myriad; head of the Wild Flowers Valley, Lady Flower; and head of the Growing Desire Cavern, Generous Inferior—and fought a great battle against them. Two of the four Great Truemen died, and the other two escaped.”

“April ninth, nighttime, very windy. Ye Qing was in the middle of crossing the Black Water when he encountered a rampaging flood dragon. He casually slew it. The flood dragon’s body is said to be so long that it spanned five kilometers across the Black Water.”

“April tenth. Ye Qing had just reached Phoenix Mountain when he was attacked by Madless City, Life Extending Pavilion, Thunder Duke Temple, Black Buddha Temple, and Rainfall Monastery of the thirty-six unorthodox sects. There were eight Great Truemen, thirty-six Truemen, seventy-two Spirit Masters, and two hundred and forty four Astra Refiners at the scene. Three hundred and sixty in total, they attempted to subjugate Ye Qing using the Sky Cycle Celestial Subjugation Great Formation. A bitter fight ensued for a little over half a day, and Ye Qing successfully killed twelve and injured three hundred and broke out of the formation. He did not use the Earthly Sovereign Bell. No one dared to stop him, and no one dared to stand in his way after that.”

......

The child was young, and judging from his underripe, at times drawn out reading, he had just begun to learn his words. Despite this, the child read the notice with great intensity and focus, and the blind old man next to him listened just as seriously.

At first, some of the crowd were still talking and discussing among themselves. Later, the child’s sweet, clear voice was the only sound resonating around the noticeboard. Though their expressions might vary from person to person—astonishment, yearning, excitement, anger—everyone was listening carefully to the reading. It was as if they had all been drawn into the exciting, grandiose world that was the jianghu painted into life by the young child’s voice. Such was the dream that no one could say a thing even after the young child had finished reading for a long time.

“To think that brigands or flood dragons make no difference to the Mad Lord. He truly is a god among men!”

“Eight Great Truemen, thirty-six Truemen, seventy-two Spirit Masters and three hundred and forty four Astral Refiners? That’s on par with the line-up Mountain Taisui and Westwind Inn had prepared for the Mad Lord a few days ago, and yet he still managed to escape from their clutches. He did not use the Earthly Sovereign Bell either. Who else dares to say that the Mad Lord is strong only because of the Earthly Sovereign Bell after this?”

“Say, do you think the Mad Lord refrained from using the Earthly Sovereign Bell because it is currently unusable as Westwind claims?”

“It’s very likely. The Earthly Sovereign Bell is the Earthly Sovereign’s ultimate treasure after all. It makes sense that it couldn’t be used carelessly!”

“Makes sense.”

Suddenly, a sweet, innocent voice cut through the chatter.

“Perhaps the Mad Lord refrained from using the Earthly Sovereign Bell not because it is unusable, but because the thirty-six unorthodox sects do not deserve it?”

The crowd instinctively turned to look who was the speaker. They immediately fell silent.

It was none other than the young child.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Please do not take him seriously!”

The blind old man performed a salute when he realized the situation.

“Hahaha... it’s fine, old man. We’re just here to enjoy the news. Anyone is allowed to form their opinions about it.”

One man laughed. “Besides, a child’s words are most sincere. Who knows, it might even be the truth!”

“Indeed, indeed...”

The crowd exchanged knowing smiles with each other; their tone making it clear that they didn’t really believe the child’s words.

The child might be young and ignorant, but they were neither children nor innocent. Be it the five unorthodox sects or the line-up of eight Great Truemen and thirty-six Truemen, there was nothing weak or ordinary about them. They were all sects with a long, storied history or godlike people who could overturn mountains with a single palm. Besides that, they must have prepared extensively before they attacked Ye Qing.

Ye Qing was strong, yes, but the situation he was facing was one where even the smallest mistake could damn him for eternity. With that in mind, why on earth would he hold back? And why would he not use the Earthly Sovereign Bell if it was unusable?

Clearly, there was only one answer. The Earthly Sovereign Bell must be in an unusable state right now.

But of course, it was beneath their dignity to argue with a child, so they didn’t.

It was at this moment an old man walked out of Jade Capital Teahouse. He was carrying a roll of paper.

“It’s the latest Wind Cloud Notice!”

“Hmm? It’s the old shopkeeper of Jade Capital Teahouse himself. Why is he doing the work of a servant?”

“Who cares? Move back so that he could put on the new notice!”

Everyone was cheering. After all, the entire reason they showed up this early in the morning was to hear about the latest Wind Cloud Notice at first notice.

The crowd gave way for the old shopkeeper, though the gap immediately sealed as soon as he passed through it. Not only that, more people were rushing over from every direction and filling up the streets in front of Jade Capital Teahouse until not an inch of space was left.

Everyone was staring at the paper in the old shopkeeper’s hands fervently. They only wished they could snatch it from his hands and read it faster than anyone else.

The old shopkeeper did not react to the passionate gazes whatsoever. This was hardly the first time he endured such gazes, and this level of attention was nothing compared to what was about to happen very soon.

In fact, he very much looked forward to the outburst.

After the old shopkeeper reached the wall, he unrolled the paper and plastered it on the highest and most conspicuous spot of the wall. Then, he stepped aside with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling.

“Don’t push!”

“Stop pushing! You’re pushing off my goddamn shoes!”

“Seriously, stop pushing like a maniac! I’m not young anymore! If I collapse, it’ll be entirely your fault!”

“Hey! What’s on the new notice, guys in the front? Can you read it out for us?!”

“Yeah, read it out for us! Let us hear about it!”

“Fine, fine, just shut up already.”

The people at the forefront made sure to block in front of the young child and the blind old man so they wouldn’t be pushed over by the people behind them. Then, the guy standing behind the young child said, “Child, can you read it out for us, please? Make sure you raise your voice so that everyone can hear you.”

“Okay!” The young child responded affirmatively before looking up at the wall. Then, he began reading loudly:

“April eleventh, nighttime, very windy and moonless. The twenty-ninth champion on the Earth Champions Ranking and a Half-Sage, the one they called the ‘Ghost King of Mount Mang’ Yin Wufa, transformed fifty kilometers of land into a ghastly domain and mustered an army of ghosts to assault the Mad Lord.”

“The Mad Lord broke the ghastly domain with his fists and fought Yin Wufa the whole night, the battlefield spanning throughout the entire broken domain. When the first light broke, the Mad Lord gathered all of the sunlight and created a fist of dawn, severely injuring Yin Wufa. Stunned and speechless, Yin Wufa attempted to escape by scattering his yang god into innumerable gusts of yin wind and slipping away into the mountains, crevices, and underground rivers. In response, the Mad Lord summoned the Earthly Sovereign Bell, its light shining like a second sun. He locked down yin and yang, sealed away a hundred kilometers of rivers and mountains with its chime. Then, with its immense power, he refined every wisp of Yin Wufa until not a speck of the Half-Sage was left behind.”

“Lo and behold, Yin Wufa is no more!”

The sweet, innocent voice was like a rock chucked into a tranquil pond. It would kick up a massive splash and create many thick ripples that would not fade for a long, long time.

1. Isn’t that every temple? ☜

2. Referring to the weather after a heavy rain. ☜