A terrifying pressure descended from the sky, enveloping everyone. Even Lina lowered her head, trembling and not daring to speak.
The little white fox curled up in Mu Nanzhi’s arms, its furry body quivering.
Mu Nanzhi frowned repeatedly, feeling uncomfortable, and sidestepped to hide behind Xu Qi’an.
What a strong sense of pressure… Xu Qi’an frowned. If he remembered correctly, Lina had said that her father, during the Battle of Shanhai Pass twenty years before, was already at the peak of the third rank.
Having removed eight Sealing Nails, Xu Qi’an was now at the great completion of third rank. In terms of cultivation, he was not much different from Lina’s father. However, if they were to truly fight, his chances of winning were higher.
Hiding his aura?
Longtu scrutinised Xu Qi’an.
He could not sense even the faintest ripple of Qi from the young man before him. Stranger still, there was no divine glow on him, no sign of Bronze Skin and Iron Bones.
This young man looked just like an ordinary person. But how could an ordinary person withstand his pressure?
“Greetings, Chief Longtu.”
Xu Qi’an did not understand the Southern Marches tongue at all. Not until Longtu looked over did he clasp his fists and say,
“I am Lingyin’s elder brother and hope Chief Longtu can make an exception in this matter.”
He spoke in the official Great Feng dialect, unconcerned whether this brawny chieftain would understand. After all, even Lina and the clan’s elite patrollers could speak Great Feng mandarin, there was no reason the chieftain could not.
Longtu glanced deeply at Xu Qi’an, withdrew his terrifying pressure, and replied in a voice thick with authority,
“Lina, you have brought her back so that the elders and I may acknowledge her.
“In that case, let us do this officially. Go and summon the elders.”
Lina had always been clever, but equally wilful, doing whatever came to mind with little thought for consequence.
He was angry at her for taking a Central Plains girl as an apprentice, but not surprised or scandalised.
Longtu glanced at Xu Lingyin, then turned to leave.
“Dad, you’re going yourself?” Lina said happily.
Longtu did not look back, striding onward as he said in a deep voice,
“I will be visiting the Heaven Gu tribe later. Heaven Gu Grandma has sent word.
“Let me deal with your issue first.”
With that, he walked just out of the courtyard.
“Dad, I’ll go with you!” Lina called after him, then summoned a maid to attend to Xu Qi’an and his companions before scampering after her father.
On the way, Xu Qi’an noted that most strong and able-bodied people of the Strength Gu tribe were absent from the village, likely out hunting… All it would take would be to send a unit stealthily past the perimeter to launch a surprise attack here, in a short time, I can destroy the Strength Gu tribe’s nest… Xu Qi’an silently war-gamed the situation in his mind.
But he soon realised he was overthinking it, as such a move would be meaningless.
With all the able-bodied men out, even if this place was destroyed, it would not truly damage the Strength Gu tribe. From what he’d seen on the plains, everyone in the tribe was a warrior, grandmothers included, far from a group of feeble women and children waiting to be slaughtered.
Furthermore, the tribe seemed so poor. Not to the point of four bare walls, but there was certainly nothing of value, smash it and there was nothing lost.
Before long, Xu Qi’an’s ears twitched at the sound of hurried footsteps.
He took a sip of clearly Central Plains-imported aged tea, set down the porcelain cup, and smiled,
“Lina’s returned.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lina stomped back in looking furious. Her clothes were tattered as if she’d just been in a fight.
“Master, your clothes are broken,” Xu Lingyin pointed at her skirt as if she’d made a great discovery.
“I’ve just had a fight with the elders.” Lina, hands on hips, was visibly still angry.
She led Xu Qi’an and others out of the main building, down a broad and level path, to a clearing outside the clustered buildings.
Sweeping his gaze, Xu Qi’an saw nearly a hundred people gathered.
They had formed a circle, within which stood six chairs for six elderly men.
Longtu did not sit, but stood in the ring, arms folded across his chest, tall body exuding pride.
Xu Qi’an did not need to think to know that these six old men were the elders of the Strength Gu tribe. This was not as he had pictured, in Xu Qi’an’s mind, elders should have been white-haired fossils leaning on sticks.
They should have been senile and fading, with waning blood and energy, yet held in high esteem by their people.
At the same time, they were bywords for decay and obstinacy.
Today, though, the elders broke Xu Qi’an’s stereotypical image.
They were indeed white-haired, but there was nothing decrepit about them: their muscles rivalled those of bodybuilders, and their vigour was no less than that of youths.
Seeing Lina bring outsiders, one elder sneered,
“Why did you run? I hadn’t even used my full strength, and already you fled in panic.”
Lina arched her brows,
“Pah, I only went easy on you because I saw your old bones nearly falling apart.”
The white-haired, extravagantly muscled elder puffed out his chest and grunted,
“This old man’s muscles are not for show.”
The other five elders were already stripping off robes and tossing away canes, ready to have it out with Lina.
“Elder, let’s first deal with Lina teaching secret techniques privately,” called a young woman with dark skin and fine features.
“Azi is the clever one,” the chief elder nodded, dropping the subject of the duel.
At once, the focus of the Strength Gu tribe and the elders returned to the matter at hand.
Everyone’s expression became sombre, faces blank as they looked at Lina and the outsiders.
Seeing this, Mu Nanzhi and Baiji felt a shiver of apprehension. These ‘honest and upright’ Gu warriors suddenly turned cold and murderous.
Even when they looked at their clanswoman Lina, their eyes were icy. It made Mu Nanzhi keenly aware of the severity of Strength Gu tribal law.
The chief elder asked gravely,
“Who is your apprentice?”
All eyes fell on Xu Qi’an, brimming with hostility.
Among this group of outsiders, there was a six- or seven-year-old girl, a delicate and pale woman, a fox, and a man.
Clearly, the so-called apprentice was this man. It did not require much intelligence for the tribe to deduce this.
Gu women travelling outside often got tricked or seduced by foreign men, then would, in a fit of passion for so-called love, betray the tribe, such stories were common.
For the Strength Gu, this was an easy deduction.
“Hmph, detestable. Central Plains men never come to a good end.”
“Just boil him up, we’ll all have a share.”
“Lina, you disappoint me. I was going to ask the chief for your hand.”
“What’s the point? Look how pale she is, no-one would want her. Hmph, to teach the chief’s secret arts to outsiders, and still have the nerve to bring a foreign man back.”
The crowd was in uproar.
Lina waved her hand,
“Lingyin, come here!”
Little Pea trotted forward on her short legs.
Lina pressed down on Little Pea’s head and said loudly,
“Great Elder, this is my disciple.”
The scolding and jeering around them suddenly stopped, the other elders seemed to already know. The Great Elder glanced at Xu Lingyin,
“What level is she at?”
Lina said, “Peak ninth rank. She could have advanced to eighth rank long ago, but I’ve held her back.”
The faces of the surrounding clansmen eased somewhat. It was just the most basic secret technique being taught, which was relatively acceptable, as before fourth rank, their secret techniques were often taught to slaves with good potential, nurturing them as battle slaves.
The Great Elder nodded slightly and said,
“Rules are rules. Passing our secret techniques to outsiders, especially someone from the Central Plains, is a grave taboo. Not even your father could cover for you. Lina, today the six of us are gathered here to reach a decision.”
After he spoke, the six elders gathered together, muttering in the Southern Marches dialect.
Xu Qi’an did not understand, but saw Lina’s face grow very unsightly.
A few minutes later, their discussion ended. The Great Elder slowly shook his head,
“There has never been a precedent of the shaman clans accepting someone from the Central Plains as a disciple, nor have the other six tribes done so. Our Strength Gu tribe cannot set such a precedent. Moreover, in the battle of Shanhai Pass back then, far too many of our people died at the hands of Central Plains experts.
“If our Strength Gu tribe takes in someone from the Central Plains as a disciple, the other six tribes will surely be displeased as well.
“So, this little girl has only two options. Either she stays among the shaman clans as a battle slave, or we destroy her Life Gu.
“As for you, ten thousand lashes, and six days without food.”
Six days without food… Lina’s face stiffened.
“What did he say?” Xu Qi’an asked Lina at his side.
“He said Lingyin must either stay among the shaman clans as a battle slave, or lose her Life Gu.”
Lina kept a composed face and explained,
“Battle slaves rarely live past thirty. The Life Gu is fused with one’s own life, removing it is a nine-in-ten chance of death.”
…Isn’t this exactly the sort of elder I expected! Xu Qi’an said,
“What do you plan to do?”
Although he thought Lina was unreliable, he still decided to ask for her opinion first, as this was her home turf.
“Actually, even if you hadn’t come to the Southern Marches, I’d have invited you sooner or later.”
Looking proud of her cleverness, Lina said, “In our Strength Gu tribe, rules are just rules. Power is the true creed.”
With that, she strode a few steps forward to stand between the six elders and her father, and spoke loudly,
“No, if you won’t allow me to take a disciple, then they can only return to the Central Plains. Lingyin will not stay in the tribe as a battle slave, nor will her Life Gu be destroyed.”
“Hmph, it’s not up to you.”
An elder began taking off his outer robe, indicating he was about to beat Lina.
Lina showed no fear at all, pointed at Xu Qi’an, and said,
“He is Lingyin’s big brother. If you want to deal with Lingyin, you’d better ask if he agrees first.”
Knowing how to pit tigers against wolves and seek backers, Lina had improved quite a bit during her time in the Central Plains. When she heard Xu Ningyan wanted to come to the Southern Marches and asked her to guide him here, she realised this was a chance for Lingyin to gain recognition from the tribe.
At her words, the six elders frowned and looked at Xu Qi’an.
The surrounding Strength Gu tribesmen also turned their heads, fixing him with curious, hostile, or friendly gazes.
The Great Elder frowned and stared at Xu Qi’an, “Who are you?”
Lina really is troublesome. Showing off in front of your own clansmen isn’t even impressive… Xu Qi’an stepped forward a few steps, face calm and smiling,
“I am Xu Qi’an, Silver Gong of the Great Feng.”
The Great Elder slowly shook his head, “I’ve never heard of you.”
Unknown nobody… The Strength Gu tribesmen all looked away, losing interest.
Do you not even have internet in this village? Xu Qi’an’s expression stiffened uncontrollably.
The Great Elder said indifferently, “Longtu, throw this lad aside. For Lina’s friend’s sake, we won’t kill him.”
As he finished, he realised Longtu hadn’t moved, but was staring deeply at the youth from the Central Plains, as if regarding an opponent who required his full attention.
The next moment, the Great Elder sensed a terrifying aura awakening behind him.
A mighty pressure, like a mountain crashing down, descended from the sky and shrouded every Strength Gu tribesman’s heart.
The Great Elder whipped around and saw a dazzling golden body, a blazing ring of fire burning behind its head, radiating intense heat.
Xu Qi’an slowly withdrew the sword-fingers resting between his brows and smiled,
“The Vajra Divine Skill, surely you recognise it?”
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