sonovelo Chapter 639: A Minor Arrangement
Chapter 639: A Minor Arrangement
Chapter 639: A Minor Arrangement
Feng Chaoyang left in a rather awkward state.
...
When Feng Chaoyang saw Chu Liang, his pupils trembled momentarily. As the youngest Cavalry Commander[1]of the Celestial King Sect, he didn't believe in superstitions like ghosts, but in that first instant, he did scrutinize closely to see if it was an illusion.
After all, Jiang Yuebai was skilled in creating illusions—maybe she had conjured up a fake Chu Liang to trick him.
But when he focused his divine sense to examine further, it became clear that Chu Liang was indeed standing there, alive and real.
A broad smile lit up Feng Chaoyang's face as he exclaimed, "You're actually alive!"
"I hope that smile isn't just for show," Chu Liang replied with a chuckle.
"You underestimate me," Feng Chaoyang said, patting his chest confidently. "Even if we're love rivals, I wouldn't hold a grudge. Six years ago, I decided that in this world, only you and I are true heroes. That belief hasn't changed."
"That's quite the compliment you've given yourself," Chu Liang sneered as he walked over to stand beside Jiang Yuebai.
"What?" Feng Chaoyang raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm not worthy of being called a hero alongside you?"
"I meant the part about being my love rival," Chu Liang said ruthlessly. "From the very start, you've barely been a pebble on the road of Jiang Yuebai and me falling in love... Honestly, you're not even a pebble. At best, you're a decorative potted plant along the way."
"You..." Feng Chaoyang's chest rose and fell with frustration as he raised a finger, only to let it drop. "Fine, since it's been so many years since we last met, I'll let it slide."
"I won't hold it against you either," Chu Liang replied calmly. "So, why are you here?"
Feng Chaoyang glanced around warily before answering, "We got word that Thunderbolt Stronghold might be planning to come here to collect tamed beasts. We arrived early to set up an ambush."
"Oh?" Chu Liang raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jiang Yuebai.
Jiang Yuebai said, "A lot has happened over the years, some of which you don't know about."
With that, she briefly explained to Chu Liang the ongoing tensions and conflicts between the Celestial King Sect and Thunderbolt Stronghold.
Chu Liang only knew that Feng Chaoyang and Wei Tiandi of Thunderbolt Stronghold had a long-standing grudge, which had once escalated into a fierce, earth-shaking battle.
What he hadn't known, however, was how deeply that enmity had grown since then.
The Celestial King Sect was based in the Western Continent of the Yu Dynasty, while Thunderbolt Stronghold operated in Jiangnan. Since the two sects were geographically distant and their spheres of influence rarely overlapped, they seldom crossed paths. However, four years ago, an event of significant consequence changed that.
Du Wuhen from Thunderbolt Stronghold had a chance encounter with a disciple of the Celestial King Sect in a hidden realm. During the fight, he accidentally killed the disciple.
The Celestial King Sect was part of the Divine Nine, while Thunderbolt Stronghold belonged to the Terrestrial Ten. No matter how domineering the Thunderbolt Stronghold was with the other sects in the Terrestrial Ten, it remained a faction ranked below the sects in the Divine Nine.
Whenever conflicts arose between the disciples, the elders from both sects would usually turn a blind eye. After all, young people tend to be hot-headed, and these clashes often led to back-and-forth retaliation without escalating further.
However, with a murder involved, the situation escalated beyond mere squabbles, turning into a serious conflict.
The Celestial King Sect immediately responded with fury.
Within their sect, aside from the younger generation of disciples, the senior members were given titles based on their positions in the General's Supreme Constellation Disc.
Apart from the rank of King in the Purple Forbidden Palace[2], held by the sect leader, the second-ranking position, Heavenly Strategist[3], led dozens of members at the rank of General in a devastating campaign against Thunderbolt Stronghold, overwhelming their defenses with sheer force.
Thunderbolt Stronghold, despite being one of the top factions within the Terrestrial Ten, lasted less than an hour under the Celestial King Sect's relentless attack. The assault ended with their mountain gates breached, leaving two elders and over a dozen disciples dead.
It had been years since sects in the world of immortality cultivation clashed in open battle, and this battle served as a sharp reminder of the immense gap in power between the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten.
Typically, this would be the time for geographically close sects in the Divine Nine to step in and mediate.
Among the Divine Nine, aside from the Heavenly Cloud Monastery, which was located high in the sky, the other eight sects were distributed evenly across the four regions.
The Eastern Regions were home to the Penglai Supreme Sect and the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals; the Southern Regions housed the Great Astral Sect and the Mount Shu Sect; the Western Regions were overseen by the Celestial King Sect and the Celestial Pivot Pavilion; and the Northern Regions were the domain of the Greater-Yin Cult and the Endless Sword Sect.
Sects within the Divine Nine that were geographically close often formed stronger connections and collaborated to maintain order and stability in their regions. However, despite Thunderbolt Stronghold being located in the Southern Regions, its ties with the two Divine Nine sects in the area were notably weak.
First, the Great Astral Sect had close ties with the Celestial King Sect and naturally wouldn't step in to mediate.
"Hmm?" Chu Liang turned back to look at him.
Feng Chaoyang hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you have time, you should visit the Great Astral Sect. They've been searching everywhere for you these past years, putting in as much effort as Mount Shu. They'll be thrilled to know you're back."
My brothers from the Great Astral Sect...
Chu Liang felt a warmth in his heart and immediately smiled. "I will."
With that, he and Jiang Yuebai flew away side by side, their figures gradually disappearing into the night sky.
Feng Chaoyang watched their retreating silhouettes and, for some reason, found the night wind unusually chilly.
Even surrounded by more than a dozen fellow disciples, an inexplicable sense of loneliness crept over him.
...
The next day, the Fifth Young Master brought along two other youths to the enclosure.
Unlike the clumsy Rampaging Devil Bull, the Fierce Draconic Colt, which already had such a high cultivation level in its youth, could potentially reach the peak of the sixth realm or even the seventh realm as an adult. It was an exceedingly rare asset within the Lei Family.
The head of the Lei Family had entrusted the Fierce Draconic Colt to Lei Hou early on, and now that the creature was properly tamed, Lei Hou naturally wanted to flaunt his achievement.
Chu Liang had already done his homework and found out that the Lei Family had three children born around the time they relocated to the Cliffhold Bastion: Fourth Young Lady Lei Guan, Fifth Young Master Lei Hou, and Sixth Young Master Lei Pi.
Being close in age, the three spent much of their time together, forming a tight-knit bond. And today, Lei Hou only invited them.
Over the years, the details had become hazy, but one thing was certain: one of these three carried the piece of the Divine Ruins' scroll tattooed on their back.
When Steward Wang escorted the young masters and young lady to the enclosure, he saw Chu Liang already standing there respectfully, greeting them with a smile.
The Fierce Draconic Colt stood obediently within the garden, already outfitted with full armor and a saddle, stretching its four hooves in preparation.
"You've done well," Lei Hou praised.
"Where did all of this come from?" Steward Wang asked, his face filled with confusion.
This kid had never asked him for money. Did he spend his own money?
"Yesterday, when Steward Wang was injured and went to rest in the afternoon, I took the opportunity to make some minor arrangements," Chu Liang replied with a smile.
"Heh, not bad," Lei Pi, who bore some resemblance to Lei Hou but was leaner and more refined in appearance, said. Looking at the Fierce Draconic Colt, he voiced some concern, "But riding it still seems dangerous."
"It'll be fine," Lei Hou replied. "We'll just do a small tour around the garden to test it out."
At this, Chu Liang stepped forward, opened the enclosure gate, and gestured toward the area. "Young masters and miss, I've prepared a three-loop track within the garden, designed with varying terrains and obstacles to provide an exceptional test riding experience."
Following his gesture, they saw that a winding path had indeed been created within the garden. Space in the garden was limited, so this maximized the length of the track. Along the flat road were rocky outcrops, dense forests, cascading waterfalls, and flaming iron pillars at intervals.
"You've put in quite the effort," Fourth Young Lady Lei Guan said, clapping her hands in admiration.
She was the tallest of the three siblings, with a slender, graceful figure. Her long hair was tied up, and her fitted outfit exuded a heroic charm.
The three siblings, unaware of the details, simply assumed their subordinate had been particularly thoughtful.
Steward Wang, however, was stunned.
Normally, constructing something like this would take at least ten days, require dozens of workers, and cost a thousand or so taels of silver—and that was just the actual expense; the reported cost would have been double.
But how long had it been?
He asked in shock, "When did you do this?"
Chu Liang replied with a smile, "Yesterday afternoon, when Steward Wang went to rest, I took the opportunity to make some minor arrangements."
1. A title in the General's Supreme Constellation Disc. ☜
2. This title is associated with the Purple Forbidden Enclosure in traditional Chinese astronomy, linked to the North Star and the palace of the Great Emperor of Heaven in Daoism. Reference Link. ☜
3. 天策 (Tian Ce) refers to a star in Chinese astronomy associated with Fu Yue, a prime minister during the Shang Dynasty. After his death, Fu Yue was mythologically said to have ascended to the heavens and become linked with the Tian Ce Star, symbolizing guidance and strategy, hence the translation of this ranking as Heavenly Strategist. ☜