Chapter 254 (4): Sincerity Can be Just as Moving as it Can be Hurtful

Fu Chunhua's face instantly turned deathly pale. She was horrified that her father would misconstrue her intentions and think that she was trying to foil her brother's plans.

Fu Qi smiled as he reassured, "There's no need to be nervous, I'm well aware of your personality. Sun Jiashu has chosen to place his bets on Chen Ping'an on this occasion in order to test our Fu Clan, and I'm guessing that he's eagerly looking forward to seeing us take action against him.

“If we do try to intimidate him, he'll immediately return to the Sun Clan's ancestral manor, putting on a pitiable display as if he were being oppressed by our Fu Clan. That Golden Core Tier Qi refiner only decided to offer his services to the Sun Clan as he was indebted to them, so if we were to exert any pressure on Sun Jiashu now, he would never make the decision to defect to our Fu Clan."

"Is Sun Jiashu not worried that we'll kill that boy?" Fu Chunhua asked.

Fu Qi looked up at the sky as he replied, "It's understandable that you would think this way. Only if you manage to inherit the Old Dragon Robe someday will you have the opportunity to know some of the things that are truly going on up there."

Fu Chunhua looked up at the sea of clouds overhead upon hearing this.

"Even higher than that," Fu Qi said with a smile.

A hint of longing appeared in Fu Chunhua's eyes as she attempted to peer through the sea of clouds.

Prior to reaching the Golden Core Tier, everyone was under the impression that the Golden Core Tier was the pinnacle of cultivation, but only after reaching that tier would one realize that it was actually only halfway up the mountain of cultivation.

"Compared with the Sun Clan and Sun Jiashu, our Fu Clan and I are more decisive," Fu Qi suddenly said. "Right now, I need to leave Old Dragon City to meet with a few esteemed guests that have come from the north. Go to Nanhua and tell him that Chen Ping'an is currently staying in the Sun Clan's ancestral residence.

“I want to see what choice he makes in response to this information, and that will decide whether he'll become the city lord of Old Dragon City. Of course, it'll also determine whether you still have any chance of inheriting the Old Dragon Robe. I hope that by the time I return to Old Dragon City, the correct decision will have already been made. You can take the carriage back to the city."

Fu Chunhua did as she was told, while Fu Qi sprang up into the sky, rising gracefully up into the sea of clouds overhead before setting off toward the north.

Fu Chunhua didn't have the time to ponder who those esteemed guests could be to warrant a personal reception from the city lord of Old Dragon City. Instead, as she entered the carriage, she began to consider how she should proceed to maximize her own interests, as well as to ponder what decision Fu Nanhua was going to make.

The more she pondered this conundrum, the more muddled her thoughts became. No matter what she did, she felt like she could reap some benefits, but ultimately, she would still end up very far from the best-case scenario that she had envisioned.

Even as she arrived at Fu Nanhua's private residence, she still hadn't come to any conclusive decision, so she could only carefully relay Fu Qi's message to Fu Nanhua, while removing some parts and adding others.

Fu Nanhua naturally wasn't going to fully believe her, but he knew that there was also no way that Fu Chunhua would dare to completely fabricate a message from Fu Qi. After listening to what Fu Chunhua had to say, Fu Nanhua stood up from his chair, and he was just about to begin pacing, a habit that he had developed whenever he had to think about something, when he suddenly sat back down as he declared, "I've made my decision. Chen Ping'an has to die!"

Fu Chunhua smiled as she said, "Shopkeeper Zheng of the Dust Medicinal Shop is a martial artist who's at least at the pinnacle of the seventh tier, and he could even be at the eighth tier. He has very close ties with the Fu Clan, and on top of that, the Sun Clan also has a Nascent Tier patriarch and three other Golden Core Tier guest elders.

“They don't need to do anything unless the Sun Clan's ancestral residence is under threat, but if push comes to shove, I think Superior Grandmaster will most likely be able to convince those three to intervene, and that's still not even taking into account all of the Sun Clan's other guest elders in the inner city. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider, Nanhua?"

"The only thing I'm considering right now is how to kill Chen Ping'an at as little a cost as possible to myself," Fu Nanhua replied with a cold expression.

"Your wedding is coming up soon, are you not afraid that something will go wrong right on the cusp of such an important occasion? Additionally, that boy came from Jewel Small World, so he's technically a citizen of the Great Li Empire. Are you not worried that killing him will tarnish the image of our Fu Clan in the eyes of the Great Li Empire's emperor?" Fu Chunhua asked.

Fu Nanhua offered no response to this.

"Have a long, hard think about this, Fu Nanhua," Fu Chunhua said as her smile widened. "By telling you all of this, am I hoping that you'll lash out at Chen Ping'an, or am I hoping that you'll stay your hand?"

Fu Nanhua continued to remain silent.

As the silence continued, the smile on Fu Chunhua's face gradually faded until it disappeared altogether, and a cold look appeared in her eyes as she scrutinized Fu Nanhua, the useless piece of trash who had only managed to reach the sixth tier even after wasting an unfathomable amount of resources from the clan.

How dare he even consider himself a possible heir to their father's position as city lord? What right did he have to compete against her and Fu Donghai, a pair of Golden Core Tier Qi refiners, for inheritance of the Old Dragon Robe?

Fu Nanhua slowly rose to his feet in a smooth and graceful fashion, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Fu Chunhua, our mother isn't the only one who knows about all of the putrid things going on between you and Fu Donghai. I'm very curious, do you know about the filthy dealings between Fu Donghai and your personal maidservant?"

"My good little brother, you'll surely be well looked after once Fu Donghai or I become the city lord," Fu Chunhua said with a smile.

Fu Nanhua seemed to be completely oblivious to Fu Chunhua's thinly veiled threat as he said, "Before that, we have to work together as siblings to devise a plan to kill Chen Ping'an, don't we? After all, you have no idea what our father is thinking right now, and you don't know whether this decision of mine is getting you closer to inheriting the position of clan leader or pushing you further away.

“Not only is this a test for me, it's just as much as a test for you, so you have to be careful with how you proceed, my good sister."

Fu Chunhua's eyes narrowed slightly as a cold look appeared on her face.

Fu Nanhua rose to his feet, then cast his gaze toward the entrance of his private residence as he mused internally,

Sun Jiashu, are you really going to sacrifice Chen Ping'an just for a Nascent Tier Qi refiner? Is that really a worthy trade? Or could it be...

Fu Nanhua shook his head to rid himself of that train of thought. Sun Jiashu wasn't a madman, so there was no way that was possible.

... But what if?

Only in this moment did Fu Nanhua truly begin to hesitate, and a hint of agitation welled up in his heart.

Fu Chunhua had watched this little brother of hers grow up his entire life, but he suddenly felt extremely unfamiliar to him, and for the first time, a sense of foreboding welled up in her heart toward her previously unremarkable and innocuous little brother.

————

After Fu Qi flew out of the city, he stopped in his tracks high up in the sky, then descended upon a ship that had come from Parasol Tree Mountain of the Great Li Empire.

On the ship was a Mohist swordsman by the name of Xu Ruo with a sword slung across his back, and the old flood dragon who was an assistant mountain master of Forest Deer Academy.

With these two on the ship, it would definitely be safe even on a trip to Stalactite Mountain.

The two of them were tasked with protecting a young boy and a young girl. Strictly speaking, only the former was truly under their protection, and it was none other than Prince Song Mu of the Great Li Empire.

The young girl's name was Zhi Gui, and she was trailing along behind Song Mu in an obedient and docile fashion. The entire time, she didn't take even a single glance at Fu Qi, who wasn't wearing his Old Dragon Robe. On top of that, he hadn't declared who he was, and he was currently standing on the ship, engaged in some small talk with Song Jixin Xu Ruo, so perhaps he had failed to recognize him.

The ship passed straight through the sea of clouds above Old Dragon City before landing in the Fu city.

After arranging places to stay for these esteemed guests from the Great Li Empire, Fu Qi arrived at Fu Nanhua's private manor to find that he was leaning against a Coiling Dragon Pillar with a dazed and dispirited look on his face.

"Why do you look so glum?" Fu Qi asked.

Fu Nanhua turned to his father as he replied, "I've been thinking about many things, but no matter what decision I make, it all seems to be wrong. The Fu Clan, Old Dragon City, the Great Li Empire, Jewel Small World, Sun Jiashu, Fu Donghai, Fu Chunhua...."

A smile suddenly appeared on Fu Qi's face as he asked, "Are you aware that no matter what decision you make, you are guaranteed to become the next city lord of Old Dragon City?"

Fu Nanhua was completely taken aback to hear this.

All of a sudden, Fu Qi turned to the side before lowering his head, as if he were welcoming an extremely important guest.

A young girl made her way into the hall while greedily sucking in Dragon Qi without any reservation. She was looking slightly inebriated as she sat down onto a chair, then raised her hands and clapped.

A dragon robe emerged behind her alongside a cloud of mist, as if the robe were being cleansed by a cloud of water vapor.

She rose to her feet, and the dragon robe draped itself over her, while the nine golden dragons in the sea of clouds embroidered onto the robe began to roam over its surface in an extremely life-like fashion.

She kicked off her boots before sitting back down onto the chair with her legs crossed, and the severely oversized dragon robe was looking rather comical on her. Her face was puckered with indignation as he sighed, "It's been really hard work pretending that I'm just a powerless little girl even after the restrictions of Jewel Small World are gone.

“I suppose it can't be helped, there are still some people that I'm no match for at the moment. That stupid Daoist priest, Ruan Qiong, Song Changjing, the leader of Mohism, Sword Immortal Xu Ruo... There are almost too many of them to count.

“Forget it, thinking about them is only making me even more depressed. This is a far better place than Jewel Small World. As expected of such a great place. Even after so many years, your Fu Clan has done very well to preserve so much Dragon Qi. You'll be rewarded handsomely for your efforts!"

Fu Nanhua turned to the familiar young girl, then turned to look at his father, who was standing off to the side with a calm expression, and finally, his gaze landed on the Old Dragon Robe draped over the girl's petite body.

He had almost gone insane once before, but this time, he felt as if he were truly going insane.

Zhi Gui took a glance at her surrounding as she continued, "I had to endure many indignities to come here, but the biggest of all of these indignities that is that I was only able to make it here smoothly because that stinky Daoist priest allowed it to be so..."

All of a sudden, she stabbed a finger in Fu Nanhua's direction as she said in a scathing voice, "You pathetic little ant! I hear that you don't even dare to kill Chen Ping'an! You're not even worthy of the... What's your clan's surname again?"

"We are the Fu Clan, Young Mistress," Fu Qi replied in a respectful manner.

Zhi Gui suddenly became completely deflated as she laid back against the chair, snuggled up inside the Old Dragon Robe as if it were an oversized blanket.

Fu Nanhua felt as if he were on the verge of losing his sanity.

Zhi Gui glanced down at the Old Dragon Robe as she remarked, "This robe is quite nice. As expected of something that's harnessed the Qi and essence of nine past emperors of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Having said that, the sea of clouds embroidered on the robe is a little lackluster."

As she made this final remark, her golden eyes lit up with a hint of intrigue.

Fu Qi seemed to be able to see what Zhi Gui was thinking, and a wry smile appeared on his face as he said, "Young Mistress, the sea of clouds above the city can't be withdrawn into the Old Dragon Robe for now. Otherwise, it'll attract too much attention, and someone could realize that something's amiss."

"I know, I know," Zhi Gui sighed in response, following which she closed her eyes in a drunken manner. "Now that I'm here, I really don't want to move again."

All of a sudden, she jumped down from the chair, and the Old Dragon Robe, which had appeared like an oversized blanket just a moment ago, suddenly fit her perfectly. She was standing in the hall while looking outside, seemingly rather hesitant about something.

————

Over at the Sun Clan's ancestral residence, a wry smile appeared on the face of the Nascent Tier patriarch upon hearing Sun Jiashu's plan, and he asked, "Is that really worth it? Are you not afraid that after this battle, our Sun Clan will fall from its pedestal and be completely devoured by the Fu Clan and the other four major plans?"

Sun Jiashu's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Not at all. The only thing that I regret is that our Sun Clan doesn't have more for me to gamble with. Otherwise, I'd raise the stakes even higher."

The Sun Clan patriarch was silent for a long while before asking, "What if that boy finds out about our Sun Clan's intentions?"

A determined look appeared in Sun Jiashu's eyes as he replied, "He won't find out, and even if he does, it still doesn't change the fact that our Sun Clan has made a huge sacrifice for him, and I'm certain that we'll be repaid for the sacrifices that we've made."

"Is it really the right idea to be making such a radical move?" the Sun Clan patriarch asked. "Can't you emulate what that boy did in his breakthrough to the fourth tier, waiting for everything to fall into place naturally on their own?"

"If I were representing only myself, of course I could wait, but the state of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent and the world at large can't!" Sun Jiashu replied with a shake of his head.

The Sun Clan patriarch could only heave a faint sigh, and he made no further attempt at persuasion.

After that, Chen Ping'an returned to the Sun Clan's ancestral residence from the inner city, and a period of peace followed.

As usual, Sun Jiashu continued to pay occasional visits to the ancestral residence, and each time he did so, he would stay for a night, following which he would propose a bet to the three Golden Core Tier guest elders.

The first bet was for one grain rain coin, the second was for two, the third was for four, and the fourth bet was for eight grain rain coins.

In the end, Sun Jiashu lost all four bets, following which he proposed no further bets.

As for Chen Ping'an, he would continue to go night fishing at the river every single day, waiting for the sun to rise.

On the 20th day that Chen Ping'an was staying at the Sun Clan's ancestral residence, Sun Jiashu was seated in a deep sleep in accordance with a Daoist meditation technique when he heard Chen Ping'an yell out from afar, "Sun Jiashu, look!"

Sun Jiashu immediately rose to his feet, and without even putting on his boots, he rushed over to the window to look up at the sky.

Around a dozen golden flood dragons were descending from the clouds in the east, and once again, they were beaten by Chen Ping'an without any hesitation, even though he had already been told that this was an opportunity that was not to be squandered.

In this instant, Sun Jiashu could only look on in a complete daze, and his Dao Heart very nearly collapsed.

Fortunately, the Sun Clan patriarch hurriedly arrived by his side, then pressed a hand firmly down onto his shoulder as he consoled, "There's no need to be so distraught, Jiashu. The cashew tree is an evergreen tree that thrives in all seasons, but a person cannot expect to thrive at all times. It's for a day like this that you were given this name." [1]

"I was so close," Sun Jiashu murmured to himself with a deathly pale complexion.

Even though his mental state was returning to stability, he was still feeling completely distraught, as if he had lost an entire Old Dragon City.

————

In the inner city of Old Dragon City, Zheng Dafeng took a glance at the rising sun in the east while standing in the alley outside the Dust Medicinal Shop. All of a sudden, he pulled out his book, then flipped it to a certain page before reading the Chapter of Sincerity to himself in silence.

After the phenomenon of golden flood dragons faded, Zheng Dafeng destroyed the book at once, leaving no trace of it behind, then made his way back into the alley with a sullen look on his face as he mused, "I was wrong all this time... He's my Dao mentor..."

1. Jiashu (嘉树) translates to cashew tree. ☜