Grandpa, Just Take Him as a Disciple!

In Dingbo Province, inside the military camp's command tent. Clad in full military attire, Prince Dingyuan held a yellowed book, examining it closely with downcast eyes. Nearby, two chief directors stood silently, freezing their breath and not daring to make the slightest move for fear of disturbing this God-rank weapon wielder. The leader of the Blood Hand squinted, his posture somewhat languid and nonchalant compared to the two directors. After roughly a hundred breaths passed, Prince Dingyuan set down the book in his hands. "A'gui, how has Old Man Liu been lately?" Old Man Liu was the true master of the Liu family. He wielded the divine artifact Fusu, an implement of boundless, unending vitality, making him the most difficult to kill among the present Seven Gods of Rakshasa Country. Prince Dingyuan, on the other hand, ranked in the top three among the Seven Gods in terms of raw offensive power, and he was also an exceptional master of poison. "He has remained in secluded cultivation, not showing himself once over the past month. Some days ago, when the heavily wounded Qian Ran was delivered to the Liu family, he did not appear either." The Blood Hand leader's voice was calm. Seeing that Prince Dingyuan did not interrupt and seemed to want him to continue, he added, "According to my deductions, Old Man Liu... must be deeply poisoned. That is why he dares not show himself, lest he expose the truth of his condition." The two directors beside him chimed in at once. "Your Highness's mastery of poison is profound. In time, you are bound to slay a god and shake all of Qingshan with your awe!" Prince Dingyuan smiled faintly, his gaze turning profound. "Fusu is a divine artifact, after all. Even I do not know where its limits lie. Could Old Man Liu perhaps be dangling bait?" A God-rank weapon wielder could slaughter an army of ten thousand with ease. If two such figures clashed head-on, their battle would be enough to shatter mountains and rivers. Without absolute certainty, Prince Dingyuan would not act rashly. Cornering a God-rank weapon wielder and allowing him to escape would pose a lethal threat to Rakshasa Country. The Blood Hand leader lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness embodies the will of the imperial court, and the hearts of the realm's people belong to the imperial family. Your Highness represents the unstoppable tide of history. In this Dingbo Province, the Liu family's power will only wane day by day. Your Highness needs only to wait patiently, and Old Man Liu is bound to fall!" Hearing this, Prince Dingyuan let out a quiet sigh. "How could I not understand this truth? It is merely that... the time His Majesty granted me is running out. If Dingbo Province does not change masters within thirty years... the one stationed here to oversee it will no longer be me." Only thirty years remained of his tenure and term in Dingbo Province. If he failed to secure it during this period, this colossal merit would fall into someone else's hands. How could he accept that? Hearing his words, the two directors and the Blood Hand leader lowered their heads, daring not speak. Just then, an anxious voice suddenly came from outside the command tent. "Disaster!" A director of the Blood Hand rushed inside, failing even to announce his arrival. The Blood Hand leader's gaze narrowed, about to reprimand him with words like "Have you no decorum?" Yet Prince Dingyuan's expression remained tranquil, showing no hint of blame in his eyes. "What happened?" "The Blood Cloud Bandits were wiped out at the midnight hour last night!" Director Liu, who had rushed in to report, carried a trace of panic in his eyes. "The Blood Cloud Bandits were wiped out? Old Man Liu made a move?" Surprise flickered in Prince Dingyuan's eyes. Yet it was only surprise. "No..." A look of dread flashed across Director Liu's face. "According to the intelligence received, it was a hundred-meter-tall blood-red giant that destroyed the Blood Cloud Bandits!" "A hundred-meter-tall blood-red giant?" Prince Dingyuan was truly astonished this time. "A guiling?" "No." Director Liu looked grim as he truthfully recounted all the details he had gathered. Listening to Director Liu's report, fear flashed through Prince Dingyuan's eyes before being quickly replaced by a sharp edge. "Hmph! Playing the ghost and pulling cheap tricks. In this world... Divine Descent has long ceased to exist!" A terrifying aura surged from Prince Dingyuan. Even so, the tone of his voice still betrayed a sliver of dread. "This matter is bizarre. It must be... Old Man Liu stirring up trouble!" the Blood Hand leader hurriedly offered. According to Director Liu's description, obliterating the Blood Cloud Bandits in just two punches was beyond the capability of any Heaven-rank weapon wielder; it required at least a God-rank weapon wielder. Who else was a God-rank weapon wielder in these parts besides Old Man Liu? "Indeed! It must be that Liu Sheng causing trouble!" the other directors chimed in immediately. "He is merely vainly trying to invoke the name of Divine Descent to bewitch the masses and rebel against the imperial court!" Prince Dingyuan's gaze shifted repeatedly. He recalled the news sent from the imperial court not long ago. Divine Descent had supposedly awakened, and fragments seemed to have displayed divine miracles in the State of Ning. Diwu Wei had been dispatched to the State of Ning, and there was still no word on how that turned out. A hidden worry weighed heavily on his heart. Finally, he spoke: "Report the events here... in a memorial to His Majesty." Beside him, sensing Prince Dingyuan's anxiety, the Blood Hand leader lowered his voice and said, "In the great battle back then, Divine Descent perished. Even if it awakens... it likely possesses less than a tenth of its peak might. Your Highness could suppress it with a wave of your hand!" Prince Dingyuan narrowed his eyes. Recalling the scenes of the past, deep dread stirred within his pupils. There was something he kept to himself: even at a tenth of its power... he would be no match for it. Divine Descent... was the true god! A single divine artifact had once suppressed the entire imperial court until they could not even lift their heads! Anxiety churned in his heart. If... this was not Old Man Liu's plot, and Divine Descent had truly returned... what then? "I shall personally go to Blood Cloud Stockade to take a look!" Prince Dingyuan declared. That very day, he quietly disguised himself as a hunter and set off toward Blood Cloud Stockade. *** Dingbo Province. Liuye Commandery. Liu Chudong wore a lotus-leaf dress of vivid green, looking as delicate as a dragonfly. Li Fengzhi stood beside Liu Chudong, gazing at the Liu Family Manor with a respectful expression. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, an old man with white hair and a white beard stepped out. Seeing his approach, joy lit up Liu Chudong's face. "What did Grandpa say?" Li Fengzhi was an elder of the Council of Judgment. She had originally planned to leave this morning, but ultimately chose to stay and pay a visit to Liu Sheng. The old steward shook his head, looking helpless. "The ancestor is in secluded cultivation and will not receive outside guests." Thinking of this, the old steward felt thoroughly exasperated. This young miss really was... entirely devoid of common sense! The current situation in Dingbo Province was already complicated enough, with Prince Dingyuan eyeing them like a predator. Yet this young miss had boldly brought an elder from the rebel Council of Judgment straight to the ancestral estate. Was she afraid Prince Dingyuan lacked an excuse to make a move? A glimmer of disappointment flitted through Liu Chudong's eyes. As expected... Grandpa was still unwilling to meet. Hearing this, Li Fengzhi was likewise deeply disappointed. The current Council of Judgment faced internal strife and external threats, its room for survival shrinking by the day. Among the Seven Gods of Rakshasa, Liu Sheng was the only one the Council of Judgment had any chance of winning over. If they could secure Liu Sheng's support, life for the Council of Judgment would become vastly easier. Now, Liu Sheng was unwilling even to grant an audience; his attitude was readily apparent. "Chudong, it's quite all right." Li Fengzhi smiled warmly, her demeanor gentle. Liu Chudong felt even more crestfallen. "Come, it is still early. You can go see if that young lad from the State of Ning has returned. You might as well ask him about matters in the State of Ning," Li Fengzhi suggested, returning kindness with kindness. Seeing this, Liu Chudong perked up again. "Big Brother Qi..." Before she could finish her sentence, the old steward's voice suddenly called out. "The ancestor says you may enter." Liu Chudong froze, and ecstatic joy burst onto her face. "Grandpa changed his mind?" Li Fengzhi was pleasantly surprised, though her surprise was laced with bewilderment. Why had Liu Sheng, a God-rank weapon wielder, abruptly changed his mind? She could not fathom it. Nevertheless, being able to meet a God-rank weapon wielder was an extraordinary opportunity. "Come, let's go see Grandpa!" Liu Chudong beamed with delight. However, upon reaching the depths of the manor, Liu Chudong was held back outside, allowing Li Fengzhi to meet Liu Sheng alone. She could only wait quietly outside, chatting casually with Sister Qian Ran. Roughly an hour later, Li Fengzhi emerged from the courtyard with a radiant smile, clearly having reaped tremendous gains from the conversation. Indeed, the harvest was bountiful. Liu Sheng had actually agreed to provide material support and grant the Council of Judgment shelter within Dingbo Province. In return, the Council of Judgment would aid the Liu family in dealing with the Blood Hand. For the Council of Judgment, this was undoubtedly a marvelous, joyous development. "Chudong, your grandfather is calling for you inside," Li Fengzhi said happily, her tone gentler than ever. Liu Chudong blinked in surprise and hurried into the courtyard. Passing through a bamboo grove and crossing a small stream, Liu Chudong came to a halt inside a pavilion. The courtyard was vast and brimming with the vitality of the wood element. Various bamboos, trees, and flowering plants decorated the grounds; even in autumn, there was no sign of yellowing, only tender green flourishing everywhere. "Grandpa," Liu Chudong called out crisply, in high spirits. Inside the pavilion sat a white-haired elder with a long beard tied off with a knot at the bottom, lending him a remarkably kindly appearance. Upon the low table rested a painting. The ink on it was not yet dry, clearly completed just moments ago. "Grandpa, what are you painting?" Liu Chudong leaned in, studying the scroll with curiosity. "The monster depicted here... looks quite formidable!" Liu Chudong offered her assessment. She was not without social grace. The painting depicted a titan that seemed a hundred meters tall, clad entirely in blood-red armor, its eyes burning with murderous intent, appearing for all the world like a reaper from the netherworld. Yet through her grandfather's brushstrokes, she could sense his admiration for this monstrous figure. Naturally, she ought to praise it and sweeten her words. "Haha, just some idle amusement," Liu Sheng said casually, though the delight in his eyes could hardly be concealed. Just moments ago, he had received word that the Blood Cloud Bandits had been obliterated. Such news was certainly worthy of draining a large cup of wine in celebration. Yet upon hearing the specific details, he felt that a single cup was nowhere near enough. In particular, his conversation with Li Fengzhi had yielded even more particulars regarding the State of Ning. Above all, the awakening of Divine Descent several months ago seemed not to be mere rumor, but a genuine reality. Did this mean... Divine Descent was truly awakening? Could the one who destroyed the Blood Cloud Bandits be none other than the legendary... Divine Descent? If Divine Descent was truly still alive, the entire situation in Dingbo Province would undergo a tectonic shift. He would no longer have to suffer being eroded away bit by bit by the imperial family. If one were to ask who in this world wished most for Divine Descent's return—aside from the Council of Judgment and the common folk at the bottom who still remembered Divine Descent—it was likely him. "Grandpa is in a fine mood today. If you have any wish, speak freely," Liu Sheng said, his face alight with joy. Naturally, there was an unspoken boundary: nothing too excessive. Though this granddaughter of his was not the sharpest, she possessed enough tact to know where to draw the line. Hearing this, Liu Chudong's eyes rolled playfully. "Grandpa, don't you lack an apprentice? I recently made friends with someone. He is exceptionally kind and looks very refined. Would you like to take him as your disciple?" To alter her grandfather's thinking and perspective, relying on herself alone was insufficient. Therefore, she had resolved to join forces with Qi Yuan to change her grandfather together. See? Your granddaughter belongs to Trial, and your disciple belongs to Trial—how could you still refuse to support Trial? Liu Sheng chuckled. "I am getting old; I no longer take disciples." He saw right through his granddaughter's little scheme. "Grandpa!" Liu Chudong pouted in dissatisfaction. "Taking a disciple is no trivial matter. If it were to hinder your friend, your grandfather could not bear the responsibility," Liu Sheng said. "He was originally an outsider to this game. If he becomes my disciple, he will be drawn right into the board, and it would likely... drag him down." Liu Chudong paused. She knew further insistence would be futile; her grandfather would not take this disciple. "What a pity. I think he is very talented. After all, he hails from a small state, and it wasn't easy for him to walk out of that country and reach Rakshasa Country," Liu Chudong remarked with a hint of sympathy in her voice. The State of Ning and Rakshasa Country were separated by a vast sea, a journey fraught with immense distance, rampant bandits, and pirates. Without considerable strength, crossing the ocean to reach Rakshasa Country was nearly impossible. Hearing this, Liu Sheng raised an eyebrow, feeling a strange premonition. "Which small country did he come from?" "The State of Ning, the very country where Sister Qian Ran was," Liu Chudong answered earnestly. "What?" Liu Sheng's gaze shifted abruptly, his entire body freezing. "Grandpa? Is something wrong with him?" Liu Chudong asked in astonishment. "No..." Liu Sheng shook his head, his gaze turning profound. Arriving from the State of Ning to Rakshasa Country during this exact period... And right upon his arrival, the Blood Cloud Bandits were wiped out, accompanied by the descent of Divine Descent. Was there a connection between the two? Or could it be that he... had by chance obtained a fragment of Divine Descent and brought Divine Descent into Rakshasa Country? "Grandpa, if there's any problem with him, I can bring him over to see you. You'll know the moment you lay eyes on him," Liu Chudong said earnestly upon seeing her grandfather's solemn expression. Although she trusted Big Brother Qi immensely, she still understood priorities. Big Brother Qi, whom she had known for only a few days, was naturally not as important as her grandfather, and she trusted her grandfather far more. "No need." Liu Sheng shook his head. Something occurred to him, and he murmured softly, "I have yet to visit Trial..." "Grandpa, you know about it!" Liu Chudong covered her mouth in shock. "Fusu possesses a spirit that can sense those with wicked intentions. I shall bring Fusu along to help vet things for you, to see whether there are ill-intentioned scoundrels lurking within Trial." Liu Sheng smiled, his gaze deep. His thoughts stretched far beyond what he let on. *** "So sleepy." Qi Yuan yawned, his face pale and etched with fatigue. He was, after all, merely a Heaven-rank weapon wielder. Wiping out the Blood Cloud Bandits with such thunderous force had certainly looked magnificent, but the toll it took on him was tremendous. Still, to properly role-play Divine Descent, one had to be magnificent, had to be overwhelmingly domineering. Now, his role-play assimilation rate for Divine Descent was climbing steadily, which he felt made it well worth the cost. Once he reached a certain threshold, he would receive another boon from Divine Descent, perhaps boosting his strength considerably. "Young Master, would you like a steamed bun?" Chen Kangbao held up a steamed bun, looking at him with concern. Qi Yuan shook his head. "I need to sleep. While I am asleep, let no one disturb me." Having said that, Qi Yuan returned to his room and collapsed into bed, falling straight to sleep. He had not even bothered to wash up. Last night, he had not only annihilated the Blood Cloud Bandits' headquarters, but had also flattened their other strongholds, expending a vast amount of energy. He fell asleep the instant he hit the bed, his breathing falling into an even rhythm. Upon the bed, Xiao Jia snuggled close against Qi Yuan, her cool sleeve holding his hand. If Xiao Jia possessed a face, her expression at this moment would surely be exceptionally focused and tender.