Chapter 254: Two Main Ingredients
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yun Yang could identify the one in Qiu Yunsan’s embrace with just one glance.
It was indeed an eighth level ace mystical beast – undeniably so.
Oddly enough, the tiny mystical beast’s nose seemed to be bigger than its face. This eighth level ace mystical beast’s name was Three-eye Boar!
The name was literal, of course. The heritage of this mystical offspring was a wild boar – one that had three eyes.
It was said that before the third eye opened, the combat power of Three-eye Boars was negligible. Except for the high level mystical beasts, they would not be much stronger than ordinary wild boars of the same size; at most, their furious charging might be very powerful!
However, the ray that shot from the third eye once it opened could kill a ninth peak mystical cultivator within seconds – an impressive feat indeed.
However, the third eye would only open when the boar had grown into adulthood.
Therefore, Three-eye Boars were considered as rather useless eighth level mystical beasts that could kill a more advanced level enemy! Other than that, Three-eye Boars were no different from ordinary pigs – gluttonous and lazy with thunderous snores.
The corners of Yun Yang’s lips twitched; obviously, he was not fond of such useless beasts. After all, a very long time was needed for Three-eye Boars to enter adulthood. It was not as long as Thousand Illusion Monkeys that needed between seventy to eighty years of growth but they did require at least thirty years; it was simply too hard for them to be useful!
Yun Yang was more interested in something else about the Three-eye Boar though – Three-eye Boar meat was a rare delicacy!
What surprised Yun Yang instead was how the Qiu Family had acquired this young Three-eye Boar. It was already an arduous task to catch a mystical beast alive, even harder to seize a young cub!
Mystical cultivators could kill mystical beasts of course. However, mystical beasts in their incubation period would usually kill their own offspring before they died; they would rather kill their babies themselves than for their babies to become slaves to humans. The higher the level of the mystical beast, the more common was this practice.
The reason Yun Yang was puzzled was also due to the characteristics of the Three-eye Boars. Adult Three-eye Boars had ray of death that could kill mystical cultivators. It would be difficult to obtain a Three-eye Boar cub without paying a substantial price; the casualties of several ninth peak cultivators would be imminent. Even when the cub was caught successfully, a long period of time was needed to bring it up to adulthood. It was only by then that Three-eye Boars could bring its unique combat power into play, but the proportion of the return against the effort was barely justified – a smart person would not have opted for it.
Yun Yang was doubtful but he did not show it. Scanning the Third-eye Boar, he sighed at its small size – there were less than two catties of meat on its frame.
Let’s see when it grows up some more.
If the Qiu Family knew that the mystical beast offspring that they had gotten their hands on so arduously had actually become a high-graded ingredient in Yun Yang’s eyes… what would they have felt?
Yun Yang shifted his glance to the eighth level pinnacle mystical beast in Xia Bingchuan’s arms.
This cub’s level was half a grade higher than Qiu Yunsan’s eighth level ace Three-eye Boar but it was tastier than the Three-eye Boar! Here, the cub was a Greedy Bear, also known as a Ten Thousand Catty Bear!
The name was supposed to be the precursor of what the bear would become – not unlike its name, this bear mystical beast was famous for being able to provide a generous meal. It was nothing extraordinary for these bears to grow up to seven or eight thousand catties when they were full-grown; they could easily go up to tens of thousands catties as well. As for the innate talent of such bears, it was their strength that was immense!
There did not seem to be a conclusion of how strong a Greedy Bear could be; it was most probable that the more it ate, the more powerful it would be.
Due to its large size, its combat skill against the enemy was a direct strike with its paw.
No matter what kind of enemy it met, it would attack with swipes of its massive paws. The strength contained could destroy mountains and crack the ground. A Herculean effort indeed!
Therefore, these bears had paws with a famed nickname – Grisly Palm of Paw!
A Ten Thousand Catty Bears had another characteristic; if three consecutive strikes could not knock its opponent out, it would turn to flee without any exception.
It was not that it was afraid of the enemy but it was a change of strategy because all of its strength was only sufficient for three paw strikes!
After three strikes, it could only recover after a large amount of feeding.
The Greedy Bears then had another derogatory nickname – Three-Slap Bear!
The power of the three slaps was a Herculean factor; a slap from a Greedy Bear of ten thousand catties’ could fling a small mountain away.
The problem now was – what sort of enemy would stay stationary for you to slap them? Besides, if a Three-Slap Bear missed, it would result in it spinning seven or eight rounds from its own sheer force…
Furthermore, such bears were mentally slower than normal bears that had no levels to begin with.
If it were not for the bear’s thick skin and flesh so rough that normal ninth level mystical beasts could hardly penetrate its defense, such bears would have gone into extinction a long time ago.
Greedy Bears were perhaps high-level mystical beasts that were the easiest to obtain, yet the most useless ones!
If Three-eye Boars were useless, Greedy Bears were even worse.
In Yun Yang’s eyes though, this Ten Thousand Catty Bear carried more benefits than the Three-eye Boar.
Bear paw – delicious!
Bear gall – expensive medicine!
Bear meat – delicious!
Bear penis - Qiu Yunsan would find the use for this… Perhaps he would be alright eating it.
Yun Yang looked at Qiu Yunsan and Xia Bingchuan rather speechlessly. "Both your noble families have taken the time of half a year to catch these two toys? One stranger than another… What were both of you thinking? Are your families playing you two or are they playing me?"
Qiu Yunsan and Xia Bingchuan both flushed and coughed.
They were helpless! If there had been other choices, how would they make a fool and embarrass themselves!
Of course, those mystical beasts that could fly or had innate skills were great… but they could not catch those! Capturing these two was possible because they were relatively easier to be hunted down!
"It’s a genuine eighth level ace mystical beast, after all, it must have some sort of training value…" Qiu Yunsan chuckled awkwardly.
Yun Yang huffed speechlessly.
"Boss, look over at this…" Qiu Yunsan said hugging the Three-eye Boar excitedly while the cub snorted in his embrace. "Let’s begin?"
"F*ck off!" Qiu Jianhan was exasperated standing by the side. "All of you f*ck off, your father says!"
The old sir had finally exploded.
F*cking hell, your father’s been standing here for so long – have I become invisible? None of you saw me, did you? Were you fellows that excited?
Qiu Yunsan paled as he turned his head around slowly. "Third uncle… uh… what a coincidence…"
"If you don’t f*ck off soon, I’ll make your cheeks say ‘what a coincidence’ to your buttocks! They f*cking look the same anyway!" Qiu Jianhan berated, "Useless junks, go your way now! And you!"
The old marshal turned to look at Xia Bingchuan. "Say, can’t your family send someone decent? Our family’s Yunsan has learned to become a popinjay just by being around you fools… Stay away from our Yunsan next time!"
Xia Bingchuan and Qiu Yunsan were defenseless against the top rogue of Yutang, fleeing helter-skelter like fish that managed to escape the net…
The guards from both families bowed to Qiu Jianhan rather awkwardly before they left feeling exasperated.
It was terribly embarrassing.
We recognized the third sir of Qiu Family from hundreds of feet away and these two fellows actually didn’t realize that even when they stood so near and talked to Yun Yang for so long…
This is wonderful!
To say that they’re popinjays are really f*cking true to the name – so very fitting that it’s impeccable, flawless!
"This child of the Xia Family is utterly disappointing!" Old Marshal Qiu made his way forward with Yun Yang and said, "Always doing only the sinful, drinking all day long, fighting and brawling, flirting with innocent ladies… And that Dong Tianleng from the Dong Family and Chun Wanfeng from the Chun Family, they’re hopeless as well. Yet a member of my own family likes to join them to learn all their nonsense."
Yun Yang rolled his eyes.
It’s hard to tell who is the bad influence among the four of them but your nephew, Qiu Yunsan, is absolutely one of the pioneer influencers!
Old thing, do you not feel abashed when accusing others?
…
His Majesty the emperor had already been waiting at the Residence of Qiu. He was restless if he were to stay in the palace, so he was always thinking of ways to come out.
The Residence of Qiu was almost becoming part of the emperor’s extended palace nowadays.
As Yun Yang unclogged His Majesty’s meridians, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. After this session of recuperation, the last bit of poison has been cleansed. As long as more precautions are taken in the future to prevent being poisoned again, it’s all fine."
Hearing such good news, His Majesty’s face that had been glum relaxed a little while Old Marshal Qiu heaved a big sigh.
The gloomy atmosphere in the room turned lighter as well.
"This Yang Botao…"
The emperor sighed and began discussing Yang Botao. Both the emperor and the marshal had long felt safe with Yun Yang; they did not mind having Yun Yang around during whatever it was that was the topic of their discussion and this time was no exception.
However, the more these two old men went about the topic, the more they were bewildered.
Yang Botao had always been so loyal to the Empire of Yutang. If he really did intend to rebel against Yutang, he need not betray the Nine Supremes through so much effort; he could just conspire with other nations and use his troops against Yutang. Yutang’s line of defense at the north would definitely collapse then and nothing could have saved the situation. Therefore, it was unreasonable to say that Yang Botao would commit treason. In spite of it, it was also a fact that he had committed such a sin – even Yang Botao had admitted it himself!
"Crimes are not to be pardoned, merits are not to be omitted," His Majesty finally said these words after sighing solemnly.
Other than sighing, Qiu Jianhan had nothing else to say; Yun Yang, on the other hand, felt bitterness in his heart.
Yes, it was for Yang Botao.
Such a notable marshal of one’s times… Only he alone knew the truth about Yang Botao now in the entire city of Yutang – the reason, the injustice, the anger, and the helplessness.
There was also a boundless ocean of bad luck that he had to endure.
What Yang Botao had done was wrong but the reason behind it was worthy of sympathy. In addition, he had been lied to from the beginning and was used to being deceived yet the one to cheat and use him was his biological father…
Even Yun Yang who was the most impacted could not help sighing for this tragedy!
Yun Yang had even thought that if Yang Botao had taken the initiative, to be honest and open about all these… then what would await him?
Perhaps he would still die. Perhaps… Yun Yang would forgive him.
Even when Yun Yang had initially wanted so badly to dice him, skin him alive and pick his bones apart, he could not help wanting to be merciful upon understanding the reasons behind it.
Thinking about it, Yun Yang did not stop himself from saying, "This young one has a thought about Yang Botao that I won’t feel good if I don’t speak of it."
The emperor could not have expected this fellow to suddenly chip in in the midst of his comment and was stunned for a moment.
Although he had never avoided Yun Yang when he discussed the nation’s affairs with Old Marshal Qiu previously, this guy had been quiet like a mute. He had never participated nor expressed any opinion.
Even when His Majesty would ask for his thoughts whether intentionally or not, this particular person would dance around the question and skip away. What was going on today?
"Feel free to speak your opinion." The emperor was obviously quite interested.
"Like Your Majesty has said, his crimes are not to be pardoned, his merits are not to be omitted!"
Yun Yang mulled over his words as he spoke, "Although Yang Botao’s crime was inexcusable, it seems now that there are only punishment and abomination while his past merits aren’t mentioned at all. Isn't this an omission of merit?"
Qiu Jianhan was taken aback hearing what he had said. If he had not known that Yun Yang was filled with high praise of the Nine Supremes and had no acquaintance with Yang Botao, he would believe that Yun Yang fully intended to reverse Yang Botao’s verdict by speaking like this.
His Majesty was not offended at all as he replied gently, "Then how do you propose we go about this?"