HSSB321: Adding on a gift
Broad Creed Mountain had many matters to take care of following the great tribulation it had suffered. Not only did this include rebuilding the clan, many manpower adjustments also had to be made.
First not mentioning anything else, with Xin Dongping having been dealt with and Shi Tie having perished in battle, the two vital positions of the First Seat Elder of the Martial Repository as well as the Disciplinary Hall were now open.
People were needed to fill up these gaps.
While Yan Zhaoge did not speak regarding this, his position now was unordinary, with him having the qualifications to participate in all the internal meetings of the clan.
Broad Creed Mountain’s final decision was to call back the two higher echelon experts of the clan dispatched to the East Sea and the Earth Domain.
In order to deal with the threat of the Flame Devil World at the East Sea, the six great Sacred Grounds had formed an agreement long ago, each having to dispatch an expert who was at least a mid Essence Talisman Martial Grandmaster, to be stationed at the East Sea for the long term, guarding the vital region where the Flame Devil World was connected to the Eight Extremities World.
The personnel dispatched could be modified at their own discretion, but each Sacred Ground required at least one peak Martial Grandmaster to always be stationed at the East Sea, forming the first line of defence together, watching over the movements of the Flame Devil World, dealing with the usual small scale conflicts that occurred.
If the Flame Devils showed any major movements, the Heavenly Thunder Hall, Jade Sea City and Turbid Wave Pavilion who bordered the sea would send troops to reinforce as quickly as possible.
Based on the situation, Infinite Boundless Mountain, Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan who were located inland would also dispatch experts to reinforce them when need be. However, that would usually only be in very serious cases, such as that full-out war with the Flame Devils that year.
Such a situation had already not occurred for many years. Generally, those rather more major incidents, such as that during the incident at Clear Concealed Lake previously and this time’s great tribulation at Broad Creed Mountain, would be dealt with by these powers who bordered the sea.
The usual conflicts with the Flame Devils, exterminating those of them who had infiltrated the Eight Extremities World, were the responsibility of the six Martial Grandmasters dispatched to the East Sea by the six great Sacred Grounds.
Under them were fellow members of their respective clans, either stationed at the East Sea for the long term or temporarily there for tempering.
Feng Yunsheng’s old Master back in the Sacred Sun Clan had perished in a conflict with the Flame Devils when stationed at the East Sea.
The bigwig stationed at the East Sea by Broad Creed Mountain was usually known as the East Sea’s First Seat Elder.
This was a very tough and miserable job, not having many benefits, also having to fight with the Flame Devils all the time.
Therefore, Broad Creed Mountain’s East Sea’s First Seat Elder had always followed a rotational basis.
What was worth mentioning was that before he had taken up the position as the First Seat of the Martial Inheritance Hall, Yan Zhaoge’s father had been the East Sea’s First Seat Elder, slaying a great amount of Fire Devils on the East Sea, flames enveloping the entire sky, incinerating the heavens and roasting the sea, his fame shaking the world.
And the current East Sea’s First Seat Elder was another late Essence Talisman Martial Grandmaster of Broad Creed Mountain, Chang Zhen.
In the great tribulation of Broad Creed Mountain, Chang Zhen had wanted to return to the clan to assist, but had just happened to encounter an invasion of the Flame Devils, chaos ensuing.
The Sacred Sun Clan’s longtime Elder stationed at the East Sea had met up with him, the two at a standstill whilst clashing against the Flame Devil experts, Chang Zhen therefore being held back at the East Sea.
Today, with the great tribulation of Broad Creed Mountain over and the invasion of the Flame Devils having finally been quelled completely, Broad Creed Mountain dispatched someone to replace Chang Zhen, deploying him back to the clan.
The new East Sea’s First Seat Elder was someone Yan Zhaoge was familiar with, being the Master of Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing, Fu Enshu.
A situation similar to this happened with the Earth Domain.
While the Decimating Abyss had been destroyed, the Earth Domain still remained, with people still needed to warily watch over it. However, Broad Creed Mountain still had to do some personnel modifications.
Song Chao transmitted Broad Creed Mountain’s intentions to Jade Sea City, who replied very quickly, agreeing enthusiastically to the exchange of a great amount of goods and resources between them, saying that they would try to raise and satisfy the goods Broad Creed Mountain desired as much as possible.
The two had originally already been allies, with much interaction going on between them. However, with the massive scale of this time’s exchange, both sides needed to prepare correspondingly for it.
Song Chao had also felt that Yan Zhaoge and Broad Creed Mountain might have already caught on to his side’s intentions.
However, Broad Creed Mountain did not make things difficult for Jade Sea City because of this, not specially raising the prices in the trade between the two sides.
While the prices were still comparatively higher than they had been before, to Jade Sea City, having obtained the Unfalling Ghost Rock, it was completely worth it.
Being a friendly and open person, Song Chao was exceptionally grateful when he next saw Yan Zhaoge.
“Senior Brother Song is too polite with this,” Yan Zhaoge grasped a piece of jade in his hand as he looked at Song Chao, “The relationship between our two clans has always been good. Helping each other out is only a natural thing.”
Song Chao said, “Junior Brother Yan need not reject this. This intricate piece of jade might turn out to be a piece of fortune, but it might also turn out to be nothing. Using it as a gift, Song Chao actually feels guilty, just that I do not have anything else on me that might hold sufficient value.”
Yan Zhaoge fingered the piece of jade, smiling slightly as he also knew full well why Song Chao had added on this gift, “Senior Brother Song is full of sincerity; if I reject it again, it would be rude. Since that is so, I thank Senior Brother Song for your gift.”
Song Chao shook his head, “It is Junior Brother Yan who is being too polite.”
Yan Zhaoge pondered slightly for a moment before he asked, “Is Senior Brother Song returning to the Water Domain soon?”
Song Chao said, “We will be leaving within the next two days.”
Yan Zhaoge rose, “I’ll see you out then.”
The two left together, Yan Zhaoge sending a sound transmission via aura-qi and instructing Ah Hu on something, the latter nodding and leaving.
As Yan Zhaoge arrived at Song Chao’s temporary lodgings alongside him, just entering the courtyard, they saw two figures traversing the area unceasingly as they sparred.
The two were Sikong Qing and Li Jingwan, the sparring between them being a rather friendly one. On one hand, this was a closed door spar, not known by the outside world. On the other, they stopped when things were just sufficient, not letting it go too far.
They had not gone to the great training grounds beneath the Fire Leaving Peak specifically for the sparring of Broad Creed Mountain disciples, nor to the Martial Inheritance Hall, instead staying where Song Chao’s group temporarily resided, sparring behind closed doors.
The current cultivation bases of the two were not low. If they were to go all out in fighting, their destructive power would already be very shocking, to the point of even being able to destroy all the surrounding buildings.
Therefore, their current sparring was mostly based upon the variations in their techniques as well as their understanding in their martial arts, not drawing greatly on their aura-qi, being somewhat similar to when Yan Zhaoge had competed in the Big Dipper Sword against Lu Wen in the Martial Repository that year.
But even so, as the two elegant figures flew around, it still truly bedazzled one’s eyes.
Looking at Sikong Qing’s figure, Song Chao sighed as he said, “I had already had a feeling back at the Heavenly Connection Meet, but had not truly discovered then, that the talent of this Junior Sister Sikong is truly shocking.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded.
The two combatants were both currently in the late outer aura Martial Scholar realm.
To Li Jingwan, as someone of close to Yan Zhaoge’s age, this was very normal. To the direct disciples of the six great Sacred Grounds, the average speed was entering the outer aura stage around the age of twenty, the Xiantian stage around the age of twenty-five, and the Heavenly Connection stage around the age of thirty.
However, Sikong Qing was truly a little shocking. Currently, she was not yet even twenty.
Yan Zhaoge said, “Junior apprentice-sister Sikong is truly extremely talented, causing one to sigh in admiration.”
His tone in saying this was rather similar to a member of the senior generation commenting on a junior, but Song Chao didn’t find any problem in this at all.
This person beside him, being similarly aged to Li Jingwan, was yet already a Martial Grandmaster.