Chapter 582: Sneaking a Touch on the Tiger's Butt (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"This...this matter is probably not easy to handle..."

The woman looked troubled.

"It's not that I'm making excuses, but things are in chaos at home right now, and I can't worry about these things for the moment... Besides, it's been many years since my son was sent away, and it's hard to say whether those things are still there, so I dare not agree so easily."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened.

She used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears welling up in her eyes.

When she first received the news that the pillar of her family had been imprisoned—in a place rumored to be so brutal it would strip you of your skin—she felt as if the sky had fallen. If she weren't the only mistress of the household, unable to afford to lose her composure and disrupt morale, she would have fainted on the spot. She wanted to help the old man, but circumstances prevented it.

The old man, being perceptive, didn't want to leave empty-handed. So he asked, "What troubles have you encountered? Could you tell me? Perhaps this old man can offer some advice..."

Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes lit up immediately.

The joy on his face was as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Really?" Realizing his mistake after asking, he quickly changed his words, "This...this isn't a question about your abilities, I'm just so happy..."

The old man said calmly, "Don't rush, tell me slowly."

The woman steadied herself and recounted the news she had received. She was unaware of the details of what had happened in the court, but she knew that her brother-in-law was ambitious and was using her husband's absence from the clan's territory to win over the elders and recruit soldiers in a high-profile manner.

Now, he is even coordinating with the rebel Huang Lie to launch uprisings in various places, completely disregarding the fact that his own brother and family are still being held hostage by Zheng Qiao...

The woman looked bitter.

"My uncle probably wishes our family were dead! I heard that back then, the elders all hoped that my uncle would be adopted into my father-in-law's family. After all, the young master was the eldest son of the second branch, and it wouldn't look good to be adopted out, but my father-in-law chose the young master. The second branch had little savings, and their food, clothing, and daily necessities were not as good as those of the eldest branch. My uncle had been resentful and dissatisfied for many years. As long as the young master died, he could rightfully inherit the Qiu family..."

The woman gritted her teeth in despair and said, "If the young master were to perish in the dungeon this time... this time, my brother-in-law could use the banner of 'avenging his brother' to gain a reputation for brotherly love and respect among the gentry... How could he not be tempted by such a benefit?"

The old man listened quietly the whole time.

After she finished speaking, he asked, "Is that all?"

The woman heard a glimmer of hope: "Do you have a brilliant solution?"

"It's not exactly a brilliant solution, but it should help your family escape this den of thieves. You've already thoroughly offended Zheng Qiao, so staying means certain death, while escaping might offer a chance of survival." The solution was simple and direct.

The woman asked in surprise, "A prison break?"

With the old man's abilities, he really could do it.

"Um."

only--

“The item that Ayan wore back then is very important. If it’s convenient for you, Madam, please send someone to look for it…”

I made this special trip just for that thing.

The woman understood when she heard this.

If you want the old man to help you, you have to offer him "reward".

She quickly got up and ordered her servants to search the treasury.

Because he passed the blood test back then, and his appearance bore some resemblance to the previous generation's head of the family, Ayan was taken back to the Qiu family and carefully cared for as the eldest son's heir. His food, clothing, and daily necessities were all of the highest quality, and his personal belongings were also carefully preserved. If he hadn't remained immature and not seemed particularly bright, giving others a clue, perhaps this secret would have truly been taken to the grave by that maid.

Afterwards, Ayan was sent to the countryside to fend for himself. His existence became a taboo in the Qiu household, and no one dared to mention him. Naturally, his belongings were not deliberately disposed of. After searching all night, the servants finally found the box in a dusty corner.

The box was small and lightweight, and contained small, fragmented items.

"Ayan, we've finally found her!"

The old man rummaged through the items, his expression excited as he pulled out something. It was a piece of wood, about the length of a finger, dusty and unremarkable in its value. The woman wondered what was so precious about it that it could make this seasoned old man so interested.

The old man calmed himself down and beckoned to the boy who was eating pastries to fill his stomach: "Ayan, come here to your teacher."

The boy put down the delicious pastries and obediently did as the old man instructed, letting him put the wooden pendant on his head. He raised his hand to touch the piece of wood, his tone slightly inflected.

"Teacher, it's warm." Even though it was just a piece of wood, the touch was like smooth, warm jade, giving him a strange sense of peace, and even the anxiety that had been troubling him disappeared. It was like a drowning person, exhausted, finally reaching the shore.

"Yes, wear it properly."

Upon hearing this, the boy put it inside his clothes.

The woman, standing nearby, could see clearly and noticed that the wooden pendant resembled a coffin. Was it really unlucky to carry such a thing with one's person?

But that wasn't her concern. What she cared about was when the old man would help her get her husband out of prison. And the old man kept his word, instructing the woman to pack her belongings and arrange transportation. Once the head of the Qiu family was rescued, the family would leave immediately.

The woman did as she was told.

These things can't be resolved in a day or two.

So they let the three old men stay at the mansion temporarily.

The youngest of the three tidied up the guest room.

Just as I was about to call the old man and the young man to rest, I saw the young man resting his chin on his hand and playing with the wooden pendant he had lost and found.

The young man had just borrowed the pendant and examined it closely, but couldn't find anything special about it. He also had no idea why the old man had traveled all this way. But, in the next instant, he was proven wrong—the pendant emitted a faint green light.

Then, in the boy's hand, it transformed into a gracefully swaying brown wooden staff, its surface shrouded in simple yet mysterious mystical patterns. These patterns were strikingly similar to the circular patterns on the boy's shoulder blades, the former being more complex, while the latter resembled a simplified version.

With a loud bang.

The old man came over when he heard the noise.

His eyes were fixed on the wooden staff, his cheeks taut.

The boy, oblivious to their reactions, played with the stick as if it were a novel toy, weighing it in his hand for a few moments before his gaze was suddenly drawn to a striking, unusual color. Pointing to the swaying little red flower at the top of the stick, he said, "Teacher, look, it's a flower."

A flower grew on the wood.

It stood out so abruptly, like the only hair on a bald man's head.

The old man's attention wasn't on the flowers, but on his trembling, aged hand, which he reverently cradled the young man's staff. Tears streamed down his face, and his lips trembled as he uttered a few indistinct words. Upon closer listening, one could hear that it was—"God has not abandoned our Gongxi tribe..."

The boy didn't understand why the teacher was crying.

She raised her hand and wiped away his tears.

He asked, "Are you feeling unwell, teacher?"

The old man wiped away his tears and took a deep breath: "No, Ayan, practice the method your teacher taught you..."

The boy naturally did as he was told. Seeing the boy dressed in the familiar robes of a high priest, the old man was completely relieved.

He affectionately patted the boy's head: "Very good, but you still need to cultivate diligently in the next few years. Listen to your teacher, there's no rush to open your wisdom aperture right now. Maintaining a childlike state will allow you to focus more on cultivation and achieve twice the result with half the effort... Ah Yan, there's nothing wrong with being a little silly and simple."

"Okay!" the boy smiled. "I'll listen to my teacher."

The young man had nowhere to vent his frustration.

Those unaware of the situation might think the boy was innocent, naive, and harmless! In reality, how many bandits and thugs had he killed along the way, cutting through everything in his path? The old ones are crazy, the young ones are simple-minded; who knows what kind of menace they'll become in a few more years…

For the old man, rescuing someone from prison was a piece of cake. Once he was done, he continued on his way, too lazy to listen to the Qiu family's pointless words of gratitude. The three of them walked further and further into the remote mountains and forests, intending to settle down there.

The young man finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"What exactly do you want to do, sir?"

"What do you think Ah Yan is wearing around his neck? Entering the world without any real strength will only lead to him being devoured by tigers, leopards, and wolves. He needs the ability to protect himself the most!"

"It's just a piece of wood."

The old man made a startling statement: "That is a national seal."

youth:"!!!"

The old man shook his head again, correcting his mistake.

"No, it's not the Imperial Seal, it's a divine gift. It just shares the same origin as the so-called Imperial Seal that's circulated outside... Whether it's the Imperial Seal or the Divine Staff... they are all actually gifts from the gods... Yes, that's it..."

youth:"……"

She silently rolled her eyes.

That old man is going crazy again.

As the only normal person among the three, he felt immense pressure, having to care for the elderly and also look after the young. He didn't know when this would end.

He yawned, preparing to catch up on his sleep.

at the same time--

Two figures rushed into Gong Xichou's camp at night—or rather, one dragged the other. Gong Xichou, who was about to lie down fully clothed, was so frightened that he sat bolt upright.

Upon seeing the newcomers, he said with a helpless expression, "Ah Lai, can't you talk about this tomorrow?"

"There's no time for tomorrow! We have to find out today!" Gong Xilai grabbed Yang Ying's hand, pushed her in front of Gong Xichou, and hurriedly asked, "Brother, have you noticed any changes in her?"

Gong Xichou sat cross-legged, wrapped in a blanket, his lips pursed.

"What changes could she have? Or is it that the military camp conditions are bad, making her irritable and causing her to break out in pimples?"

Gong Xilai was so anxious that he stamped his feet.

He grabbed the blanket that Gong Xichou was covering and shook it.

"I'm so angry! Ah Ying is angry!"

Following Gong Xilai's force, Gong Xichou was shaken from side to side like a large human doll, and for a moment he did not react: "She is not a zombie, how can she not be alive?"

"That's not the right way to express it!"

Gong Xichou stopped shaking: "What kind of qi is that?"

"Martial spirit!" Yang Ying replied.

Gong Xiqiu initially thought he had tinnitus.

"What kind of gas?"

Gong Xilai exclaimed with elation, "Martial energy!"

Yang Ying was, after all, from a military family. Her father, Yang Gong, never restricted her from practicing martial arts, believing that learning some martial arts would help his daughter stay healthy, less prone to illness, and easier to raise.

Now that she is all alone, she needs strength to protect herself even more, and she dares not stop practicing martial arts for even a day.

Just now, I don't know why—

The vital energy of heaven and earth, which had been unable to linger in her meridians, could suddenly be drawn upon! Yang Ying was initially bewildered, then overjoyed, and shared the news with Gong Xilai beside her. Then Gong Xilai grabbed her and dragged her away to settle scores with him.

“It couldn’t work before, but it suddenly works today… Brother, do you think today is some kind of special day? Look, even Ah Ying can do it, so can I?” Gong Xilai rattled off a long string of words, not giving anyone a chance to interrupt.

Gong Xiqiu became serious and took Yang Ying's pulse.

Although it was so faint as to be negligible, it was indeed a wisp of martial energy, which meant that Yang Ying could cultivate it.

(￣▽￣)"

Yang Ying was able to cultivate because Gong Xi Chou recognized her as belonging to his faction, and A Yan, having obtained the divine staff and becoming the current High Priest, indirectly benefited Yang Ying. Actually, I'm quite looking forward to seeing the various female generals battle it out on the battlefield _(:з」∠)_

(End of this chapter)