Divine Brilliance

In the early morning hours, the bright morning sun eradicated the last bit of chill on this desolate land.

Zong Shou was really calm, sitting on the roof of the carriage. Opposite him sat Hu Qianqiu.

Xuanyuan Yiren was at the side, personally pouring wine for the two of them. Girls during the olden times were supposed to show respect to their husbands. The current Xuanyuan Yiren didn’t have any of the usual sharpness that she had before. She was gentle and solemn, her actions and the way she sat was really demure and perfect. Each of her actions were elegant and displayed her womanly charms perfectly.

On the other side also sat Hu Zhongyuan. However, Zong Shou’s gaze automatically disregarded him.

In truth Hu Zhongyuan didn’t dare to look at him. The elder of the Iron Tiger race was badly bruised and wasn’t that nice to look at.

How Hu Qianqiu lectured and taught his kid a lesson was still fresh in his eyes. He took that Tiger King Saber, not caring about everyone present and beating his son up heavily. The words he cursed out were something he wouldn’t forget soon.

What bastard, what “do you think I’m old and stupid”, what “trying to suck up to Zong Ling”, what “haven’t you lost enough face?”. Anything that sounded bad, even words that Zong Ling felt were ear-piercing were yelled, leaving him unable to sit still.

At that moment, Zong Shou really didn’t want to annoy and provoke this person. On the other hand, Hu Zhongyuan himself didn’t mind much, raising up his swelling face as he laughed awkwardly.

Hu Qianqiu gazed at him in disgust and scoffed, following which he smiled and looked warmly, looking at Zong Shou like he was his true son.

“How are the Prince’s injuries?”

Zong Shou spread his arms and stretched out, a series of bone-cracking sounds breaking out, sounding like frying yellow beans. He smiled, “It’s not a big issue, thank you, Uncle Hu, for showing mercy!”

Hu Qianqiu nodded his head gently, understanding the situation, was why he didn’t ask much. He knew that Zong Shou’s internal energy meridians weren’t smooth after fighting for so long, thus he controlled his power to not truly hurt him. Although he spat out blood, that was from the recoil and not from any true injuries. After the battle he just needed to adjust his breathing for a while and he would be fine.

He stared at Zong Shou and measured him, his smile slowly fading. He expression was solemn as he raised up the wine cup, “This first cup is to the Ruler’s spirit in Heaven…”

Zong Shou was startled, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. At this time, his father still hadn’t died.

In just a few years, he would return from that Oblivion Cloud Ocean and show off his might. First he would personally wipe out the Zong Family, then he would similarly hang Zong Shi’s head on the Gantian Mountain flag for three months.

Following which, he would be furious with Lingyun Sect for going against their promise. He would charge up Pill Spirit Mountain alone and engage in slaughter, killing thirteen Ascended experts before leaving. Even a few of the Sect elders working together couldn’t stop him. The top Sect in Donglin Cloud Continent would nearly lose their own Shrine.

Of course, that caused his death. As for what would happen in this era, he had no idea.

Towards this expert, he felt worried instead. Every time he did something, he would have many considerations. Those few ownerless treasures that were around he didn’t dare to easily obtain, much less move away from Yin Yang and Chuxue.

Although he was thinking about that, his face was really solemn as he raised up the wine cup and poured it to the side.

Hu Qianqiu sighed softly, raising a second one, but this time he didn’t drink it. Probingly as he looked at Zong Shou, he asked, “I am curious; in Gantian Mountain, both the Left Pillar General Qiu Wei and I haven’t taken sides. Why did you invite me and not him?”

Zong Shou smiled, saying really casually and calmly, “I heard Yin Yang say that Qiu Wei is really loyal to my Father and he would stop at nothing to support me to inherit the throne. Uncle Hu paid attention to the big picture. You didn’t choose a side; was it to balance those three in Gantian Mountain?”

Hu Qianqiu laughed out loud, his face filling with happy smile, “The Prince is really smart, as expected from the son of the Ruler! Your Sky Fox race is really born intelligent. But you are a little too smart, my brother Weiran really kept it from me for so long… The Prince is such a talent, unparalleled in the world, but he didn’t let us brothers find out. These days my heart has been filled with trepidation…”

Hu Zhongyuan nodded his head vigorously in agreement, more or less a bit annoying.

Zong Shou could only feel helpless. Before Zong Weiran disappeared, he really didn’t have any internal energy. Thankfully, at such a time he really didn’t have a need to explain.

Hu Qianqiu’s expression changed and asked, “Thinking about this, there really was a need to hide it. Although your Sky Fox Eight Tail King Family can’t shake our Gantian Mountain roots, recently they have became a problem. Those fellows abandoned us to avoid being hunted by the humans, and left the Cloud World. Now they actually shamelessly want to return. If they knew about the Prince’s situation early, things might have gone bad. They would dare to poison or assassinate you. There is also your mother’s family, the Ruler really had his difficulties…”

The hand which Zong Shou raised his wine cup with couldn’t help but shudder slightly. He opened his eyes wide and his mouth couldn’t close.

So he really had a reason to keep a low profile and train up his power?

Sky Fox King Family? This was different from the Seven Tail Zong Family. The Eight Tail Sky Fox Xue Family was a huge name in the God Emperor era. They were extremely powerful and no weaker than those Shrine Sects.

Zong Shou hd a thought and totally gave up on attempting to take over Donglin and use his sword on the entire world. It seems like it was best to be a low profile person…

After drinking the second cup, Hu Qianqiu causally threw the cup away, and the servants behind him took out two bowls and placed them in front of the two of them.

Xuanyuan Yiren’s expression changed slightly before regaining her calm, her hands holding onto the wine bottle as she solemnly filled them to the brim.

Hu Qianqiu didn’t bother about her, his eyes shining brightly. “In the past, I was worried you couldn’t support Gantian Mountain, and that our million people and hard- gained several provinces would be lost. Now without such worries, naturally I have no reason to work for anyone else. What instructions does the Prince have for asking Yin Yang to summon me over? You just need to say one word and I’ll follow you and kill our way back to Gantian Mountain! I’ll cut off that Zong Shi’s head and use it as a wine flask for you!”

The corner of Zong Shou’s lips rose slightly before his expression regained its calm. “Uncle Hu, we don’t need to rush for the Monster King position. For the next three to five months, I want to stay outside for a period, to find a place to focus on cultivation.”

Seeing Hu Qianqiu frown and about to say something, Zong Shou smiled as he waved his hand, telling him to calm down.

“With Yunxia Mountain attacking us, if I return to take over as Monster King, it would only spoil matters. I am also unwilling to continue acting and act as their puppet. Furthermore, the Zong Family’s reach has gotten too long these last few years. Its not convenient for me to act against my own race, so I need to rely on Uncle Hu and the Left Pillar General! You don’t need to go too far, just making them know their place is enough.”

Hu Qianqiu’s eyes bulged before he burst out laughing, “My eyes are truly blind. Well done! The Prince has the Ruler’s intellect, but none of his indecisiveness. That Zong Family has been behaving too arrogantly, but the Ruler has been bearing with them and allowing them to do as they pleased. I, Hu Qianqiu, have long been annoyed by them. Let me handle this matter, don’t worry, Prince. When you return, you will be able to climb on top of the city and there won’t be that dark smoke and miasma.”

Hu Zhongyuan’s expression changed, his brow furrowing. How could his father say such words? The words that the Prince said were obviously bearing nefarious intentions and were destined to make the entire Monster King race unhappy.

Hu Qianqiu didn’t bother about him, his tiger eyes smiling, “Prince you trust me just like that? Aren’t you afraid I’ll do things behind your back?”

“I believe Uncle Hu, but I don’t totally believe you!” Zong Shou waved his sleeves and pointed to the side. “So my two servants will follow you back! With Uncle Hu and Qiu Wei working together, you two will be able to put them in important positions!”

Where his hands pointed were where Yin Yang and Lian Fan stood. Thinking that since he had no intention to stay in Gantian Mountain to deal with administrative matters, why not place his two trusted helpers there, and he could happily not bother about anything. Wasn’t that for the best?

Hu Qianqiu’s eyes lit up once more, the praise within them thicker and thicker.

He wasn’t inclined to listen and to believe, and even in diplomacy he didn’t lack precautionary measures. He had really good martial skills and didn’t lack the courage and viciousness to make decisions. Wasn’t such a person the best choice to become Monster King?

What he didn’t know was that Zong Shou was doing so because he wanted to be lazy to make plans for a future casual and slacking life…

Hu Qianqiu could only feel more and more satisfied, laughing out loud before taking that Tiger King Saber and holding it into his hand once more. With a cut of the saber, large amounts of blood spurted out.

Only when the entire bowl’s worth of wine was dyed red did Hu Qianqiu look over excitedly.

Zong Shou’s lips twitched as he saw that. Was this blood-letting? That’s right, the Monster Race had a blood contract which once one made an oath, they wouldn’t betray it for the rest of their life. When a new Monster King ascended, they would have to redo the blood contract.

Yin Yang once said that their Gantian Mountain had a total of one hundred and forty-seven races. If he made blood contracts with all of them, wouldn’t he lose all his blood…

He was planning to learn from Lei Dong what he did that day to force out a few drops of blood. But when he saw Hu Qianqiu’s pure excitement, looking forward to him cutting his wrist as well as that shocking wound at his own wrist, he could only grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he slit his wrist open, too. However it was several millimeters shallower, only cutting open the flesh and forcing out a few dozen drops of blood.

At that moment, be it Hu Qianqiu, or Xuanyuan Yiren and Hu Zhongyuan beside them, they were very solemn. All those nearby knelt down towards Zong Shou, the entire atmosphere suddenly became holy and serious.

Hu Qianqiu half-knelt on the ground, raising up one of the bowls with both of his hands and solemnly raising it in front of Zong Shou.

Until after Zong Shou solemnly accepted it did Hu Qianqiu raise his bowl heavily into the air.

“Today I, Hu Qianqiu, will drink blood to form an alliance; my Gantian Mountain Iron Tiger race is willing to serve the Prince as our king!”