Qiao Chu’s brows creased up as he stared at this man he did not know at all, but at the same time felt rather familiar, two highly contradicting views.
“You are?” Yue Ye blinked her eyes at him, looking at the man that she had never seen before.
“Cough.” The handsome man with the dominating air cleared his throat, as he stared back a little awkwardly at the several youths who were looking at him with a querying look in their eyes.
“I am your Grandmaster.” The man replied.
Yue Ye’s face became highly flustered, obviously unable to remember which Grandmaster it was.
“My Master told me before, that she has three different Masters, but…..” Yue Ye was feeling rather confused. Among Jun Wu Xie’s three Masters, one had already passed on into the afterlife and the other two were Yan Bu Gui and one she had never met, but she knew was a lady.
“I am Yan Bu Gui.” The man said rather awkwardly.
“PUU! ! !” Qiao Chu spurted out the entire mouthful of medicinal brew he had just poured into his mouth completely.
“Ma…..Master?” Qiao Chu’s eyes widened bigger than a goldfish’s, as he stared incredulously at Yan Bu Gui.
Not just Qiao Chu, even Hua Yao and the rest of the gang were showing faces of stunned incredulity.
Who in the world would be able to draw any kind of link between this handsome man with such a dominating air about him with that slovenly and unkempt Master of theirs they had always known?
“Master, how….. How did you turn out like this?” If not for the fact that the voice was still the same, Qiao Chu would really have thought that this person before his eyes was impersonating their Master!
The expression on Yan Bu Gui’s face became more and more awkward. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and said: “I have merely shaved off my beard and the bunch of you already can’t recognise me. You all deserve a thrashing I think!” As he said that, he rubbed at his chin, the smooth feeling under his fingers was something he still hadn’t gotten used to.
“…..” Qiao Chu was speeechless.
With such a big change, who would be able to tell?
When they had acknowledged Yan Bu Gui as their Master, Yan Bu Gui’s was already covered in that great bushy beard. It had been so many years and none of them had ever seen him shave his beard before. Moreover…..
Volume 20
Chapter 1954: “The Swallow Returns (6)”
Wasn’t the disparity a little tad bit too big! ?
Even if you beat Qiao Chu to death, he would never have thought that his crude and boorish Master would look like such a ladies man just by shaving off his beard.
Shocking, doncha think! ?
It could be he was feeling even more uncomfortable being under his disciples’ stunned gazes that Yan Bu Gui’s face turned dark as he said sternly: “I came here to find all of you today to bid all of you goodbye temporarily. I will be leaving right this afternoon and will not be returning anytime soon. All of you do not have any spirit powers now and you must remember to exercise some restraint on your temper, and not stir up anymore trouble for Wu Xie.”
“Huh? Master, where are you going?” Fei Yan immediately asked when he heard that Yan Bu Gui was leaving.
But looking at that face on Yan Bu Gui, he could not help but feel that he had mistaken him for somebody.
Yan Bu Gui lifted up an eyebrow slightly and said: “Your Master I, am going in pursuit of my lifelong happiness. All of you better watch yourself well.”
Yan Bu Gui’s words immediately caused the youths’ faces to become surprised. But as their surprise dissipated, the gazes they were looking at Yan Bu Gui with then turned highly amused.
“What kind of a look are all of you giving me! ?” Yan Bu Gui noticed that the eyes of the bunch of rascals did not look right.
“I had thought why Master would suddenly decide to shave off his beard for no reason. So it is because he wants to change his image to go pursue a wife.” Fei Yan said teasingly as he rubbed at his chin.
“No need to say. Master, with the way you look now, you will definitely mesmerize a whole bunch of young ladies without any problem. See how handsome you look!” Qiao Chu nodded his head vehemently in agreement, not forgetting to add in some boot licking.
Yan Bu Gui’s face turned red from their merciless teasing, as he suppressed the strong urge to teach them a good lesson on the spot, worrying about their ailing body and had no choice but to give up on that thought.
“The whole lot of you had better shut your gaps!”
“You guys better stop. Don’t you see that your Master’s face had turned all red?” Fan Zhuo had not taken Yan Bu Gui as his Master, but still chirped in with a smile.
“Why do I seem to feel that after Master shaved off his beard, the skin on his face has thinned out as well? Why is his face turning red so easily now?” Qiao Chu continued to say, seemingly unafraid of death.
Yan Bu Gui was almost driven to vomit out blood by this bunch of rascals. He had initially come with well intentions to bid them goodbye, and instead of seeing them reluctant to part, he was very nearly driven to his grave from rage!
“Qiao Chu! Fei Yan! The two of you just wait. When your bodies have recovered, see how your Master is going to deal with you two.” Yan Bu Gui cracked his knuckles threateningly. “Hurry up and nurse yourselves back to health, to wait for your Master to come back and peel your skin off!”
Upon saying that, Yan Bu Gui turned and walked out in a huff.
As Qiao Chu and the others looked at Yan Bu Gui’s departing back, they discreetly rubbed at their noses.
It was not that they wanted to see Yan Bu Gui leave, but the image Yan Bu Gui had suddenly assumed before he left really made it hard for them to accept.
Yan Bu Gui had left, bringing with him the news that the Twelve Palaces had been destroyed to the Spirit Jade Palace, before he would go resolve the longing that had been hidden in his heart for so many years.
Qiao Chu and the rest of the gang consistently drank medicinal brews and ate medicine everyday, their bodies so frail they were not even able to get out from their beds, the days that passed feeling like they were being reared as pigs.
Till half a month later, Granny Yue came to see Jun Wu Xie, to tell Jun Wu Xie that the Cloudy Brook Academy had been emptied out. After their batch of disciples left, the Cloudy Brook Academy’s teachers had all dispersed and separated, leaving the academy empty and completely devoid of people.
Yan Bu Gui had naturally not been able to find Su Ya, but he had not returned here, not giving up but went on to find out some clues about Su Ya’s departure from the Spirit Jade Palace and went in pursuit towards where the clues indicated.
The Spirit Jade Palace took in all the remaining strength of the Twelve Palaces, and Granny Yue came to relay the Spirit Jade Palace Lord’s thanks in gratitude.
Nobody had ever thought that the agreement to cooperate made almost in jest would actually come to fruition after just a year’s time.
Volume 20
Chapter 1955: “Making Their Way Towards the Spirits (1)”
A month’s time passed in a blink, and all the Twelve Palaces’ affairs handed over to the Spirit Jade Palace to pick up the pieces. According to Jun Wu Xie’s instructions, Qu Ling Yue arranged for the army to prepare themselves for their return back to the Lower Realm.
The level of spirit powers contained within the Middle Realm’s lands was far more robust that the Lower Realm’s and the fifty thousand strong army that had stayed here for merely slightly more than one month’s time saw every one’s powers increase dramatically. That discovery had made Jun Qing highly excited.
When they had been in the Lower Realm before, they had never had this kind of feeling but after having come to the Middle Realm, they realized that the spirit powers the Lower Realm possessed was lacking far below the Middle Realm had and in just slightly over a month’s time, Long Qi and Jun Qing who had been stuck at the peak of the indigo level had act
ually both broken through to the Purple Spirit, with many others within the army attaining a breakthrough as well.
If not for the hidden danger posed by the Nine Temples, Jun Wu Xie would really have wanted the fifty thousand soldiers to continue to remain here in the Middle Realm to cultivate.
And towards the circumstances they were facing, Jun Wu Xie had also discussed it with Jun Qing and Qu Ling Yue for a time.
The Twelve Palaces were taken over by the Spirit Jade Palace and for the Spirit Jade Palace to completely eradicate the remnants of the old Twelve Palaces, it would require at least two to three months’ time. And within these two to three months, the Spirit Jade Palace themselves would not be considered stable yet and they would have to wait till the Spirit Jade Palace had unified the Twelve Palaces which would also mean that they would have stabilized everything, allowing them to deter the Nine Temples’ actions somewhat. At that time, Granny Yue would then send the Spirit Jade Palace’s disciples to the Lower Realm, and invite the people from the Lower Realm to come continue their cultivation within the Spirit Jade Palace’s perimeters.
And within these two to three months, they would closely observe the Nine Temples’ movements and if there was any situation, Granny Yue would also send people down into the Lower Realm to inform Jun Qing and the others at the very first instance.
“You’re all leaving already…..” Qiao Chu and Hua Yao were supporting each other. Having undergone all that careful nursing, they were now able to come down from their beds to walk around, but standing on their feet for too long would still make them feel exceedingly tired.
The Spirit Transformation Elixir’s side effects was more intense than any one of them had imagined and according to Jun Wu Xie’s diagnosis, their condition had stabilized. That would also mean that in the upcoming one year, they would have to live their lives so frail and sickly.
Although the five of them had said that they had gone all out with everything they had because they wanted to seek revenge for their family members, but now that they were faced with the situation that they could not even summon up any strength for the most mundane tasks, they were finding it a little hard to accept.
From the Purple Spirit’s third stage to become completely drained of any spirit power, turned into absolute trash where they even needed a crutch just to walk, how could the proud bunch of youths possibly find it easy to accept.
“We’re just be away temporarily. Are all of you feeling better? I’ll get Long Qi to arrange some horse carriages for you and you can all just climb up into the carriages. We will have to switch to travelling over water midway through the journey and all of you must take good care of yourself.” Jun Qing said, looking a little pained as he looked at Qiao Chu and the others. One could not help but be worried when see how weak and frail the bodies of these youths had become.
“I thank Uncle Jun for worrying about us. We will have to trouble all of you this time.” Rong Ruo opened her mouth to say apologetically.
“You’re thinking too much about it.” Jun Qing had already seen these bunch of youths as his own nephews and nieces from long before.
The youths were packing their luggages when they saw Jun Wu Xie and Jun Wu Yao walking towards them together.
“Aren’t Little Xie and Big Brother Wu Yao going back together with us?” Fei Yan asked, seeing that Jun Wu Xie had not made any preparations.
Jun Wu Xie looked at the pale faces of Qiao Chu and her other companions, before she slowly said: “Not only I am not going back, you guys cannot go back as well.”
Volume 20
Chapter 1956: “Making Their Way Towards the Spirits (2)”
“Har?” Qiao Chu and the others stared in surprise at Jun Wu Xie, not understanding for a moment what she was saying.
“We are not going back? If we do not go back, and with the condition our bodies are in now, remaining here in the Middle Realm would be too…..” Fei Yan said hesitantly. Although he didn’t want to admit it, but with them being no different from being as good as useless trash, remaining behind would only drag Jun Wu Xie down.
“To put it more accurately, it’s your souls that are remaining behind.” Jun Wu Xie then continued to say.
At that moment, Hua Yao and the others were even more confused.
Only Rong Ruo was looking rather thoughtful as she glanced at Jun Wu Yao standing behind Jun Wu Xie.
Jun Wu Xie looked at her several little companions who were looking rather bewildered and she opened her mouth to explain: “I have discussed it with Jun Wu Yao. In the year that all of you are suffering from the side effects of the Spirit Transformation Elixir, he’ll bring your souls to the Spirit World and we’ll continue with our cultivation over there.”
“What?”
“Spirit World?”
The faces of the youths were filled with shock and they could not believe what they had just heard.
“But isn’t the Spirit World a place that only spirits forms are able to go to? How is it possible for us to go there just like that?” Rong Ruo asked as she looked puzzledly at Jun Wu Xie.
Qiao Chu had turned deathly pale as he clutched at his chest over his heart to say in despair: “Little Xie….. are you thinking that we are all now useless and you want us to take our own lives, to become homeless spirits and go there to cultivate…..”
[They were only going to be trash for a year….. They were not prepared to die yet…..]
A twitch involuntarily started to tug at a corner of Jun Wu Xie’s mouth and she completely ignored Qiao Chu who was spouting a whole mouthful of nonsense but to turn to Rong Ruo to explain instead: “The exact method used to do that will be carried out by Jun Wu Yao. We will only need to follow him and that’s all we need to do.”
Jun Wu Yao looked smilingly the confused and bewildered group and his figure suddenly appeared in a flash before Qiao Chu.
Suddenly looking at that handsome countenance close up, Qiao Chu gasped in shock.
[Damn, Big Brother Wu Yao is so good looking!]
Without waiting for him to be able to give voice to his thoughts, Jun Wu Yao’s hand suddenly went through Qiao Chu’s chest in that instant!
“Big Brother Wu Yao, what are you doing?” Hua Yao was rather taken aback as he stared at Qiao Chu’s chest that had Jun Wu Yao’s hand plunged right inside. The scene was just too brutal and it caused shock to fill up in everyone’s heart!
Even Jun Wu Xie’s eyes widened slightly, but Jun Wu Yao then suddenly stretched a hand out to block Jun Wu Xie’s eyes.
The corners of Jun Wu Yao’s lips curled up slightly, and the hand that was plunged through Qiao Chu’s chest was slowly retracted, and with that action, a ghostly figure was actually pulled out from Qiao Chu’s body!
In the instant that Jun Wu Yao’s hand came out from Qiao Chu’s body completely, Qiao Chu immediately fell backwards with his eyes closed.
Fortunately Jun Qing was quick to move as he shot forward to hold Qiao Chu’s body.
However, a ghostly figure had appeared right before the eyes of Hua Yao and the rest of the gang, the countenance of that insubstantial figure looking exactly like Qiao Chu.
The spectral Qiao Chu stood in his spot looking greatly surprised. For an instant there just now, he had felt like he had an illusion, like he was in a dream where things were just too surreal. Jun Wu Yao’s hand had clearly plunged right through into his body but he had not felt the slightest bit of pain, but just felt an uncomfortable sensation that he was being pulled. When that feeling intensified, his consciousness had become muddled and unclear and when he regained back his senses, he found himself back in the same spot. But when he saw “himself” held in Jun Qing’s arms, his mind suddenly turned blank.
“This here, is your soul.” Jun Wu Yao’s voice then sounded within his ears at that moment.
“My….. soul?” Qiao Chu looked down in shock, to stare at his translucent pair of hands.
Volume 20
Chapter 1957: “Making Their Way Towards
the Spirits (3)”
Qiao Chu was feeling great. Originally weak and frail, that had disappeared without a trace. He no longer felt any discomfort or lethargy, but just an unexplainable feeling of emptiness. He looked at his own two hands, and through that spectral shade, he could clearly see the cracks in the stone slabs on the ground. The feeling that was going through his body was just too strange for words.
“This is a soul?” Hua Yao’s eyes widened. If he was not seeing it with his own eyes, he really would not dare to believe that there could be such a thing in this world, that someone could actually drag a person’s soul out from his body.
Hua Yao immediately bent down to check for breathing under the nose of Qiao Chu’s body.
“Pulling out one’s soul will not have any other effect on a person’s body, but just as if he has fallen asleep. The only difference is that they would not wake up.” It was as if Jun Wu Yao could see Hua Yao’s worry, and he opened his mouth to explain.
“This is really amazing.” Qiao Chu’s eyes stared, looking at himself in spirit form and then turning his head to look at his own body. He could not help himself but to walk over, thinking to touch his own body.
But when he stretched his hand out, his hand went right through his own flesh body.
“This…..”
“You are just a new spirit, and have not yet grasp the unique qualities of a spirit form. With the current level of power in your spirit, you will not be able to touch anything.” Jun Wu Yao said.
“I am now a spirit form?” Qiao Chu was thinking the feeling was just too strange. When he checked through his spiritual body, he discovered within the chest of his translucent soul, a tiny little figure was cuddled up sound asleep.
That figure was solid, and not translucent, its stark contrast of black and white, curled up in a ball, looking extremely adorable.
Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss Volume 20 Page 15