Chapter 25: The Head Of The Seven Sages (1/2)
Back in Zhongshan, Lu Yin informed Zhou Shan that he would be heading to the capital after all, which prompted some confusion, “Why now?”
“I want to find out the truth about the Apocalypse and that corpse,” he lied to avoid talk of the mission.
Zhou Shan shook his head, “That explosion turned everything within ten kilometers to dust. We rushed some people there despite the Apocalypse, but we couldn’t find anything then. Do you think you’ll be able to find anything now?”
“Maybe not, but I’m still going.”
Zhou Shan sighed and looked out at Nanjing with a complicated expression, “I have no way to stop you even if I wanted you. But, I wish you could return to Nanjing in case you don’t find anything.”
“I will,” Lu Yin nodded.
Zhou Shan smiled and retrieved a small certificate from his chest pocket, “This is my official certification with the national army, it’s my token. Each of the Seven Sages agreed on our tokens before departing; talking to the token’s holder is the same as talking to the Sage themselves. Take this to the capital and find Zhang Dingtian, he’ll help you.”
“Zhang Dingtian? One of the Seven?” Lu Yin hesitated as he did not understand the seven well. Information was broken at best since the Apocalypse, and all his attention had been focused on Liu Shaoge. If he hadn’t come to Nanjing, he wouldn’t even have known that the Executioner was called Zhou Shan. The only sage he knew in the capital was the Bladesage.
Zhou Shan’s face twisted strangely at the mention of Zhang Dingtian, “Lu Yin, I know you’re strong enough to beat the aliens right now, but I suggest you don’t belittle the Seven Sages. Don’t use my power as a gauge, especially for the three High Sages. Zhang Dingtian is our head.”
The Head of the Seven Sages? Lu Yin was amazed; that was no ordinary accomplishment.
Zhou Shan continued seriously, “Ever since the corpse was brought back to Earth, China secretly chose from countless people for its inheritance. Us Seven Sages are those who succeeded, and Zhang Dingtian is the strongest of all. His blade can suppress everything; those students are powerful, but no one in the same realm can defeat him, not even the lofty Water Sage. Many call him Bladesage, but his true title is the Frenzied Blade. He’s the Sage of China.”
Zhou Shan’s words brought an image of a single dominant man to Lu Yin’s imagination, his sole blade suppressing the entire capital. He asked, “How do you match up against him?”
Zhou Shan forced a smile and put up a single finger, “Besides the other two High Sages, all others can only last a single strike.”
Lu Yin presumed his Spacerender Palm or Cosmic Palm could defeat Zhou Shan in one strike as well. So how did he compare to Zhang Dingtian? He shook off the thought and received Zhou Shan’s certificate, stowing it away carefully. The Executioner was doing him a huge favor with the hope that he would return to Nanjing, but that desire would only be met with disappointment. His future lay among the stars.
There were still a little under two months before the second batch of trainees arrived. Lu Yin was on a tight timeline if he hoped to confirm the corpse’s identity within these two months.
“What? I’m supposed to follow you to the capital? Impossible,” Jeraldine cried, rejecting him immediately.
“You don’t have any authority to reject me,” he replied.
“Didn’t you hear Jaeger? Only the school leaders have gone to the capital. Those people are freaks! I’ve seen Veron crush Terence with my own eyes; even an ambush won’t beat him.”
“Let me repeat. You don’t have the authority to reject me.”
Jeraldine pleaded with shock in her eyes, “Yatar— no, Lu Yin— you have no idea what the school leaders represent. Terence was severely wounded by a single palm when he challenged Veron during a school competition. The difference between us is too great!”
“I almost crippled Jaeger with one palm myself.”
Jeraldine wanted to report, but she suddenly came to a realization. She had always known herself to be inferior to Terence, but she’d unwittingly dragged down her appraisal of Lu Yin’s power because of that thought. Finally considering things, she realized that before her was another freak of nature. Lu Yin had severely wounded Terence even as a Seeker, and inflicted heavy wounds on Jaeger without even using star energy. She took several steps backward and measured him warily, suddenly feeling like this fellow really could match up to the school leaders.
Lu Yin had never used his full force against Jeraldine, and she simply could not guess his true power level. However, what he’d already displayed was enough to amaze her.
“We leave for the capital tonight,” Lu Yin left, not giving her another chance to refuse. Jeraldine was helpless; the universe had so many territories with countless institutions, and even the Great Yu Empire had many schools. The so-called training mission was not for people on her level, but here she was getting dragged into the highest echelons of power.
……
The vast Taihang Mountains of the Hebei Province were covered in a bloody mist that spread from horizon to horizon, dyeing the mountain stream red. The stinging odor of the bloody river attracted more and more mutant beasts, but their roars soon turned into howls of anguish as they were slaughtered. A short man was bathing in the middle of the river, exposing many scars and scabs on his sturdy back.
Up on shore, another man and a woman were silently measuring, “There won’t be any more beasts on this mountain if you keep playing around.”