The Nine Cauldrons

The villagers had just stopped practicing the Tiger Fist, and steam was coming out of their bodies. After the heavy snow, the cold river froze. However, the men of the Teng Clan were obviously strong as they held their Red Tassel Spears and stared at the outsiders in the center of the training field.

There were over a hundred heavy armored cavalry.

“Yes, not bad.” Gu Shiyou was mounted high on his horse. He scanned the men of the Teng Jia Village and the frightened, anxious women and children. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile as he said, “As expected of the number one village within a distance of over ten Li. Half-naked in this cold winter.....Not bad.”

Although Gu Shiyou said so, he looked down on these uncultured people. As the young Island Lord of the Qing Hu Island, he could burn a village like this to the ground with just one word!

If it was a normal village, he could slaughter it if he wanted to.

However, this was Teng Qingshan’s hometown!

If this was known by the world, the world would say that Gu Shiyou envied Teng Qingshan and vented his anger on Teng Qingshan’s family members. Gu Shiyou would be mocked by the world!

Such trouble should not involve family members!

This was a principle that the cultivators believed. If you seek revenge for a proper reason and distinguish clearly between kindness and hatred, no matter how many people you kill, the world would say nothing.

“Teng Qingshan actually grew up in a poor uncultured place like this?” Gu Shiyou asked himself.”

At this moment, all the clan members dashed out from the corners of Teng Jia Village.

“My Lord!” A deep-sounding voice of an old man rang.

Gu Shiyou turned and saw that the one talking was a strong, silver-haired elder. This was the old chief of Teng Jia Village, Teng Yunlong. At this moment, Teng Yongfan finally arrived and ran to Teng Yunlong’s side.

“Master!” Teng Yongfan whispered.

Teng Yunlong glanced at Teng Yongfan meaningfully. Teng Yongfan had just assumed the position of chief. In the past, the dealings of such large matters were handled by Teng Yunlong.

“I wonder why you all came to Teng Jia Village? If there’s a request, the clan members of Teng Jia Village will do it with all our effort.” Teng Yunlong smiled. As an old man who had lived in this chaotic world for almost his whole life, he could tell that the heavy armored cavalrymen were not weaker than the Black Armored Army at all.

Therefore, he didn’t dare take any chances.

“You are the chief?” Gu Shiyou looked at Teng Yunlong.

“Indeed.” Teng Yunlong was in front of his disciple, Teng Yongfan. At this moment, Teng Yongfan was anxious......He knew that if someone was to be in trouble, the chief would be the first. Teng Yunlong answered that he himself was the chief for Teng Yongfan’s sake.

“Listen carefully.” Gu Shiyou scanned the group of people below him and said, “Choose the three best hunters of your Teng Jia Village and obey Qing Hu Island’s orders temporarily!”

“Lord, may I ask? What will our three clan members be doing?” Teng Yunlong asked.

“Shut up!”

Gu Shiyou reprimanded him, and a cold gleam flashed across his eyes as he said, “Just listen obediently. If I didn’t ask you to ask a question, you are not allowed to ask! If you ask again......I don’t mind killing some people!” The Silver Dragon Army soldiers behind Gu Shiyou held their long spears as they looked at the Teng Jia Villagers with eyes full of bloodlust.

“Yes, yes.” Teng Yunlong hastily responded.

“Three best hunters of the Teng Jia Village!” Gu Shiyou turned and cast a glance at the other hunters on the horses of the Silver Dragon Army soldiers. He then continued, “However, I have heard from the hunters of the other villages that the hunters of Teng Jia Village are the best. The leader of the hunters is named Teng Qinghao, and the number one expert in Teng Jia Village is Teng Yongfan! Therefore, these two must come with us!”

When Teng Qingshan was young, his father, Teng Yongfan was the number one expert in the village.

After practicing the Tiger Fist, Teng Yongfan’s ability was second only to Teng Qingshan. After Teng Qinghu and Teng Qingshan went to the Gui Yuan Sect, Teng Yongfan naturally became the number one expert in the village.

“Brother Fan.” The facial expression of Yuan Lan, who was behind Teng Yongfan, immediately changed drastically.

Teng Yongfan held his wife’s hand and appeared very calm.

“Lord.” Teng Yunlong became nervous and said, “Teng Yongfan is the number one expert of Teng Jia Village indeed, but he is also the number one blacksmith in my village. Therefore, he does not enter the mountain. He is not a hunter.” Teng Yunlong’s words were not entirely true. Although Teng Yongfan was a blacksmith, he did join the Hunter Squad when he was young.

He only stopped joining the Hunter Squad when his blacksmithing skills became better and better.

“Whew!”

A black illusion appeared.

Teng Yunlong’s facial expression changed, and he only had the chance to block his chest. He felt a tremendous pain in his hands, and the sounds of bones breaking rang.

“Pa!”

Teng Yunlong was thrown into the air like a ragged sandbag.

“Master!”

“Old Chief!” Anxious voices resounded. There were two young villagers at the location where Teng Yunlong fell, and those two young villagers immediately held onto the old chief.

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

Seeing this, many men in the village became furious and actually wore their heavy armor. They looked at the outsiders with eyes full of bloodlust. When Teng Jia Village was weak, they dared to fight the mounted bandits to death. Now, Teng Jia Village was strong......Although they were shocked and afraid of the power of the heavy armored cavalrymen, if a fight were to happen, no one would be afraid!

“Master.”

“Father!”

Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan ran to Teng Yunlong’s side. At this moment, blood trickled down the corner of Teng Yunlong’s mouth. His hands trembled, and the white bones within his bloody hands could be seen.

“Cough, cough......” Teng Yunlong coughed and forced a smile, “Yongfan, Yuan Lan, I am alright...... thanks to the cultivation of the Tiger Fist. Although my hands are disabled, my life is saved.” After Teng Yunlong practiced the Tiger Fist, his body and internal organs became strong. He resolved the force of the strike through his hands.

Although he was injured, Teng Yunlong’s life was not taken.

“Teacher!” Teng Yongfan’s eyes reddened as he was almost crying. The hands of his master, Teng Yunlong, were disabled!

“You are over forty years old. Don’t be like this. When I was young, your grandpa and I killed those beast at the Dayan Mountain. Didn’t we continue to kill those fierce beasts even when we were heavily injured?” Teng Yunlong smiled as he calmed Teng Yongfan. As an old man, Teng Yunlong’s ability to withstand forces was stronger.

“Old man, I just said that you can only listen! I did not take your life this time, but next time......” Gu Shiyou still said coldly.

However, he secretly felt shocked.

In order to make the men of Teng Jia Village fear him, he casually struck the old man with his spear. Although it was just a simple hit, he used his full strength. He guessed that the old fellow would definitely die, but this old chief of Teng Jia Village was stronger than he had expected.

“Do the men of Teng Jia Village want to fight with the Silver Dragon Army of Qing Hu Island?” Gu Shiyou asked as he scanned the furious men of Teng Jia Village. The injured Teng Yunlong, who was struggling to stand up through the support of Teng Yongfan, stood up and smiled, “How would a poor village have the audacity to fight the men of Qing Hu Island? Wouldn’t that be seeking death?”

Gu Shiyou smiled.

Teng Yunlong immediately continued, “Lords of Qing Hu Island, you guys might not know that Teng Qingshan, the number one commander of the Gui Yuan Sect’s Black Armored Army, is my grandson!”

The training field of Teng Jia Village became quiet.

“It’s alright if you make Teng Jia Village send three hunters; however, Teng Yongfan is Qingshan’s father. Plus, he is a blacksmith and not a hunter! So it doesn’t make sense for him to follow the lords of Qing Hu Island.” Teng Yunlong stared at Gu Shiyou. In a clan, the chief is the most important. How could the chief be taken away easily?

Gu Shiyou narrowed his eyes as he thought,

“This old fellow is so troublesome.”

If Teng Jia Village did not mention Teng Qingshan, he could pretend to not know and take Teng Yongfan away.

However, Teng Jia Village actually mentioned it!

If he forcefully took the father of an innate master to do hard labor and this was spreaded out all over the world, it would sound very bad.

“Qing Hu Island is one of the eight greatest sects of the nine prefectures!” Teng Yunlong said to himself, “According to the books, the greater the sect, the more they value their reputation. If I did not say Qingshan’s name, they might pretend to not know. Now that I said it, they should restrain slightly.”

“The Gui Yuan Sect’s Commander Teng?”

A surprised expression appeared on Gu Shiyou’s face as he scanned the surroundings, “I really didn’t expect that this Teng Jia Village was the hometown of Teng Qingshan.”

“However!”

Gu Shiyou’s face became cold again. “I must take Teng Qinghao and Teng Yongfan away. This is a military order! A military order is like a mountain. Qing Hu Island is the first sect of Yangzhou. It is impossible to change a military order just for a commander of the Gui Yuan Sect. As for the fact that Teng Yongfan is the father of Teng Qingshan.......I will tell this to the general of my Silver Dragon Army! If the general changes the military order, Teng Yongfan will be sent back.......But as for now, he must come with us!”

“All those who disobey will be killed!” A fierce coldness was seen in Gu Shiyou’s eyes as he roared.

Teng Yunlong felt his heart sink.

He understood..... The men of Qing Hu Island were really taking Teng Yongfan away! If Qing Hu Island was determined to take Teng Yongfan away, what excuse couldn’t be used?

......

The people in the training field became restless. Many clan members were angry.

“I will go with you.” Teng Yongfan stood up.

Many people became worried.

“Brother Fan.” Yuan Lan grabbed his hand. She was so worried that she was almost crying. Teng Yongfan turned his head and smiled as he caressed his wife’s face, “Lan, you know I have to go!”

Tears flowed down Yuan Lan’s cheek.

He understood! It was obvious that the men of Qing Hu Island wanted to take Teng Yongfan away. If he did not obey, many people would die today.

“Fan, Qinghao, I will go with you guys.” A middle-aged man with gray hair at his temples walked out with a bow and arrows on his back and a long spear in his hand.

“Father.” Teng Qinghao looked at the middle-aged man with a surprised expression.

It was Teng Yongxiang the Spear Art Master of the clan. Teng Yongxiang was already over fifty years old. Because his wife died of a sickness long ago, Teng Yongxiang valued his son, Qinghao, greatly. The men of Qing Hu Island did not come with friendly intentions, and so he was worried about his son.

“Yes.”

Teng Yongfan and Teng Yongxiang glanced at each other. They had been together for more than many years. If they went together, they wouldn’t give up easily when they faced a problem.

“Qinghao.”

“Father.”

Teng Qinghao’s wife, young son, and daughter held on to Teng Qinghao. Teng Qinghao caressed his kids’ heads as he said, “Listen to mother when I am not at home, okay?”

“I know, Father.” The eyes of both his son and daughter were filled with tears.

“Get on the horse.” Gu Shiyou frowned and yelled.

Teng Yongfan, Teng Yongxiang, and Teng Qinghao smiled at their clan members while holding the Damascus Steel Spear in their hands. Among the three, Teng Qinghao and Teng Yongxiang carried bows and arrows on their back. The three then separated, and each mounted a horse with a soldier of Qing Hu Island.

“Depart!” Gu Shiyou ordered.

One hundred heavy armored cavalry then averted and left at lightning speed, leaving the worried clan members of Teng Jia Village.