HSSB439: Green Dragon Mountain
The western lands where Green Dragon Mountain was located were formed of ma.s.sive mountain ranges that spanned more than ten thousand li.
Located to the south of the Green Dragon Mountain Range was its main peak, Dragon Peak, precisely the location of Green Dragon Mountain that was one of the Four Clans of the Floating Life World.
While Green Dragon Mountain was quite a distance away from the Jade Ridge Snow Mountains, with the speed of Su Yun and the others, they still arrived there very quickly.
Still, as the people of Green Dragon Mountain saw Su Yun, they could not help but frown.
“Chief Su, may I ask where our other esteemed guest is?” It was an old man who greeted her.
Garbed in a green robe on which was embroidered the image of a dragon, it was a Grand Elder of Green Dragon Mountain.
Not answering his question, Su Yun instead asked, “Is Chief Luo here?”
That green-robed old man frowned, but he still answered, “Chief is currently in the great hall, but…”
Su Yun said, “I will naturally say my part upon meeting Chief Luo. Elder Tong, please come along as well.”
That green-robed Elder surnamed Tong was silent for a moment before he led Su Yun up Dragon Peak.
Having arrived on Dragon Peak, entering the great hall in which those of Green Dragon Mountain held their discussions, a tall, authoritative-looking middle-aged man could be seen sitting at its centre. Many people surrounded him.
Scanning the area with a sweep of her gaze, Su Yun found that most of the higher echelon experts as well as longtime Elders of the clan had already arrived.
That middle-aged man sitting in the centre was the current Chief of Green Dragon Mountain, Luo Jinghao. While he was the youngest of the Chiefs of the Four Clans, his strength made it such that no one of the Floating Life World dared to look down on him.
Luo Jinghao calmly watched Elder Tong and Su Yun enter.
Beside him, a hale and hearty old man begin to speak, his voice like the tolling of a bell, “Chief Su, why are you here alone? This old man remembers that it was not just you whom our clan invited.”
Su Yun said mildly, “Our Young Master is tired out from his journeying and wishes to first rest. I hope that Chief Luo and various Elders can understand this.”
Noticing Su Yun’s way of addressing Yan Zhaoge, the people of Green Dragon Mountain exchanged looks.
Luo Jinghao did not speak as it was that hale and hearty old man whose brows instantly knit up as he let out a cold snort, “How arrogant!”
“Does he think that sweeping through a tiny Furan Kingdom is so much of an impressive matter?”
This old man asked coldly, “Let me ask this. Of everyone here, how many are there who cannot wipe out a tiny little Furan Kingdom on their own?”
Su Yun’s expression was calm, “What are you saying, Elder Qi? Since it is an invitation, while the guest must naturally thank the host for his sentiments, there also exists the possibility of him not showing up. The guest showing up is indeed a good thing, but if one is forced to come over as a guest, things would naturally then be different altogether.”
Elder Qi gave a cold snort, “A guest naturally has to possess the self-awareness of being a guest. Chief Su, do not forget that the entire West Domain, the Jade Ridge Snowy Mountains included, still belongs to my Green Dragon Mountain at the end of the day.”
“Chief Su should also be very clear on the att.i.tude of others of our Floating Life World towards you qi cultivators. Amidst the boundlessness of the heavens and the earth, how many places are there that would have you?”
Su Yun asked indifferently, “What, does Elder Qi want to kick my Snow Crane Sect out of the West Domain now?”
Elder Tong raised a hand to stop Elder Qi as he sighed, “Chief Su overstates things. Senior apprentice-brother Qi does not mean that.”
Su Yun said calmly, “It would be fine even if he did.”
Elder Qi said coldly, “How leisurely, stirring up a disturbance on the territory of the Blood Cloud Clan and then escaping all the way west to my clan’s territory to avoid danger.”
“If not for borrowing the authority of my clan to intimidate the Blood Cloud Clan, I wonder if that so-called Young Master of yours would be able to be as leisurely as he is now?”
“I should let Chief Su know one thing. The Chief of the Blood Cloud Clan, Lu Ming, with many experts of his clan in tow, has already personally arrived in the West Domain.”
Su Yun’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, “Therefore, what does Elder Qi mean for? If the Blood Cloud Clan comes asking for someone, you’ll just hand him over to them?”
Green Dragon Mountain’s Chief, Luo Jinghao, finally spoke, “Junior Sister Su, there is no need for goading here. My clan has already been at odds with the Blood Cloud Clan for a long time, and neither of us has ever feared the other.”
“However, Lu Ming has personally ventured here, clearly stating that he will definitely not let this matter rest.”
“My clan does not fear a battle with the Blood Cloud Clan, but we have no need to enter a full scale war with the Blood Cloud Clan, another of the Four Clans, just for the sake of this unrelated person. Moving our troops on a major scale, within that major battle, the ones who will bleed and suffer, the casualties that will be inflicted will all be of my clan.”
He looked quietly at Su Yun, “If it is you, if it is Shen Nuo, if is the Snow Crane Sect that has offended the Blood Cloud Clan, I would not hesitate at all. Since my clan is the overlord of the powers of the West Domain, we will not allow any others to encroach on our West Domain. Moreover, we have a long held enmity with the Blood Cloud Clan. At most, we would just battle it out with them.”
“Still, from what I know, the person who stirred things up this time is not of your Snow Crane Sect.”
Luo Jinghao spoke neither quickly nor slowly, “However you address him, it doesn’t change that one truth, which is that that person is an outsider who is completely unrelated to my clan.”
Su Yun nodded as she looked at Luo Jinghao, “Truthfully, your thoughts are not completely unfounded. Whether it is Chief Luo, Elder Qi or any other Elder here, all of you have to do your thinking based on the benefits and detriments of matters on your Green Dragon Mountain.”
“It is just that-aren’t you looking at things from too shallow a perspective?”
Su Yun said mildly, “I’ll say this clearly. Young Master is the son of the Lady of my house. All of my martial arts were taught by her. You can imagine for yourselves what kind of figure she is.”
“To Green Dragon Mountain, isn’t the value of accruing such positive karma already enough? My Lady has always been clear on enmity and grudges.”
“While she currently no longer graces the mortal world with her presence, since Young Master has re-entered the world, it already sufficiently says many things.”
Hearing her words, Luo Jinghao said calmly, “The teacher of the Jade Crane, that rumoured otherworldly expert, is one whom this Luo has always admired greatly. If the seeds of good karma can be sown between us, that would naturally be good.”
“However, whether it was because your Master was disdainful or helpless to back then, other than Chief Su, she did not leave behind any traces in this world.”
Hearing his words, Su Yun’s gaze turned sharper.
Luo Jinghao’s expression was as per usual as he said mildly, “You and your Master are both qi cultivators. Indeed, my Green Dragon Mountain has benefited from Chief Su’s a.s.sistance over the years. However, at the end of the day, we are all demonic blood cultivators, and the Floating Life World the world of demonic blood cultivators.”
Su Yun knit her brows slightly, “Chief Luo’s words hold a deeper meaning. Please elaborate.”
Beside Luo Jinghao, Elder Qi also calmed down now as he said, “That Pixiu.”
Hearing his words, Su Yun’s gaze instantly turned cold.
Elder Tong said, “Do not misunderstand, Chief Su. We do not ask for owners.h.i.+p of the Pixiu. Rather, we would like you to provide us with some Pixiu essence blood. I imagine that that would not be a hard thing.”
Elder Qi said in an indifferent tone, “Chief Su said earlier that there is no such thing as forcing one over as a guest. Thinking about it carefully, this old man feels that this is indeed so. Now, going about it the same way, there is also no such thing as that Young Master of yours forcing our clan to help him, right?”
Su Yun’s face was expressionless, “This is naturally true. However, I wonder this. If my Young Master does not agree, will your clan forget about past grievances with the Blood Cloud Clan and join hands with them in this venture?”
Luo Jinghao said calmly and resolutely, “No.”
“That is to say that you would only watch from the side?” Su Yun suddenly laughed, “While I feel rather regretful at the short-sightedness of my in-laws, this can also be considered a rather good result.”
Hearing her words, Luo Jinghao and the others all frowned, not understanding what she meant.
Now, a person suddenly came to report, “Chief, Lu Ming of the Blood Cloud Clan has arrived at the West Domain. When our clan’s Elder went over to talk to him, he was instantly slain by him on the spot!”
There was an uproar, first rage and shock before doubt came, “Why does the Blood Cloud Clan dare to act so arrogant and unbridled?”
Green Dragon Mountain would not be willing to lightly engage in a full scale war with the Blood Cloud Clan. Under normal circ.u.mstances, wouldn’t this also be the same for the Blood Cloud Clan?
Following this, another report came in, “From the north and the east, we have discovered abnormal movements from the Blazing Fire Clan and the Thunder Rumbling Clan. There seems to be a large amount of experts currently headed our way!”
The Blazing Fire Clan and the Thunder Rumbling Clan were the other two of the Four Clans alongside Green Dragon Mountain and the Blood Cloud Clan.
Their earlier doubts had been clarified, but the hearts of those of Green Dragon Mountain increasingly sank.