SlaySaga
patreon
Chapter 195: Decision
🕑 Added 2025-06-02 19:12:35 +0000 UTCAll Novels || Martial God
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before He Yiming had even returned to the residence, he could hear the clamor of several people within the estate. Among these voices, he even heard many mentions of "Sixth Young Master." After a slight surprise, He Yiming knew that the news of his return had already spread throughout the courtyard.
Indeed, as soon as he turned a corner, he saw a person at the front of the estate peering out. Upon seeing him, the person was overjoyed, turned around and ran back into the estate, shouting loudly, "Sixth Young Master is back! Sixth Young Master is back!" With this shout, a group of people, as if already prepared, clustered around a noble lady and walked out.
He Yiming's eyebrows twitched slightly. With just a glance, he could confirm that the lady surrounded by everyone was his mother, Lin Wenyu. However, after only a year apart, even he could barely recognize Lin Wenyu. It wasn't that her appearance had changed, but rather her attire, and even her entire demeanor, seemed to have undergone a different transformation. From an ordinary, plain housewife to a graceful and noble lady, this change made He Yiming somewhat difficult to accept for a while.
By his mother's side, there were several noble ladies and some young ladies. Their demeanor was clearly more elegant than his mother's. But their faces were all filled with flattering smiles. Anyone with eyes could see that they were completely centered around Lin Wenyu. He Yiming vaguely felt that his mother seemed to have been influenced by them, which led to such a change. However, he had no prejudice against this; as long as it made his mother happy, what did it matter if things changed a little?
With a slight movement, he was already by his mother's side. He Yiming gently said, "Mother, why did you come out yourself?"
Lin Wenyu held He Yiming's hand tightly. At this moment, there was no one else in her eyes. No matter how high He Yiming's achievements grew, in her eyes, he was always her own son. This kind of kinship was a bond that could not be severed, even at the end of life. He Yiming looked up, his gaze sweeping over the faces of these women. He didn't recognize any of them.
Lin Wenyu then realized. She still refused to let go of her son's hand, but she introduced them one by one. A moment later, He Yiming understood that these were the ladies and young misses from the main courtyards of the Cheng Family, Xu Family, and other prominent wealthy families in Taicang County.
Lin Wenyu sighed softly, "Yiming, in the past year, your father has been so busy with something that he hasn't had time for home. And your brothers and sisters have also been diligently cultivating Inner Energy in the estate. Only I have been very lonely here. Thanks to all the sisters who have taken the trouble to come here to keep me company and chat, otherwise this period would have been really difficult."
He Yiming knew well that He Family Village was currently undergoing rapid development, so his father and the others were naturally extremely busy. Even the third-generation disciples in the village had probably already joined in. As for his mother, when he saw the clear light in her eyes, he understood. Dressing like this, though very different from his mother's previous attire, from another perspective, it also proved that the He Family had finally gained the recognition of the great families in Taicang County and had officially established roots in this County Town, no longer suffering from their collective exclusion. He sighed inwardly, realizing that everyone in the family was working hard for the family's future, playing their respective roles, whether happily or not.
After meeting, the group entered the courtyard together. He Yiming immediately saw Cheng Jiahui smiling and waiting inside. Although the current Cheng Family Patriarch's status was not something He Yiming placed much importance on, the status of his Eldest Sister-in-law's father was enough for He Yiming to look at him differently. Under Cheng Jiahui's introduction, He Yiming learned that his whereabouts had been leaked by the soldier at the gate.
Having been away from Taicang County for over a year, he didn't know how famous he had become in this city. People here might not know who the City Lord was, but they absolutely could not not know the name He Yiming. Lin Wenyu ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome He Yiming.
At the banquet, He Yiming naturally became the focus of attention. He Yiming always maintained a faint smile and a profound attitude. Under the halo of an Innate powerhouse, everyone naturally became even more respectful, and even Lin Wenyu felt something similar.
After the banquet, He Yiming privately asked his mother and learned about the drastic changes that had occurred in He Family Village during this period. After receiving unreserved support from the Tian Luo Imperial Family, He Family Village no longer had any worries about money and food. At the same time, in this newly built large city, nearly one-tenth of the shops had been pre-allocated to He Family Village. Once the entire city was completed, whether rented out or operated by themselves, it would be a huge fortune. Not only that, but the entire Taicang County City also benefited greatly. It could be said that due to the emergence of He Yiming, an Innate powerhouse, Taicang County officially entered the sight of the upper echelons of the entire Tianluo Country. Its future vigorous development was just around the corner.
The current environment was completely different from before. The He Family had long become the undisputed top aristocratic family in Taicang County. Only Lin Wenyu was stationed in the County Town, while the two brothers He Quanming and He Quanyi remained in the village. Although Lin Wenyu was a woman, if anyone dared to covet the He Family's shops in the city at this time, Lin Wenyu would not even need to act. The Cheng Family would certainly do it for her, nipping all dangers in the bud.
Then, He Yiming inquired again about He Yiling and Yuan Liling. When this topic came up, even Lin Wenyu looked helpless. Although the three He Family brothers seemed to be not difficult to get along with, once they made a decision, they were like stubborn mules, unyielding. And He Yiling and Yuan Liling, unable to bear He Quanyi's opposition, finally left their family home and came to the city to relax.
He Yiming shook his head slightly, still unable to understand the reason. However, after learning about the recent situation in the village, He Yiming could no longer contain his surging longing. He immediately requested to return to the village. For him, Taicang County City was just an inn on his life journey; his true home was still the place where he grew up.
Lin Wenyu nodded without hesitation and ordered servants to prepare horses. When she mounted the tall horse, He Yiming realized that his mother had not changed at all. She was still that hardworking, great woman who had helped her husband establish a foothold in Taicang County City.
The group rode quickly out of the city and towards He Family Village. When they left the city, it was too late, and the city gates were already closed. But when Lin Wenyu showed the He Family Village's insignia, the city gate captain immediately opened the gates without a word, allowing them to ride freely. Soon, the news of their departure from the County Town reached the ears of all interested parties. Those who had not had time to visit today all regretted it, but could only silently wait for the next opportunity.
***
On the official road, a red shadow flashed by, followed by the thunderous sound of hooves. The Hong Ling horse, after leaving He Family Village, immediately reverted to its wild nature, galloping like lightning towards the capital city. Since it was sent back to He Family Village, it had been treated like a lord, and no one would ever ride this special warhorse belonging to He Yiming. For over a year, it had indeed been restless. Along the way, there was no need for He Yiming to urge it; it simply ran as if its life depended on it, seemingly wanting to completely vent a year's worth of frustration. However, it was indeed a magnificent horse. Even with He Yiming and Yuan Lixun riding on it, plus the terrifying Guan Broadsword, it remained unconcerned, showing no signs of effort. Such a magnificent horse would naturally bring joy to anyone. He Yiming and Yuan Lixun were naturally no exception.
However, they soon discovered that although they tried to conserve the horse's strength, the Hong Ling horse was completely unappreciative. If they let it gallop freely, it was fine, but if they pulled the reins to slow it down, it would let out an unhappy whinny, almost as if it had spiritual intelligence. In the end, they could only let it have its way. In just a few days, they had arrived from He Family Village to the capital city of Tian Luo.
When He Yiming and Yuan Lixun arrived in the capital, they continued to ride swiftly in the center of the main road. Along the way, everyone turned their heads, but no one dared to stop them. Soon, they arrived at Shaoming Residence once again.
When they stopped before Shaoming Residence, He Yiming's ears immediately twitched slightly, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. Yuan Lixun asked in surprise, "Young Master, did something really happen to Master Shui?" He Yiming shook his head slightly. "Master Shui's health is fine, but there's actually another Innate master in Shaoming Residence." Yuan Lixun was even more surprised. Even in a hidden sect like Hengshan Mountain, there were only a handful of Innate masters. In Tianluo Country, there were only two, so she couldn't imagine who the other Innate master in Shaoming Residence could be. However, they both vaguely felt that Master Shui Xuanjin's message was probably related to this person.
He Yiming had no longer restrained his aura after arriving here. Immediately, a hearty laugh came from Shaoming Residence. "Brother He, you've returned so quickly. It's truly beyond this old man's expectation." The large gate of Shaoming Residence slowly opened, and Shui Xuanjin appeared, his voice preceding him, walking out with a smiling face.
He Yiming smiled and nodded, but his gaze swept past the old man and landed on the old man beside him. "Brother Shui, this gentleman is..."
Shui Xuanjin half-turned and said, "Brother He, this is Master Mao Lieguang from the Kairong Country Masters Hall."
He Yiming nodded slightly to him. "So it's Master Mao, my apologies for the oversight."
Mao Lieguang's gaze remained fixed on He Yiming, and his expression was solemn, clearly sensing the aura emanating from He Yiming. At this moment, he forced a smile, pulling at his face. "I have long admired Master He's renown. Seeing you today, it truly lives up to its reputation. No wonder my disciple was defeated by you."
He Yiming was slightly startled. "May I ask who your esteemed disciple is?"
"My humble disciple, Cheng Fu." Mao Lieguang snorted lightly. He Yiming then realized. No wonder this person had a sour face the moment they met; he was actually Cheng Fu's master. However, since he was putting on such airs, He Yiming naturally wouldn't be so eager to please. He gave a cold smile and said, "So it's Master Cheng's master, my sincere apologies. However, the next time I meet Master Cheng, I will need to verify this, lest someone speaks nonsense and deceives me."
Mao Lieguang's face instantly turned extremely grim. He said in a sinister tone, "Master He, what do you mean by that?"
He Yiming met his gaze without fear. "I once sparred with Master Cheng, and only by a stroke of luck did I win by one move. But..." A mocking cold smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Master Mao, how many moves do you think you can exchange with this humble one?"
A sharp gleam flashed in Mao Lieguang's eyes, and his gaze gradually turned cold. A massive aura slowly boiled from his body. He Yiming's blunt and disrespectful words made him unable to tolerate it any longer. If he remained indifferent at this moment, then if word got out, he would immediately be looked down upon. So, although he couldn't perceive He Yiming's depth at this moment, he still had no choice.
Yuan Lixun was naturally full of confidence in He Yiming. With He Yiming's current strength, as long as he didn't encounter a Single-Line Sky Realm powerhouse, he would have nothing to fear. Even if he did encounter such a powerhouse, with He Yiming's Light Body Technique, he could still escape. She retreated a few steps, standing in the shade of a tree, calmly observing. Shui Xuanjin, on the other hand, frowned slightly, then relaxed, shook his head, and also retreated to watch from the sidelines.
Feeling the increasingly powerful aura from Mao Lieguang, He Yiming immediately understood that this person's cultivation was indeed superior to Cheng Fu's, but his strength was at most similar to Medicine Daoist's. After He Yiming killed the Two-headed Spirit Beast, he could already steadily defeat Medicine Daoist by a notch. Now, he had another epiphany, and his entire body's acupoints were extremely close to being full and overflowing, repeatedly praised by Yu Jinglei as the number one person below the Single-Line Sky Realm. Thus, even before they exchanged blows, He Yiming's heart was filled with absolute confidence in victory. This confidence, as his True Qi gathered, was revealed, instantly becoming a towering presence, firmly suppressing the opponent.
Mao Lieguang's face was extremely grim, and he secretly grumbled inwardly. After Cheng Fu's defeat, Mao Lieguang had discussed it with him many times, and the final conclusion was that while He Yiming was powerful in martial arts cultivation, he was only slightly superior to Cheng Fu, with not much difference between them. If not for the conflicting cultivation methods, the outcome would have been uncertain. As Cheng Fu's mentor, Mao Lieguang had stepped into the Innate Realm decades earlier than him and had also gained some enlightenment. Within the Masters Hall of Kairong Country, if Cheng Fu could be ranked in the top five, then Mao Lieguang could definitely be ranked in the top two. In Kairong Country, other than the imperial family's Great Ancestor, no one dared to claim victory over Mao Lieguang.
This time, Mao Lieguang specifically came to Tianluo Country not only to deliver a message but also with the intention of suppressing He Yiming and regaining lost face. In their minds, if Mao Lieguang were to fight He Yiming, he would certainly emerge victorious. Therefore, Mao Lieguang had put on a provocative stance from the moment they met, wanting to enrage He Yiming and even instigate a conflict. However, although he had achieved his wish at this moment, he was now filled with regret. Was this young man truly the He Yiming that Cheng Fu spoke of? Why was his aura so powerful, even subtly suppressing his own? Did he not use his full strength in the previous battle with Cheng Fu?
He Yiming's aura increased bit by bit. Although the increment was not large, it consistently suppressed his opponent. Being able to control his aura to this extent, any discerning person would know that he was doing it intentionally. Not far away, Shui Xuanjin's eyes also showed a look of disbelief. He sensed the obvious changes in He Yiming's body and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. As expected of someone from Hengshan Mountain, just returning once had brought about such a near-complete transformation. It seemed that the rumors of a Single-Line Sky Realm powerhouse residing in the Hengshan Mountain lineage must be true. He attributed He Yiming's progress to the guidance of a Single-Line Sky Realm powerhouse, but he had absolutely no idea that He Yiming's progress was far beyond his expectations.
A moment later, Mao Lieguang's face became even more grim. Under the oppressive aura of He Yiming, which was like a towering inferno, he even felt an impulse to flee in panic. At this point, his confidence was finally greatly shaken, and he no longer harbored the slightest hope of victory. And just as his confidence waned, He Yiming immediately sensed it. He let out a long laugh and took a step forward. This step landed like a great mountain crashing down to the ground, shaking people to the core. Even Mao Lieguang couldn't help but tremble all over.
His aura instantly plummeted to rock bottom, completely suppressed by He Yiming. Then, he saw a fist expanding in front of his eyes at an unimaginable speed. He thought, "Not good," but he knew there was no retreat at this point. With his vital energy completely locked onto by the opponent, unless his Light Body Technique was twice as good as theirs, he simply couldn't escape.
Mao Lieguang's eyebrows suddenly shot up. He was also a fierce character who had experienced thousands of battles, big and small. At this moment, forced into a desperate situation, his inner ferocity was instead stimulated. His entire body's True Qi circulated, and he suddenly released it all. He roared sharply, raising both hands, his arms shimmering with a strange metallic luster. Although he was Cheng Fu's master, what he cultivated was not the Fire Element Technique, but primarily Metal Element, supplemented by Earth Element. In this desperate, life-or-death strike, there was naturally no room for concealment. The Metal Element power instantly gathered to its peak, and his entire body exuded a sharp aura. His palms, like blades, created a blur of afterimages in the void, carrying the final momentum of a cornered beast's struggle, rushing towards He Yiming.
He Yiming smiled coldly, and his hands also rose simultaneously. On those palms, a metallic luster similarly shimmered. Then, he shifted his palms, and pushed them out plainly and simply.
Mao Lieguang let out a piercing howl. Although He Yiming's palms didn't change at all, in his eyes, they were undoubtedly even more terrifying. The Great Dao is simple. When all complex changes are contained within one palm, what kind of powerful force would it contain? Innate Metal Element combat technique, Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms…
With a resounding boom, He Yiming's and Mao Lieguang's four palms fiercely collided in mid-air. The countless palm shadows Mao Lieguang had conjured instantly vanished without a trace. He let out an angry grunt, feeling an unimaginable force surge towards him. His feet lost their grip, and he was sent flying backward. After several steps, he finally managed to stand still, his face flushed, his True Qi chaotic and unsustainable. He looked up and saw He Yiming standing calmly with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a gaze that held both pity and mockery.
Under the assault of anger, a sweetness rose in his throat, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of dark blood, feeling his entire body go limp. Only then did he realize he was severely injured. Shui Xuanjin was dumbfounded. He looked at He Yiming and gave a wry smile. One move, in just one move, the outcome was decided. And judging by He Yiming's appearance, it seemed he had even held back. Only then did he realize that the gap between these two was not minimal, but immense, as vast as the heavens and earth.
Inside and outside Shaoming Residence, countless eyes watched this scene. Some were Shui Xuanjin's disciples, some were envoys from Kairong Country, and others were informants placed by various aristocratic families outside Shaoming Residence. At this moment, the hearts of all those in the know were filled with unparalleled shock. Everyone knew that their previous assessment of He Yiming was about to be completely invalidated...
Chapter 196: Seeing Shui Xuanjin Again
