The Nine Cauldrons

Chapter 527: Astonished and Angry

Translator: Iamgt Editor: Lucas

Inside the house at Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan's residence:

"My legs, my legs." Teng Yongfan gazed at his feet with an expression that said he didn't dare believe this.

Yuan Lan and Qingyu, the mother and daughter both displayed emotional expressions.

"Grandfather, Grandfather, you have legs now," Qingyu's son spoke in a baby-like voice, seemingly very amazed.

"Haha, that's right. That's right." Teng Yongfan started laughing.

"Dad, try standing up and walking about," Teng Qingshan then said.

"Yes, try standing up and walk around," Yuan Lan urged while holding back her emotions.

Teng Yongfan took in a deep breath. Gazing at his wife and children beside him, Teng Yongfan then loosened his grip on the wheelchair and gently placed his two large feet on the ground. His thighs exerted a bit of strength…

"Hu!"

And he stood up easily.

"It's good. They have completely recovered." When Teng Yongfan felt the sensation of having his feet firmly planted on the ground, which was something he hadn't felt in a long time, he got so emotional that his eyes got teary. If a person whose two legs were crippled and had no way of standing up was able to stand up once again… This sort of joy was simply indescribable. Teng Yongfan continuously walked back and forth inside the house, occasionally even jumping twice.

"There isn't even a tiny issue. It's like they were never cut off before."

Teng Yongfan even stomped twice. "My past knee injury has also been healed. It's even better than before it got amputated." Currently, Teng Yongfan was like a child amazed at the novelty of the feeling, continuously moving his two legs about.

Yuan Lan and Qingyu were both smiling excitedly.

"Qingshan." Li Jun held Teng Qingshan's hand lightly, and the two of them shared a smile. Being able to see his dad stand once again, as well as see his mother and younger sister smile happily… Teng Qingshan felt that even if he had to suffer even more hardships for this, it was worth it.

"Haha, Qingshan, Little Yu."

Teng Yongfan was now in high spirits. He was no longer that elderly disabled person who was past his prime. Additionally, the heroic spirit of the Teng family's number one hero from the old days had appeared once again. After all, going by age, Teng Yongfan's true age was barely over 50 years old. Moreover, he had previously taken Scarlet Fruit Wine, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to live till 150 years old.

He hadn't even lived out half of his life.

His current age could totally be considered the prime of his life!

"Today, I, your father, want to cook," Teng Yongfan said while laughing loudly, "I want to cook up a table full of good dishes that I specialize in for you to taste."

"Dad, you're going to cook?" Qingyu remarked, deliberately pouting.

"What, you don't believe me?" Teng Yongfan scowled.

Yuan Lan smiled. "Little Yu, back in the day, your father cooked up a good dish. It was because I ate this good dish of your father's that I got hooked and fell into his hands for the rest of my life."

Teng Yongfan laughed heartily. "I haven't cooked it for so many years. However, I can never forget these skills of mine! Ah Lan, you go light up the fire. Qingshan, Little Yu, you two go rinse the rice and wash the vegetables."

"Alright."

The brother and sister pair, Teng Qingshan and Qingyu, immediately smiled and stood up. Li Jun also accompanied them to help out.

...

At once, this entire family was in the kitchen. The mother, Yuan Lan, was lighting the fire for cooking, while the father was demonstrating his cooking skills. Teng Qingshan and Qingyu passed over the washed radish and green vegetables, playing support from the side.

"Mm, it's really fragrant." Teng Qingshan smelled the waves of meat fragrance from the pot as it filled the air, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"Your dad's skills aren't fake, you know." Teng Yongfan's bare legs stood perfectly straight before the boiler.

"Dad," Qingyu, who was at the side, pouted while saying, "you should go put on some shoes. It just rained, and you're barefooted."

"I'm just barefooted. Being barefooted is comfortable." Until this moment, Teng Yongfan had been feeling like he was dreaming. The fact that he was barefooted was the only thing that gave him a clear feeling that his legs existed. It let him understand… that all of this wasn't a dream.

Then suddenly…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then there came the sounds of someone knocking at the gates.

"Little Yu, open the gates." Zhuge Yun's voice rang from outside.

Qingyu passed through the kitchen door puzzledly and looked toward the courtyard gates. "Brother, there seems to be many people outside."

Let alone Qingyu, even Yuan Lan, who didn't have internal strength, heard the previous murmur of talking voices outside the courtyard. There were clearly many people there.

"There certainly are many people." Teng Qingshan smiled weakly. "They're the sect's Law Enforcement Elders, other elders, commanders, and so on." Just by sensing their auras, Teng Qingshan could determine many of his acquaintances.

"Law Enforcement Elders and Commanders?" Teng Yongfan was startled. "Little Yu, quickly go and open the gates. We can't let the Law Enforcement Elders and the others wait outside." To this countryman, Teng Yongfan, the Gui Yuan Sect's Law Enforcement elders were Innate Experts who needed to be respected. How could they be neglected?

"Yes, Father." Qingyu ran to the courtyard gates at a flying speed. There was a crashing sound, then she pulled off the wooden plank stopper, opening the gates.

"So many people." Qingyu got a fright when she looked outside. With the three Law Enforcement Elders—Elder Yan, Elder Ni, as well as Elder Zang Feng—heading the crowd, Zhuge Yun was also standing alongside them before the gates. Behind them, numerous elders of the Gui Yuan Sect, as well as the commanders of the Longgang Army and the Black Armored Army, were standing in an orderly fashion.

Even Elder Yan and the others were also standing very formally.

"Elder Yan, why are you all..." Qingyu was frightened by the attitudes of Elder Yan and the others. In the Gui Yuan Sect, even when facing the Sovereign, the Law Enforcement Elders wouldn't be presenting this sort of attitude.

After all, this was the Land of the Nine Prefectures, where they treated people differently according to strength. Zhuge Yuanhong was a Golden Dan Innate Expert, while Elder Ni and Elder Yan were also Golden Dan Innate Experts. So they were more or less equal to each other.

"Qingyu… We heard that your brother has returned?" Elder Yan asked.

"Eh…" Qingyu glared at Zhuge Yun, who was beside Elder Yan, then she turned back to Elder Yan with a smile and nodded. "Elder Yan, my brother has indeed returned. He's right inside."

"We wish to meet with your brother. Sorry to trouble you, but please pass this message through," Elder Yan said.

"'Sorry to trouble you, but please pass this message through?'" Qingyu was stunned.

This group of Law Enforcement Elders, other elders, and commanders wanted to see someone together in the Gui Yuan Sect… Was there still a need to pass a message through?

"If you want to meet with my brother, then just come inside. Why would I need to pass a message?" Qingyu remarked.

"We can't abandon the customs," Elder Ni, who was at the side, responded.

Currently, in the hearts of Elder Yan, Elder Ni, and the other members of the Gui Yuan Sect's upper echelons, Teng Qingshan was the person with the most magnificent style, unmatched in his generation throughout the entirety of the Land of the Nine Prefectures. He was a 21-year-old Emptiness Realm Expert! Even the four great Omnipotent Experts from history couldn't be compared to him. Such an existence… Just his identity as an Emptiness Realm Expert was enough to make people revere him, let alone the words "21-year-old" before "Emptiness Realm Expert."

Moreover…

Back then on Great Yan Mountain, Teng Qingshan had claimed he was rebelling against the Gui Yuan Sect. Many of the Gui Yuan Sect's members inwardly believed that Teng Qingshan was a member of the Gui Yuan Sect, but in all seriousness, Teng Qingshan was indeed not a member of the Gui Yuan Sect.

Facing someone who wasn't a disciple of the Gui Yuan Sect…

Facing an inconceivable existence, the 21-year-old Emptiness Realm Expert, who surpassed the experts in the ancient times and current days.

Facing an existence who had previously helped the Gui Yuan Sect repeatedly, allowing the Gui Yuan Sect to stay in existence...

Elder Yan, Elder Ni, and the rest of the group of people had no reason to be disrespectful to him. If they were to call out "Qingshan" in a casual and familiar manner, then they would seem rather arrogant, pretending to be greater than they were. After all, what sort of identity did Teng Qingshan have? He was an almighty Emptiness Realm Expert who possessed an Emptiness Realm Demonic Beast and was only 22 years old this year!

"Elder Yan, Elder Ni, you need not be so formal. Do come in." Teng Qingshan smiled as he walked out of the kitchen and stood in the courtyard.

"If ordinary people had Qingshan's accomplishments, they would have an unbelievably great amount of pride and arrogance." Teng Qingshan's politeness clearly made Elder Yan, Elder Ni, and the rest of the group feel very comfortable, and each and every one of them praised him inwardly. After all, this was the most admirable person to have ever emerged in their Gui Yuan Sect since the beginning of history. In fact, he could also be said to be the person who was overflowing with the most talent throughout the entirety of the Land of the Nine Prefectures and since the beginning of time!

"Elders, all of you, please do come in and sit."

Yuan Lan and Teng Yongfan walked out, then Teng Yongfan went to move chairs and stools.

"Eh?" Many of the people noticed Teng Yongfan's two legs and were stunned.

Teng Yongfan, who had amputated legs, was able to stand?

"No need, no need," an elder standing behind Elder Yan said. "We've come to pay a visit to Senior Jing Yi… who is Lord Teng Qingshan." This elder was a Postliminary Realm expert, so before an Emptiness Realm Expert, he naturally addressed Teng Qingshan with deference as "Lord." In fact, back when Teng Qingshan was still in the Gui Yuan Sect, he already had the position of Law Enforcement Elder.

Teng Qingshan's status was extremely high.

"Jing Yi?" Qingyu asked puzzledly. "What are you talking about? What does Senior Jing Yi have to do with my brother?"

"Elders, I've heard of the Jing Yi you mentioned, but what does he have to do with my son?" Teng Yongfan asked with a frown. Jing Yi's great name had long since spread through the Gui Yuan Sect and the Teng Clan. That was why they treated the senior, the very capable person who had saved the Gui Yuan Sect from a calamity, as their great benefactor. Every one of them had sighed, exclaiming that this senior's strength was formidable.

"Lord Teng is that very Senior Jing Yi," one of the Longgang commanders explained.

Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan gazed at Teng Qingshan, not daring to believe… that the legendary 300-to-400-year-old senior was actually their son.

"Father." Teng Qingshan forced a smile as he touched his face. Simultaneously, his body's muscles and bones changed slightly, immediately transforming into Jing Yi's appearance.

"This…"

Everyone present, even those who already knew that Teng Qingshan was Jing Yi, were stunned by this transformation of his appearance and physique.

"Jing Yin is my alias." Teng Qingshan touched his face again. Then his body let out faint crackling sounds, restoring Teng Qingshan's appearance.

"Jing Yi… my son?"

"Qingshan?"

Teng Yongfan blinked and then turned to look at his similarly dazed wife. They knew that their son was amazing… but this… this was too unfathomable.

******

On Qing Hu Islands' Sword Edge Mountain in Yangzhou:

The Blind Swordmaster was currently sitting cross-legged on a black rock, but his heart was not at peace. Ever since Shengong Tu's party passed through here yesterday to pursue and kill Jing Yi, the noises he'd heard had gotten him to start preparing. The moment Jing Yi died, he would go and stomp that Gui Yuan Sect flat. However, even though he had waited until today… he still had yet to hear news about Jing Yi's death.

Pa! A crisp sound rang out suddenly.

Nearby, Tie Pan was holding a secret letter and accidentally shattered a teacup.

"What's going on?" the Blind Swordmaster called out.

"Martial Ancestor. There's… There's news." Tie Pan's complexion was very unsightly.

"Tell me quickly." The Blind Swordmaster asked, "That Jing Yi, is he dead?"

"An Emptiness Realm Expert did die, but the one who died... was not Jing Yi," Tie Pan answered.

"How can this be?" The Blind Swordmaster's eyebrows knitted together tightly. "Emperor Yu's Hall took action… The result shouldn't be like this."

Tie Pan's complexion was unsightly to the extreme as he continued, "Martial Ancestor, according to the intelligence… Jing Yi had additional Emptiness Realm Experts helping him this time. Judging by the description, it's very possible for it to be the Undying Phoenix. Simultaneously, the intelligence at the bottom of the Heavenly Cloud Mountain described that the expert who was burned to death while alive was holding the Godly Bow and was able to fly. That should be the Emptiness Realm Culmination Expert Shengong Tu!"

"Shengong Tu is dead? Jing Yi had the Undying Phoenix helping him? The Undying Phoenix that used to follow the Omnipotent Expert, Li Taibai?" The Blind Swordmaster cried out uncontrollably in alarm. This news was too shocking.

"Martial Ancestor… All this time, Jing Yi has been using an alias. His real identity is…" Tie Pan's voice began to shake.

"Who?" The Blind Swordmaster could sense it was nothing good.

"Teng Qingshan!" Tie Pan squeezed out the name from between his gritted teeth.

The Blind Swordmaster's body suddenly stiffened.