CHAPTER 85: AFFLUENT CLANS

The recently concluded battle had shaken the entire White Cloud Prefecture to the core.

Never had the flames of war felt so close.

Even from hundreds and thousands of kilometers away, bystanders felt a stinging pain at the sight of that streak of swordlight, leaving everyone to wonder what caliber of warrior they had just witnessed.

A cloud of unease was hanging over the entire prefecture, and even the ordinary citizens were aware that a battle between almighty warriors had taken place somewhere nearby.

In the academy, countless students were watching the battle while standing on rooftops and other vantage points, looking on with longing and reverence in their eyes.

Those were the heights that they aspired to reach.

It was only thanks to the tireless efforts of these almighty warriors on the front lines that all of the students of the academy were able to study and cultivate in peace.

Everyone could see that the streak of swordlight was doing everything in its power to herd the battle in the opposite direction, shielding the academy from its repercussions.

Wu Zhibing, Hua Kaixie, and Jun Hefang were standing at the forefront, basking in the all-encompassing sword intent with looks of awe and veneration in their eyes.

Even the normally lackadaisical Jun Hefang was currently standing ramrod straight with a look of reverence in his eyes.

Dong Yunyu was intentionally keeping his distance from Wu Zhibing's trio, but he was also staring at the streak of swordlight in the distance with an expression of respect and reverence.

He then took a glance at Wu Zhibing's trio, and a look of mixed emotions surfaced in his eyes.

Can we not go back to how things used to be? No, I chose this! I don't even want things to go back to how they once were!

***

Fang Che emerged from the spirit qi gravity cultivation chamber, just as Mo Ganyun was doing the same.

Mo Ganyun had slimmed down a little, but that only made him appear more muscular and imposing.

"It looks like quite a bit of your flab evaporated in there," Fang Che jibed as he wiped the sweat from his face.

Mo Ganyun was still wearing his red "Surpass Fang Che" headband.

This was already his third headband, and he put one on every morning as a form of self-motivation.

However, as time passed, it was becoming more and more of a signature fashion statement.

"What rank are you at now?"

Mo Ganyun was panting heavily and sweating profusely, but there was an ecstatic look in his eyes.

He had just made a breakthrough in the cultivation chamber, and his foundation had been consolidated even further.

Overall, it was a massive stride forward, and he was certain that he had significantly closed the gap between himself and Fang Che.

"I'm at the fifth rank now," Fang Che replied.

"Didn't you only make a breakthrough to the third rank last time?" Mo Ganyun exclaimed in a bewildered manner.

"Yeah, but that was three days ago," Fang Che said in a justified manner.

All of the hope and elation instantly faded from Mo Ganyun's eyes.

"What rank are you now? You seem very happy with yourself," Fang Che asked.

Mo Ganyun didn't even bother to reply as he walked away in a dejected manner.

"Did you not hear me? I asked you what rank you're at now."

"Piss off!"

"What's gotten into you? You tryna pick a fight?"

"Can you not be so shameless, Fang Che?"

"I just want to know what rank you're at now!"

"... The third rank!" Mo Ganyun replied with a long sigh.

He had thought that he had drawn level with Fang Che, only for a bucket of cold water to be poured over his head!

It seemed that he wouldn't be able to take off his headband anytime soon, and with that in mind, he wondered to himself if he should make some more.

The doors of several other cultivation chambers sprang open, and Qiu Yunshang, Jing Shuanggao, Ding Jieran, Xie Gongping, and Yu Zhongge emerged from within.

Yu Zhongge was rather unsteady on his feet, and large sections of his robes were soaked in blood, clearly indicating that he had just endured quite a hard time.

\Mo Ganyun turned to glower intently at Ding Jieran, while the latter's head remained lowered, refusing to meet his gaze.

Qiu Yunshang was in very high spirits, and he approached Mo Ganyun and Fang Che as he proposed, "Looks like the gang's all here! How about we have some sparring matches after a rest?"

"Sounds good to me," Fang Che replied with a nod.

"I'm busy," Ding Jieran said.

"Ding Jieran! Say you're busy again, I dare you!" Mo Ganyun roared in a furious voice.

Ding Jieran raised his head to glance up at Mo Ganyun with a look of mixed emotions in his eyes, then lowered his head again as he acquiesced, "Fine, I'll come."

Everyone had initially been rather displeased by Ding Jieran's rejection, but that was quickly overshadowed by their amusement at his submissive display.

Mo Ganyun was like a domineering husband, while Ding Jieran resembled a submissive wife, having to go along with whatever plans Mo Ganyun set out for him.

Jing Shuanggao, Xie Gongping, and Yu Zhongge were all raring to go, keen to examine the fruits of their recent labors.

On top of that, Fang Che's gold medal was still there to be claimed for whoever could defeat him, and that served as additional motivation.

The group filed out of the room in order of height without any need for coordination, as if they shared a tacit understanding with one another.

Mo Ganyun led the way at a towering 230 centimeters, while Fang Che trailed along behind him at 187 centimeters. Qiu Yunshang was 183 centimeters tall, as was Xie Gongping. Next came Yu Zhongge at 181 centimeters, and that left Ding Jieran and Jing Shuanggao to bring up the rear, standing at 176 and 170 centimeters tall, respectively.[1]

Qiu Yunshang turned to Jing Shuanggao at the back of the line with an amused expression as he jibed, "Which two parameters is your name referring to?"

Jing Shuanggao: "???"

"Are we talking high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar?" Xie Gongping asked.[2]

"That's three parameters, not two!" Qiu Yunshang scoffed, and everyone burst into laughter.

Mo Ganyun was guffawing like a hyena, but Ding Jieran didn't even have a hint of a smile on his face.

Jing Shuanggao was also very amused, despite the fact that the joke was being made at his expense.

"My name refers to the twin peaks near my clan. One of them is called High Heaven Ridge, while the other is called High Earth Peak, hence twin highs."

Qiu Yunshang, Yu Zhongge, and Mo Ganyun raised an eyebrow in unison upon hearing this. "That means you come from the Jing Clan of Yin Yang Ridge!"

Fang Che was also very much taken aback by this revelation.

The Jing Clan of Yin Yang Ridge was one of the very few third-tier clans on the continent, standing even above the fourth-tier Mo Clan!

"I'm just a branch lineal descendant of the Mo Clan," Jing Shuanggao replied with a wry smile.

"Even so, that's still a very impressive background," Qiu Yunshang said.

"But you're a direct lineal descendant of a fourth clan, and the eldest son of the clan leader's eldest son, at that, making you the eldest grandson."

"I supposed that's true," Qiu Yunshang replied with a smile. "Now that I think about it, we have quite a few big shots in this group. Brother Mo's Mo Clan is also a fourth-tier clan."

"My clan is only an eighth-tier one," Xie Gongping sighed.

Everyone turned to Fang Che.

"My maternal grandfather is the leader of a ninth-tier clan, if that counts for anything."

Everyone burst into laughter, then collectively turned to Yu Zhongge.

"What are you all looking at me for? My family is as average as they come."

"I don't know about everyone else, but I, for one, and rather intrigued by your name," Mo Ganyun said, and everyone nodded in agreement.[3]

"My father likes it when it rains, and he's often struck by flashes of inspiration when practicing his sword techniques during lightning storms. Hence, he decided to name me Yu Zhongge to pay homage to the rain."

"Life is full of storms, some mild, some fierce. Your father must've named you Yu Zhongge in the hope that you'll remain optimistic and self-content in the face of any storm that comes your way, able to sing no matter how stormy life becomes," Fang Che analyzed.

A surprised look appeared in Yu Zhongge's eyes upon hearing this. "That's very impressive, Brother Fang. I've been teased my entire life for my name. The first time it happened, I went crying to my father, demanding that he change my name, and that was the exact explanation that he gave me. I still remember what he told me back then word for word."

"Your father is a thoughtful and well-intentioned man," Mo Ganyun praised.

"That he is. In any case, I don't care what anyone else thinks of my name now."

"There are three second-tier clans on this continent, the Feng, Yu, and Xue Clans. Are you from that Yu Clan?" Fang Che asked.

Yu Zhongge nodded in response, much to everyone's astonishment.

"In that case, I'm beginning to understand how you've been getting so lucky," Jing Shuanggao remarked.

Clans as powerful as the Yu Clan were able to use some special methods to improve the fortune of their direct lineal descendants at birth. Outside of those clans, very few people knew how this was accomplished, but it was a very real thing.

"Honestly, good luck can sometimes be a curse," Yu Zhongge sighed. "Many seniors of my clan attracted the envy of others due to their excessively good fortune, ultimately leading to their demise."

"Indeed, those who are blessed by fortune are prone to evoking envy from not just those around them, but also the heavens, so you have to be careful," Qiu Yunshang cautioned.

The group continued chatting as they made their way toward the drill grounds, eagerly anticipating the battles ahead.

Even though they were all chatting amicably with each other now, no one was going to hold back once the battles commenced.

Even so, a harmonious atmosphere was gradually forming in the group.

Ding Jieran was trailing along a short distance behind the rest of the group, walking along with his head lowered.

Fang Che counted the group to discover that it consisted of seven members, including himself, and he was immediately overcome by a wave of strong emotions as he thought of his companions in his past life.

He immediately channeled his Cool as Ice mental technique to suppress these feelings so he could focus on the imminent battles.

1. In order of tallest to shortest, that equates to roughly 7'6.5", 6'1.5", 6', 5'11", 5'9", and 5'7". ☜

2. Jing Shuanggao's first name (双高) translates literally to "two high". In Chinese, high and tall share the same character, so it's ironic that he has the character for tall/high in his name, but is the shortest of the group. ☜

3. Yu Zhongge's name literally translates to a song in the rain, or singing in the rain. ☜