Chapter 24: A Certain Day of a Certain Month and Year

Walking down the street, Su Tang remained speechless for a long time. Tong Fei was a freak, Xiao Buhui was even more of a freak, and Wen Xiang was the biggest freak of all. In the future, he would have to associate with these freaks… He suddenly felt that his future was so bleak and miserable.

“What are you thinking about?” Long Qi asked softly.

“In the future… I have to work with them?” Su Tang gave a bitter smile.

“It is not working with them. Since they have already chosen, they are your subordinates and must obey your orders,” Long Qi said.

“They will listen to me?” Su Tang could hardly believe it.

“That is the rule,” Long Qi said.

“But why do I feel… like you treat them as friends?”

“Just my personal habit,” Long Qi smiled. “After some time, you will develop your own habits too.”

“Have they ever refused your orders?”

“If it was an order, never.”

Su Tang stopped talking. Did this count as rising to the top in one step? He remembered that in the Black Forest, the servant Qian Biao had betrayed him for a meaningless position as a guardian, but now, a guardian position was nothing!

“You have your responsibilities, and they have theirs. As long as everyone fulfills their duty, there will naturally be no trouble,” Long Qi said.

“What is my responsibility?” Su Tang asked.

“They are your claws and teeth,” Long Qi said. “Even tigers and wolves know to cherish their claws and teeth, so you must protect them well.”

“I protect them?!” Su Tang couldn’t help but raise his voice. This joke was going too far. Who could he possibly protect?!

“Is it strange? This is what I have been doing.” Long Qi smiled. “They have all accepted you. I finally haven’t failed the Grand Exalted. Come, we should head back.”

After walking around and meeting the three people, it had taken less than two hours. However, when Long Qi and Su Tang returned to the large courtyard, it was already empty. If not for the deep wheel ruts left on the ground, Su Tang would have almost suspected he had gone to the wrong place.

The atmosphere became silent, and both were lost in their own thoughts. Su Tang felt somewhat melancholic. He had thought he could spend some time borrowing power from others to intimidate people, but the Grand Exalted had left as quickly as he had arrived.

It was clear that Long Qi’s status was very important. Miaodao Hall had strong power in Changshan County, while he had nothing. Aside from Long Qi and those three freak characters, he didn’t know a single person. Could he really take over from Long Qi stably? As the saying goes, help someone all the way. If he were bullied in Changshan County, where should he call for fire support? The man should have left a message!

“Your expression doesn’t look very good,” Long Qi said.

“I used to be just a wild boy growing up in the countryside. The Grand Exalted brought me to Changshan County… If I can establish a foothold here, maybe in the future I can…” Su Tang didn’t know how to express his feelings.

“It is like a person walking in the wilderness. He sees a beehive ahead, and inside the hive is a little bee. Perhaps because that little bee was very hardworking, or for some other reason, it caught the person’s attention. He crushed the queen bee and placed the little bee he liked on the throne. But, this was just a whim,” Long Qi said softly. “Then he continued to walk forward, to climb higher mountains, to cross wider rivers, and to see more beautiful scenery. Perhaps in his entire life, he will never remember the little bee he helped in the wilderness on a certain day of a certain month and year. He has encountered too many dangers and seen too many wonders. Do you really think he would expect a reward from a little bee?”

Su Tang was silent at first, then he let out a soft laugh. He remembered something the Grand Exalted had mentioned in passing: “The place I am going to cannot be reached without decades of Cultivation.”

It seemed… he, Su Tang, really was an insignificant little bee. The other person didn’t care for such a humble and pitiful reward.

However, the reborn Su Tang already possessed a pride coming from the depths of his soul.

He quietly watched the sunset dipping below the horizon, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Never remember in a lifetime? Heh… I will appear, and I will make sure you can never forget me!

“Who… exactly is the Grand Exalted?” Su Tang asked slowly.

“You don’t know?” Long Qi looked a bit surprised. “The Grand Exalted might be too lazy to tell you, but the Ninth Ancestor should have told you, right?”

“Ninth Ancestor? You mean Xue Jiu?”

“You actually… called him by his name?”

“I didn’t. I call him Uncle Jiu.”

“You… why on earth do you call him Uncle Jiu?” Long Qi’s eyes widened.

“Everyone calls him that.” Su Tang’s eyes also widened. “Who exactly is the Grand Exalted?!”

“They can certainly do so, but you…” Long Qi gave a bitter smile. “It seems you really don’t know. Since the Ninth Ancestor didn’t tell you clearly, he must have his reasons. I cannot tell you. However, as long as you stay in the Miaodao Pavilion long enough, you will naturally find the answer.”

“What does our Miaodao Pavilion usually do? Who is my boss?”

“Do whatever you want to do,” Long Qi said. “Your boss is the Great Master of the Miaodao Pavilion, but the Great Master hasn’t managed affairs for many years. I have been the one managing everything.”

“Then who is the boss of the Miaodao Pavilion?”

“We have no boss.” Long Qi pondered for a moment. “Let me explain it this way. Have you seen an octopus in the sea?”

“I have.”

“Didn’t you say you had never left Little Forest Castle?” Long Qi suddenly changed the subject.

“I… I’ve heard of them.” Su Tang felt a bit annoyed. This guy was too sneaky; it was impossible to guard against him!

“For example, there is an octopus that extends many tentacles. Usually, it uses the tentacles to catch food and absorb nutrients. We are just one of those tentacles.” Long Qi smiled and said, “If you can climb higher, you will find that the octopus is actually just a tentacle, and then you will see an even larger octopus.”

“Putting it that way… don’t we still have a boss?”

“No. Who takes over the Miaodao Pavilion? In the past, it was decided by the Great Master; now, it is decided by me,” Long Qi said. “But we have a position, which is crucial. If you give the food and nutrients you worked so hard to catch to another octopus, then you are dead.”

Su Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He understood a bit now. This top-down chain was organized, but the structure was very loose. It wasn’t a typical manager-subordinate relationship that could be explained in a few words, yet Long Qi had taken such a long detour to explain it.

“Fine, fine. Just as you said. Whose position should we stand on?” Su Tang asked.

“The Xue Family, the Xue Family of the East,” Long Qi said.

Su Tang was suddenly moved. Although he had never left Little Forest Castle, the name of the Xue Family of the East had long since become common knowledge to him. His father had mentioned that more than half of the Grandmasters in the entire duchy came from the Xue clan. He had also heard that even the Lord of the duchy had to stand respectfully when meeting a great master of the Xue Family.

Su Tang thought of Xue Jiu and asked, “Is Xue Jiu a member of the Xue Family?”

Long Qi’s expression looked like he was about to cry. “Su Tang, if you want to live a little longer, can you please watch your mouth?! Xue Jiu is not a name that you or I can just say.”

“Just tell me if it’s true or not,” Su Tang said.

“Yes!” Long Qi replied with a bitter smile.