Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yan Liqiang still remembered Xue Cao. He was an exceptionally hard-working young man who took his tasks seriously. In fact, he was on duty at the entrance with a few other students when Wang Jianbei came to the archery academy for an inspection for the very first time. Although Wang Jianbei’s attendants informed him that the Prefectural Governor was here, Xue Cao was steadfast to the archery academy’s rules and didn’t allow Wang Jianbei to enter. It was from then on that Yan Liqiang paid special attention in nurturing Xue Cao.
Over the past few years, Xue Cao had participated in many important operations and slowly grew as an individual. He then stayed in the archery academy as Shi Changfeng’s dependable assistant and Yan Liqiang even personally imparted the Five Animal Frolics technique to him. Just a month ago, Xue Cao progressed into a Martial Warrior with boundless prospects ahead of him.
Yan Liqiang didn’t take the news on Xue Cao’s disappearance lightly. After settling the matters in the Protectorate General’s Office, he personally led a group of men on rhinodrake steeds and returned to the archery academy by nightfall.
“HYAA…!”
The guard in the front row flashed his token of authority. The students who were on guard duty at the archery academy’s entrance immediately opened the gates and stood respectfully at the side. Yan Liqiang and his men quickly rode through the gates and entered the archery academy.
…
As soon as Yan Liqiang dismounted his rhinodrake steed, Shi Changfeng walked hurriedly to him. “Greetings, Protectorate General…!”
“I knew you’d definitely be here!” Yan Liqiang handed his reins over to a guard beside him, then walked toward the courtyard in the distance with Shi Changfeng. Aside from his role in the archery academy, Shi Changfeng was also now the Shu minister of the Qiyun Protectorate Office’s Customs House. Simply put, he was the Minister of Education and his duties were not any easier than Yan Liqiang’s. Apart from the archery academy, he still had many other matters to attend to.
Shi Changfeng nodded solemnly. “I returned to the archery academy after receiving the news about Xue Cao yesterday!”
“Have you any clues?”
“Not yet!” Shi Changfeng shook his head.
“Let’s go in first, we’ll talk in there…”
…
They went inside the room and lit the lamp. After both of them sat down, Shi Changfeng reported everything that happened before and after Xue Cao’s disappearance to Yan Liqiang.
“Ten days ago, Xue Cao received a letter from home saying that his mother had fallen ill. He was asked to return as his mother missed him. After reading the letter, he looked for me to take a leave so that he could visit his mother. Since Xue Cao was diligent in his work and never took a leave this year, I allowed him a seven-day leave. After getting my approval, he left the archery academy. Back then, I didn’t think something would happen to him!”
“Was that a fake letter?” Yan Liqiang instantly narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, it was indeed a fake!” Shi Changfeng nodded as his tone grew slightly heavy. “I felt something was wrong when Xue Cao never returned a few days ago, so I sent someone to his house to check up on him. But it turned out that his parents were perfectly healthy and both of them never sent any letters to him!”
“Where is the letter he received?”
“He took it away with him!”
“Who delivered that to him?”
“It was a neighbor from his town! That man is a traveling merchant who conducts small business within our prefecture. When he brought the letter to Xue Cao from his hometown, Xue Cao believed it. I didn’t have any doubts about it either back then!” Shi Changfeng slapped his thigh, looking vexed as he explained. “It’s my fault. If only I was more careful and had sent someone to follow Xue Cao home, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“Don’t blame yourself. The opponent calculated this well. It is impossible for us to be well prepared for every matter. We couldn’t have prevented this. If it wasn’t Xue Cao, it would have been someone else!” Yan Liqiang shook his head and comforted Shi Changfeng. “So have you managed to track down the traveling merchant who delivered the letter to Xue Cao?”
“No, he went missing too! After he delivered the letter to Xue Cao, he never returned home. He lived alone and has no children or wife!”
“The most important thing now is to find out who is the mastermind behind this!”
“I’ve been trying to figure it out too. Just who is so bold enough in Qiyun Prefecture, or even the northwestern region, to provoke us?!” Shi Changfeng wondered out loud, then went silent for a few seconds before speaking up again. “I worry that our opponent’s target isn’t Xue Cao, but the Five Animal Frolics technique!”
“Oh? What makes you think that way?”
“There are too many martial warriors in the archery academy. Before this, people weren’t aware of it. But after the recent opening of the Qiyun Protectorate’s Office, didn’t you order every county to provide a report on land measurement so that the students who have progressed into Martial Warriors can receive the conferred fields? Any observant and ill-intentioned people might be able to get some clues from the huge commotion, and then make their move against our men. In fact, Xue Cao’s family just received their conferred field recently and this might be the reason why he became a target. Those people probably wanted to extort some information from him!” Shi Changfeng looked at Yan Liqiang with worry.
The Five Animal Frolics technique was the archery academy’s ultimate weapon and secret. It wasn’t some impressive secret martial arts technique manual or even a useful battle technique, yet it could rapidly enhance a person’s physical aptitude and assist them in progressing into a Martial Warrior. This alone was enough to drive someone crazy because no sect in this world possessed such a powerful technique that could allow one to quickly progress into a Martial Warrior. From the perspective of nurturing Martial Warriors, the value of the Five Animal Frolics technique was immense.
Shi Changfeng was extremely clear on what the technique meant to Yan Liqiang and the archery academy.
Currently among the archery academy’s students, there were over a thousand older students who cultivated the Five Animal Frolics technique. Among these one thousand students, twenty percent of them with decent aptitudes were able to progress into Martial Warriors within a year of cultivating the technique. Sixty percent of them would progress during their second year while the remaining twenty percent would most likely progress during their third year.
This meant that given time, Yan Liqiang would be able to nurture a huge army of Martial Warriors within three years. A single Martial Warrior wasn’t really that impressive as there were simply too many other cultivators who had attained higher realms. However, when these Martial Warriors were assembled as troops, like a group of ten thousand cavalry archers, then they would make an invincible army that could sweep across the entire Silver Continent. Since there were no countries on the Silver Continent, anyone could assemble forces that could rival an army like that.
Simply put, the archery academy was executing Yan Liqiang’s plan of creating an invincible army of Martial Warriors.
Apart from Shi Changfeng, no one probably would have figured out Yan Liqiang’s intention.
It would be no trivial matter if the Five Animal Frolics technique was exposed as it would cause harm and even foil Yan Liqiang’s grand plan.
Yan Liqiang was silent for a brief moment before he looked at Shi Changfeng. “There’s no way the Five Animal Frolics technique would be leaked out.”
“Ah, why do you say that? Although Xue Cao is a loyal person, I’m afraid he might not be able to withstand the underhanded tricks that the opponent might use on him. If the Five Animal Frolics technique is leaked…”
Yan Liqiang interrupted Shi Changfeng, “Because I have received the Heavenly Bestowments of the Five Animal Frolics technique!”
Although Yan Liqiang spoke calmly, his words thundered in Shi Changfeng’s ears and instantly caused the latter to spring up from his chair. Shi Changfeng’s eyes were as wide as saucers and even his voice was shaky. “Liqiang, you mean to say… you are… the founder… of the Five Animal Frolics technique… and that you have been recognized by Heavenly Dao…? You possess the founder’s might…”
All this while, Shi Changfeng thought that the Five Animal Frolics was a secret technique that Yan Liqiang had learned from his ‘dreams’. Little did he expect it to be Yan Liqiang’s ‘creation’ instead. The so-called Heavenly Bestowment was nothing short of amazing. Not only could it strengthen and improve a person’s ability, but it also had a greater role in ensuring that the technique was only taught by the founder who had obtained the Heavenly Bestowment in this world. Otherwise, one could only copy the technique’s form at most but not its essence due to the limitations imposed on their cultivation realm by the Heavenly Dao.
This was the founder’s might brought about by the Heavenly Bestowments, and the exact reason why ‘founders’ were such amazing figures on the Silver Continent!
Of course, the founder’s might wouldn’t last forever as many techniques wouldn’t be passed down if that were the case. When the founder of a secret technique passed away, the effect would be gone, hence allowing the possibilities of techniques being copied or stolen. This in turn gave rise to countless fights and enmities.
However, Yan Liqiang was still alive. Hence, even if someone kidnapped Xue Cao and tried to extort the secrets of Five Animal Frolics technique from him, they wouldn’t be able to obtain anything…