Martial Peak

‘What the hell are you doing?” Dong Qing Han said, his image as a refined older cousin in front of Yang Kai suddenly being destroyed by this young girl spraying his face with tea.

“It … it’s … it’s him!” The girl shouted as she pointed her jade like finger towards Yang Kai, her voice filled with shock.

Hearing this as he tried to wipe off the tea leaves from his face, Dong Qing Han frowned and asked, “What do you mean ‘it’s him’? Speak clearly.”

“He’s the man I ran into outside the valley, the one who grabbed me and threw me to the bad guys!” The girl quickly explained.

Dong Qing Han glanced towards Yang Kai then back towards the young girl, his slightly fat face flashing a look of amazement.

[Such a coincidence…]

Yang Kai was also puzzled. He did not expect this cheeky little girl would appear here, in this Dong Family shop, but seeing how she could sit beside Dong Qing Han at the same table, her status was certainly not low, could she be…

His brow twitching, Yang Kai faintly guessed this little girl’s identity.

“You dare appear in front of me!” The girl said as she remembered the feelings of frustration and helplessness she felt during their first encounter; now with Dong Qing Han and the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards as her support, she immediately felt emboldened, her row of silvery teeth gnashing as she glowered towards Yang Kai, thrusting out her smooth pretty chin proudly, without the slightest lady like demeanor, letting out a mischievous laughter, “Hee hee, how does the saying go, no path to the Heavens, no door into Hell, you coming here means you’re death!”

Although she said these words, but her face did not contain the slightest wrath or murderous intent, instead she was simply impishly staring at Yang Kai.

Grinning back at her, Yang Kai asked, “Is this how you treat your savior?”

As he spoke, he lightly knocked her on her head.

The girl’s big eyes squinted as she body shrunk up; quickly hiding behind Dong Qing Han’s back like a frightened rabbit, grinding her teeth as she glared towards Yang Kai, like a fox pretending to be a tiger.

“Enough with your impudence!” Dong Qing Han fat face shook as he loudly shouted.

The girl immediately followed up, shouting towards Yang Kai, “That’s right, don’t be so presumptuous!”

“I’m talking to you!” Dong Qing Han glared towards the little girl.

“Ah?” The girl stammered in shock.

“Towards the man who saved your life, you don’t even say thank you? Such an important guest has come yet you don’t offer any greetings, do you not have any decency!?” Dong Qing Han solemnly reprimanded her.

“I do not want to! If he hadn’t tossed me back that day, I would have escaped into Medicine King’s Valley!” The girl stamped her foot and pouted towards Dong Qing Han.

“Such disrespect. You get out!” Dong Qing Han angrily pounded the table.

The girl’s lips pursed and her eyes watered as she dashed out of the room angrily.

But before she left, she didn’t forget to glare angrily at Yang Kai one last time.

After the girl left, Dong Qing Han smiled wryly while shaking his head, sending a wink towards the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards. The two of them immediately released their Divine Sense, and a moment later nodded towards Dong Qing Han.

“Sit down.” Dong Qing Han waved.

As Yang Kai sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, he frowned and asked, “Just now…”

“Yan’er, you’ve met her before.”

Yang Kai couldn’t help but smile, didn’t that mean the relationship between them really was older and younger cousins?

He had never imagined that what she had casually shouted that day would actually be true.

About Dong Qing Yan, Yang Kai had some faint impressions. However, the only time they had met was almost a decade ago, when she was still just a little girl tottering behind Dong Qing Han; after ten years, how could Yang Kai have recognized her?

“A girl experiences eighteen changes between childhood and womanhood…” Yang Kai shook his head wryly, not only did he not recognize her, she probably also couldn’t recognize him. Who could still recall all the memories of their childhood?

“Yan’er said a few days ago a youth only slightly older than her rescued her. I never imagined that person would turn out to be you.” Dong Qing Han also let out a long sigh, everything was just too much of a coincidence.

“It just happened!” Yang Kai shrugged, not trying to explain or take any credit. In the first place, the whole incident didn’t really cost him any effort and seeing how the person he ended up saving was his own cousin, naturally there was nothing else that needed to be discussed.

As the two young men spoke, Dong Qing Yan quietly snuck back holding a piece of ancient jade in her hand; this piece of jade exuded a wave of weak energy that spread out around her, creating a shield that hid all traces of her aura.

This shield was impeccable, not even an Immortal Ascension Boundary master’s Divine Sense could penetrate it.

In but a moment, like a stealthy cat, Dong Qing Yan had crept up to the door and began eavesdropping on her brother and that hateful man’s conversation.

Yang Kai’s attitude towards Dong Qing Han was quite relaxed and familiar, which naturally aroused her curiosity; on top of that, her brother had rarely reprimanded her so strictly, even directly telling her to leave.

Dong Qing Yan figured that the two must have something they needed to discuss in private, so her brother had deliberately scolded to send her away. Her interest having been peaked, she decided to listen in on them to figure out what secrets they were trying to hide.

As the sound of the conversation drifted into her ears, Dong Qing Yan lightly bit her lips as her pretty face flushed with nervousness.

Although she was tense, she also felt excited. Since long ago, inside the Dong Family home, she had relied on this ancient jade to eavesdrop of an untold number of secrets, so she had long ago become familiar with such activity.

“What are you doing here?” Dong Qing Han asked Yang Kai.

“I came here to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“I want to visit one of Medicine King’s Valley’s Peaks.” Yang Kai replied, going straight to the point, sipping his cup of tea as he looked towards Dong Qing Han, “Can you help me?”

“Which peak?” Dong Qing Han asked.

“The Pill Saint’s Peak!”

Hearing this, not just Dong Qing Han’s eyes narrowed, even the two aloof old men standing behind him also glanced towards Yang Kai.

Dong Qing Han smiled wryly, “There are twelve peaks in Medicine King’s Valley, ten of which are the residences of Great Elders, another one the Valley Lord’s retreat, and the final and primary one is the Pill Saint’s Peak. It is Medicine King’s Valley most forbidden area; if you wanted to enter any of the other peaks, I would have a way, but the Pill Saint’s Peak… I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

“Is there no way at all?” Yang Kai refused to give up, he also knew that the Pill Saint’s Peak was a special existence; if not so he wouldn’t have come to see Dong Qing Han.

He could not use the power of the Yang Family right now, but Dong Qing Han was different, as the eldest son of the Dong Family, its future successor, naturally he could make use of the Dong Family’s influence and connections.

Dong Qing Han frowned as he tapped his fingers on the table, a good while later only saying, “It’s not completely hopeless.”

Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Let’s hear it!”

“In a little more than two months, there will be an Alchemist Summit. At that time all of the alchemists from all the world’s forces from small to large will come here, at that time, they will compete with each other in various alchemy competitions, and the top fifty alchemists will be given the chance to visit the Pill Saint’s Peak, study the Pill Saint’s portrait, and ponder upon the mysteries of alchemy; if you can become one these top fifty Alchemists, you can justifiably enter the Pill Saint’s Peak!

To this statement, Yang Kai rolled his eyes, “Do I look like an alchemist?”

Dong Qing Han shook his head, “Of course not… but this is the only way to enter the Pill Saint’s Peak unless… unless, you become an Elder of Medicine King’s Valley.”

Yang Kai could only wryly smile.

Neither of these two methods could be used by him, becoming a Medicine King’s Valley Elder was obviously impossible, and wanting to become one of the top fifty alchemists at the upcoming summit was even more ridiculous.

Yang Kai had never even been exposed to the Alchemic Path, seeking for the Dao of Alchemy. How could he suddenly stand above this world’s Alchemists? Only those with profound knowledge and achievements would dare to attend this Alchemist Summit.

Thinking over it, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown.

“In addition to the Pill Saint’s Peak, if you want to visit any of the other peaks I can think of a way; in fact it’s not actually that difficult either.” Dong Qing Han also felt like he had lost face in front of this cousin of his; it was the first time he had asked a favour of him but the result was him ending up having no way to help so he couldn’t help being somewhat embarrassment.

“Not difficult?”

Dong Qing Han smiled, “In fact it’s quite simple, just find some valuable Precious Treasure, and then to ask a Medicine King’s Valley Elder to perform some alchemy for you, this way you can freely enter their peak; however, at most you’d only be able to stay for half a day, if you stuck around any longer, those Medicine King’s Valley people would boot you out. To say nothing of the Elders, even Medicine King’s Valley’s disciples have eyes way higher than the top of their heads, all of them are even more domineering and arrogant than you Eight Great Families’ sons.”

Yang Kai shook his head.

Only being able to enter for half a day would certainly not be long enough.

“If it’s not an urgent matter, then you should first go back and give me some time to think about if there are any other ways I can help you.” Dong Qing Han face suddenly became dignified as he wore a very serious expression, “I won’t ask what it is you want to do in the Pill Saint’s Peak, but I will say this, if you get yourself caught up in any trouble, don’t get my Dong Family involved in it.”

Listening to him say this so seriously, Yang Kai grinned, “What is it you think I’m going to do?”

“What the hell is there that you don’t dare do you little brat?” Dong Qing Han sighed deeply, “I can only help you think of a way. Even so, my ideas aren’t exactly foolproof.”

“Well, I know.” Yang Kai nodded.

Saying farewell to Dong Qing Hang, Yang Kai went back to his inn and began meditating, trying to think of a way to enter the Pill Saint’s Peak.

The meaning of Dong Qing Han’s last words to him had been quite clear, he also had no good way of allowing Yang Kai to enter the Pill Saint’s Peak, so he shouldn’t place his hopes on him.

As he was deep in thought, a knock suddenly came from his door, causing Yang Kai to wrinkle his brow, stand up and see who it was.

Looking outside, the one he found standing there was Dong Qing Yan with a shy smile on her face, “Hehe!”

She had no traces of hatred or hostility any more, just a hint of friendly curiosity.

“What are you doing here?” Yang Kai asked as he looked at her curiously.

“You really are here.” Dong Qing Yan took a deep breath and scanned the inside of his room before lightly coughing, “My brother let me come here to tell you he thought of a way to help you.”

Hearing this, Yang Kai’s mouth slowly revealed a strange smile, quietly stepping aside and saying, “Come inside first and we can talk.”

Completely unafraid, Dong Qing Yan casually strode into his room.

Looked around the house with great interest, Dong Qing Yan pursed his lips and said, “You live in this place you? It’s so small and dirty, it really isn’t fit for a … *keke*…”

Dong Qing Yan also knew that a Yang Family son’s identity couldn’t casually be discussed so she quickly swallowed back the words she was about to say.

“So your brother said he thought up a way?” Yang Kai looked at her with a big grin.

“En!” Dong Qing Yan nodded quickly.

“Did he tell you that himself?”

“Of course.” Dong Qing Yan’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly.

“Then why didn’t he come here to tell me personally?”

“Am I not doing just that?” Dong Qing Yan sat down on the bed, putting on her best innocent serious face, “My brother said that responsibility for this matter will solely be given to me because he has other important things to attend to outside Medicine King’s Valley, so there’s no need for you to go looking for him.”