Chapter 26: Father
“What did you just say?” Deng Tsang Ying asked in a startled voice. He was currently looking at his calm and collected son, it seemed as though his son had become someone else. This boy was currently kneeling on the floor in front of his father whilst holding a memory stone in his hand.
“It is as have I said father,” Deng Wu said respectfully while gently nudging the gemstone allowing a set of paper scrolls to appear in his hands.
This memory stone was another storage stone although it was one of a low quality. The only thing which had been stored within it was the blueprints to create watermills and the adjustments necessary to change which items they produced.
“These are drawings that depict an amazing mechanism which will allow us to use the river as a power source without any need for spiritual energy.” Deng Wu decided to reiterate Hui Yue’s words as he slowly moved towards his father and respectfully handed over the two paper scrolls.
A flash of coldness appeared within the middle-aged man’s dark eyes while a smile spread upon his face.
“A way to get power without the need for spiritual energy?” He repeated, clearly very satisfied with his son. At first Deng Tsang Ying had been unhappy when Deng Wu had requested an audience with all elders in the clan, but considering his rank in the family, Deng Tsang Ying had no choice but to call the family elders together.
Deng Tsang Ying was jealous of his son. Although Deng Tsang Ying was a King-ranked expert his talent had never been as frightening as his son’s. Currently the elders only allowed Deng Tsang Ying to stay as a family leader because of his son’s achievements.
This was one of many reasons as to why Deng Tsang Ying hated his son. It was obvious that one day the elders would remove him so Deng Wu could become the new leader. Fortunately, right now he was still studying and Deng Tsang Ying was still able to contemplate what he was willing to do to keep his position.
Unfortunately for him, the family had gained quite some face from Deng Wu revealing a relationship with this unknown female expert. As such the hatred for his son which Deng Tsang Ying held within him had grown even more. However, no matter what, Deng Wu was still considered a youngster and everything he owned belonged to the family, which in turn belonged to Deng Tsang Ying.
This had caused Deng Tsang Ying to wish that he could meet this unknown expert, but it seemed as if she had vanished as quickly as she had arrived having left the town the same day as the auction and having not returned.
Be that as it may, now, a week after the auction, Deng Wu suddenly arrived with a gift from this expert. A gift which was worth much more than the two high ranked skills she had sold.
“If we are to try out these watermills, Li Fen has required five percent of the revenue, for drawing the machines for us. She also said she might help us again at some later date with other mechanisms that work without spiritual power.” Deng Wu continued slowly and deliberately to ensure that everyone heard that his friend had demanded five percent.
“Outrageous!” Deng Tsang Ying exclaimed, “when giving away a cow, one does not return for the meat!”
“She was not giving it for our benefit alone, but for the sake of a collaboration. Also please do consider that it is only five percent. We are still in control of the remaining ninety-five percent.” Having said this the elders all nodded their heads slightly agreeing with what Deng Wu was saying.
“We need to remember that these watermills can more than double our current production, is it really too much to show this much gratitude? Hopefully we can create an outstanding relationship with an extreme expert in the process. This is definitely an extremely beneficial situation for us.”
The elders behind Deng Tsang Ying all nodded their heads and gave voice to their agreement. None of them understood that Deng Tsang Ying was actually jealous of his own son and that these elders were actually making it worse.
“Did you say we could double our current revenue?” Deng Tsang Ying asked in a voice hoarse from anger. These watermills could definitely help him strengthen his position so that he could better deal with his son at a later date.
Dealing with Deng Wu was something that would take a very long time, especially considering that not even he, his father, knew what Deng Wu’s real level of cultivation was at.
Deng Wu’s eyes were filled with ridicule as he stood to explain the watermill to his father. Although the elders were unaware of the hostility between father and son, how could Deng Wu possibly be oblivious to this hostility?
However even though Deng Tsang Ying was hateful towards Deng Wu, it wasn’t anything that bothered him much. Deng Wu was also well aware that the elders were supporting him so that one day he would take over as the family head and then his father could rant all he wanted to.
“Young Master Wu,” one of the elders said after they had all looked at the sketches for some time, “please tell the esteemed expert that we greatly appreciate the opportunity she has provided us with and we will always have our doors open to her if she is in need of a place to stay.”
Hearing this almost caused Deng Wu to snort with disbelief as he was completely aware of who ‘Li Fen’ actually was. Nonetheless, on the outside Deng Wu was as respectful as ever as he assured the elder that he would inform her of this.
Deng Wu excused himself and went back to his courtyard where he rested a little before it was time to return to the academy. His usually smiling face was firm and filled with an icy coldness that caused anyone who saw him to be unable to recognize him, as he was usually a cheerful guy.
Deng Wu did not feel much love for his father, all the same the Deng family was where he belonged and he was grateful to Hui Yue. This was not only for giving him face, but also for handing over such a treasured machine as the watermill.
Hui Yue interested Deng Wu in a way that he hadn’t been interested since he had found his azure figurine. There was a profound strength within both of them, and a perplexity which he had never experienced elsewhere.
Deng Wu’s signature smile returned to his face as he thought about the many adventures which were waiting for him. It was obvious that this little runt, Hui Yue, was in no way a normal person. It was also apparent that by befriending such an extraordinary child, not only would they gain fame and prestige, they would also gain a way to escape this boring childhood city of his.
After Deng Wu left the hall, Deng Tsang Ying sat looking at the drawings for some time.
“We will begin to act when we have implemented all of these new watermills and confirm that they actually work.” He said to the elders, whom all solemnly nodded their heads.
“Why not tell young master Wu about our plans?” one of the elders asked, only to notice rage flash through the eyes of Deng Tsang Ying.
This rage was due to once again being told that he should include his son in something in which the younger generation should have no say. The elder however assumed it was due to the danger of their plan. To involve Deng Wu would also give him an equal share of the danger.
“For now no one is to know anything,” Deng Tsang Ying said in a stern voice. He then picked up a memory stone which he handed to one of the elders present, “hand this to our informant and have him act in accordance with the order. Under no circumstances are you allowed to read it yourself.”
Dusk was drawing near as Hui Yue and Ma Kong finally left the manager’s office. Outside of the Black Market Auction House the Rong twins and Gao Yan were already waiting for the them. Together these five friends started making their way towards the Deng family compound.
Deng was the only one in the group who had his own carriage, so it was natural for their group to rely on him when it came to transport back to the academy.
Rong Xing had used a message memory stone to contact Deng Wu, whom informed them that he was currently at home this caused the five of them to move towards Deng Wu’s home.
Hui Yue was slightly apprehensive about visiting the Deng family compound once again, but at the same time he felt a slight curiosity as he wished to see how terrible the Shan family compound looked in the daylight, a week after the devastating fire.
Hui Yue still felt no guilt over what had happened to the Shan family. Shan Ping had caused trouble for him previously and although his family compound had been burned to ashes, no one had died as the guards had seen the fire upon its collision with the walls that surrounded the main hall.
After walking through the streets the lot of them spoke about the events that had transpired that day. The twins and Gao Yan had enjoyed their visit to the Martial Art School where they had been assistance teachers, giving the students the impression that as long as they worked hard they would definitely make it to the Royal Academy. Gao Yan had turned into their hero.
Upon reaching the previous Shan family compound, Hui Yue raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had expected to find an area which was still showing off the great destruction, however this was not the case.
The entire area had been demolished and the only thing which remained were a few barracks from which the Shan family guards were patrolling the grounds. These guards were to be here until the grounds go up for auction, multiple noble delegations had been sent here to discuss a buyout price beforehand.
Astonishment filled Hui Yue as he realized that within a week the Shan family had actually managed to reorganize themselves so perfectly even after losing their home.
Although the Shan family was a low ranked noble family within Riluo City, they still have numerable cultivators which had unlocked the middle dantian. Be that as it may they still had not produced a cultivator who could break into the upper dantian which would by then give their family new prestige.
By now it was easy for Hui Yue to see what kind of a world he lived in. It was a world where the strong survive and the weak die. A world where family matters as they will provide for you as long as you help them, there has always been safety in numbers. This safety had implemented an insanely strong martial law and even if hell were to descend upon this world, Hui Yue now understood that the shocked reaction that would occur in his old world wouldn’t transpire here.
As Hui Yue gazed upon this demolished family compound in front of him, it finally made him realise that his world had changed. His world had undergone such a drastic change, and yet even with all of the changes to his surroundings Hui Yue had changed the most.
Not only had he changed alot physically, his appearance and age had drastically changed, his way of thinking had also been affected by the surroundings.
Destroying the home of hundreds of people and not feeling guilty was one thing that the old Hui Yue would never have accepted. A new alertness had grown within Hui Yue after his ten years of life within this world, and although previously Hui Yue believed that people could be trusted until otherwise proven, he now firmly believed that strangers were not to be trusted.