Chapter 139 – Northward (I)

Chapter 139

Northward (I)

“So, uhm, there’s this realm…”

Though I wanted to lie and conceal some of the truth, I ended up telling him everything. His expression remained unchanged (after calming back down, at least), and he listened patiently. Once I was done, he fell silent–and so did I.

“In three years, you said?”

“Yes. You don’t think… we should go?”

“Why not?” he shrugged. “We have an invitation and every right to be there.”

“But–“

“–do you trust them?” he suddenly asked.

“Hm?”

“The kids. Do you trust them?”

“I mean, of course,” I frowned, uncertain as to where he was going with this.

“I’m assuming you haven’t exhausted your father’s library of random arts just yet,” he said. “No?”

“…”

“Yes, they are weak now and would be folded like clothes if it were happening today,” he said. “But in three years, don’t you think they’ll have caught up?”

Well, if they had inexhaustible resources, sure. They’re all extremely talented, no less so than probably any of the kids from those Holy Lands, but there was a big difference between those kids and them–they had the backing of the entire Sect’s resources, whereas these kids here only had me.

And though I am somewhat wealthy at the moment, it’s nowhere near enough. Not even close.

“It’s not the matter of talent, Long Tao,” I said. “I don’t doubt for a second that they are every bit as talented as any other kid you put in front of them. But I am just one man, and however many arts I have left in my father’s library, arts cannot replace general resources.”

“Resources are the least of our worries.”

“… no, no, I’m pretty sure they are most of my worries.”

“My mother told me of a place.” Oh boy, here we go. I actually rolled my eyes, unable to hold back, though thankfully he didn’t comment on it. “North of here. Well, not just one place. A series of places, in fact. If it’s the resources we need, there are many places we can get them.”

“Without risking our lives?”

“…”

“Right.”

“Perhaps it’s scary for you,” Long Tao said, his expression strangely… softening. It was quite uncanny. “But not to them. To cultivate is to swim against the current, and I’ve never met–or heard–of a group of kids as young as they are that are as ready as they are. They are strong, Master. Not normal cultivator strong, either, no. They’re figures that history often describes as ‘inevitable’. Every one of them.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Yeah, I know that. I know that, logically, he makes sense–plunder random tombs and ruins of the three years, and join the hidden realm or whatever. It all makes perfect sense.