Chapter 19: The Ninth Rank Does Not Kneel to the Emperor

  On the west side of Fanggu Castle, it was a mess. Originally powerful Mu Da and Mu Er had no chance to even fart in front of the even more powerful boss lady. From start to finish, the two sixth-grade masters were like dolls being bullied by children, one was stuffed into the city wall, and the other was stripped to a bloody corpse.

  It's not easy to stuff a living person into the hard city wall, at least much harder than stuffing a round eggplant into an asshole. Just a few decades ago, the Mongol Empire's 40,000-strong army attacked, and hundreds of catapults bombarded the walls of Fan City, but they didn't even make a dent. The boss's wife managed to stuff someone into the city wall, which is an unrepeatable feat in anyone's eyes.

  Later, when Li Xiangzong sent someone to pull out Mù Dà's corpse, the soldier in charge cursed for a whole hour and finally used an iron shovel to poke and dig out the corpse from the wall. Then they casually dug a hole and buried it, and even sprinkled a puddle of urine on top.

  Fang Jie knew that the old cripple who had recognized Hong Xiu's invitation was a master, but he absolutely did not think that this cripple was extremely powerful. He firmly believed that Mu Xiaoyao could sense any strong expert, and since Mu Xiaoyao had not mentioned anything about the old cripple being worth guarding against in three years, it was certain that he was not stronger than Mu Xiaoyao and Da Quan.

  But tonight, he finally knew that what he firmly believed in was sometimes ridiculous.

  The world is too big, so big that even if you travel your whole life, you won't be able to reach the end. Fanggu City is too small, only three and a half miles long and three miles wide.

  It's actually this small border town in the big world, yet it hides so many abnormal experts. Can easily disable two sixth-grade upper, the most conservative estimate is that the boss has at least seventh-grade upper strength and may even have eighth-grade strength. Fang Jie Zhen couldn't understand how the boss's delicate-looking body contained such a huge amount of energy. Killing two sixth-grade upper was easier than slaughtering two chickens.

  And that old cripple, where is there a bit of the style of being out of the world? Wearing an old leather jacket, with a wine gourd hanging from his waist, which is as big as two human heads connected together, filled with the worst white wine. Every time I see him, I feel that Hongxiu's reputation has been reduced by more than one level because of his existence.

  What should be the characteristics of a hermit?

  Not everyone should be dressed in white, even if they don't look like a beautiful flower that blooms when seen by people and flowers. They must at least look pleasing to the eye. Holding an autumn-water-like long sword in hand, shaking off a sword flower and saying "You demon, show yourself quickly!" Easily and simply exorcising demons and evil spirits, then stepping on a flying sword and saying "Leave now and disappear without a trace."

  Even if it's a sloppy and unbridled type, at least it should have some style. This old cripple looks like he could be blown down by a gust of wind, and his thin body is all skin and bones except for the eardrum. And looking at that ugly and lewd face, no matter how you look at him, he seems to have been involved in attempted rape when he was young.

  Overthrow

  Thoroughly subverting Fang Ye's outlook on life, values and views on love, is this the so-called destruction of three outlooks?

  It's hard to get up, and Fang wants to say to the old cripple, "Haven't you noticed that I'm a rare genius with a unique skeleton?" But he's also worried that such a master can blow himself away with just one fart, and if he ends up like those two unlucky guys who were embedded in the city wall by the boss's wife, it would be too unjust.

  In the Great Sage Sun Wukong, a fart blew away a group of little monsters. Fortunately, he has self-awareness, and his current abilities are absolutely no match for those little monsters who were blown away by farts.

  "Are you coming with me or not?!"

  The old cripple's face slightly darkened, and he looked at Xiao Yao with a serious expression: "Although I've spent my whole life searching for an apprentice as pleasing to the eye as you, it doesn't mean I'll lower myself to beg you. Although in recent years I've been honest and down-to-earth on the rivers and lakes, back then I was also someone who could scare people to death with just a stomp of my foot. If you hesitate again, I'll leave immediately and pretend we never met. I'll count to five; if you still don't agree, even if you kneel down and beg me in the future, it will be useless."

  One!

  "Agreed! Agreed!"

  Fang Jie ran over from the side, hehe smiled and said: "Such a good thing, how can you not agree? She's just scared silly, I'm telling you old... old grandpa, she's my follower, what I say is more effective than her own words. From now on, she'll be your apprentice, I'm in charge of this matter."

  "Can you take charge?"

  The old cripple asked.

  Fang Jie nodded and said, "Of course."

  "Alright!"

  The old cripple said: "You go, she stays."

  He didn't say a word, turned around and left. He picked up the big dog from the ground, patted the dust off its body with a smile: "From now on, it's just us two relying on each other, but thinking about it, having one less woman by my side is really not used to. Thinking again...it's actually saving quite some drinking money, huh."

  The big dog hesitated for a moment and said: "Really let Xiaoyao stay?"

  Fang Jie smiled and walked forward with the big dog: "Didn't you say that Chen Qingfan is Xiao Yao's junior sister?"

  Yes

  "Chen Qianfan is a master of the eighth rank, isn't she unbeatable even if thirty little waist sisters were added together?"

  Yes

  "So Little Waist Sister was very unhappy and felt very uncomfortable. Because she is the number one person in the world who cannot bear to be inferior, right?"

  Yes

  Fang Jie smiled and said with some reluctance, "She's been with me for 15 years, doing things for me all these years. Now that the opportunity has come, she should do something for herself too. Although Xing Qianfan is also protecting me, I'd rather see how Xiao Yaojie defeats Xing Qianfan... just thinking about it feels great..."

  "What's wrong with me?"

  The big dog said.

  "That's because you don't have my kind of enlightenment, hurry up, I've finally managed to pretend to be a philanthropist for once, don't make me regret it, okay? There are still several months' journey to Chang'an, if we don't hurry up how can we do it. Don't look back, since we've decided then we must show some dignity, even if Little Waist Sister calls us, we can't turn back."

  "Is it okay?"

  "Go!"

  ……

  ……

  Miao Xiaoyao didn't even shout because she had caught up with them.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  Fang Jie looked at Mu Xiao Yao, who was following behind him with a package in hand, and said with a bitter expression: "I've finally found someone who is selfless, but you can't even let me show off my style? You're making me feel guilty, do you know that? If I were to encounter such a good opportunity, I would definitely seize it. Unfortunately... I'm just a cultivator who has given up on this life, and I probably won't have another chance... What's wrong with you?"

  Helplessly waved his hand, two feet began to kick randomly.

  Mu Xiao Yao didn't say a word and strode forward with large steps, holding up her loose waistband.

  "I can walk by myself!"

  Let me explain.

  "Mei Xiao Yao walked a few steps in silence before saying, 'I know you can walk, but there may still be dangers within the city. Although I couldn't sense that old cripple or that woman, four of the high-ranking experts are still around, with two remaining. I refused the old cripple, so he shouldn't intervene again to help us. Your boss's wife probably won't bother us either, so we must leave the city quickly. As long as we get out of the city, with the big dog by our side, we can shake them off.'"

  "Do you know how good an opportunity you missed? Didn't you always want to surpass Chen Qingfan?"

  Struggling on one side and speaking on the other.

  "Always thinking... even in dreams."

  "Mei Xiao Yao said as she walked: 'I entered the mountain gate at six years old and was regarded by my master as the pride of our sect. My master once said that I would be the one to bring glory to our sect in the future. Chen Qing Fan also entered the mountain gate at six years old, but three years after me. When she entered, I was already a third-rank cultivator, while she had yet to awaken. In her second year, I reached fourth rank, and she awakened. In her third year, I reached fifth rank, and she reached fourth rank. At twelve...I escaped with you, at fifteen I reached fifth rank again, but since then there has been no progress. Twelve years have passed, and I am still stuck at the fifth rank, unable to advance even an inch.'"

  "She actually looked down on me from the start, because after she entered the sect, Master repeated to her all the things he had said to me before, and then she became the pride of the sect. For over a decade, I made no progress, while she already has the strength of an 8th rank cultivator, just one step away from becoming a 9th rank peerless expert. She started cultivating later than me, but she's far ahead of me. Master was right... compared to her, I'm just an ordinary person."

  "Does your master know you have the ability to sense other people's strength?"

  Square root of question mark.

  "I don't know, at the mountain gate, I didn't say anything to anyone."

  "So your master is just a piece of trash."

  Fang Jie laughed and said: "Among the top eight ranks in the world, there are indeed very few masters, but it's absolutely not just her, Shen Qian Shan. The old cripple I saw earlier is even more powerful than Shen Qian Shan. And then there's Boss Lady, who might be a match for Shen Qian Shan in a real fight. But being able to sense the enemy's strength, you're the only one in the world who can do that. With such an amazing skill, shouldn't you be proud of yourself?"

  "What's so great about this? Predicting danger and then running away with your life?"

  "Strength is far more useful than appearance in my opinion!" Mu Xiao Yao said with a hoarse voice.

  A big dog chimed in from the side, "I think this matter is not bad. I'm twenty years older than you and have practiced for twenty more years, but my strength is still not as good as yours? But among those who practice with me, six or seven out of ten are dead. I didn't die because I have a good nose, I can smell the killing aura, so I'm alive and well."

  "You're twenty years older than her!"

  "Really can't see it!"

  The big dog's face suddenly turned red: "I'm shy..."

  Fang Jie said incredulously: "I always thought you were at least forty years older than her."

  Large dog: “......”

  Fang Jie saw Xiao Yao smile, and immediately advised: "We three have gone through so many great winds and waves. Don't always think about unhappy things. We are now going to go to Chang'an to cause trouble for the Great Sui Emperor. At that time, when the elegant and unparalleled Xiao Yao sister walks into Chang'an City, who knows how many ninth-grade masters will kneel down under your skirt and beg you to take him as a disciple?"

  "Fart!"

  At some point, the old cripple suddenly appeared in front of them: "Do you think a ninth-grade master is an aunt selling vegetables at the market? Can anyone be a ninth-grade master just like that? In the entire Great Sui, the number of masters above the ninth grade can be counted! Even the Emperor of Great Sui wouldn't dare to force a ninth-grade master to kneel!"

  The old man's face turned white as he stared at Xiao Wu, his gaze softening: "Think about it again, I'm very strict when choosing an apprentice. If not, how could I have gone so many years without a single one? You'll regret missing me for the rest of your life if you don't seize this chance. Let me ask you again, will you accept or decline?"

  "Wherever he goes, I'll go. Wherever he is, I'll be."

  "Is it really that decisive? I'll advise you one last time and tell you clearly. I am one of the few ninth-grade masters in this world. Don't think that ninth-grade masters are as common as cow hair, although the world is big, but people who can cultivate to the ninth grade are really rare. Is it because I appeared too easily that you don't believe me? Or should I show you a move and guarantee that you'll be shocked?"

  Mei Xiao Yao shook her head: "You don't accept him, I won't follow you."

  The old cripple angrily asked: "Do you know what you've lost?! Do you know that even if it's the Emperor of Great Sui, he can't make a 9th-grade master kneel down?! How many 9th-grade masters are there in the whole world?!"

  Mo Xiao waist once again picked up Fang Jie's belt and walked forward without looking back.

  With a thud, the old cripple actually knelt down on the ground with a sobbing tone and begged: "I beg of you, will you do it? Just agree to be my apprentice! I'll kowtow to you, okay? It's not easy to meet a good seedling like you. Your previous scoundrel master couldn't see your potential, that's his dog eyes looking down on people! Will you stay? You...you can't leave again...if you leave again, I'll mutilate myself!"