All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 330 - 187 Parental Education

Chapter 330: Chapter 187 Parental Education

Now that she knew her son was still alive, Shen Mubai was not in a hurry.

Indeed, An Jing seemed to have been involved in some events far beyond her imagination, which even seemed to be the Divine Mandate from some mythical tale... but all these only proved one thing: An Jing was unharmed.

Even though Shen Mubai was somewhat anxious when she heard the storyteller describe An Jing’s slaying of three Grandmasters, her spirits lifted increasingly as she listened, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up, to the point where even the disguise of an elderly woman was slightly compromised.

If not for the fact that those around her were all members of the Heaven’s Will Cult squad, this unusual behavior might truly have been noticed!

Of course, she didn’t set out immediately, nor did she blindly believe the storyteller’s words; instead, she carefully prepared for a whole ten days.

Like the An Family, the successors of the Conquering General, Shen Mubai’s natural talent was average, but her family education endowed her with an extraordinary patience and steadiness.

During this time, Shen Mubai steadily prepared supplies and brewed herbs. She readied dried food and luggage, sharpened her long knife, and purchased a common leather inner coat from the Northern Border, dressing up as a traveling merchant.

Only after solidly preparing the Fortifying Blood Powder, consuming it, and entering the state of ’Inner Breath as Vast as River,’ did Shen Mubai quit her job as a laundress, claiming she was going back to her hometown to retire, and then set out from Beirui City toward Broken Blade Mountain.

"This mother of An Jing... is also a tough one,"

Watching this scene, even the Demon Disciples of the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect couldn’t help but marvel, "If it were me, knowing that my child not only wasn’t dead but was also the Divine Mandate, I wouldn’t brag about it even if I had a brain, but I would definitely be restless and set on my way after hurrying to prepare."

"But this one could actually bear to patiently continue her plan to enhance her strength, making every possible preparation before she set off unhurriedly with well-equipped supplies!"

"That’s nothing to scoff at."

Another Demon Disciple sighed, "No wonder Leader An is the Divine Mandate. My own mother could lose the house playing cards, even pawned me off; if not for the Divine Sect feeding me, who knows if I’d be missing a hand or foot begging in some beggar’s den right now."

"If my mother were like Leader An’s, would I be in this sorry state?"

"If your mother taught you a few more characters, you wouldn’t be in this sorry state."

Even Bai Qinghan was surprised by Shen Mubai’s actions and decisions, "No wonder Eldest Senior plans and executes things with great patience. It seems that it’s rooted in his upbringing..."

Using the Water Mirror to observe Shen Mubai’s actions, Bai Qinghan couldn’t help but sigh softly, his gaze lowered in contemplation, as if recalling his own parents.

Those were all too terrible memories.

Compared to her own, he felt not envy but a deep determination.

—This might indeed be an opportunity to understand An Jing better.

Meanwhile, in the same span of time.

Northern Border, among the Northern Barbarian tribes.

In the biting north wind, snowflakes the size of fingernail pieces fell on the raised fingers of a Da Chen man clad in wild beast hides, then melted into droplets by a wave of warmth.

The man had the looks of a scholar but was also physically robust, possessing cultivation—albeit not high, still enough to earn the respect even of the most foolish Northern Barbarians, not to mention the tribe’s chieftain valued this visitor from the Southern Country greatly, as he had indeed led them out of many predicaments.

This Da Chen man, held in high regard among the Northern Barbarian tribes, had thought he wouldn’t be shocked by anything anymore, as he had developed a heart as firm as steel through numerous near-death experiences over the last few years.

But when he actually saw the information on the letter in his hand, he couldn’t help but tremble, shocked, and even his lips quivered, wanting to utter a name.

"Brother Qian Shan, what’s the matter?"

The tent flap of Tagu Tribe’s big tent behind him was opened, and a giant who seemed improbably robust walked out.

The Da Chen man was already robust by any standard, even by that of martial trials, undeniably a sturdy man. But this Northern Barbarian giant was four heads taller, nearly three times as broad, and could perhaps compete with the fierce bears that roamed the Wilderness.

This was the ’Giant Spirit Kind’ of Iron Li’s Dust Li tribe. It is said that Iron Li inherited the bloodline of the ancient ancestors, blessed by the heavens with lucky individuals who demonstrated the return of ancestral traits, hence possessing special abilities like devouring metal and possessing boundless strength.

Such Giant Spirits were the natural-born leaders of their tribes, and upon his arrival, the Barbarians moving supplies all around him promptly thumped their chests and saluted.

The Giant Spirit smiled, lifting his hand in greeting to all those who saluted him, yet his attention remained focused on his brother: "Brother An, why such astonishment? The last time you led us through the Wolf Howling Forest and across the Unfrozen River, I didn’t see you looking so agitated."

"It’s sheer delight. And if you want to say I’m astonished, you should say ’astonished beyond belief’, not agitated."

An Qianshan habitually corrected the Giant Spirit’s misuse of idioms. In normal circumstances, he would also explain the differences between the various words, enabling this unexpectedly intelligent Giant Spirit to better understand the subtleties of Da Chen’s culture.

But now, he was staring at the handwriting on the letter, filled with emotion: "The winter wolves of the Wolf Howling Forest may be fierce and ruthless, and the Unfrozen River chilling to the bone, but we can always lead the wolves away with traps and cross with rafts."

"But this time, I have received news of my son... Although it’s utterly incredible and hard to believe, I have always had faith, faith that he is such a person beyond the imagination of a commonplace mortal like me, the prized child of the An Family!"

The Giant Spirit curiously glanced over the contents of the letter. Having already mastered reading, he quickly grasped everything written and then showed a stunned expression: "This, this is truly being ’astonished beyond belief’..."

"That’s not how it’s used..."

An Qianshan sighed, accustomed to teaching his son, who could infer other meanings from a single sentence. Turning back to instruct this Giant Spirit from the Northern Barbarians proved somewhat headache-inducing.

Yet, he felt no impatience with the other... Were it not for the ’Taku Lang’ Giant Spirit’s aid, he would’ve died at Green Jade Pass, abandoned by Da Chen.

Contrary to what everyone thought, the Official Army at Green Jade Pass had already withdrawn before the Northern Barbarians invaded. Although they truly could not withstand the raging onslaught of the hundred-thousand-strong Northern Barbarian army, their decision to retreat without a fight, effectively handing over Green Jade Pass, filled all those unable to withdraw with the army, those abandoned within the pass, with utter despair.

But precisely because of this, because the Northern Barbarians didn’t expend much effort at Green Jade Pass, An Qianshan and the others detained there by the Frost Calamity were not slaughtered out of retribution. Most were captured to serve as slaves or conscripted as craftsmen.

An Qianshan had thought he, too, would be taken, cursed with magic, and made a Martial Slave of the Northern Barbarians. If not that, then, like the Da Chen army that had left them to the cold, they would’ve been left for the elements to freeze their bodies solid.

But unexpectedly, upon realizing he was a scholar, the ’Taku Lang’ Giant Spirit did not enslave him but instead took him to a bookstore they had occupied.

In the bookstore, various volumes and scrolls were piled together. Despite the disarray, it was evident the Northern Barbarians had tried their best to tidy and organize. His task was to sort these books by category, compile a catalog, and send them back to the tribe.

"Do you enjoy reading?"

"People of Da Chen, in Iron Li we have our own Martial Scriptures, but with books, the more, the better."

"Can you understand them?"

"Not so well. But you need to keep them on hand, just like food you can’t eat right away. You might need them in the future."

"I can teach you."

"You can? You would teach me?"

"I can. I know how to."

"Then perhaps, you could be my teacher."

This was his encounter with Taku Lang.

The strength of the Tagu Tribe to which Taku Lang belonged was quite ordinary. The truly large tribes of the Northern Barbarians had no shortage of priests, Martial Artists, or literati capable of reading through texts. Dust Li had its own civilization and culture, its own nation and laws, but these were only known within large tribes.

The Tagu Tribe, a newly emerged tribe that had not yet lasted three hundred years, simply did not have such depth, even lacking complete transmission of Magician heritage within the tribe.

For An Qianshan, who could indeed easily interpret the allusions in various books, Taku Lang wanted to pay him respect as a teacher, but An Qianshan, knowing his own limits, modestly declined.

Since then, Taku Lang regarded An Qianshan as a brother, treating him with great respect in everyday life.

As such, An Qianshan gradually gave up the idea of just scraping by and dedicated himself to lending them a hand with all his might.