Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 698 - Chapter 698 Chapter 6 Dividends

Chapter 698: Chapter 6 Dividends Chapter 698: Chapter 6 Dividends “`

During the autumn and winter season, a few crisp yellow leaves spun as they fell from the gingko tree, drifting onto Wushan’s shoulders.

“He didn’t say anything else?”

“No,” Wushan thought for a moment, then added, “I think he still respects you a lot.”

“It should be called respectful but distant.”

Zhan Qiming and Wushan were sitting on stone benches under the gingko tree. Students clutching their textbooks were coming and going after class, occasionally passing by them.

“He’s very capable and lucky. But people have their own ambitions. He doesn’t want to get close to me. Let it be.”

Zhan Qiming stared at Wushan, “I’ll quiz you.”

He paused, “No matter what you do, you can’t forget the big picture; you can’t forget the time, place, and that includes young people’s rebellion and resistance. Where does this line come from?”

Wushan shook his head, he didn’t understand what Zhan Yuejin meant.

“It’s from the play ‘The Disturbance’. I saw it again a few years ago when I was in Beijing for a meeting. They changed the lead actor, and it wasn’t as good as before.”

Most of the time, Zhan Qiming seemed calm, intellectual, and well-spoken. If someone were confrontational, he could always act as a mediator, playing the role of the peacemaker. However, in certain circumstances, he liked to show off and emphasize his unique insights into certain matters. That is, he was known to be quite didactic.

Wushan knew Zhan Qiming’s personality well and knew that all he needed now was to remain silent. He had always disliked this kind of argumentative, roundabout way of talking. But there was no helping it; he had to show respect to his teacher.

Zhan Qiming, Jie Master Zhan Yuejin.

“This time you brought back Zhenjun Wuzao, go and have another bout with Chunhao to see the difference.”

Wushan nodded.

Zhan Yuejin thought for a while, then asked, “I’m giving you six months to defeat Pang Chunhao. Do you have confidence?”

Wushan was somewhat taken aback, “Six months? By then, Brother Chunhao might be promoted to the Six Ministries.”

“Do you have confidence?”

Subconsciously, Wushan sat up straight, “I do.”

Zhan Yuejin patted Wushan’s shoulder, then sighed, “Chunhao is a good kid. But he has disappointed me time and again. At the last Yan Zhao Club, I used two hundred and six of the top treasures for his bone replacement. Each one was stronger than your Zhenjun Wuzao. I was expecting him to defeat Yang Zheng so that I could recommend him for the second seat of Yan Zhao Club. But…”

Zhan Yuejin slapped his thigh, “He’s been in Yan Zhao Club for quite some time now. I’ll be straight with you, even if he could get the second seat, it wouldn’t meet my expectations for him. Rinwinter and the Seven Kingdoms have fully opened up. Fresh blood will keep pouring in. You need to work harder. Zhao Jianzhong has recovered the legacy of the Sky Demon King Boxun from Sifan. I will buy it, and one year from now, it will belong to my most outstanding student.”

Wushan blinked, “I understand, teacher.”

…

Ding Ding Ding~

Zhao Xin was hitting a glass with chopsticks, “Look, it’s almost noon, and I haven’t had my lunch yet.”

“Wait for everyone to arrive. Have an ice pop to hold you over.”

Li Yan handed Zhao Xin a plastic bag filled with various colored ice pops.

They had agreed to meet on the weekend to divide the spoils that Muni had vomited out. They arranged to meet at the bar Li Yan was about to open, and Zhao Xin, living nearby, was the first to arrive.

“Hey, when are you opening this place? I’ll come to support you.”

Zhao Xin immediately saw the weapon display rack in the middle that Li Yan had set up. Biting a white sugar ice pop, she drew a sword from the rack, its blade gleaming coldly, while articulating her words with chattering, cool breaths.

Enamored with the blade’s gleaming chill, Zhao Xin could hardly put it down.

“Hey, sorry, but this place doesn’t serve minors.”

“`

Li Yan snatched the sword back from Zhao Xin’s hands and repositioned it properly. Over the years he had been in Yan Fu, he had accumulated quite a bit of miscellaneous items. They weren’t of much use for major occasions, but they were still suitable for decorating the facade.

“No good, I need to add a glass cabinet, a sturdy one at that. If someone starts a fight and grabs these as weapons, what then?”

Li Yan was considering how many tables and chairs he needed to add, how to design the walls, and what sizes would be appropriate to place. Someone knocked at the door.

It was Mo and Ren Ni.

“Sit, sit,” Zhao Xin gestured invitingly. “How come you two came together?”

“The two of them have always been quite familiar with each other,” Li Yan said as he brought over a case of beer. “Ren Ni is even a member of the Jilehui.”

Ren Ni coughed dryly twice. “Big Brother Dayan, let’s not talk about that outside, alright?”

“Sure, sure, I won’t mention it,” Li Yan said as he opened a bottle of beer and pushed it in front of Mo. “So, are you really thinking of retiring?”

He sized up Mo. Speaking of which, Mo had shown great kindness to Li Yan, yet during the few times they met, Mo always presented an unctuous appearance that didn’t inspire respect. Li Yan was deeply grateful to Mo in his heart, but he never really had the chance to express it.

However, this time was different. Perhaps it was because he shaved his beard and changed into a set of respectable clothes. Mo looked calm and even had a somewhat melancholic air about him. As long as Li Yan hypnotized himself to forget the way Mo imitated Se Kong’s mannerisms, the man before him seemed very serious indeed.

“Yeah, I’m retiring,” Mo leaned back in the sofa chair. “Sinbad set sail seven times and returned with a full load every time. This is my seventh time. Sailing again would be seeking death.”

“To you,” Li Yan said.

The bottles of beer clinked as the two touched them together.

“Have you ever considered it?”

Mo suddenly asked.

“Me?”

Li Yan smiled, revealing a deep dimple: “I love the sea, I’ll die at sea.”

“Sorry, are we late?”

Wan Die hurried in, while Yu Shiqie came at a more leisurely pace, accompanied by a girl with a curvaceous figure.

“Just in time. And who is this?”

Li Yan asked the unfamiliar girl, though in reality, he recognized her as the one who had been with Yang Zheng at Tiger Tooth Tower.

“Hello, we’ve met before. My name is Bai Ling, I’m a friend of Yang Zheng. He couldn’t make it this time, so he sent me to greet everyone.”

“Hello, take a seat,” Li Yan responded.

Yu Shiqie shoved a black leather book with a clock tower pattern on its cover page into Li Yan’s arms and found herself a place to sit.

“This is for you.”

“What’s this?” Li Yan asked as he opened the book, only to discover it held layer upon layer of recessed compartments. Each page had about four compartments, each containing a small bottle of golden liquid and a black chip, along with a textual explanation. As Li Yan opened one compartment, he saw the words ‘Super Sensitive Yak’.

“The current research findings and all flesh samples of the Destiny Yak from the Big Ben Research Institute. You’ll need it sooner or later.”

After fiddling around with it for a while, Li Yan asked with a smile, “Where did you get this from?”

“Back when Su Ling wasn’t yet a Ten Master, he gathered a group of us to pioneer the Rin To medicinal potion, which included me. I still hold some shares in Big Ben.”

“Thank you,” Li Yan said earnestly. “You’ve done me a great favor.”

“Let’s not talk about useless things,” Yu Shiqie said as she rubbed her hands together, her expression also lighting up with excitement. “I want some Buddha Head Fruit Cores; you guys can split the rest.”