Ballad of the ‘Real Man’
Ballad of the ‘Real Man’
Guan Qinghan slowly woke up. She felt her body relax. The Young Lady felt like soaring high in the sky, and couldn't help but feel a sense of exultation. She had broken through to the Gold Mystic realm! This meant that she had attained considerable strength. She didn't need anyone's protection anymore. It was useless now.
Guan Qinghan suppressed that rising feeling of joy with great difficulty. She realized that the palm which was placed on her back, and had earlier transferred that warm strength to her—had stopped doing so. Yet… she could still feel that warm palm on her back.
It was a good, big and warm hand!
[Who helped me? That Jun Moxie doesn't have enough cultivation to help me.]
She curiously turned her head to look. Surprisingly, she found that Jun Moxie was sitting cross-legged behind her… with his eyes closed. His hand was extended outwards; his palm was still placed on her back…
[How is this possible?]
[It really was him!]
Suddenly, she felt a burst of dizziness. [Since when did this little brat have such a high cultivation? Is it possible that…?]
[But he's motionless… He must've expended a lot of strength to assist in increasing my power, right? No wonder he can't open his eyes. It must've been unbearably tiring.]
Just when she was thinking this—she felt the hand placed on her back move. Then, she felt the five fingers squirm about. Suddenly, she started to feel ticklish. [Is this little brat kneading my back?!] His fingers moved again… [This, this… this… Isn't he fondling my back?]
Guan Qinghan's body stiffened as she turned her head to look. The wretched little brat's eyes were still closed. But, he had a happy expression on his face. The corners of his mouth were bent-crooked in an extremely vulgar smile. It seemed that his face was revealing the lustfulness of his soul…
[This is the same vulgar side of the Brother-in-Law. But… wasn't he only pretending to be a vile character?]
[How…]
That palm started to move again. This time… in a downward direction…
Could Guan Qinghan allow her devilish brother-in-law to take advantage of her?
"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Bang!" she instinctively slapped him. Then, she resolutely stamped her feet, and let her kick loose. Her face turned red with shame. She couldn't show her face anymore. So, she clutched her face and ran away.
The Young Lady's speed had increased drastically along with her cultivation. Her silhouette disappeared into her room. Her heartbeat sounded like loud drums. She was angry and ashamed; ashamed yet bashful. Guan Qinghan's expression was one of hatred. She stamped her feet on the ground. She couldn't prevent tears from flowing down her eyes as she sat in daze for some time. Then, she suddenly fell on her bed and covered her head; sobs escaped her lips even though she tried hard to stifle them.
Jun Moxie had been able to feel her soft and satin skin even though his palm was separated from it by a layer of clothing. His mind had been intoxicated by this sensation. In fact, he felt as if his mouth had run dry. His palm seemed to have grown a mind of its own. It was seemingly moving around on its own…
[It's so smooth, ah… what is that…?]
His mind was star-struck with admiration. He was completely oblivious about his bodily actions. He felt as if he was slowly floating in the breeze. In fact, he felt as if he had become an immortal…
Then, Jun Moxie was startled by a sudden cry of fear. He had just opened his eyes when—"Bang!" he felt a palm slap his face. The slap had given rise to a crisp sound. He was obviously angered by this; [what's the matter?]
He was about to retort when he suddenly felt a violent sensation surge in his abdomen. He didn't get enough time to feel the pain since he was sent flying like the misty clouds. He drifted for ten meters and crashed onto a flowerbed.
A full ten meters ah! Young Master Jun hadn't been born as big person in this reincarnation. He wasn't even close to six feet in height; nor was his figure bulky or brawny. His body was that of an average man. So was his weight. That is why one kick from a pretty girl was enough to send his body flying!
[Did she become this powerful by taking the medicine?]
[This medicine… you can't eat it indiscriminately ah…]
As fate would have it… there were many sharp thorns in that flowerbed. Several thorns pricked into the Young Master Jun's posterior. He started to hurt everywhere, and all thoughts instantly disappeared from his skulls. The tent which had previously been raised in the crotch of his pants—had dispiritedly collapsed…
He crawled out of the flowerbed in a daze. There wasn't a soul in sight. Young Master Jun tried to recall the sequence of events. He couldn't help become frantic; [I understand that my hands moved in an immoral manner… and my thoughts were immoral as well… but, I had only intended to help you! However, the outcome of that…]
[What can I say? Couldn't you have objected before you struck me? This is unreasonable! Although, I certainly acted immorally first, ah…] The more Young Master Jun thought about this incident—the more he realized that he was in the wrong… and that the slap and the kick were fitting punishments…
[I can't even absolve my actions in this incident! Isn't that depressing?]
Young Master Jun remained silent for some time. He had given some of the Dans to his grandfather and his third uncle—only to have them rip him apart. Jun Moxie then gave a dosage to Guan Qinghan, and also helped increase her cultivation. He thought that his beautiful sister-in-law would commend him for it… or would at least behave gently with him thereafter. Who would've imagined that she would instead kick his abdomen…?
It was still fortunate that she had kicked his abdomen. What if her kick had landed a bit lower? Wouldn't she have broken his eggs?
Jun Moxie wiped his cold sweat and fled with his tail tucked between his legs. He realized that he wouldn't have been able to go to the Heavenly Punishment if that kick had smashed his eggs. So, he quickly concealed his crotch with his hands, and frog-jumped out of her courtyard. [My legendary reputation would've been crushed…]
Young Master Jun issued an order. 254 strong guards had been training intensely in the Jun Family's grounds. It didn't matter if they were in 'honing their skills' training, or were in 'resistance' training, or they were soaking in the hot pool—everyone immediately put their tasks on hold. They quickly divided into two groups, and stationed themselves in an orderly manner in front of Jun Moxie.
Every man in the two formations appeared to be in high spirits.
"Remember when I started your training—I told you that I want two teams out of you. Those two teams would be the strongest. One would be the 'Heaven Destroyer Team', and the other would be the 'Spirit Devourer Team'. And, not only would those two teams be the strongest—they would also make the backbone of my fighting force! These two—the 'Heavens Destroyer' and 'Spirit Devourer' teams would assist me in moving through the continent unhindered. And, the members of these two teams would be selected from the best amongst you! And, those chosen men would be 'nightmare' for the rest of the world! They would be this continent's foremost warriors! They would be without equal!"
Jun Moxie leisurely paced in front of the assembled warriors. There was a sharp look in his eyes. His gaze swept across each and every soldier's face.
Each and every man's breathing was coarse and heavy. Every man's eyes was brimming with longing.
To become the strongest warrior! To become the nightmare of all foes! This was their greatest desire.
This is what they had craved their entire lives!
"I had also said that whether you deserve it or not… depends on you! On whether you'd qualify! I don't know any of your names up till this point! Firstly, because I'm not interested in knowing them! Secondly… because you don't deserve my recognition!" Jun Moxie slowly stated. His slow manner of speech had a bizarre tempo to it. It was like an overbearing power that was pressurizing the entire land. It seemed that time itself had slowed down.
"I will send you on your first mission after four days. And, those who survive it will become the members of my 'Heavens Destroyer' and 'Spirit Devourer' teams! From then on, they shall step onto the path of power, and the path of slaughter! Their very-name would make the entire continent shiver with fear!"
Jun Moxie stared at them. Then, he continued in a low tone, "But, this mission is different from the previous ones. I want only the strongest warriors. So, this mission will be extremely deadly. I will tell you that this mission is extremely dangerous! The mortality rate will be 90 percent. And, that is only a conservative estimate. Therefore, anyone who doesn't wish to proceed… can take a step back. My Family and I won't force anyone to go through with this. So, you can withdraw if you wish. There's no shame in thinking about your own safety."
The autumn wind whistled. Not a single man amongst the 254 moved. In fact, no one even batted an eyelid.
"This is the last opportunity to withdraw; you won't be able to look back later. It is entirely possible that ten out of every ten may die. They'll be gone forever! This is the final opportunity!" Jun Moxie proclaimed coldly.
Nobody moved an inch—same as before.
Jun Moxie nodded softly. Then, he spoke sternly, "Those who want to join—step forward."
"Boom!"
Two-hundred-and-fifty-four men took a step forward. They had exerted themselves as they had taken this step forward. Their orderly, yet powerful, step had sent the entire ground trembling.
"Very Good! Nine-out-of-ten may not survive this mission. But, you can't have any regrets now. They say that a man who pushes forward despite the troubles—is an iron-blooded man! Let me tell you something…"
Jun Moxie irresolutely muttered a few words. Then, he suddenly looked up with a thunderous expression in his eyes. Everyone became alert, and straightened their backs. They wanted to listen to Jun Moxie's words very carefully.
"A real man's journey has only one direction. Glory and splendor in life or death… but no retreat!
"A real man's blood is made of iron. He shall never sway in the face of danger!
"A real man's tears are the most expensive. He doesn't retreat even when he faces many enemies alone!
"His bones may break. His blood may flow like a river. But, a real man stands firm—he doesn't look back!"
"This 'ballad of the real man' can only be recited by 'real men'. Those who aren't 'real men'… can't even understand it." Jun Moxie put his hands behind his back. "I hope that each-and-every one of my brothers becomes a 'real man'. Gentlemen, take the first step to become a real man! Accompany me as we proudly take-over the entire world!"
There was complete silence.
Everyone's expression was extremely fierce. That heroic ballad had boiled everyone's blood. It seemed that each-and-every pore in their body had erupted with impassioned strength; their eyes emitted scorching brilliance.
It was an excellent ballad!
A real man's journey has only one direction. Glory and splendor in life or death… but no retreat! A man could only move in one direction if his goal was clear. And, he'd continue to move in the same direction his entire life. Such a man could never have regrets.
A real man's blood is made of iron. He shall never sway in the face of danger! This was an inherent quality of a 'real man'.
A real man's tears are the most expensive. He doesn't retreat even when he faces many enemies alone! The Sun may set when the battlefield has been riddled with corpses and drained with blood. The allies may have left, and the 'real man' would have to confront his many-enemies despite the scars on his body. It would be a very tragic scene. But, how could a 'real man' retreat?
His bones may break. His blood may flow like a river. But, a real man stands firm—he doesn't look back! Such was a 'real man'!
The two team leaders led the two-hundred-and-fifty-four-men to pass from in front of Jun Moxie. They took their Dans, closed the palm of their hands, and strode away.
The two-hundred-and-fifty-four men had collected their Dans in a jiffy. Then, they neatly organized themselves in two groups without falling into disarray.
"These medicines are rare and legendary! This Young Master had to face many twist and turns, and had to spend a lot of money to refine these Dans. And now, each one of you has one ration of these medicines in your hand. These Dans will increase your Mystic Qi's ability by ten years. Gentlemen, do not fail to live up to my expectations!" Jun Moxie spoke this in a stern manner as he placed his hands behind his back.
Everyone was shocked. People had heard about various kinds of rare and precious medicines across the entire Mystic Mystic continent. Such as… ginseng, thousand years' mushrooms, knotweed etc… these medicines could foster an individual's progress. But, there had never been any news of medicines which could increase Mystic Qi cultivation by this much. And, this Young Master hadn't only refined these priceless Dans… but he was also handing them over to others!
Everyone was extremely touched by this.
A man lays-down his life for his close friends!
And, he does it without saying a word…
The two captains issued an order, and the two-hundred-and-fifty-four started to march about. They arranged themselves in a manner that each man was separated from his adjacent-comrade by a distance of three meters. Then, he looked upwards, and swallowed those three precious pills down. After that, they sat down cross-legged and solemnly focused their attention on their respective Dantians to absorb the Mystic Qi from the Dans.
Jun Moxie stood in front of them in an outwardly-light and easy manner. However, he had concealed throwing knives in his hands as a precaution. He was in his own home at the moment, but he couldn't dare to show the slightest of negligence at this juncture.
Over two hundred men would promote their cultivation altogether. Such a thing was unprecedented!
Therefore, Jun Moxie had taken extreme precautions.
A tower was located some distance away from the training area. Jun Wuyi had been watching the show from the sidelines. He grinned and murmured, "I knew that this brat had kept a lot to himself; and I was right! Upgrading the two-hundred-and-fifty-four of them together… this is amazing…"
Grandpa Jun snorted, "Moxie should use those medicines, but he shouldn't use them indiscriminately. Dangerous situations can arise if the news of this matter were to spread out. An ordinary man doesn't need to hide behind a wall. But, these medicines are capable of causing mishaps that can doom my Jun Family to eternal damnation in an instant. Wu Yi, we must be extremely careful! It is better to bury these medicines into the ground if their source was threatened with exposure! I won't let anything happen to Moxie! Do you understand?"
"I understand." Jun Wuyi gave a profound nod and said, "The lure of these medicines can bring about the Jun Family's doom. We shouldn't take risks if there's any scope of problems. It's better to miss this opportunity than to take the risk involved."
"Good!" Grandpa Jun then looked at his grandson. A look of love and affection emerged on his face as he continued, "The timing of these medications' consumption should also be precise. And, the beneficiary shouldn't know that his enhancement has taken place because of the Dans. Do you know how to go about it?"
Jun Wuyi gave a slight nod, "My body had been crippled for ten years, but my mind hadn't gone to waste. I coincidentally developed a method to enhance my cultivation. I'll simply ask people to use the same method. That's all."
Jun Zhantian narrowed his gaze, "Then, you're putting yourself at risk?"
The Third Master Jun smiled in a calm and tranquil manner, "Be at ease, Father. I know what's going to happen. But, no one is likely to search for Moxie in regards to this matter."
"You'll have to be extra-careful!" Grandpa Jun nodded, and didn't say anything for a while. Then, his eyes shone with a cold light. After that, he spoke in a dignified manner, "I want every intel on these two-hundred-and-fifty-four! I want to know about their experiences, and their connections. I want to know about their friends, their families, and anyone else they may've come into contact with. Even neighbors… or perhaps even lovers… even the prostitu*es they may be intimate with! You will eliminate anyone who turns up suspicious in the investigation. Even if our actions appear baseless or unjust… do you understand?"
"Yes!" Jun Zhantian had given the order in a resolute and firm manner. Moreover, it was spoken like a military order. Especially when he had spoken those last words, "Even our actions appear baseless or unjust,"—he had decidedly ordered to kill. So, Jun Wuyi had given a solemn reply like a subordinate would upon receiving such orders. Jun Wuyi had only said one word in reply. But, the two people had understood that this command was tantamount to a 'military order'!
Jun Zhantian was aware that there would be movement the moment the news of Jun Moxie's medicines would surface. He was aware that it would cause a sensation, and would lead to problems. So, Grandpa Jun was merely taking precautions against any eventuality.
He was acting reckless for his grandson's safety!
Similarly, the Third Master Jun had bet everything in order to keep his nephew safe. He had even bet his own life.
The soldiers who had taken the pills were already experiencing a reaction.
A few of them were already at the Gold Mystic realm. These few men were finding it relatively easier to absorb the pure Mystic Qi. And, were able absorb it properly. But, more than 95% of the men were facing extreme pain. They had no other option since their Silver Mystic cultivation wasn't enough to withstand the effects of these Dans. The muscles and meridians over their entire body had started to become taut. Their skin had started to flicker with a silvery radiance since the Silver Mystic Mystic Qi was frantically flowing through them. These men were at the Silver Mystic realm, but their foundation wasn't strong. Therefore, they had no option but to endure the extreme pain that was being caused by this burst of pure Mystic Qi.
However, they had to support themselves through this ordeal. They would learn a lot of things if they were able to do this on their own. This would help them greatly during their future breakthroughs. Moreover, they would gain experience, and would get to hone their self-discipline.
There were a few men whose cultivation was weaker than the rest. Their faces were full of sweat. The color of their skin had started to resemble that of blood. In fact, it seemed as if their blood was aching to burst-out on to the surface. Their expressions were dark and contorted; that was enough to describe the tremendous amount of pain they were enduring.
Mystic cultivation had various stages. And, people had to break through the previous stages to move up. For example, a Silver Mystic expert would break through to Gold Mystic, and a Gold Mystic expert would break through to Jade Mystic etc. Such a breakthrough was qualitative in nature. However, there could be a difference in the strengths of two individuals even if they were at the same level. For example, most of these soldiers were at Silver Mystic realm at the moment. But, their cultivation wasn't very profound. So, majority of these men weren't at par with Guan Qinghan.
Guan Qinghan's family wasn't that powerful, but she had been taught the 'proper' practices since childhood. Hence, she had been able to make a breakthrough after taking those three dans. In fact, she could've done it without Jun Moxie's assistance. She would've fainted at the most; nothing more.
However, these brawny soldiers were different from her. Their Mystic Cultivation wasn't sufficient. It was difficult for them to control this ten years' worth of cultivation since they weren't like Guan Qinghan. In fact, it was quite possible that they wouldn't see any advancement throughout their life if they failed to absorb this ten years' worth of cultivation properly.
Fortunately, they had gone through Jun Moxie's hellish training. And, their resolve was far superior to that of a normal person's. So, they could endure this pain even though it was unbearable. In fact, not one of them screamed… or issued a single sound from their throats. But, they gnashed their teeth, and the loud sounds of their teeth's 'clattering' resounded uninterrupted.
There wasn't even a single groan of pain—only the sound of grinding of teeth.
Grandpa Jun's voice became dignified as he watched at the scene below, "Unexpectedly, these two-fifty-four men are 'real men of blood and iron'. Their bones are good and strong. They've made this old man's pulse race!"
Jun Wuyi smiled. His eyes were full of praise.
Eventually… the silver light around one man started to condense. Then, it faintly transformed into a light-golden one. The golden light didn't dazzle, but it was exceptionally stable. He had passed that ordeal, and had broken through to the Gold Mystic realm.
A second man followed… then the third…
The golden lights flickered endlessly as ten men successively attained the Gold Mystic level. They were extremely pleased after having passed through that painful transition. However, these men didn't rise to their feet immediately-after. They kept their eyes shut, and continued to breathe slowly. They had started to sense the huge changes they had gone through; they had never felt so much strength in their body. They started to circulate the Qi-flow through their meridians slowly and unhurriedly so that their bodies could adapt to these changes as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the silver lights continued to flicker brightly. In fact, their radiance increased as time passed. The entire training ground of the Jun Family had started to bathe in this resplendent silver color since over 200 men had simultaneously shone bright with that color. These brilliant flashes of light nearly blinded the father-son duo on the tower.
"The weakest of them are Silver Mystic experts; the majority of them are Silver Mystic Peak experts! A few of them have made it to the Gold Mystic, and the strongest-four are at the peak of the Gold Mystic realm!" Grandpa Jun gasped, "If these troops are sent to the battlefield…"
"They won't be sent to the battlefield. They aren't ordinary soldiers anymore," Jun Wuyi spoke unenthusiastically. "They will only fight for Moxie now. And, sending them to a battlefield would be a waste. I won't permit such a waste…
"Moxie had once said that the weakest of these men would be Earth Mystic peak. I thought that he was just talking big… But now, I don't think that's impossible… Three months ago, the strongest of them was merely a level-eight expert. This is absolutely astonishing. It is against the will of the heavens!" Jun Wuyi spoke slowly. A divine light of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"The weakest of them would be an Earth Mystic Peak expert…? Wouldn't that mean… that we would have around two hundred Heaven Mystic experts…? Even the Silver Blizzard City and the Xue Hun Manor wouldn't be able to resist me… even if they were to combine their strengths… my god…"
Grandpa Jun had remained silent. He had been stroking his beard, and had unconsciously strengthened his grip on it when he heard this proclamation. In fact, he had accidentally pulled out a few strands of hair from his beard… and was completely unaware of it.
This was shocking!