22. Den Of Lions

…

"Again!" Bao Ren yells.

"Forgive me senior but I'm tired," Ami declares. "I've been swinging the sword around nonstop for days now. I haven't even slept once. Honestly I don't mind it if you are actually teaching me…"

~Whop!!!~

"Again!"

Bao Ren whipped her hard with the wooden sword in his hand and yelled. His face had a nonchalant look and his hand moved again.

~Whop!~

~Ah!~

Harder than before, he whipped her again. Ami screamed out, she had endured the first but this had wounded her rips. However Bao Ren ignored her and yelled.

"Again!"

"I told you to train her, not kill her,"

A voice quaked the very floor of the courtyard and so it did to the building. The trees shook and their leaves fell. Ami felt a cold blood lust and for a minute she forgot her pain.

"I am training her, ma. Until she masters the simplest of things and can do it without thinking, will she become a good fighter,"

Bao Ren's nonchalant face remained as he spoke to the lady who had appeared behind them. He didn't turn but continued to speak.

"At the moment ma'am, I am the teacher and you are interfering with my class,"

"Your head has lost a knot again," the lady sighs. "I only need her to be skilled enough to protect herself, even if it's for five minutes,"

"And I am doing just that ma,"

"If you weren't a valuable asset your head would have being flying by now,"

"I'm proud of that ma'am,"

The lady tsks and turns to Ami. "Little girl, can you take someone with you when you lurk in the shadows?"

"Um, it takes a lot of energy to but I can take someone of equivalent realm with me,"

"Are you sure? Have you tried it with someone before?"

"I did it several times with my twin sister,"

"Where is this twin sister?"

"She's dead,"

"Hmm, have you tried it with someone at a higher realm?"

"No ma,"

"Sia!" the lady called out.

"Yes ma'am," a woman stepped out of nowhere and answered.

"She's in your care from now on,"

"Yes ma,"

"She's more crazy than I am ma," Bao Ren announces nonchalantly.

"I doubt that," the lady says as she walks away. "Don't disappoint me Sia,"

"Yes ma'am. Is it okay I take her out of the manor from time to time?"

"Do as you please,"

"Thank you ma," Sia turns to Ami. "Follow me,"

…

"Mom, can we wrap this up quickly? I want to go back to cultivate," Hiro bickers.

"Relax Hiro, the tailor is almost done," Ming Lu says, as a man with a measurement tape wraps the tape around Hiro's waist.

"Okay mom,"

"And you don't have to cultivate today and tomorrow,"

"Huh? But…"

"No buts Hiro,"

"Alright. By the way I wanted to ask, is it natural for one to feel shackles around their body?"

"If one is about to reach the next sub realm or a major realm they can feel the barrier of that cultivation realm. Why do you ask?"

"Excuse me matriarch, I am finished," the tailor stood up and said.

"When will it be ready?"

"By sun rise ma,"

"Okay, you may leave if there's nothing else,"

"Yes ma,"

Ming Lu turns to Hiro, who proceeded to speaking. "I feel shackles all over my body. It's like something is trying to get in but is unable to so I'm being weighed down,"

"Let me see," she closes her eyes and perceives the area around Hiro. "That's Yuan Qi, how come they are… they shouldn't…"

Hiro frowns at Ming Lu's murmuring and asks. "Is something wrong, mom?"

"It seems you'll have to cultivate. What is weighing you down is Yuan Qi. It's trying to get into your body, but you haven't reached the foundation realm,"

"I see, so I have to reach the foundation realm quickly, rig…"

A force pulls Hiro forward to Ming Lu. She wraps her left hand around him and steps back quickly. Hiro could feel a deadly aura, just like the time with Elta at the auction house. But this time it wasn't directed at him, it was directed to an unknown entity while it protected him.

"Who's there? Show yourself this instance!"

Someone had infiltrated the room and Ming Lu had just noticed. She had felt a presence react in shock to what they had spoke about, but before this she had not even noticed the person's presence.

Whoever it was had not intended to react like that and if he or she had ill intent they would have been dead by now. Ming Lu was furious, there were only a few number of people who could stay undetected around her and most of them needed an artifact to help do so. But right now she could not detect the use of an artifact.

"Show yourself now! I will destroy this courtyard and many others will come rushing here. You won't be able to escape here al…"

"Relax, it's me,"

A familiar voice interrupts as the space before her ripples. Appearing out of thin air was the old ancestor.

"Father?" Ming Lu frowns. "Shouldn't you be at the outpost,"

"I'm just a split soul, the main body is still there. He wanted to check how the little one is doing so he sent me over,"

"Oh," she turns to Hiro in her arms. "Sorry for scaring you Hiro, I didn't know it was your grandpa,"

"It's alright mom, you were protecting me,"

Hiro forced a smile at her. Honestly, he was scared out of his wits. The killing intent she had released was by far greater than Elta's own, and it wasn't even directed at him.

"Luckily I'm being sent out of this den of lions. They are going to kill me by accident one day if I stay here," he thought.

"This child greets grandfather,"

The old ancestor nods at him but his face gave an unhappy expression.

"Old Sai briefed me already but after hearing you just now I feel your speed will affect your foundation,"

"Father, I don't think so…"

"It's better to be safe than to be sorry,"

The old ancestor interrupted Ming Lu and stretched his hand at Hiro. Two streams of light shot out of it and flew to Hiro.

"This should help a bit. When you get strong enough you can remove them,"

"What was that grandfather?"

"You'll find out later. Ming Ming, can I borrow him? I want to take him to see the sunset and the sunrise,"

"I told you not to call me that in front of children,"

"Sorry, sorry. I've slept for a while, I forgot,"

"You are taking him to the Azure mountain?"

"Yeah,"

"You have to bring him back tomorrow,"

"Don't worry we'll be back during the party,"

"During? Not before!" Ming Lu pouted.

"You are acting like a child,"

"Hmph, Hiro grandpa wants to take you away to teach you. Learn everything you can, not everyone gets the chance of being taught by an old ancestor,"

"Okay mom, I will,"

"Good boy, see you tomorrow,"

The old ancestor wraps Hiro's body with energy and flies away.

"You didn't have to destroy the building," Ming Lu murmured.

…

After a bit of a long flight, a mountain came into the duo's view. The entire mountain was covered in trees and grasses. The old ancestor landed on the mountain alongside Hiro.

*Burgggg*

Hiro puked the moment they landed. His eyes were dizzy and his entire body felt extremely weak.

"I can't believe you puked all the way here,"

"You went too fast grandfather,"

"When you are done puking follow me,"

The old ancestor walks away and Hiro continues to puke. He walks to the edge of the mountain top and stares at the setting sun. The edge of his lips curls up as a face appears before his eyes.

"Old friend, how have you been?"

There was no reply but he continues. "A lot has happened since I last came over. Elta is sixteen now, she's at the eight stage of the nascent soul realm. We gained victory in our battlefield, once I'm healed up I'll go help the others. Oh, I guess you'll like this one the most, Enji and Ming Ming adopted a son. You can keep watch of him from up there. Sorry my main body hasn't come to see you, he misses you. Everyday he wishes he could turn the hand of time, we all do. Well, make sure you reincarnate quickly, and somewhere close too. He may be immortal but he isn't omnipresent or omniscient,"

A soft breeze brushes his face as it flew by. Behind him, Hiro watched quietly. He had finished puking but he didn't want to interrupt.

"What are you standing there for? Come over,"

"Uh? Yes,"

Hiro jogs to his side and stood quietly. "Before I start my teaching, let's make sure those bones of yours haven't gone stiff,"

"Huh?"

"The foot of the mountain has lots of predatory animals, kill as many of them as you can until I tell you to stop,"

"Oh?"

"Don't worry, they are just normal animals. A seventh stage body tempering expert would not have a problem with that,"

"Okay,"

"Old Sai said you cultivated in your sleep, try cultivating as you walk, run and fight,"

"I'll do my best,"

.

.

.

Author Here.

Hi guys wanted to hear your thoughts on the old ancestor. What do you think of him?

He has barely had much of a screen time (I don't know if that's right, lol) but I want to know your thought and better improve him.