Dual Cultivation God Returns

It took a full minute for Li Weifang to finally comprehend that the Soul Curse was gone, in this time Wu Long thanked Cai Yin and gave her a kiss, sending her off to her Dao Sisters and saying he will be back with them soon.

And as Wu Long turned back from Cai Yin’s figure receding into the mist, he saw Li Weifang kowtowing to him.

He silently stood for a bit even though he did feel uncomfortable with someone kowtowing in front of him, but knew there wasn’t a good way to skip this part.

“T-Thank you!… I… I cannot even describe how…”, Li Weifang spoke with stifled voice, thanking Wu Long over and over again.

“I understand”, after some time Wu Long finally spoke, “I accept your gratitude. Now, will you stand up and tell me the identity of the one who you served?”

“O-of course, h-his name is Bao Yeming, he is a Senior Elder of the Bao Family Branch…”, Li Weifang spoke hurriedly, seemingly having ignored the part about standing up.

“Bao Family of the Great Fang Dynasty? As in the one controlling the Thousand Treasures Hall…?”, Wu Long asked for confirmation.

“Yes, exactly them. The Main Family controls the majority of the trading company, and there are several regional Branch Families that control the more remote corners like these lands… Senior Elder Bao Yeming is in charge of several covert organizations that are doing work that the Thousand Treasures Hall cannot be openly associated with in these regions. Most of those organizations are like the Seven Scars Guild that you met, have no open affiliations and appear to be independent…”

“And he has sons in each of them?”, Wu Long raised his eyebrow.

“Illegitimate ones, like the leader of the Seven Scars Guild that you killed previously, in many of them, not all. Though that one received a particular favor from his Father… he was among the most cherished illegitimate sons, almost as valued as his legitimate sons. Those three shields is proof, as it is part of a set of 18 shields, his most cherished sons receiving 3 each”

“Keeping it in the family… certainly not something new. Rather, a bit old-fashioned maybe”, Wu Long nodded, as large clans which held big ambitions were known to have their family members be in charge of the main operations no matter at which scale, which ensured that everything was ultimately under the direct control of the family.

In this sense using illegitimate children was a bit unusual, but then again it was perhaps because the work that the Elder was doing was supposed to be covert, insulated from the Bao Family and the trading company.

“He only has two legitimate heirs, one of whom is the Young Master I am-… I was protecting. He’s here since the business in the two academies is of great importance…” Li Weifang nodded, and then realizing he didn’t explain, “Ah, the academies-…”

“I know about that one, well, for the most part that I care to know”, Wu Long stopped him from going over something he knew about, and then traced his chin in thought, “Hmm, but I more or less understood the situation”

He then continued, “I’d like you to stay for a bit in the aftermath and tell one of my followers everything you can about the Thousand Treasures Hall and your Elder… whatever his name… anything about the Bao Family in general. Even if you likely don’t really know the specifics too well, there might be useful details you can provide. After that, you’re completely free”

As Wu Long spoke about having followers who will question him later, a certain light appeared in Li Weifang’s eyes, as he grabbed onto the earth his hands were on, digging his fingers into the dry red soil.

From Wu Long’s tone, and his words, it wasn’t hard to understand that he was going to set him free, demanding nothing in return for freeing him from the curse that plagued him for so many years. All Wu Long got out of it was information that Li Weifang half-jokingly, but still offered, to provide in case Wu Long won the fight, and that he still would have given him even if he did not plan to spare him and set him free.

“W-wait!”, he raised his eyes to look at Wu Long who already started turning to go, as mist started rising all around them, seemingly about to take them both back.

“…”, Wu Long turned back, and immediately recognized that gaze, taking a moment to think about it, and added, “I don’t take Disciples in martial arts… so I won’t become your Master”

He saw Li Weifang’s hands clenching further, the soil pushed through in between his fingers, as his head drooped back to look at the ground.

“But as I said, you are extremely talented, so it isn’t because of your skills or anything about you, it is just my personal stance”, Wu Long added to soften the blow, and then seeing the hints of dejection only slightly alleviated, added more, “That said I can teach you”

Li Weifang raised his head again, a hope lighting in his eyes again.

“It is honestly not that I didn’t think about it. Thankfully, I am not exactly lacking in talented people at this point, but there is always room for more, especially someone with your skill, talent, and character. It would certainly be a big advantage to have you on my side”, Wu Long added, “But hearing your story I didn’t offer it to you”

He then explained to the confused gaze of Li Weifang, “If you are going to follow me, you will have duties of my follower, meaning you will be working for me. And the work oftentimes won’t be much different, probably, from the one you had under the Bao Family. Minor changes, but there will be a lot of the same. Isn’t that the life you fled from? The only big difference is that those who follow me do so of their own will”

He didn’t add that the benefits and treatment of his followers were far better, as that could not be the primary motivation for joining him. It was fine learning about that later on.

“That alone is what makes it worth it”, Li Weifang spoke, “I… I wish to be your follower, and your Student in Halberd Arts… if you will permit it…”

“Very well, then stand straight. And never kneel in front of me again”, Wu Long nodded.

“T-Thank you”, Li Weifang stood up, quickly understanding that Wu Long wasn’t going to be pleading with him to stand up for long, nor did he wish to have Wu Long do that.

“The name is Wu Long, you can decide how to call me a bit later when you see how my other followers behave around me and get a sense of everything”, Wu Long remembered that he never named himself, causing Li Weifang to make a fist and hand salute, lightly bowing his head since he wasn’t allowed to kneel.

“If it is not displeasing, may I call you Teacher?”

Wu Long raised his eyebrow, “As you wish”, and then shrugged, as it wasn’t as bad as he thought. He just didn’t want to be constantly called something like ‘benefactor’ or ‘savior’.

The mist still swirling around them finally covered them, and as it dissipated, the night air enveloped them once again.

“Wu Long”, Ye Ling turned to him with a light tone, “I was just finishing up here”

There were multiple Heaven Transcending Lotuses around the Bao Family’s Young Master, who cooped up behind three shields exactly like the ones Bi Rui had.

He was forced to take them out after losing in martial arts close combat to Ye Ling similarly to how Wu Long overwhelmed Li Weifang.

And after that Ye Ling unleashed her technique to shower deadly, but shallow cuts onto him, forcing him to completely go on the defensive behind the shields.

The Heaven Transcending Lotuses were releasing cutting Sword Qi arcs in unending torrents overwhelming the defenses of the shields and forcing the man to also constantly block and evade attacks from all sides, accumulating small cuts all over him as he could not completely manage all of the attacks.

The attacks were so light and shallow because Ye Ling was trying to not damage the shields that she knew Wu Long would want.

Ye Ling, who held the sword forward with the tip pointing at the man, turned the sword blade flat, and the luminescent lotus flowers began unraveling, as uncountable number of Sword Qi arcs spread from them, forming a giant unified lotus of light in the skies.

The Formation up above, readied by Lian Zhiqiu beforehand, then caught three shields that tried to escape, returning, presumably to the Bao Family Branch’s Senior Elder.

The spear that the Young Master of the Bao Family held fell along with the Spatial Ring.

‘As precise as ever’, Wu Long thought as he never reached the precision level Ye Ling had with the Heaven Transcending Lotus, able to spare even the Spatial Ring. Many times that Wu Long destroyed the Spatial Rings along with owners if he used the Heaven Transcending Lotus came to his mind.

Of course, he could also never seamlessly switch between the multiple forms of the Heaven Transcending Lotus as she could, or rather, for her there were really no forms, she only created them to formalize the technique’s basics for Wu Long when she taught him.

The others were also done with their opponents.

He then floated closer to kiss Ye Ling, and then congratulate his ladies on their victories with their kisses, under the shocked gaze of Li Weifang who thought only Wu Long was the abnormal one.

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