Chapter 16: Without Pause

“Shi Yanwu, Lord of Blackstone Fortress, greets the Grandmaster and thanks him for his assistance!”
Behind him, Ma Buti and Shi Yanwu watched as Wan Gu Xiao escaped into the snake pit, but neither followed. The cave was cramped and filled with countless pythons, making it impossible for them to fully exert their strength, while Wan Gu Xiao could use the snakes to contend with them.
Such circumstances were decidedly unfavorable. A single misstep might not only ruin their pursuit, but could render them helpless in the hands of their enemy. Naturally, the two would not take such a risk. With the martial master from the Thunder Sect arriving to aid them, both protocol and prudence dictated they first seek his guidance and await his decision.
Returning to the fortress, they found those who had arrived on the Wind and Thunder Eagles already dismounted, questioning Lu Hai and the others in the training yard. Seeing this, Shi Yanwu hurried forward to pay his respects, while Ma Buti hesitated before bowing and saying,
“Ma Buti of Liangzhou, greets Master Lei!” He clearly recognized the man.
“Ma Buti of Liangzhou, so you truly hail from the Ma clan of Western Liang. I’ve long heard that Dragon Mulberry Island was taken by two great martial masters, suspected to be from the Ma clan. You must be one of them?” The man with the purple face—Lei Hongtao of the Thunder Sect—spoke.
Though he seemed restrained in front of the young girl, as a master and the grandson of a grandmaster, Lei Hongtao commanded great respect before outsiders. Ma Buti, previously arrogant in front of the Blackstone Fortress crowd, now appeared nervous and cautious in his speech.
“Yes, and my elder brother Ma Buting is now the city lord of Dragon Mulberry City,” Ma Buti replied carefully.
The Ma clan, prominent in the northwest, held considerable influence there, but on the overseas isles, they were far outmatched by the Thunder Sect. Moreover, the Thunder Sect had little need of the Ma clan, while the Ma clan relied on the Thunder Sect for matters concerning the Divine Ruins. Thus, even if Ma Buti were a martial master, he would not dare offend the Thunder Sect’s martial master overseas.
Before Lei Hongtao, Ma Buti did not dare even mention the title of island lord, for fear of accidentally offending him and inviting his scrutiny.
“Hmm, ‘Ma Never Stops,’ the two of you are well-known in the northwest. I’ve heard you even stole from the Earth Ranking experts. But now you’ve seized Dragon Mulberry Island—what is your purpose?”
“Or perhaps the Ma clan finds Liangzhou too small and intends to meddle in Haizhou?” Lei Hongtao said coolly.
When Emperor Jing unified the realm, he divided it into thirteen provinces. The overseas isles were all grouped into Haizhou, overseen by a governor charged with clearing the nearby sea of monsters and establishing the first line of defense on each isle against the deep-sea beasts.
Yet Haizhou was vast and isolated, its resources poor and reliant on supplies from the Central Plains. As the imperial court waned, Haizhou was the first to be abandoned, its territories granted to sects like the Bright Moon Sect and the Thunder Sect.
Now, with no governor, Haizhou’s name is rarely mentioned except in comparisons with the Central Plains provinces, and even the islanders seldom refer to it. Lei Hongtao’s use of the name Haizhou was not only to distinguish himself from the Ma clan dominating Liangzhou, but also to warn them: the local powers of Haizhou have long kept an eye on your actions, Ma clan of Western Liang!
To reach the rank of great martial master, Ma Buti was no fool. He quickly grasped Lei Hongtao’s warning and responded meekly, daring not to contradict him, only explaining,
“My brother and I suffered some injuries in the Divine Ruins. Hearing that the mulberries of Dragon Mulberry Island have miraculous healing properties, we wished to trade for some.”
“But when we tried to exchange, the city lord saw our generosity and, overcome by greed, plotted against us. Forced to defend ourselves, we killed him and were then chosen by the people as city lords, so we stayed for a few years.”
“A few years? You call that a brief stay?”
The young girl interjected, pursing her lips. She was barely past ten, and found it hard to believe anyone’s ‘short stay’ lasted years. Even her father, a grandmaster whose lifespan stretched centuries, rarely lingered anywhere for years. Ma Buting and Ma Buti were only great martial masters, whose lifespans barely reached a hundred years—how could they squander it so?
Lei Hongtao did not believe Ma Buti’s tale either. Yet as long as he could confirm the Ma clan was not interfering in Haizhou, whatever reason the brothers had for occupying an island in the East Sea was none of his concern.
Thus, he did not press further. But as a precaution, he employed some other measures.
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“This young man—is he from Blackstone Fortress? To be on the verge of mastering Internal Strength at fifteen—what a prodigy!” Lei Hongtao said, pointing at Shi Qinhu, who was watching the commotion.
Though Shi Qinhu was exceptionally tall, Lei Hongtao’s keen eye saw at a glance that the boy was fifteen and nearly masterful in Internal Strength. Such progress would place him among the Thunder Sect’s foremost talents!
Suddenly singled out, Shi Qinhu was stunned and did not reply. Shi Yanwu, seeing this, nearly wished to kick him over, but before the master, he dared not be rude. He dragged Shi Qinhu from the crowd and scolded,
“Master Lei is questioning you—answer him honestly!”
Then he apologized to Lei Hongtao, “This is my son, Shi Qinhu. He hasn’t seen much of the world. Please don’t take offense, Master.”
Lei Hongtao waved his hand, “No offense. I saw this young man’s strong bones and large hands—he is especially suited for the Wind and Thunder Palm. I wish to take him to the Thunder Sect for training. Lord Shi, would you be willing to part with him?”
“Wind and Thunder Palm?”
Hearing this, the young girl forgot her reproach of Ma Buti, skipped forward, and compared her small, pale hand to Shi Qinhu’s large, fan-like palm, delighted,
“Indeed, he’s perfect! Remember this, boy: I am Lei Xue’er, your master’s grandaunt—that is, your great senior master. From now on, you must behave!”
The Wind and Thunder Palm, as its name suggests, imbues the hand with the force of thunder and the power of the wind. Shi Qinhu’s body held great potential for growth; though he had deliberately avoided growing to the extreme height of six or seven feet, his hand size remained unaffected. Now, though his height matched that of an ordinary strong man, his arms and hands were much larger than usual. This gave him a distinct advantage in palm techniques.
With such enormous hands, a simple sweep could stir a gust of wind—making him uniquely suited for the Wind and Thunder Palm. Lei Hongtao, seeing him, felt moved; considering the Ma clan’s situation, he decided to take Shi Qinhu for training in the Thunder Sect, hence his inquiry about the boy’s identity.
“Yes, Lord Shi, I wish to take Shi Qinhu as a registered disciple. What do you think?”
Lei Hongtao asked. As a master, he would not lightly accept disciples; his original intent was only for his own disciple to take Shi Qinhu. But Lei Xue’er, hearing it, misunderstood and believed he meant to take a disciple. Lei Hongtao could only play along, accepting Shi Qinhu as a registered disciple. If he spoiled Lei Xue’er’s mood over such a small matter, it would be far more troublesome!