Stellar Transformation-Chapter 139: Episode 6 - 8 Qin Yu and Li’er

Fu Hao’s heart jolted.

"The Green Dragon Palace really is formidable. It seems they’ve planted many spies within the Nine Evil Hall, to have even guessed that I communicated with the Third Prince. Lord Teng really is imposing." His mind raced, and in an instant, Fu Hao adopted an extremely shocked expression, saying in disbelief, "Lord Teng, how... how did you know?"

Lord Teng still wore a cold expression as he continued, "Don’t ask me how I know. I will ask you questions now, and you will answer them."

"Yes, Lord Teng, please ask your questions." Fu Hao replied respectfully.

Lord Teng demanded coolly, "Which three princes have left the Nine Evil Hall now?"

"The Second Prince, Sixth Prince, and Seventh Prince." Fu Hao answered without hesitation, knowing everything.

Lord Teng pressed on, "Which Cave Mansion are the three princes currently visiting?"

"The Red Blood Cave Mansion!"

Fu Hao answered swiftly, but inwardly he cursed, "This Qiu Long definitely knows which three princes and to which Cave Mansion they’ve gone. Now he comes asking me, just to test if I lie."

"Do you know why the three princes are visiting the Red Blood Cave Mansion?" This time, Lord Teng stared into Fu Hao’s eyes.

Fu Hao, with eyes as lively as a baby’s, showed no change as he helplessly said, "Lord Teng, I really don’t know that. My Giant Armor Cave Mansion has too little power. Had it not been for the several times the Second Prince communicated with me, I wouldn’t even be aware of this affair."

Lord Teng nodded.

The death of the Eighth Prince was still a highly confidential matter, one which the Nine Evil Hall also kept very secret. He had inferred the Eighth Prince’s death only from various pieces of information, so it was utterly normal for Fu Hao not to know.

Although it didn’t bother him on the inside, Lord Teng’s face grew somber.

Seeing Lord Teng’s expression darken, Fu Hao seemed to grow somewhat panicked on the surface.

"Now I ask you, what exactly did the three princes say when they communicated with you?" Lord Teng immediately said.

Immediately, Fu Hao responded with fear, "There were many things, the Second Prince had communicated with me several times. Which ones do I need to speak of?"

Lord Teng’s expression changed, and he ordered sternly, "Whatever he asked in his communications, you are to tell me everything in full, without leaving out a single detail."

"Yes." Fu Hao hurriedly replied, "At first, the Second Prince inquired about what had happened in the Red Blood Cave Mansion. Then, I told them that Cha Hong was killed and a protector named Liu Xing had taken over as the new Cave Master."

Lord Teng nodded expressionlessly.

Fu Hao glanced at Lord Teng’s expression, then hastily continued, "Later, the Second Prince commanded me to pass the message to the Qingxuan Turtle, declaring the appointment of the Qingxuan Turtle as the new Cave Master of the Red Blood Cave Mansion."

Lord Teng just kept listening, his gaze fixed on Fu Hao.

"Afterward, when the Qingxuan Turtle went to seize the position, he was killed outright by the newly appointed Cave Master Liu Xing with a single sword strike. Killed in just one move; that Liu Xing is truly terrifying. I think he must possess the strength of the Mid Cave Void Stage. Ah, I really can’t fathom it. A master capable of killing the Qingxuan Turtle in a single move was actually content with being a protector in the past. It’s incredibly strange." Fu Hao started to speak volubly.

"Stop rambling. I didn’t ask for anything else. Just stick to what Di Qing communicated with you," Lord Teng suddenly snapped coldly.

"Yes, yes." Fu Hao quickly responded, "Later on, when the three princes found out about this, they seemed to pay great attention to this Liu Xing, the Cave Master, and even had me command someone to infiltrate the Red Blood Territory to investigate everything concerning Liu Xing."

Suddenly, Fu Hao paused and stopped speaking.

"Hm?"

Lord Teng’s eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Milord, that’s all," Fu Hao said in a panic.

Lord Teng’s sharp gaze paused for a brief moment before he said, "Oh, that’s it?"

"There are two or three more times, but those were all inquiries about Liu Xing Cave Master, and I didn’t know a thing, so of course I couldn’t explain or answer. These aren’t worth mentioning either," Fu Hao immediately added in explanation.

Lord Teng nodded slightly, pondering for a moment.

"Fu Hao," Lord Teng suddenly said with a smile on his face, "remember, as long as you serve us, we will not treat you unfairly. I believe before long, the three princes from Nine Evil Hall will certainly rest at Giant Armor Cave Mansion, and they will surely ask you many things. Whatever they ask or say, use the Communication Order to report it to me."

"Yes, Lord Teng," Fu Hao said with a smile and respect.

Suddenly, Fu Hao’s eyes brightened, fixed on Lord Teng’s palm, where a crystal stone was floating.

"Top-Grade Crystal Stone?" Fu Hao’s breathing quickened.

The Eighth Prince from Nine Evil Hall had only five Top-Grade Crystal Stones in his Space Ring, indicating how rare and precious these Top-Grade Crystal Stones were. For a Cave Master at the level of the Eight Great Cave Mansions under Nine Evil Hall, it was very difficult to obtain a Top-Grade Crystal Stone.

"Yes, we’ve been quite satisfied with your performance over the past two years. This Top-Grade Crystal Stone is your reward," Lord Teng said with a wave of his hand, and the Top-Grade Crystal Stone flew to Fu Hao.

Fu Hao took the Top-Grade Crystal Stone and hurriedly said, "Lord Teng, please rest assured, if Fu Hao knows anything, he will definitely tell Milord. When the three princes come after a while, Fu Hao will surely communicate everything they say and do to Lord Teng."

Hearing Fu Hao’s last sentence, a rare smile appeared on Lord Teng’s face.

"Very good, you are a smart man. Serving us will surely be more promising than associating with Nine Evil Hall. You understand what I mean, right?"

After speaking, Lord Teng’s blood-red robe billowed, and he left at great speed. In Giant Armor Cave Mansion, Lord Teng came and went freely, completely unaffected by Fu Hao’s guards or any restrictions.

...

One month later.

While rolling in bed with a beauty, Fu Hao suddenly paused.

"My dear, please leave," he said helplessly. He quickly got dressed and, once he was alone in the room, he saw a fat man lying on the jade chair Fu Hao often used—a man who was fatter yet shorter than Fu Hao, with a pair of mustache sharp as knives.

"Lord Lou, it’s only been half a year, and you’re back to eat my treasure?" Fu Hao saw Lord Lou, and although his attitude differed from when he saw Lord Teng, he appeared quite relaxed, but his expression was bitter.

The chubby man stroked his mustache and chuckled, "Well, your ’Blood Flame Honey’ is really delicious; I can’t help it. How about giving me another bowl?"

"A bowl!" Fu Hao suddenly screamed as if he had been slashed.

"You dare say ’a bowl’ when I only have three Small Jade Bottles in total, which together are not even a bowl’s worth!" Fu Hao said angrily, but his face suddenly turned pale.

Lord Lou snickered, "Heh heh, you still have three bottles? Last time you even told me you had only one left. Hmm, if you don’t bring me two bottles, you’re not going to have it easy. So, are you going to hand them over respectfully, or shall I take them by force—all three of them?"

Both Fu Hao and Lord Lou had a particular fondness for sweets; the Blood Flame Honey not only gave a burning pleasure like strong liquor but also its sweetness obsessed the two fat men.

"Two bottles? You might as well kill me."

Fu Hao flatly refused to comply.

After some hard bargaining, a helpless Fu Hao was finally forced to humiliatingly give a bottle and a half of ’Blood Flame Honey’ to Lord Lou. Seeing Lord Lou’s smug appearance, Fu Hao felt like his heart was being torn apart.

Lord Lou opened the stopper and gently sniffed the scent of the Blood Flame Honey, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. However, he said, "Alright, now let’s talk business, there’s no need for me to say more. Tell me everything you know."

In his heart, Fu Hao felt helpless, "Damn it, what’s been going on these past two years? Both Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion have sent people after me. Have I become popular or what? But I’ve also gained quite a bit."

In reality, it was only in the past two years that Lord Teng and Lord Lou had found Fu Hao and had him work for them. Faced with the formidable might of two powerful experts, poor Fu Hao could only reluctantly take on tasks for them.

Each time Lord Teng and Lord Lou visited, they did so stealthily, ensuring that no one else discovered their presence.

After a lengthy conversation, Lord Lou also obtained the information he wanted. However, Lord Lou was clearly stingier than Lord Teng, rewarding only an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact in the end, which secretly infuriated Fu Hao.

Seeing Lord Lou leave, Fu Hao finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart.

"Good thing I’m clever, claiming on the spot that the nine bottles of Blood Flame Honey were ’three bottles’." Fu Hao was pleased with himself internally.

Now, caught between three forces, Fu Hao was living on edge every day, yet the gains were also substantial.

Fu Hao didn’t know that for small forces of Eight Great Cave Mansions’ caliber, entities like Bishui Mansion, Green Dragon Palace, and Nine Evil Hall didn’t care much and usually didn’t plant any spies. For instance, the Green Dragon Palace would, at most, plant spies in Nine Evil Hall and Bishui Mansion.

Even Nine Evil Hall didn’t pay much attention to its subordinate Eight Great Cave Mansions.

It had been two years since the Eighth Prince of the Nine Evil Hall had left the Hall, and although the official claim was that he was in secluded cultivation, both Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion had been infiltrating Nine Evil Hall with spies, not just for a year or two.

However, Di Tong’s whereabouts were elusive, making it tough for Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion to investigate what exactly Di Tong was up to.

Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion didn’t take it too seriously though; one prince from Nine Evil Hall sneaking out to handle secretive matters was worth tracking, but not worth paying too much attention to. But then they received an internal message from Nine Evil Hall—’The Eight Princes are extremely furious outside the storage of the Soul Jade Scrolls.’

With the Third Prince also leaving Nine Evil Hall in a great hurry, these two pieces of information led them to deduce that the ’Eighth Prince’ had died.

Only then did Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion realize that the incident of the Eighth Prince leaving the Nine Evil Hall sneakingly was no minor matter. They started to take it seriously, even dispatching two super experts, Lord Teng and Lord Lou, to handle the affair.

Lord Teng and Lord Lou both coincidentally approached Fu Hao.

Among the three major forces, there was contention, and the Eight Great Cave Mansions under Nine Evil Hall also engaged in open and covert battles. Located closest to Red Blood Cave Mansion, Giant Armor Cave Mansion had planted quite a few spies in Red Blood Cave Mansion over a century ago. If anyone was to be considered most knowledgeable about Red Blood Cave Mansion’s affairs, it would undoubtedly be the Cave Master of Giant Armor Cave Mansion.

Naturally, Fu Hao quickly became the focus of the three major forces, with Di Qing often contacting him through a Communication Order.

Lord Teng and Lord Lou also typically contacted him through Communication Order, but this time, knowing that the Third Prince was about to arrive at Giant Armor Cave Mansion—which also meant they were close to reaching Red Blood Cave Mansion—Lord Teng and Lord Lou naturally decided to invest heavily in Fu Hao.

In the ranking of the three major forces, Green Dragon Palace was rightfully first, and the Palace Master of Green Dragon Palace was indeed entitled as the number one expert in the Overseas Cultivation World, much more generous in their actions than Bishui Mansion.

×

"Qin Yu, to be honest, you hardly understand go, and it seems it was you who taught me Chess, wasn’t it? Look, General."

Li’er moved the ’Horse’.

Qin Yu was instantly stupefied, as his own General could indeed move once more, but seeing Li’er’s other Horse already positioned perfectly, he couldn’t move without being checkmated no matter what he did.

"Li’er, you’ve won again."

Qin Yu helplessly admitted defeat.

In fact, he did understand Go and, according to Grandpa Lian, his level was considered intermediate on the Hidden Dragon Continent. Yet with that level, when Qin Yu played against Li’er, Li’er would always make Qin Yu voluntarily concede after a hundred moves.

Qin Yu felt helpless in his heart, "Can I blame myself? Every time I get my large dragon killed after a hundred moves, the gap is too big. I guess it’s giving me face to even last a hundred moves."

As Qin Yu and Li’er played Go, Qin Yu realized that sometimes one of Li’er’s pieces wouldn’t come into effect until a hundred moves later, which filled him with dread. Was Li’er’s mental calculation really so powerful that she could foresee so many possibilities?

Forced to concede.

However, Qin Yu was a man of the Qin Family, and he did not like to give up, so he proposed to play ’Chess.’ Li’er didn’t know chess at all, and Qin Yu despicably didn’t even explain many of the rules clearly, merely announcing each move after Li’er had played.

Then... Qin Yu won the first game.

After one game, Li’er barely began to grasp the rules of chess.

In the second game, Qin Yu distinctly felt Li’er’s strength skyrocket. Relying on his many years of experience and having seen numerous chess manuals at Cloud Mist Villa, he finally managed to win the second game with great effort. However...

From the third game onward, Qin Yu never won again.

His masculinity gone, Qin Yu considered himself smart; not even his father, Qin De, could beat him at chess too easily. But against Li’er, it was almost too easy. Every time, by the late game, Qin Yu would only then realize how meticulous Li’er’s layout was.

"Qin Yu, don’t lose heart. Your skill..."

Qin Yu immediately looked at Li’er.

"Really is quite poor."

Qin Yu couldn’t help feeling bitter. Li’er was actually about to say Qin Yu was very bad at chess, but in the end, she softened her words a bit. Seeing Qin Yu’s expression, she immediately spoke like a teacher, "If your skill is weak, you need to study hard. I’m going to play a game with Uncle Lan shortly, so you’d better watch closely."

For over half a year, Qin Yu frequently played chess with Li’er and often lost.

"Alright," Qin Yu replied with a smile. In truth, he didn’t care too much about winning or losing in chess. He liked the wise look Li’er had when she played, as it was then he felt peace of mind. Suddenly, Qin Yu turned serious, "Li’er, there’s something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Li’er asked with a smile.

"I’m leaving tomorrow, I must return to Red Blood Cave Mansion," Qin Yu said. He should have left much earlier, but he had been procrastinating until now. Qin Yu understood that the people from Nine Evil Hall could arrive any time within the next one or two months, and he had to go back.

Li’er was taken aback. She had played chess with Qin Yu every day for over half a year and, hearing about his departure, genuinely felt a bit reluctant to let him go.

"Then, once you finish your business and have free time, you must come to visit me often. And during this time you’re away, you also need to carefully study your chess skills," Li’er quickly added with a smile.

Qin Yu nodded.

"Absolutely!"

Qin Yu said with certainty.

(End of Chapter 2! The arrival of the Third Evil from Nine Evil Hall begins in the next Chapter, along with the climax. Oh, I’m feeling a bit dizzy from writing today, so everyone please encourage Tomato with some monthly tickets. Hehe~~)

(To be continued, for more details, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where there are more Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)