Chapter 150: Absurd Oath, Bizarre Prophecy

The First Elder does not need to resort to such circuitous phrasing. If you have something to say, just say it directly. Exactly what do you expect this junior to do to prove that this decision is correct? Yu Shang had no desire to continue playing guessing games or teasing out the elder's true intentions, so he asked the smiling First Elder point-blank. Yet for some reason, that strange sensation returned once again. Every single time Yu Shang was manipulated by the Old Dean or the First Elder, this peculiar feeling would well up from the depths of his being, refusing to fade away no matter how hard he tried to shake it. Yu Shang always felt they were brewing a massive conspiracy, and that every single thing was merely designed to make him step forward, step by step, and involuntarily jump into their trap so they could achieve their ultimate goal.

Upon hearing this, the First Elder said nothing, merely waving his hand to cast a barrier that trapped everyone except Yu Shang, Xiao Yin, and the Old Dean inside. Before the others could even react, they found themselves in a difficult dilemma. When they tried to rush out, they discovered they were already caged birds with no power to resist, forced to watch the outside world helplessly while sinking into quiet despair. The Old Dean looked at the people trapped within the barrier, shook his head with a smile, and then walked forward to stand behind the First Elder. Meanwhile, Xiao Yin walked to Yu Shang's side with utmost vigilance, glaring with displeasure at the two insidious and cunning old fogies to see what they would do next.

After all, the true identity of your senior brother is known to only you two brats. To avoid any complications or side issues, I had no choice but to invite them into the barrier to rest for a moment first. Rest assured, however, that later on I will certainly release them. But for their own good, they must not leak a single half-sentence of our ensuing conversation to the outside world. Otherwise, it will undoubtedly bring unnecessary trouble upon these people, and you certainly wouldn't want to drag other innocent people into harm's way, would you? The Old Dean looked at the crowd within the barrier and spoke indomitably, yet his tone carried an unquestionable authority. For the sake of the greater picture, he once again had to put on the airs of a dean to threaten these two fearless little brats.

This lord here does not have the leisure like you two to chat idly about other people's affairs! Exactly what do you want us to do before you will reveal the whereabouts of the Primordial Tears? You must know that this lord has very little patience. Continuing to drag this out will do no good for anyone, so I advise you two old fogies to tell the honest truth right now! Xiao Yin chimed in loudly with a displeased expression. Normally, dealing with just one old fogie was already a handful, but now having two of them gang up on them was truly adding frost to snow, making them even harder to deal with. All they could do was remain calm amidst changing circumstances and let them make their first move.

Just what do the two seniors want me to do, wrapping it in such mystery and leaving not a single leak! Yet even the hardest rock has a day when it is pierced by dripping water, let alone a secret that is about to be brought to light. Still, I am not a meddlesome person; since you insist on keeping things airtight, I will naturally keep my mouth sealed and do my utmost to accomplish this matter, in exchange for that drop of precious Primordial Tears. Come to think of it, I won't be losing out either. Yu Shang spoke coldly toward the two smiling old fogies. One must admit that his tactic of combining both soft and hard approaches was used at precisely the right moment!

First, he implied that their rude detainment of his friends would cause his displeasure, the consequences of which would not be something they wished to see. Furthermore, he suggested that if they no longer pressured him to do things for their own needs, he could quite dutifully help the Yanlan Academy win the martial competition. Naturally, whatever he owed them, Yu Shang would repay; after all, making them lose such a precious item for no reason was not the conduct of a gentleman, though Yu Shang did not consider himself to be a modest gentleman of that sort. Regardless, the message he wished to convey had already been received by these two old fogies, and how things would proceed next depended entirely on whether they knew what was good for them.

It is very simple. I only require you to swear an oath that in this lifetime you will never take Yanlan Academy as your enemy. Even if the day should come when you are forced by circumstances to destroy this world, I demand that you preserve Yanlan Academy as the absolute prerequisite and never allow it to be demolished. I only hope that Yanlan Academy can continue to be established securely upon this pure land and provide a safe haven for more people. Of course, should you violate this oath, your entire cultivation base shall be shattered, and you shall wander in death, forever unable to shatter the void and enter the otherworldly realms to reunite with your parents! At this point, the First Elder's gaze turned fierce and venomous. His look was like an arrow smeared with lethal poison, piercing straight into Yu Shang and causing him profound agony.

What you are asking is simply forcing someone to do the impossible! It is a well-known fact that Yanlan Academy has always been coveted by outsiders. How can you expect this brat to protect your Yanlan Academy amidst countless powerful clans? If this matter were entrusted to you old fogies, there is no guarantee you could pull it off yourselves, let alone a newcomer like Yu Shang who has just stepped out into the world! Furthermore, you talk about preserving Yanlan Academy completely unscathed even if the world is destroyed—that is nothing more than wishful thinking. If this world itself ceases to exist, where would your Yanlan Academy even find a footing? In this lord's view, you two have simply been making things difficult for him all along and have no sincerity in negotiating this trade with us whatsoever! Xiao Yin shouted angrily upon hearing this. These two old fogies were clearly just trying to torment them! If negotiations lacked sincerity, what meaning was there in continuing? If they refused to speak, he, Xiao Yin, would beat them until their mouths opened!

Seeing this, Yu Shang quickly pulled the fire-breathing Xiao Yin behind him and flashed him a meaningful glance to signal him to calm down for the time being. In truth, this seemingly absurd oath was, in Yu Shang's eyes, an unvoiced prophecy from these two old fogies. Perhaps they really were capable of foreseeing future events, which was why they had gone to such great lengths to scheme against him, all for the sake of that destined day. Although this sounded like an impossible task, their solemn expressions did not look like they were playing a prank at all. Moreover, Yu Shang knew their personalities far too well; although these two old fogies were old and cunning, they would never do anything without meaning. Since they said this, they must have their own reasons, though what those reasons were remained beyond Yu Shang's knowledge for now.

Yu Shang, you are a smart person and should be able to guess our intentions. Furthermore, I do not believe this is a matter that will truly put you in a difficult position. With your talent, it won't be long before your brilliance shines forth. By then, such a minor matter will be something you can resolve with a mere wave of your hand. Using those precious Primordial Tears in exchange for a simple wave of your hand actually means we are the ones taking a loss! The Old Dean, who had remained silent for a long time, finally spoke up from the side. He believed Yu Shang could make a choice that would satisfy everyone. After all, that woman had once revealed to him that Yu Shang was the fabled person destined by legend. Surely, anyone chosen by the primordial deities must possess peerless talent, and they had no reason to let such a figure slip away empty-handed.

Certain matters must remain concealed due to heavenly secrets, but I believe you can guess a portion of it. Cooperating with our Yanlan Academy will only bring you a hundred benefits without a single harm. Aside from being a fair trade, there is nothing else between us, and it will never reach a point that causes you difficulty. You are merely being asked to lend a helping hand within your capabilities in exchange for rare treasures like the Primordial Tears. Truly, I can think of no reason why you would refuse such a tempting condition. The First Elder walked to Yu Shang's side and whispered softly in his ear. This undoubtedly confirmed that all of Yu Shang's suspicions were correct: a massive upheaval would indeed soon descend upon this world.

You brat better think it through carefully before making your decision; this is no child's play! Taking even one wrong step could put your life in grave jeopardy! Xiao Yin grabbed Yu Shang and spoke with deep concern. Sometimes, when it came to schemes and intellect, he truly couldn't compare to this brat. But when it came to foresight, he, the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit, was peerless. He had a premonition that once Yu Shang agreed to this request, he would surely have to sacrifice some precious things that ought not to vanish just to fulfill today's promise. Although he didn't know what would disappear from Yu Shang's side, he understood that this brat hated nothing more than watching the people or things that had accompanied him for so long vanish before his eyes while he stood powerless to stop it. This was a game he could not afford to play, and the final outcome was something he could not bear.

Look at how frightened this little snake of yours is! You still don't know me? How could I possibly risk my life just to play along with their jokes? Believe in my choice and don't harbor any worries. Acting like this will only distract me and prevent me from concentrating fully on doing what I believe is right and worthwhile. Hearing Xiao Yin's worried words, Yu Shang quickly turned back to comfort him. Let him gamble this once; if he truly possessed that kind of capability, how could he easily die over such a trivial matter? But if, by some terrible misfortune, he chose the wrong path, then that was his own choice to make, and he would bear all the consequences himself—so long as it did not implicate Xiao Yin.

Fine, I believe you! The worst that can happen is that this brat's little life gets snatched away. Rest assured, if that day truly comes, even if I have to tear hell apart, I will drag you back. Without this lord's approval, no one dares even think of taking you away! Hearing this, Xiao Yin smiled bitterly, regained his normal composure, and then spoke to Yu Shang with utter arrogance and firm conviction. Sharing life and death was the pact forged the moment he entered Yu Shang's body, and it was also Xiao Yin's unwavering faith at this moment. If this brat really had such bad luck and died so young, he would find every possible means to resurrect him; and if that failed, the only option left would be for him to perform his own act of greatness and accompany him into the boundless netherworld, knowing that nothing could ever separate the two of them.

Yu Shang smiled with deep gratification, then turned around, sliced open his palm, and suddenly raised it high into the air. Letting his fresh blood drip down, Yu Shang spoke with an expression that remained entirely unchanged: Today, with my fresh blood as witness, no matter what kind of turmoil arises in the future, I will surely protect Yanlan Academy and allow it to endure across the generations for all eternity. If I violate this oath, let my entire cultivation base be廢棄 (ruined), left like an ant to be trampled by anyone, and let me wander in death, forever barred from entering the otherworldly realms to reunite with my parents in joyous family harmony! Having spoken, Yu Shang forcefully flicked his bleeding palm upward, sending crimson droplets scattering into the air as if charging straight toward the firmament to seal his pledge.

Not bad, you brat truly possess the demeanor of a king. Entrusting Yanlan Academy into your hands gives me complete peace of mind. Even if I fail to escape this calamity and meet a violent death, I can finally close my eyes in peace! At this, the First Elder sighed deeply, an expression of relief after resolving a heavy burden, mingled with a lingering reluctance to part with this place. Yet Yu Shang could not comprehend why this old man would speak of himself meeting a violent death, acting precisely as though he were arranging his affairs after death. What on earth was going to happen shortly that could prevent someone of such immensely high cultivation from escaping this catastrophe? And yet, judging by his tone, he and the others would be safe. It was all utterly baffling!

Rest assured, with an old man as cunning as you, who could ever manage to scheme against you? Rather than saying you're meeting a violent death, it's more like others dying with everlasting grievances! Besides, with your formidable abilities, how could you ever easily fall into the netherworld? The managers down there probably wouldn't even dare to take in an old fox like you, terrified that you'd slip into their schemes and trap them for eternity without hope of redemption! In this lord's view, you can certainly rival those ancient tortoises that live for thousands upon tens of thousands of years. Even if they die, an old fogie like you will still go on living just fine! Seeing that smug face of the old man once again ignited Xiao Yin's anger, making him wish he could step forward and teach him a harsh lesson, though lacking the skill to do so, he could only vent his frustration through words.