Chapter 19: The Dignity of the Strong
Alright, you refused someone who came to seek apprenticeship, but now you want to force me, who doesn't want to, to become your disciple? Is there any justice in this world?
However, after glancing at the shattered boulder and touching his own body, the fatty's expression changed instantly, shifting from firmness to a flattering smile: "Master Heir, do you think I should go back and prepare the apprenticeship gifts first?"
"That's not necessary," said Heir calmly, and the crystal-clear light on his hand disappeared in an instant.
"Your body is in terrible condition right now. Stay here with me for a while," Heir suddenly changed the subject and said to the fatty.
"What the hell..." The fatty's face darkened immediately. He had originally planned to find an excuse to return to the Duke's mansion and be done with it, but who knew that Heir wouldn't even give him a chance.
"Can I use this Warlord Token to refuse..." The fatty was making a last-ditch effort.
After coldly glancing at the Warlord Token, Heir released his battle aura again and shattered it in an instant.
Touching the ashes of the crystal powder, the fatty felt like crying but had no tears.
This is what a powerful person is like. Dignity, credibility, all of them can go to hell.
"Go back and tell Duke Lionheart that I'll return his grandson with the strength of a War伯爵 in five months," Heir said to Qingyin and the old cart driver.
"Uncle Osman, do you think the young master will be okay?" Looking at the fatty waving a white handkerchief in the distance, Qingyin, who had stuck her head out, said to the old cart driver with some concern.
"Miss Qingyin, don't worry. Heir and Pisman will definitely not harm the young master..." The old cart driver smiled and said to Qingyin.
Listening to the old cart driver, Qingyin's hanging heart finally eased a bit. But she wasn't completely at ease. After shaking her head, she went back into the carriage.
Qingyin, who was worried about the fatty, had lost her usual composure and didn't catch what the old cart driver had said clearly. She even ignored the name Pisman.
"Warlord Heir, Grand Mage Pisman... It seems that Blackgold is really in for it this time..." The old cart driver suddenly chuckled.
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Looking at the winding path leading upward in front of him, the fatty couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
"Climb to the top of the mountain... You really think I'm a hero..." As soon as the image of the iron mountain peak piercing the clouds appeared in his mind, the fatty couldn't help but feel anger rising in his heart.
This iron mountain peak must be several thousand meters high, and the terrain is treacherous. One careless move could turn you into a pile of meat. Not to mention climbing to the top. Even a elite soldier would probably find it impossible to climb up...
"Your body is really terrible. First, exercise your body, and then cultivate your battle aura..." These were Heir's exact words.
One sentence led to the fatty's misfortune.
"...Don't let me become powerful. When I become powerful..." The fatty muttered curses.
Before the fatty could finish his words, a roar of "Ao" suddenly sounded. The Tianling Tiger opened its bloodthirsty mouth towards the fatty, revealing its sharp teeth like blades.
"I'll go, okay? I'll go," the fatty quickly stopped his curses, smiled at the Tianling Tiger in a charming way, and then started walking up the mountain step by step.
"I'll let the Tianling Tiger follow you. It's been a long time since the Tianling Tiger saw blood..." The second half of Heir's original words.
The fatty was filled with anger, but there was nothing he could do. Who made Heir stronger than him? The gap between them was probably like the distance between an ant and an elephant.
"What the hell, I don't believe I can't climb up..." The fatty suddenly gritted his teeth. When he was an orphan in his previous life, in order to survive, he once entered the desert alone with his weak body to pick a certain plant and walked for three days and nights to find it. What was he afraid of now?
At the foot of the mountain, looking at the tiny black dot staggering upward, Heir slightly furrowed his brows and asked the clown elder beside him, "Senior brother, why did you choose him?"
"Some things you can't see, but that doesn't mean they don't exist..." The clown elder said calmly to Heir.
But then he did something astonishing.
The clown elder, who had been serious before, suddenly wore a cunning smile and said to Heir, "Let's make a bet. How far do you think he can climb?"
Looking at the clown elder, Hel furrowed his brows and said, "With a constitution like that, it's already impressive to climb up to 200 meters."
"I'm saying 300 meters. I'll bet on the crystal stone of a fourth-tier magical beast that you have in your room," said the clown elder with a smile.
"What if you lose, Senior Brother?" Hel suddenly relaxed his expression and asked.
"Lose? Then I'll help you synthesize a bottle of battle qi potion," said the clown elder.
"Deal," Hel immediately replied.
The unfortunate fat guy didn't realize at all that he had become the subject of a bet between the clown elder and Hel. If he had known, oh, he would have joined in without hesitation.
But now he didn't have the mood to think about that. The mountain path had ended. If he wanted to go higher, he would have to rely on the protruding rocks or cracks on the mountain.
"Huff, huff," the fat guy kept panting heavily. His current body was indeed as poor as Hel had said. He was already out of breath after just a short walk. Sweat had covered his forehead, and even his delicate noble clothes were soaked through.
Looking at the two figures watching him from below the mountain, the fat guy suddenly felt a surge of determination in his heart.
"Hmph," the fat guy suddenly let out a huff from his nose and then vigorously tore off his clothes, ripping them into strips.
He wrapped the clothes around his hands and reached up to grasp the first protruding rock.
Seeing the shirtless fat guy, Hel suddenly let out a puzzled sound. Although the clown elder beside him was still smiling, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"How could a child from a noble family know about these things?" Hel shook his head, seemingly somewhat disbelief.
Tie Shanfeng—just from the name, one could tell how hard the rocks on this mountain peak were. And due to weathering from wind and rain, more than half of the rocks were angular, with sharp edges no less than sharp blades. So if an ordinary person wanted to climb up, those with experience would wrap cloth strips around their hands.
This was a very common principle, but if it was applied to a child from a noble family, it was not simple. Those noble children either learned battle qi early and could use it to climb, or they would never attempt to climb such dangerous places. Noble children were treasures and would never learn or try such things.
But now, the fat guy's performance had obviously exceeded the expectations of both of them. Of course, what surprised them even more was how proficient the fat guy's movements were.
He knew exactly where to grab and where to step, as if he had already thought it through beforehand. There were no mistakes.
"Do you want to backtrack now?" Looking at the sweating figure, the clown elder suddenly smiled and said to Hel.
"Backtrack? Why backtrack? Even if he knows these things, his physical strength is absolutely not something that can be compensated for," said Hel calmly.
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How high did he climb? 100 meters, or maybe 200 meters? At this point, even the fat guy couldn't tell. His vision was flashing with stars, and his body had shifted from the initial soreness and weakness to numbness. But he was still persevering.
The sound of wings fluttering came from behind him. At least, the fat guy was still aware of one fact: Tianling Tiger was still behind him.
"I can hold on a little longer," the fat guy, who was already feeling dizzy, suddenly spat out a mouthful of saliva and then reached up with his slightly trembling hands to grasp a rock above.
Although the fat guy was afraid of death, lazy, and had a series of bad traits, deep down, he understood one principle very well: if he wanted to live better, he had to become stronger.
Whether it was his body, wisdom, or political and military strategies, the fat guy was striving desperately.
Shakily, the fat guy continued to climb up.
At this moment, even the black eyes of Tianling Tiger behind him couldn't help but show a kind gaze. Generally, at the level of a War Lord, magical beasts possess a certain degree of intelligence. The higher the grade, the higher the intelligence.
How could Tianling Tiger not know that the fat guy had reached his limit? But in this situation, the fat guy was still persevering, which made Tianling Tiger develop a friendly sentiment towards this originally despicable fat guy.
Among magical beasts, the principle of survival of the fittest prevails. Among powerful magical beasts, they always have a sense of respect for each other. And now, although the fat guy was not powerful, Tianling Tiger had already seen a shadow of greatness in him.
"You lost," the clown elder said to Hel with a smile, looking at the precarious fat guy.
Upon hearing the clown elder's words, Hel did not get angry. Instead, his expression relaxed, and the original glacier in his heart began to thaw.
"Senior Brother, you haven't won either. He's already climbed to 400 meters," said Hel, his eyes suddenly glowing with an unusual light as he looked at the fat guy climbing up Tie Shanfeng.