Chapter 8 - The True Master (1/2)

Qiu Ling reached the edge of the village just in time to see Madam Zhong falling. Nobody stood behind her to catch her. And not just that: One of the villagers had placed his hoe at the wall. While flailing, Madam Zhong knocked it down. If she fell onto it …

Qiu Ling lifted his hand. The winds picked up. They caught Madam Zhong and shoved her forward. She lost her balance once more, colliding with Miss Lian and Madam Pan and pushing both of them to the ground. Even worse: In his haste Qiu Ling hadn't borne in mind, that this was the mortal realm. The gust shoved the other villagers, too, and they all landed in a heap on the ground.

Qiu Ling winced. He formed a fist, raised it slowly to his mouth and coughed. ”That … looked quite dangerous”, he commented and strolled toward the villagers, as if nothing had happened.

The people looked at him in a daze. Even Qiguan Cheng Da had fallen. He opened his mouth to say something, but then reconsidered with a look at Qiu Ling's clothes.

”Madam Zhong, are you alright?” Qiu Ling stopped in front of the Zhongs and smiled serenely.

The villagers, who were just about to complain, shut right up. ”Is that … Is that a real immortal?”, asked Madam Pan Mister Pi behind her.

Mister Pi pursed his lips. Comparing the man before them to Qiguan Cheng Da, he indeed seemed more like an immortal. ”Of course!”, asserted Mister Pi. ”Just have a look at his robes. They seem really ordinary at first glance, but wise people would be able to immediately ascertain, that they are made of a special thread.”

Qiu Ling took a hasty glance at his own robe to make sure, he hadn't taken out anything from the nine heavens in his haste. Something like that might just lead to another strange rumor, that would implicate Jing He. But no, his robe wasn't from the nine heavens. It was an ordinary robe from the mortal world. And quite a normal one at that. What special threat? This was clearly only made of hemp!

”Oh!” Madam Pan was quite impressed and stole a glance at Qiguan Cheng Da. She leaned closer to Mister Pi and motioned at the young daoist. Lowering her voice, she asked: ”Then what about him?”

Mister Pi followed her glance and snorted. Common people, eh?, he thought. We'll see about that! ”Oh, it's nothing much. But, well, Cheng Da is still young. Of course he couldn't have attained the same heights as this man before us.”

Qiguan Cheng Da furrowed his brow, but smoothed it out just as fast. He might not have been a cultivator for long and his talent might be just average, but he could still clearly hear what people whispered about him five steps away. And what Madam Pan and Mister Pi, who had been so welcoming before and who he felt to normally be beneath his dignity to even talk to, were saying just now, made him furious.

What did they believe, who they were to speak about him like that? They were just some common people, who'd never in their life leave this god-damned place! But he, he was a practitioner now. Even though he might not make it to a high level based on his meager talent, who knew what might happen in the future? Cultivation had always been something, that didn't only rely on talent. There was luck involved, too.

Well, whatever he thought, he couldn't let the villagers around him notice. He had to uphold his image, so he just pretended not to hear anything, while he continued scolding them in his heart.

”But that man seems quite young, too.” Madam Pan wasn't quite satisfied with Mister Pi's comparison just yet.

”Indeed.” Mister Pi examined Qiu Ling from head to toe. Qiguan Cheng Da was only a juvenile, so he still had some time to try to reach the height Mister Pi proclaimed Qiu Ling to have. Well, regarding Qiu Ling's true status as the king of the dragon race … Even if Qiguan Cheng Da would somehow manage to unify the mortal realms and crown himself their emperor — which was nigh impossible — he still wouldn't be comparable. What where mere mortals in the eyes of the dragons and gods?

”Well … He is immortal, after all”, added Mister Pi after some contemplation. ”He only looks young. He is probably … of my age.”