Book 2: Chapter 78: Reprimanding Everyone |
Leaving the caravans campsite proved a lot easier than expected. Yin Hu had assumed that the fighting would have continued even with Shan Yue falling for his persona completely. It would have been more a question of time rather than any true difficulty considering how weak every here was. The only danger might have been how experienced Jin Bao and Shan Yue were if they ended up fighting Jun or Shui, but having Zhong Da as a safety net made it much easier.
If any of them had gotten into a threatening situation, the one armed man would appear out of thin air and prevent the situation from devolving.
Just as he had done with Jin Bao acting like he had been defeated when Jun tried to showboat.
Shui, on the other hand, was a far more difficult thing to manage.
Yin Hu and crew pushed ahead until they couldnt see the train of wagons anymore in the distance.
All the while, Yin Hu was trying to figure out how to advance his girls Spirit Roots because of the battle they had just gone through. It wasnt a question of them being too weak but rather he had seen what it looked like to be too strong.
What if the girls were in Jin Baos shoes?
What if they found someone who had a better upbringing and had a far higher bloodline or mutation available to them and somehow hadnt ascended?
Yin Hu needed to make them stronger than they were now and that meant more testing and research through the Compendium and all his other resources. Finally finding them proper manuals that built upon the ethereal ones that created a proper foundation and then giving them techniques to use. Movement, attacks, spells, and everything else he could think of. Prepare them to fight stronger individuals than they were.
That also meant taking care of Zhong Da, Wu Xui, Rong, the hatchlings, the Warg, and Da Ruis too.
Each one needed their own path tailored to their strengths and weaknesses.
Yin Hu looked around at the faces of the party members with him now. Jun and Shui were all smiles as they regaled one another about their accomplishments. Wu Xui and Zhong Da tried to hide the fearful looks they gave the girls from across the camp after seeing both of them absolute body bag individuals that should have been stronger than them in all rights.
Da Ruis was absent though.
Wonder where the old man is? Did he try to run away? I dont think thats possible with the system, right?
Yin Hu decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
Zhong Da, Yin Hu called for him. Waving for the man to come forward. Well keep this arrangement for the future as well. I trust your judgement. As for everyone else. Those last moments should have been more discrete. I dont need you all bowing and scraping to me when I dont want to be bothered by the masses around me. Especially with people like Jin Bao around.
Both girls sneered at the name.
Yin Hu matched their expression, but it was hidden by his mustache and beard. He had finally gotten his first true experience dealing with arrogant young master cultivators or merchant types. Learning an immutable truth that he had guessed from the start.
I hated every single second of being in that camp. I hated Jin Baos voice. His face. The way the fat on his cheeks jiggled every time he laughed. How fat he was. The girls that clung to him like leeches. The way everyone reacted to his bullshit as though he was some saint sent from heaven. I hated every fucking second.
He took a deep breath. Mentally swearing to himself to never allow a situation like that to occur as the head of the operations.
Zhong Da would have to suffer for the betterment of the Hu Clan.
As you command, Patriarch. It is my greatest honor to represent your person and the persona of the Hu Clan. Zhong Da bowed deeply to him though his face showed he wanted to add more to his few words.
Yin Hu pressed him. You have something on your mind?
I Zhong Da hesitated for a moment before he resolved himself. He dropped to his knees and kowtowed. I wish to seek forgiveness for my previous mistakes. I should have noticed the game Jin Bao ended up playing. It was obvious for anyone with eyes, and I missed it as though I was a novice. If you decide to take my life as compensation, then I only ask you care for my wife and leave her wanting not for anything.
W-What?
Zhong Da pulled the top of his robe off and exposed his chest. He leaned forward and threw his long hair above his head to show the pale skin of his neck.
Yin Hu frowned deeply. This was not what he had in mind for every time something didnt go perfectly. That was normal life. Shit happened and would continue to happen for all of existence. To think that Zhong Da would assume he would execute him for something so small made him angry for some reason.
Get up he rumbled.
Yin Hu never noticed the way the forest trees froze in mid sway from the wind. Birds dropped from the air, unbalanced critters fell to the ground, and the red anger that suffocated the immediate surroundings in a small locality around Zhong Da and the camp.
No one else noticed.
Zhong Da paled, struggling to stand as the pressure continued to strangle him.
Dont ever kowtow again, he turned to Hu Jun and Hu Shui with eyes that were filled with galaxies. A Hu never kowtows.
One of the very first lessons he had taught the two girls under his charge. He still remembered how quickly Jun used to throw herself to the ground at every little benefit he gave them as their Ancestor. Even eating basic rice had her face first and slamming her head painfully hard on the ground. Yin Hu had needed to reprimand her a few times until it got through her thick skull.
A Hu does not bow. A Hu does not kowtow. A Hu does not beg or make themselves inferior to anyone.
I-I didnt know Zhong Da stammered.
And now you do, Yin Hu waved his hand, and his lounging chair appeared behind him. He sat down and reclined on it. Dont ever do it again.
The forest breathed.
Birds cried out as they took to the air, critters hurried to run back to their holes, and life returned back to normal.
Zhong Da nodded and ran off, his wife ran after him and into their tent just like usual. Their confrontation abilities were absolutely abysmal. He couldnt have his representative run to hide in his tent with his wife every time something happened around the camp.
Me being angry isnt even that big of a deal. Its not like I reached over and put him in a chokehold.
Jun. Shui. Come here. I have much to discuss with both of you, Yin Hu said as he looked away from the couples tent and back to the girls.
Both gulped audibly.
They knew exactly why he was calling for them.
Neither one of them would escape the tongue lashing they were about to receive. Jun nearly getting taken out by Jin Bao because she was too busy showboating instead of eliminating her enemy while he they were down was a problem he had not expected to occur. But he could see the beginnings of it back to how she had defeated Yagwans disciple. The way she had pieced him up with a thousand cuts rather than defeating him quickly and without any wasted attacks.
Yin Hu would need to start from the very beginning with her training.
Shui, on the other hand, kept true to her original weakness of being chaotic and to murder happy.
That one was more difficult to fix because he had no clue how to. What was he supposed to do? Make her chant monk sayings of peace and tranquility? Reprimanding her ear off would only go so far. Yin Hu had to discover an actionable set of movements, learned sets, or something along those lines that would help him resolve her murder-hobo tendencies.
Maybe I should give her a sharper weapon with her hammer? It being so blunt makes finishing opponents cleanly a bit harder. She did end everyone in one or two attacks.
Both girls sat before him, already looking miserable and fully rebuked.
Yin Hu sighed. He didnt have the heart to yell at them. Listen. Showboating, causing more suffering than necessarily, not defeating your foe quickly and efficiently? Both of you know better. Ive taught you better. I know I havent been with you all for long. Youve experienced trauma and a lot of things before I arrived, but you need to trust my judgement and not fall into corrupted paths that will do you no good. I could lay it out
He paused for a second.
I need to add a bit more of my Ancient Being persona to add weight to the conversation.
...but you would not see what I see. Ive lived for longer than either of you could imagine. Seen things neither one of you could ever imagine. Mistakenly falling into a corrupted path will only lead to a stunted future and a weak foundation.
Jun and Shui looked remorseful as they nodded their understanding.
Good. Both of you are still being punished though. Get up, those katas wont do themselves.
Doing the katas would not only buy him time, but would actively help their strength without cultivating and exploding from mana oversaturation.
Both were plenty strong as they were.
If either one of them had been hit or hurt by such pathetic, almost mortal cultivators, he would have had them running ten thousand sprints a day. Not a moment of wakefulness without training the most difficult katas and tasks he could think of. He had taught them better. Prepared them better than to lose a fight with someone, anyone at all of similar realm.
Except if they find someone with a higher potential mutation already set in
He reminded himself once more. Yin Hu needed to find a way to overcome the deficit and potentially pull up the mutation system function again. He doubted the D.E.Y.M.P. elixir would work again after the first use. If he was being honest, he was worried that it would cause negative effects if he tried it again on them.
Nothing was worse than accidentally hurting them when they trusted him with their lives.
That was a type of responsibility he needed to be careful with.