Archean Eon Art

Tác giả: I Eat Tomatoes

Chương 1: Meng Chuan and Yun Qingping

Great Zhou Dynasty, Wu State, Eastcalm Prefecture.

From the main entrance of one of the eight major Dao Academies in Eastcalm Prefecture—Mirror Lake Dao Academy—a youth with a saber by his waist walked out.

"Senior Brother Meng."

"Good day, Senior Brother Meng."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Meng."

The fellow disciples around him were rather friendly.

The young man nodded slightly at his junior brothers and sisters. In fact, many of them were older than him. However, the Dao Academy held the accomplished disciples with high regard. He had entered the Dao Academy's Mountain River Pavilion two years ago. The twenty-two disciples from the Mountain River Pavilion were also the strongest twenty-two disciples of Mirror Lake Dao Academy. They were admired by many junior brothers and sisters. As for Senior Brother Meng, he was highly respected because he often gave them pointers. The other seniors from the Mountain River Pavilion couldn't be bothered wasting time on them.

"Young Master, Young Master!" A familiar voice sounded out from the side.

A green-dressed girl ran out from the side. Meng Chuan chuckled when he saw this. "Green Bamboo, why are you here?"

"My lady wishes for you to tour the East Mountain with her. It snowed heavily last night, making for a beautiful snowy landscape," said the green-robed maiden with a giggle.

"Visit East Mountain?" Meng Chuan frowned and said, "East Mountain is too far away. I'm afraid we'll be spending the night at East Mountain if we make the trip. We'll only be back tomorrow."

The green-robed maiden laughed. "Our Yun family happens to own a villa in East Mountain that would serve as your accommodation."

Meng Chuan shook his head and said, "Go back and tell Qingping that the Jadesun Palace's Demon-Slaying Meet will be in a month. I need to focus on my cultivation and prepare myself. I cannot accompany her."

"About that…" The green-robed maiden hesitated.

"Just tell her that when you get back," instructed Meng Chuan. "Also, make her spend more time cultivating. She shouldn't be thinking about having fun all the time."

"Yes, Young Master." The green-robed maiden had no choice but to obediently answer him and return to report to her lady.

Meng Chuan shook his head slightly.

Yun Qingping—who he had been engaged to since he was young—left him exasperated.

…

Mirror Lake Dao Academy was built on the eastern shore of Mirror Lake. There were many residences on the west bank of Mirror Lake. One of them was Meng Manor.

"Young Master." There were two guards at the entrance of the manor, and they were rather respectful when they saw Meng Chuan.

"Is my father in?"

"Master went to the ancestral mansion after they sent someone over. It happened just a moment ago," said the guard.

Meng Chuan nodded thoughtfully and entered the manor.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!!!

Very quickly, he heard the whistling sound of arrows. He followed the sounds and arrived at the training grounds.

There was a red-dressed girl shooting arrows. An arrow traversed hundreds of feet and landed on a target dummy. Each subsequent arrow struck its predecessor's shaft, one after another.

Meng Chuan watched from the side as she practiced her archery.

Her name was Liu Qiyue—the only daughter of his father's friend, Liu Yebai. It was a friendship forged through life and death situations.

When Meng Chuan was eight, Liu Yebai brought his daughter to Meng Manor and took up residence ever since.

Qiyue was very similar to him—they had lost their mothers when they were young. They had cultivated together from a young age to this very day; thus, they enjoyed a deep relationship.

"Ah Chuan, you're back." The red-dressed girl's eyes lit up when she saw Meng Chuan. "It's so boring shooting these target dummies. Come, be my target dummy. If it weren't for the fact that I was waiting for you, I would have gone to the Dao Academy to practice my archery. The Dao Academy's archery field is much larger."

"Alright, I'll be your target dummy." Meng Chuan smiled and walked to the center of the training grounds.

The red-dressed girl switched quivers—none of the arrows had arrowheads. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Meng Chuan. "Ah Chuan, you have to be careful. Don't get thrashed by me again."

"You be careful, too. This time, I will definitely crack your Seven Star Strafe." Meng Chuan focused, awaiting the barrage of attacks.

Liu Qiyue giggled. Following that, her fingers moved like a phantom. She instantly drew her bow and fired, as though aiming was unnecessary.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Arrow after arrow shot out as she repeated the entire process over and over—removing an arrow from the quiver on her back, drawing her bow and shooting… It was akin to a normal person breathing. Every arrow was stunningly fast and powerful.

The saber at Meng Chuan's waist was already unsheathed.

Any arrow flying towards him was blocked by the domain formed by his blade trajectories.

"Ah Chuan, your saber arts are becoming more and more powerful. From the looks of it, I will need to use Seven Star Strafe," Liu Qiyue said with a cheeky smile as she shot. Clearly, it was very easy for her to shoot such arrows.

Swoosh!

Before the sound faded, the arrow shot out by the red-dressed girl was accompanied by an ear-piercing screech.

Here it comes! Meng Chuan turned even more solemn.

Pfft. Pfft.

Meng Chuan's saber produced an arc, blocking the arrows like a dome. However, the Seven Star Strafe was a killer move that consumed a great deal of Quintessential Energy. The projectile speed would only increase with each arrow.

At the sixth arrow, Meng Chuan's saber missed. He then felt a pain in his chest before involuntarily stumbling. His chest was probably bruised.

"I still can't block it." Meng Chuan shook his head helplessly.

"You've already blocked four of the five killer moves I've developed. All that's left is the Seven Star Strafe," said Liu Qiyue with a smile. "That's already very impressive. Back in the Dao Academy, no one at the Marrow Cleansing realm is able to block my Triple Phantom Arrow, but you can."

"I've been defending against your bow and arrows since I was young. Of course, I'm better than those at your Dao Academy." Meng Chuan shook his head. "Besides, your arrows are headless. Adding them would only make the arrows faster. I'm afraid I won't be able to fend off more than half of your five killer moves."

"Ah Chuan, haven't you heard? When everyone's in the same realm, nobody can withstand the barrage of attacks from a sharpshooter," Liu Qiyue said smugly.

"Qiyue… If it was a situation of life and death, I would've rushed to your side."

"Sharpshooters have guards." Liu Qiyue pursed her lips. "My guards will hold you back, then you will become my target dummy. Perhaps in the future, you will become my guard!"

Meng Chuan laughed.

He knew very well how terrifying a sharpshooter was. In any faction, top sharpshooters enjoyed extremely high status and were protected very well.

Qiyue was very talented in archery.

"Ah Chuan, did your dean summon you today and inform you about the Jadesun Palace's Demon-Slaying Meet?" asked Liu Qiyue.

"Yes, you've gotten wind of it from your Blazing Sun Dao Academy too, I guess?" asked Meng Chuan.

"Yup! I'm the only one at the Marrow Cleansing realm among the top ten disciples of Blazing Sun Dao Academy. The dean decided to give me a spot," said Liu Qiyue. "In the Jadesun Palace's Demon-Slaying Meet, demon-slaying is the forte of us sharpshooters."

Meng Chuan smiled and said, "Although I'm one of the top ten disciples at the Marrow Cleansing realm, I will still have to fight for one of the three spots that my Mirror Lake Dao Academy has for the Marrow Cleansing realm. If I don't get a spot, I won't have the right to go."

"Then have fun trying." Liu Qiyue chuckled.

"Don't be careless. You must not come into close proximity with the demons during the Jadesun Palace's Demon-Slaying Meet," said Meng Chuan. "Let's practice."

With that said, he suddenly lunged forward.

"Catch me if you can!"

Liu Qiyue immediately ducked and even turned around to shoot an arrow.

…

Elsewhere, in one of the five major Godfiend clans of the Eastcalm Prefecture—the Yun family.

Yun Qingping was brewing tea for her father, Yun Fu'an.

"Dad, try some." Yun Qingping placed a cup of tea in front of her father in an obsequious manner. She suddenly caught sight of her maid, Green Bamboo, who had just returned from afar. Her eyes lit up as she immediately shouted, "Green Bamboo!"

Green Bamboo could only obediently walk over.

"How is it? What did Meng Chuan say?" Yun Qingping asked immediately.

"Young Master Meng said that Jadesun Palace's Demon-Slaying Meet is in a month's time. He wants to focus on cultivation and prepare himself. He can't accompany you to East Mountain," whispered Green Bamboo.

"He's not going again?" Yun Qingping was somewhat infuriated. "All he knows is cultivation."

"Young Master Meng wants me to tell you to spend more time cultivating. Don't always think about having fun all the time," added Green Bamboo.

"He still wants to control me?" Yun Qingping got even angrier.

"I think Meng Chuan is right." Yun Fu'an—who was sitting there—drank his tea happily and said, "You should cultivate well. Don't always be frolicking around."

"Dad, this Meng Chuan is like a block of wood," Yun Qingping glanced at Yun Fu'an and couldn't help but say, "When I was just a month old, you guys decided to engage me to Meng Chuan! But my personality is completely different from his. I like to play, and I like to invite many friends over to have fun. But he likes cultivation, painting, and silence. We don't have any common topics when chatting. Just the thought of marrying him in the future drives me crazy."

"It's because you are too good at stirring up trouble that I need someone like him to subdue you. It's a good thing," Yun Fu'an said with a smile.

Yun Qingping rushed to her father's side and hugged his arm. She wheedled. "Dad, I beg you. Go to the Meng family and tell Uncle Meng that we are canceling the engagement."

"Don't even think about it!" Yun Fu'an drank his tea and denied her request immediately.

"Dad!"

Yun Qingping angrily said, "Why do you insist on forcing me to marry him? Back then, I didn't know a thing as a one-month-old baby, but you decided on my marriage. How did you know what Meng Chuan would be like when he grew up? You had no idea, but you insisted that I marry him. You have never cared about my thoughts. Don't you think it's too much?"

"Meng Chuan is quite a good option," Yun Fu'an said. "He's already excellent among the younger generation of the five Godfiend clans of the Eastcalm Prefecture."

"So what if he's good? I don't like him!" Yun Qingping said angrily. "I don't want to marry a so-called genius who doesn't even share my interests."

Yun Fu'an gently put down the teacup. He lifted his eyes and coldly stared at his daughter.

Yun Qingping's heart trembled.

But the pride in her heart made her raise her head and stare back at her father!

"In the past six months, you've already requested me to cancel your engagement six times," said Yun Fu'an coldly. "It seems like I've been spoiling you too much. I'll make it clear for you today."

Yun Qingping glared at her father.

Yun Fu'an continued, "The marriage between you and Meng Chuan is not only between the two of you. It is also a matter between the Yuns and the Mengs! Although our Yun family is one of the five major Godfiend clans, it has only been established for a few decades. We only have a few dozen clansmen, and we are still lacking in heritage. As for the Meng family, they are a Godfiend family that has been established for thousands of years, and they have over 10000 clansmen! Meng Chuan's father, Meng Dajiang, will become the next clan leader of the Meng family. You are the only daughter in the Yun family's third generation. If you marry Meng Chuan, it will naturally improve the ties between our two families. This will greatly benefit our Yun family."

"Grandfather has already cultivated to become a Godfiend," Yun Qingping retorted. "With Grandfather around, no one can shake the Yun family! In that case, why can't you let me live a freer life?"

"Free? Freedom means marrying anyone you wish to marry?" Yun Fu'an said coldly.

"Why? Can't I?" Yun Qingping raised her head and asked, "Are you willing to sacrifice me for the family? Dad, don't you feel ashamed?"

"Shut up!"

Yun Fu'an stood up in anger and furiously pointed at his daughter, yelling, "Yun Qingping, when you want to go out and have fun, there will be a group of servants following you. If you want to eat the Flaming Dragon Fish in the middle of winter, someone will risk their lives to find it for you. Even when you don't put effort into your cultivation, plenty of treasures are spent on you, allowing you to reach the Marrow Cleansing realm this year. I hired experts to give you one-on-one guidance, and because you are weak, I got three Mortal Shedding realm guards to protect you in secret. It costs 500 taels of silver to hire the three of them every month, not inclusive of all the other treasures needed to be bestowed…"

"For your so-called carefree life, do you know how much the clan has sacrificed?" Yun Fu'an stared at his daughter.

Yun Qingping was stunned.

She was not stupid.

With a simple calculation, she knew what a staggering amount the family had to spend on her to keep up such a life.

"You have enjoyed the benefits of the family, so you have to bear the consequences!" Yun Fu'an shouted furiously. "You want to just enjoy the benefits and not contribute anything? Dream on!"

"Also, I know that there's a little fellow in your Dao Academy named Zhang Chong. He's been quite attentive towards you recently, right?" Yun Fu'an sneered. "He's just a boy who isn't from the main family line of the Zhang family. Does he think he's fit to marry my daughter? He should look at himself in the mirror and see who he is!"

"Dad, Senior Brother Zhang and I aren't…" Yun Qingping immediately tried to explain.

"As long as I find out that anything is going on between the two of you that might taint the reputation of the Yun family and Meng family, not only will he die, even you won't be spared! I will not hold back!" Yun Fu'an coldly stared at his frightened daughter. "When the time comes, don't blame me for being heartless."

Yun Qingping felt a chill run down her spine.

She had never seen a side of her father this cold. She was only fifteen years old this year.

"Daughter." Yun Fu'an's expression softened. "That's what a marriage alliance between family clans is like. No matter how ugly or useless he is, you will have to marry him. My marriage with your mother was also decided by your grandfather. I didn't get a choice! Speaking of which, his character is quite good. You should be glad."

After saying that, Yun Fu'an shot a look at the trembling female servant—Green Bamboo—and ordered, "Green Bamboo, watch over her. Don't let her make any further mistakes."

"Yes," Green Bamboo hurriedly replied.

Yun Fu'an then left with his hands clasped behind his back.

Yun Qingping stood there and stared blankly at her father's departing figure. She thought of the words "…even you won't be spared! I will not hold back! When the time comes, don't blame me for being heartless." This sentence struck her, Yun Qingping, deeply.

She felt that this world was different from what she had imagined all these years.

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