"Second Master, with your Eyes of Golden Flame, if you sense someone familiar, they must be an old acquaintance indeed," Chang Biao said with a chuckle. "Who do you think he resembles?"
"There’s a hint of a familiar Shadow in his every move, but to pin down exactly who he resembles... I really can’t say," Shen Boyu paused in contemplation but couldn’t find any clue, and added, "However, this kid is one of a kind; the soil of the New Star can’t grow such a wild sprout."
"Are you complimenting him?" Chang Biao asked in surprise. "Second Master rarely praises anyone, only occasionally saying a few words in favor of Xing Lan..."
Shen Boyu turned and walked toward the small courtyard, taking the prepared water pipe from the servant’s hands, and took a couple of drags before asking, "Do you think this kid is truly foolish or just pretending?"
"Second Master, since you said he is one of a kind, then naturally he must be pretending," Chang Biao responded.
"Yes, I thought I was mistaken before... A wild young man crawling out from the Old Land, with no father or mother, without any proper upbringing—how exceptional can he be?"
"I watched the video of his match with Qingping. Qingping’s loss wasn’t unwarranted... It is somewhat shameful that someone from the Tongyou Realm was defeated by a mid-tier Yuqi Realm fighter. But Qingping didn’t lose his strength, but his courage..."
"Qingping only wanted an easy victory, while that kid was fighting for his life. In a narrow pass, the one unafraid to die wins. That’s what happened."
"Second Master is indeed thoughtful," Chang Biao remarked with a sigh.
With Shen Boyu’s status, why would he need to pay attention to a youngster?
Yet, he did pay attention and even went so far as to watch his match videos.
This proves what kind of weight this young man carries in his heart.
"It’s just curiosity," Shen Boyu spoke up, "Taking a closer look, this kid is indeed interesting. In that moment of crisis, he used a handful of dirt to counter our Shen Family’s ’Ghostly Despair’. It’s not a new move, but the meticulous thought and use of terrain is indeed memorable... With an arm cut off, he still managed to fight to a mutual destruction with his sword, blow after blow..."
"Shen Qingping is dull-witted, that’s forgivable, but he’s also timid and afraid to die... He’s no match for anyone else."
"It’s the barefooted who aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes," Chang Biao said. "In the matches Qingping participated in before, everyone held back at the critical point. If he is given another chance, he certainly won’t let the other win again."
"What’s the point of saying these things? A loss is a loss. Just fight your way back next time. Who can make excuses for failure when their head has been chopped off?"
"For many years, the younger generation of the Shen Family hasn’t faced much adversity. Although we take the exceptional members of the clan to Blood Glacier and Limitless Valley every three years for trials and assessments... But everyone knows, no one dies there. Protected on all sides by you, what do they have to worry about?"
"Only amidst life and death can one face great terror. With great terror comes great gain, and only then can one progress through Kan Pin and become a person above others."
"Why do I want to send Shen Qingping to Ghost Mountain with a hardened heart this time? If I let him continue on this path, he’ll never achieve much—maybe at best a satisfactory top-grade, but that’s it, the door to Grandmaster would be beyond his reach..."
"First, he was defeated by the one he looked down upon, then he was expelled by Shang Xiulin, struggled to return home, and was driven away by his own clan. These consecutive blows are too much for his character to bear... I want to injure him all over, to let him feel despair... And in that moment of despair, I will give him one last chance."
"If he can learn from shame and become courageous, truly temper his will and refine his Sword Qi on Ghost Mountain, he might achieve something different. Of course, that’s if he can survive... If he can’t... then as far as the Shen Family is concerned, he never existed..."
"Second Master really exhausts all thoughts for the sake of the younger generation. I hope Qingping can appreciate your painstaking efforts and truly achieve something on Ghost Mountain."
"Hmph, what does it matter if he appreciates it or not? His life is his own, not mine. Who told him to be inferior? If he had crushed that kid, I’d personally pour him a drink upon his return."
"Hahaha, I was just speaking casually... But I can tell, Second Master, you’re starting to take quite a liking to this kid."
"The darkness in his temperament, the ruthlessness in his bones, the banditry in his name, plus the lawlessness nurtured in the Old Land... Given time, he will overturn the understanding of those young people in Phoenix City."
"These young scions, each one sipping on wines worth tens of thousands of star coins a bottle, embracing seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls, all haughty and scornful of everyone..."
Shen Boyu lay on the recliner, allowing two mature beauties to massage his shoulders and thighs, and said, "They’ll have their own tough times ahead."
"What about Xing Lan?" Chang Biao spoke up, "Xing Lan should be able to keep him down."
Shen Boyu pondered for a moment and said, "I’m afraid Xing Lan might not be able to keep him down."
"How is that possible?" Chang Biao exclaimed, "Xing Lan is considered top-tier among the Empire’s younger generation; even he can’t keep him in check?"
Shen Boyu shook his head irritably and replied, "Reading too many books, knowing too many principles, means encountering too many restrictions. In a chess game, everyone competes in intelligence, adhering to the rules. But what if someone kicks the chessboard over?"