Ground Up (III)

"Please don't hurt my brother!"

Yu Ze released his grip without realizing it, stunned by the sight of the girl before him. It was as if he was seeing an angel.

She was truly beautiful, with snow-white skin and long, flowing black hair. She wore a red robe over a white garment and a long, pleated gray skirt. At first glance, she appeared flawless, though her eyes were white like those of a dead fish. Her beauty mesmerized Yu Ze.

This was the first time he had seen a young woman. Yu Ze had always isolated himself from the outside world and rarely interacted with women, especially those his own age. Her presence left him dazed.

"Please, I beg you!"

The beautiful girl stumbled over a crack in the stone yard and fell. Yu Ze wanted to help her, but the bald guy was still holding his leg, preventing him from doing so. The situation worsened as the girl crawled towards Yu Ze. Like the bald guy, she clung to his leg and begged for her brother's life.

"I don't know what happened, Senior. But please forgive my brother. Please don't kill him," she sobbed.

Now there was another person crying at his feet, and it was a girl. This made Yu Ze feel bad.

"Hey, hey. I've already let your brother go. Look, he's alive and unharmed," Yu Ze said in panic.

But they continued crying while clinging to his leg. Yu Ze struggled to calm them down, his clothes wet with their tears and snot.

Meanwhile, the boy remained silent, stroking his neck where there were marks from Yu Ze's grip.

"Stop crying. You're making me look like the bad guy here," Yu Ze muttered in frustration.

If it had just been the bald guy crying, Yu Ze could have kicked him away. But the problem was the girl. His late master had always told him that a man who easily hits a woman would never get married in his life.

As Yu Ze was frustratedly trying to calm them down, the boy placed his hands on their shoulders.

"Sister, brother, stop crying. This stranger doesn't intend to kill me. If he did, my head would probably already be separated from my body."

Those calm words soothed the girl and the bald guy. They stopped crying and let go of Yu Ze's leg.

Seeing the situation improve, Yu Ze sighed in relief.

The boy now appeared more respectful in front of Yu Ze, giving a fist-over-palm salute and bowing.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Senior."

Yu Ze raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that this insolent boy could be so polite.

"My name is Jing Jing. And these two are my siblings," the boy continued.

Jing Jing then helped his siblings stand up.

Yu Ze noticed something was wrong with the girl. She struggled to get to her feet and needed her brothers' help. Her gaze was vacant and directed elsewhere.

"Let me introduce my mute younger brother, Senior," Jing Jing said, holding the bald guy's shoulder. "His name is Ping Ping. As you know, he is mute and deaf. He often causes misunderstandings, especially since his face looks like a thug. But he is actually a good man."

Jing Jing used sign language that Yu Ze didn't understand, and Ping Ping raised his hand with a fist-over-palm salute while bowing.

"Hau haa huuu!"

Yu Ze simply nodded in response, slightly impressed with Jing Jing. The boy actually acted maturely.

"I apologize for my impolite behavior earlier, Senior," the girl apologized.

"Uhm, yeah."

Yu Ze felt a bit awkward as she bowed before him. To cover his unease, he cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his waist to appear more authoritative.

"Anyway, what's your name, young lady?" Yu Ze asked in a deep voice.

"Sorry for my negligence. My name is—"

"Wait, let me guess," Yu Ze pursed his lips. "Your brothers are named Jing Jing and Ping Ping. Your name must be Ling Ling, right?"

"No, Senior," the beautiful girl replied softly.

Yu Ze frowned. "Then, Bing Bing?"

The girl shook her head.

Yu Ze snapped his fingers. "If not Ling Ling or Bing Bing, it must be Ying Ying."

The beautiful girl smiled sweetly. "No, Senior. My name is Yue Xi."

"Oh."

Yu Ze was at a loss for words. Since her brothers had similar names, he thought she would have a rhyming name as well.

"Senior, as you can see, my sister has exceptional beauty. But God took her sight in return. As the eldest, I ask you to forgive her if she makes any mistakes," Jing Jing said.

"Ah, I see." Yu Ze nodded.

However, Yue Xi seemed displeased when her brother mentioned her physical limitation.

"Senior, don't be fooled by my brother's appearance," Yue Xi suddenly interjected. "Although he looks like a kid, he's actually the oldest among us. You could say he's a dwarf."

"Hey! What did you say?!" Jing Jing immediately flared up at his sister's words. "Come here, you little brat!"

Jing Jing wanted to vent his anger on Yue Xi, but Ping Ping held him back.

"Let me go, Ping Ping! Let me teach our naughty sister a lesson!"

"Haa! Huuu ha!"

Yue Xi ignored her brother's ranting, turning her face away with a pout.

Meanwhile, Yu Ze could only sigh as he watched them bicker. He never expected to meet three strange siblings in this desolate place—a large mute and deaf man, a dwarf who looked like a teenager, and a beautiful blind girl.

Was it fate or was God playing a trick on him? Yu Ze didn't know.

But one thing troubled him. Seeing how they all knelt and begged for mercy, it seemed none of the three siblings had any cultivation. And it seemed they were the only ones inhabiting the pavilion.

It made Yu Ze wonder to himself, what is really going on here?

"Senior, there's something I need to tell you."

Jing Jing suddenly became serious, his demeanor drastically changing from a moment ago. The same seriousness was evident in his siblings. Then, they all knelt before Yu Ze. Of course, this puzzled him.

"Senior, I apologize for my rudeness," Jing Jing said. "I don't mean to doubt or underestimate your strength. I'm also grateful for your mercy in sparing my life."

Yu Ze grew more curious. "Just say what you need to say. Don't beat around the bush."

Swallowing hard, Jing Jing seemed hesitant to speak. Yu Ze could see the fear in him.

"Senior, I need you to leave this pavilion. It's not that I don't respect you or am trying to drive you away. It's just that I'm entrusted with a task by the owner of the pavilion to not allow anyone to set foot here until he returns. Please, leave this place. I will give you all our food supplies if you do."

Yu Ze raised an eyebrow, and then he chuckled. "You still think I'm not a member of the Black Dragon Sect, huh?"

Jing Jing frowned, unsure of how to respond to Yu Ze. "Well, the owner of the pavilion never said anyone would come here. So, I'm not allowed to let anyone into the pavilion."

Yu Ze laughed. "You've never met him, yet you're still guarding this pavilion so diligently. Truly remarkable."

"How did you know that?" Jing Jing frowned, his face filled with curiosity. The same look was evident on his sister, Yue Xi. They still seemed unaware of the situation.

"Well, you're right," Jing Jing continued. "I've never met him. I'm just continuing the duty my father was given."

"Yes, Senior," Yue Xi confirmed. "We're only carrying on our father's duty. He carried out this task for 20 years, and we must continue it until the leader of the Black Dragon Sect returns. Our father owed a favor to the sect leader."

Hearing their explanation, Yu Ze nodded. His feelings were mixed—impressed and moved. Especially seeing the condition of the pavilion, everything was well-maintained, not neglected at all. In fact, he was the one who had caused any damage.

It was hard for Yu Ze to harbor suspicion toward them. Even his annoyance at Jing Jing disappeared upon seeing his loyalty to the sect. Not many people like him existed in this deceitful world.

"Don't worry. You don't need to carry out that duty anymore. It has been fulfilled."

Jing Jing and Yue Xi looked confused when they heard Yu Ze's words. The eldest sibling gathered the courage to ask.

"Sorry, Senior. What do you mean? I don't get it," he said, trembling.

"As I said, your task is fulfilled. I also mentioned from the beginning that I am the heir of the Black Dragon Sect and the new owner of this place." Yu Ze smiled broadly. "Ah, by the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Yu Ze."

Jing Jing looked confused upon hearing this. Even his sister, Yue Xi, found it difficult to comprehend. They really couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"Se-Senior, I'm sorry. But—"

"What?" Yu Ze cut him off before Jing Jing could finish his sentence. "You still don't believe me?"

"It's not that, Senior Yu Ze," Yue Xi helped explain. "But our father said the heir would be the three trusted disciples of the sect leader. They're around our father's age. But they…"

Her words trailed off, fear evident as she hesitated to continue.

"But they are dead, right? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Yue Xi nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Ze tried to explain the situation to them. "I know you've heard a lot of things out there. It can be hard to tell what's right from what's wrong. But one thing is for sure—the sect leader is no longer alive. He took his last breath a few days ago."

Yue Xi and Jing Jing weren't surprised by this news. However, they seemed disappointed, as if they were rejecting this fact.

"He passed away peacefully," Yu Ze continued. "His vengeance was fulfilled, though not by me. That should have been my duty." He gave the three siblings a deep look. "And now, it's time for me to revive this long-dead sect."

Silence filled the air for a moment. Only the wind blowing and the rustling of leaves could be heard.

Yu Ze looked at the three siblings. Jing Jing and Yue Xi seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Without needing to ask, he knew what was bothering them.

"You still don't believe I'm the heir of the sect, do you?" Yu Ze got to the point.

None of them dared to answer his question. They just nodded.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I know what you're feeling, carrying such a heavy duty," Yu Ze said sincerely. "Tell me, is there any way I can prove that I am the heir of the sect? This time, I want to be serious. No tricks or silly games."

Yue Xi quietly tugged on her eldest brother's hand, and Jing Jing understood what she meant.

"Uhm, actually, there is a way," Jing Jing said hesitantly. "Technique Seven of the Black Dragon Sect—Dragon Coiling in the Spring Sky."

Hearing this, Yu Ze's eyes widened. He didn't expect them to know one of the sect's techniques. It was a mid-level technique, not something every member could master.

"How do you know about it? Have you learned the sect's techniques?" Yu Ze asked.

Jing Jing shook his head. "As you can see, I don't have any cultivation, Senior. Our father once told us about the sect leader practicing this technique. He said if the sect leader performed it, then—"

"The sky would split in two," Yu Ze finished.

Jing Jing and Yue Xi looked shocked at his replied.

Then, Yu Ze stepped forward to the center of the courtyard. His actions made Jing Jing and Ping Ping watch in amazement.

"Watch closely. I will do this only once."

Yu Ze slowly raised his right hand, as if feeling every flow of air around him. He then performed a very gentle movement, and at the same time, silence began to envelop the atmosphere. Qi started to gather in his palm, emitting a blue light that grew brighter by the second. The three siblings felt an overwhelming pressure, as if the entire universe was converging at that single point.

Suddenly, Yu Ze swung his hand upward, and the blue light shot into the sky, forming a straight line that radiated deadly beauty. The wind blew fiercely, and the clouds that covered the sky suddenly disappeared, as if an invisible sword had cleaved them, leaving an infinite expanse of blue.

Jing Jing and Ping Ping dropped their jaws, mesmerized by the magnificent sight, while Yue Xi fell to her knees. She could feel the immense qi exploding like a bomb.

After demonstrating the Dragon Coiling in the Spring Sky technique, Yu Ze looked at them with a smirk on his face.

"Well? Do you believe that I am the sect's heir now?"

The three siblings then knelt before Yu Ze, exclaiming in unison, "We have long awaited your return! Welcome back, sect leader!"