“Are you sure, young master?” Dark One frowned.
Duanmu Yu answered, “No. One, I tried fishing information regarding his background just now. I can confirm that he isn’t from a major clan or sect, so no trouble would befall the Duanmu Clan if we kill him. Two, he’s attending the Hidden Dragon Meet. I don't need an additional obstacle in my path. And three, he publicly shamed me before everyone. He must die for what he’s done.”
Dark One voiced his worries, “That Taoist is very strong though. Not even you are a match for him. Unless we mobilize our clan’s full strength, I don’t believe we are capable of killing him.”
Duanmu Yu sneered. “There’s no need to go that far. Martial art is but one of many ways to kill a person.”
“That young Taoist might be strong, but his jianghu experience is quite lacking. That is why I want the Dark Guards to carry out this task. Poisoning, gu arts and curses are your forte, is it not? You should have no trouble killing him.”
This time, Dark One nodded in agreement. “Your word makes sense, young master. Should I give the order now?”
“No.” Duanmu Yu shook his head. “Suspicion and criticism are sure to happen if that young Taoist were to die in Feng Yang. It would damage the Duanmu Clan’s reputation and cause unnecessary trouble.”
“That’s why he must die outside of Feng Yang. Only then can we avoid drawing suspicion.”
“I see you have thought this through, young master. I shall order the Dark Guards to follow him and keep track of his movements right away,” Dark One sounded impressed.
“No.” Duanmu Yu shook his head again. “He is very strong. If you follow him, there’s a high chance you will be discovered and be on guard.”
Dark One asked, “What should we do then, young master?”
Duanmu Yu thought for a moment before answering, “There is only one road connecting Tian Yong and our city. You will leave ahead of time and lie in ambush on the road.”
“Understood. I shall make the arrangements right away!” Dark One replied before melting into the shadows and vanishing.
After Dark One was gone, Duanmu Yu sneered and muttered to himself, “I must amaze everyone during the Hidden Dragon Meet. No one will stand in my way.”
......
“Have you figured out who that young Taoist is, Yuhuai?”
On a small path outside the city of Feng Yang, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were each riding a horse and leisurely making their way toward Tian Yong.
The horses weren’t real horses. They were created using Lin Yuhuai’s talismans called the Horse Talisman. Not only was a horse created from the Horse Talisman as fast as an ordinary wildebeest or a Fire Qilin Horse, it didn’t need to eat or drink. The flaw was that it could only function for four to six hours before it ran out of energy.
This wasn’t a problem though. Lin Yuhuai was a talisman master, so creating a Horse Talisman was not a problem to him whatsoever.
After the trio was done watching the duel between the young Taoist, Qi Xuanyu and Duanmu Yu, they immediately left the city and continued toward Tian Yong.
Logically speaking, they had departed early and had more than enough time to make it to their destination. However, no one could anticipate what they might encounter on their way there. That was why it was better to depart early than late.
Lin Yuhuai answered after thinking for a moment, “Well, the lightning art he used is grand and majestic. It looks very similar to the ‘Divine Thunder of Zhengyang’ from the Zhengyang Mountain, the ‘Five True Methods of the Five Thunders’ from the Five Thunder Sect, and the ‘Five Heavenly Astral Thunder” from the Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
“As for his fist art, it is forceful, overwhelming, and accompanied by a dragon and a tiger. It reminds me of the ‘Dragon Tiger Ruyi Fist’ from the Jade Palace, the ‘Infinite Divine Dragon Fist’ from the Demon Palace of Kunlun, and the ‘Roaring Tiger, Bellowing Dragon’ from the ‘Mountain of Mind and Heart[1]’”
“In conclusion?” Chu Nianjiu asked.
Lin Yuhuai shrugged. “In conclusion, I’m not sure.”
You said all that only to tell me that you’re not sure? Then why did you waste the breath at all?
Chu Nianjiu looked at Ye Qing next. “What do you think, Joyless?”
“With my bra—” Ye Qing abruptly cut himself off when he heard a series of pops and cracks from Chu Nianjiu’s fists. “I’m not sure either. But didn’t that young Taoist say that he belonged to no clan or sect, and that he only has one master? How is anyone supposed to guess something like that?”
“Rather than wasting time on such useless thoughts, I’d rather we focus on ourselves!”
“About what? Training?” Chu Nianjiu didn’t understand his meaning.
Ye Qing replied indifferently, “We’re being followed.”
“What?” Chu Nianjiu exclaimed in surprise. “Who? When? Why didn’t I sense anything?”
Lin Yuhuai exclaimed in realization, “Is it that scholar from before?”
Ye Qing turned to look at him in surprise, “You sensed him too, Brother Lin?”
Lin Yuhuai smiled genially. “No, but I know you’re not an impulsive person. During the duel, I thought it odd that you would verbally attack a random scholar for seemingly no reason whatsoever.”
“Why is that scholar following us?” Chu Nianjiu’s eyes glinted something cold. “Wait a second. Could he have something to do with Lei Laohu’s death?”
“I believe so,” Ye Qing answered.
“I’m assuming that he hasn’t come alone. What is he planning?” Chu Nianjiu mumbled.
Ye Qing thought for a moment. “Do you remember what the auntie said about hauntings?”
“Hauntings?” Lin Yuhuai exclaimed in surprise, “Are you saying that they’re coming to kill us?!”
According to that auntie, anyone who had ties with Lei Laohu started dying inexplicable deaths after the Lei Martial School was burned down. The woman thought it was a haunting, but it was far likelier that it was Lei Laohu’s murderers tying up loose ends.
And now, those murderers had set their sights on them.
“Hah! Who would’ve thought they would come to us when we weren’t even looking for them? Interesting!” Chu Nianjiu grinned evilly after sipping his wine. “Are they still following us, Joyless?”
“Yep. They’ve been following us since we left the city,” Ye Qing answered.
“They are? Why couldn’t I see anyone then?” Chu Nianjiu asked, puzzled. We’re both early-stage Spirit Purifiers. Your senses can’t be that strong, can you?
“That’s because they’re at least a hundred meters away from us. They’re watching us using those birds circling above our heads.”
“Hmm?” Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai looked up instinctively. As Ye Qing said, they saw a bunch of birds circling above their heads. If not for him, they wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss as they looked exactly the same as an ordinary bird.
“I see. I suppose this level of caution is expected considering they managed to take out an entire martial school. Should we take action now?” Chu Nianjiu asked with a smile.
“There’s no need. They will come to us themselves.” Ye Qing smirked. “That scholar is just an early-stage Astral Refiner. He made contact with us earlier probably because he wanted to sound out our strength. He should’ve figured out that none of us are weaklings, and since there are three of us, he’s probably going to round up everyone to attack us.”
“That is why it’s better to let them come to us. I’m sure they’ll show themselves any moment now.”
“Are you sure the three of us can handle all of them?” Lin Yuhuai asked worriedly.
Ye Qing replied uncaringly, “I am here. It will be fine. This is the perfect opportunity to kill them all in one fell swoop.”
Chu Nianjiu: “...”
Lin Yuhuai: “...”
We suspect you’re showing off, and we have your own confession as evidence.
They didn’t reject Ye Qing’s suggestion though. After all, they too were powerful warriors in their own right. Worst case scenario, they could simply book it and fight another day.
And so the trio pretended not to notice anything and continued forward until they arrived at a maple forest tens of kilometers away from Feng Yang. Then, they stopped in their tracks.
“Here they come.”
Ye Qing looked at the mountain of gorgeous maple leaves and smiled a little. They looked as red as fire... or blood.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
As soon as Ye Qing said this, the maple leaves suddenly caught on fire. No, it wasn’t just the leaves. The entire forest had burst into flames all of a sudden. The inferno looked hot enough to burn anything and everything into ash.
“Haha, it’s not a bad illusion.” Ye Qing smiled despite the sea of flames encroaching upon them. In fact, the flames couldn’t even get within one meter of them.
Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the blazing inferno abruptly froze in place. Then, it shattered like a painting that was shredded into pieces.
A muffled groan came from somewhere, and the sea of flames vanished. The maple forest came back as if it had never been burned in the first place.
“I suppose it would’ve been too easy,” said an ancient voice.
An old man wearing a fiery red robe stepped out of the forest. He was followed by two men and a woman.
One of the two men had a cold, unfeeling face and carried at least a dozen sabers on his person. The other guy had a rough face and short hair that stood perfectly straight on his scalp like needles. His arms were wrapped in white bandages that burned a black flame.
The woman was fat, bloated, and covered in smelly pus that could only be described as disgusting. Strangely, his face looked as pretty as a painting, and the way she carried herself oozed femininity and confidence.
None of these people were weak. The old man and the woman were Spirit Purifiers, whereas the two men were Half-Step Spirit Purifiers.
“You’re not too bad yourself. Creating a sea of flames with a single thought is an impressive feat, even if it’s just an illusion,” Ye Qing replied smilingly. “But why are you blocking our way, strangers?”
“To kill you,” the short-haired man said coldly.
“Kill us?” Ye Qing pretended not to understand his hostility. “We don’t know each other, do we?”
“No, we don’t.” The old man shook his head.
“Have we offended you in some way?” Ye Qing asked again.
“No, you have not.” The old man shook his head again.
“Are you after our wealth or looks then?” Ye Qing asked seriously.
The old man and the two younger men lost their composure for a second. Sorry, but we’re not gay.
The woman though, she shot the trio a beatific smile and flirted, “Haha, perhaps?”
“Ahem... It was a joke.” Ye Qing backpedaled immediately when he felt a pair of steely gazes drilling into his back. Sorry, but you are far too heavy and smelly for us.
“In conclusion, we don’t know each other, we haven’t offended you, and you’re not after our wealth or looks either. So why are you trying to kill us?” Ye Qing cocked his head as a devilish smile crossed his lips. “You aren't sick in the head, are you?”
“Hehe. Blame the fact that you are Old Lei’s acquaintances!” The cold man grabbed a short saber and drew a bloody wound on his arm, but he couldn’t seem to feel the pain at all. “Old Lei killed our young master and our brothers and sisters. So, we’re going to bury him, his friends, and anyone who’s related to him in dust. It’s that simple.”
“I see.” Ye Qing, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu exchanged glances with each other. They had suspected this earlier, but now they got confirmation that these people were the ones who burned down the Lei Martial School, killed everyone inside, and went after Lei Laohu’s friends and acquaintances later on.
They probably mistook them as Lei Laohu’s acquaintances when they saw them visiting the Lei Martial School on his birthday. That was why they wanted to kill them[2].
“What makes you think we’re acquaintances of Lei Laohu. Aren’t you afraid that you might have gone after the wrong people?”
“You’re not locals, and you went straight to the Lei Martial School after entering the city. Who wouldn’t think that you’re acquainted with Lei Laohu?” The old man said slowly, “And even if you are unaffiliated with Lei Laohu, what does it matter to us? We are the Kimnaras[3] as we would rather kill a hundred innocent people than miss our target.”
“The Kinnaras?” Ye Qing frowned. He had never heard of such a name before.
It was at this moment the woman chided the old man, “Why are you wasting your breath on them, Slave of Fire? Let us be done with this already. We still have to debrief the captain, you know? You know how short-tempered he is.”
“Kill!” The short-haired man spat exactly one word before charging forward.
1. This is a reference to a Journey to the West. ?
2. Look, there are always insane people who don't think about the consequences especially when you’re drunk on power. ?
3. A kimnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association with music and love. Believed to come from the Himalayas, they often watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger. ?
“Are you sure, young master?” Dark One frowned.
Duanmu Yu answered, “No. One, I tried fishing information regarding his background just now. I can confirm that he isn’t from a major clan or sect, so no trouble would befall the Duanmu Clan if we kill him. Two, he’s attending the Hidden Dragon Meet. I don't need an additional obstacle in my path. And three, he publicly shamed me before everyone. He must die for what he’s done.”
Dark One voiced his worries, “That Taoist is very strong though. Not even you are a match for him. Unless we mobilize our clan’s full strength, I don’t believe we are capable of killing him.”
Duanmu Yu sneered. “There’s no need to go that far. Martial art is but one of many ways to kill a person.”
“That young Taoist might be strong, but his jianghu experience is quite lacking. That is why I want the Dark Guards to carry out this task. Poisoning, gu arts and curses are your forte, is it not? You should have no trouble killing him.”
This time, Dark One nodded in agreement. “Your word makes sense, young master. Should I give the order now?”
“No.” Duanmu Yu shook his head. “Suspicion and criticism are sure to happen if that young Taoist were to die in Feng Yang. It would damage the Duanmu Clan’s reputation and cause unnecessary trouble.”
“That’s why he must die outside of Feng Yang. Only then can we avoid drawing suspicion.”
“I see you have thought this through, young master. I shall order the Dark Guards to follow him and keep track of his movements right away,” Dark One sounded impressed.
“No.” Duanmu Yu shook his head again. “He is very strong. If you follow him, there’s a high chance you will be discovered and be on guard.”
Dark One asked, “What should we do then, young master?”
Duanmu Yu thought for a moment before answering, “There is only one road connecting Tian Yong and our city. You will leave ahead of time and lie in ambush on the road.”
“Understood. I shall make the arrangements right away!” Dark One replied before melting into the shadows and vanishing.
After Dark One was gone, Duanmu Yu sneered and muttered to himself, “I must amaze everyone during the Hidden Dragon Meet. No one will stand in my way.”
......
“Have you figured out who that young Taoist is, Yuhuai?”
On a small path outside the city of Feng Yang, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were each riding a horse and leisurely making their way toward Tian Yong.
The horses weren’t real horses. They were created using Lin Yuhuai’s talismans called the Horse Talisman. Not only was a horse created from the Horse Talisman as fast as an ordinary wildebeest or a Fire Qilin Horse, it didn’t need to eat or drink. The flaw was that it could only function for four to six hours before it ran out of energy.
This wasn’t a problem though. Lin Yuhuai was a talisman master, so creating a Horse Talisman was not a problem to him whatsoever.
After the trio was done watching the duel between the young Taoist, Qi Xuanyu and Duanmu Yu, they immediately left the city and continued toward Tian Yong.
Logically speaking, they had departed early and had more than enough time to make it to their destination. However, no one could anticipate what they might encounter on their way there. That was why it was better to depart early than late.
Lin Yuhuai answered after thinking for a moment, “Well, the lightning art he used is grand and majestic. It looks very similar to the ‘Divine Thunder of Zhengyang’ from the Zhengyang Mountain, the ‘Five True Methods of the Five Thunders’ from the Five Thunder Sect, and the ‘Five Heavenly Astral Thunder” from the Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
“As for his fist art, it is forceful, overwhelming, and accompanied by a dragon and a tiger. It reminds me of the ‘Dragon Tiger Ruyi Fist’ from the Jade Palace, the ‘Infinite Divine Dragon Fist’ from the Demon Palace of Kunlun, and the ‘Roaring Tiger, Bellowing Dragon’ from the ‘Mountain of Mind and Heart[1]’”
“In conclusion?” Chu Nianjiu asked.
Lin Yuhuai shrugged. “In conclusion, I’m not sure.”
You said all that only to tell me that you’re not sure? Then why did you waste the breath at all?
Chu Nianjiu looked at Ye Qing next. “What do you think, Joyless?”
“With my bra—” Ye Qing abruptly cut himself off when he heard a series of pops and cracks from Chu Nianjiu’s fists. “I’m not sure either. But didn’t that young Taoist say that he belonged to no clan or sect, and that he only has one master? How is anyone supposed to guess something like that?”
“Rather than wasting time on such useless thoughts, I’d rather we focus on ourselves!”
“About what? Training?” Chu Nianjiu didn’t understand his meaning.
Ye Qing replied indifferently, “We’re being followed.”
“What?” Chu Nianjiu exclaimed in surprise. “Who? When? Why didn’t I sense anything?”
Lin Yuhuai exclaimed in realization, “Is it that scholar from before?”
Ye Qing turned to look at him in surprise, “You sensed him too, Brother Lin?”
Lin Yuhuai smiled genially. “No, but I know you’re not an impulsive person. During the duel, I thought it odd that you would verbally attack a random scholar for seemingly no reason whatsoever.”
“Why is that scholar following us?” Chu Nianjiu’s eyes glinted something cold. “Wait a second. Could he have something to do with Lei Laohu’s death?”
“I believe so,” Ye Qing answered.
“I’m assuming that he hasn’t come alone. What is he planning?” Chu Nianjiu mumbled.
Ye Qing thought for a moment. “Do you remember what the auntie said about hauntings?”
“Hauntings?” Lin Yuhuai exclaimed in surprise, “Are you saying that they’re coming to kill us?!”
According to that auntie, anyone who had ties with Lei Laohu started dying inexplicable deaths after the Lei Martial School was burned down. The woman thought it was a haunting, but it was far likelier that it was Lei Laohu’s murderers tying up loose ends.
And now, those murderers had set their sights on them.
“Hah! Who would’ve thought they would come to us when we weren’t even looking for them? Interesting!” Chu Nianjiu grinned evilly after sipping his wine. “Are they still following us, Joyless?”
“Yep. They’ve been following us since we left the city,” Ye Qing answered.
“They are? Why couldn’t I see anyone then?” Chu Nianjiu asked, puzzled. We’re both early-stage Spirit Purifiers. Your senses can’t be that strong, can you?
“That’s because they’re at least a hundred meters away from us. They’re watching us using those birds circling above our heads.”
“Hmm?” Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai looked up instinctively. As Ye Qing said, they saw a bunch of birds circling above their heads. If not for him, they wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss as they looked exactly the same as an ordinary bird.
“I see. I suppose this level of caution is expected considering they managed to take out an entire martial school. Should we take action now?” Chu Nianjiu asked with a smile.
“There’s no need. They will come to us themselves.” Ye Qing smirked. “That scholar is just an early-stage Astral Refiner. He made contact with us earlier probably because he wanted to sound out our strength. He should’ve figured out that none of us are weaklings, and since there are three of us, he’s probably going to round up everyone to attack us.”
“That is why it’s better to let them come to us. I’m sure they’ll show themselves any moment now.”
“Are you sure the three of us can handle all of them?” Lin Yuhuai asked worriedly.
Ye Qing replied uncaringly, “I am here. It will be fine. This is the perfect opportunity to kill them all in one fell swoop.”
Chu Nianjiu: “...”
Lin Yuhuai: “...”
We suspect you’re showing off, and we have your own confession as evidence.
They didn’t reject Ye Qing’s suggestion though. After all, they too were powerful warriors in their own right. Worst case scenario, they could simply book it and fight another day.
And so the trio pretended not to notice anything and continued forward until they arrived at a maple forest tens of kilometers away from Feng Yang. Then, they stopped in their tracks.
“Here they come.”
Ye Qing looked at the mountain of gorgeous maple leaves and smiled a little. They looked as red as fire... or blood.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
As soon as Ye Qing said this, the maple leaves suddenly caught on fire. No, it wasn’t just the leaves. The entire forest had burst into flames all of a sudden. The inferno looked hot enough to burn anything and everything into ash.
“Haha, it’s not a bad illusion.” Ye Qing smiled despite the sea of flames encroaching upon them. In fact, the flames couldn’t even get within one meter of them.
Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the blazing inferno abruptly froze in place. Then, it shattered like a painting that was shredded into pieces.
A muffled groan came from somewhere, and the sea of flames vanished. The maple forest came back as if it had never been burned in the first place.
“I suppose it would’ve been too easy,” said an ancient voice.
An old man wearing a fiery red robe stepped out of the forest. He was followed by two men and a woman.
One of the two men had a cold, unfeeling face and carried at least a dozen sabers on his person. The other guy had a rough face and short hair that stood perfectly straight on his scalp like needles. His arms were wrapped in white bandages that burned a black flame.
The woman was fat, bloated, and covered in smelly pus that could only be described as disgusting. Strangely, his face looked as pretty as a painting, and the way she carried herself oozed femininity and confidence.
None of these people were weak. The old man and the woman were Spirit Purifiers, whereas the two men were Half-Step Spirit Purifiers.
“You’re not too bad yourself. Creating a sea of flames with a single thought is an impressive feat, even if it’s just an illusion,” Ye Qing replied smilingly. “But why are you blocking our way, strangers?”
“To kill you,” the short-haired man said coldly.
“Kill us?” Ye Qing pretended not to understand his hostility. “We don’t know each other, do we?”
“No, we don’t.” The old man shook his head.
“Have we offended you in some way?” Ye Qing asked again.
“No, you have not.” The old man shook his head again.
“Are you after our wealth or looks then?” Ye Qing asked seriously.
The old man and the two younger men lost their composure for a second. Sorry, but we’re not gay.
The woman though, she shot the trio a beatific smile and flirted, “Haha, perhaps?”
“Ahem... It was a joke.” Ye Qing backpedaled immediately when he felt a pair of steely gazes drilling into his back. Sorry, but you are far too heavy and smelly for us.
“In conclusion, we don’t know each other, we haven’t offended you, and you’re not after our wealth or looks either. So why are you trying to kill us?” Ye Qing cocked his head as a devilish smile crossed his lips. “You aren't sick in the head, are you?”
“Hehe. Blame the fact that you are Old Lei’s acquaintances!” The cold man grabbed a short saber and drew a bloody wound on his arm, but he couldn’t seem to feel the pain at all. “Old Lei killed our young master and our brothers and sisters. So, we’re going to bury him, his friends, and anyone who’s related to him in dust. It’s that simple.”
“I see.” Ye Qing, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu exchanged glances with each other. They had suspected this earlier, but now they got confirmation that these people were the ones who burned down the Lei Martial School, killed everyone inside, and went after Lei Laohu’s friends and acquaintances later on.
They probably mistook them as Lei Laohu’s acquaintances when they saw them visiting the Lei Martial School on his birthday. That was why they wanted to kill them[2].
“What makes you think we’re acquaintances of Lei Laohu. Aren’t you afraid that you might have gone after the wrong people?”
“You’re not locals, and you went straight to the Lei Martial School after entering the city. Who wouldn’t think that you’re acquainted with Lei Laohu?” The old man said slowly, “And even if you are unaffiliated with Lei Laohu, what does it matter to us? We are the Kimnaras[3] as we would rather kill a hundred innocent people than miss our target.”
“The Kinnaras?” Ye Qing frowned. He had never heard of such a name before.
It was at this moment the woman chided the old man, “Why are you wasting your breath on them, Slave of Fire? Let us be done with this already. We still have to debrief the captain, you know? You know how short-tempered he is.”
“Kill!” The short-haired man spat exactly one word before charging forward.
1. This is a reference to a Journey to the West. ?
2. Look, there are always insane people who don't think about the consequences especially when you’re drunk on power. ?
3. A kimnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association with music and love. Believed to come from the Himalayas, they often watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger. ?
