Suddenly, Xue Shiyu began to spin at high speed, sparks bursting out around his body.
Ding ding ding—! The clanging of metal suddenly stopped. Huang Renyong pulled the trigger a few more times before angrily slamming the bronze lotus pestle to the ground.
At the same time, Xue Shiyu slowly ground to a halt.
“Brother Huang, what is the meaning of this? Just for some gold and silver, you would harm a brother who has consistently helped you since your fall from grace?”
“At this point, what are you still pretending for?! Who do you think caused my fall from grace in the first place?”
Huang Renyong roared, “Don't think I don't know! On the eve of the promotion assessment, you were the one who drugged my water! Otherwise, how could I, the former number one of the Outer Court, have fallen to such a wretched state today?!”
“Brother Huang, so you've been harboring a grudge against me all this time over that. You've truly misunderstood me. With that impatient temper of yours, why didn't you just ask me to clear things up and resolve this misunderstanding? You've driven a wedge between our brotherhood for nothing.” Xue Shiyu said softly, “Brother Huang, the truth of the matter is this: at the time, I saw how anxious you were about the promotion assessment, unable to sleep all night. I watched you suffer, and it pained me too. So, I added some calming herbs to your water, wanting you to get a good night's rest. The next day, seeing you sleep so peacefully, I couldn't bear to wake you. I wanted to let you sleep a little longer, but who knew...”
Wow, a live-action drama is playing... Inside the tree canopy, Zhuang Xun, who had been feeling a bit bored, perked up and listened with rapt attention.
Beneath the massive tree, Xue Shiyu and Huang Renyong remained completely unaware of a third party's presence, conversing as if no one else were around.
Xue Shiyu continued, shaking his head with an expression of disappointment.
“Alas, who knew you would have so little self-control? You actually missed the assessment because you overslept, wasting another half a year in the Outer Court for nothing. But perhaps this is for the best. It allowed you to reflect properly in the Outer Court and turn over a new leaf.”
Huang Renyong laughed out of sheer anger. “So, you drugging my water was actually for my own good?”
Xue Shiyu blinked and chuckled. “There is no need to thank me, Brother Huang. We are brothers; there's no need to stand on ceremony. I am already very comforted to see you return to the right path.”
“Xue! Shi! Yu!” Huang Renyong ground out each word, his eyes bloodshot as he gritted his teeth. “I am going to kill you today!”
“Sigh, Brother Huang, ten years have passed, and you still haven't grown at all. You could have lived if you had just swallowed your pride.” Xue Shiyu shook his head. “You don't actually think you're still a match for me, do you? Ever since the promotion assessment ten years ago, it was destined that you would never defeat me again in this lifetime.”
“Hehe, I might not be able to kill you, but someone else can. Why do you think I stood here listening to so much of your sickening drivel?”
Huang Renyong spoke grimly. Behind him, the tree branches rustled slightly, and figures leaped down one after another.
Though dressed in various garments, they all had holes of varying sizes in the palms of their hands. They were none other than the members of the Shengxue Cult.
Huang Renyong glared intently at Xue Shiyu's face, hoping to see a look of panic.
Unfortunately, Xue Shiyu's expression remained perfectly calm.
“Oh? Brother Huang, perhaps I should take back my previous words. You have grown a little, but sadly, not by much. You still only look at immediate benefits without considering the long-term consequences. The Shengxue Cult is currently being hunted down by the academy, fleeing like rats. They are in critical danger and are hardly a good group to align yourself with.”
What, can you call for backup too? Up in the tree, Zhuang Xun, who was peeling a tangerine, thought curiously.
He wasn't the only one who reacted to those words; the Shengxue Cult members did as well.
Their sore spot had been struck, and they glared furiously at Xue Shiyu.
Xue Shiyu merely smiled faintly, pulling a firework from his robes, lighting it, and raising it above his head.
Swoosh!
Just then, an almost invisible stream of water shot past, extinguishing the spark on the firework's fuse.
In the tree canopy, Zhuang Xun popped a slice of tangerine into his mouth. Watching Xue Shiyu, who was still smiling with one hand raised high, waiting for the firework to go off, he eagerly anticipated the show.
I just hate seeing people show off. Let's see you get beaten to death.
A breath later, hearing no sound of the firework launching, Xue Shiyu realized something was wrong. He glanced at the fuse, and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
It didn't light?!
In a panic, he tried to light it again.
But the firework slipped from his hand, and his entire body was pulled toward the leading Shengxue Cult member.
“Qu...” Xue Shiyu was about to shout when someone pinched his mouth shut. Immediately after, he was surrounded and beaten by a mob.
“Hahaha! Xue Shiyu! You finally got what was coming to you!” Huang Renyong was the most enthusiastic of the bunch. Dressed in yellow, he stood out among the Shengxue Cult members like a little bumblebee, frantically throwing elbow strikes at Xue Shiyu's back.
“Don't kill him. To dare slander our Sacred Cult, I will... Huh?” The Blood Emissary froze, staring at the empty space in his hand where the firework tube had just been.
Swoosh—Boom! Crackle!
At that exact moment, a firework suddenly exploded in the sky.
Inside the tree canopy, Zhuang Xun tossed the spent firework tube to the ground.
The more people, the merrier.
Soon, a group of ferocious bandits strode grandly out of the dense forest on the left. They stopped in front of the collapsed Wanxing Martial Academy disciples and faced off against the Shengxue Cult members.
“My apologies, esteemed leaders of Qushe Ridge. There was a slight mishap, but I have brought the people to you.”
Taking the opportunity to escape, Xue Shiyu limped over to the bandits.
He straightened his disheveled robes, attempting to force a polite smile to maintain his composure, but the pain from his reopened wounds made the corners of his eyes twitch.
“Pfft!” Several bandits in the back snickered.
Xue Shiyu's face burned with embarrassment. Nursing a secret hatred in his heart, he did not dare lift his head.
The leading bandit chief completely ignored Xue Shiyu.
Wearing a beast-skin coat with a large saber slung over his shoulder, he locked eyes with the Shengxue Cult Blood Emissary opposite him. Laughing heartily, he said, “So it's our brothers from the Shengxue Cult! Hahaha, isn't this a pleasant surprise? How have you all been faring lately?”
Hearing this, the Shengxue Cult Blood Emissary's face instantly went cold. Pointing at the Wanxing Martial Academy disciples sprawled on the ground, he cut straight to the chase.
“I only want the lives of these people. The rest is yours.”
“Hahaha, I've heard of the friction between you all and the Wanxing Martial Academy lately. Rest assured, I will bring these Wanxing Martial Academy disciples back to the mine and torture them thoroughly to vent some anger on behalf of our Shengxue Cult brothers.”
“At the very least, I want him,” the Blood Emissary said, pointing at Xue Shiyu.
Xue Shiyu panicked. He hurriedly addressed the bandit chief, “My lord, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Xue Shiyu, and I am Elder Yu's...”
The bandit chief interrupted mockingly, “Never heard of you. Our deal with Elder Yu was to buy all of you.”
Xue Shiyu froze, feeling as if he had plunged into an ice cave.
His usual elegance, his schemes... all of it was thrown out the window. He only wanted to survive, only wanted to run. But the moment he turned around, the bandit chief grabbed him and knocked him unconscious with a single palm strike.
The bandit chief pondered for a moment, then said, “Our two factions have cooperated so many times. I'll give our brother from the Shengxue Cult some face; he's yours.”
“Hahaha! Xue Shiyu! You finally got what was coming to you! Hahaha—” Huang Renyong laughed with absolute satisfaction, the pent-up frustration of the last ten years completely swept away in this instant.
“Quiet!”
Slap!
Huang Renyong took a solid slap straight to the face.
His laughter stopped instantly.
Clutching his cheek, he stumbled back a few steps, glaring at the Blood Emissary with resentment. The frustration that had just dissipated came rushing right back.
The Blood Emissary nodded slightly. “Thank you.”
They then approached each other to hand over Xue Shiyu.
Don't rush, I can still call for backup. Summon! Following the thoughts in Zhuang Xun's mind, another group of people emerged from the forest to the west.
They wore identical uniforms and marched in orderly formation. Though they were all extremely young, both of the other factions on the scene looked at them with great wariness.
“Wanxing Martial Academy,” the bandit chief growled.
“Hmph. I didn't expect to reap an extra harvest while tracking the Shengxue Cult. You lowly bandits, I'll clean you up along with them,” the leading Xu Jianxing said arrogantly.
The bandit chief countered, “Xu Jianxing, I've heard of you. You're just a fake true disciple, and your cultivation is only at the Fifth Rank. We have two people on our side; don't be too arrogant.”
“Pfft. Old fools who only managed to grind their martial arts to the Fifth Rank because of their age aren't fit to be compared with me. Never mind two, I would kill three of you just the same.”
So Little Xu is this wild on the outside... Zhuang Xun watched the scene below.
The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Jianxing's figure suddenly blurred.
The bandit chief's eyelids twitched, and he immediately swung the large saber on his shoulder to block his side.
Clang!
A massive shower of sparks erupted from the broadsword.
Xu Jianxing, now standing behind the bandit chief, sheathed his sword.
Immediately, the bandit chief's eyes bulged. Letting out a low grunt, blood spurted from a diagonal slash across his chest.
On the other side, the Blood Emissary was shocked and was about to raise his hand, but he saw Xu Jianxing vanish from his spot once more.
“Hmph. As I said, old fools who only managed to grind their martial arts to the Fifth Rank because of their age shouldn't dream of comparing themselves to me.”
A voice suddenly echoed from behind him.
The Blood Emissary's spine went cold, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. From the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Jianxing resting the long sword against his neck.
Slash!
Brothers, activate your martial souls! Along with Zhuang Xun's inner thoughts, the Wanxing Martial Academy disciples below unleashed their martial physique traits one after another, charging toward both Qushe Ridge and the Shengxue Cult.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the chaos, Zhuang Xun snatched the Summer-Winter Cicada from Xue Shiyu's body.
It really was the Summer-Winter Cicada, ranked seventh on the Xietian Mountain Range's Rare Beast Ranking!
If its abilities were the same as described in the book, then combined with the Character Creation Panel, Yan Pingsheng could leap to become the second greatest combat force under his command. However strong Bai Yujing was, Yan Pingsheng could be just as strong!
Oh right, I should also go retrieve the Qiankun Chicken kept at Xue Shiyu's home. I'll use Yi Wangyou to get it when the time comes.
You can't handle this item, but I can, so I'll take it. Consider it my fee for saving your life... Zhuang Xun thought very shamelessly as he looked at Hu He, who lay unconscious on the ground.
Rate on N.U.
