Chapter 189 - One Stronger than the Last

Cai clan’s father and son followed Sun Yufei into the Sun manor’s parlor.

Sun Yufei motioned for them to stop as she made a respectful bow, “Elder, the Cai clan father and son are here!”

“Let them in!”

The cold voice sent shivers down the father and son’s spines, shuffling behind Sun Yufei with the courage of a mouse.

They were about to meet a man of great power in the seven houses, a grand Profound Heaven expert. One word from him would send their heads tumbling.

They only just stepped through the door and their knees hit the floor, soon followed by their heads, “Salutations, elder. I am Cai Rong, head of the Cai clan and he is my son!”

Sun Yufei couldn’t help but frown.

She used to think Cai Xiaoting was a distinguished man of valor and pride. Only to find he had not one single bone in his back.

She was the one leading them, yet, instead of letting her make her own gesture of respect first, they cut in front of her! Then again, hardly anyone in Tianyu didn’t go on his knees when meeting an elder from the seven houses.

But this cowardice brought them to a whole new level of shameless she never saw before, earning her contempt, [I must’ve been blind to have fancied you!]

The feelings were mutual for the middle-aged men sitting in the chairs across, holding them in even worse regard.

“Ha-ha-ha, this pair knows how to choose sides!”

The voice on their left made the Cai clan father and son look. [It isn’t just one Hell Valley elder that came this time?]

What they saw was an old man with blue hair nodding at them. He was mocking, being satisfied, and flashing in his eyes gave the father-son duo a weird feeling.

“Yan Zhenglan, if you find them so capable, why not take them under Pill King Hall’s wing?” The man in the center teased.

Yan Zhenglan shook his hand and laughed, “You Laoliu, isn’t it a bit rude to push these men who came to Hell Valley? Even to an inferior clan such as theirs, credit must be given where it’s due and take them in your care. When a dog wags its tail, a master ought to throw it a pound of flesh, no?”

“What are you guys doing wasting time on these fools? Ask what we came here for and let’s get on with it! House lords’ messages could arrive any day now!”

The rude voice came from the two’s right this time. They turned cautiously and saw a stout man with a beard in a blue robe and of imposing presence.

Another Profound Heaven expert.

“Ha-ha-ha, what crawled up your ass and died?” You Laoliu dismissed him with a smile, “Lin Yuelun, among us three houses, Merry Woods’ grudge with Zhuo Fan is the smallest. So just sit tight! Maybe Zhuo Fan has already been dealt with and we won’t be doing any attacking. We’re not allowed to be here anyway!”

The other two caught his meaning and shivered a nod.

The two from the Cai clan had long been sweating buckets.

[What the hell is wrong with this world? Why are three of the Seven Noble Houses here? I only recall swearing fealty to Hell Valley, not to three of them!]

[Are we such a hot commodity that they’re fighting over us? Ha-ha-ha, as if! Zhuo Fan! They must’ve come here for revenge!]

Cai Rong gnashed his teeth, the hatred for Zhuo Fan burning even hotter!

In this backwater place, Lei Yuting handled the intelligence of the Luo clan, while the father and son remained in the dark regarding Zhuo Fan’s exploits in the outside world.

He was smart enough to guess Zhuo Fan poked his nose where he shouldn’t to end up with two more houses on his tail.

Wasn’t that clear enough he wanted to make it hard for these two?

[Couldn’t you have offended anyone else instead of the seven houses?]

The original plan was to work from the darkness with the Sun clan for the Hell Valley and wipe out the Luo clan, presenting Windgaze City as a welcome gift. But the plan went up in smoke as Hell Valley suffered a crushing defeat instead.

[The imperial family’s Secret Pearl Order can go to hell for all I care. The eighth house is going to be the Luo clan, not my Cai clan. Why the hell should I give my life for them?]

But the arrival of Pill King Hall and Merry Woods told him their hatred for the Luo clan was no less than Hell Valley’s.

Why else would two great houses travel thousands of miles to Windgaze City, even when the imperial family had put a ban on this area?

In short, one house’s ire became three houses’ wrath.

Selling the Luo clan out might have been able to appease one house’s anger, but when there were three, even if the Luo clan was burned to the ground the remaining rage of the other two houses would be shifted onto the father and son!

After all, they were once part of the Luo clan, no?

Cai Rong was on the verge of crying! [Zhuo Fan is a genius to stir three hornet nests! What the hell did you do to offend three houses in just two years?]

The three elders didn’t know the anguish and sorrow plaguing the poor father and son, not that they cared. Yan Laoliu sipped his tea and shouted, “Cai Rong, begin by telling me of the experts hiding in the Luo clan.”

“Uh…”

Cai Rong was out of it for a second then bobbed his head, on the verge of hugging their legs and begging for mercy. As for getting rewarded for his merit, that was long forgotten.

“Elders, the Luo clan is a second rate clan at best. Only Grand Elder Lei Yuntian is a Profound Heaven expert, one that advanced two years ago. As for his goddaughter, Lei Yuting, and Captain Pang, they are all in the Bone Tempering Stage! While the Luo clan orphans, Luo Yunhai and Luo Yunchang are even weaker. The rest are inconsequential, beneath elders’ attention… “

Cai Rong blurted out as fast as he could, sometimes pausing, letting Cai Xiaoting join the explanation.

They spilled the beans on anything and everything that happened in the Luo clan over the past two years.

The three elders looked at the two somewhat awkwardly.

They all have seen their fair share of snitches but never ever someone as useless as these two. [How did they even keep their vassal clan status?]

“That’s all. We have no need to know what flowers you planted on the mountain!” Scratching his nose, You Laoliu said, “What of the four arrays? Do you know how to shut them down, or how to avoid them?”

“Zhuo Fan has set them up before his departure. We know nothing about them. Only after betraying the Luo clan, did we find out of the arrays’ existence. You have to believe me, elders…”

“Fine fine, we believe you!”

To Cai Rong’s panic, You Laoliu gestured for him to stop. How could the three elders not believe such dedicated traitors?

The elders nodded.

They had a rudimentary knowledge of the Luo clan so there was no point in asking further. Knowing how the two planted flowers behind the mountain or staking out the latrines for days on end would probably, most definitely, not reveal some groundbreaking secret. They thought.

Just as they were about to ask the two to leave, three men suddenly broke in and the elders got shocked and rushed to bow, “Greetings to the three Venerables!”

[What?! Venerables? Isn’t that a Radiant Stage expert?]

Gasping, Cai Rong brought his head even lower. He was so shocked he almost had a heart attack. Never had he entertained the notion there would be one here, much less see one in person.

The only one they ever saw was the Jade Flute Divine Sword, Fang Qiubai. That man was following the third prince, and it was clear that he had no ill intentions towards them.

While these three Venerables wouldn’t be as tolerant, killing them at a whim if they wanted to. The two didn’t shiver in fear before the elders, but were now rooted on the spot.

The Venerables couldn’t care less about ants, fixing their eyes on the elders.

“We detected three men outside Windgaze City. A Bone Tempering Stage, a Profound Heaven Stage and a 6th layer of Radiant Stage experts!” One Venerable spoke.

The elders were shocked.

[Why would such an expert come here for? Was he a friend or foe?]

“Damn! the Radiant Stage expert is heading for us!” A Venerable shouted.

Everyone was on edge right now, as even the elders broke out in sweat. A Profound Heaven expert was no different than an ant before a 6th layer Radiant Stage.

The three Venerables fixed their gazes outside this courtyard.

The atmosphere was so heavy, no breath was heard and the air grew thick. Cai Rong and his son were crawling on the ground shaking like a leaf.

If all the experts here fought with the newcomer, they would have no chance of survival!

Boom!

Shockingly, Mad Dipper, Li Jingtian slammed into the Sun clan’s yard, kicking up dust. Once it settled, his raging face was terrifying.

“A-aren’t you…”

A Venerable recognized him and pointed a trembling finger.

He didn’t get the chance to continue as Li Jingtian slapped him silly.

The Venerable was bent over as Li Jingtian shouted, “Fools, why haven’t you attacked yet?”

The others were dumbstruck.

Not caused by Li Jingtian’s booming voice, but the suddenness of his slap.

Who was this man to slap a high and mighty Radiant Stage expert, a Venerable?

Cai Rong and his son were paralyzed. Today had been an eventful day for them, to say the least.

In the span of only fifteen minutes, one stronger than the next kept popping up! It all culminated with the arrival of a Radiant Stage expert slapping a seven houses’ Venerable silly…