Chapter 545: Assassination Before a Grave (part 2)
Tingyu didn’t have the heart of a schemer like Chen Feiyuan or Xu Qing. Therefore, she didn’t realize there had been a misunderstanding, nor did she even consider that only a few words could resolve that misunderstanding. However, she could sense that Chen Feiyuan seemed somewhat irritated. Grabbing Chen Feiyuan, and then grabbing Xu Qing, she pulled them closer together.
Smiling, she said, “Chen Feiyuan, don’t think that just because you’ve grown up you can ignore your Elder Sister’s words. And Xu Qing, don’t be put off by Chen Feiyuan’s icy exterior. He actually paid very close attention to everything you did in the county capital. You see, the more he grows up, the less he likes revealing what he really thinks.”
Chen Feiyuan cleared his throat. Xu Qing grinned. The three of them looked at each other, and for a moment it was like they were all back in that tent in the scavenger basecamp, sitting together and listening to Grandmaster Bai’s lectures. A moment passed, and they continued on their way to the public cemetery.
Daoist Sima followed behind, keeping his distance. As he looked at the three youngsters, he sighed inwardly and thought of his own Junior Brother. I should go remind him again not to covet the bloodlines of others. It will only lead to disaster.
It was currently noon. Though it was in the middle of winter, the sky was clear, with only a few wispy clouds floating along. The wind wasn’t very cold, and the sun shone down on Xu Qing, Chen Feiyuan, and Tingyu, keeping them warm as they walked to the cemetery.
Martial law had been imposed thanks to Xu Qing’s visit. What was more, there were guards from the eight clans nearby, ready to follow orders from Chen Feiyuan if necessary.
There were plenty of flowers and incense at Grandmaster Bai’s grave. Whether it was Chen Feiyuan and Tingyu, or other people who had been helped by Grandmaster Bai through the years, there were always people coming to pay respects.
Xu Qing looked at the grave and thought back to Grandmaster Bai. Tingyu handed him some incense, and he lit it, knelt in front of the grave, and kowtowed. Parents impart the soul to a child. A teacher prepares them for life. Because of that, teachers and parents surpass the importance of heaven. Whether it was Master Seventh or Grandmaster Bai, it was the same.
Xu Qing had understood that truth from a young age. Although he lived in a chaotic world, anyone who imparted knowledge to him was someone he would cherish forever.
However, as Xu Qing kowtowed, those wispy clouds floating in the sky suddenly stirred into motion. There was no explosion of killing intent. There was no icy will. The clouds just formed into a hand that shot down toward Xu Qing in front of the grave. It moved so quickly, and happened so unexpectedly, that it seemed clear this was an ambush designed to be difficult to defend against. What was more, Void Returning power erupted in the hand, causing it to pulse with a sensation of extermination.
Nine figures suddenly appeared.
The first eight were the clan chiefs who had previously departed. All of them pulsed with Spirit Trove fluctuations. The ninth person was an old man with white hair who had a Void Returning aura. Together, they shot toward the descending hand. That old man was publicly accepted as the patriarch of all eight clans, and he was the only Void Returning cultivator in the Violet Lands.
When the two forces collided, the hand was sent flying backward. Eyes shining, the Violet Lands patriarch raced in pursuit.
The eight clan chiefs then flew out to make sure Xu Qing wasn’t harmed by any residual shockwaves from the hand. Just like that, the situation was resolved.
The entire time, Xu Qing didn’t react at all. He just kept kowtowing.
Tingyu was visibly shaken. As for Chen Feiyuan, his face remained expressionless. Because he was in charge of Xu Qing’s safety, he had immediately requested help from the Violet Lands leadership when he sensed something was going wrong.
However, just as Xu Qing’s forehead touched the ground, streams of smoke suddenly rose up all around him. Numerous Smokewights took form and rushed toward Xu Qing. There were hundreds of them, all with extraordinary cultivation bases. Being skilled at assassination, they closed in quickly. However, before they could get close, the surrounding air rippled, and a huge sealing mark appeared, pulsing with terrifying power. It was the combined power of the eight clans’ magical treasures. Though it wasn’t quite at the level of a taboo treasure, it was about as powerful as a magical treasure could be.
All it took was for Chen Feiyuan to crush a jade slip he held in his hand, and the magical treasure appeared. Everything trembled.
“Xu Qing, continue paying your respects.”
After clasping hands to the grand elder, Xu Qing looked back at Grandmaster Bai’s gravestone. Once again, he began kowtowing earnestly.
“Sorry to disturb your sleep, Teacher...” Xu Qing murmured. He could guess at what Marquis Yao was trying to accomplish here, though Xu Qing himself had not been aware of the plan. And he also knew why Marquis Yao didn’t mention anything ahead of time. The marquis had obviously been aware that Xu Qing wouldn’t agree to lay a trap like this right in front of his Teacher’s grave. Or perhaps this wasn’t their chosen location for the fight to play out.
Xu Qing continue to kowtow.
One kowtow. Two kowtows. Three kowtows....
Marquis Yao had obviously prepared thoroughly for this situation. He also had the cooperation of the Violet Lands. As a result, the well over 1,000 would-be assassins were either being killed or captured. The fight didn’t last long. Once the attackers realized a trap had been laid, they tried to flee.
After Marquis Yao’s major world entered the rift, the place rained blood. The assassination attempt was already almost over. Although some fighting was still playing out, it had already moved out of the Violet Lands.
Everything grew quiet.
The assassination attempt by the secret resistance forces in Sea-Sealing County had been thwarted. Perhaps they didn’t attack with full force, or perhaps they didn’t prepare well enough. Either way, their haste, coupled with their selection of the wrong battlefield, and perhaps other factors they couldn’t have predicted, led to this conclusion. Because of everything, Xu Qing felt like he had just been part of a show.
Or maybe Marquis Yao wasn’t on a fishing expedition. Maybe he got some information about what was going to happen, and decided to tighten the noose....
Xu Qing thought about it for a moment.
The grand elder from the Swordsage Court noticed Xu Qing’s facial expression.
“Don’t be irritated at Marquis Yao,” he said. “He paid a heavy price for this. Tapping into the county’s taboo treasure and destiny aura, plus the forced convergence of his major world, is going to cost him longevity.
“Now that he’s the governor, his connections with the various nonhumans are going to be the foundation of his success in Sea-Sealing County. He has a totally different style than the old governor. Some species required to give blood tribute did it in the form of intelligence reports.
“Marquis Yao wants to stabilize the county and intimidate those around us. He can’t afford to show any cowardice, and thus, chose to make an impression. The reality is that Sea-Sealing County doesn’t actually have a fourth-stage expert, which led to this current situation.”
The grand elder looked deeply at Xu Qing.
“Furthermore, he took a weakness of yours and managed to erase it in the eyes of the enemy. If they think you’re willing to lay a trap like this right in front of your Teacher’s grave, then they’ll believe that mundane emotional connections are meaningless to you. Going forward, no one will try to use such things against you. Of course, this is all just my opinion.”
Xu Qing didn’t reply. He knew the situation in Sea-Sealing County, and he could guess Marquis Yao’s intentions.
As Xu Qing looked in the direction of where the fighting was still playing out, Chen Feiyuan approached.
“Our Violet Lands forces have captured many enemies. Some we need to keep for interrogation. What do we do with the others?”
Calming his heart and mind, Xu Qing said, “Kill them.”