Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Gathering Storm (2)

Chapter 272: Gathering Storm (2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Meanwhile, at Jun Mountain Terrace…

Wu Province and Ze Province bordered each other. Rising Sun City was less than 400 kilometers southeast of Ze Province, where Jun Mountain Terrace was located.

At noon, the Cloud Dream Swamp was shrouded in fog. Thirty-six islands were hidden among blue waves, connected by corridors, terraces, and pavilions. Among them, ships and pleasure boats floated with the waves, gathering countless sabermen who had come from all over the world to make a pilgrimage or become famous.

Recently, the Prince of Wu’s rebellion had caused a huge commotion, but there were very few Jianghu people around Jun Mountain Terrace, and most of them were talking about another matter. Qiu Tianhe had come out.

Qiu Tianhe was one of the ‘Three Heroes of Cloud Lake’ 30 years ago. Although he had been through many ups and downs in the past few decades, he was still in Jianghu and was honorable and righteous. To this day, he was already one of the most qualified candidates for the next Saber Chief in the hearts of the people of Jianghu.

On the day Qiu Tianhe came out, he shouted at the Dragon Roar Pavilion, “Old Man Xuanyuan, you didn’t expect that…”

After the news spread in Jianghu, countless sabermen rushed to Jun Mountain Terrace one after another, wanting to see if Qiu Tianhe’s first stop after coming out was to cause trouble for Old Man Xuanyuan.

Compared to the Jianghu people, who were watching the excitement, the Xuanyuan family’s reaction was rather calm. After all, Qiu Tianhe would only come for a duel. Whether he won or lost, he couldn’t shake the foundation of Jun Mountain Terrace.

Compared to him, the other saberman who might become a calamity was clearly more worthy of Jun Mountain Terrace’s attention.

In the depths of Jun Mountain Terrace, on a tall building facing thousands of kilometers of blue waves, Xuanyuan Hongzhi was holding a note in his hand. His face was full of anger as he paced back and forth while cursing, “It’s only been a few days. A few days ago, they said that Ye Jingtang was favored by the Prince of Jing because of his outstanding looks, and his martial arts skills were only slightly better than the Black and White Impermanences. Now, they suddenly say that he’s half a step away from the Eight Chiefs level. Huang Yulong and Xiao Shicheng joined forces but were killed easily. He’s even serving as an imperial envoy and leading an army to capture the Prince of Wu… The Prince of Wu doesn’t even know that someone used him to get information. With such ability, he still rebelled. How disgraceful…”

Beside Xuanyuan Hongzhi stood an extremely muscular man. He carried a broad heavy saber on his back and had a beard on his chin. He looked heroic and extraordinary. He was ‘Saber Chief’ Xuanyuan Chao’s direct disciple, Yao Wenzhong.

Although Yao Wenzhong had a different surname, his status was similar to Ye Jingtang’s. He was the adopted son of Xuanyuan Chao and was nurtured by Jun Mountain Terrace as its successor.

Yao Wenzhong was extremely talented and had the qualifications to compete for the position of Saber Chief in the future. But the reason he could reach this position in Jun Mountain Terrace was mostly due to luck.

Originally, the most legitimate heir of Jun Mountain Terrace was Xuanyuan Tiangang, the eldest son of Xuanyuan Chao.

Xuanyuan Tiangang ranked first among the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake in the past. Everyone in Jianghu knew how talented he was. There had been almost no doubt that he would succeed his father, Xuanyuan Chao, as the next Saber Chief at the age of 30, and there had been hope that he would surpass his father and raise the Saber Chief’s ranking by two places.

However, although the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake were each other’s rivals, they were also close friends. The eldest daughter of Jun Mountain Terrace, Xuanyuan Shuye, had gotten to know Pei Yuanfeng, Ye Jingtang’s foster father, during one of his spars with her brother.

Later, in order to curry favor with the Imperial Court, the Xuanyuan family wanted to send their eldest daughter to the palace to be a consort. Pei Yuanfeng came to propose marriage and was provoked. He challenged Xuanyuan Chao at the age of twenty and was directly crippled.

Because of this, the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake had all come to an end prematurely.

Pei Yuanfeng failed to find the Snow Lake Flower in Northern Liang. Disheartened, he picked up Ye Jingtang and lived in seclusion in a border town for the rest of his life.

Qiu Tianhe stood up for his friend and killed his way into the emperor’s wedding team single-handedly. From then on, he became a rebel and wandered aimlessly for decades.

Xuanyuan Tiangang was dissatisfied with his family’s actions, so he abandoned his saber and left Jianghu to become a rural fisherman and never appeared again.

Had these three people grown up smoothly, not only would Yao Wenzhong not become the successor of Jun Mountain Terrace, but it would have even been a problem for him to become a direct disciple of Xuanyuan Chao.

Now that the successor of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade had appeared with such torrential momentum, Yao Wenzhong understood what he would face next.

Hearing Xuanyuan Hongzhi cursing, Yao Wenzhong advised, “Last time, they didn’t find out the details. This time, it might be an exaggeration because of the urgency. Ye Jingtang has only appeared for a few months and is about twenty years old. I believe that his martial arts skills are astonishing, but it’s impossible for him to wield military power. At most, he will be a leader of the Black Office and bring a hundred people…”

Xuanyuan Hongzhi said, “To be able to frighten Bai Siming into revealing his identity and sending news, he must have already appeared in front of Bai Siming. Once Ye Jingtang captures the Prince of Wu, his merits will be enough to promote him to a noble. If we don’t think of a way to get rid of the trouble now and give him another two years, do you think he will be like Zheng Feng and come to Jun Mountain Terrace alone to speak with a saber? As long as he attains power in the court, he will first kill the marquis, then send troops to raid the house, and then execute the entire family. On the day I go to the execution ground, it might be the first time I see him…”

Yao Wenzhong knew that this wasn’t a lie and deliberated for a moment. “If we kill a chief constable of the Black Office at the critical moment of the Prince of Wu’s rebellion, if word gets out, we will definitely be accused of colluding with the Prince of Wu… I will deal with this person personally…”

Xuanyuan Hongzhi stopped in his tracks and said in a deep voice, “Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Bai Siming said that this child isn’t far from the level of the Eight Chiefs. You might not be able to suppress him. At this moment, it’s time for my father to go personally. It’s best to call Zhou Chiyang over and let him take revenge for the murder of his brother…”

Yao Wenzhong shook his head. “It’s impossible for Zhou Chiyang to wade into such muddy waters. Master is the face of our Jun Mountain Terrace. We’re going to kill an official. If something happens, Master can still expel me from the sect like Old Master Zhou did and explain to the Imperial Court that it was my own decision. If Master goes personally and accidentally reveals his identity, Jun Mountain Terrace will have no room to maneuver. It’s better if I handle this matter.”

Xuanyuan Hongzhi clenched his hands behind his back and turned around. “I’ll go with you. I don’t believe that Ye Jingtang is really comparable to the Eight Chiefs in his twenties…”

Yao Wenzhong wasn’t sure how powerful Ye Jingtang was, so he didn’t say much about it and left the tall building with Xuanyuan Hongzhi…