Chapter 223: Reactions From All Sides
From the Five Heart Bridge to where Hua Yuzi was slain, this several-mile-long river channel had bustling city areas on both banks, densely packed with towers, halls, and pavilions, brilliantly lit.
As early as when the formation on the Five Heart Bridge exploded, many martial cultivators in the buildings on both banks noticed it, causing cries of alarm.
Li Weiyi, Yang Qingxi, and Hua Yuzi exchanged moves too quickly; several deadly strikes happened in an instant, and ending before most could see clearly, except for a few high-realm martial cultivators.
It was only when Hua Yuzi transformed into a six-colored peacock and was slain by one sword on the wide Li Shui River that the commotion gradually spread.
Martial cultivators rushed out from the buildings on both banks, boiling with excitement.
“What? That was Hua Yuzi, the second of the first rank in the Southern Territory?”
“It’s him. This person’s ranking is even above our Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s first successor, one of the most renowned young masters at this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.”
“It was a Dao Seed Realm senior who revealed his identity! The man and woman who killed him… very strange. Do you dare believe it—they’re not anyone from the first rank, tsk tsk…”
“Isn’t that nonsense? How could two first-rank martial cultivators be Hua Yuzi’s match? It must have been Ge Xian Tong who acted!”
“Not necessarily…”
…
The names and identities of “Li Weiyi” and “Yang Qingxi” were soon dramatically recounted by a Dao Seed Realm martial cultivator who happened to be nearby and witnessed the whole process, stirring up a huge uproar.
Who could believe that a rising star of the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm and a second-rank martial cultivator from the Southern Territory could slay Hua Yuzi, one of the top ten young experts endorsed by Du’e Temple?
When Bai Shu, Shi Shishi, and Tao Yanyan arrived, the riverbanks were already crowded with martial cultivators from all sides.
Bai Shu had originally been hiding outside the Sui Sect outpost, preparing to rendezvous with Li Weiyi. Seeing three carriages drive out, she sensed something wrong and, not finding any Jiu Li tribe experts, had no choice but to hurry back to Southern City for aid.
She had already dispatched martial cultivators from the Earth Wolf King Army to seek an audience with the successor of the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse.
The three of them had arrived ahead of time.
Bai Shu felt lingering fear and muttered to herself, “So the people in the carriage were actually terrifying figures like Hua Yuzi, Chen Wenwu, and the left and right attendants. Luckily, I didn’t act rashly at the time.”
From the accounts of the surrounding martial cultivators, the three quickly understood everything.
Tao Yanyan was full of shock, as if hearing a fairy tale: “How did they do it? This… this is completely impossible!”
“My Weiyi bro can always create miracles. It’s a pity Bai Shu ran away; otherwise, how would it have been Yang Qingxi’s turn to become famous under heaven? Oh no, that’s bad!”
Shi Shishi thought of something, face changing.
Tao Yanyan thought of it too, immediately taking out the invitation and searching for the location of a nearby Dragon Seed Voucher, saying gravely, “Li Weiyi must be severely injured. Chen Wenwu and the left and right attendants didn’t even have time to retrieve Hua Yuzi’s corpse—they must have pursued. We have to find them quickly!”
Shi Shishi said, “That’s not what I mean! Think about it: once this happens, Weiyi bro and Yang Qingxi’s past will definitely be dug up. Driven by the hype of slaying Hua Yuzi, the flowing stream is likely to bring up old matters again. What the world prefers to spread and fabricate is actually the latter. Oh no… my Weiyi bro’s reputation!”
“Stop messing around; saving people is urgent!”
Tao Yanyan locked onto the location of a Dragon Seed Voucher and chased after them with the two others.
…
Li Shui River bank.
In the snowstorm, a carriage sped southward.
“Whoosh!”
Chen Wenwu chased up like a wisp of mist and smoke, his handsome and upright figure landing in front of the carriage, blocking it with a wall of magic energy mist.
He held the Zhige Sword, advancing step by step with utmost caution.
He dared not be careless, fearing he would follow in Hua Yuzi’s footsteps and fall into the schemes of Li Weiyi and Yang Qingxi, that dog couple.
The left and right attendants also caught up, flanking from behind the carriage.
Chen Wenwu released magic energy to probe, then his expression froze. He quickly stepped forward and flipped the coachman to the ground.
“My lord… spare my life…”
The carriage window was pushed open.
A terrified scream came from inside—it was a family of three, no Li Weiyi or Yang Qingxi at all.
After a search.
They found Yang Qingxi’s Dragon Seed Voucher at the bottom of the carriage.
At any other time, Chen Wenwu would be ecstatic, but at this moment, holding the Dragon Seed Voucher, rage burned in his heart, feeling as if he were being trampled and humiliated.
What use was getting the Dragon Seed Voucher?
Hua Yuzi was dead!
Only by capturing Li Weiyi and Yang Qingxi did the three of them have a chance to live.
Otherwise… either death or a fate worse than death.
The left and right attendants, transformed into ash spirit forms, had sparks in their eyes, killing intent surging, wanting to tear the three in the carriage to shreds.
Just then.
A woman in a Daoist robe from Du’e Temple arrived gracefully, leaping to land on a snow-covered treetop. She said, “If you act against innocent residents, this immortal envoy will take your lives. Every invitation-holding martial cultivator is warned only once.”
No one had expected such a massive turn of events to happen so quickly that Du’e Temple’s twelve patrol immortal envoys hadn’t arrived before the battle ended.
The left and right attendants restrained themselves.
Chen Wenwu quickly calmed down and analyzed, “The two of them are severely injured and also need to hide their tracks and aura—they definitely haven’t gone far. Mobilize all forces; we must intercept and kill them on their way back to Southern City.”
…
…
“What? Hua Yuzi is dead?”
Upon receiving Bai Shu’s plea for aid, Zuo Qiu Ting set out immediately and arrived near the Five Heart Bridge, where a Zuo Qiu Gatehouse scout came to report.
After hearing the scout’s detailed account.
Zuo Qiu Ting was also stunned there.
It must be known that Zuo Qiu Ting had clashed with Hua Yuzi more than once and knew well how formidable he was. His combat power was such that even two successors joining hands might not defeat him.
To slay Hua Yuzi would be even more difficult.
Led by the scout, Zuo Qiu Ting saw the massive six-colored peacock corpse on the water surface. Using mind perception on the sword qi at the wound, he evaluated, “He has become stronger; how could his cultivation progress be this fast?”
“Hurry and dispatch all experts from the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse and Jiu Li tribe at the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm and above to rendezvous with Li Weiyi and stop the pursuit from the Far West Ash Region.”
Immediately after, he added, “Before the Far West Ash Region martial cultivators arrive, salvage the corpse, send it to the prefectural city governor, and offer it to Ge Xian Tong and Jiang Ning to congratulate the imperial court martial cultivators on slaying Hua Yuzi.”
…
Tang Wan Qiu sat coldly in the main hall, reflecting on today’s defeat, seeking the root cause, realizing it was his own greed for merit, rash advance, and underestimation of the number one person’s mind.
The hall’s lights flickered, now bright, now dim, just like his mood at this moment.
Snow Sword Tang Court’s second successor, Tang Chen, strode in quickly.
Tang Wan Qiu said, “Has Cang Li and the others returned to Southern City?”
“Wan Qiu, something huge happened!”
Tang Chen said solemnly yet shockingly, “Li Weiyi killed Hua Yuzi…”
Light rapidly gathered in Tang Wan Qiu’s eyes as he lifted his head: “What did you say?”
Tang Chen said, “Hua Yuzi is dead; his head was severed by Li Weiyi’s one sword. This is absolutely true. It’s said that in that killing strike, five battle intents appeared together, suspended in midair, forming five deities, just like the legends and tales in storybooks—the Ancient Heavenly Emperor in his youth was no more than this.”
“When I was seeing off Cang Li and the others just now, someone happened to rush over to report. Several from the Jiu Li tribe have all rushed there now! This is simply too unbelievable; it happened right near the Five Heart Bridge…”
“Five Heart Bridge.”
Tang Wan Qiu had a photographic memory and had long memorized the map of Qiu Zhou Prefecture City. After hearing Tang Chen’s detailed account, he quickly accepted this unbelievable fact.
“No matter how he did it, facts are facts. I suppose at Du’e Temple’s side, his evaluation is now no less than Luan Sheng Lin You, Ge Xian Tong, or Zuo Qiu Hong.”
Tang Chen’s gaze was deep: “Hua Yuzi is the first among the top ten experts to fall, and he was slain across two realms. I think as long as Li Weiyi doesn’t die, there’s a good chance he’ll be rated as a hidden dragon. The Jiu Li tribe has no power to scheme for under heaven, but the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse will rise with the tide.”
No need for Tang Chen to spell it out; Tang Wan Qiu already realized the severity of the situation.
This matter’s influence went beyond the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival—it was the world situation.
If Du’e Temple firmly supported the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, then in the near future, it would surely become Snow Sword Tang Court’s greatest rival.
Then, his Tang Wan Qiu would be utterly defeated at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.
Tang Wan Qiu said, “I understand what you mean! Since Li Weiyi is badly injured, the Far West Ash Region and other forces will definitely pursue with all their might and won’t let this hidden dragon live to return to Southern City or rendezvous with Jiu Li tribe experts. For now, we shouldn’t play the villains; the Jiu Li tribe still has use value.”
“Here’s the plan: have Wan Yan Xiao Se go search for Li Weiyi. We must show a stance of saving him.”
…
Western City.
Luan Sheng Lin You emerged from secluded cultivation for healing, standing on the corridor with long hair like a silver waterfall, expression calm as Left Attendant knelt trembling on the ground to report.
“Got it. In just seven short days, his cultivation has advanced another level.”
Luan Sheng Lin You’s eyes showed no fluctuation, then said, “Mobilize all forces from San Chen Palace, Night City, and Coffin Mountain to find him and kill him. If you three can’t even handle one heavily injured person, don’t ever come back!”
Left Attendant kowtowed heavily to the ground, then withdrew.
“Ming Nian Sheng, assemble all experts from the Third Realm of the Five Seas Realm and above from the demon race, ash spirits, Que Rong, and Quan Rong to attack Zhu Men tonight,” Luan Sheng Lin You said.
Ming Nian Sheng was very surprised: “Attack Zhu Men tonight? Shouldn’t we first avenge Hua Yuzi? I think we should take advantage of this chaos to deal with the Jiu Li tribe first, catch them off guard.”
Luan Sheng Lin You said, “When everyone thinks we’re going to seek revenge tonight, that’s precisely the perfect chance to take Zhu Men.”
Qi Jin, still wearing Zhuang Yue’s human skin, praised, “Young Esteemed One’s move of striking west while attacking east is truly brilliant! Mobilize all martial cultivators from San Chen Palace, Night City, and Coffin Mountain for a grand citywide manhunt—it’s just a feint, bound to cause Zhu Men’s greatest ally, the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, to misjudge and divert their forces to searching for and rescuing Li Weiyi and protecting the Jiu Li tribe.”
“After all, the Jiu Li tribe is the true ally; Zhu Men is merely a cooperation partner during the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.”
“Who could think we could suppress our rage and, amid such heavy losses, find the perfect opportunity to unify the Western Territory?”
Luan Sheng Lin You looked at her: “Qi Jin, with Hua Yuzi’s fall, you must raise the banner and hold things together. Tonight, the Ash Region headquarters outpost and Longevity Pill Vouchers—I entrust them to you!”
“I will not fail,” Qi Jin said.
