Seeing this, I wanted to laugh at the people around me, but when I turned my head, I noticed that the smile on his face was a bit strange.
Following his gaze, they saw a person riding a horse slowly emerging from behind Xiao Lianjue. It was unexpected, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to make sense.
When Zhiyu was severely injured by Xiao Lianjue, it was said that Wuzun saved him. Back then, there were indeed only a handful of people who could rival him, and Bai Wuyan was one of them. Xiao Lianjue almost completely inherited Bai Wuyan's lifelong learning. Moreover, he also had people around him. Otherwise, Shaoyan would not have led me down the side road. It seems that if Xiao Lianjue really wanted to kill them all, either Wuzun or Zhiyu would have to lose their lives there. It would be quite difficult for both of them to escape unscathed.
Next came the matter of Juyi Manor. Although the Fire Fuling Token was just a token, to really steal it from Wuyue Palace, one would need either an insider or extraordinary abilities. And so far, no clues have been found about this insider, which is why Qionghua interrogates me every time Nangong Ling is not around.
So, the fact that Wu Zun appeared after Xiao Lianjue at this moment seems a bit too much of a stretch to call him a hostage. Judging from Nangong Ling's expression, he probably already knew about it beforehand.
The expressions of Nangong Ling's men changed the moment they saw the Martial Venerable appear, especially Qionghua. Even I, let alone you, find it hard to accept. The reason he didn't tell me was probably because he still held onto a sliver of hope. This was a huge blow to Nangong Ling, so he refused to truly believe it until the very last moment.
"This time it's Master, I wonder who it will be next time..."
"Clouds!"
Oh no, this guy's about to get caught up in his emotions again. What if he starts acting like a monster if I don't stop him? I'd rather die with him than do that.
He turned around, his eyes reflecting my furrowed brows. Then a faint smile appeared on his lips, his eyes devoid of any vulnerability or bitterness.
"I'm fine."
Even if white jade breaks, it remains hard; it is no longer a youth untouched by the storms of life.
"Xiao Lianjue, you still dare to show your face in front of me?"
Han Xuanmo twirled a jade thumb ring in one hand and stood with the other behind his back. If he weren't so thin, he would have been quite dashing and elegant.
Xiao Lianjue looked down at him from his horse, "You're not dead yet?"
"How can I so easily grant your wish?"
"You are all alone now, and at most you have the Xuanmo Sect. What good is that?"
"You probably don't know this, but I stepped into the imperial city myself. If anyone disobeys you, you will crush them to the brink of death. I don't want to die, so I borrowed Nangong Ling's place to hide for a while."
Xiao Lianjue's expression tightened, and she looked up in this direction, speaking to Han Xuanmo.
"You can run away on the first day of the month, but can you escape on the fifteenth? Fine, since everyone's here today, I'll take care of them all."
Han Xuanmo's brooding eyes flickered slightly. With a flick of his finger, he leaped into the air, pouncing towards Xiao Lianjue with his eagle claws. But then he saw the Martial Venerable on the other side free up a hand to draw the sword from the saddle and block Xiao Lianjue's path.
"Rong Cheng is one thing, but I didn't expect you to become his lackey as well?"
That reminded me that the little guy was in a hurry to come out back then, and Nangong Lingzheng only told him half of it. I haven't had a chance to ask him the rest until now.
"And what's wrong with your master?"
"It's for Chu Wenyi's sake. It turns out he never really let go."
"Who?" I've never heard of them.
"She's not well-known in the martial arts world, but she's my master's childhood sweetheart. Years ago, she accidentally ate the Everlasting Grass, and there was only one way to save her. My master traversed mountains and rivers to collect thousand-year-old ice in order to forge a crystal coffin that could preserve her body from decay. If the legendary Purple Clay Pill could be found, she could be brought back to life. This Purple Clay Pill is said to be the national treasure of Xiling. My master has been trying to steal it openly and secretly for many years without success. Some say it was bought into the underground palace along with Xiling's first emperor, while others say it was stolen during the chaos of war. There are various conflicting accounts. Perhaps Xiao Lian has refused my master's request, saying that if he were to seize the world, he would give him the Purple Clay Pill."
"Does he really have this purple clay elixir?"
"No one knows for sure, only he himself knows. Actually, he could figure it out if he just thought about it, but his master has been bewitched by this medicine for decades. He loses his composure as soon as he hears the words 'Purple Clay Pill'."
Perhaps at first it was for their childhood sweetheart, but later they may not even know what they were chasing anymore.
I shook my head, just sighed, and continued watching them fight. It had been a long time since I'd seen such a spectacular fight. I couldn't help but move closer, but as soon as I poked my head out, I felt a gust of cold wind sweep past me, followed by a tightening around my waist and a force pulling me back.
"I told you not to touch anything, but you still won't listen?"
I got a flick on the forehead, and when I glared at him, he glared back at me.
"Tsk, what a nuisance. Lian'er, you've had enough fun by now."
The eldest brother stood on a platform not far away, his gaze clear and distant, like a lone crane standing against the wind, seemingly about to fade away under the red sun.
"You're in trouble, you've made my older brother so angry."
The person next to me just smiled with narrowed eyes and reached out to pull me closer.
"Let it go, go and have a get-together with your older brother."
I was stunned for a moment, then anger welled up inside me. "Are you going to push me away again?!"
"No." He touched my lips with his hand. "I need you to do me a favor."
"What?"
"Find a way to meet someone; just tell them four words."
"Whom are you going to see?"
I thought about it and realized there was no reason why anyone should still be there. Weren't they all evacuated?
"Tell your second brother that everything is ready. After you see him, remember to behave yourself and follow your second brother. You'll be able to come back safely, understand?"
I understand. But when did you start hooking up with my second brother?
Chapter 136
Either don't take any action, or strike at the root of the problem.
He wouldn't be Nangong Ling if he stopped scheming against people.
By using Gemini to lure him into a blunder, my older brother was able to successfully bring me there. If I hadn't known beforehand, I probably would have found it quite natural.
Gemini Ann's attempt to help me backfired; this whole thing was pre-arranged, but that's another story.
However, to my surprise, after I went to my elder brother's side, Xiao Lianjue made the Martial Venerable stop, and with a wave of his hand, he actually withdrew his troops.
Looking at Nangong Ling, he was also somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting it.
So, Xiao Lianjue, are you trying to make me the target of everyone's criticism again?
"It's changed so much?"
My elder brother sat at one end of the camp, looked me over for a long time, and finally managed to utter a sentence.
"Why do you insist on helping Xiao Lianjue?"
"Why ask these questions? What good does it do to know so much?"
Not knowing the whole story is really frustrating...
"Then why did you call me here? Aren't you afraid I'll retaliate again like last time?"
"I bet you won't dare do it a second time."
The one speaking was Xiao Lianjue, who had been standing at the door for who knows how long, having lifted the curtain.
"You've already learned your lesson a few times, so where does your confidence come from?"
"If you don't care about Rong Cheng, you should at least care about Rong Qi's life or death."
I stared at him blankly, wondering if he would just deliver himself to my door so soon? What kind of act is this?
His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unfriendly. "Rong Cheng, you go out first. I have some things to tell you."
My elder brother pursed his lips, glancing at me with a hint of unease before leaving under Xiao Lianjue's slightly sinister gaze.
"You'd better behave yourself before I decide to make a move against you. Also, don't expect to see anyone until you get Nangong Ling's head."
"Oh." I nodded.
Agreeing is one thing, whether I do it or not is another. If I, Rong Lian, could listen to you, even the dead could come back to life.
"If you weren't still of use to me..."
"You think I would have kept you around until today?"
I followed along with what he was saying, rubbing my ears. I'd heard this from different people countless times before.
Don't keep threatening to kill Nangong Ling. I don't even want him dead. You'd better not push me to the point of killing.
"Why are you fixated on Nangong Ling? Has he been the only one making a move all these years? If you really want to thank him for speeding things up, isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
"If this person is left alive, he will surely become a great threat in the future!"
"You never leave any room for maneuver; you're forcing others to rebel!"
"You think you can talk to me about benevolence and righteousness? If I had shown even the slightest mercy, I would have been the first one to die back then!"
It would have been fine if that statement had been made so decisively, I could have refuted it, but it was precisely the excessive decisiveness that revealed the helplessness and sorrow that left me feeling quite depressed.
"Is it wrong to take back what is rightfully mine and to put everything back on the right track?"
The second sentence was also spoken with such confidence that it made me shiver with suffocation.
“Alright.” I took a deep breath. “Since this is a matter for your Xiling Kingdom, why drag my elder brother into it? Now even I’m involved. Is it just to threaten Nangong Ling?”
"You're quick to react."
He wore light-colored clothes and had black hair. He smiled with his lips pursed, and even though there was a hint of flamboyance in his eyes, his dignity remained undiminished.
"Rong Cheng's story begins before you were born. Do you know about the Flying Qin Sect?"
Birds? A sect made up of a group of birds? I stared at him wide-eyed, and he was so bewildered by my gaze that it took him a while to react.
"You..." He shook his head halfway through his sentence and then stopped. "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. The Flying Qin Sect disbanded decades ago and didn't achieve anything significant. The only thing worth mentioning is probably the unique fragrance on the sect leader. Regardless of gender, anyone who inherits his bloodline will naturally carry this fragrance."
When things get to this point, my first thought is Nangong Ling. He carries a mysterious, cool fragrance that can't be acquired through promiscuity. I've met Nangong Yi before, and he has no scent at all, so that eliminates him. That leaves Nangong Ling's mother, Qin Juanrou.
I hummed in agreement and nodded, then thought about it again, and realized something was off!
"Whether it's Fei Qin Sect or Qin Juanrou, what does it have to do with my elder brother?"
"Of course it's related. Fei Qin Sect had a grudge against the Rong family, and that's why Fei Qin Sect was essentially disbanded under pressure from your Rong family. The strong preying on the weak is a common occurrence, but who knew that Qin Juanrou would emerge later? Once she gained power, she demanded that Rong Cheng become a eunuch before she would agree to my father's request to consider entering the palace. And my father naturally went along with her in everything, especially since in his eyes the Rong family back then was nothing."
"To do such a thing as killing people just to win a smile from a beautiful woman, this emperor is living a carefree life."
The sarcastic words were grating to Xiao Lianjue's ears, causing her to furrow her brows and reveal her displeasure.