Chapter 86
Although it was completely dark outside, the manor itself was not very dark due to the torches and lanterns that were lit everywhere.
Jiang Ziya, who had gone out of the chamber following Xi Xichang, could feel that she was holding back her anger from her trembling shoulders.
Xi Xichang moved her feet to a position where their conversation would not be heard by Yang Jian's ears.
And after looking around and confirming that there was no presence, she turned her body and glared fiercely at Jiang Ziya.
"What on earth is your scheme?"
"A scheme?"
"I have no intention of nitpicking about who you are now. But didn't we make a contract to share what we both want?"
"A contract..."
Jiang Ziya helps Xi Xichang to have the Sichuan Tang Clan join the Sichuan Alliance. And Xi Xichang arranges for Jiang Ziya to meet the Sword Immortal of the Sichuan Alliance.
Their companionship was no different from being made out of mutual need.
"I'm sure it's true that you have an item that the head of the Tang Clan will be pleased with. But do you have to make things so complicated?"
"A promise is a promise."
Jiang Ziya's determination to deliver the item of the Butterfly Scholar, a reclusive master of the previous generation, as promised, and to faithfully keep its contents, was certainly commendable, but Xi Xichang could not understand the reason why he was stubbornly trying to deliver the plaque to his child, not to the head of the Tang Clan.
A lot of time had passed since she had left the Sichuan Alliance, and the situation in Sichuan, which had been quiet for a while, was slowly stirring.
She had too many things to do besides persuading the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"...Then I guess I have no choice but to stay in the Tang Clan."
There was nothing that made a person more tired than waiting without a promise.
But as a person who was in the righteous path, not the evil path, she had no justification to argue with Jiang Ziya, who said that he would keep his promise.
Although she didn't know what the urgent matter that Tang Yizheng was talking about was, there was no other choice but to be tied up in the Tang Clan until that matter was resolved and Jiang Ziya delivered that plaque.
"Why have you suddenly become so impatient?"
Jiang Ziya read her impatience in Xi Xichang's voice.
Xi Xichang, whom he had seen while heading to the Tang Clan together, had been in a hurry, but she had not been impatient.
But looking back, he didn't know when, but Xi Xichang's composure had disappeared.
It was clear that there was a reason that had made her impatient before she had visited the Tang Clan.
"They say that a successor has been announced in the Black Contemplation Fortress."
"The Black Contemplation Fortress..."
For Jiang Ziya, the Black Contemplation Fortress was like a nightmare that he could never forget.
This was because his life had changed because of them, and he had practiced martial arts thinking of them.
Although the flames of that anger were not the same as before, as time had passed, his disgust for their atrocities remained in a corner of his heart like an ember in a charcoal.
The biggest reason why the Black Contemplation Fortress had not moved until now was, in the end, because of the succession problem within the Black Contemplation Fortress.
This was because the Black Contemplation Fortress was suffering from a great measles, to the extent that it was divided in half between the two outstanding successors, Jejeong and Jeshin.
But after Wenzhong, who had been supporting the young emperor, Jeshin, had entered a closed-door training at the same time as the Sword Immortal, Jeshin's power had weakened rapidly, and in the end, Jejeong had approached the closest place to the throne.
"If the Black Contemplation Fortress finishes its internal arrangements, I'm ashamed to say, but with the current Sichuan Alliance, there is no way to stop them."
The Sichuan Alliance was weakening as time passed, with the Vice-Leader, the Tiger-Subduing Sword, Sheng Houhu, who had risen to the position of Vice-Leader while the Sword Immortal, Taoist Lingbao, was away, and Yue Shengwu taking control of the Sichuan Alliance and wielding power as they pleased.
Unless the Sword Immortal were to get up from his seat or to achieve a balance of power with a new wave, its future was extremely dark.
"Since the Sword Immortal is in the Sichuan Alliance, you don't have to worry too much, do you?"
"You're saying that because you don't know."
"Are you saying that the Sword Immortal has ascended to heaven, as the rumors say?"
When he was in the Hermit's Valley, he had already heard from Jin Tianxiang, the head of the Seo Won Escort Agency, that the Sword Immortal and the Black Qilin had disappeared together.
Hadn't the Tongtian Cult Master also said that the Taoist Lingbao might have died?
Xi Xichang, who saw Jiang Ziya's expression turn cold, hurriedly shook her head.
"Th-that's not it... the Sword Immortal is... in a closed-door training to treat his internal injuries."
The state of the Sword Immortal was a top secret even in the Sichuan Alliance.
"In any case, I have shown all the cards I have. Don't you think it's time for you to tell me about the Sword Immortal?"
Jiang Ziya, seeing Xi Xichang's attitude, had an ominous thought that the Sword Immortal's condition might not be as good as he thought.
Xi Xichang seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, biting her lip.
Although she had promised to help him meet the Sword Immortal, if the Sword Immortal were to refuse to meet him in the final situation, it might not be possible.
Therefore, she had been worried about whether it was right to reveal the Sword Immortal's condition without even knowing his purpose.
"If it's hard to say, alright. Then please answer just this. Is it true that the Taoist Lingbao is definitely alive?"
"Yes."
Jiang Ziya let out a small sigh of relief.
Jiang Ziya, who had been worried about the possible death of the Taoist Lingbao, felt as if a burden had been lifted from a corner of his heavy heart, as it seemed that it was not the worst-case scenario.
Xi Xichang did not miss Jiang Ziya's relieved expression.
Although it was a fleeting moment, his expression of worrying about the Sword Immortal's safety was surely sincere. She was convinced that Jiang Ziya was not looking for the Taoist Lingbao with the intention of harming him.
"In any case, if you persuade the head of the Tang Clan, surely..."
—This way!—
Dozens of martial artists holding torches were running somewhere noisily.
Xi Xichang and Jiang Ziya could not continue their conversation and turned their eyes to their backs, which looked urgent.
"It seems that something really big has happened in the Tang Clan."
It meant that there was something that required all their strength, to the extent that they could not be careful of them, even though there were guests.
"Let's follow them."
"What?"
"Didn't the head of the Tang Clan also say that? He said that he would finish his business first and then to stop the training of his son, who was in a closed-door training."
"That's true, but..."
"It's better to know the situation first and to use it, rather than just waiting without knowing the situation. Who knows? We might be of help and to act more favorably for the Sichuan Alliance."
Moreover, perhaps this commotion was related to the Non-Duality Gate. From Jiang Ziya's perspective, it was an opportunity to get a clue.
"...Still, let's be careful not to get into trouble by acting rashly."
It was not in Xi Xichang's nature to just wait for time to pass.
And if it were a big deal that the entire Tang Clan was so anxious about, as Jiang Ziya had said, she might get a way or information to gain even a little advantage in the negotiations with the Tang Clan.
"Have you decided?"
As Jiang Ziya lightly shook his body, his presence became faint in an instant.
The startled Xi Xichang looked at Jiang Ziya.
It was a good thing that he was in front of her, but if she had not been looking, she would not have noticed that Jiang Ziya was there.
Moreover, he was a man who was carrying a huge fishing rod.
Although she didn't know if it was a martial art or something else, it was a surprising skill.
"How did you do that?"
"Let's just say it's a small trick."
Jiang Ziya smiled and grabbed Xi Xichang's sleeve and displayed the eight trigrams magic.
Although Xi Xichang was flustered by Jiang Ziya's action of suddenly grabbing her sleeve, as he scribbled on her sleeve, she could feel the presence around her change faintly.
"Let's go."
Jiang Ziya hurriedly followed the martial artists of the Tang Clan who were rushing, and Xi Xichang, after looking at Jiang Ziya with a suspicious gaze, soon flew her body and followed him.
* * *
I like women.
I liked women from the moment I was born, and after I became aware of sex, I had never once left the embrace of a woman.
If I earned money, except for food expenses, it all went into the embrace of a woman.
In the summer, I sought women because it was hot,
In the winter, I sought women because it was cold.
Spring and autumn were no exception.
Just as a sharp knife is sharpened, my thing also became sharper with each passing day.
And by the time I came to my senses, I was being called the number one playboy of Sichuan. The Flower Hunter.
"Flower Hunter!"
A sharp voice was heard. It was a voice full of malice.
"What's the matter... gasp! Who are those people?"
I was startled by the men who had suddenly surrounded me and stepped back.
They all had a fierce expression, and it seemed that their poison would pierce the sky at any moment.
"No matter what, I will bury you today."
Crunch!
With the sound of grinding teeth, a man came out in front of me, holding a club.
I had no choice but to quickly rack my brains.
'Suhui? Choye? Or is it a guy who loves the flowers of the red-light district? Or if not...'
"You know your own sin! How dare you hope to live after defiling my daughter, Juso!"
The clubs that the guys were clutching were tightened.
'Ah, damn it... I had a bad feeling about this...'
It was a case of stepping in shit, and stepping in it properly.
The trouble had started when I had met a virgin while loitering around the red-light district last night. Who would have guessed that the one-night stand would reach the father's ears so quickly?
Damn it... I spat the saliva that was caught in my throat on the ground with my lips that were about to spew out curses.
"Ptooey!"
"Ptooey?"
It seemed that my action just now had further provoked his anger. The man was snorting like an angry bull.
"No matter how I think about it, it's unfair. It's not like I raped your daughter. It's so unfair that you're trying to catch only me for something that happened between a man and a woman of marriageable age by mutual consent."
"Marriageable age? Well said. Then will you take responsibility for my daughter?"
"That's impossible. As you know, my income is not regular, and I can't stay with one woman, so I will only make your daughter unhappy."
It was a logical statement. Although I thought it was a perfect answer, it seemed to be far from the model answer he was thinking of.
"You damn brat, you still have a mouth! Alright, I'll club your mouth first today!"
Swoosh!
Thump!
"Ugh!"
At the sound of the club cutting through the wind, I ended up counterattacking Mr. Jiang without realizing it.
Mr. Jiang, who had been knocked down by a kick, could not overcome his great anger, and his face turned red.
"You, you brat..."
Thump!
As soon as the club fell on my head, the sound of a skull cracking was heard.
"Aack! Oh my, I'm dying!"
As soon as I felt the impact, I grabbed my head and began to roll on the ground.
Although I had swallowed a lot of dust, since this was not the first or second time, this was not even an appetizer.
Thump! Thump!
"Aack! Oh my! Sir, I was wrong!"
Although I screamed at the top of my lungs, the beating did not show any sign of stopping easily.
They were tough guys.
Although I thought that my acting of screaming had improved enough to arouse pity, it seemed that these guys had no blood or tears.
At that moment.
"You, it's a sight that I can't bear to watch with my eyes open."
A low-pitched voice.
If there was an ability to intimidate a person with just a voice, it was surely possessed by such a person.
The people who had been surrounding the man and committing violence for a long time were startled by the man who had appeared, holding a large crescent moon saber, and stepped back.
"Tu Xingsun. The master is looking for you."
(End of Chapter)