Chapter 113
If it was according to Tu Xingsun's information and Shiyue's prediction, it was clear that a poisonous man or something comparable to a poisonous man existed in the Sichuan Tang Clan.
And the Martial Arts Alliance would not tolerate it.
The crack between the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Martial Arts Alliance was the same as the crack between the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Sichuan Alliance.
The Sichuan Tang Clan would never be able to join the Sichuan Alliance. If things went well, perhaps the Black Contemplation Fortress might even receive the help of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Shiyue went back to his endless work.
Now, a week before the coronation ceremony, the commotion and bustle of the Black Contemplation Fortress had reached its peak, and Shiyue's workload was also reaching its peak.
After pledging his loyalty to Jeshin again, Tu Xingsun secretly finished his preparations for him.
A great sin that would not be enough even if he had ten lives if his actions were to be discovered.
Tu Xingsun, as he was leaving the inner court, felt the urge to run away from the Black Contemplation Fortress right now.
To be hostile to Mo Guangdi, Jeul, was an act no different from being crazy.
The reason why the Twelve Honored Ones of the World had not changed or decreased for decades was because they were invincible superhumans and an insurmountable fortress.
Was it even possible to start a rebellion against such a Mo Guangdi, and moreover, in this Black Contemplation Fortress that Mo Guangdi had built?
Although he would not know if the Black Qilin were safe, the tide was already turning rapidly.
If Jejeong were to receive Jeul's throne like this, he would at the same time inherit the essence of the Ten Variations True Art from Jeul.
If that happened, Jeshin would not even have a chance anymore.
But Jeshin's strange confidence was strange.
Although unknown masters were springing up from the So family manor, could they really subdue Mo Guangdi?
But Jeshin seemed to be seriously thinking of competing with Mo Guangdi.
"Haa..."
Tu Xingsun actually had no desire to side with either Jeul or Jeshin.
If he were to display his proud divine footwork and to run away right now.
At least he would be able to preserve his life by leaving Sichuan.
Flinch!
As Tu Xingsun's heart weakened, a chill ran through his body, and his heart pounded.
It was a strange feeling, as if someone were watching him.
He had been sneezing and had been suffering from a chill...
After he had met the woman named So Daji, who had been with Jeshin before, whenever his mind was troubled, a chill would run through him, and he could not sleep at all.
'What a strange thing...'
As he was walking outside the inner court, which was on the quiet side, and went outside, a noise soon began to be heard in Tu Xingsun's ears.
Although a commotion in the Black Contemplation Fortress was usually unheard of, most of these people were outsiders who had come to the Black Contemplation Fortress from outside.
Jeul, the master of the Black Contemplation Fortress, had opened the Black Contemplation Fortress in time for Jejeong's coronation ceremony.
Accordingly, numerous masters, famous people, and merchants had come to the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Jeul had released wine and food and had held a huge martial arts tournament to announce the continued existence of the Black Contemplation Fortress to the outside world and to introduce the new master of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
It was clear that numerous evil path martial artists would aim for this opportunity and would dream of entering the Black Contemplation Fortress, and they would soon become the people of Jejeong, who would walk the path of the new evil path supreme one.
"Tsk."
Among the numerous crowds that passed by Tu Xingsun's eyes, those who were showing a suspicious behavior quickly caught his eye.
No matter how many people they were hiding among, such a group could never escape Tu Xingsun's eyes.
As the eyes of the world were focused on the Black Contemplation Fortress, not only the Sichuan Alliance but also the spies of the Martial Arts Alliance and the small and medium-sized sects had infiltrated the Black Contemplation Fortress.
But it was difficult to sort them out, and Jeul had intentionally condoned their infiltration.
Thanks to that, even if Tu Xingsun were to mobilize the entire Dust Division, he could not find all the spies and righteous path people who had infiltrated the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Moreover, even if he were to find them, he could not do anything, so he could only smile bitterly, even while looking at the spies who were acting clumsily in front of him.
'Oh my... even the Zhongnan Sect has come?'
If the Zhongnan Sect, which represented Shaanxi, had come, it was unlikely that the Mount Hua Sect had not sent a person.
Not only the Martial Arts Alliance, which would be busy with the bad news of the Thunderclap Sect, but also each sect had sent a person separately, so it could be seen how much of a hot potato the situation of the Black Contemplation Fortress was.
Moreover, since the martial artists who had made a name for themselves in the evil path were openly revealing themselves. There were also some people who were rumored to have reached the state of a supreme master.
Tu Xingsun, after taking a high ground where he could look at the people more, looked at the people who were passing by again.
"Huh?"
Tu Xingsun found two people who particularly caught his eye among the numerous crowds.
A boy who seemed to be not yet of age and a middle-aged man.
Both were wearing clean silk clothes and had a 'merchant' plaque hanging from their waists, which meant that they were merchants.
Although they looked like merchants or people from an ordinary family at a glance, both had a strange side.
The boy was carrying a bundle of crude swords that seemed to be not enough to sell on his shoulder, and the middle-aged man was constantly looking around as if he were anxious.
Although both were people who were not in Tu Xingsun's memory, he could not easily take his eyes off them. No matter how much they were hiding it, a martial artist who had learned martial arts could not hide his unique steps.
And in both the boy's and the middle-aged man's small movements and steps, the traces of having learned martial arts were clearly revealed.
Since those who were related to the evil path in the Black Contemplation Fortress had no need to hide their identity, it was clear that they were righteous path people.
Moreover, the middle-aged man was a master who was so skilled that he did not leave any footprints, and it was clear that he had a skill that even Tu Xingsun could not easily predict the outcome of a fight with.
'A human skin mask...'
Although the middle-aged man was wearing a very elaborately made human skin mask, Tu Xingsun, after checking his steps and the state of the human skin mask, noticed that he was a very old master.
Unlike the boy, it was clear that he was a quite famous person who was easy to reveal his identity.
Perhaps the bundle of swords that the boy was carrying was also not something to be sold.
If it were for selling, he would have prepared more eye-catching swords.
Although there were many who were hiding their identity, Tu Xingsun was staring at the two people who strangely caught his eye.
Especially the old master who was disguised as a middle-aged man, he felt a strong feeling that he had seen him somewhere before.
'Since when did I only guess?'
There were countless ways to find out their identity.
Tu Xingsun did not waste any more time in worrying and quickly took action.
* * *
"Old Master, won't you be suspected if you keep looking around like that?"
The middle-aged man, who was startled by the boy's bright voice, looked around again and whispered quietly.
"W-wen, no, Young Master... what do you mean, Old Master? How do I look like an old master now?"
"You don't have to whisper like that. No one is paying attention to us anyway."
[Sect Leader. Have you forgotten that this is the Black Contemplation Fortress!]
The boy, looking at the middle-aged man, was amazed that he could express his emotions so richly even while wearing a human skin mask.
Sect Leader.
Although the world was wide, it was rare for a boy who was not yet of age to take on the role of a sect leader.
In the current martial world, there was only one such place, the Qingcheng Sect.
[I know, so you should calm down, Old Master Liu.]
The current sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect and the younger brother of Xi Xichang, Xi Xibal, did not lose his smile, looking at Liu Yezhi, who was accompanying him.
[If the young lady finds out, she won't leave me alone.]
[No way... my sister won't even know that I've been here. We're accomplices, aren't we?]
Liu Yezhi stopped his telepathic message and sighed.
Liu Yezhi, who had returned to the Qingcheng Sect right after the duel between the Sword Immortal and the Black Qilin, had later assisted the young Xi Xibal, who had inherited the position of sect leader, and had rebuilt the Qingcheng Sect.
But the young sect leader, for some reason, insisted on seeing the coronation ceremony of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Although Liu Yezhi had strongly opposed it, he had been greatly surprised when he had found Xi Xibal climbing over the wall without his knowledge.
And in the end, he had headed to the Black Contemplation Fortress with him on the condition that he would accompany him.
The Qingcheng Sect was a member of the Sichuan Alliance.
Since it was in a hostile relationship with the Black Contemplation Fortress, it was an act no different from entering the tiger's den.
Xibal shouldered the flowing swords again and was still looking around with his eyes shining.
[Isn't it time for you to be aware that you are the sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect?]
[Sect Leader, what... I like martial arts more than that. I don't have enough time to practice martial arts for my whole life, but when I talk with the elders, my head feels like it's going to break.]
[Since the safety of hundreds of sect members is at stake...]
[My sister is more suitable for the position of the sect leader of Qingcheng than me. I'm thinking of asking my sister to take the position of sect leader again when she comes back.]
[What is that...!]
The reason why Xi Xichang had been able to take on the role of the acting sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect was because Xi Xibal's age was too young.
It had already been two years since Xi Xibal had received the seal of the sect leader of Qingcheng.
But Xi Xibal was still more interested in martial arts than in the position of the sect leader of Qingcheng, and he found it difficult and troublesome to run the family.
[If I become the number one master in the world, won't my sister be able to come back without suffering in a place like the Sichuan Alliance?]
Liu Yezhi, seeing Xi Xibal tapping the bundle of swords that he was carrying with one hand, let out a small sigh.
This was because, unlike Xi Xibal's thought, Xi Xichang's wish was not that.
To Xi Xibal, Xi Xichang was no different from his parents, and to Xi Xichang, Xi Xibal was everything in her life.
For the sake of Xibal, she was thinking of carrying all the grudges of the previous generation alone.
Therefore, she had contributed more passionately than anyone else to the birth of the Sichuan Alliance, and she had also devoted herself to the Sichuan Alliance, leaving Qingcheng behind.
And after destroying the Black Contemplation Fortress with the power of the Sichuan Alliance, she had wanted Xi Xibal to walk the sunny main road.
But Xibal was displeased with her intention.
Xibal thought that it was desirable for Xi Xichang to lead the Qingcheng Sect rather than to suffer in the Sichuan Alliance.
He thought that it was right for him to complete the revenge of the family and the sect, rather than his sister, who was a woman.
Moreover, it was not a completely absurd thought, and Xi Xibal's martial arts achievement was so fast that even Liu Yezhi was surprised. It was to the extent that it would not be an exaggeration to call him the number one martial talent in the world.
The expectations that the elders of Qingcheng had for Xi Xibal, who had been obsessed with martial arts even before he had come of age, were great.
The Qingcheng Sect, which had produced the Ten Thousand Sword Master, who had been called the number one in the world in the past.
Recalling the glory of the past, they were expecting the birth of a new martial king.
Therefore, Liu Yezhi knew the real reason why Xi Xibal had come to the Black Contemplation Fortress at the risk of his life.
If it were the center of the Black Contemplation Fortress, it would eventually be Mo Guangdi.
The martial prowess of a peerless master who might become a great enemy in the future.
Xi Xibal did not want to miss the small opportunity to witness the martial arts of Mo Guangdi, Jeul, at this coronation ceremony.
'And that the skills of the masters of Qingcheng did not satisfy him...'
In order to face Mo Guangdi, one had to at least achieve the same state as him.
But no master of Qingcheng could show the state of a supreme master.
Therefore, Xi Xibal had an even greater need to confirm Mo Guangdi's martial prowess with his own two eyes.
Although it was shameful for Liu Yezhi, who was teaching Xi Xibal as a joint disciple, it was a proud thing when he looked at Xi Xibal alone.
So there was also a side that he had not been able to break the stubbornness of his young disciple who had said that he would go to the Black Contemplation Fortress.
It was a hope that Xi Xibal would catch even a small clue for the next step in this dangerous deviation that he had undertaken.
But no matter how outstanding a martial talent he was, Xi Xibal was still like a piece of pottery that had not even been fired.
He had to be handled very carefully.
If one were not careful, it could break before it was completed.
Moreover, if Xi Xibal's talent and the martial arts he was practicing were to be revealed to the world, it would surely cause a great chaos.
Liu Yezhi had no intention of tolerating even a small threat that might come to Xi Xibal, even at the cost of his life.
Fortunately, his disguise, who was on the well-known side, was perfect, and Xi Xibal, the new sect leader of Qingcheng, was not yet known in the martial world.
No, who would think that the sect leader of Qingcheng would be walking around the Black Contemplation Fortress?
Excessive caution could, as Xi Xibal had said, rather arouse suspicion.
Liu Yezhi composed his mind.
Fortunately, nothing that could be called a threat had happened in the Black Contemplation Fortress so far.
"Excuse me. Are all these things for sale?"
No one had ever shown interest in the swords that Xi Xibal was carrying.
The merchants were not interested because they were not valuable at a glance, and the martial artists also did not even give a glance to these ordinary and shabby swords that a low-level martial artist would handle.
Liu Yezhi was startled and looked at the man who had approached Xi Xibal.
"!!!"
Just as he was about to let his guard down, the worst danger was approaching before his eyes.
(End of Chapter)