Chapter 171 : Chapter 171
Chapter 171. Twisting the Truth, Sowing Discord
Off to the side, Shi Ritian muttered to himself, venting the frustration in his heart and the resentment he felt toward Chu Feng.
Whether from his tone or his expression, it was obvious how deep his hatred and anger toward Chu Feng ran.
Of course, a large part of it was probably because he had lost to Chu Feng. That was why he was so enraged.
But after grumbling indignantly for so long, he had not received even the slightest response from Yuntian, leaving Shi Ritian utterly baffled.
On top of that, after speaking in one breath for so long, Shi Ritian was genuinely running out of stamina. He planted his hands on his waist and took a harsh gulp of air before turning to look at Yuntian beside him, only to discover that Yuntian had not been listening at all. Instead, he looked completely lost in thought.
Within the vast Dragon-Elephant Giant Spirit Clan and even among the immense Ancient Royal Clan, Shi Ritian held an exceptionally prestigious status. Wherever he went, people usually treated him with courtesy and respect.
Yet now, even someone from a minor household like Yuntian was ignoring him completely. In an instant, Shi Ritian’s wounded pride was stung.
And since he had already suffered at Chu Feng’s hands, all of that pent-up fury immediately shifted onto Yuntian.
Shi Ritian had never been one to restrain his temper. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped Yuntian hard on the shoulder.
That blow sent Yuntian’s body lurching to the side, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
The main reason was that Yuntian had already been heavily wounded by Chu Feng before this, and after remaining unconscious for so long, his body clearly had not fully recovered. As a result, he was still weak and drained.
Yet when Shi Ritian saw how feeble Yuntian looked, he found a strange measure of comfort in it. It made his own defeat at Chu Feng’s hands seem a little less humiliating. After all, Yuntian had been beaten into the same miserable state.
That meant the two of them were brothers in adversity. Neither of them had the right to laugh at the other.
Shi Ritian could not help sneering. “Well, well, Brother Yuntian. It has only been a short while since we last met, and you’ve already grown this weak?
To tell you the truth, I didn’t come here today just to complain to you. I only came because I thought we had a decent friendship, so I rushed over to tell you something else. But looking at you now, I’m not even sure whether you can bear it.”
“...”
Yuntian suddenly seemed as if he had been injected with a stimulant. He snapped back to his senses at once, his eyes widening like bronze bells, as though they wanted to stick themselves to Shi Ritian’s face. Both hands shot out and seized Shi Ritian’s arm tightly.
In a hoarse, almost hysterical voice, he shouted excitedly, “What? What is it you came to tell me? Did something happen to Cailin? I remember that we were all trying to seize the treasure. I also remember seeing you near the entrance back then. But after that, I have no idea what happened. We ran into Chu Feng, and he used Cailin to threaten me. Then he deliberately knocked me unconscious. I know nothing of what happened afterward. I don’t even know how Cailin is now. Did you run into her? Have you seen her?”
Shi Ritian no longer cared about the pain coming from his arm. He was secretly delighted.
After breaking free from the rocks by the mountainside, Shi Ritian’s first thought had been to seek revenge on Chu Feng. But Chu Feng was simply too powerful. Shi Ritian knew full well that with his strength alone, he could not shake Chu Feng in the slightest. So the most important thing now was to find an ally, a helper.
At first, Shi Ritian had hesitated a little, but it did not take long for him to think of Yuntian.
Shi Ritian had no real talents to speak of, but he did possess a certain sly cunning...
The moment the thought came to him, he remembered that when they had first arrived to seize the treasure, he had seen Yuntian and Cailin together. He had also personally witnessed Chu Feng humiliating the two of them.
At first, that had seemed like a trivial matter to Shi Ritian.
But now, it had become a rare opportunity.
Once he had sorted out his next step, Shi Ritian did not hesitate in the slightest and rushed straight toward Yuntian’s location.
He had originally assumed that Yuntian would still be unconscious. Shi Ritian’s initial plan had been to put on a false act of rescuing someone in their darkest hour. But to his surprise, Yuntian had already awakened.
Seeing Shi Ritian hemming and hawing without saying anything meaningful for such a long time, Yuntian suddenly thought of something and grabbed him again.
This time, Yuntian’s eyes widened even more, and his voice was filled with anxiety and concern. “Brother Shi, we are both members of the Ancient Royal Clan. We cannot let a mere Human Race bully us like this. So tell me, did you see Cailin or not? Where exactly is she now? Was she hurt?”
A glint flashed through Shi Ritian’s eyes. This was exactly the same as the plan he had carefully laid out in advance.
This was the very line he had been waiting for.
And this was also why Shi Ritian had been so determined to come find Yuntian. He knew perfectly well what kind of feelings Yuntian had for Cailin. The two had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. Within the Ancient Royal Clan, everyone knew it. Yuntian could practically be said to have followed Cailin around like her shadow.
So to a man like him, Cailin was his greatest weakness. Shi Ritian believed that as long as he seized upon that point, he would be able to stir Yuntian into action completely.
Although he was overjoyed inwardly, Shi Ritian did not show the slightest trace of excitement at this crucial moment. Instead, he put on an especially grave expression. He even furrowed his brows and pretended to look hesitant, as if the words were too painful to say.
“You mean Clan Leader Cailin?” A complicated look appeared on Shi Ritian’s face. He seemed to want to speak, yet held himself back. In the end, he let out a sigh. “Brother Yuntian, you need to prepare yourself. I came here this time precisely to tell you about Cailin.”
Looking at Shi Ritian’s evasive manner, along with his halting, stammering tone, Yuntian felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss. His heart sank at once. Even his pupils trembled violently, and his vision blurred. He was so overwhelmed that he nearly failed to hold himself together.
Yuntian abruptly clutched his chest, his voice dropping as he said in a deep tone, “What exactly happened? Brother Shi, tell me the truth. I can bear it. I brought Cailin out with me, after all. No matter what happened, I have to know her current condition.”
When Shi Ritian saw Yuntian’s reaction, he felt even more certain of victory.
Shi Ritian felt that coming to find Yuntian this time had truly been the right choice. He was certain that he would be able to find himself an utterly loyal scapegoat.