Chapter 55: The Past Decade

Chapter 55: The Past Decade

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I also want to ask, Senior, who exactly are you? And who did you offend to suffer such inhuman torment?"

Murong Hua's eyes were filled with hatred, yet also an endless fear. Trembling, he replied, "Young man, some things are not for you to know. Once spoken, you will lose your life."

Ning Xiaochuan was a man of great curiosity—the more others refused to speak, the more he wanted to know. "What if I told you I could help break the seal within your body and reconnect your severed meridians? Would you tell me the truth then?"

Murong Hua's eyes widened, his pupils nearly bulging out of their sockets as his entire body trembled. But soon, the light in his eyes dimmed again. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. That person's cultivation is far too powerful. There’s no way you could break the seal he placed. No way at all."

"Even the strongest seals weaken over time. Even the most impenetrable defenses can be breached," Ning Xiaochuan said with unwavering confidence.

Murong Hua still shook his head. "Even if the seal could be broken, the moment it shatters, the Profound Qi within my meridians will disperse, causing me to explode and die instantly. It’s an unsolvable deadlock. No one in this world can save me—no one can do it. Not even the one who sealed me has that power."

Ning Xiaochuan countered, "Not necessarily. I know of a Mystic Medicine called 'Millennium Slumber' that can temporarily put a warrior’s Profound Qi into dormancy, reducing its activity. If we can find this medicine, I’m ninety percent confident I can reconnect your meridians, Senior."

Murong Hua had been utterly convinced that breaking the seal and regaining his former strength as a peerless expert was impossible. But Ning Xiaochuan’s confidence was infectious, and since he was the only one who had correctly identified the root of his "illness," a spark of hope reignited within him.

Boom!

Thud! Thud!

The sound of fighting erupted outside.

Ji Hanxing’s startled cry was heard, followed by the heavy thump of something—or someone—hitting the ground. Then, the fighting ceased.

Lin Sanzhi burst through the wooden door, his body radiating a chilling killing intent. He struck out with a palm toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan had no idea what was happening. All he felt was an overwhelming threat of death pressing down on him, paralyzing his entire body.

Who would have thought that a fortune-teller missing most of his fingers could be such a terrifying martial expert?

"Lin Xiao, stop!" Murong Hua shouted.

Hearing his voice, Lin Sanzhi immediately withdrew his palm. "This boy led a martial expert here. They might be here to hunt us down. Did he try to kill you just now?"

Murong Hua, lying on the bed, glanced at Ning Xiaochuan and shook his head slightly. "Probably not. Gou Sheng mentioned him to me. He’s a descendant of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House—the son of our benefactor."

Lin Sanzhi froze in place.

Outside the house.

Ji Hanxing lay unconscious on the ground, having been struck down by Lin Sanzhi. A bloody hole pierced through her lung, running straight through her body. The ground was soaked in blood.

Ning Xiaochuan stared in shock at Ji Hanxing, who lay on the ground barely clinging to life. Good heavens! Ji Hanxing was a top expert of the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion, yet she had been defeated by a blind man and now lay sprawled on the ground.

What’s more, there were no signs of a struggle in the courtyard—this meant Lin Sanzhi had defeated Ji Hanxing with a single move.

One move!

A single move to defeat a Dragon Elephant Divine Martial expert.

This blind man’s cultivation was terrifyingly high. If Murong Hua hadn’t stopped him earlier, Ning Xiaochuan would likely be a corpse by now.

Murong Wushuang was equally stunned.

He stood frozen in place, unable to believe that the same Lin Sanzhi—who had once argued with him for two months over a chicken—possessed such terrifying martial prowess.

After learning Ning Xiaochuan’s identity, Lin Sanzhi’s attitude became much more respectful. "Who is she? Why did she follow you here?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "She’s a member of the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion and a disciple of Cloud Marquis Yue Wuyang… Explaining this is complicated. It’s not something that can be summed up in a few words. In any case, she and I are not allies."

"If she’s Yue Wuyang’s disciple… then we cannot let her live." Lin Sanzhi’s voice turned icy, thick with killing intent.

Boom!

Ji Hanxing, who had been lying on the ground near death, suddenly awoke and swallowed a white mystic pearl. Her body instantly soared into the air as a pair of dragon wings sprouted from her back, allowing her to flee into the sky.

Lin Sanzhi’s expression darkened. His withered finger lifted, pointing toward the heavens.

Boom!

A sword wave, one meter in diameter, shot from his fingertip, transforming into a white beam of light that blasted into the sky.

This was the divine ability—White Rainbow Piercing the Sun!

"Damn it! She escaped. If Yue Wuyang learns we’re hiding here, disaster will be upon us." Lin Sanzhi’s face twisted in frustration. "Ten years of peace… it seems it’s all over now."

Though Ning Xiaochuan didn’t know why Lin Sanzhi and Murong Hua had been hiding here under false names for a decade, the look on Lin Sanzhi’s face made it clear—this matter was undoubtedly connected to Yue Wuyang.

"If Senior Lin trusts this junior, you and Senior Murong can take temporary refuge in Haitang Manor," Ning Xiaochuan suggested.

Lin Sanzhi shook his head. "Hiding won’t help. Yue Wuyang is now a favorite of the Jade Orchid Emperor. If he wants someone dead, even burrowing underground won’t save them."

"Not necessarily. Yue Wuyang may not know it was you who injured Ji Hanxing. Besides, just because Yue Wuyang wants someone dead doesn’t mean he can actually kill them."

Ning Xiaochuan then recounted Tianchenzi’s involvement, assuring them that even Yue Wuyang wouldn’t dare barge into Haitang Manor.

Realizing they could no longer stay and had nowhere else to flee, Lin Sanzhi and Murong Hua reluctantly took shelter in Haitang Manor.

Inside Haitang Manor, Lin Sanzhi sat on a rosewood chair and began reminiscing about the past. "Truth be told, Murong Hua and I were once members of the Dragon Warriors."

This first sentence left Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang utterly dumbfounded. They had actually been Dragon Warriors? No wonder their cultivation was so terrifying!

Lin Sanzhi continued, "To be honest, the more you know about what happened back then, the worse it is for you. At that time, Murong Hua, Ning Qianyi—Xiaochuan’s father—and Yue Wuyang, now the Cloud Marquis, were ordered to lead 700,000 troops to besiege the Blood Devouring Demon Sect’s stronghold, Nine Death Cliff."

"Xiaochuan, do you know who the commander of the three armies was at the time?"

Ning Xiaochuan said, "My father?"

Lin Sanzhi nodded. "Then do you know why the Emperor appointed your father as the commander?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Could it... be related to my mother?"

Lin Sanzhi nodded again. "Your mother was the Saintess of the Blood Devouring Demon Sect, and also the daughter of the Demon Sect’s Demon Emperor, Duanmu Han. The Emperor sent your father as the commander to test whether he had the resolve to sever all ties with the Demon Sect and whether he would betray the imperial court for their sake."

Though Ning Xiaochuan was now a different person, with no familial attachment to the deceased Ning Qianyi or the Demon Sect’s Saintess, he was still inhabiting Ning Xiaochuan’s body, which carried their blood. He couldn’t help but feel a stirring in his heart and was deeply curious about the events of the past.

"What was the final outcome?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

Lin Sanzhi’s expression turned grim. "Someone leaked the army’s movements to the Demon Sect, and we fell into their ambush. All 700,000 troops perished beneath Nine Death Cliff. Only your father, Murong Hua, and I survived. My eyes were blinded in that battle. It was your father who saved my life with the remnants of his Earth Martial Essence, or else I would have lost more than just my sight."

Murong Wushuang was visibly moved. "Who was the one who leaked the information? Could it... could it have been the Cloud Marquis, Yue Wuyang?"

Murong Hua, lying on the bed, gave a bitter smile. "At the time, Yue Wuyang shattered all my meridians and sealed my cultivation, burying me alive underground. If not for Xiaochuan’s father digging me out of the earth, I would have died ten years ago."

Lin Sanzhi went on, "Yue Wuyang returned to the Imperial City ahead of us, claiming it was your father who leaked the information to the Demon Sect, leading to the deaths of 700,000 soldiers. The Emperor was furious and ordered the extermination of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, causing an uproar throughout the city. Seeing the situation was hopeless, I urged your father not to return to the Imperial City and to flee with us. But he couldn’t abandon your mother, you, your sister, or the rest of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s clan. He insisted on returning to shoulder all the responsibility."

"The next day, I received news that your father and mother had both died in the ancestral hall of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, while Yue Wuyang was rewarded with the title of Cloud Marquis. The storm eventually subsided. Fearing Yue Wuyang would silence us if we returned, Murong Hua and I went into hiding in South Mountain Gathering. Ten years... it’s been ten years in the blink of an eye!"

Though Ning Xiaochuan had no emotional ties to his deceased parents, hearing this story filled him with unprecedented fury and hatred toward Yue Wuyang.

Murong Wushuang rubbed his forehead. "Then why didn’t you and Grandfather go directly to the Emperor and tell him the truth?"

Lin Sanzhi smiled and said, "Gou Sheng, you're too young. In this matter, Yue Wuyang is merely a small fry. The truly terrifying one... it's better if you don't know. Knowing would bring you no benefit."