138: Dawn Breaks (Part 1)

"I still underestimated you all..."

Hearing Xie Qingfeng's words, Zhou Chutian looked surprised, yet he gave off an air of indifference. Xie Qingfeng was somewhat surprised by his reaction, but ultimately, these court affairs had nothing to do with him, and he didn't want to meddle further.

"So, Old Layman, you're only taking him and don't plan to kill me?" Zhou Chutian looked at Xie Qingfeng once more. "Old Layman, you should think it through. If you let me go this time, it might be difficult to kill me later."

"You want to die that badly?" Xie Qingfeng's left thumb flicked, and the sharp cane blade popped out slightly. "I thought you'd value your life... Or do you think your skills are good enough to deal with me?"

"Ha, I wouldn't dare." Zhou Chutian waved his hand. "The Old Layman can see through my meager skills at a glance. If you truly had the intent to kill me, my head would have rolled long ago."

"Heh, what does it have to do with me?" Xie Qingfeng retracted his left hand, and the blade snapped back in. "My Disciple wants to deal with you personally. Since that's the case, why should I, as his master, meddle in his business?"

As he spoke, a rapid clashing of weapons and the sound of footsteps came from the roof. Both men looked up almost simultaneously. Xie Qingfeng shook his head with some disgust and said, "Back then, the School was full of talent and experts. Now... heh, a bunch of trash."

Hearing him mention the School, Zhou Chutian didn't seem surprised at all. He just smiled and said, "If the Old Layman isn't going to kill me, then I won't keep you for a drink."

"Heh, give you an inch and you take a mile?" Xie Qingfeng looked away. "Let me remind you, in a moment..."

The door was kicked open. Mo Yingqi stood there with his head tilted, holding a japanese sword in a reverse grip, his face splattered with blood. Seeing those crimson pupils, Xie Qingfeng couldn't help but frown, but in the end, he only let out a soft sigh.

"I'm taking the man. You just do what you need to do." With a flick of his cane and a grab of his right hand, Xie Qingfeng supported Fang Wenbo and walked over to Mo Yingqi. "As for those two friends of yours, my Senior Sister's people should have arrived. Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"Thank you for your hard work, Master." Mo Yingqi's voice sounded normal, but his expression... it was a bit too eerie. "I'll also have to trouble you to take my superior out. By the way, Master, I just saw a few swordsmen besieging that old Taoist... so, they don't need to be killed, right?"

"Tsk, did you take the wrong medicine, kid?" Xie Qingfeng couldn't help but whack Mo Yingqi on the head with his cane. "Damn it, you want to slaughter everyone you see. Don't learn from my Senior Sister... tsk, forget it, do as you please."

In any case, this precious Disciple of his already looked like someone's husband now. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to his Senior Sister's request to look after her granddaughter. Now look at this—the boy he raised and taught with his own hands has been snatched up by someone else.

It would be one thing if he was just snatched up, but look at what they've turned his precious Disciple into. His brain isn't even working right... Xie Qingfeng felt immense regret. Why hadn't he put in more effort back then to find his Disciple a good marriage match?

"Forget it, there's no use talking about it. Once they've set their sights on him, how could he possibly escape?"

"Pre... Senior..."

"What 'Senior' this and 'Senior' that?" Hearing Fang Wenbo's soft call from where he was being supported, Xie Qingfeng responded impatiently. "Tsk, you're from the Fang family, right? This reckless, life-risking way of fighting is exactly the same as your old man's!"

"Senior knows... knows my father?"

"I don't just know your father; I know your eldest uncle too. We even crossed paths in the past!" Xie Qingfeng let out a cold laugh. "But, I've always been the type who never delivers a killing blow to those who dare to challenge me head-on without flinching. As for those who come shouting at me only to cry for their parents when they realize they're no match, I just send them on their way."

Xie Qingfeng's personality had always been like this: the less someone feared death, the less likely he was to kill them; the more someone feared death, the more likely he was to slay them. What he detested most was a martial artist without backbone. As he grew older, he never actively sought trouble; usually, people would come to challenge him because of his reputation.

Setting aside those dealt with by that monster Mo Yingqi, there were occasionally people who came when his Disciple wasn't around.

As for fighting the brothers... it was actually a complete accident. The Emperor did care about his two daughters after all. Back when he was still a Prince and hadn't ascended the throne, he had taken some people to the Northern Border to visit them.

It was just that Eunuch Fang and his brother didn't recognize Xie Qingfeng, and the three of them ended up clashing by mistake. Although the brothers couldn't beat Xie Qingfeng, they didn't yield an inch. Coupled with their martial arts style, which Xie Qingfeng had encountered in his youth while traveling the world, the then-arrogant Xie Qingfeng began to view the Fang family in a different light.

"But back then, it was a case of the flood flooding the Dragon King's temple—our own people fighting our own. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, it was fine." Supporting Fang Wenbo with one arm, Xie Qingfeng was actually able to leap across roofs, clearing the walls of the Zhou Residence in a few bounds. "Tsk, this Disciple of mine is really something..."

Along the way, the Imperial Guard and the Flying Fish Guard were almost exterminating everyone in the Zhou family, leaving no one alive. Some soldiers, blinded by bloodlust, even shot arrows at him. It was only thanks to the old master's good mood and his consideration for the bigger picture that he didn't step in to 'spar' with these Imperial Guards.

"No, Senior, you distracted me and I forgot..." Fang Wenbo wasn't interested in whether his uncle and father had fought Xie Qingfeng. "I was saying, that Grand Chancellor's martial arts are very high..."

"Oh, oh, I get it, I get it." Xie Qingfeng rolled his eyes. "What's the big deal? Just because you can't beat him doesn't mean my Disciple can't. You should worry about yourself. This injury won't heal without a period of rest. Eat this."

Without waiting for Fang Wenbo to protest, Xie Qingfeng stuffed a pill into his mouth. Before he could even react, the old man pushed his jaw up, and the pill was swallowed straight into his stomach.

"Alright, I'll hand you over to those Flying Fish Guards in a bit. I still have to go back." Xie Qingfeng pondered for a moment. "I don't really care about that rebellious Disciple of mine, but..."

Although the School had sent people over saying they wanted to 'clean house,' Xie Qingfeng didn't believe a word of it.

Clean house, my foot! Where were they before? That old Taoist had been in the martial world for so many years and had taken countless lives in the capital, yet the School never came to clean house. Why did they suddenly pop up now?

"Tsk, I'm still not at ease. Although I don't care if these Taoists die—which is why I specifically brought them along—still..."

It was said that these School Taoists had entered the capital long ago, relying on their high martial arts to hide in the shadows and wait for an opportunity. But that old Taoist lived in seclusion for most of the year, giving them almost no chance.

That day, he had felt someone spying on his fight with the old Taoist, but he hadn't expected them to be Disciples sent by the School. Xie Qingfeng had asked them why they hadn't acted sooner, but they were evasive. Xie Qingfeng was confident in his own skills; if it came to a fight, these School Taoists couldn't do anything to him. Not to mention, they were a prestigious sect with a status in the martial world no less than that of the Shaolin Temple or Longhu Mountain.

But if you asked Xie Qingfeng to trust their motives, he never would. You've got to be kidding—they didn't act for all these years, but suddenly they act now?

"Long time no see, Martial Uncle."

Rewinding time slightly, just as the Taoist returned to his courtyard, those seven Taoists had already been waiting for a long time. In the corner, Su Yan was trembling all over, tears on her face.

Since being sent into the Zhou Residence, she had been arranged to live in a side room of the Taoist's small courtyard, where the Taoist would absorb her Yin energy three times a day. Although the Taoist usually only absorbed Yin energy and hadn't touched a single hair on her head, and her daily needs were well provided for...

Su Yan was still afraid, very, very afraid. Especially now, as her body grew increasingly weak and her face turned extremely pale; she would even feel dizzy just walking during the day.

But the Taoist still wouldn't let her go. Su Yan felt more and more that she had been set up by Luo Yongan and Yongning, but she was completely helpless now.

She couldn't escape, and even a weak woman like her could tell that the Taoist was far from a benevolent person.

Unexpectedly, the Zhou Residence was suddenly filled with noise today, followed by fires breaking out and sounds of killing from time to time. Su Yan was terrified and wanted to escape in the chaos. The Taoist had gone to have a late-night talk with Zhou Chutian and hadn't returned; this might be her only chance.

However, she had just stepped out the door when she was blocked by these seven Taoists. The leading Taoist just looked at her, his expression becoming extremely complex.

"Young lady, your Yin energy is severely depleted. I'm afraid... sigh..."

The Taoist was, after all, a member of the School and the designated next Sect Leader. He could naturally see Su Yan's issues and roughly guess what was going on.

"Martial Uncle, you've truly committed a sin. To think you've fallen this low after rebelling against the School." The Taoist looked at the old Taoist with mixed emotions. "In all these years, your nephew has grown from a child to my current age, and Martial Uncle has also grown old, yet I never thought you would have already fallen into demonic ways..."

"Mingxin, is it? Haha, the little brat of yesteryear can now preach to this old man?" The old Taoist laughed loudly. "I'm not wronged to be called Martial Uncle, but don't forget, back then your master tried to stop me, only to have his throat slit by my sword..."

After saying that, he looked at the remaining people and continued with a hint of disdain: "The Big Dipper Sword Formation? Heh, even the Heavenly Stellar Formation couldn't stop me back then. Do you think a Big Dipper Sword Formation with just the seven of you can slay me?"

"We wouldn't dare. Back then you killed your fellow Disciples and rebelled against the School. I later followed the current Sect Leader, and in all these years, your nephew has done nothing else but painstakingly study this Big Dipper Sword Formation with my fellow brothers." Mingxin's left hand, which was holding the scabbard, couldn't help but slowly tighten. "Martial Uncle, originally the Sect Leader didn't want to settle scores with you. All these years, our School has never truly made things difficult for you, nor..."

"Let's skip the pretty words, shall we? There's no point in saying them." The old Taoist waved his hand to interrupt him. "I said back then that everyone in the School was a sanctimonious hypocrite, and I still think so today. If you want to kill me, then kill me. If you can't, then say you can't. Why bother with all this nonsense?"

"Fine, Martial Uncle is a straightforward man, so your nephew won't hide anything from you either." Mingxin's tone suddenly became cold. "The Imperial Court has issued a decree for us to enter the capital and clean house. Martial Uncle, you followed the rebel Zhou Chutian and aided his villainy. Now, the School must clean house!"

In Eunuch Fang's courtyard, the old Eunuch who had followed The Emperor for many years was currently sitting by the wall, panting. The assassin who had just come to kill him and his companions were already dead and dismembered in the courtyard.

"Eunuch has been startled. This humble Taoist is late."

An old Taoist with snow-white hair and beard, yet a youthful complexion, narrowed his eyes and turned to smile as he bowed to Eunuch Fang: "This humble Taoist is the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, Zhang Tianci."

Hearing this, Eunuch Fang couldn't help but tremble all over. The successive Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain were all highly respected seniors with profound martial arts in the martial world. This Zhang Tianci had been famous since the time of Emperor Chengzhong.

Rumor had it that this Old Celestial Master was now nearly a hundred years old, yet he was still in good health, ascending the altar daily to lecture on scriptures and leading the Disciples of Longhu Mountain in martial arts and self-cultivation.

"Recently, The Emperor summoned me to the Sanqing Temple in the capital to lecture on the Dao. By The Emperor's grace, I was invited to stay in the palace. I didn't expect..."

In the Imperial Study, Luo Nantian slowly put down his brush, stood up, and went to the door to look at the night sky. "It should be over soon, right? Grand Chancellor, you told me when I was young never to let people see your hole cards..."

"Now I've done it. The Old Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, as well as my mother-in-law and her junior brother—the ones with the highest martial arts in the world, except for the Shaolin Abbot—are all in the capital."

"Grand Chancellor, it's about time you played all your cards too, isn't it?"

However, Luo Nantian probably never would have imagined that Zhou Chutian would just sit back in his chair and then gesture to Mo Yingqi as if he were hosting a guest: "Marquis Mo, don't just stand there. Please, sit."

"Grand Chancellor, I've come to fulfill my promise." Mo Yingqi flourished his sword with his right hand, the tip of the reverse-held blade pointing at him. "I said I wouldn't let you hang yourself, but I didn't expect you to hand me this opportunity yourself."

"Hahahahahaha, Marquis Mo is joking. Since I, Zhou, dared to do this, I naturally have no fear of you." Zhou Chutian still looked very relaxed. "In about one night, my death soldiers and the City Patrol Command will all be wiped out. Back then, the late Emperor deliberately entrusted military power to the Shen Family to guard against me. From that moment on, I didn't have any chance at all."

"So you did all this just to spite The Emperor and spite us?" Mo Yingqi's brow furrowed. "Grand Chancellor, have you visited a clinic? You're sick and need treatment."

"No need for Marquis Mo to worry. Now I, Zhou, am sitting right here. Whether you want to kill or skin me, Marquis Mo... do as you please!"

After saying that, Zhou Chutian spread his arms, looking like he was determined to die. "I have no more cards left. Marquis Mo, you can kill me and take my head to report back!"