Volume One: The Turmoil of Yan and Yun Chapter Seventy-Six: Breaking the Deadlock (Part One)
To Feng Qi, Feng Yang's position was of utmost importance.
He had painstakingly schemed for so many years, traveled to the northern ice fields numerous times, and only now had Feng Yang glimpsed a sliver of hope to escape the shadow of life and death—yet Li Jin Xing intended to kill him?
How could he allow that?
Feng Qi’s first instinct was to kill Li Jin Xing, but after a rough calculation revealed that the odds of success were close to zero, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.
If he could not kill Li Jin Xing, he had to figure out how to prevent Li Jin Xing from killing Feng Yang.
It was impossible to manage this through his own strength. Even if his master arrived, upon hearing Li Jin Xing intended murder, he would only retreat three steps. Thus, he could only look for another way.
Seeking another way meant unraveling the doubts surrounding this matter.
There were some doubts that Feng Qi simply could not understand.
Given Li Jin Xing’s status, why would he trouble a beleaguered second son of Yanbei?
Given Li Jin Xing’s power, if he harbored murderous intent, how could Feng Yang still be alive?
Given Li Jin Xing’s depth and cunning, if he had designs on Yanbei, would he reveal them so soon?
And there were many more.
Whenever it came to Li Jin Xing, there seemed to be countless doubts.
“If you can’t figure it out, stop thinking about it,” Dou Xiaotong said blandly. “Trying to fathom a man’s motives and methods from a single sentence is an act of utter foolishness.”
Feng Qi was momentarily taken aback, then he understood.
“When you play against Li Jin Xing, the more you plot, the more likely you’ll step into the game he’s already set for you.”
Dou Xiaotong clicked his tongue. “By then, winning will be all but impossible.”
Feng Qi took a deep breath, pushing down his tangled thoughts for the moment, and asked, “Since you say this is a test for me, you don’t intend to get involved, do you?”
Dou Xiaotong looked in the direction of Xu Hai. “I have more important matters.”
“So it seems I’m not the only one he’s set a test for,” Feng Qi said.
“The Five Pavilions of Azure-Clad Tower have revealed four; the movements of the Pavilion of Chaotic Desires remain unknown. It leaves me uneasy,” Dou Xiaotong replied.
“Xu Hai has Kunlun. What of Heku?” Feng Qi asked.
Heku was an Integration-stage giant of the Kunlun Sect, among the top in strength even at that level.
Dou Xiaotong said, “Each Pavilion of Azure-Clad Tower has an Integration master.”
“The masters of the Corpse Command Pavilion, Fate-Seizing Pavilion, and Chaotic Desires Pavilion are all dead,” Feng Qi noted.
“So long as the Blood-Weeping Pavilion Master lives, they could hardly die even if they wished,” Dou Xiaotong said.
Feng Qi’s pupils contracted.
He had thought of a possibility.
“The Blood-Weeping Record?”
Dou Xiaotong glanced at him. “Your insight is impressive—knowing even those techniques not listed in the Daoist Canon.”
Feng Qi had no desire to explain how he knew of the supreme technique of the Blood-Weeping Pavilion. He frowned and asked, “Doesn’t that mean the former master of Azure-Clad Tower was utterly isolated back then?”
Dou Xiaotong thought that the master of Azure-Clad Tower was a fool, the vice-master had something to him, but was still within the bounds of foolishness. If only the two of them had not been so stupid, the Scarlet Scales Pavilion would never have been able to fight Azure-Clad Tower so fiercely.
“So Kunlun truly cannot stop them,” Feng Qi admitted.
“I fear that if I go now, it will already be too late,” Dou Xiaotong said.
Feng Qi fell silent.
He was still unsure of Li Jin Xing’s design, but the situation in Bohai was already crystal clear.
He hoped his father would realize this sooner rather than later.
The Wind Guard grew anxious. “Then why are you still standing here talking?”
Dou Xiaotong gave the Wind Guard a sidelong glance, thinking that it was precisely because of his impatience that he could only ever see one move ahead.
“Mo Gu, I need you to do something,” Dou Xiaotong said.
The Wind Guard frowned. “Take them to Wuyang?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Dou Xiaotong replied. “Shui Dongliu is a first-class Ink Master. He’s more than capable of taking them to Wuyang quickly enough.”
“So what do you want from me?” the Wind Guard pressed.
Dou Xiaotong glanced at Feng Qi.
Feng Qi was momentarily stunned.
The Wind Guard’s expression grew increasingly grave; in the end, he glanced at Feng Qi as well, then vanished.
“What did you transmit to him?” Feng Qi asked. The Wind Guard had left too quickly for Feng Qi to even guess where he had gone.
“Something important,” Dou Xiaotong replied.
“And I can’t know?” asked Feng Qi.
“It’s best you don’t,” Dou Xiaotong answered.
Feng Qi nodded. “So, you’re heading to Kunlun now?”
“Wuyang is in your hands,” Dou Xiaotong said.
Feng Qi sighed. “Having an Integration master entrust me with this does put a lot of pressure on me... I’ll do my best in Wuyang.”
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With Dou Xiaotong’s aid, Shui Dongliu quickly recovered most of his strength.
He waved his sleeve, and the Crown Prince, Zhou Xichen, Mou Linhan, and the others turned into streaks of light and were drawn into his sleeve.
Feng Qi was a little surprised. “A Wish Pouch?”
Shui Dongliu nodded. “There aren’t many storage bags that can hold living people. I had the good fortune to acquire one years ago.”
Feng Qi couldn’t help but feel envious.
Before he could say more, his body suddenly tensed, and the wind howled past his ears.
This place was not far from the Central Plains. If a Void Dao master went all out, they could arrive within a few hours.
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“Report! The corpse disaster at Purple Bamboo Courtyard has been quelled!”
“Report! The Astronomical Bureau requests the Grand Marshal to lead men to Batong River at once; the Seven Star Prognosticators are barely holding on!”
“Report! The corpse tide is nearing the city gates. General Chen Chi has sent me to escort the Grand Marshal to take command!”
“Report! There is unrest within the city—riots have broken out in all five inner-city prefectures, thirteen courtyards, eight rivers, and six markets of the outer city. The City Gate Office and Judicial Office have sent urgent requests for reinforcements, hoping the Grand Marshal can dispatch experts to suppress the chaos!”
Feng Changkong stood beneath the purple bamboo grove, his brow furrowed like tightly twisted hemp rope. Steward Liu of the Grand Marshal’s residence, dressed in military attire, stood at his side, his expression full of worry.
No one could have foreseen that the safest place in the Divine Empire—the imperial city of Wuyang—would witness such calamity.
Most of the Dragon Ascendant Array’s power was concentrated in the imperial city; the rest was used to guard the outer city against the corpse tide invading the capital.
He felt a headache coming on and asked, “Where are the people from the sects?”
Steward Liu replied, “All the sect experts are gathered in the imperial city, in case of further incident.”
“What’s the point of defending the imperial city?” Feng Changkong said with irritation. “Even if something really happens at the Netherlocking Tower, what can they do?”
“Outsiders see things differently than we do,” Steward Liu said. “Besides, in this situation, they only care about avoiding blame.”
“Differently?” Feng Changkong exploded in anger. “When nine out of ten commoners are dead, the great sects will be nothing but turtles in their shells!”
“Go yourself—order all the major sects to suppress the riots. If any refuse, kill them on the spot.”
The sect members left to guard the capital were at least of the Radiant Gathering stage, but Feng Changkong spoke of killing them without so much as considering whether Steward Liu could actually carry it out.
Remarkably, Steward Liu showed no objection, acknowledged the order, and vanished into the night.
“Tell Chen Chi to wait—if the city gates are lost before I arrive, I’ll have his head!”
“Leave only the formation masters at Purple Bamboo Courtyard to maintain the corpse-sealing array. Everyone else, follow me to Batong River!”
“Damn it, even respect for teachers and the Dao must have its limits. Ji Palace produces great talents, yet the Seven Star Prognosticators can’t even tell whether that corpse is really their teacher or not?”
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