Chapter 191: Chapter 49 Everyone Knows
The room where the Heavenly Destiny Hall Master resided.
Seated quietly at the table, Han Xiao watched as the green porcelain teapot before him bubbled noisily with steam, soon followed by a rich fragrance of tea that lingered all around.
“Excellent tea!” Picking up the teacup, Vice Hall Master Chai Yunsheng sniffed it and couldn’t help but exclaim.
Stroking his beard with a light laugh, Han Xiao said, “Of course, this small variety hails from the East Mountain, gathered by young girls born at the hour of the rabbit on the fifth day of the ninth month amidst thick fog, using their mouths to pick. Each year, Han Yuan City receives no more than five kilograms. I’m usually reluctant to drink it myself, so consider yourself lucky to taste it!”
“That goes without saying. You seem so pleased, Hall Master—could it be there’s some good news?” Chai Yunsheng looked on curiously.
After sipping his tea, Han Xiao exhaled deeply and said, “Of course, it’s good news. Feng Zhaoting and Ling Buyang have been competing for so long, and without any mishaps, the outcome for the vice hall master position should be resolved!”
Chai Yunsheng’s eyes lit up, “Who among the two… would succeed?”
Han Xiao laughed heartily, “Both of them, regardless of cultivation, talent, and their backing sects are almost identical. What’s in a title? If each had one, how would it matter?”
Chai Yunsheng was stunned, “They can both get it? Didn’t you distinctly say before that there was only one position, urging them to compete?”
Han Xiao explained, “Only through competition can the Heavenly Destiny Hall excel. Not only in previous tests, but as vice hall masters, they will also face evaluations to see who is more suitable. If not, the title of vice hall master can be revoked.”
Competition would ensure balance and draw a continual stream of strength.
Chai Yunsheng nodded, though not quite understanding but realizing it must relate to their cultivation methods, he didn’t ask further. Just as he was about to continue his tea, he saw Han Xiao’s composed face suddenly turn deathly pale.
Spurt!
A spurt of fresh blood sprayed out, and his body wobbled uncontrollably for a moment. His powerful presence, flickering like a candle flame, dimmed significantly in an instant.
“Hall Master, what’s wrong?”
Springing to his feet, Chai Yunsheng looked around warily.
Clenching his fist, Han Xiao gritted his teeth, “My cultivation has backfired… Quickly check, have Feng Zhaoting and Ling Buyang started fighting?”
He had always been mediating between the two, reaping considerable benefits. A backlash like this had to be related to them.
It couldn’t be that Ling Buyang relied on a forged grade-1 pill to make a breakthrough and went after Feng Zhaoting to defeat him, could it?
Only an overwhelmingly victory, breaking the balance, could induce such a severe backlash!
Before his words fell, Elder Liu Bingshan rushed in, bowed, and cupped his hands in respect upon seeing the two.
“Dean, Vice Dean… there’s trouble. We just received news that Elder Feng Zhaoting has been assassinated!”
“Feng Zhaoting… is dead?”
His vision darkening, Han Xiao fretted, “Who killed him? Could it be… Ling Buyang? He has quite the nerve!”
No wonder the backlash was so severe—the balance had been completely shattered!
“It wasn’t Elder Ling. According to the news from the Wanxiang Sect, it was Li Yue’an who killed Elder Feng and collected the reward!” Liu Bingshan hurriedly explained.
With a pale face seething with anger, Han Xiao fumed, “A wandering cultivator, I’ve been lenient with him so far—how dare he slay a vice hall master of our Heavenly Destiny Hall! Hall Master Chai, find this man immediately. I will eradicate this scourge and shatter his body into ten thousand pieces…”
Before Chai Yunsheng could respond, Liu Bingshan stepped forward again, “Hall Master, please calm down. Actually… Li Yue’an is also dead!”
“He’s dead too? Who killed him?” Han Xiao was startled.
Liu Bingshan said, “It was… Elder Ling Buyang. It’s said that after learning Elder Feng was murdered, he was outraged, tracked the offender down, and killed him!”
Chai Yunsheng’s eyelids twitched, “Something’s not right… Leaving aside why the three of them were together, even if they were, Ling Buyang would only be pleased with Feng Zhaoting’s death, not avenge it…”
Han Xiao nodded in agreement.
Ever since he tossed out a vice hall master title, their relations had deteriorated rapidly, especially since just a few days ago, Ling Buyang personally killed his rival’s brother.
How could he, upon his death, suddenly seek revenge?
After a moment of silence, Han Xiao’s eyes flickered, “We’ll know if we inquire with the Wanxiang Sect…”
Since the Wanxiang Sect had released the reward, they must have verified that both Feng Zhaoting and Li Yue’an were indeed dead. In that case, perhaps they knew some insider details.
Extracting a Heavenly Destiny Scroll, Han Xiao gently unfurled it, releasing a mysterious power that rippled forth before a silhouette appeared on the light screen before him.
The master of the Wanxiang Sect’s division in Han Yuan City, Yue Longxiao!
A peerless individual ranked second on the Hunting List.
“Master Yue, what exactly happened with Elder Feng’s assassination?”
Han Xiao asked directly.
He was on good terms with Yue Longxiao and by convention, he might reveal information that’s normally kept private due to their personal relationship.
Hesitating for a moment, Yue Longxiao said, “Half an hour ago, Li Yue’an, using Elder Feng’s blood essence and corpse, claimed his reward. Shortly after the Wanxiang Sect confirmed this and granted the reward, Ling Buyang took his corpse and collected the reward as well!”
“How long apart were the two when they claimed their rewards?”
Han Xiao grasped the crux of the issue.
Yue Longxiao said, “If it were someone else, I might not tell, but we have a deep personal relationship, and since it pertains to two Vice Hall Masters of the Heavenly Destiny Hall, there’s no harm in telling you. After all, with careful investigation, some clues can still be uncovered. They claimed their rewards less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea apart from each other, and… during that period, Li Yue’an transferred all of the rewards he received, along with his savings, to Ling Buyang.”
The rewards were claimed using the Trading Cards from the Hunting List, and with any large transactions, they would naturally show up in the records.
Han Xiao’s body swayed, “Half a cup of tea’s time to transfer money and kill Li Yue’an implies that Ling Buyang was right there when Feng Zhaoting died… that is to say, there’s an eight or nine out of ten chance that Feng Zhaoting was killed by him!”
Yue Longxiao shook his head, “That’s just your speculation, and it has nothing to do with our Wanxiang Sect. I take my leave!”
Yue Longxiao’s figure faded away, and the effect of the Heavenly Destiny Scroll’s connection ended.
Chai Yunsheng also came to his senses at this moment, his face filled with disbelief, “We all know Elder Ling’s strength; how could he possibly be Elder Feng’s match? And there’s also Li Yue’an. Although he hasn’t been seen for many years, his strength is not to be underestimated. Otherwise, he would have been killed a long time ago… how could he have lived until now?”
This Li Yue’an has no backing, or if he did, he betrayed them… Yet without any backing, he managed to survive to this point under such a high bounty, indicating just how terrifying his own strength is.
When did Ling Buyang become so powerful?
Silence followed; there was no answer. After a moment, Han Xiao nodded slightly, “No wonder he dared to kill Feng Yizhou in public. It seems his strength must have broken through a long time ago, only he has been disguising it well, and no one knew! Chai Yunsheng, find a way to spread the news of Feng Zhaoting’s death to Thousand Threads Hall, and hint vaguely about the competition between the two to see how the Zhou Yi Dynasty deals with it.”
Although Feng Zhaoting’s death meant he was no longer of any use, his sect could still be utilized. Regardless of whether Ling Buyang’s strength has broken through or to what cultivation realm he’s reached, as long as the balance between the Thousand Threads Hall and Mo Blade Hall is maintained, benefits can still be reaped.
Choosing the two as candidates for vice head was based precisely on this consideration.
“Yes!” Chai Yunsheng nodded and left, with Liu Bingshan not daring to say more and following closely behind.
Once the two had left, the room was once again left with only Han Xiao, who then looked into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
If one’s cultivation has reached the Ninefold Source Pool, every single advancement is extremely complex. Within such a short period, the enemy managed to kill Feng Zhaoting effortlessly, a rate of progress that seems a bit too rapid!
…
Meanwhile, in Han Yuan City at the royal palace, Han Qianchou, clad in python robes, looked at the report in his hands and fell into silence.
“To kill Feng Zhaoting so easily, Li Yue’an, it seems Ling Buyang has gained tremendous benefits on his return to the Zhou Yi Dynasty!”
He sighed, picked up another memorial, and glanced at it, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Others might not know, not even Qian Ye, but I was informed in advance. The guy Qian Ye is going to fight in the duel is this person! A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, what folly!”
If it had been the former Ling Buyang, fighting would be no issue, as he did not think the other could defeat his own martial-obsessed brother. But now, Ling Buyang is continuously killing powerful figures like Feng Zhaoting and Li Yue’an, which is quite terrifying!
Han Qianchou gestured with a wave of his hand, “Li Daban, take my Han Ming Armor to Qian Ye, and tell him to be sure to wear it during the duel!”
“Yes!” Eunuch Li arrived and quickly commanded, with a little eunuch hurriedly departing.
“Forget it, I’ll go there myself!”
After pondering for a moment, Han Qianchou stood up.
“Your Majesty, is it really appropriate for you to personally visit the black market?” Eunuch Li’s face stiffened, and he bowed hurriedly.
Han Qianchou shook his head, “What’s inappropriate about it? In my youth, I also participated in such competitions. Li Daban, go fetch another scroll for me, and after I change my appearance, no one will know!”
Eunuch Li had no choice but to nod, “Yes!”
…
Today’s black market was extraordinarily lively, far surpassing what it had been three days before.
Theoretically, shouldn’t the black market be highly secretive, with only a very small number of people able to find it and trade there? Why are there so many now?
“The so-called ‘black market’ is just a term used in the open. Do you really think the Han Yuan royal family doesn’t know about it?”
Seeing Zhang Xuan’s confusion, Fu Yingying revealed a cold smile, “To tell you the truth, not only do they know, but this place also has their share in it. Every year, at least half of our income flows into the royal family. Otherwise… being reported three times only means relocating and reopening somewhere else, without the staff being affected in the slightest!”
Zhang Xuan nodded.
Indeed, no wonder Sun Qiang had just arrived and already received news about the black market. It turned out that it’s only named “black” but isn’t hidden from the public at all!
It’s similar to certain establishments in his previous life, with solid backing openly operating in busy districts. If raids were too intense, at most they’d close, only to reopen a few days later and continue business as if unscathed.
“Let’s go, let’s go have an evaluation of your odds!”
Without continuing the conversation, Fu Yingying smiled slightly.
Truth be told, she too was curious. This consistently low-profile person, revealing his true cultivation, stacked up against King Ping Yuan’s odds, which would be greater, which smaller?