Chapter 130: The Shameless Dark Pavilion
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Wang Qian’s voice was as cold as ice, each word dripping with barely controlled fury. “You two better have something important to say, or be ready to face my wrath.”
He had just blown up the furnace while refining his latest batch of pills, and his mood was at its absolute worst. Now, someone dared to disturb him at such a moment, providing the perfect outlet for his pent-up frustration.
Tian Han and Guo Ming En silently cursed their bad luck. They hadn’t wanted to bother Wang Qian, especially now, but the situation had escalated beyond their control, leaving them no choice but to report it to him.
“Wang Qian, Junior Brother, we just received a message from the Dark Pavilion…” Tian Han started, his voice hesitant.
“The Dark Pavilion?” Wang Qian’s brows furrowed in confusion for a brief moment before he remembered the bounty he had issued through them. His eyes lit up with interest. “Has Yu Zhao been killed? How did she die? Did they bring back her body?”
Tian Han winced before responding, “Yu Zhao is still alive.”
“What?” Wang Qian’s expression darkened as he glared at Tian Han. “If she’s still alive, then why are you here? Do you expect a reward?”
Tian Han swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. “The Dark Pavilion said no assassins were willing to take the job of killing Yu Zhao. They’ve decided to take down the bounty, and they don’t plan on refunding the money either.”
Wang Qian’s rage erupted like a volcano. “They failed the mission, so why aren’t they returning the bounty?”
“Well… because…” Tian Han stammered, his voice trembling as he struggled to find the right words.
Wang Qian’s patience snapped. He turned his fiery gaze on Guo Ming En. “You explain it!”
Guo Ming En’s face was a mixture of bitterness and reluctance as he spoke. “Yu Zhao killed all the assassins the Dark Pavilion sent after her. They suffered heavy losses, so they’re keeping the bounty as compensation.”
For a moment, Wang Qian was at a loss, unsure whether to be more shocked by Yu Zhao’s unexpected combat prowess or by the sheer audacity of the Dark Pavilion.
“Say that again. Who killed whom?” Wang Qian demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Yu Zhao killed all the assassins,” Guo Ming En repeated, his tone subdued.
“She’s just in the late Foundation Establishment stage—how could she possibly do that?”
“She’s reached the Golden Core Formation stage,” Guo Ming En clarified.
“Even if she’s at the Golden Core Formation stage, she shouldn’t be able to…” Wang Qian’s words trailed off as a sudden, chilling realization struck him. Yu Zhao’s master was none other than Master Qing Yan, revered as the top cultivator in the world of cultivation. As Qing Yan’s personal disciple, Yu Zhao might not have surpassed her master, but she certainly wouldn’t disgrace his name.
A cold sweat broke out on Wang Qian’s forehead as the gravity of the situation settled in. If even the assassins from the Dark Pavilion were too terrified to take another shot at Yu Zhao, then she was far more dangerous than he had ever anticipated.
And if Yu Zhao discovered that it was he who had issued the bounty through the Dark Pavilion… His life would be over.
No, wait. She likely already knew. In his blind rage at the time, he hadn’t considered the consequences. The conflict between him and Yu Zhao had happened right before he sent Tian Han to the Dark Pavilion. It wouldn’t take a genius to connect the dots back to him.
The more Wang Qian thought about it, the more terrified he became. A drop of cold sweat trickled down his temple.
“Junior Brother Wang Qian, this matter is known only by the heavens, the earth, and the three of us. As long as we all keep our mouths shut, even someone as strong as Yu Zhao wouldn’t dare to challenge the Green Wood Sect,” Guo Ming En said, trying to calm Wang Qian with a soothing tone, though he secretly despised how shaken his junior brother was.
Guo Ming En and Tian Han knew that Wang Qian was their only lifeline. If he lost his nerve, it would spell disaster for them as well.
“But what about the Dark Pavilion…” Wang Qian’s voice still trembled with worry.
“The Dark Pavilion wouldn’t dare say anything. They wouldn’t risk offending both the Green Wood Sect and the Five Elements Sect,” Tian Han said confidently.
Guo Ming En nodded vigorously in agreement.
Wang Qian’s expression finally began to relax. “In that case, we’ll pretend this never happened. No one is to mention this matter again, especially not in front of Mu Ye. We must be particularly careful around her.”
“Understood.” Guo Ming En grinned obsequiously. “Junior Brother Wang Qian, Senior Brother Tian and I have always supported you. The position of Sect Leader’s successor should belong to you, no one else.”
“That’s right, Junior Brother Wang Qian,” Tian Han chimed in. “When you become the successor, don’t forget to look out for us.”
“Hahaha, of course, of course,” Wang Qian laughed, feeling much more at ease. With this shared secret binding them together, he saw Tian Han and Guo Ming En in a new, more favorable light. When he eventually became the Sect Leader’s successor, he would need loyal followers. While Tian Han and Guo Ming En weren’t the most talented, they could still be useful.
Each of the three men silently calculated their next moves, the atmosphere between them turning unexpectedly harmonious.
…
Black Armor City
When Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou entered Black Armor City, they immediately noticed the eerie quiet that blanketed the area. The wide streets were lined with shops, and cultivators moved about their business, but there wasn’t a single sound. The unsettling silence seemed to suffocate the entire city.
Even Ji Han Zhou, usually loud and boisterous, instinctively lowered his voice when he spoke. “Senior Sister Yu Zhao, is it because Black Armor City is so close to the swampy marshlands that the locals don’t like to talk?”
Yu Zhao shook her head, her gaze sharp and wary. “I don’t know. Let’s find an inn to stay at first, then we can ask around.”
“Alright,” Ji Han Zhou agreed, though his eyes still darted around nervously.
Neither Yu Zhao nor Ji Han Zhou were picky about accommodations, so they were about to settle for the nearest inn when they noticed a crowd gathered outside a different one, a little farther down the street.
They exchanged a glance and hurried over to see what was happening.
“Isn’t this the fourth time this month?” someone in the crowd murmured.
“Not just that. Three people went into the Marshlands and never returned. If you count them, that’s at least seven people gone,” another added, their tone heavy with concern.
“This is so strange. I’ve stayed at this inn before and never had any issues. But now, with all these bizarre deaths… If more people die, who would dare stay here?”
“Only those with a death wish!” another person whispered, the tension in their voice clear.
The people outside the inn were buzzing with nervous chatter. Inside, the innkeeper was desperately negotiating with the city guards. Someone had died in his establishment, and he was demanding a proper explanation.
Finally, after some compensation in spirit stones, the guards took the body away, leaving the innkeeper slumped on the doorstep, sighing heavily.
His inn had clearly been cursed by someone. Guests were dying one after another in strange and inexplicable ways. Some had died bleeding from all their orifices after a cultivation mishap, others were killed by their own venomous insects, and one particularly unlucky guest had died of a heart attack after being scared to death in his own dreams. Who would believe such a tale? Yet, it had all happened.
A few days ago, some bold guests who didn’t believe in the curse had come to stay, but after yet another unexpected death today, they had all fled.
Now, besides the inn’s staff, only the dogs in the back courtyard remained.
“Why did I have to offend a deity?” the innkeeper lamented.
Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou listened to the gossip for a while, gradually piecing together what had happened. They were curious about the cause of the deaths, but neither of them was eager to risk their lives to investigate. That is, until Yu Zhao heard someone in the crowd sigh in relief.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
“Good thing Lady Ye left early, or she might’ve been cursed too.”
Lady Ye?
Yu Zhao’s eyes sharpened as she zeroed in on the person who had spoken. In the world of cultivation, it wasn’t uncommon for people to share the same name, especially when it came to surnames. But something in Yu Zhao’s gut told her that the “Lady Ye” they were talking about was none other than Ye Cong Xin.
When she parted ways with Lan Zi Yu, she had sensed the presence of Su Ming and Ye Cong Xin further away. Judging by their path, they had likely passed through Black Armor City as well.
Yu Zhao approached the speaker, her voice filled with admiration. “Fellow Cultivator, are you referring to Lady Ye Cong Xin?”
“You know Lady Ye too!” The man’s eyes lit up in recognition.