In the compound of Renyi Manor in Jiangnan,Jiang He Liu entered his room,pushed open a hidden chamber,revealing a spacious courtyard inside.
The courtyard was brightly lit,as if it were daytime,large enough to accommodate dozens of people living here.However,at the moment,there was only one person in the courtyard,a young man.
His facial features were ordinary,and at first glance,he wouldn't attract attention with his appearance.Instead,the focus would shift to his hands.
They were a pair of unusually thick-knuckled hands,almost seeming non-human,but crafted like translucent jade,both eerie and aesthetically pleasing.
To those familiar with the martial world,it was evident at a glance that this person was the ninth-ranked on the martial arts ranking,Yue Qingping,also known as the'Jade-Defying Hands.'
Yue Qingping spoke in a calm tone,"My younger brother is dead."
His tone was indifferent,as if the deceased were just some random person,not his own brother.
"He was killed by Su Xin,"Yue Qingping continued,still maintaining his calm demeanor.
As Yue Qingping spoke,Jiang He Liu couldn't help but feel a headache.Despite Yue Qingping's outwardly carefree appearance,Jiang He Liu knew that this was the real Yue Qingping–calm in the face of praise or insult,chillingly composed,and equally stubborn.
"My lord,listen to me.There's a possibility that your brother wasn't killed by Su Xin.He caused a ruckus in Renyi Manor during the day and used the Blood River Divine Sword to kill Yue Fang at night.It's an absurd act that only an idiot would commit.Besides,even if Su Xin did kill Yue Fang,you can't act recklessly now.Our plan is on the verge of completion,and any deviation at this point could ruin everything,"Jiang He Liu reasoned.
Yue Qingping clasped his hands,and a faint metallic sound emanated as he rubbed them together."The direct bloodline of the Wu Kingdom's royal family is now reduced to just my brother and me.Whether he was killed by Su Xin or not,I must seek an explanation.Whether I succeed or not is one thing,but whether I go or not is another.Otherwise,I can't justify myself to our ancestors resting in the netherworld."
Yue Qingping lifted his expressionless face and looked at Jiang He Liu."Don't you agree,Uncle Huang?"
Jiang He Liu,frustrated,rubbed his head.It was a mistake to let those old immortals educate Yue Qingping.Did they treat him like a prince?What do the ancestors'graves and ancestral tombs of the Wu Kingdom have to do with this?
"The overall situation is crucial!I won't let you go,"Jiang He Liu insisted.
Yue Qingping responded calmly,"Uncle Huang,have you forgotten your true identity,or have you been completely assimilated into the White Lotus Cult after so many years?I don't care about the White Lotus Cult's grand plan.I only care about our Wu Kingdom's grand plan."
Jiang He Liu coldly snorted."Nonsense!How can I forget the national hatred and family enmity?I joined the White Lotus Cult just to use their power to restore our country.Chased like rats for decades,how many members of the Wu Kingdom's royal family are left now?In a few more years,the world will forget about us completely!"
Yue Qingping said,"I understand your intentions,Uncle Huang,but I hope you can understand mine.Rest assured,I won't go too far.If anything changes,I'll come back immediately,ensuring no trouble for the plan."
Hearing Yue Qingping's firm stance,Jiang He Liu knew he couldn't stop him and reluctantly agreed.
The next morning,news of Yue Fang's death at the hands of Su Xin spread like wildfire.Although no one witnessed Su Xin's actions,the daytime incident combined with the blood-red sword aura during Yue Fang's killing made it appear as if Su Xin was the culprit.
Some doubted it,considering Su Xin's cunning nature.Would he commit such a foolish act of causing a daytime conflict and then killing someone at night?Moreover,using his most conspicuous martial technique?
However,most people in the martial world were more interested in the gossip surrounding the vendetta.At the southern gate of Jiangnan Prefecture,Yue Fang,dressed plainly,walked into the city.His eye-catching hands immediately revealed his identity as the ninth-ranked'Jade-Defying Hands'Yue Qingping.
Upon seeing him,the martial artists gasped in surprise.Yue Fang had just died yesterday,and it seemed that trouble was brewing with Yue Qingping's arrival.
Some were puzzled,as Yue Qingping had previously stated that he wouldn't participate in the Jiangnan Assembly.Had he been lingering outside Jiangnan Prefecture all along?
"This friend,may I ask if you know the current whereabouts of Su Xin?"Yue Qingping asked a warrior on the street in a gentle tone.It was a stark contrast to his expressionless demeanor during their encounter at Renyi Manor yesterday,almost like two different people.
Upon hearing that Yue Qingping,the ninth-ranked on the martial arts ranking,was personally asking him,the warrior,who was at the Acquired Realm,felt a sense of surprise and quickly replied,"I heard that Su Xin is on Zhu Ge Qingtian's flower boat."
Yue Qingping nodded,"Thank you for the information,friend."
After Yue Qingping left,the bystanders realized the situation and hurriedly followed him to witness the spectacle.
Zhu Ge Qingtian's flower boat was in the center of the lake.Instead of calling a boat,Yue Qingping walked on the water's surface,effortlessly crossing the lake and boarding the flower boat.
Observant Innate Realm warriors noticed that while crossing the water,not a drop touched Yue Qingping's shoes,showcasing his exceptional control over true qi.
On the flower boat,Su Xin and others were waiting for Yue Qingping's arrival.Anticipating that someone would come after the events involving Yue Fang's death at the hands of Yin Xiexue,they expected it to be Yue Qingping.
A loud sound resonated as Yue Qingping stepped onto the boat,causing a slight tremor.Su Xin and the others emerged,seeing Yue Qingping standing at the bow,expressionless.
Zhu Ge Qingtian chuckled,"Brother Yue,my humble flower boat can't withstand your enthusiasm.Let's be gentle in our actions."
Yue Qingping replied calmly,"Brother Zhu Ge,I didn't come for you this time.I hope you won't intervene later."
As he spoke,Yue Qingping turned his gaze to Su Xin."Su Xin,you killed my brother.You owe me an explanation."
"Oh?What kind of explanation do you want?"Su Xin raised an eyebrow.
"I said I want your life.Will you give it to me?"Yue Qingping asked.
Su Xin shook his head,"What do you think?Even the heavens can't take my life;you're no exception."
"Fine,if you won't give it,I'll personally take it!"Yue Qingping moved swiftly,launching a palm strike that covered the sky.
Yesterday,Su Xin and others had guessed that Yue Qingping was likely connected to the White Lotus Cult.There was even speculation that he might have been secretly cultivated by the cult.
Now that Yue Qingping had arrived,Su Xin was well-prepared.According to their plan from the previous night,Zhu Ge Qingtian and Yin Xiexue should have taken action,but at the moment,they showed no intention of doing so.
Su Xin sneered inwardly,expecting that Zhu Ge Qingtian and Yin Xiexue wouldn't readily intervene to help him against Yue Qingping.However,Su Xin had his own trump cards and had no intention of getting entangled with Yue Qingping here.
Not engaging in a direct confrontation didn't mean Su Xin would flee.He was eager to have a brief clash with Yue Qingping.Although he had already fought Yin Xiexue the previous night,the elusive techniques of the Illusory Demon Dao were quite frustrating for Su Xin,who excelled in straightforward combat.
Facing Yue Qingping,Su Xin could gauge the difference between himself and those ranked in the top ten on the martial arts ranking.Yue Qingping's Jade-Defying Hands and Nie Fang's Iron-Refining Hands were two completely different martial arts.Yue Qingping's technique was a combination of palm methods and inner strength,resulting in the unique transformation of his hands.Compared to Nie Fang's simplistic palm technique,Yue Qingping's skills were far superior.
With a booming sound,Su Xin's Blood River Divine Sword came out of its sheath,unleashing an endless aura of blood,clashing with the sky-covering force of Yue Qingping's palm.A massive force erupted,shattering the bow of the flower boat!
Watching from the sidelines,Zhu Ge Qingtian's mouth twitched.He suddenly felt that not intervening earlier and choosing to spectate was a grave mistake.
On the other hand,Yin Xiexue,standing beside him,raised a delicate eyebrow,looking puzzled at Yue Qingping.
The enmity between the Illusory Demon Dao and the White Lotus Cult had persisted for centuries,and it seemed like an endless feud.Yin Xiexue was extremely familiar with the information on White Lotus Cult's techniques,perhaps even more so than the Illusory Demon Dao's arts.
Yin Xiexue couldn't help but doubt whether she had misunderstood.Perhaps Yue Fang had no direct connection with the White Lotus Cult.
