Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 499 - 450: Burning

Chapter 499: Chapter 450: Burning
The members from Zhao Ming were flipping through the names and places on the paper, each with a different expression.
Yuan Sou stroked his beard, scrutinizing them repeatedly.
Ghost Shovel was chewing on raw meat, his eyes gleaming with a cold light as he picked through the names. "Hehe, Li Hui, Pei Jing, Bian Chenpei, Su Feng, Ashina Que Teqin, Li Leqing..."
He spat out a piece of ghastly white bone, grinning. "Quite interesting."
Shangyang swayed his head, nodding in approval from time to time, as if appreciating exquisite poetry.
Lady Zhu, hiding her lower face with a folded fan, occasionally let out a light chuckle.
Harvard chanted "Amitabha Buddha," continuously shaking his head and sighing as he looked at the information on the paper.
Ping He’s expression was forever hidden under a mask, rendering his emotions inscrutable to others.
Feilian glanced around at everyone’s expressions, curled his lips, and tossed the paper crane onto the table. "I don’t care; killing any of them would be the same. But aren’t you afraid that such a big move will provoke hostility from *that* person?"
"Who? Lian Xuanyao?"
A cold snort suddenly came from the back of Yuan Sou’s head. "He hasn’t even returned to the Academic Palace. He’s probably on the verge of the Heavenly Person Five Decays and is likely scouring the world for ways to extend his life."
"Huh?"
Feilian, startled, subconsciously stood up and moved behind Yuan Sou.
Then, on the back of Yuan Sou’s head, he saw a face resembling a human-face sore.
The face looked similar to Yuan Sou’s but was somewhat shrunken, with skewed eyes and a mouth dripping saliva. Its appearance was indescribably comical.
"How ugly!"
Feilian exclaimed in shock, "Old man, how did you grow such a thing on your head? Were you indulging too much in pleasure houses and got syphilis?"
"Get lost!"
A vein throbbed on Yuan Sou’s forehead as he snapped, teeth gritted, "This is a side effect of the Body Reconstruction Magic. The human-face sore will fall off on its own soon. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up!"
"Hahahaha!"
Feilian ignored Yuan Sou’s explanation and clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter. "Old man, you sure play wild! How does that poem go? Let me think... Ah, right! ’Half the hundred-acre courtyard is moss; where peaches are all gone, syphilis blooms!’ Hahahaha!"
He laughed until tears streamed down his face. Finally straightening up, he clapped Situ Zhi’s disciple, Yu Shi, on the shoulder and said earnestly, "My dear nephew, your master is quite adept at gu magic; you must be equally skilled. Later, you should help your Great Uncle Yuan Sou treat that. It’s quite embarrassing for someone from our Zhao Ming to get syphilis. If word got out, it’d sound awful. People might think we’re a comedy troupe..."
SHIING—
A sharp, metallic cry, like a dragon’s roar, suddenly rang out. Yuan Sou’s Longsword was already at Feilian’s neck. A slight slash would sever it.
Yan Fu, who had been standing at the edge of the Viewing Tower, instantly appeared beside Feilian. He raised his right hand, hovering it before Yuan Sou’s forehead. Numerous demon tattoos surfaced on the skin of his right arm, ready to burst forth at any moment.
"What, looking for a fight?" Ghost Shovel lifted his head from the list, his hand casually resting on the chopper at his waist.
A crack silently opened in his abdomen, revealing a mouth that seemed to devour everything.
As soon as the devouring mouth appeared, a fetid wind stirred in the Viewing Tower. The common people inside, controlled by Ya Jiu, all shuddered simultaneously. It was as if they had encountered wolves or tigers in the wilderness, and goosebumps broke out all over their bodies.
Members of Zhao Ming usually teamed up in pairs. Yuan Sou and Ghost Shovel shared a common interest in consuming humans and considered each other bosom friends, while Feilian and Yan Fu had forged a deep friendship even before they became cultivators.
"Kid, don’t think I don’t dare to kill you." Yuan Sou narrowed his eyes into slits and said slowly to Feilian, "I’ve eaten countless so-called geniuses like you, who prided themselves on their exceptional talent. Each one I consume enhances my Spiritual Vein Talent."
"Oh, is that so?" Feilian, unfazed by the blade at his neck, retorted with a sneer, "Then why do you still have so many age spots? You are what you eat. Humans eat pigs, pigs eat slop. Why don’t you just eat slop directly? No middleman taking a cut."
"Alright, alright." Seeing that they were about to start fighting, which might attract the two Haotian’s Cardinals and the Zhou Kingdom Tribute still in the Imperial City, Jun Qianzi rubbed his temples. He stood up and said, "The human-face sore is not a sexually transmitted infection. It will fall off on its own after some time. Let’s focus on important matters."
"Hmph." After all, it was Jun Qianzi who had performed the Body Reconstruction Magic and healed him. Yuan Sou snorted coldly and slowly sheathed his Longsword.
Yan Fu also lowered his arm, the tattoos receding from his skin.
"Tsk." Disappointed they hadn’t started fighting, Lady Zhu tilted her head slightly, tapped her nose with her paper fan, and said in a sultry, bone-chilling voice, "I only joined Zhao Ming last year, so I haven’t been here as long as the rest of you. But for such a significant matter, Jun Qianzi, can you decide this alone? How do you plan to compensate for the risks involved?"
"This isn’t just Jun Qianzi’s idea."
A crisp female voice came from downstairs. Everyone turned to look.
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a beautiful girl wearing a yellow veil walked up from downstairs.
"Suo Luo?" Feilian raised an eyebrow. She was You Qiong’s representative in Zhao Ming and had always been the one to issue orders to everyone on You Qiong’s behalf.
The girl named Suo Luo nodded lightly and said indifferently, "Feilian, the person you were referring to just now wasn’t Lian Xuanyao, but You Qiong, correct?"
Feilian shrugged, indicating his agreement.
He had never seen You Qiong’s true face. He had only encountered him once, long ago, on a desolate mountain. It was when he and Yan Fu had just been promoted to the Candle Cloud realm and were feeling particularly proud and ambitious.
It had been afternoon when, suddenly, all light vanished. An oppressive silence descended, dragging them into a death-like darkness.
Then, he heard You Qiong’s voice recruiting them.
After they agreed, the darkness and silence retreated as suddenly as they had come. It was as if nothing had happened.
Even though much time had passed and his cultivation had progressed significantly, Feilian still felt a prickle of fear and confusion whenever he recalled the incident.
Even now, he could not see through or understand You Qiong’s methods; he couldn’t even begin to estimate his realm of power.
Doubt bred fear, and fear bred respect.
If Jun Qianzi’s crazy plan didn’t have You Qiong’s approval, Feilian would never have participated.
"You don’t need to worry about that. The plan Jun Qianzi just described was also personally instructed by You Qiong." Suo Luo said lightly. She stepped forward to the railing of the Viewing Tower, resting her hand upon it.
Gazing at the majestic Zhou Kingdom Imperial City in the distance, and at the common people teeming within it like ants, a smile touched her lips. "This world has been peaceful for far too long. It’s time to set it ablaze."