Volume One: Kingdom of the Long Night - Chapter Forty-Five: The Imperial Tutor (Part Two)

Xie Wuhang's figure drifted down slowly.

Du Yanruo concealed her expression well, feigning a look of joy mixed with tears, "I knew the young master would definitely come to save me."

Had it been before, such a performance by Du Yanruo would undoubtedly have completely fooled Xie Wuhang. But now, already aware of the deception, looking at Du Yanruo's current appearance, he only felt profound disgust.

"Miss Du truly has a remarkable talent for acting," Xie Wuhang sneered. "Putting on a fragile facade, recounting Jiang Wang's tyrannical deeds with tears welling in your eyes—had Xie's intellect not been so exceptional, I really would have been fooled by you."

Holding his blade against Dong Chongyang's neck, Jiang Wang nearly vomited upon hearing these words.

Had the old steward not intentionally let you break into the Marquis's Mansion and overhear the conversation between Su Lingyi and Du Yanruo in the firewood room, you would probably still be strutting around like a fool right now.

He certainly knew how to gild his own lily.

Du Yanruo said with an unnatural expression, "What is the young master talking about? This humble girl doesn't understand."

Xie Wuhang couldn't be bothered to continue tearing off her mask. Instead, pointing to the scene outside the Marquis's Mansion gates, he said, "The ones who truly came to save you have already lost. Even if you walk out of the firewood room, what of it? Your fate is already sealed."

Du Yanruo looked at Cai Tanggu's ashen face, and then at Dong Chongyang with Jiang Wang's blade pressed against him, her expression turning utterly unsightly.

Su Lingyi anxiously said, "Instructor Cai, didn't you inform the libationer of everything? If the libationer had come in person, how could it possibly come to this!"

Cai Tanggu's expression trembled slightly, and he immediately said in a deep voice, "Su Lingyi is the personal disciple of the libationer. This time, the libationer is giving the Marquis's Mansion a chance. If you release people now, well and good; otherwise, the libationer will surely come to Hun City in person. When that time arrives, no matter how grand the backing of the Marquis's Mansion is, it will be of no use!"

The worst-case scenario had happened after all.

In his wildest dreams, Cai Tanggu never expected that even Dong Chongyang would lose to Jiang Wang.

The priority right now was not revenge, but figuring out a way to retreat unscathed.

Su Lingyi's identity was the breakthrough point.

Xie Wuhang's expression also grew solemn.

Among all those standing at the absolute peak in Kutan, there were his own master, the venerable ones of the Martial God Shrine, the commanders of the Qingxuan Bureau, and Libationer Chang of Yuyuan Academy.

In other words, Su Lingyi's identity matched his own. To kill Su Lingyi would be equivalent to making an enemy of Kutan's Yuyuan Academy.

Although Sword Pavilion possessed the capability to suppress Yuyuan Academy, it would not easily make an enemy of them. After all, the Grand Libationer of Yuyuan Academy was the Emperor's Preceptor, a towering figure who had existed even before the Mochang Campaign.

Jiang Wang remained silent.

He certainly couldn't afford to offend the libationer of Yuyuan Academy. While he very much wished to have a fight with that libationer, now was definitely not the time.

"It is quite lively here."

Luo Xianshan arrived with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely like an ordinary old man out for a walk.

"Venerable Luo!" Cai Tanggu felt a trace of panic.

Having overheard the conversation between Luo Xianshan and Rong Yulu on the upper floor of the Half-Day Leisure Inn, he had incited Rong Yulu to come together with him to the Marquis's Mansion for revenge. Coupled with the fact that they both shared a hostility toward Jiang Wang, he also harbored the intention of leveraging the Martial God Shrine to apply yet another layer of pressure on Jiang Wang.

The Martial God Shrine was composed of a group of martial artists, and its leader was none other than the strongest martial artist in the State of Sui.

Not to mention Insight Profound realm cultivators, even grand cultivators of the Bathing Snow realm were not regarded with any weight by the leader of the Martial God Shrine.

People often spoke of crude martial artists, and the Martial God Shrine displayed the word "crude" to its absolute limit—though it possessed a more pleasant-sounding name: overbearing.

With the leader of the Martial God Shrine as such a powerful backing, the Martial God Shrine carried out its overbearing style of conduct everywhere in the State of Sui, giving face to no one at all.

Just like Rong Yulu, who had the Luopu Rong family as his background and served as a second-rank officer of the Martial God Shrine—although his actions violated the true meaning of overbearing, a glimpse of it could still be seen.

The leader of the Martial God Shrine had once wildly berated the Emperor's Preceptor right inside Divine Capital, and that too in the imperial court while all the hundred officials maintained a terrified silence.

The current reigning emperor had merely acted as a peacemaker; the leader of the Martial God Shrine did not receive the slightest punishment, and the Emperor's Preceptor had maintained a smiling expression from beginning to end.

Yet the leader of the Martial God Shrine was by no means a reckless brute; he simply did not take the rules of Divine Capital seriously at all.

The most crucial reason was that the leader of the Martial God Shrine was a terrifying figure whose combat strength ranked in the top ten of the entire world, squeezing into the top four within the State of Sui. He was one of the strongest and most indispensable forces in the nation.

Even though Yuyuan Academy wished they could eradicate the Martial God Shrine due to the humiliation suffered by the Emperor's Preceptor, their fear of the Martial God Shrine was equally a fact.

Let alone the circumstance where Cai Tanggu had merely made use of Rong Yulu.

Yet Luo Xianshan completely ignored him. He merely stared at Dong Chongyang for a moment before laughing, "I never expected to see Brother Chongyang here. Back when I was still a newcomer to the Martial God Shrine, the previous venerable one wanted Brother Chongyang to enter the shrine, but unfortunately, you refused because you yearned more for the world of cultivators. In the end, it seems you still haven't abandoned your identity as a martial artist."

Dong Chongyang looked at him with a calm expression and said, "Is Venerable Luo mocking me? If I had entered the Martial God Shrine back then and wholeheartedly practiced martial arts, the position of venerable one would be mine right now. How would it ever have fallen to your turn? Venerable Luo ought to be thanking me."

Luo Xianshan's emotional state did not fluctuate in the slightest as he continued to smile, "Brother Chongyang's words are not entirely untrue. Yet right now, I am the venerable one of the Martial God Shrine, while you have been defeated by a junior. Such a sight is truly unsightly."

Dong Chongyang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Luo Xianshan then looked at Jiang Wang and said, "I never imagined I would misjudge someone. Little Marquis has actually already stepped onto the path of cultivation. No wonder you refused to take me as your master. Viewed this way, the Marquis's Mansion will eventually flourish once again, and my heart is greatly comforted."

The blade in Jiang Wang's hand did not leave Dong Chongyang's head, but he politely nodded in greeting to Luo Xianshan.

Luo Xianshan smiled as he looked around, his expression suddenly changing as he said indifferently, "The Marquis's Mansion and I are old acquaintances. What is the meaning of this behavior from you all?"

Cai Tanggu wiped away a cold sweat, cupped his hands, and said, "Venerable Luo, Jiang Wang arbitrarily detained a disciple of our Yuyuan Academy, who happens to be the personal disciple of the libationer. We are merely seeking justice; surely that is not going too far, is it?"

He pointed toward Su Lingyi, who was standing to the side.

Luo Xianshan raised an eyebrow and said, "Complete nonsense! This person is standing here safe and sound; where is there any detention? I only see the lot of you coming to our doorstep to bully and humiliate the Marquis's Mansion. Yuyuan Academy should properly discipline its disciples; what business do they have running around everywhere? Seeking immortals is the domain of the Qingxuan Bureau and the major sects. What does it have to do with your Yuyuan Academy?"

In the past, Yuyuan Academy indeed rarely participated in matters concerning the search for immortals. The coincidence was simply that Du Yanruo happened to be a native of Hun City, and because various great demons were running amok across the State of Sui, Yuyuan Academy sending people could barely pass as a reasonable excuse.

Cai Tanggu said in a deep voice, "How can Venerable Luo be so unreasonable? Su Lingyi was only just rescued. Look at what kind of state he has been tortured into! The facts are right before our eyes, yet Venerable Luo insists on pretending not to see them?"

"Although our Yuyuan Academy is a place of learning, we also possess the qualification to participate in the search for immortals; that is done to share the burdens of His Majesty. Venerable Luo's words are somewhat sophistical and unreasonable."

Luo Xianshan was quite carefree, laughing, "So I am being unreasonable—what can you do about it? Back then, our leader openly berated the Emperor's Preceptor right in the imperial court. As subordinates of the leader, naturally we cannot lose face. Even if Libationer Chang were to come in person, I would still utter these exact words. If he has the ability, let Libationer Chang come find me; let's see if I don't knock out his back molars."

With a gloomy face, Cai Tanggu said, "The Martial God Shrine is indeed full of crude brutes!"

Luo Xianshan said, "That is common knowledge to the entire world. For you to insist on reasoning with me only makes you look extremely foolish."

Cai Tanggu fell silent for a moment before saying, "Assuming this matter never happened, I will take Su Lingyi and the others and leave. Venerable Luo surely won't say anything more, will he?"

Luo Xianshan smiled, "I will speak if I wish to speak; what reason could I possibly need? Furthermore, this matter is up to the Little Marquis to decide. If he refuses to let you leave, whether I speak or not makes no difference whatsoever."

Cai Tanggu forcefully suppressed the breath rising in his chest, looked at Jiang Wang, and said, "Things have escalated to this point, which is surely enough. I am willing to treat this matter as if it never occurred, as long as the Little Marquis releases Su Lingyi and Du Yanruo. From now on, I naturally will never come to Hun City again."

Jiang Wang hesitated greatly.

If he provoked that libationer right now, he truly could not handle the fallout, but he was also extremely reluctant to let go of the trouble that was Cai Tanggu. This was truly a most difficult dilemma.

While he hadn't originally intended to do anything severe to Su Lingyi, resolving this trouble completely right now made him feel he would suffer too great a loss.

However, someone else very quickly made the decision for him.

Perhaps Su Lingyi had been locked up for too long and his mind had suffered some damage, or perhaps there was simply something wrong with him to begin with, but he clamored without regard for the occasion: "I suffered endless torment and extreme humiliation in that firewood room—how can this be so easily settled? This thief Jiang Wang must die, or else the hatred in my heart can never be quenched!"

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow, saying, "It seems Brother Su does not wish to leave after all."

Su Lingyi said coldly, "You want me to leave, but can you really stop me? When I return, I will definitely report this matter to the libationer, and even take it all the way to the Emperor's Preceptor! When that time comes, I will surely reduce you to dust, and scatter every single inch of soil of your Marquis's Mansion to the winds!"

Jiang Wang narrowed his eyes and said, "To do so many things, Brother Su is likely going to tire himself out."

Staggering forward, Su Lingyi arrived before Jiang Wang, glanced at his own hanging, broken arm, and said with bitter hatred, "Whatever you inflicted upon me, I will return a hundredfold! Fellow surnamed Jiang, don't be too arrogant in this life. There are countless people in this world capable of killing you, and I will make you watch with your own eyes as every single person in the Marquis's Mansion is tortured to death by me one by one."

A smile appeared on Jiang Wang's face as he said, "You must be the most foolish person I have ever seen. I can only hope there aren't too many people as foolish as you in this world, otherwise I will lose interest in this world altogether."

Su Lingyi sneered, "You need to understand one thing: I am the personal disciple of the libationer, and the libationer's master is the Emperor's Preceptor. In a sense, my master and the current emperor are fellow disciples, making me the grand-disciple of the Emperor's Preceptor. Did you really think the Martial God Shrine could protect you?"

Jiang Wang said with sudden understanding, "So it's not that you're merely foolish, but that you feel you have massive backing. Your identity is indeed terrifying."

Then he added, "Yet if the Emperor's Preceptor knew he had a grand-disciple like you, he probably wouldn't want to acknowledge you. No matter how brilliantly you talk, what the hell does it have to do with me? You should have just obediently followed Cai Tanggu and left. Why must you spout harsh words? You need to understand what the consequences are of angering me."

The very moment his voice fell, the blade Jiang Wang had been pressing against Dong Chongyang's forehead slashed straight toward Su Lingyi!