Book 14: Chapter 134
Arrival
Song Chi, face pallor, knew he had been poisoned when he could feel the pain minimise once he calmed his mind. Xun Feng saw Song Chi as a dead man walking, but he had to give due credit for Song Chi’s equanimity. Xun Feng had defeated advanced monks and daoists in the past using the poison due to them losing their composure.
“What did you poison me with?”
“You don’t need to ask, right? Just so you know, you’re not the only one afflicted with it. It was prepared for He Kanyu, but he got hurt before the poison affected him. He might not live to see tomorrow.”
Although He Kanyu’s defeat came as a result of Lan Jiqiong’s failure, Xun Feng had prepared a backup plan that didn’t require Lan Jiqiong’s involvement just in case. Said plan revolved around poisoning He Kanyu with the very poison he caught Song Chi with.
Song Chi was quite freaked out after seeing a smug and evil side of Xun Feng that he hadn’t seen before. The fact that Xun Feng knew when the poison would take effect proved that it wasn’t the first time Xun Feng used it. Xun Feng’s evilness wasn’t a side of him that surfaced or grew as a result of circ.u.mstances; it was his true nature.
“Your so-called best path is joining you and your corrupt allies? The monarch on the throne wouldn’t resort to such despicable means. Who knows if Song Clan will be the first target in the future if I join you?”
“I know I’m repeating myself, but I must say you’re not stupid at all.”
All the friends.h.i.+p Xun Feng showed was but a ploy to pull Song Clan into the pro-war group among the White Princes. He didn’t understand why Song Chi was so against war; Song Chi’s judgement even impacted the patriarch of Song Clan. Every time Xun Feng was reminded that Song Chi ruined his mission, he was annoyed. Needless to say, Song Clan’s involvement wouldn’t consolidate the alliance’s foundations, but they would become the first sacrifice in the conflict with the imperial court. Should there have been another conflict when the White Princes supported a new monarch to the throne – which was highly possible – Song Clan would’ve been chosen as the first scapegoat. It sounded as though Song Chi knew exactly what Liaoliao and Xun Feng’s plans were.
Having somewhat recovered, Song Chi asked in a low voice, “Have you no sense of guilt or shame in considering an ally a sacrifice between the alliance is even established?”
In a cold voice Song Chi hadn’t heard before, Xun Feng responded, “… What did the imperial court do when my senior brothers’ bodies had yet to go cold? They stormed the temple in the name of cleaning and paying respects when the military stayed in Suzhou in March. The imperial court’s envoy demanded 30% in taxes in Suzhou when my senior brother was unwell. They fabricated a narrative that they were after a villain digging up remains in the temple to kill my senior brother as a deterrence… Those moments convinced me to revolt. Six years ago, Emperor’s Entourage hung my senior brother’s corpse outside the temple doors and claimed that Demon Sect was responsible for the act of vengeance in order to scare off any monks who wanted to join us. They thought they were clever. Ever since then, I’ve sworn to kill the tyrant on the throne.”
Song Chi didn’t know there was so much to it, but it was comprehensible when he reflected on his personal experiences. Song Clan and the imperial court were friendly one moment and distant the next; their relations.h.i.+p was built purely on ploys. Song Ou being sent to the capital long ago was evidence of the fact. The only reason Song Ou hadn’t been sacrificed any further was thanks to his father’s cleverness. While sending Song Ou appeared foolish, it was the smartest decision. Else, Song Clan would’ve been making moves already. If Song Ou met his demise in the capital, the imperial court wouldn’t trust Song Clan even if Song Clan had no intention of revolting. Song Ou essentially acted as a hostage. Technically, Song Ou did a fantastic job as a sacrifice.
“Brother Song, n.o.body can go back and forth between two sides forever.” The jade piece in Xun Feng’s hand glowed similarly to a snake sticking its tongue out. “You know better than I do that you can’t turn back once you’ve chosen the path of a villain, or your ending will be far worse than you imagine. The first time I killed, I was somewhat shaken. Once I got used to it, it no longer bothered me. What difference does it make if you kill with a blade or poison? Despite the poison’s effectiveness, it won’t kill you – even though I think you should go. To be honest, I didn’t want to kill you today.”
Song Chi didn’t lower his guard. Instead, he squeezed his hilt tighter as he awaited Xun Feng’s attack. Rather than attacking him, though, Xun Feng grimaced when the jade piece glowed brightly. Notwithstanding Xun Feng’s pain response, the flame’s radius increased. That was when Song Chi realised Xun Feng couldn’t control the Nine Dragons Fire Jade.
Neither of them could explain why the fire energy kept surging forth and leaking out. Instead of acting as an eraser of yin energy, it sprayed flames as if it was a dragon rising from the earth.
Xun Feng groaned, released the box and rolled out of the way before the flame could consume him. The piece of jade floated in the air whilst continuing to blast flames from its centre, cracking its container until the container shattered into tiny fragments.
Song Chi and Xun Feng ran for it as their lives were at risk if not even the Ice Jade box could restrain it. They had only taken a few steps when they saw a nightmare, a demon, a devourer of life wearing burnt flesh as armour descending from the sky. Their first thought was that the winged creature crawled out from h.e.l.l. The two of them dove roll across the ground when the monster flapped its wings. Both of them knew they wouldn’t last ten exchanges against the monster. They weren’t even sure that there was anyone alive who could scratch the monster that had holes and b.u.mps all over him but not a single scratch. After all, he had a hole at his left rib that was still bleeding, and his heart was exposed from an arrow wound or something of that nature, yet he was still alive. What could they have done to win against something that could survive such wounds?
The demon, who only showed up there because he saw the violent flames, didn’t feel any pain from any of his wounds. His burns stopped him from bleeding out or the wounds enlarging. It was one way of addressing the problem, though it probably wasn’t the best option for human beings.
The demon had no intention of fighting the man in the wheelchair as it was a waste of essence he had to collect. Although that meant he couldn’t heal his injuries, which would put him in increasingly more danger as they deteriorated during the course of their fight, his combat senses led him to this location. Luckily for him, his wings empowered him to escape Ye Yun’s restraints, though it came at the price of the big wound in his rib.
“… Mine!” The demon reached for the suspended piece of jade and shoved it into the hole in his torso, unafraid of the flames that burnt indiscriminately. As someone who was born with a unique fire attribute, he saw it as a trigger for revival rather than something to fear.
As if he just gained another heart, flames burst from his orifices, and all the menacing energy he oozed disappeared. The smoke that rose from the veil of smoke resembled a dragon declaring its advent. He shed his filthy exterior and replaced it with new silky skin you’d only find on infants. The hole that should’ve been his weak point became his strongest fortress. As the flames’ radius extended to ten metres, it dawned on him that the item was what he had been searching for all this time.
Nine Dragons Fire Jade was an ideal accompaniment supplement for anyone who wanted to master Agni Twelve Heavens. He had managed to get his hands on it thanks to someone’s mechanisations, but he wasn’t in any condition to realise it.
Using his flame wings’ that had expanded in size, he took off toward the ether and into the imperial city.