Chapter 823: A Futile Attempt to Escape
His att.i.tude had changed. Previously, he could still negotiate the conditions peacefully. However, now that a fight broke out, who would still be forgiving and calm?
Indeed, w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong did not know how to appreciate a favor. He refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.
Lu Zhou sat in a dignified manner half a foot behind w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong. The emperor, Li Yun Zheng, was a foot to his left.
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong was a Nine-and-a-half-leaf cultivator. Although he was struck out of the sky by Nie Qingyun, he still had some fight left in him. His current spot was perfect to launch an attack against the old man. This was the closest he could get to the old man. However, would he really dare to attack?
In the sky, the cultivators who put up resistance were being struck down by Yu Shangrong and Yu Zhenghai.
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zong’s daughter, w.a.n.g Shu, failed to escape. After the palm strike landed on her, she crashed on the ground. She had never felt such pain in her life before that it was almost as if she had forgotten what pain felt like until this moment. She knew her sea of Qi had been destroyed; she was now a mere mortal.
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong coughed violently before he turned to look at Nie Qing Yun in the sky.
Nie Qing Yun’s 200-foot avatar towered like a mountain over everything. Its height seemed impossible to scale.
Nie Qingyun did not continue to attack. Instead, he looked down at w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong and asked, “Lord w.a.n.g, are you still going to resist?”
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong stood up. He waved his hands and addressed Lu Zhou, “Senior Lu, I accept the five conditions.”
“Very good,” Lu Zhou replied curtly.
Then, w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong hobbled toward w.a.n.g Shu. He carried her and channeled Primal Qi into her body through his palm. At the very least, he could lessen her pain and suffering.
n.o.body stopped w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong. They only watched him.
Li Yunzheng felt torn. He turned around and asked, “Isn’t this going too far?”
Lu Zhou said earnestly, “You’re still young. There are many things you have yet to experience for yourself. w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong is the head of the secretariat. As a high-ranking official, he has much more blood on his hands than you can imagine. If I was the one who fell and he was the one sitting here, do you think I’d still be alive?”
“Uh…” Li Yunzheng was at a loss for words. As someone with a high, the highest, position, he understood Lu Zhou’s words. Indeed, he had witnessed w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong sentencing people to death before. Five years ago, the trusted subordinates whom he painstakingly cultivated were killed overnight. The result of the palace’s investigation was that it was not the work of a.s.sa.s.sins, but he knew better. Their corpses were burnt to crisps, and the truth had been buried ever since.
“The tender-hearted aren’t suited to command an army, martyrs shouldn’t manage finances, and those who are emotional shouldn’t make decisions… Do you understand?” Lu Zhou asked.
These were the necessary requirements of a ruler of a kingdom.
One should intervene in affairs that were not in their jurisdictions. In many cases, most people could not act as they pleased.
“Understood,” Li Yunzheng replied as he looked at w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong.
After w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong stabilized his injuries, he sighed as he murmured, “You brought this disaster upon yourself.”
Nie Qingyun withdrew his avatar and ordered, “Lock them up.”
“Understood.”
Upon seeing this, several cultivators took a step forward and cried out in unison, “Lord w.a.n.g!”
The Sky Martial Court had lost many of its members. Those who were left were elites from the w.a.n.g Family. How could they stay idle when their lord was being taken away?
“w.a.n.g Tuo, w.a.n.g Xiang, w.a.n.g Yun, heed my order!” w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong said loudly.
The three elites from the w.a.n.g Family stepped forward and bowed as they said, “Lord w.a.n.g!”
“I’ll stay on Cloud Mountain for some time. Don’t tell anyone about this when you return, and don’t contact the Sky Martial Court! Go.”
“Understood!” The three elites retreated to the edge of the cloud platform, maintaining their distance out of fear of being cut down by the sabers.
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong cupped his fists at Lu Zhou. “Senior Lu, I agree to the five conditions, and I’ll stay here with my daughter. However, these w.a.n.g Family disciples have nothing to do with this. It’s pointless for them to stay here. Can you let them go?”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard as he looked at the remaining cultivators. Indeed, there was no meaning to keeping them here. He needed someone to convey his message after all. Moreover, if none of them returned, the Sky Martial Court would surely be alerted.
Lu Zhou was about to speak when Conch suddenly pointed at one of the w.a.n.g Family disciples and said, “Master, he’s the one who captured Ji Liang… Ji Liang looked at him many times earlier!”
“…” w.a.n.g Tuo was shocked, and he felt his heart sink.
Ji Liang had returned to the mountain to rest; it had been poisoned previously. Earlier, it had neighed and made a scene, but needless to say, no one understood it.
Upon hearing Conch’s words, everyone turned to look at w.a.n.g Tuo.
At this moment, w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong recalled when they had heard Ji Liang neighing when they just arrived, his daughter had mentioned w.a.n.g Tuo. He did not pay attention to the matter at that time.
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong called out in a gruff voice, “w.a.n.g Tuo!”
The first of the five conditions had everything to do with w.a.n.g Tuo, after all.
w.a.n.g Tuo, naturally, understood the predicament he was in. He did not hesitate and turned tail to flee. He leaped off the cloud platform and ran for his life.
The others were stunned by this.
‘He ran?’
w.a.n.g Tuo would have been better off if he had just stayed on the cloud platform. Now that he fled, it only confirmed his guilt and that he was the culprit behind Ji Liang’s capture. There was no longer any need to discuss this matter.
Nie Qingyun said coldly, “I’ll go after him. I’d like to see if he can get away.”
“Allow me.” Yu Shangrong looked at w.a.n.g Tuo moving further and further away.
At this moment, Lu Zhou slowly rose to his feet. “No need.”
Everyone was puzzled. Was the old man going to spare w.a.n.g Tuo?
The Cloud Mountain disciples who were watching from the sidelines were also baffled.
Yu Shangrong and Nie Qingyun who stopped moving as soon as Lu Zhou spoke were stunned as well.
Nie Qingyun said, “If I’m not mistaken, the injury on Ji Liang’s was caused by a saber. Fortunately, Ji Liang isn’t an ordinary mount, and its bones are tough. Apart from that, the poison it was fed is incredibly potent. When consumed, it could turn one into a cripple even if one didn’t die. The one who hurt Ji Liang is unimaginably vicious. I don’t understand. Why are you letting him go, Senior Lu?”
Upon hearing the horrors inflicted on Ji Liang, a scowl appeared on Yu Shangrong’s face immediately. He bowed and said, “Master, I request permission to go after that person.”
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong’s expression soured when he heard these words.
Meanwhile, w.a.n.g Shu who was nestled in her father’s arms looked aghast as well.
At this juncture, the situation was no longer under w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong’s control. It was only natural that w.a.n.g Tuo decided to flee since he wanted to keep his life. How could he order w.a.n.g Tuo to stay?
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and walked toward w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong. He looked at w.a.n.g Tuo who was gradually disappearing in the distance. He said, “He’s just a minor cultivator. Why is there a need to pursue him?”
Then, Lu Zhou flipped his palm, and Unnamed appeared. It buzzed as he gripped it.
Soon enough, an energy bow that was as tall as an adult and arrow appeared.
Lu Zhou pulled on the bowstring with two fingers on his right hand.
Tw.a.n.g!
A blue energy arrow as thick as a person’s arm sailed through the sky.
Following that, Lu Zhou put Unnamed away unhurriedly. As though nothing had happened, he turned to face w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong and said, “I’ve always been merciful. I’ll let the two of you live out of concern for Great Tang. However, this person who harmed Ji Liang has an evil heart. I cannot and will not forgive him.”
w.a.n.g s.h.i.+zhong turned and looked at the horizon.
The cultivators on the cloud platform turned to look as well.
The people from the red lotus domain had never seen a technique like this before.
On the other hand, the members of the Evil Sky Pavilion were already used to it so they did not find it strange.
As expected, the energy arrow struck w.a.n.g Tuo in the distance, cleanly piercing through his heart.
From afar, the details were blurry, and no sounds could be heard.
The people on Cloud Mountain only saw the arrow pa.s.sing through its target before the target fell.
“Ding! Killed a target. Reward: 500 merit points. Domain extra: 500 merit points.”
In truth, Lu Zhou did not have to act. He had fired this arrow to save time that would have been wasted should they pursue the target. Apart from that, he wanted to use this opportunity to intimidate the others. This would serve as a warning and deter the others from trying to flee.
Lu Zhou possessed a desolate-grade weapon and strength akin to a Ten-leaf cultivator who had activated his Birth Chart. Coupled with his show of strength on the cloud platform, would anyone dare to run away?