Chapter 2149: Just Bring Back a Head
Zong Yan felt suffocating pressure drape around him as he faced Yus.h.i.+ Moli. He’d always been one to hold fast to his words; the same applied even as he faced the boy’s current state. He didn’t budge an inch—he’d said that Yus.h.i.+ Moli wouldn’t enter the residence, and so the boy wouldn’t.
No one could make him change his mind, not even Yus.h.i.+ Jianchou!
Yus.h.i.+ Moli stared coldly at him while Zong Yan grit his teeth, the fear in his heart too much to put into words. He didn’t understand it—how was the cowardly and stubborn young master exuding such a terrifying aura?
He’d never felt this kind of feeling before, not even from the city lord!
“I don’t need your men to escort me out, I’ll go myself.” Yus.h.i.+ Moli looked deeply at Zong Yan before turning on his heel. He felt that he should be furious, but oddly enough, he was quite calm inside.
It seemed that the guard captain only wanted to annoy Yus.h.i.+ Moli, not truly infuriate him. Why was that?
The boy didn’t understand it, not this or any of the changes that’d taken place in his body lately. They surprised even himself, but it also seemed like this was who he truly was.
Yus.h.i.+ Moli walked off with an unperturbed expression.
……
“Sir… isn’t this… a bit out of line?” The two guards at the door heaved sighs of relief. The pressure exerted by Yus.h.i.+ Moli moments ago had been too frightening.
Although the young master was trash that could not cultivate and had been a.s.signed to Clearsnow Estate as a result, he was still the city lord’s son. Additionally, Yus.h.i.+ Moli seemed to have… changed. It was over the top to block him at the door.
“Hmph.” Zong Yan was slightly ashen and his back slick with sweat. “He could’ve come back earlier or later, but he just had to come back now. Luo Hanye from Coldnight Estate is still visiting. Who knows what will happen if he catches sight of Yus.h.i.+ Moli?”
Luo Hanye was also a celestial rank martial cultivator. Although he was weaker than Yus.h.i.+ Jianchou, he was not someone to provoke if one could help it. His nephew had died on account of the young master, he would never easily let this go!
If Yus.h.i.+ Moli had remained at Clearsnow Estate like he was supposed to, Luo Hanye wouldn’t dare seek him out even if he knew where the boy was. That was Aurora City property—it would be the equivalent of declaring war if he dared attack someone on the estate.
Coldnight Estate was very strong, but it paled far in comparison to Aurora City.
So while Luo Hanye bl.u.s.tered with extreme hostility, it was all talk. On the other hand, if Yus.h.i.+ Moli returned to the city lord’s residence at this time, matters would progress and worsen. Neither side would come off better in the end.
Although Yus.h.i.+ Moli’s current aura was quite strong, Zong Yan still thought of him as the boy of old. Perhaps the brief hint of pressure earlier had been a misconception?
“Should we go protect the elder young master?” the guard asked.
“No.” Zong Yan swept a glance over him. “Let him go.”
The boy seemed to be keeping certain secrets.
……
“I thought it was me unwilling to return home, but now I see that it is they who don’t welcome me at all—“ Yus.h.i.+ Moli mumbled to himself, yet otherwise not too affected by the encounter. He didn’t know what’d taken place behind the scenes. “Forget it, I’ll stay away if that’s what they want. It’s enough to know that uncle’s fine.”
He didn’t have too many lasting memories of the aloof city lord’s residence. Much of what he recalled about it was starting to get blurry. He seemed to have lost most of his attachment to this place a long time ago, including… his father and younger brother?
“I lived there for thirteen years and it’s only been one month since I moved out. Have I become so heartless so quickly?” Yus.h.i.+ Moli walked toward Aurora City’s eastern gate, eschewing riding his horse. His emotions were peaceful and his thoughts part of nature as he sensed the rhythm of the wind.
“Isn’t that boy Yus.h.i.+ Moli?” Two cultivators paused when they saw his departing form.
“Which Yus.h.i.+ Moli? …the son of the Aurora city lord?” A tall and skinny cultivator next to him blinked.
“That’s him. Our young master chased him out of the city three days ago. Since he met his end in Aurora territory, it has everything to do with their city lord!” A dangerous light sparkled in his short and fat companion’s eyes.
“People should realize that it’s not that safe around the city. If our own young master died here, that means it’s entirely reasonable for the Aurora city lord’s son to die too!” A faint smile appeared on the tall and skinny cultivator’s face.
They belonged to Coldnight Estate. Their lord had brought numerous men with him on his trip to demand an explanation from Aurora City. These two were in charge of monitoring the city and preventing the city lord from ambus.h.i.+ng their people. It was why they hadn’t followed their lord into the city lord’s residence. The duo remained outside to collect information.
They were drinking at a small tavern close to the city gates while they awaited Luo Hanye’s return.
“C’mon, the lord will be very happy if we kill him!” The two grinned savagely at each other.
“And where are you two off to?” A young man dressed in scholarly robes appeared in front of them.
“Mister Zhou!” The two started and subconsciously glanced at Yus.h.i.+ Moli. The boy had already pa.s.sed through the city gates. “Mister Zhou, that’s Yus.h.i.+ Moli—Yus.h.i.+ Jianchou’s son!”
“Oh? That boy is Yus.h.i.+ Moli?” Mister Zhou brightened.
“Yes!” replied the tall and skinny cultivator.
“Make sure you clean up after yourself. Don’t leave anything behind. Just bring back a head.” Mister Zhou waved them off.
“Understood!” The two beamed after receiving approval for their actions.
……
Five kilometers out from Aurora City found small paths winding through spa.r.s.ely populated areas. Yus.h.i.+ Moli sighed.
“Why am I always ambushed on my way back from the city?”
Did his face say “ambush me” or something like that? First it was Luo Qing, now two weird strangers. Though they hadn’t revealed themselves, he’d been sensing sharp killing intent that’d locked onto him.
An internal alarm was ringing in his mind again, but no ambush was forthcoming. Instead, someone stood in the road ahead. Tall and skinny, their face was concealed.
“So it’s you… guys.” Another short and fat man appeared behind Yus.h.i.+ Moli, blocking his avenue of retreat.
Although both had their faces covered, Yus.h.i.+ Moli had seen them on his way out of town. With his memory, he recalled a trace of their presence, despite not specifically paying attention to them. His senses had been growing stronger in recent times, not only because he meditated over the Sword Chart of Heaven and Earth, but because something seemed to be awakening in the depths of his soul.
“Who are you?” Preoccupied with sensing the rhythm and profound meaning behind the autumn wind, his tone carried a hint of the autumn wind’s cutting edge.
“Someone who wants your life, of course!” snarled the fat man behind the boy. He didn’t want to waste too much effort talking.
“Kill him, we just need the head.”
The shorty rushed behind Yus.h.i.+ Moli and smashed a fist down on the boy’s back. His skinny companion stood with his arms crossed over his chest, not intending to make a move. Yus.h.i.+ Moli was just trash that could not cultivate. Although he grasped a sword, that was just for show.
“I’ll be dead without a doubt if this punch connects with my back!” Yus.h.i.+ Moli’s eyes narrowed. “You just need the head? Aren’t you… confident.”
The boy sighed. Who have I angered this time??
He stepped to the side in an almost instinctive reaction.
Bam!
The short and fat man was an upper rank cultivator. When his punch missed, it raised an explosive sound in the air.
“Where is he?” he blinked.
“Careful!” the tall man cried out with horror. And then… the fat man saw a very familiar body rise in front of his eyes while his thoughts sank forever into darkness.