Chapter 404 - 401: Yin Wugou
Chapter 404: Chapter 401: Yin Wugou
The Netherworld Pavilion.
A sprawling complex of black halls clung to the mountainside, stretching from its base to its waist.
Deep within, in a magnificent hall, a soft knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
Li Wushang said.
"Vice Pavilion Master, an urgent report has arrived from our station in the Commandery City."
A steward dressed in black strode in, presenting an urgent, wax-sealed report as he bowed.
Li Wushang took the urgent report and broke the seal.
"Urgent Report: On the Celestial Pride List, True Disciple You Xin’s name has turned gray. He is presumed dead."
As he read the report, his expression first stiffened, then darkened ominously.
A dangerous aura emanated from him.
Sensing a sudden chill, the steward hastily bowed his head, not daring to make a sound. He even held his breath.
A moment later, Li Wushang slowly raised his head.
His expression had returned to normal, revealing nothing, but deep within his eyes, an indescribable undercurrent churned.
"You Xin... is dead."
His voice was quiet, as if he were murmuring to himself.
’What? How could this be?’
But the chill in Li Wushang’s voice, along with the words themselves, sent an involuntary shiver down the steward’s spine.
’Who was You Xin?’
’He was the Netherworld Pavilion’s head disciple, ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List, and had long been considered the future Pavilion Master. His status in the Sect far surpassed that of the Elders.’
’And now, he was hearing that You Xin was dead.’
’One could only imagine Vice Pavilion Master Li’s fury right now.’
"Fang Han..."
Li Wushang clutched the report, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip.
’He had personally sent You Xin to intercept and kill Fang Han, to eliminate this grave threat to the Netherworld Pavilion.’
’Now, You Xin’s name on the Celestial Pride List had turned gray. He was dead. The one who killed him...’
’The culprit was obvious. It had to be Fang Han.’
’Fang Han, ranked fifteenth on the Celestial Pride List, had killed You Xin, ranked sixth. It sounded absurd, laughable even, but it was very likely the truth.’
’This meant Fang Han’s true strength far surpassed his rank.’
’Such strength, such potential... In the future, he could very well become a Grandmaster Powerhouse.’
’I absolutely cannot give him the chance to mature!’
Li Wushang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, his deep, dark gaze held nothing but cold resolve.
’This boy must not be allowed to live.’
"Liu Jin."
His voice was deep, yet it echoed clearly throughout the grand hall.
The steward, Liu Jin, who had been standing with his head bowed and scarcely daring to breathe, immediately stepped forward upon hearing Li Wushang’s voice.
"What are your orders, Vice Pavilion Master Li?"
"Go and summon Elder Yin."
Li Wushang’s voice was calm again, but beneath that placid surface was a towering inferno of rage.
"Yes, sir."
Liu Jin was taken aback for a moment, then bowed and complied.
He strode quickly out of the hall, his footsteps soon fading down the corridor.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, steady footsteps approached from outside the hall.
A figure strode inside.
The newcomer was a man of about fifty. He was tall and powerfully built, with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, and he wore the distinctive dark-patterned black robe of a Netherworld Pavilion Elder.
He had a square-jawed face, and beneath his thick brows, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, glinting with a keen light as they moved.
This was Yin Wugou, an Elder of the Netherworld Pavilion with a Second Grade Cultivation. Among the Pavilion’s Elders, his combat prowess was considered to be in the upper-middle tier.
"Vice Pavilion Master Li."
Yin Wugou walked up to Li Wushang and gave a cupped-fist salute, his voice deep and sonorous.
"Elder Yin, there is a matter that requires you to personally see to."
Li Wushang’s gaze fell upon Yin Wugou.
Yin Wugou’s expression remained unchanged as he waited quietly for Li Wushang to continue.
"You Xin is dead," Li Wushang said.
Hearing this, Yin Wugou’s pupils contracted sharply.
’You Xin is dead?’
’The one ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List, the young prodigy seen as the Netherworld Pavilion’s future Pavilion Master... he’s dead?’
"And the one who killed him was very likely Fang Han of the Qingxuan Sect," Li Wushang continued.
"The boy is only twenty, and he’s been in the sect for just over two years, yet he was able to kill You Xin. If we give him a few more years..."
He didn’t finish, but his meaning was perfectly clear.
Yin Wugou fell silent.
’Twenty years old, and already able to kill You Xin, who was ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List.’
’It was frighteningly clear what that kind of Talent and growth rate implied.’
"And your intention is, Vice Pavilion Master?" Yin Wugou asked slowly, his voice low.
"Intercept and kill him."
Li Wushang looked at Yin Wugou, his deep, dark eyes devoid of any hesitation.
"He was hunting the Black Crow Thieves and should now be on his way back to the Qingxuan Sect. You will depart immediately. Kill him before he makes it back to his Sect."
"Vice Pavilion Master, if we do this, the Qingxuan Sect will..."
Yin Wugou’s brow furrowed slightly.
"I know," Li Wushang cut him off, his voice still flat.
"This action will break the unspoken agreement between our sects. It may even ignite a full-scale war."
"But, Elder Yin, you of all people should understand what it means to allow a man who can kill You Xin at the age of twenty to continue growing stronger."
Yin Wugou fell silent.
After a moment, he nodded slowly.
"I understand."
He said nothing more, simply turning and striding out of the grand hall.
Behind him, Li Wushang’s gaze remained fixed on his back for a long time.
’If it means eliminating Fang Han, then even a war between our sects is a price worth paying.’
...
「Morning.」
SWISH!
Fang Han’s figure flitted through the mountain forest like an invisible wisp of wind, weaving between ancient trees and scattered boulders.
The dozen or so disciples were nowhere to be seen; he had already parted ways with them.
’Now that he’d killed You Xin, the Netherworld Pavilion would never let the matter rest.’
’If he continued traveling with the other disciples, they would surely die if they were intercepted by someone of the Elder Level.’
’Traveling alone, however, had its advantages. He was faster, a smaller target, and had a better chance of escaping.’
The mountain wind howled as the trees blurred past him.
Fang Han pushed the Wind and Cloud Escape technique to its absolute limit, his figure nearly dissolving into the wind itself.
The Inner Qi from his Profound Wind Technique surged endlessly, fueling his high-speed dash.
’Almost there.’
’Another half a day, and I’ll be back at the Sect.’
’Once I’m back in the Sect, I’ll be safe.’
Suddenly—
Fang Han’s expression changed drastically.
An aura had appeared within his senses.
The power of this aura far surpassed that of any opponent he had ever faced. Compared to it, You Xin was like a firefly to the brilliant moon.
What’s more, it was closing in on him at an incredible, almost unbelievable speed.
Three hundred zhang.
Two hundred zhang.
One hundred zhang.
Fang Han strained with all his might, pushing his Wind and Cloud Escape to an unprecedented level. His Inner Qi burned away at a frantic pace, as if it were boiling.
But it was no use.
The source of the aura was far faster than him.
Fifty zhang.
Thirty zhang.
Ten zhang.
In the next instant, a black shadow shot past him like a phantom and landed steadily a few zhang ahead, directly in his path.
He skidded to a halt.
The newcomer was a man of about fifty. He was tall and powerfully built, with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, and he wore the distinctive dark-patterned black robe of a Netherworld Pavilion Elder.
He had a square-jawed face, and beneath his thick brows, his hawk-like eyes were fixed silently on Fang Han.
His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made the hair on Fang Han’s body stand on end.
’At least Second Grade!’
’The man is a Netherworld Pavilion Elder. Judging from his aura, he has to be at least a Second Grade Martial Artist.’
Fang Han’s heart sank.
But his face betrayed no hint of panic.
He spoke, his voice steady and devoid of emotion. "A Netherworld Pavilion Elder, ambushing a True Disciple."
"Aren’t you afraid of breaking the truce between our sects and inciting a war?"
Yin Wugou’s sharp eyes showed no reaction to Fang Han’s words.
"Fang Han," he began, his voice low and deep, echoing in the silent woods.
"If killing you incites a war between our sects—that is a price the Netherworld Pavilion is willing to pay."
Fang Han’s pupils contracted slightly.
’Willing to pay.’
’Those three words were like a cold blade plunging into his heart.’
’The Netherworld Pavilion was willing to risk a war between the two sects just to kill him.’
’What an unshakeable resolve to kill him.’
"You killed You Xin, didn’t you?" Yin Wugou asked, though his tone was one of certainty.
"I did."
Fang Han admitted it with a nod. At this point, there was no use in denying it.
The man wasn’t going to spare him just because he denied it.
"So it was you. To have such strength at your age... truly a genius. A pity you do not belong to the Netherworld Pavilion."
A startling killing intent suddenly flared in Yin Wugou’s sharp eyes.
The next moment, he raised his right hand.
He thrust out his palm.
There were no fancy Transformations in the strike, just a simple palm thrust.
But the moment he struck, the world seemed to freeze.
A massive black Palm Seal erupted from his hand.
The Palm Seal was several zhang wide and so condensed it looked solid. Its markings were clearly visible, and it was wreathed in a sinister black qi.
As the Palm Seal passed, the air shrieked and tore, and a deep trench was gouged into the earth.
The trees on either side shattered and collapsed as if they were made of paper.
Fang Han’s expression changed drastically.
Without a moment to think, the Inner Qi from his Profound Wind Technique erupted from within him.
He pushed the Wind Momentum of his Perfection-level Nine Swords of Sky Splitting to its absolute limit, pouring all one hundred thousand jin of his physical strength into his sword.
He slashed out with his sword!
The sword light condensed into a thin cyan line that tore through the air and met the terrifying black Palm Seal head-on.
BOOM—!!!
An earth-shattering explosion erupted.
The Cyan Sword Light and the black Palm Seal clashed wildly, but the sword light held for only an instant before shattering.
Though the black Palm Seal had dimmed somewhat, it still slammed into Fang Han with terrifying residual force.
BANG—!
As if struck by a massive hammer, Fang Han was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.
He crashed through several trees thick enough to wrap one’s arms around and tumbled for more than ten zhang across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
He coughed up a spray of blood, instantly staining the front of his robes crimson.
He struggled to his feet, feeling as though every bone in his body was about to shatter. His internal organs felt as if they had been rearranged, and an excruciating pain lanced through him.
His right arm, which held his sword, trembled uncontrollably. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger had split open, and blood dripped from the hilt.
’The gap...’
’It was an insurmountable gap.’
’With his strength, he could fight on even terms with a Martial Artist at the Late Stage of Third Grade.’
’But this man was at least a Second Grade Martial Artist.’
’The leap from the Middle Three Grades to the Upper Three Grades was a massive hurdle in the Martial Dao. The gap in power was far greater than the one between the Lower Three Grades and the Middle Three Grades.’
’And this man was at least two full Great Realms above him.’
’This was a gap that no technique, no Martial Arts, could possibly bridge.’