Chapter 244 - 239: The Great Upheaval
The rain gradually stopped, yet thick fog shrouded Canglan City, rendering it terribly silent.
Within the City Lord’s Mansion, inside a grand courtyard.
A stately lady sat in a pavilion—she was none other than Lady Liu, principal wife of the Dragon King Mo Jingzhou, mistress of Canglan City’s lordly household.
Drops of water slowly dripped from the eaves, everything exceedingly quiet. Before Liu sat a middle-aged man, none other than the current Patriarch Liu Qingming. He was slowly brewing tea, looked up at Liu, and said, "Elder Sister, are you worried about the Eldest Young Master?"
Liu was no longer young, almost in her sixtieth year. Though self-cultivation and temperance slowed her aging, they could not hide the air of dusk about her. She slowly opened her eyes and said, "It has become the trend for the Mo Family to split from Beidou Bang, and if our Liu Family wishes to rise further, we must bind ourselves to the Mo Family. This battle concerns a century of the Liu Family’s prosperity and decline—how could I not be worried?"
Liu Qingming smiled and said, "There’s no need for excessive worry. Truly, it’s almost impossible for anything unexpected to happen..."
At that moment,
a guard entered the courtyard, halted outside the pavilion, clasped fists, and said, "Madam, Patriarch Liu, there is word—Left Protector Yun Wei has already set out, returning to Canglan City."
Liu Qingming set down his teacup, smiled lightly, and said, "Elder Sister, the overall situation is settled."
Liu spoke in a low voice, "But we’ve yet to hear from the Xuanhu Sect."
Liu Qingming chuckled softly, "No news precisely means success. Today, the Eldest Young Master and Fourth Young Master swap attack and defense—the timing is extremely tight. For there to be no news thus far means nothing went awry midway. Would there be incident, the Fourth Young Master would’ve emerged first—unless... a third party appeared, but that’s impossible..."
Suddenly, hurried footsteps interrupted Liu Qingming’s words. A guard dashed in, flustered, face stricken with terror, blurting, "Patriarch... Madam... something...something has happened!"
At that instant,
Liu and Liu Qingming both started violently, an ill premonition rising in their hearts.
"Speak!" Liu Qingming’s face was stern.
The guard wiped away sweat and said, "At Xuanhu Sect... chaos. The Eldest Young Master and Fourth Young Master, both... both... both are dead!"
In that moment,
Liu and Liu Qingming were both struck dumb,
"Impossible!" Liu Qingming cried. "How dare you spout nonsense!"
"I–I wouldn’t dare lie," the guard stammered, "The government army managed to hold off for half an hour, but have now gone to Xuanhu Sect to seal the scene. News should arrive soon."
Liu staggered, nearly collapsing—Liu Qingming caught her just in time.
Liu waved her hand, slowly saying, "Could it be... really a third party appeared? How is this possible..."
Liu Qingming’s brow furrowed deeply; no matter how he thought, he could not understand.
Just then, more hurried footsteps sounded; a guard entered, cupped fists, and reported, "Madam, Patriarch, the Sixth Young Master has entered the city in mourning clothes, carrying a spirit tablet, escorted by six hundred Pingyang Embroidered Uniform Guards!"
"What? Mo Beiyan!"
Liu Qingming was greatly shocked, exclaiming, "How can it be Mo Beiyan, why should it be him?"
The guard quickly said, "On Qingyun Street, Gu Zhan slew Grand Elder Liu Xifan in two moves, and alone killed nearly ten great cultivators, then vanished. It’s suspected... suspected he appeared at Xuanhu Sect!"
"Gu Zhan!"
Liu Qingming’s expression grew grim. He said coldly, "That brat again, him again!"
At this moment, Liu slowly rose and said, "The details of that moment no longer matter. What matters now is that we stop Mo Beiyan from taking power. Now, with Yan’an and Mo Zhening dead, Elder Canglan will surely fall into chaos. When Right Protector returns, someone will be immediately set forth to take charge,
We absolutely cannot let that bastard Mo Beiyan rise. The relationship between our Liu Family and that wretch is no secret to you—if he takes power, how shall our Liu Family ever stand again in Yunxi Land?"
Liu Qingming drew a deep breath,
Of course, he knew about Liu and her past connections to the Bai Family. He even knew that the Bai Family’s extermination back then was not wholly owed to the plague, not to mention how many times Mo Beiyan nearly died by Lady Liu’s hand as a child.
Liu Qingming narrowed his eyes and asked, "Which other young masters remain in the city now?"
The guard replied with a cupped fist, "Third Young Master Mo Qinghuan. Last winter, he returned to mourn his departed mother and has not left since."
"Then it must be him," Liu Qingming spoke in a grave tone, "Find Mo Qinghuan at once. Tell him the Liu Family will fully support his ascension. He needs only to go to the Elder Council now. Also, go to the Tian Family and seek an alliance."
"Yes." The guard answered and withdrew.
At this moment Liu added, "Do not forget one other—our Liu Family’s Gu Zhan. As long as he is crippled, Mo Beiyan is but mud that cannot stick to a wall."
Liu Qingming’s brows arched as he asked, "Elder Sister, you mean—?"
Liu said darkly, "We must visit the Elder Council personally, and find some witnesses. Gu Zhan has the audacity to slay the Eldest Young Master and the Fourth Young Master—accuse him of this crime. Success or not, it’s enough to strip him of the Squad Leader position and detain him for now. Without his protection, what storm could Mo Beiyan possibly stir up? And once stripped of his Beidou Bang status, how long could Gu Zhan survive?"
...
In Canglan City, within the Tian Family’s manor.
The Tian household was thrown into disorder,
The Fourth Young Master was dead. The Eldest Young Master too. Two Fifth Realm Great Cultivators of the Tian Family were dead. Patriarch Tian Ji as well—and the Sixth Young Master Mo Beiyan, whom none held in regard, entered the city just at this time.
While chaos gripped the Tian Family, a letter arrived from the Liu Family.
For the time being, authority had fallen to the Second Elder. Upon learning of the Liu Family’s intent to cooperate, he said in a deep voice, "Though our families have long been at odds, at such an hour, only cooperation can hold back Mo Beiyan."
The Tian Family fell to silence.
The Second Elder continued, "The Liu Family is right. If we do not support a young master now to oppose Mo Beiyan, he will seize this opportunity to take Canglan City and the Mo Family, and then we will never have another chance."
At that moment,
a chill, clear voice rang out: "The ones with no more chances are the Liu Family. What has that to do with us? The Liu Family and Mo Beiyan are sworn enemies. My Tian Family and Mo Beiyan bear no grudges—why should we oppose him?"
All eyes turned,
and saw a cold-visaged youth, long sword across his back, stepping inside.
This was the Tian Family’s prodigy, Tian Yu—formerly eighteenth on the Celestial Pride List, a Great Cultivator of the Third Realm. During his recent seclusion to break through to the Fourth Realm, Gu Zhan had suddenly appeared and claimed the eighteenth spot for himself.
The Second Elder exclaimed in surprise, "Tian Yu, you’ve emerged—just in time, we were about to..."
Tian Yu’s face remained expressionless. He interrupted flatly, "Had I not come out, you would likely have led the Tian Family into an abyss of ruin."