Xiao Ruyu followed Li Xuanfeng, feeling rather agitated in that moment. He was of a kind nature and had been holding back his anger at the sight of hundreds of thousands of civilians being slaughtered.
Clenching his teeth, he said, "Brother Xuanfeng, those from Golden Tang Gate are merely Qi Cultivators, and the person in charge is just a minor cultivator at the Embryonic Breathing Realm. This is a bait thrown by Golden Tang Gate and Azure Pond Sect! They probably have more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators behind them... Without hooking a few big fish at the Foundation Establishment Realm, they won't make their move. Although we are only at the Qi Cultivation Realm, if we plan carefully... we might make them pay a price."
Although Li Xuanfeng was furious, he was still rational.
"Don't worry, Brother Ruyu. I'm confident. Not even a Qi Cultivator can escape from me... let alone that young master who is only at the Embryonic Breathing Realm. I'll make sure he dies obscurely and in a humiliating manner, as a form of interest payment!" he snarled, the same ferocity crossing his expression.
Xiao Ruyu glanced at the Golden Age Longbow behind Li Xuanfeng and speculated on some possibilities in his head. He patted the brocade pouch on his waist and took out two pale blue talismans before saying in a low voice, "I have two Profound Essence Escape Talismans here, best used for fleeing and as a last resort for saving one's life. As long as Brother Xuanfeng can ensure a fatal hit, we'll immediately head west without leaving any traces."
"I'll count on you then, Brother Ruyu," Li Xuanfeng nodded as he accepted one of the talismans, feeling even more confident now.
Xiao Ruyu then sternly said, "If we succeed, at the very least—we could lay the souls of tens of thousands below to rest... and be spared from the guilt. If we fail, we'll immediately escape without risking our lives. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold."
"Don't worry, Brother Ruyu. I won't act rashly," Li Xuanfeng assured as he shook his head, feeling his hatred for Azure Pond Sect and Golden Tang Gate reaching new heights.
He gritted his teeth and continued, "This is only to avenge the elders in my family and my wife. Hatred and resentment will not disappear into thin air just like that... We still have many things to do after we've done this."
At that very moment, a group appeared on the horizon. They were all dressed in golden robes, carrying various blades on their backs. It was easy to tell that they were people from the Golden Tang Gate.
At the highest point was a boy around twelve or thirteen years old who was wielding a blood-red long sword, from which thousands of red sword lights surged out—each moving nimbly through the air, lethally seeking a human life to claim below.
Surrounded by a circle of Qi Cultivators, they stared greedily at the mountains of corpses and the seas of blood soaking the small town below.
Li Xuanfeng squinted for a moment, selecting a mountain peak to alight upon. He landed with a light step with his left hand tautening the string while his right hand gripped the bow steadily. His fierce gaze bore forward, yet he was making no attempt of nocking an arrow or channeling any mana into his bow... To an observer, it seemed as though he was simply taking aim at a rabbit.
Whoosh!
Only the sound of the bowstring vibrating in the air broke the silence, which was accompanied by a gentle breeze that rustled through the mountains, blowing off two dried leaves.
Li Xuanfeng rose to his feet and put his bow away. This time, most of the anger in his expression had dissipated as he spoke softly.
"The man is already dead... Let's go."
Xiao Ruyu gave him a puzzled look. Nevertheless, the two activated their talismans which transformed into two blue lights, then sped away to the west like the wind.
————
"Wan'er, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Ning Wan replied with a small frown, looking at the triumphant look on the face of the young master from Golden Tang Gate, feeling quite troubled.
As a disciple of Moon Lake Peak, Lixia Prefecture was her place to protect. Yet, now it was being handed over to Golden Tang Gate for slaughter.
This put her in an awkward position and it pained her. Yet, she had no choice but to follow the sect's orders and had to be ready to suppress any Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator that might appear.
She was not an old-fashioned person, nor was she like those naive and ignorant sect disciples. If she had to choose between protecting the Azure Pond Sect and the lives of tens of millions of people, Ning Wan would not hesitate to choose the former.
However, allowing others to slaughter their own people just to eliminate a possibility made Ning Wan feel like it was not worth it.
She had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm more than a decade ago, becoming the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Azure Pond Sect to do so, aside from Li Chejing.
Being the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivator among the ones currently hidden in the surroundings, she clearly saw the arrow intent aimed straight at Situ You's head but chose not to act as a flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes instead.
With such profound intent, it's either the work of a seasoned Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator or a Purple Mansion Realm immortal cultivator. Yet... not a trace of mana was mixed in. This seems like a deliberate choice to spare the families any loss of face while still disciplining that guy. Let it be... If he dies, his death won't affect the plan anyway.
After all, Ning Wan harbored no fondness for Situ You. At just twelve or thirteen years old, he was already so cruel and vicious, slaughtering the people of her Moon Lake Peak. Although bound by sect rules not to intervene, Ning Wan was pleased to see him dead.
Looking around, several middle to late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators appeared thoughtful, evidently sensing something as well. However, none was willing to offend an unknown Foundation Establishment Realm or even a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator for an Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivator they did not know well.
Even the cultivators from the Golden Tang Gate watched coldly from the side, and Ning Wan chuckled to herself in her heart.
Suddenly, Situ You grunted from below. The surrounding Qi Cultivators looked at him hurriedly. Situ You waved at them dismissively, mumbling to himself in confusion.
"Strange... why does my mouth taste so bitter?"
His anxiety grew as he shook his head and he found the bitterness in his mouth intensifying. He called out, "Someone come and look after this dharma artifact for me! Something's wrong with me."
Someone stepped forward to take his long saber, but as soon as Situ You's hands left the dharma artifact, he suddenly felt panic setting in. Touching his tongue, he discovered that his fingers were covered in a pale yellow liquid.
"This is... bile? Oh no! No...no!" Situ You screamed suddenly, his chest swelling suddenly as though it was inflating. He collapsed soon after, crying out weakly.
"Ah!"
"Ancestor! Save me... I..."
As he spoke these words, he continued inflating, almost like a balloon.
The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators above him projected their spiritual senses toward him but none showed themselves, merely watching as he burst like a balloon with a bang.
BOOM!
Blood and bone fragments splattered everywhere, staining the surrounding Qi Cultivators in blood. The group stood dumbfounded, staring at the mist of blood in the air, wiping their faces without any clue of what had just happened.
One of the Qi Cultivators holding the dharma artifact opened his mouth as if to call out something but then was interrupted by a cold voice.
"Carry on!"
No one dared to defy the order.
They simply lowered their heads and cleaned the blood off themselves with spells, acting as if nothing had happened.
The mark left on one of Situ You's bone fragments that was meant to track his killer flew upward. However, it found no trace of mana and aimlessly circled in place before disappearing into thin air.
"To think a distinguished young master died in such a pitiful manner..." murmured a nearby Qi Cultivator, feeling a shiver of terror.
Thoughts raced through his mind.
Despite being an illegitimate son of a concubine, this young master was not only cunning and clever but was also born with a spiritual orifice. I thought things would go well if I served him... but now that he's dead out here, my future seems bleak.
————
Xiao Ruyu and Li Xuanfeng settled down in the mountains. Li Xuanfeng said in a low voice, "He's dead, but I was just taking out some anger on him. It's meaningless because in the end, we're still powerless..."
Although Xiao Ruyu did not understand how Li Xuanfeng killed the young master from the Golden Tang Gate, he felt sorrowful in his heart. "This has always been a muddy situation... Who doesn't bear any sins? We just killed the apparent culprit, but those behind them continue with their slaughters using dharma artifacts beyond our resistance," he muttered with a grim smile.
Li Xuanfeng had no interest in further discussion as the round trip had taken over four hours. He cupped his fist and bid Xiao Ruyu farewell respectfully.
"I still have things to take care of so I'll be taking my leave now, Brother Ruyu."
Xiao Ruyu hurriedly returned the gesture and watched as Li Xuanfeng departed. After a while, he turned to address Xiao Yongling behind him.
"Clan Uncle..."
"Have you had your fill of excitement?"
Once Li Xuanfeng left, Xiao Yongling appeared and stared at Xiao Ruyu, speaking softly, "You managed to escape only because you found a loophole in the situation between the two sects... Don't do such dangerous things again."
It was clear he had secretly followed them. Stealth was the Xiao Family's specialty, hence he was not discovered by the two men.
Although Xiao Ruyu felt that neither sect understood how the young master died, he did not counter his elder's words.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Xiao Yongling then nodded, looking in the direction Li Xuanfeng had gone, and muttered, "Although Li Xuanfeng isn't foolish, his heart harbors a bold courage that is innate... It's a trait that can make or break him. His exceptional archery saved the day, but if he's ever targeted by others one day, it will likely be through the exploitation of his bravery."
Xiao Ruyu, considering Li Xuanfeng a true friend, shook his head with a pained expression. Xiao Yongling gave him a stern look as he shot him a word of advice.
"Your kindness is no different... Though you're not stupid, with a lifespan of hundreds of years... if your nature is too obvious, sooner or later, it will lead to your downfall."
Xiao Ruyu laughed heartily in response. "There are all sorts of people in this world. In my opinion, if everyone were only cautious and driven by profit, life would lose its meaning!" he said in a carefree tone, though he made sure to remain respectful.
"You little rascal!"
Xiao Yongling was amused, patting his head and murmuring softly, "As an elder, I wish nothing but for you to live well. I'm not forcing you."