Chapter 363: You Want to See Me?
"Great Elder, what should we do? Are we really just going to stand by and watch the Saintess marry into the Xing Family?"
In Bai Miao Village, the Second Elder clenched his fists, his face a mask of worry and indignation.
"What else can we do?" Zhao Xi said in a deep voice. "If the Saintess doesn’t marry into the Xing Family, our Li Clan will face a crisis!"
The Second Elder, furious, pointed at Zhao Xi and rebuked, "Zhao Xi, you’re just a coward, afraid of death! When have the People of the Li Clan ever feared anyone? The worst that can happen is death!"
Zhao Xi countered, "Haven’t enough members of the Li Clan died these past few days?"
"You..." the Second Elder sputtered, but Li Xuan cut in with a low shout, "All of you, stop arguing!"
Li Xuan looked at Zhao Xi and the others, hatred burning in her heart. These people are usually fine, calling themselves Elders of the Li Clan while constantly scavenging resources for their own families. But the moment they face danger, they turn into cowards, terrified of death.
"Now that the Saintess has already left for the Xing Family, what use is there in arguing?" Li Xuan heaved a deep sigh. She had watched Li Lingqing grow up. Even though Li Lingqing had become the Saintess of the Jiuli Tribe and the Miao King’s disciple, in her eyes, she was still just a child. Now, for the sake of the Jiuli Tribe, Li Lingqing had gone to the Xing Family alone, and Li Xuan had no idea what dangers she might face.
The Xing Family... ambitious and ruthless!
She hated herself for not being strong enough; otherwise, how could she tolerate the Xing Family humiliating them like this!
"Great Elder, bad news!" Just then, a clan member rushed in, his face etched with anxiety.
"What’s happened now?" Li Xuan’s heart sank. The Saintess had just left for the Xing Family; she prayed no new trouble had arisen.
"The brothers Li Zhou and Li Tong have taken several hundred Li Clan warriors and are heading to the Xing Family!" the clan member reported, his eyes full of concern.
"What?" Before Li Xuan could speak, Zhao Xi exploded with anger. "What are those two trying to do? Are they planning to kidnap her?!"
Because he knew of their close relationship with the Saintess, Zhao Xi had already had the Li Zhou brothers imprisoned. He never expected them to escape and lead over a hundred men toward the Xing Family.
"Send people after them immediately! Don’t let them catch up to the Saintess!" Zhao Xi ordered. "If the Xing Family learns of this, they will surely vent their wrath on our Jiuli Tribe!"
"Yes!" The clan member acknowledged the order and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Li Xuan’s voice was cold. "Our Li Clan has been passed down to this day and has never suffered such humiliation. It is a good thing that the men of our clan still have hot blood in their veins and do not fear the Xing Family!"
"Great Elder, what do you mean by that?" Zhao Xi’s expression changed drastically. "If Li Zhou and his men catch up to the Saintess and something happens, how will the Xing Family possibly let us off?"
"Enough, Zhao Xi!" The Second Elder could no longer stand it. His beard and hair bristled with rage as he glared at Zhao Xi. "Are you so afraid of death that you would push the Saintess into a pit of fire?"
Zhao Xi’s mouth twitched before he sneered coldly. "Second Elder, since you’ve all put it that way, I won’t hide it anymore. I have already notified the Xing Family Members to intercept the Saintess on her way."
"Zhao Xi, how dare you!" An intense killing intent flashed in the Second Elder’s eyes as a fierce wave of Internal Energy radiated from his body.
However, Zhao Xi was not the least bit afraid. Instead, he looked smug. "Second Elder, the Saintess marrying into the Xing Family is a joyous occasion for both our clans. Why should we prevent it?"
"You dare betray the Jiuli Tribe?" The Second Elder’s pupils shrank as he stared at Zhao Xi in disbelief. "You ungrateful, heartless beast!"
"Heartless?" Zhao Xi scoffed. "I’m thinking of the tens of millions of lives in the Li Clan!"
Looking at the assembled elders, Zhao Xi said gravely, "Everyone, a wise man submits to the circumstances. I’m sure you are all aware of the Xing Family’s strength. They even have a Grandmaster in their ranks. How can our Li Clan possibly resist such a formidable family? Is sacrificing one Saintess not worth it to preserve our entire clan? Moreover," Zhao Xi added with a faint smile, "as long as the Saintess marries into the Xing Family, our two clans can join forces. Southern Sky will be within our grasp. Even restoring our ancient glory will no longer be an empty promise."
Hearing this, some of the elders began to waver.
An elder mulled it over for a long moment before saying, "I will go and bring the Li Zhou brothers back at once. We absolutely cannot let them reach the Saintess."
"Then I will have to trouble Elder Quan," Zhao Xi said with a slight smile. He scanned the crowd, his face full of pride. "Everyone, since the Saintess is already on her way to the Xing Family, why don’t we just wait and see how things play out?"
At that, many of the elders fell silent.
Li Xuan and the few elders on her side turned livid with rage. But alongside their anger was a sense of shock. Zhao Xi had somehow managed to rally a significant number of the elders to his side. Now, one faction supported the Saintess’s marriage into the Xing Family, while another remained neutral, too angry to agree but too afraid to speak out. Those who opposed him were few and far between. Besides, the Saintess had already been gone for a day. It was possible the Xing Family Members had already received her, which silenced even more of the dissent.
The Second Elder roared, "Zhao Xi, by doing this, are you not afraid the Miao King will hold you accountable when he emerges from his seclusion?"
"The Miao King?" Zhao Xi scoffed. "It’s been so long without a single word from him. Who knows if he’s just hiding on purpose." Zhao Xi had never seen the King of the Miao of the Li Clan; everything he knew was hearsay. Therefore, he held little respect for the man.
"Insolent!" Li Xuan raged, slamming her cane heavily on the ground. A burst of Internal Energy erupted from the impact, sending Zhao Xi flying. "The Miao King is supreme! His name is not for you to profane!" Murderous intent flared in Li Xuan’s eyes.
However, several elders allied with Zhao Xi stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
Li Xuan seethed with hatred.
COUGH, COUGH.
Zhao Xi scrambled up from the floor. He wasn’t angry; instead, a cold smile played on his lips. "If the Miao King is truly as strong as you claim, why didn’t he show himself when Xing Yi came to propose the marriage? And why didn’t he appear when the Saintess left? I say he knew he was no match for the Xing Family Patriarch and deliberately hid himself away!"
Zhao Xi’s words were filled with disrespect and mockery toward the Miao King.
"Zhao Xi, you are bold!" the Second Elder said, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. "Do you truly believe I won’t kill you?"
Zhao Xi threw his head back and laughed. "Kill me? Look at the situation. Even if you wanted to kill me, could you?" Around him stood at least seven or eight elders, all of them formidable.
"Fine! Very fine!" The Second Elder’s face turned ashen with fury. He never imagined there were so many disloyal beasts within the Li Clan. "When the Miao King emerges from seclusion, I will report every detail of this to him. Let’s see if you are still so arrogant in his presence!" For now, with the Miao King in seclusion, the Second Elder didn’t want to cause more trouble.
"I will be waiting," Zhao Xi sneered. "I’d like to see for myself if this Miao King you revere so much really has three heads and six arms. I just hope he doesn’t run away first."
BOOM!
The instant Zhao Xi’s words fell, a deafening roar echoed between heaven and earth.
Following the sound, a figure in cyan robes appeared, descending with his hands clasped behind his back.
"You wished to see me?"