Chapter 1901: "The Appetizer Dish (1)"
Everyone gave him face and they stood up to drink from their cups.
Jun Wu Xie naturally complied with everyone.
Till they sat back down in their seats, the acts everyone was putting up came to a new level of fervour.
Everyone's firepower had originally been trained upon the Shadow Moon Palace. But when they came to know that the Shadow Moon Palace had only brought a total of ten people, and that the new and old Palace Lord might not be getting along, their previously unbalanced hearts then came to be much more appeased. Added to that, with Jun Wu Xie's looks being so stunning, everyone naturally did not have the heart to attack her from all sides anymore.
Having lost the target for them to focus their rage upon, and with several cups of fine wine in their tummies and stimulated by the alcohol, the atmosphere in the banquet began to become rather tense.
The several powers among the palaces who had been holding themselves back in restraint became irritated and upset once again, the words imbued with each other thick with the smell of gunpowder.
Fei Yan was seated beside right beside the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord as he sipped at his wine, savouring the hand that Jun Wu Xie had played.
The reason Jun Wu Xie had only brought these few people here had been to give people a wrong impression, to make them think that it wasn't all that peaceful inside the Shadow Moon Palace like it was on the surface and they were at an disadvantage in numbers as well, to not make the various Palace Lords feel threatened, which would very naturally weaken the Shadow Moon Palace's presence and standing. They would then gradually come to forget the threat of the Shadow Moon Palace and start to attack their respective enemies.
Fei Yan was rather certain that Jun Wu Xie should have already guessed the kind of situation in the banquet earlier for her to come up with such a ploy.
As Fei Yan was thinking things through in his mind, he watched the red eyed Dragon Slayers Palace Lord opposite him. His gaze had from the moment Gu Ying came into the hall, never left Gu Ying's body, his redshot eyes and tightly clenched fists, showing the kind of rage he felt towards Gu Ying.
The corners of Fei Yan's mouth curled up in a sneer.
They were indeed father and son. But it was not known, when the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord gave the orders to annihilate his clan, whether he had even once thought about kinship.
One cup of cold wine went down his throat, but it burned and stung his throat, as the scene from many years ago rose up in Fei Yan's mind, when a fiery blaze engulfed his home. His mother hugged his father's dead body in her arms to sob, the eyes of the people from his tribe filled with utter disbelief when they were attacked by the Dragon Slayers Palace's disciples.
The entire tribe, had pledged allegiance to the Dragon Slayers Palace for generations and had fought countless bloody battles for the Dragon Slayers Palace. Just how many of his tribesmen had died for the glory of the Dragon Slayers Palace so how could they have thought that the Dragon Slayers Palace they had all swore loyalty to would actually want to annihilate their whole tribe!
That night, was like the most horrifying nightmare, reverberating in deep in Fei Yan's heart. He did not want to think about it but he would always return back to that frightful night.
His mother's cries, his tribe people's cries, and the questions his uncles had asked just before they died.
[Dragon Slayers Palace! Why are you doing this to us?]
Even at the moment of death, they had still been unable to believe it.
A ball of fire burned within his heart, causing Fei Yan's face to be slightly flushed. He looked around in the banquet hall, at his companions hidden within the various palaces, and he saw the same hatred within their eyes.
Fei Yan downed another cup of wine, and at the moment he put down his cup, he stood up all of a sudden.
"Fei Yan of the Dragon Slayers Palace! Today isn't supposed to be a good time to talk about other affairs but there are some words that I have no choice but to ask this one question on behalf of my Palace Lord." Fei Yan's face was red as his bright eyes swept over everyone present and at the moment that his gaze fell upon Jun Wu Xie, Jun Wu Xie nodded her head at him without anyone noticing.
"Palace Lord of the Blood Fiend Palace! In regards to the matter about your son Gu Ying killing our Dragon Slayers Palace's Young Lord, when would it be the day that you would give us an answer for that! ?" Fei Yan's bright eyes suddenly turned to look at Gu Yi seated within the banquet hall! !
Chapter 1902: "The Appetizer Dish (2)"
The expression on Gu Yi's face stiffened as he stared at Fei Yan who had stood forward, his brows showing intense displeasure.
Fei Yan completely ignored his reaction but continued to stare aggressively at him, seeking for a reply.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord had not thought that Fei Yan would speak up at that time but the words that Fei Yan said were the very same words that he wanted to say. The hatred that he had tried so hard to suppress having been brought out into the open by Fei Yan like that made it impossible for him to hold himself down any longer.
"In regards to that, it will naturally be cleared at the summit tomorrow. Today's banquet is to wash away everyone's weariness from the trials on the road and the topic of discussion is unsuited for this occasion." Gu Yi replied with his face darkened.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord spoke up at that moment.
"Unsuited? In the eyes of the Blood Fiend Palace, it could very well be an unsuitable topic of discussion your entire life! My son has already been dead for more than half a year! I shall state my stand here. A life for a life! If you cannot agree to that, the Dragon Slayers Palace isn't afraid of the Blood Fiend Palace and if you want to fight us, we'll be glad to take you on till the end! Today, you have to give me an answer to it!"
Zhuge Yin's death had been brutal, and when the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord had seen his own son's corpse, he had very nearly fainted, the hatred boiling within him impossible to eradicate.
Gu Yi's brows creased up together, his eyes looking towards the Flame Demons Palace Lord, but the Flame Demons Palace Lord merely smiled at him.
On the surface of things, the Flame Demons Palace and the Blood Fiend Palace were still competing for the reigning position and they had jointly come to hold this Twelve Palace's Summit only because they had had no other choice. But compared to the Flame Demons Palace's trouble, the enmity between the Blood Fiend Palace and the Dragon Slayers Palace was true blood vengeance that was impossible to mediate.
The Flame Demons Palace Lord would naturally not want to go provoke the Dragon Slayers Palace who had gone completely mad because of Gu Yi whom he had competed and struggled against for so many years.
Gu Yi silently cursed at the Flame Demons Palace Lord upside down in his heart, but he still had to face the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord.
"I can understand where you're coming from."
"You understand? Then can't you just decide quickly? Don't tell me that you would really risk your whole Blood Fiend Palace because of Gu Ying, that little bastard of yours?" The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord was no holding back in the slightest with his words, his face twisted up with a sneer.
Once the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord's words came out, the colour on Gu Yi's face immediately turned a green shade.
The entire banquet hall sounded with a collective gasp.
[Gu Ying is a bastard?]
[What does that really mean?]
Jun Wu Xie listened to everything silently. When she heard about that, her eyebrow lifted slightly and her gaze discreetly turned to look at Gu Ying who was seated behind Gu Yi.
The first time she came to know of the relationship between Gu Ying and Gu Xin Yan, she had felt it to be a little strange.
Although the two of them were siblings, their looks were not the least bit similar in anyway.
"Hey, I'll say Gu Yi, I really pity you. You pursued that little young princess of the Spirit Void Temple so madly at that time. How much effort had you put in then? You had even abandoned the fiancee you grew up with from young and at the end of all that, you got yourself a tainted woman as your bride. Haha! Having brought up someone else's child for so many years, and you still have to shield him to such an extent now. Sigh, even I have come to think that you're really pitiful." Right in front of everyone there, the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord had suddenly pulled off the covering that Gu Yi hid his embarrassment behind.
Revealing to everyone, the truth of Gu Ying's birth!
The lid blew off over the banquet. Nobody could have thought that the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord would so suddenly expose such an explosive secret right at that moment.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord had always been investigating into the various palaces and they knew the most things hidden within all the palaces. As those words had come out from his mouth, the veracity was the expose was very high.
Gu Yi's face turned such a deep green that it almost looked black. The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord had humiliated him so badly before everyone. As a man, he had spared no effort in his pursuit of a tainted woman as his bride and she had even given birth to someone else's son, that was just the greatest humiliation he had suffered!
Chapter 1903: "The Appetizer Dish (3)"
But at that moment, Gu Yi could not allow himself to blow.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord's words might still be suspect to others, but if he were to retort in retaliation which would reveal the humiliation in his heart, then the revelation would be validated!
"Dragon Slayers Palace Lord, I know that you hate Gu Ying thoroughly because of the death of your son. Since you are asking for an answer today, then I shall give you one." Gu Yi said, enduring the rage brimming over in his heart, as he put on a feigned calm on his face.
A bad feeling rose within the heart of Gu Xin Yan who was sitting beside Gu Yi and she subconsciously tugged at Gu Yi's sleeve, as she looked pleadingly at her own father.
However, Gu Yi ignored his daughter's plea.
"Ha, I would like to see what kind of an answer you would be giving me." The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord said sneeringly.
Gu Yi looked at the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord, and then suddenly closed his eyes before he called out behind him.
"Gu Ying."
Hearing Gu Yi's voice, a sneering arc lifted briefly upon a corner of Gu Ying's mouth as he stood up unhesitantly, putting himself in the sights of everyone without any refrain.
"Do you admit to crime of the wrongdoing you commited back at the Pure Grace Palace?" Gu Yi's voice was so cold it made people shiver.
"I admit to it." Gu Ying replied cleanly without a moment's hesitation.
Gu Xin Yan's eyes widened as she stared at her father before turning to stare at Gu Ying, her eyes filled with worry.
"A debt owed is to be paid with money and murder paid for with your life. As a son of Gu Yi's, you must take responsibility for your actions. Go!" Gu Yi said cruelly.
"Father! !" Gu Xin Yan cried out in shock.
"You shut up!" Gu Yi said, glaring at Gu Xin Yan.
With a smile at the corners of his lips, Gu Ying looked at Gu Xin Yan who was trying her best to plead on his behalf, a glint of a smile in his eyes.
[That kind hearted little sister of his.....]
Gu Yi raised his head and went striding with wide steps to the middle of the great hall, facing directly at the bloodshot and red eyed Dragon Slayers Palace Lord.
"Dragon Slayers Palace Lord. This is my answer to you. From now onwards, Gu Ying shall be handed over to you, to be killed or slaughtered according to your will. The Twelve Palaces have joined together till now, to struggle so bitterly against the Nine Temples for so long. If all of us are not able to stand aligned with each other, wouldn't we just be seen as a joke to the Nine Temples?" Gu Yi had put it across so righteously and impartially, not showing the slightest bit of reluctance to hand Gu Ying over.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord stared at Gu Ying through narrowed eyes, the murder in his gaze so intense it was suffocating to look at.
"What you say is right. I hereby accept your answer to me. Men! Take this murderer of our Young Lord away!"
"You can't!" Gu Xin Yan suddenly came out from her seat at the table, completely ignoring Gu Yi who tried to stop her, as she rushed to stand before Gu Ying, right in between the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord and Gu Ying.
"Uncle Zhuge, Zhuge Yin really wasn't killed by my elder brother. He was framed for it and I can attest to it!" Gu Xin Yan said as her small and thin body stood blocking Gu Ying. Gu Ying was slightly taken aback, as his mirthful eyes flashed with a tinge of surprise.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord laughed and then said with a sneer. "You think I will believe your words?"
Gu Xin Yan anxiously replied: "I will go investigate into the matter. Give me a month's time. I will definitely find out who it is that murdered Zhuge Yin!"
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord was getting impatient and he turned to look at Gu Yi.
Gu Yi immediately opened his mouth to say: "Men, go bring the Young Miss back to her room to get some rest. She's drunk."
"Father! He is my elder brother!" Gu Xin Yan said as she stared incredulously at Gu Yi. Several of the Blood Fiend Palace's Elders had already gone forward, to pull her away, but Gu Xin Yan was unwilling to leave.
"Go on back." Gu Ying suddenly opened his mouth to say, as he reached his hand out to pry open Gu Xin Yan's little hand away from his sleeve, a little bit at a time.
Chapter 1904: "Incoming Storm Expected (1)"
Gu Xin Yan was dragged away by the Elders as she continued to fight for a way out for Gu Ying one final time. However, in the entire banquet hall, there wasn't a single person who wanted to save Gu Ying's life.
Everyone there knew that Gu Ying had murdered Zhuge Yin and it was not possible that the Dragon Slayers Palace would let him off. Even Gu Yi had abandoned Gu Ying so who else would dare to poke their nose into this matter.
The Dragon Slayers Palace's disciples went forward to truss up Gu Ying. Gu Ying stood stock still in his spot, allowing those people to bind him securely. From beginning to end, he had a faint smile hanging at the corners of his mouth, seemingly highly amused as he looked at the messy chaos before him.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord signalled to his disciples with his eyes in satisfaction and Gu Ying was immediately taken away.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord then stood up to say: "I seem to be a little overwhelmed by the effects of wine so I shall be making a move first."
Upon saying that, he did not care what kind of things other people had to say about it and just went walking out from the banquet hall straightaway.
"Heh heh, Gu Yi is so hardhearted. Regardless whether Gu Ying is his son, Gu Ying has done quite a bit for the Blood Fiend Palace all these years but Gu Yi has still handed the person over just like that. That's really heartless." The Purple Thunder Palace Lord said, in a rather good mood from having watched a good show.
The Zen Void Palace Lord at the side then said with a soft laugh: "Isn't that so true. That one from the Dragon Slayers Palace had been in such a hurry to go back and it must be because he couldn't wait to avenge his son. I don't know if Gu Ying would still be able to live to see tomorrow's light."
"He will not die so easily. Didn't you hear that one from the Dragon Slayers Palace say it earlier? He will surely take "good care" of him. I am guessing for at least the next three to five years, Gu Ying will not have breathed his last yet."
Everyone was debating it vehemently in private, as it was not a matter that involved their own Palaces, most of them were just anxious to see the excitement.
No one paid any attention to Fan Zhuo who had been sitting in a corner with his head lowered, never noticing the hands in his sleeves had been clenched tightly into fists.
Vengeance for the murder of one's son was irreconcilable.
Then what about the cold murder of one's father?
Fan Zhuo would never be able to forget how his adoptive father Fan Qi had died.
He who had chosen to even sacrifice his own son in order to protect him, but had ended up brutally slaughtered by Gu Ying.
If he could, he would have wanted to avenge Fan Qi with his very own two hands!
The grudge between the Dragon Slayers Palace and the Blood Fiend Palace had at last come to an end today. After everyone had had enough to drink, they went back to their rooms to rest as the Twelve Palaces' Summit tomorrow would be the time that they would all resolve the problems between the various palaces.
Today had been one good show after another and the palaces who were in conflict discreetly provoked and competed with each other, with many of them roaring drunk with drink, falling asleep the moment they stepped into their rooms.
However, several dark figures silently slipped into the place the Shadow Moon Palace stayed in under the tranquil quiet of night.
Jun Wu Xie was seated in her room as she stroked the little black cat plopped upon the table. Ye Sha and Ye Gu carried Lord Meh Meh and the Sacrificial Blood Rabbit respectively as they stood behind her, with Elder Ying standing by the door, his eyes thoughtful while he looked at the sibling pair, Yue Yi and Yue Ye talking to each other in hushed whispers.
Qu Ling Yue was sitting right beside Jun Wu Xie, and she raised up a hand to pour out two cups of tea for Jun Wu Xie and Jun Qing. Without even waiting for Jun Wu Xie to raise her head, the burly and towering Yan Bu Gui snatched up a cup, and down it in one gulp. Long Qi who stood behind Jun Qing swung his eyes to glance at him but did not say anything, already used to the uninhibited ways of that man.
Jun Wu Xie suddenly raised her head up, to look towards the tightly shut door.
The next second, the door was pushed open, and several tall figures suddenly came into the room, their steps treading upon the moonlight spilling in through the open door.
"Having come out to train so intensively for so long already and there's not a single steady one among all of you." Yan Bu Gui said with a sweeping glance over the figures who had just appeared, the words from his mouth in playful admonishment, but the tone of his voice was filled with much more joy than reprimand.
Chapter 1905: "Incoming Storm Expected (2)"
"Your disciples pays their respects to our Master!"
Fan Zhuo stood silently to one side and rubbed at his nose, as he looked at the burly and towering man seated at the table with a great bushy beard.
[That must be Qiao Chu's and the others' Master.....]
[He looks to be such an easy going person.....]
Yan Bu Gui guffawed loudly and said: "Alright. All you little rascals can just get up, there's no need for all this nonsensical pomp. It doesn't agree with me. Get your sorry behinds up this instant." Although that was what his mouth said, but it could be seen from Yan Bu Gui's eyes that had turned into two smiling crescents that he was in high spirits.
The faces of Qiao Chu and the others also had smiles on their faces. The four of them had met with grave misfortune at a very young age and they had managed to live only because they had been lucky enough to be saved by Yan Bu Gui. Hence, they enjoyed a deep and close relationship with Yan Bu Gui as a Master that was almost like a father to them.
Seeing the heartwarming reunion between the Master and his disciples, everyone else in the room could not help but to smile.
Fan Zhuo walked over to come before Jun Wu Xie and nodded at her.
"Thank you."
Jun Wu Xie shook her head.
"I know that you were picking on Gu Ying to help me with my vengeance, and I am really thankful." Fan Zhuo was highly grateful towards Jun Wu Xie as Fan Qi's death had always been a thorn lodged within his heart and Gu Ying's appearance had driven this thorn to lodge deeper into his bones. It wasn't that he did not want to seek revenge, but he had had to consider the bigger picture and could not act rashly.
And for Jun Wu Xie who was seeking to incite conflict among the palaces, there were many ways to do it. Back in the Pure Grace Palace, she had spent so much effort to go set Gu Ying up because she was helping to seek revenge on Fan Zhuo's behalf.
The thing that Fan Zhuo was unable to do with his own hands, she had helped him complete it.
"There is no need to speak of such things between us." Jun Wu Xie said indifferently. Since they were companions, they were naturally tied to each other in life and death, and their vengeance would also be hers.
"Ha! Why are you being so polite with Little Xie for? That one's mind is not what normal people can hope to compete with and such things must naturally be fully made use of." Qiao Chu came over with a mighty pounce, his arm hooking around Fan Zhuo's neck with a beaming smile upon his face.
Being roughed up like this, the solemness in Fan Zhuo's heart was lightened by quite a bit.
"Quickly tell us what do you have planned for tomorrow! I really just can't wait for tomorrow to come." Qiao Chu said excitedly as he looked at Jun Wu Xie. He had a feeling that Jun Wu Xie was definitely going to play a grand hand tomorrow.
"Make a guess." Jun Wu Xie said as she slowly took the cup of clear tea that Qu Ling Yue handed to her and took a sip from it.
"Ay, don't keep us in suspense anymore. Tell me quick, how many men did you really bring? Don't tell me that it's just the few of you here. I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death. With Uncle Jun and Big Brother Long Qi are here, so you must have brought the Rui Lin Army here. You even brought in your wife, so don't tell me you don't have an army here." Qiao Chu was initially still a little worried, but when he saw that Jun Qing, Long Qi and Qu Ling Yue had come, his mind was then set at ease. What these few guys held in their hands, was the entire military might of the whole Lower Realm!
"Make a guess." Jun Wu Xie still continued to equivocate uncommitedly.
Qiao Chu gave a loud wail, unable to bear it any longer as he then turned to Jun Qing.
Jun Qing was slightly taken aback by that mournful stare.
"Uncle Jun, won't you tell me pwease." Qiao Chu said, looking exceptionally angelic as he gazed pleadingly at Jun Qing.
Jun Qing almost wanted to laugh out loud at that look.
"You'll all find out tomorrow. There is no need to worry about it." Jun Qing said with a laugh.
Qiao Chu still had not found the answer he wanted.
They were all happily chatting with each other but Elder Ying was silently almost overwhelmed with terror watching them. He had paid attention to these few youths earlier in the banquet hall earlier and who had just come into the house now. They were all the latest new elite disciples the various palaces were heavily grooming and even if one beat Elder Ying to death, he would never have thought that these youths and Jun Wu Xie knew each other all along and they were actually on such close terms!
Chapter 1906: "Incoming Storm Expected (3)"
Elder Ying stared at the situation in the room and he was already certain that tomorrow's Summit of the Twelve Palaces would have surely have something big happen!
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have imagined that such a young little lass like Jun Wu Xie could actually possess such a wide network of relationships and all those youths had already infiltrated themselves deep into the various palaces.
Elder Ying suddenly remembered that the turmoil within the Twelve Palaces seem to have only started from the time that this batch of youths from the last Battle of Deities had left the Cloudy Brooks Academy, starting from the time back at the Pure Grace Palace, the situation within the Twelve Palaces had turned highly tense.
Counting based on the timeline of events, and putting them together with all the fighting between the different palaces, Elder Ying quickly discovered that the conflicts that had risen had seemed to occur at the very same places that these youths were at, and the timing of the events also coincided perfectly with the time they entered the various palaces!
A terrifying guess then rose within Elder Ying's mind as he stared incredulously at the youths who were all brimming with vitality within the room, his eyes then finally falling upon the petite figure of Jun Wu Xie.
Could it be..... From the very beginning, these guys had arranged all these? !
The moment that idea appeared, Elder Ying could not help but to shiver as a chill shot through him, to stare at the completely calm and composed Jun Wu Xie sitting at the table, feeling like his heart was under a great deal of pressure.
He no longer dared to think any further!
Unable to get an answer from Jun Qing, Qiao Chu turned his eyes onto Qu Ling Yue, but.....
Qu Ling Yue was not even looking at him at all, but was only fully focused upon Jun Wu Xie's teacup, silently filling it up whenever she saw it empty.
Qiao Chu completely gave up.
"You guys win! I..... I'll not ask anymore then." Qiao Chu said, sitting morosely at the side.
The room filled with laughter once again.
The moment of jokes and happy laughter made the atmosphere more lively.
Yue Ye stood at Yue Yi's side, quietly staring at all these people swirling around Jun Wu Xie, biting on her nails nervously.
"Big Brother, Master actually has so many companions?" Yue Yi raised her head up to ask, suddenly unable to get used to it. Back in the Shadow Moon Palace, her Master only had her by her Master's side and her silent Master had seemed to be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
"That seems to be the case." Yue Yi was not certain either. Jun Wu Xie had an extremely cold personality and he had not thought that with Jun Wu Xie's temperament, so many companions would so suddenly appear around her, and from the conversation between them, they seem to be rather close.
Which just made people envious.
Jun Wu Xie was watching her companions teasing each other when her gaze suddenly fell upon the siblings Yue Yi and Yue Ye standing at the corner. She raised her hand and beckoned at Yue Ye.
Yue Ye went walking over a little nervously.
All of Master's companions looked so outstanding that she was suddenly feeling rather inferior. As someone who had been so wretched before, does she really have the right to take Jun Wu Xie as her Master?
Yue Ye might seem to be a highly mischievous imp, but in her heart, she hid a strong inferiority complex and that was also the reason she still had not acknowledged Elder Ying. For a young child, her mind was when it was most fragile and her inferiority complex made her not dare to touch anything that was beautiful.
She felt that she was not worthy.
Jun Wu Xie stood up, and holding Yue Ye tiny hand, she walked over to stand before Yan Bu Gui.
"Master, this is my disciple." Jun Wu Xie opened her mouth to say.
Yue Ye was taken aback, her tiny shoulders could not help but start to shake. She had thought that Jun Wu Xie would introduce her to Jun Wu Xie's Master in such a manner as she had always felt that there was too large a gap between her and Jun Wu Xie.
Yan Bu Gui looked at the violently trembling Yue Ye and he said with a laugh: "I have a grandkid disciple already? That's great. There's no need to be afraid little fella, I just look scary, I will not hurt you."
Chapter 1907: "Incoming Storm Expected (4)"
Yue Ye shrank her head back into her shoulders, looking rather bashful.
Qiao Chu immediately jumped right out.
"Little Ye, you do not have to be afraid. Although our Master looks ugly, he has a very tender heart. Oww!" The moment Qiao Chu's words left his mouth, he was thrown to the ground by a kick from from Yan Bu Gui.
"What do you mean by I look ugly! ?" Yan Bu Gui hollered as his eyes glared fiercely. [How was he ugly! ?]
"That's right! Our Master's looks is termed as manly. What do you know?" Fei Yan went on to fan the flames eagerly on the side.
Qiao Chu rubbed at his sore behind and threw Fei Yan a fierce gaze.
"Grand..... Grandmaster..... Hello...." Yue Ye said timidly.
Yan Bu Gui had never seen such an adorable little fellow, that soft and mushy voice causing his heart to blossom with joy, needless to say how delighted his face had been with smiles.
"Good good good. What a obedient child."
[See here. This is what a little toddler girl should be like. Now look at the two female disciples he has under him.]
Look at Jun Wu Xie..... still so young and already so steady, who had always made Yan Bu Gui feel that he had picked up a disciple for free, without having to do a single thing.
And then look at Rong Ruo..... Yan Bu Gui clutched his hand to his chest.
In the beginning when she had just been brought in, she had also been a sensible and obedient little girl. How did she turn out like this.....
He clearly already had two females disciples already, but it was only after he saw Yue Ye that Yan Bu Gui truly understood what a female disciple should be like.
Yue Ye was still a little nervous but unfortunately for her, it was long before she was snatched away by Qiao Chu and Fei Yan to have the poor little thing address them as Uncle Master. In order to coax the imp to address them as Uncle Master, the two of them had even taken out quite a haul of things, quickly stuffing a small pile of treasures into Yue Ye's hands.
Yue Ye had not expected to receive such a passionate welcome as she turned to look at her elder brother, a little dazed. Yue Ye nodded his head slightly at her, his eyes filled with a comforted smile.
"I had no given anything back in the Shadow Moon Palace and since you're Wu Xie's disciple, it will only be natural I have to show some kind of indication." Jun Qing who had been smiling the entire time without a word suddenly opened his mouth to say, where Yue Ye then blinked her eyes blankly to come walking over to Jun Qing with her arms overflowing with gifts.
Jun Qing's countenance had just that one tiny bit of similarity to Jun Wu Xie's, looking handsome and gentle that did not make people nervous. He smiled charmingly, which quietly soothed the nerves in Yue Ye's heart.
Jun Qing took out a jade pendant, and placed it in Yue Ye's hand.
"This was originally prepared for your Master, but looking at her, I think she would have no use for it. It is now just right for you instead." Jun Qing said with a smile.
Yue Ye stared, bedazzled by that smile.
The countenance of the Jun Family's members were all unparalleled or Jun Wu Xie would not possess looks that could bring ruin to cities and countries, and Jun Qing was naturally the same.
Till everyone who was supposed to give her a gift had finished, nothing else could fit into Yue Ye arms anymore and she had no choice but to have Yue Yi help her carry a portion of her load.
The night grew deep and everyone went back into their rooms to rest. They knew that a big battle awaited them the next morning and they needed to preserve their energy and keep their spirit.
After everyone went back and fell into peaceful sleep, there were two people who would not be able to find peaceful rest.
In the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord's room, the air was filled with the thick stench of blood. He sat upon a chair, a flask of strong fiery wine clasped in his hand. His bloodshot eyes were narrowed to a slit as he stared at the garishly bloodied figure tied upon the rack.
Gu Ying had been stripped of his shirt and tied to the rack, his taut chest filled with brand new wounds, hot red blood flowing out continuously from those wounds.
In just a few short hours, he already looked a completely different person from when he was taken away from the banquet. There was no sign of his lavish clothes, replaced only by wicked looking wounds covered under bright red blood.
Chapter 1908: "Incoming Storm Expected (5)"
"Stop!" The Dragons Slayers Palace Lord raised his hand up slightly and the disciple carrying out the torture then put down the instrument of torment to stand aside .
Gu Ying's handsome face was covered with wounds and there almost wasn't a single piece of flesh that was still whole on him. It was hard to imagine that within such a short period of time, the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord was able to torment him to such an extent but even so, Gu Ying's face still had that taunting smile of ridicule hanging upon his face.
"You can still laugh?" The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord asked, eyeing coldly Gu Ying's smile that was filled with ridicule, a smile that the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord found highly offensive to his eyes.
"You are only capable of this little bit? That's not enough. If you can't come up with any other kinds of torture, I am going to fall asleep." The corners of Gu Ying's lips curled up, as he raised his chin slightly to say in arrogance, not showing the slightest bit of wretchedness of one held in captivity.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord clenched his jaws as he looked at Gu Ying, and then turned around to pick up the wine flask upon the table, before he poured the fiery spirits all over Gu Ying's wounds.
Excruciating burning pain spread through his body in an instant and Gu Ying's face turned slightly pale, but he continued to smile.
"We don't have the complete set of equipment here. You just wait patiently. When we get back to the Dragon Slayers Palace, I will let you have a taste of every single kind of torture there is under these Heavens and I guarantee that you will not fall asleep from them." The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord used the thin and long spout of the flask and pushed it into a wound on Gu Ying's belly. The flask's spout pierced through skin, burrowing into flesh. The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord turned the flask wilfully, and a good amount of blood flowed out from the wound.
"Then I shall be looking forward to that." Gu Ying said through gritted teeth, enduring through the pain as he said with a smile.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord laughed sneeringly.
"What a completely shameless bastard. I saw quite a number of wounds upon your body, your days in the Blood Fiend Palace hasn't been all that good has it? That has to be it. How could that scoundrel Gu Yi possibly allow a bastard like you have a good life. How much have you done for the Blood Fiend Palace? And hadn't he still treated you like he would a dog to hand you over to me? You're just so pitiful."
Gu Ying narrowed his eyes.
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord then snorted with derision and said: "Your days ahead will not be good for you. I will not kill you so quickly but have you live forever in pain. You can just look forward to dwell in suffering under my hands!"
Upon saying that, he turned his head to say to the two disciples carrying out the torture: "You two had better "serve" our Big Young Master well and not let him get bored."
"Yes, my Lord!"
The Dragon Slayers Palace Lord then left the room after saying that, no longer remaining in there.
The sounds of torture rang out within the room once again and Gu Ying tilted his head to stare at the ceiling, allowing all the cruel torture to be implemented upon his body, his face not showing the slightest bit of expression.
Two whole hours passed and it was already deep into the night.
The hands of the two disciples executing the torture had gone numb as they stood panting heavily at the side. They had been in charge of carrying out torture back in the Dragon Slayers Palace and they had caused the deaths of many disciples who did not adhere to the rules, very much used to seeing people pleading and begging in pain. But it was the first time they were seeing someone like Gu Ying whom did not succumb to anything they threw at him. They were already dead tired but Gu Ying had not uttered a single sound, as if he did not feel the slightest tinge of pain.
"You're not going to continue?" Gu Ying asked as he looked at the two disciples, his mirth filled eyes sending a chill to run through the bodies of the two disciples.
Before those two people could open their mouths, a black shadow suddenly rushed in through the window. The two disciples had not even been able to see what the other party looked like when their throats were slit and they fell into a pool of their own blood.
"Young Lord! You've suffered too much." The black robed man immediately undid restrains binding Gu Ying, and fell to his knees to say.
Chapter 1909: "Explosive Face Slap (1)"
Having lost his restraints, Gu Ying limbered up his limbs and stood upon the blood splattered floor, not even glancing at the two corpses lying upon the ground.
"What could this little bit of torture count as? It's merely like scratching an itch." He curled up his lips and said with a sneer.
Having tasted every single kind of torture the Blood Fiend Palace had, how could he possibly even react to a little slap on the wrist such as this?
"Young Lord, what should we do after this? Gu Yi has abandoned you, so do you want to return to the Spirit Void Temple?" The black robed man asked.
Gu Ying shook his head.
"Why would I want to go back now for? I am still waiting to watch the great show tomorrow and you just have to remember what I told you."
"Yes, your subordinate remembers. Your subordinate will definitely ensure Gu Xin Yan's safety." The black robed man replied.
Gu Ying nodded his head in satisfaction and with his bare feet, while stepping over his own blood on the ground, he picked up his outer robe that had been thrown upon the floor. He casually draped it over himself and treading upon the moonlight, he walked out from the place grandly.
Night passed into day.
The Twelve Palaces' Summit officially begins. The various Palace Lords started on their way towards the summit's venue early in the morning. Today's summit was only open to the Palace Lords of the Twelve Palaces where even the palaces' Elders were not permitted to attend in accompaniment.
The Flame Demons Palace Lord had come to the venue bright and early and he was already seated upon his seat as the Palace Lords came in one after another. The atmosphere today was a little solemn and the expressions on the faces of the various Palace Lords was quite a bit sterner than it had been yesterday.
When Jun Wu Xie came to the venue, the Palace Lords from the various palaces had all arrived. She silently found herself a seat on one end to sit down.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Flame Demons Palace Lord immediately got up and said: "The Twelve Palaces were originally one body. The reason we had all been able to resist against the Nine Temples till today was because we had always been united. But in the recent period, some bad things had happened among us and in just half a year's time, we had had several instances of conflicts and fighting constantly happening between ourselves, the killing each other's disciples incessant, and I think that the various palaces had lost quite a bit of their people. The reason everyone has been invited here today is to have everyone sit down and discuss things through peacefully. We have supported each other till this day and we should not bleed each other out over small matters like this. In the long run, we will only let the Nine Temples watch us in entertainment, our losses will only become their gain. I believe all of you here understand that."
"I feel that the Flame Demons Palace's words sound reasonable and our Dragon Slayers Palace has decided to make peace with the Blood Fiend Palace. I hereby make my stand clear." Having already gotten what he wanted, the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord stood up, and nodded his head towards the grim faced Gu Yi.
Gu Yi similarly stood up and acknowledged with a nod of his head, but in his heart he was cursing at the Dragon Slayers Palace Lord hundreds and thousands of times.
Of course he would be willing to call a truce! Gu Ying had already been handed over and the contradiction between them already resolved, hence there was no longer any reason for them to continue exhausting themselves further upon the matter.
When the other Palace Lords saw that the Dragon Slayers Palace and the Blood Fiend Palace had sounded their agreement, they began debating in earnest.
Afterall, all of them did not want to continue fighting and although there was still enmity in their hearts, if they continued on like this, they would not be able to withstand the incessant drain on their numbers. The Flame Demons Palace had now taken the lead to provide the various palaces with a way out of this quandary, they would naturally be most willing to follow their lead to get themselves out of the situation.
"What the Flame Demons Palace Lord said is highly reasonable. The Twelve Palaces were originally one body and we should not be fighting each other." The Purple Thunder Palace Lord similarly voiced out his agreement. Having struggled against the Flame Demons Palace for more than half a year, the depletion upon their numbers was becoming hard to swallow.
The Flame Demons Palace Lord then smiled slightly and said: "That's right. No matter what kind of conflicts the various palaces have between ourselves, for the sake of peace among all our Twelve Palaces, I hope everyone can turn hostility into friendship, and forget all the transgressions done upon you in the past, to make peace once again."
Chapter 1910: "Explosive Face Slap (2)"
The Flame Demons Palace Lord's words elicited a wave of debate.
Just at that moment, a sorry looking figure dressed in the Flame Demons Palace's uniform came rushing into the venue in a fluster.
The Flame Demons Palace Lord's face immediately darkened.
"What is the matter? Why are you in such a fluster?"
"My Lord! We've found the Dark Emperor's tomb!" The disciple said, his face full of anxiety.
The Flame Demons Palace Lord was slightly shook and the venue that was originally peaceful boiled up in an instant as everyone turned their gazes to fix upon the Flame Demons Palace Lord.
Ever since the Dark Emperor's fall, all the palaces had never given up in their search for the Dark Emperor's tomb. In order to avoid reprisal from the Dark Regions, they could only carry it out in secret. But even having spared no effort, they had not managed to find any clues. The three words Dark Emperor's tomb to them, was soon to become something absolutely impossible to find.
But nobody would have thought that the people from the Flame Demons Palace would really find the Dark Emperor's tomb!
"What nonsense are you blabbering?" The Flame Demons Palace was initially filled with delight but when he noticed the gazes of all the other Palace Lords turned onto him, he immediately felt that things were not going right.
The Dark Emperor's tomb was to anyone there, the greatest form of temptation. What the Flame Demons Palace sought, the other palaces wanted just as much, and if the others knew that the Flame Demons Palace had found the Dark Emperor's tomb, then things would surely take a bad turn!
"My Lord! Everyone's dead! To find the Dark Emperor's tomb, everyone has died..... That place is empty..... The Dark Emperor's tomb is completely empty..... There is nothing inside there at all..... We've been had..... Taken on a fool's errand....." The disciple suddenly vomited out a mouthful of blood and fell to the floor, only able to say those words before he laid there flat and unmoving, seemingly no longer breathing.
Jun Wu Xie stood up at that moment and walked over there. She checked for breath under the disciple's nose and turned her head to the bunch of anxious people to say: "Dead."
Everyone gasped loudly.
The last words of that disciple then resounded within everyone's mind.
The Dark Emperor's tomb that they had been looking so hard for.....
Was actually empty?
How was that possible?
The Flame Demons Palace Lord sank back into his chair looking defeated. Although the chances of finding the Dark Emperor's tomb had been slim to say the least, but his heart had always held that one sliver of anticipation, a fantasy that had been cruelly shattered today.
"Flame Demons Palace Lord! What is really happening here! ? Even if you do not want us to continue to search for the Dark Emperor's tomb, you shouldn't say such words to try to deceive us all!" The Dark Heavens Palace Lord suddenly jumped to his feet, his face and ears red as he pointed at the Flame Demons Palace Lord to admonish loudly.
He absolutely refused to believe that the Dark Emperor's tomb was fake.
The other Palace Lords showed similar reactions. From what they could see, all of that was highly just deception schemed up by the Flame Demons Palace!
However, before the Flame Demons Palace Lord could open his mouth to say anything in explanation, disciples dressed in the uniforms of different palaces came bursting in from outside in succession.
And the state they were all in was extremely bad, telling of the same thing the disciple from the Flame Demons Palace had said.
The only difference was that they did not die but were extremely weakened. From the mouths of those disciples, the Palace Lords of the various palaces finally came to know the truth about the Dark Emperor's tomb.
According to what the disciples said, they had all gone into the Heaven's End Cliff separately and they had discovered the Dark Emperor's tomb through different routes, where in order to claim the Dark Emperor's tomb, they had even engaged in battle, resulting in countless deaths. But when they finally went into the Dark Emperor's tomb, what they were all greeted with was just an empty and vacant tomb.
Even the Dark Emperor's coffin had been found to be void and empty as well!