The Four Samuume Swordsman and Luo Siming had yet to forget their respective fights against Luo Yan. Luo Siming’s four bodyguards were ready to cut a limb of Luo Yan each if the latter ever showed any hint of intent to harm Luo Siming. Luo Yan, nevertheless, didn’t care about their feelings. Others in the distance simply thought Venerable Mianhua and Luo Siming were confronting each other, unable to tell it was Luo Yan underneath the grey mantle.
Luo Yan said, “I have a lot to say, but you appear to already know what I want to say. All I want to say is that he is the one responsible for wounding me on the day I fell into the lake.”
Luo Siming’s pallor face was the best evidence that he knew who the “he” Luo Yan referred to was.
“When I fell in, Venerable Mianhua happened to be visiting…”
Visiting, of course, was only a nice way of putting it because Cold Mountain Temple arrived only after Luo Ming resurfaced.
Venerable Mianhua conveyed, “Buddhists do not tell lies. This one’s teacher instructed him to investigate Refining Divine Convention. This one chose to investigate Whale God Island for it is where smithing takes place, thereby chancing upon your confrontation. Because of the thin defences, nobody noticed this one on the island.”
As Cold Mountain Temple and Luo Sword Manor had always been on good terms, Luo Siming didn’t expect to hear they didn’t trust Luo Clan.
“But… how did you get through Lotus Root Grounds?”
“This one was on the island, not outside of it. This one mixed in with one of the groups invited to the island.”
There were many holes in Luo Clan’s security system due to Luo Siming and Luo Yan taking orders from the same person but different types of orders.
“This one was hiding in an underwater cave when he saw a human silhouette plough into the water. Thus, he extended a hand. Mr. Luo was gravely wounded when this one found him, so we were forced to leave immediately.”
After recounting how a fake Abels used him as a pawn, Luo Yan grouched, “Now that I think about it, Brother incited our rift and led us both by the nose. When he wasn’t committing theft as Abels, he was designing this event over the last decade in seclusion. That son of a… Father entrusted him with the clan, yet he has trampled all over our name. Luo Sword Manor will never recover its dignity in the martial arts community.”
“And he committed a crime that has set the extermination of your clan in stone,” Shen Yiren interjected before going on to inform them of Emperor Yuansheng’s visit and his kidnapping.
Silent Luo Siming looked as if he had blood drained out of his face. Despite being aware his father had taken a wrong turn, he didn’t expect his father to have steered them toward the edge of a cliff.
Su Xiao and Tang Ye followed behind Shen Yiren to the next location. Su Xiao inquired, “Vice-Captain, are we not going to listen to what they talk about?”
“Talk? They’re about to purge the tumours of their clan.” Shen Yiren expanded, “Luo Yan is back for payback. If we don’t strike now, when the iron is hot, when should we strike?”
Tang Ye shuddered upon espying the long purple slip Shen Yiren took out. When she lit up the slip labelled “Qilin Nation Guardian Treasure” and held it up to the sky, a spark flitted toward the firmament following the rise of a purple smoke tendril, exploding upon reaching a height anyone could see. The various leaders at the venue sprung to their feet and initiated riots.
Nature spread the purple smoke called “eastern purple qi”, the child of mankind’s greatest artisan, enthusiastically. One slip of the smoke would fetch an exorbitant price – if you could even find it. Putting in an order for it was next to impossible when the artisan wouldn’t even receive guests.
Everyone in the pugilistic world knew the Qilin Guards were commanded using “treasure” – a signal.
Red’s “Crimson An Treasure” is to mobilise the three hundred Qilin Guards in the capital when the capital needs them.
Cyan’s “Cyan Luan Treasure” is used to call five hundred Qilin Guards nearby to break a city siege.
Blue’s “Beacon Treasure” is used to summon two vice-captains of the Qilin Guards and a thousand Qilin Guards for an escort mission.
White’s “White Lin Treasure” is used to summon two Qilin Guards’ captains with three thousand Qilin Guards.
When the purple “Nation Guardian Treasure” is used, Qilin Guards from any place in the Nine Provinces will race to the location the signal was sent to work as killing machines until they are given the order to stop.
“This is an item only His Majesty is allowed to employ. Within an hour, Qilin Guards will storm Luo Sword Manor.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Su Xiao inquired.
Shen Yiren informed, “If the revolt isn’t quelled within the next two hours, Qilin Guards within two hundred square kilometres will rush here to aid us, and the number of Qilin Guards will only increase. In six more hours, all of the Qilin Guards in the Nine Provinces, ten thousand, at the very least, will have gathered here to slaughter everyone, men, women, elders, children, any living human besides His Majesty and their own members. In one day’s time, an army of thirty thousand will have wiped Luo Sword Manor out from this world.”
“D-doesn’t that mean…”
“Yes, if it reaches that stage, it means the imperial court is declaring war on Huzhou. Luo Clan’s armies from afar will also return to combat the Qilin Guards. While Huzhou’s military can’t stop the Qilin Guards, everyone will find out the imperial court attacked one of the Seven Champion White Princes. Nobody can predict how severe the consequences of that will turn out.” Shen Yiren peered into the smithing workshops with a flame in them comparable to the flame in the workshops. “This is the last resort… We don’t have a choice, though. If you don’t want people to die, you have to rescue them.”
Shen Yiren unsheathed her sword as their reinforcements arrived. Meeting the Luo Clan members charging toward their pavilion head on and first, she belted, “Charge!”
Glossary
An – Shortened version of Bi’an, a hybrid of a dragon and a tiger, one of the nine sons of the Dragon King; known for its awe-inspiring presence and love of justice.
Luan – Also known as Luan Bird, a mythical bird related to the phoenix, except that its plumage is blue instead of red or multi-colour.
