Before the Zi and Shui, the Dong had maintained 5,000 years of intermarriage with the Li. Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that, genetic-pool-wise, the two families were as close as siamese twins. In Hanxing and Soaring Crane's case, the proximity reached another level. Hanxing's mother, last sect master of the pre-Zi era, was also Soaring Crane's aunt—making the relationship between the two quite complex.
Aware of all the foul tendencies that Hanxing hid behind his jovial exterior, Soaring Crane knew that, the more the monster laughed, the more likely all the events that transpired till now were to have gone according to his plans. But if that were the case, why…
"I don't understand. If you'd already seen through our plans and foresaw our invasion, how…could you allow Ziyun to die?" Lord Soaring Crane couldn't make sense of this one. After all, for better or worse, Hanxing and Ziyun had been husband and wife for over 700 years. To say nothing that they always shared an excellent relationship—even if they didn't at first—could 700 years of union not guarantee that their bounds should by now be as solid as steel chains?
"Oh, you're referring to the Life Plate commotion? Don't worry. I triggered that. The Sacrificial Knives only took down the clone I forced Ziyun to create prior to the Yin-Yang Sword contest. You see, Ziyun, my dear strumpet of a wife, refused to see things from a progressive standpoint—always clinging on conservative nonsense that did nothing but restrain my White Immortal sect's growth. I had to make sure that she couldn't ruin this event for me, so I incapacitated her, possessed her soul, made her produce a flawless clone, then trapped the whore where she'd always stand within reach. The clone itself thought it was Ziyun, so naturally it presented no flaws—at least not that experts at the Nascent Soul stage or below could spot," Lord Hanxing said, sighed in a false show of helplessness, and tapped his storage ring. Clouds of white mist flowed out, and a purple-haired old woman dressed in the gray Daoist robe of the White Immortal sect's great elders appeared, staring with glassy eyes at Soaring Crane: Lady Ziyun's true body.
For a second, Soaring Crane couldn't believe his eyes and blinked repeatedly. The fact that the White Immortal sect's Nascent Soul elders accepted this scene so easily added to his confusion. Did Ziyun's fate truly affect none of the White Immortal sect's leaders? The facts seemed to be so, and following this moment of stupor, Soaring Crane regained his composure.
"Hanxing, even to this day, you never fail to amaze me. She has been by your side for 700 years, supporting you to the best of her abilities, but merely because she didn't see the need to rush sect expansion you…destroyed her freedom and possessed her soul? Damn. Worthy of being my Dongli state's Cold Star Lord. But Hanxing, have you ever wondered that, had you just shared your plans with her, Ziyun might have changed her stance to help you all the same?" Soaring Crane let out a self-deprecating laugh. Though in others' ears, he seemed to be taking shots at Hanxing's methods, in truth, the shriveled patriarch knew that in the cultivation world, men like Hanxing thrived while the Soaring Cranes of the world were often left to wonder why things kept escaping their control. Thus, as far as Soaring Crane was concerned, he had no right to make fun of Hanxing's methods.
The great elder thought so as well, and with his arms crossed behind his back, raised his shoulders in a casual shrug.
"I don't need to wonder. Only fools let 'guessing games' become an option. Masters command certainty. Ziyun, that strumpet, was never the trustworthy type. Back in our peak Pulse Condensation days, decades of marriage didn't stop her from getting starstruck by Qingxin. If I had to count all the tricks she used to get his attention, one year from now on, I'd still be counting here. Fortunately, Qingxin took our friendship into consideration and spared me the disgrace of that green hat." Here, Lord Hanxing arched his head back, and his ever-jubilant face twisted into a horrid grin.
"But that's when I realized that if you can't trust them today, regardless of all the promises, tears and rubbish they try to coax you with, you should still not trust them tomorrow. A strumpet will always be a strumpet. Since Ziyun was destined to disgrace me, I had to ensure that it happened on terms I found profitable. So…after reaching an agreement with the Fen Spirit clan, I tricked the strumpet into attending their banquet as an ambassador for the White Immortal sect. The sons of the Fen did with her as they pleased—almost destroying her in the process. The returns on investment enabled my cultivation base to progress massively, and ever since, Ziyun has been a loyal spouse. Poetic, isn't it?" Lord Hanxing said, and burst into laughter.
Struck in sheer horror, Soaring Crane stared slack-jawed at Hanxing, wondering how it was possible for a man to revel in such accomplishments. Then he recalled who he was dealing with, and it all made sense.
"Those with no bottom line whatsoever, can indeed not be defined by common sense. But Hanxing, don't let success get to your head! I don't mind telling you that my Soaring Crane mountain's Beast Illumination Skill came from the Yanzhou Hegemon's hands! That technique aside, he also pledged a Dao Oath that guarantees that, should anyone attempt to destroy us, he'd appear to save us from ruin! No matter how much clout your sect has amassed over the years, you're nothing but ants before the Yanzhou Hegemon! If you know what's good for you…"
"I know." Hanxing nodded in approval, cutting Soaring Crane off with two words that the shriveled patriarch found unacceptable. "W-what?"
"Nonsense, if not for the secret bounds that united you, why would the Yanzhou Hegemon, who never bothers to interfere with sect affairs, personally appear to mediate the situation 1,000 years ago? My mother had already realized that it was to him that you sold the Nine Paths of Yin and Yang, in exchange for the Beast Illumination Skill. Later on, she transmitted that knowledge to me."
"Then you…"
"But it doesn't matter." A dismissive wave of Hanxing's hand swept aside Soaring Crane's hopes.
"You see, dear Soaring Crane. Had you merely banded with the Flower Plucking gang and Dark Moon cult to assault the White Immortal sect, the Yanzhou Hegemon could have indeed saved you. However, as I expected of you, you committed a terrible mistake. You let the Dark Moon cult convince you to lure a beast tide into Dongli, almost putting an end to the millions of lives that call this country home. This move undoubtedly got on someone's nerves. That someone now also wants your Soaring Crane mountain to disappear, and that someone…is more than any Hegemon can handle." Lord Hanxing said, forcing Soaring Crane to recall the abrupt dispersion of the beast tide his sect had summoned. Confusion took old of the shriveled patriarch's face, and as if feasting on his nemesis' fears, Hanxing flicked his tongue over his lips and said:
"That someone is my good old friend, Abbot Qingxin."
