Chapter 59: Immortals Compete in the Ephemeral Regatta
"Could this be another conspiracy against our Qi family?"
Qi Wei asked after reading it.
"It’s hard to say, but no matter what, we must take action. Like this, you should go to the City Lord’s Mansion right now…"
Former Qi family head Qi Rui was Qi Zhe’s uncle.
Qi Rui could be considered a hero of the Qi family, having developed it from a minor clan into one of the three major families within Suichuan Immortal City.
At this moment, Qi Rui was also the sinner of the Qi family. It was foreseeable that after this wave of Demonic Beasts, the Qis would suffer significant losses in strength.
This was unacceptable for the ambitious Qi Zhe.
"Uncle, for the family, you should truly pass away." Qi Zhe’s eyes became resolute.
...
The following day.
The Demonic Beasts, after resting for several days, once again began their assault.
The Cultivator Army, filled with hatred, marched out of the city to meet the battle.
Yu Qingtan once again ascended the high platform to play "Purification of Soul".
This time, she wore the Magpie Crest Diadem made of Lunar Twigs.
So that it could be activated at a moment’s notice.
In this battle, most of the Qi family’s cultivators, including the family head Qi Zhe, personally took to the field, fighting with fearless ferocity.
That was one of the conditions City Lord Ouyang Wenjian had set for their release.
Although the Qis had a tarnished reputation at present, seeing them slay Demonic Beasts so fiercely, the cultivators felt their spirits lift.
It’s worth noting that of the cultivators from the three major families who fought like this before, there was only one.
Ge Wenxiong of the Ges, that once peerless prodigy with a single Metal Spirit Root.
Now, he had turned to Body Cultivation, adopting a Body Refinement method that harnessed the aura of battle to aid in his training.
During this onslaught of Demonic Beasts, the six Heavenly Demons did not join the fight.
After a half-day of fierce battle, the Demonic Beasts retreated.
...
Moments before the two armies clashed,
Ouyang Wuqing led his men to surround the Xue residence.
The Xue family’s senior Elder came out to meet them in a nervous hurry.
"Captain Ouyang, what is this about?" the Elder approached with a forced smile and asked.
The sister of Xue Wuheng, the family head of the Xues, was a concubine to City Lord Ouyang Wenjian; he was Xue Wuheng’s brother and Ouyang Wuqing was Ouyang Wenjian’s nephew.
He was considered Ouyang Wuqing’s elder, and being much older than Ouyang Wuqing, he dared not presume upon his age, especially since his own cultivation level was merely at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation.
"Senior Elder Xue, the Enforcement Team has received a report that Xue residence is harboring Demon Race spies, so I’ve come to investigate," Ouyang Wuqing said without any particular fondness for the Xue family, and he was here on orders from the City Lord.
"Captain Ouyang, could there be some misunderstanding? Our Xue family has ties to the City Lord; how could we possibly harbor Demon Race spies?" the senior Elder of the Xue family said anxiously.
Thinking of the previously found unconscious attendant of Xue Gui and the missing Xue Gui himself, he felt that his family was being targeted.
"Whether there’s a misunderstanding or not is not for you to say, Senior Elder Xue. Will you deactivate the formation yourself or should we do it?" Ouyang Wuqing said sternly.
"We will open it ourselves, please come in, Captain Ouyang," the senior Elder from the Xue family said, not daring to confront Ouyang Wuqing.
"Search inside!"
Leaving a team to surround the Xue residence, Ouyang Wuqing led his men inside.
Soon, several members of the Enforcement Team escorted a person before Ouyang Wuqing.
It was none other than Xue Pan.
"Captain, Xue Pan has been arrested. In his room, a secret basement was found with nine boys aged between eight and twelve."
The Enforcement Team member reported.
"You demon spawn!" The family elder of the Xues trembled with rage as he cursed.
"I didn’t violate any of the Immortal City’s prohibitions," Xue Pan defended himself weakly, trembling all over.
"Hmph, now that your deeds have been uncovered, do you recognize Cai Wu?"
At the mention of that name, Xue Pan shuddered even more violently and stammered, "I... I don’t know him."
Cai Wu was the very person who had used the Lightning Child to attack Yu Qingtan.
With the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator emanating from him, Ouyang Wuqing spoke ominously, "It seems you are still not willing to confess truthfully. Have you heard of the ant punishment? It involves placing your hand into a box filled with soul-devouring ants, letting them bite off small pieces at a time, first one hand, then the other, followed by the feet."
"Stop, I confess, I confess, it was all the Family Head’s doing. He gave me the Lightning Child, and he also conspired with demonic beasts..."
Xue Pan collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and shouting loudly, and then suddenly, blood flowed from all seven orifices, and he died.
"It’s over, our Xue family is finished, big brother, how could you be so foolish!" The family elder of the Xues yelled, collapsing backward, fainting on the spot.
At that moment, Ouyang Wuqing abruptly turned his head.
From a side door, a purple-robed old man approached with white hair, eyebrows, and beard, and a face lined with wrinkles, his expression filled with sorrow.
"Wuqing, I once held you when you were a child, do you really have to be so heartless?" The old man was the Family Head of the Xues and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Xue Wuheng.
"Consorting with demons, a crime unforgivable."
"Oh Wuqing, you’re not at that age yet. When you start aging year by year, and breaking through seems hopeless, you too would grasp at any straw. Wuqing, I just wanted to live. Why couldn’t you all grant me this small wish? If that’s the case, then you go to your death!"
By the end, Xue Wuheng’s face twisted fiercely as he conjured a charm paper, and above it, a phantom dagger appeared, shooting towards Ouyang Wuqing with alarming speed and force.
"Charm Treasure!"
Confronted with the Charm Treasure, Ouyang Wuqing did not panic; he did not even attempt to defend himself.
"Swish!" Suddenly, a wall of earth appeared before Ouyang Wuqing. The phantom dagger collided with it and disintegrated into spiritual light.
At the same time, a figure appeared mid-air.
"Ouyang Wenjian!" Xue Wuheng’s face showed despair.
"Take your own life. In consideration of Qing Tan, I won’t harm the innocent people of the Xue family." Ouyang Wenjian spoke indifferently; Qing Tan was Xue Wuheng’s sister and his concubine.
"Hahaha, how I hate! But Ouyang Wenjian, one day you too will find yourself unable to advance, forced to watch yourself age until your life ends. Hahaha, I’ll be waiting for you down there—ugh!"
Xue Wuheng laughed maniacally, then severed his own heart meridian.
He knew that in front of Ouyang Wenjian, death was inevitable.
Ouyang Wenjian remained silent.
Then, he called out towards another direction within the Xue residence, "Come out now. There’s no need to hide since I’ve come."
Upon hearing this, a figure soared into the sky on a flying sword, appearing mid-air.
The figure was clad in black, unmasked.
With similarly white hair, eyebrows, and beard, but seemingly in good spirits.
"Qi Rui, you are quite the schemer, faking your own death and deceiving everyone, even using the demons to become a false Dan Cultivator."
"I’m not as deeply hidden as City Lord Ouyang. I just wanted to live a few more years."
"The path of cultivation is fraught with hardship, eternal life elusive. We are but fellow voyagers."
"Indeed!"
"However, allying with demons cannot be forgiven. Will you surrender without a fight, or meet your end with dignity like Xue Wuheng, or will you fight to the death?"
"Haha, City Lord Ouyang, I certainly won’t be hitting a stone with an egg, but I’ve foreseen this day and prepared for twenty years. If today I cannot escape Suichuan Immortal City, at least two hundred thousand cultivators in the Immortal City will be joining me in death."
Qi Rui laughed.