Chapter 558: Senior Brother, head seen but not the tail
In the mountain forest of the Eastern Domain, shrouded in dark clouds, a single lamp flickered like a bean within a mountain cave.
This was a temporary cave dwelling built by Sun Juehu for herself during her temporary hiding.
Just as Sun Juehu had told Si Xuanji before, her conflict with Si Xuanji was a personal grudge.
If the subjects of Hantian Kingdom knew that she had led them to invade the Northern Region solely to settle a thousand-year-old feud with Si Xuanji, it would undoubtedly push the entire Hantian Kingdom into an adversarial relationship with Xuan Xing Sect.
Therefore, Sun Juehu had snuck out alone, away from her subordinates. Currently, almost everyone in Hantian Kingdom still believed she was stationed at the passes of the Northern Region.
For this reason as well, Sun Juehu had only brought a few people with her.
—A few male consorts kept for her amusement, Xu Mulan, a few trusted Snow-clothed Guards under her command, and the State Preceptor of Hantian Kingdom, Chen Yin.
After parting ways with Ye Anping and his group, Xu Mulan, carrying Sun Juehu’s Golden Cicada Shell alone, had flown back here. She was now utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Creak creak—
Her armored boots crunched on the snow-covered forest floor, emitting an eerie sound.
Xu Mulan glanced at the Golden Cicada Shell wrapped in cloth on her back and a swarm of chaotic thoughts flooded her mind. She pondered whether her previous decision was right or wrong.
Ye Anping had clearly told her where to hide, but she hadn’t listened. Instead, at the last moment, she had thrust her spear at Ye Anping, fulfilling her duty as a minister of Hantian Kingdom.
Perhaps, from her perspective, this was the righteous path.
But if she had hidden then, would Ye Anping have taken her back to Hundred Lotus Sect?
“Forget it… I’ll inform State Preceptor Chen first…”
Xu Mulan steadied her mind, navigated through the countless traps and formations laid out in the forest, and after walking for over a thousand paces through the trees, she entered the camp where the Snow-clothed Guards and she had previously lodged.
Two Snow-clothed Guards, perched as sentinels on a tree, spotted Xu Mulan and immediately descended from above, respectfully cupping their fists in greeting:
“Commander Xu, you’ve returned!”
“What Commander? Senior Xu is already His Majesty’s personal guard. We should call you Master Xu!”
Hearing this, Xu Mulan showed a wry smile and sighed. She paid no mind to their titles and asked,
“Is State Preceptor Chen in the cave dwelling now?”
“Replying to Master Xu, Lord Chen is in His Majesty’s cave dwelling handling official business. Shall we go in and report?”
“No need… I’ll go in myself.” Xu Mulan looked at the two of them and said, “Assemble the other Snow-clothed Guards in the camp and prepare to depart for Hanyue Pass in the Northern Region.”
“Yes!!”
The two responded sharply, but then their eyes simultaneously fell on the corpse cocoon Xu Mulan carried on her back. They hesitated but couldn’t help but ask,
“Master Xu, what is on your back…”
“…His Majesty’s Phoenix Shell.”
“!!”
Xu Mulan suppressed her physical and mental fatigue, adopting the stern demeanor of a Snow-clothed Guard Commander, and sternly ordered,
“Don’t just stand there! Go quickly and assemble the Snow-clothed Guards in the camp, I have important matters to discuss!”
“Ah… Yes!!”
After seeing the two off, Xu Mulan exhaled heavily, adjusted the cicada shell on her shoulder, and walked towards her tent, preparing to remove the armor damaged by Ye Anping and then take Sun Juehu’s cicada shell to Chen Yin.
However, as she reached her tent and lifted the flap to enter…
“Master Xu.”
The voice of Chen Yin, the State Preceptor of Hantian Kingdom, came from inside the tent. Xu Mulan inexplicably felt a strange sense of tension.
Chen Yin was Sun Juehu’s confidant, in charge of Hantian Kingdom’s Astronomical Bureau. Following Sun Juehu’s demise, he held an unparalleled position within Hantian Kingdom. Moreover, he was already one of the most powerful cultivators in Hantian Kingdom.
Xu Mulan quickly collected herself, took a few steps back, cupped her hands, and bowed:
“Xu Mulan pays her respects to State Preceptor Chen…”
“Master Xu is now a personal guard personally promoted by His Majesty, making us equals. There’s no need for such formality. Please enter the tent.”
“Hoo…”
Xu Mulan breathed a sigh of relief and lifted the flap again, entering the tent.
The tent was dimly lit, with only a Spirit Stone Lantern providing light.
Chen Yin was currently seated before a desk, a large number of jade slips sent from the north laid out before him. It appeared he had been handling official duties on behalf of Sun Juehu.
He placed the jade slip in his hand on the desk, looked up at the dust-covered Xu Mulan, and then at the corpse cocoon tightly wrapped in bandages behind her. He seemed to know what had happened and said,
“Master Xu, is the cocoon behind you His Majesty?”
“Yes…” Sun Juehu was silent for a moment, recalling what Ye Anping and the Dao Ancestors had said before. She nodded and replied, “His Majesty, along with Dan Yue Shang Xian and Zhi Ming Shang Ren, joined forces to kill the Sect Master of Tian Mo Sect…”
Chen Yin interrupted with a smile before she could finish,
“His Majesty died at Dan Yue’s hands?”
Xu Mulan shook her head slightly:
“Died at the hands of the Sect Master of Tian Mo Sect…”
However, before she could finish, Chen Yin interrupted again.
Chen Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, unleashed his Deity Transformation spiritual might, and asked again,
“Master Xu, I’ll ask again, did His Majesty die at the hands of Dan Yue Shang Xian?”
The spiritual pressure of the Deity Transformation Stage bore down on Xu Mulan, making her breath catch. But looking at Chen Yin’s expression, she knew, even with her eyes closed, that Chen Yin wanted her to agree.
But why?
Xu Mulan didn’t understand.
Even if she didn’t understand why Chen Yin wanted to do this, Sun Juehu had instructed her before her death to do as Ye Anping said…
Xu Mulan took a deep breath, frowned, and replied,
“State Preceptor Chen, His Majesty indeed died at the hands of Gu Yan, the Sect Master of Tian Mo Sect. Her Majesty put herself in danger, not hesitating to sacrifice her life to eliminate Gu Yan, forcefully breaking through Gu Yan’s protective phantom spirit, thus helping Dan Yue Shang Xian and Zhi Ming Shang Ren to effectively kill Gu Yan…”
“…So that’s how it is.”
Seeing that she still wouldn’t change her story, Chen Yin showed a hint of helplessness, retracted his Deity Transformation spiritual might, and stood up from the desk,
“Master Xu, you don’t understand?”
A hint of vigilance appeared in Xu Mulan’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but step back, “I understand… What does State Preceptor Chen want me to understand?”
Chen Yin shook his head slightly and looked at a map of the Northern Region hanging on a wooden board inside the tent,
“Only you and I know that Sun Juehu and Dan Yue Shang Xian settled their grudge. The Snow-clothed Guards outside are completely unaware. They still believe Sun Juehu’s trip was solely to eliminate demonic cultivators…”
“So?”
“So, doesn’t Master Xu want to seize control of the Northern Region?”
“…”
“You are a personal guard personally promoted by His Majesty, and I have been His Majesty’s State Preceptor for nearly a thousand years. After we return to the Northern Region, no matter what we say, the other ministers of Hantian Kingdom will not doubt us…”
Upon hearing this, Xu Mulan finally understood Chen Yin’s intentions and retorted in alarm,
“Does State Preceptor Chen wish to rebel?”
“Rebel?” Chen Yin let out a cold laugh, “Heh… After Sun Juehu’s death, there is no one in the Sun family who can bear the weight of Hantian Kingdom. For the sake of the Northern Region, what difference does it make if our Chen family rules the country?”
“…”
“Master Xu, if we return to the Northern Region and declare that His Majesty died at the hands of Dan Yue Shang Xian, then the clans in the Northern Region who are close to the Sun family will naturally point their fingers at Xuan Xing Sect in the Western Regions. At that time, you and I will only need to use Xuan Xing Sect to eliminate all those clans close to the Sun family. The entire Northern Region will naturally fall into our hands.”
“What…”
“Master Xu, I’ve heard that you and your sister lived together in poverty since you were young. Even with your salary as a Commander of the Snow-clothed Guards, you still had to worry about Heavenly Treasures for your cultivation every day? Now, an opportunity lies before you, an opportunity to become a saint and leave your name for thousands of years in the Five Regions…”
Hearing this, Xu Mulan was completely stunned.
She had never imagined that Chen Yin would want to usurp the throne and rebel…
From childhood, her parents had taught her to live by “loyalty and righteousness.” And after becoming a Commander of the Snow-clothed Guards, many immortal cultivation families in the Northern Region had tried to bribe her.
However, she had never accepted a single cent!!
Even if accepting bribes would have led to a better life for her and Xu Xiyue, and allowed them to reach higher realm of cultivation, her parents had always told her:
Money could always be earned, but if “loyalty” and “conscience” were lost, they would be no different from savage beasts.
“…”
Seeing Xu Mulan’s stunned silence and trembling eyes, Chen Yin smiled and extended his hand towards her,
“What do you say? Being in charge of thousands of people is better than being an obscure immortal cultivator, isn’t it? Even if Master Xu doesn’t consider yourself, think about your sister. Your sister, Xu Xiyue, is still young, and the expenses for her future cultivation will be far beyond what your salary can support…”
“…”
“Infinite profit, or… loyalty unto death?” Chen Yin narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a weapon, “Which one does Master Xu choose?”
To die with loyalty?
This meant that if she refused now, Chen Yin would kill her?
Terror flashed in Xu Mulan’s eyes. She was only at the Nascent Soul Stage, and unlike Ye Anping or Fairy Pei, she wasn’t a prodigy. Facing Chen Yin, a cultivator in the late Deity Transformation Stage, she wouldn’t be able to resist for even a moment…
“Chen Yin.” Xu Mulan called him by his name, her brows furrowed, “There are more than twenty Snow-clothed Guards outside…”
“Oh, right…” Chen Yin nodded and chuckled, “Their lives are also in your hands now. If you refuse my proposal, I will certainly not leave a single one alive.”
“…”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I can’t do this without you. It’s just that you are a personal guard personally promoted by His Majesty. With your testimony, it will be even easier to convince those foolish ministers of Hantian Kingdom that ‘Sun Juehu died at Dan Yue’s hands.’ That’s all.”
Xu Mulan glanced sideways at the gap in the tent curtain behind her. Seeing that the Snow-clothed Guards had already gathered outside her tent, she pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, saying,
“As you said, this is indeed an opportunity for infinite profit.”
“Then…”
“But please forgive Xu Mulan for refusing!! Since childhood, I have lived by loyalty and righteousness…”
Before she could finish speaking, a blue light shot out from Chen Yin’s sleeve, causing Xu Mulan’s eyes to widen. She shielded the corpse cocoon behind her with her left hand and summoned Sun Juehu’s Mystic Ice Dragon Spear from her storage bag, holding it in front of her.
Boom—!!!
The spiritual light exploded, instantly blowing the tent apart.
Although Xu Mulan blocked with Sun Juehu’s Dragon Spear, her cultivation was still a major realm or more behind. She was directly blown backward by the spiritual light.
Clenching her teeth, Xu Mulan thrust the spear into the ground, plowing a ten-zhang-long gully in the muddy ground in front of the tent. She then spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on the ground, propped up by the spear.
The Snow-clothed Guards outside the tent were also caught off guard by the sudden explosion, but they reacted quickly. Seeing Xu Mulan attacked, they hurriedly scattered to both sides, drew swords from their storage bags, and protected her.
“Commander Xu!!!”
Seeing these girls she had led now shielding her, Xu Mulan struggled to shout,
“All Snow-clothed Guards listen to my order!!! Disperse and escape from here, find Xuan Xing Sect’s Immortal Ship!!! Find Ye Anping!!!”
“Ah?”
The Snow-clothed Guards didn’t understand this order and hurriedly asked,
“Commander Xu…”
“Shut up!!! Hurry and escape!!! Go… cough cough—find Ye Anping!!!”
However, the next moment, a voice with the pressure of Deity Transformation boomed,
“No one can leave!!!”
Chen Yin, protected by spiritual energy, walked out from the rolling smoke and dust with his hands behind his back. With a single sentence, he pinned all the Snow-clothed Guards present to the ground, unable to move.
Most of these Snow-clothed Guards were only at the Core Formation Stage and had no way to resist.
He looked at Xu Mulan kneeling on the ground. Seeing her holding Sun Juehu’s Dragon Spear, he chuckled,
“Hoh? I was wondering, that blow should have shattered your Nascent Soul. So you blocked it with His Majesty’s Dragon Spear… Heh heh—”
Xu Mulan looked at the motionless Snow-clothed Guards around her, her teeth clenched in anger. She mustered all her strength to stand up,
“Chen Yin!!!”
“Master Xu, it’s useless to regret it now. I have also made my decision…”
Chen Yin casually flicked his sleeve, extended his hand, took out a spirit sword from his storage bag, and walked step by step towards the Snow-clothed Guard closest to him, raising the spirit sword in his hand,
“Master Xu, this is because you don’t know what’s good for you…”
Buzz—
Seeing the spirit sword thrust towards her neck, the Snow-clothed Guard’s eyes widened, and she trembled voice pleas for help,
“Xu… Commander Xu…”
Xu Mulan, in the distance, was also in a frenzy. She tried to rush forward to stop him, but she hadn’t recovered from the previous blow and lost her balance after taking a step, falling to the ground.
Watching the Snow-clothed Guard she had brought with her about to die by Chen Yin’s sword, Xu Mulan felt as if her chest was about to split open. She reached out, but still couldn’t slow the descent of the spirit sword in Chen Yin’s hand.
“Chen Yin—!!!”
But at this very moment…
Bang—
A hollow sound echoed, and a mass of black mist fell vertically from above.
Xu Mulan’s eyes widened. Before she could see clearly, she saw the black mist instantly engulf Chen Yin’s upper body, swallowing his spirit sword along with it.
“…”
The next moment, Chen Yin’s lower half spectacularly toppled to one side, revealing a smooth cut.
As if eaten by the black mist, Chen Yin’s upper body vanished without a trace, leaving only his half-waist bleeding profusely…
Xu Mulan didn’t know what had happened. She stood frozen, staring blankly at the black mist that had descended from the sky, until a pair of pitch-black eyes stepped out of the mist.
Hu Mu emerged from the black mist, holding Xue Tianqiao, who had transformed back into her original form. He scanned the surrounding Snow-clothed Guards with his vertical pupils, a hint of disgust on his face.
Xue Tianqiao glanced at the Snow-clothed Guards lying on the ground, then at Xu Mulan. She then jumped out of her master’s arms and hopped in front of Xu Mulan, tilting her head to ask,
“Sister, are you Xu Mulan?”
“…Yes.”
“Oh! Brother Ye asked me to bring my master!” Xue Tianqiao shook her tail, and from her tail, she shook out over ten bottles of pills, “Brother Ye also asked me to bring these to you, they are healing pills.”
Xu Mulan stood frozen, unable to recover for a long time.
After Xue Tianqiao threw the items in front of her, she hopped back to her master, clung to his leg, and curled up in his arm.
Hu Mu stroked Xue Tianqiao’s head. Without a word, his figure was once again enveloped by black mist and vanished completely from the center of the camp.
The camp fell silent, with only the sound of the wind.
Xu Mulan knelt on the ground, looking at the ten or so bottles of pills left by Xue Tianqiao. After a long time, she was brought back to her senses by two Snow-clothed Guards who came to help her up:
“Commander Xu…”
“Ah… Mm…”
Supported by the two, Xu Mulan stood up. Suddenly, for some reason, she felt a sense of relief in her heart. She then looked up at the sky.
In the cloud-shrouded sky where the sun and moon were not visible, a golden-feathered parrot circled twice above them, then turned its head and flew towards the east.
“Young Master Ye…”
“Commander Xu? What just happened…”
“It’s nothing.” Xu Mulan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her gaze hardening. She reached out and grabbed the Mystic Ice Dragon Spear stuck in the ground, saying, “Hurry and pack up. Wrap up Chen Yin’s cicada shell, and put everything in the camp into storage bags. We’re returning to Hanyue Pass…”
…
