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Chapter 234: Condescending

He stood with his back to Xu Qing, looking at a painting on the wall that depicted evil ghosts fighting over food. Though the young man wasn’t in the profound radiance state, his 120 dharma apertures burned with intense heat.

To the Qi Condensation disciples present, it looked like the surrounding air was rippling, as if this place was the young man’s home turf. Xu Qing, meanwhile, was unaffected. In fact, as he stepped into the reception hall, the ripples vanished.

“Xu Qing?” the young man said, turning and looking closely at him.

Xu Qing didn’t like it when people looked at him this way, but he forced such feelings away and looked calmly at the visitor.

“The power of two flames combined with Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits, plus your deadly poison and that body of yours. Xu Qing... you’re a big fish in a little pond here in Seven Blood Eyes. This place doesn’t suit you.” With that, the young man sat down in the seat of honor. His every movement was very natural, as if he believed it was a given that he should sit in that position.

As he sat down, though, he completely failed to notice that, right in the air behind him, an apple had suddenly appeared. And then, some invisible person noiselessly took a bite out of the apple. No sound could be heard.

An odd expression appeared on Xu Qing’s face as he noticed the apple. But he quickly looked away. Not saying a word, he waited to see what would happen next.

“You won’t get far here,” the young man continued. “You’re in the echelon, but aren’t one of the highnesses. And you only got into the echelon by performing an amazing service. There’s really no need for you to have any fondness for a sect like this. I’m sure you know who I am. I’m Huang Yikun from the Dark Serenity Sect. You can address me as Eldest Brother.” As his words echoed about, he seemed to be scrutinizing Xu Qing even more closely.

A bite mark appeared in the apple behind him, as though the invisible person had been about to take another mouthful, but then stopped in the middle. Apparently, this person wasn’t very happy with what he’d just heard.

Xu Qing pretended to not see the apple. He knew exactly who this visitor was. Though he had never laid eyes on him personally, the sect’s files contained an image of him.

Huang Yikun put his gloved hand onto the table in front of him and leaned forward slightly. Looking Xu Qing in the eyes, he slowly said, “Xu Qing, I appreciate you for who you are. And I’d like to give you a chance to leave this sect and join a greater sect. Of course, the prerequisite is that you swear loyalty to me.”

Xu Qing frowned.

A chunk disappeared from the apple behind Huang Yikun, as the person eating it started viciously chewing.

Huang Yikun noticed Xu Qing’s frown, but didn’t seem bothered by it. “Xu Qing, you do know what a supervisory sect is, don’t you? You cultivate an imperial-class technique called Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits. Surely you’re aware that the president of the Seven Sect Coalition also gained enlightenment of that very same imperial-class technique. The venerable president gained a very thorough enlightenment. Whatever destined opportunity you ran across, it was obviously random chance, and there’s no way you could compare with the president’s level of enlightenment. Am I right?”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything.

.

“Therefore, if you join a supervisory sect, your Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits will rise to an even higher level. Remember, the president comes from the Dark Serenity Sect. And the Dark Serenity Sect’s Balefire Soulswallowing Scripture was actually modeled after Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits by the president.”

An arrogant look appeared on Huang Yikun’s face as he tilted his chin up and continued, “Furthermore... the Balefire Soulswallowing Scripture cultivated by your subsidiary sect is a low-level version.” As the words left his mouth, Huang Yikun lifted his right hand and slowly removed his glove.

As he did, a shocking aura erupted from his hand. The five fingers of his right hand were all violet, and looked like they were made from raw crystal. They were marvelous in appearance and they emanated shocking fluctuations. All the light in the area seemed to dim, as though the five fingers were sucking it in.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. He could sense how extraordinary those fingers were, and he also sensed that they caused the golden crow tattoo on his back to stir dramatically. At the same time, the balefire within him seemed like it was being pulled toward the fingers.

That said, in Xu Qing’s opinion, Huang Yikun... probably shouldn’t be showing off his five fingers like this.

Behind Huang Yikun, the floating apple trembled, as though the hand holding it were excited. At the same time, two shining eyes were revealed, and they were fixed on Huang Yikun’s right hand.

Seeing Xu Qing’s odd expression caused Huang Yikun to feel very pleased with himself. At the same time, he felt both disdain and envy deep in his heart. The pleased feeling came from the fact that he loved showing off the five fingers that he had created with a lifetime of wealth and cultivation. People were always amazed to see them. The disdain came because of the fact that Xu Qing was still just a fish in a pond. Even if he got some destined opportunity, he still didn’t know enough about the world to make it worth it. And the envy came because of that destined opportunity.

That said, Huang Yikun kept his true feelings hidden. Moving his dazzling fingers back and forth rhythmically in front of him, he said, “See, Xu Qing? This is the result of my cultivation of an ancient Dark Serenity technique. It’s called the Dark Serenity Fingers.

“Each of these five fingers was created with a combination of my dark technique plus countless precious materials. All I have to do is touch someone with one of these fingers, and I’ll be able to influence their soul and control their very life or death. This is what the Balefire Soulswallowing Scripture really looks like.

“If you swear loyalty to me, then when we get back to the sect, I’ll personally help you request assistance from the patriarch. With his help, you might be able to cultivate two fingers like this, maybe even more! Combined with Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits, this technique would be able to unleash true strength!”

Xu Qing looked long and hard at the five fingers. He also noticed that no further bites had been taken from the apple. Whoever was holding the apple was obviously completely focused on Huang Yikun’s five fingers. Finally, Xu Qing looked at Huang Yikun.

Although the technique seemed useful, he didn’t see any need to combine it with Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits.

The only reason Huang Yikun believed what he did was that the president of the Seven Sect Coalition only received a scrap of enlightenment of Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits. Otherwise there would be no need to combine it with anything else. Based on what Xu Qing knew, Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits was about being utterly domineering. Combining it with some other technique made it completely soulless.

Seeing that Xu Qing hadn’t said a single word, Huang Yikun laughed coldly in his heart.

“You’re probably not convinced,” he said. “You probably think I’m not worthy of your loyalty. Well, I don’t expect an answer from you immediately. In a few days, I’m going to challenge all three highnesses from the Seventh Peak.”

He stood, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked past Xu Qing as he continued, “Remember, Xu Qing, it will only be a few more days before I issue that challenge. Once it’s over, and you’ve seen me defeat all three highnesses, I’ll come back. Then you can give me your answer. This is your destined opportunity. You’re on your own now.”

Without sparing a backward glance, Huang Yikun left the Violent Crimes Division and strolled off into the evening.

After he was gone, the Captain’s voice rang out, sounding very happy. “Hahaha! Things are always the funnest around you, little Ah Qing. When I saw that guy chortling around on his way here, I had to come see the show. How could I ever have guessed that I would get to see such a lovely treasure! This is the first time I’ve ever run into anyone that likes to show off so brazenly.... What an unexpected but pleasant surprise. I’m really not used to this. It took a lot of effort not to break off one of those fingers right here and now.”

“I think you mean it took a lot of effort not to bite?one off, right?” Xu Qing said calmly.

“Director Xu, as the grand highness of the Seventh Peak, I have to give you some constructive criticism. Is that really the way to talk to a grand highness?” Another bite disappeared from the apple.

Xu Qing looked down at the Captain’s shadow.

It revealed a limp, hobbling figure, with a somewhat swollen head. It looked like the shadow of someone who had been beaten up violently.

After a moment of silence, Xu Qing said, “Captain, did you get into some trouble recently?”

The apple went still. “Are you kidding? No way! After I went invisible that one time, I just got used to it. Well, I think we’re done here. Huang Yikun is going to challenge the Seventh Peak, huh? I need to go chat this over with Second Sib and Third Sib.”

As he spoke, the apple floated toward the exit. But then it stopped. “Oh right, little Ah Qing. I actually came to tell you something. As you know, the Seven Sect Coalition sent their chosen to challenge all the mountain peaks in Seven Blood Eyes. Though it seems like we’re on the losing side, which is a bit humiliating, everything is going according to the old codgers’ plans.

“They want the ordinary disciples to feel animosity toward the Seven Sect Coalition, and at the same time, weed out disciples who aren’t loyal. So don’t even think of running off. Otherwise, when the time comes for my big upcoming plan, I’d be forced to go out looking for you, and that would be far too annoying.”

After the apple was a good distance away from the Violent Crimes Division, a flicker of surprise could be seen on the Captain’s bruised and swollen face.

Can he really see me? There’s no way. The old man gave me this invisibility treasure, and throughout all the years, no one has ever seen through it other than a few sect uncles and the patriarch. It’s impossible to see through it. Totally impossible....

The Captain gritted his teeth in pain.

Sixth Sect Uncle is too vicious, that rotten fogey. All I did was bite a statue! Does that really deserve a beating like this...? As soon as I got back, the first thing he did was drag me over and thrash me.

Viciously taking a bite out of his apple, the Captain hurried on his way.

Back in the Violent Crimes Division, Xu Qing was lost in thought. What the Captain had just told him fell right in line with his previous suppositions. Obviously, the sect was waiting for something.

Are they just buying time??Eventually, he put such thoughts aside. It wasn’t his place to worry about those things. Going back into the cell block, he went back to work on his cultivation.

Days passed. After the big Night Dove crackdown, the rest of the Night Dove forces in the city did their best to stay in hiding. At the same time, the Violent Crimes Division prepared for an even bigger crackdown. The purpose was to track down any Night Dove operatives that had slipped through the cracks. However, there were things that needed to happen first.

And one of them was a curfew!

“Seven Blood Eyes is instituting a curfew for one month. Any suspicious people found lurking around at night will be arrested.

“At the same time, the Violent Crimes Divisions from all the mountain peaks will raid any Night Dove safe houses in their jurisdictions.

“The time has come to get justice for all of our fallen comrades. Night Dove is going to be destroyed! Constables can keep any loot they find. The divisions issue the order, the bureaus carry out the commands, and the squads execute judgment. Let the final operation against Night Dove begin!”

After Xu Qing issued the orders, all seven of the Violent Crimes Divisions fell upon the capital city like fiends. Slaughter spread, and blood sprayed left and right.

Violent Crimes constables were everywhere on the streets. Following the orders from the division, they went to all Night Dove safehouses and either killed or arrested the operatives there. Miserable screams and agonized shrieks rang out. In some cases, the Night Dove operatives ran out onto the street, only to be chased down by Violent Crimes constables.

Occasionally, constables would shoot signal fireworks up into the air to request backup. When that happened, the vice-directors would answer the call. If they couldn’t handle the situation, their commanding director would step in. If a director ran into trouble, he would send a request to Xu Qing, who would assume responsibility.

However, during the night the operation was carried out, Xu Qing never had to step in. And that was because Yanyan had taken the initiative to join the operation. She had a huge octopus to help her, and it crushed anything in its path. Whenever a signal shot up into the air, she and her octopus would race to the scene. When she showed up, she would always offer the same explanation.

“There’s no need to bother Big Bro Xu Qing with something as trivial as this. When you have a chance, let him know that I came to help out.”

On one occasion in which she rescued the new vice-director from the Seventh Peak, who was a one-flame cultivator, he clasped hands to express his gratitude.

“Many thanks, Your Majesty Yanyan.”

Upon hearing that, Yanyan’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m your director’s fiancée! Call me Sister-in-Law!”

The vice-director was absolutely stunned. Clasping hands hesitantly, he said, “Many thanks, Sister-in-Law!”

Yanyan smiled happily, then tossed him a precious medicinal pill.

“Rest up. My husband is the director of the Violent Crimes Division. Since I’m the lady of the house, it’s only natural that I take care of the underlings. It was no trouble at all.” Just then, Yanyan spotted another signal flare, and raced off in that direction.[1]

1. The word for “husband” used by Yanyan is rather archaic. It’s not used nowadays, and Madam Deathblade says she’s only ever heard it in period drama TV shows. That said, there is no other interpretation of the word other than “husband.”