The hole was not big, and it was pitch black inside. He did not dare press his eye too close, after all he could not tell what kind of bug it was, and also worried the bug might suddenly dart out or something.
He listened with his ear for a while, but did not hear any sound from inside.
After that, his gaze looked over this stalk of Purple Thatched Grass from root to top. He wanted to break it open to check, but feared the shaking movement would attract attention, so subconsciously looked around.
But at this moment, he was suddenly startled. Before he could turn his head to see clearly what was happening, he heard a thunderous sound, and his chest was already hit with a burst of intense pain. A powerful impact force made him feel the blood in his body lose control, wildly surging and vibrating toward all directions inside, even his skin seeming about to burst open. An uncontrollable force sprayed out from his mouth and nose.
The cultivation he wanted to use for emergency defence also collapsed under the abrupt impact force. When he tried to gather it again, his blood vessels were already in disorder, blocked and obstructed, unable to freely and smoothly mobilise and control. In short, he was injured, instantly suffering internal injuries.
He flew out, turning his head in mid-air, seeing the exploded trunk of the Purple Thatched Grass, seeing a human figure rushing out from the exploding debris, holding a sword and charging over.
The figure swayed, and his vision also swayed in the air, so he did not see clearly the appearance of the person who ambushed him.
But strangely, though he did not see clearly who it was, he seemed to have guessed who it was.
Immediately after, his back was hit by another violent impact force, crashing into a stone, causing the already chaotic blood qi in his body to suddenly increase in pressure again. A mouthful of heart blood involuntarily “pfft” came out. He flailed his arms and legs trying to control his balance, but his whole body shook again, and with a thud he crashed to the ground.
As soon as he landed and wanted to flip over to stand up, or subconsciously take an evasive action, a figure flashed before his eyes, a thunderous sound suddenly came by his ear, and his temple and cheek were hit with intense pain again. His head was shaken with a buzzing roar, nearly fainting on the spot.
Immediately his chest and abdomen felt as if they were about to tear apart. He had a feeling of wanting to vomit out all his internal organs. A kind of difficult pain he had never experienced before seemed to place him on the edge of death. His remaining conscious awareness was in fear, struggling on the terrifying edge of death.
Under the ambush, Yu Qing, having succeeded with one strike, pounced over. With a knee strike, he rammed Long Xingyun to the ground, then immediately rained a flurry of punches onto Long Xingyun’s face, while simultaneously cursing, “Bastard, I told you to haunt me like an evil spirit. Bastard, causing me to owe a mountain of debt. Bastard, letting you want to kill me…”
A frenzied venting flurry of punches.
Before, he did not dare provoke this person, wanting to hide when he saw him. Now that he had already made his move, there was nothing to be polite about. Hitting a few less would not win any favour from the other party.
There was no helping it. As soon as Sect Leader Yu saw this Young Pavilion Master, he burned with anger. It could also be said that he had been terribly harmed by this Young Pavilion Master.
Back then, going to Little Cloud Realm to seek fortune, that absolutely counted as risking his life. He had finally obtained some things to sell, but the result was this Young Pavilion Master smashed his operation, causing him to owe a mountain of debt. If not for carrying this debt, how could his three senior brothers have reached today’s stage? They also would not have contracted that unknown hidden illness, nor would they need to worry every day about how long they could live.
Thinking of this, he could not help but fiercely throw a few more punches.
However, some things were very realistic. No matter how much resentment, he had to face reality. That expert beside the other party could return at any time. At this moment, he could not afford to be willful.
After throwing a few more punches, he had no choice but to quickly rein in his wild heart. He pressed a sword against Long Xingyun’s neck as a precaution, while one hand swiftly cast a spell to examine Long Xingyun’s demon body. After finding the meridian pathways, he quickly placed restrictions on his body, suppressing Long Xingyun’s cultivation.
After that, he grabbed out “Big Head,” gave it a command, “Go find Old Seventh, Old Ninth.”
With a wave of his hand, “Big Head,” thrown into the air, immediately flapped its wings and flew off. Its small figure quickly disappeared into the vast night.
Long Xingyun, beaten dazed and confused, had just “lazily” opened his blurred eyes. Bam! Yu Qing swept another punch across his face, then grabbed him and pulled him up.
On the sea surface, Yin Shanhe, treading on waves and searching everywhere, was frowning with a face full of confusion. He had come at full speed, yet still could not see what had happened. What exactly was this situation?
Suddenly, he abruptly turned his head, looking toward the bright Zilan Island. Just now, he seemed to, faintly hear some abnormal sound coming from the island, somewhat like fighting noises.
This thought flashed through his mind. His complexion suddenly changed dramatically. His gaze swept over the sea surface where ripples had not yet subsided. Realising something, his heart immediately leapt to his throat.
In an instant, the person shot through the air like a lone wild goose, rapidly flying toward Zilan Island.
Yu Qing on the island heard the sound of something breaking through the air. He turned his head to glance at the night sky, his face cold and fierce. One hand gripped Long Xingyun’s neck like holding a chick, turning him to face forward. At the same time, the sword blade in his other hand unhesitatingly stabbed sideways into Long Xingyun’s waist and ribs. Fresh blood began to seep along the sword blade.
“Mm.” Long Xingyun let out a pained muffled groan. After being bled, the chaotic surging inside his body actually eased somewhat, and he opened his eyes and became much more clear-headed.
“Stop!” Yin Shanhe, flying through the air, shouted to halt mid-air, because he saw the mortal danger under the sword.
Yu Qing shouted back, “You try coming closer!”
Yin Shanhe forcibly cast a spell to halt the parabolic trajectory of his body’s momentum. He flipped in mid-air, landing as if interrupting himself, maintaining a distance of several zhang from this side. His cold eyes stared at Long Xingyun, who had been beaten into a pig’s head. However, at this moment what he worried about most was that sword blade stabbed into Long Xingyun’s body. External injuries were secondary.
Yu Qing feared he would strike, and warned again, “His demon body heart, the distance from my sword blade is only the size of a grain of rice. If you want his life, you can try coming closer. See whether you are faster, or my sword is faster.”
Previously, when casting a spell to investigate, he had already found where Long Xingyun’s fatal part was hidden. The sword blade was pressed against Long Xingyun’s heart.
“I won’t come closer then.” Yin Shanhe gave his promise, while at the same time his cheeks tensed as he asked in return, “Who are you? Do you know who you are holding hostage?”
Yu Qing sneered, “Why ask when you already know? It’s already like this, is pretending to be confused still interesting?”
Yin Shanhe was indeed asking while knowing the answer. Though he had already guessed the other party’s identity, he still had to continue pretending to be confused, “I truly don’t know who you are. We should have no enmity or hatred. Have we met before?”
Yu Qing immediately shook the Long Xingyun in his hand, “Young Pavilion Master Long, we meet again. Why don’t you introduce us?”
Long Xingyun, now quite clear-headed, was instead enraged, gnashing his teeth as he said, “A Shiheng, if you have the guts, kill me!”
Yu Qing heh-heh, played the rogue, “You think I don’t dare?”
At this time, Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie also hurriedly rushed back. Seeing that Old Fifteenth had already succeeded, the two were both surprised and delighted. They had not expected Old Fifteenth to really succeed. With one heart put at ease, another wave of tension welled up.
Fortunately, over these few years the two had also witnessed some major scenes, so they were not stage-frightened. Both drew their swords in hand, protecting Yu Qing on his left and right.
Hearing the threat, Yin Shanhe hurriedly warned in a deep voice, “So you are A Shiheng. Don’t act rashly. Since you know who he is, do you know the consequences of killing him?”
Yu Qing spat saliva toward Long Xingyun’s cheek, “Consequences my arse. You all came running to hunt me down. I’ve already gone all out doing this. Do you think I don’t know the consequences? You forced me to have no retreat. I had no choice. I can only perish together with you!”
Yin Shanhe called out, “Misunderstanding! A chance encounter, that’s all. Where is there any hunt? This is definitely a misunderstanding.”
This was the purpose of his pretending to be confused earlier, wanting to explain it as a misunderstanding.
Yu Qing looked left and right at his two senior brothers, smiling insincerely, “He thinks we are easy to deceive, treating us like fools.”
Nan Zhu immediately called out toward the other party, “White-haired old man, your Young Pavilion Master could fall into our hands. Do you think we are fools?”
Yin Shanhe immediately stared over with cold eyes. An expert’s aura was indeed extraordinary. Nan Zhu was immediately made somewhat guilty by his gaze, his eyes subconsciously avoiding the other party’s gaze.
Yu Qing also picked up the nickname Old Seventh had given the other party, “White-haired old man, on the Nether Sea you followed and tracked us all the way. You think I don’t know? You should be very clear in your heart, if you didn’t want to kill me, this Young Pavilion Master would fundamentally not have had the opportunity to fall into my hands. Continuing to talk nonsense is meaningless. Prepare to collect his corpse.”
Seeing that the bluff could not get through, Long Xingyun could no longer hold back, “Uncle Yin, don’t worry about me. Kill him, kill him!”
There was a violent rage of unbearable humiliation, yet he was not master of his own body. His cultivation was suppressed, completely controlled.
But Yin Shanhe was nervous. He hurriedly raised his hand to signal Yu Qing, “Don’t be impulsive. You are a scholar. Fighting and killing is an insult to civility. I have always respected scholars. We are all reasonable people. Whatever there is to say, we can talk it over properly.”
He really wanted to stabilise the other party with all his might, fearing the other party would act on impulse. The Chilan Pavilion Master had entrusted his son to his care. If he really got him killed, he truly could not account for it.
Yu Qing spat, “Stop putting a tall hat on me. Scholars count for nothing!”
Yin Shanhe was startled. He had thought that was an achievement the other party was proud of. He had not expected that when the other party got ruthless, he would even curse himself.
And Yu Qing shook Long Xingyun’s neck again, “Bastard, I just can’t understand. I have no enmity or grudge with you. You, someone I didn’t even know, could hunt me down to Little Cloud Realm, then run to Youjiao Port to smash my operation, causing me to owe a mountain of debt. I also kept enduring it, not bothering with you, not even making a sound. Yet you could still hunt me down here. Are you mentally ill? If I don’t kill you today, I can’t even give my own little life an account.”
Yin Shanhe shouted again, “Don’t act rashly!”
Long Xingyun, trying to squint at the person behind him, also raged, “You are only fit to do sneaky things. A small scum like you only dares to pull some ambushes. If you have the guts, release me. If you have the guts, face me in a fair one-on-one. See if I can beat you into a pile of stinking scum, a useless waste!”
Yu Qing was not angry but laughed instead, amused, “You? Who in the world doesn’t know that Long Xingyun hasn’t been weaned yet? Who doesn’t know you only have that much strength of clinging to your mother’s bosom to suckle? You don’t even piss to look at your own conduct. Apart from your mother, you count for nothing! Apart from the power related to Chilan Pavilion, you would have long since been killed by people who knows how many times.
Something the whole world knows, how can you still have the face to think you are very capable? How can you still have the face to think people are afraid of you? Long Xingyun, Young Pavilion Master of Chilan Pavilion, it seems you really don’t know how the world sees you. Can you still want any face?
With my little tricks, I couldn’t ambush or catch anyone else. Anyone with eyes could see that Purple Thatched Grass had been tampered with. I can barely just handle a fool like you who bullies others relying on power, and becomes a stupid bird without that power.
I caught you relying on my own ability, yet you can actually think I am useless, and instead think that yourself, who relies on the tiger’s might to bully others, is capable? Don’t you find that laughable? Do you think you are worthy of a one-on-one with me? I tell you, wait until the day you are weaned, and have the guts to face me one-on-one relying solely on yourself, I will accept your one-on-one challenge at any time!
Then again, a waste like you probably can never be weaned in this lifetime!
Long Xingyun, if you are still a man, rely on yourself. Stop letting the world treat you as a joke without you knowing it. Who are you scaring with your baby fierceness? I’m embarrassed for you!”
These words, and the term “baby fierceness,” could be said to have on the spot made Long Xingyun so angry his face was red and his neck was thick. He wanted to curse back, but the hand Yu Qing gripped around his neck exerted hidden force, making him unable to curse. He could only obediently be cursed at, forcibly enduring this humiliation.
This round of mockery made Yin Shanhe’s cheeks twitch, but it also put him somewhat at ease. It was just that the Young Pavilion Master, from childhood to now, had never heard such heart-scarring humiliation. He worried Long Xingyun would be angered to death. Unwilling to let Yu Qing continue speaking, he hurriedly said in a deep voice, “A Shiheng, I think you also don’t want to seek death. Otherwise you wouldn’t be rambling here. Whatever conditions there are, we can talk. No need to digress.”
Yu Qing again smiled insincerely, “Conditions? Fine. You insist on talking conditions, then I’ll talk conditions with you. I’m just afraid you can’t do it.”
Yin Shanhe: “If you don’t say it, how do I know I can’t do it?”
Yu Qing pouted toward the Long Xingyun in his hand, “If you want him to live, fine. One life for one life. You capture Qing Ya and bring him to me, and I’ll give you this Young Pavilion Master! The strength of the number one local boss of the Sea Market is not weak. Can you do it?”