Chapter 68: A Thirst for Blood That Has Yet to Fade
Tao Yu and Ye Qinghe, accompanied by a group of young masters from Grand Xia, emerged from the crowd.
Ye Qinghe pointed at Xu Ge and Huangfu Jie as he scolded them vehemently, "You buffoons! Do you even know why an envoy from Longdu is here? If a war breaks out between the two empires, the two of you will be held responsible!”
His angry shouts filled the air.
Some of the citizens who heard that fell into contemplation, while others started whispering amongst themselves.
"Yeah, if the Longdu Empire really goes to war with us, how many people will die?"
"That's not the main issue. If a war breaks out—and we lose—the compensation that we will have to fork out would be astronomical! When that happens, peasants like us may not even be able to afford a decent meal!"
"It's better not to go to war; wars only lead to death and financial loss.”
Hearing the citizens' reluctance to go to war with Longdu, Tao Yu's eyes revealed a hint of joy. Riding upon their momentum, he swept his gaze over at Xu Ge and Huangfu Jie, and said, “Have the two of you considered that Divine General Fang might just be stuck in the past? The reason he went to such great lengths to offend various nations is to start a war and regain his military power. Don’t be deceived by him; Grand Xia cannot take another war. If he starts another war just to indulge his own selfish desires, it would be our demise!”
"Sir Tao is right. You two are renowned martial artists of Grand Xia. I hope you can distinguish right from wrong and consider the well-being of the people."
The young nobles accompanying Tao Yu chimed in, trying to persuade Xu Ge and Huangfu Jie. "If the two of you step aside today and let the envoy from Longdu retrieve Lord Zhou's body, perhaps this crisis can be resolved, and you'll gain immeasurable merit."
"Step aside, Windy Cloud Swordsman. This is a multi-nation issue; it’s no child’s play." said a well-known martial artist in the Qi Detonation Stage slowly. He was one of the ten renowned experts alongside Xu Ge in the peak Qi Detonation Stage.
Then, many martial artists rode on his coattails and began to speak up. Even though they agreed with Fang Chen's actions, when it came to national affairs, they tended to prioritize stability over going to war.
Xu Ge glanced at them indifferently and shook his head. Then, he let out a light chuckle and mocked, "Have you martial artists trained till your brains turned into brawn? The nobles from Longdu have already begun treating Grand Xia’s commoners like pigs and dogs. Even if we tolerate their actions toward us, we’ll still go to war sooner rather than later.”
The people were stunned; his words made sense, but unbeknownst to them, they were in denial. They thought that as long as war did not break out, they could live their days peacefully.
What they did not realize was that Grand Xia wasn’t even in a position to wage war on anyone! Even if Fang Chen was at the Qi Core Stage, and he could without a shred of doubt defeat tens of thousands of soldiers, could the same be said about a million soldiers?
It was the enemy that wished for war!
"Heh." Huangfu Jie sneered and looked at the group of martial artists with disdain. Then, he turned to Tao Yu and the others, and said indifferently, "I never expected that the people of Grand Xia would one day become so weak that they’d be willing to sell their dignity for a moment of peace, to lose their ambition, to become sheeps waiting to be slaughtered.”
Ye Qinghe shot out a cold gaze. "What are you trying to imply?"
"Nothing much. But I have to say, even I, a martial artist, understand that in the current situation, the citizens of Grand Xia should be akin to lions that want nothing but to devour their enemies, instead of acting like sheeps that are awaiting to be slaughtered.”
Huangfu Jie then laughed heartily and swept his finger over at the people all around him, saying, "When the butcher's knife falls down on your parents, your brothers and sisters, your wives and children, will you still be as submissive as today?" He paused for a brief moment then continued, "It's a pity that I wasn't in the capital when Divine General Fang killed the martial artists from Qingsong. Otherwise, I would have killed a few of them personally. Do you think he is only venting the grievances of a few oppressed citizens? Hahahaha, You’re wrong! He’s only sending a message to Qingsong! Saying that the lions of Grand Xia have not yet aged, and that our thirst for blood has not yet faded away!”
"’Thirst for blood has not yet faded away’..." Many commoners of Grand Xia fell into contemplation, and a glimmer of brightness appeared in their eyes gradually. At that moment, their thoughts seemed to be slowly changing.
Unknowingly, Tao Mingsheng and the others arrived at the capital gate. Tao Mingshen yelled, "How dare a mere commoner boast so arrogantly." He then gave an order to an official from the Ministry of Rites to take down Zhou Xiu’s hanged body. The official couldn't help but curse inwardly, but he dared not refuse the minister’s direct orders. He could only grit his teeth and prepare to take down the corpse. However, at that moment, a group of commoners took a step forward slowly, their eyes fixed on him.
"This..." The official felt his scalp tingling and stopped in his tracks. He didn’t dare move a single step.
When Tao Mingsheng saw the eyes of the commoners, he understood that it’ll be difficult to give Zhou Xiu’s body back now.
Now that it had come to this, Tao Mingsheng could only turn to Baron Xian. "Let’s head to the palace for an audience with the emperor first. After everything is over, His Majesty will definitely send someone to take Viscount Zhou’s corpse down. I believe Fang Chen wouldn't dare to openly defy the emperor," he whispered.
Hearing that, Baron Xian's expression darkened, but after a few moments of silence, he swished his sleeve and gave an order, "Into the capital!"
Hundreds of cavalrymen immediately spurred their horses to move and began passing through the gate alongside Baron Xian and Tao Mingsheng. Whenever one of them passed under Zhou Xiu's swaying corpse, they couldn't help but look up, their expressions growing more grim.
Seeing that they couldn’t do anything to Xu Ge and Huangfu Jie, Tao Yu and the others could only leave in reluctance.
Watching the cavalry go into the capital, Xu Ge couldn’t help but say, "Brother Huangfu, your eloquence is as impressive as ever."
"That’s because I speak with reason," Huangfu Jie replied with a smile. “When you have reason in your heart, you could travel the world unhindered.”
"Who would’ve thought that the mighty Seven Profound Blade would be such a man filled with reason?” Xu Ge joked, then, as if recalling something, he asked, “Speaking of which, what brings you to the capital this time?"
Huangfu Jie's expression suddenly became serious. He glanced around all of a sudden and said, "Something big has happened in the southern region, but this is not a convenient place for me to speak. Take me to General Fang's Manor. I have to report to him in person.”
Seeing him like this, Xu Ge’s expression also turned serious, and he said, "Alright, let's go." If Huangfu Jie said that something big had happened, then it was most likely something significant.
Not long after the two left, a figure covered in dust and dirt arrived at the southern city gate. He glanced at Zhou Xiu's hanging corpse and couldn't help but frown. "Isn’t this too cruel? He’s desecrated even in death.”
But after that thought crossed his mind, he didn't pay the dead man any more attention. He took out a compass and peered at it, a dark smile creeping on his face. He stowed the compass away then walked toward the capital’s gate.
"I'm a bit thirsty; I should have some tea first. That kid hasn't gone far. I reckon he doesn't know I've caught up with him yet," he muttered to himself and found a tea stall in a shaded area. Sitting down, he called to the server, “Give me two cups of tea.”
"Yessir." The server affirmed, nodding, and went to pour him two cups of tea.
Strangely, the Daoist seemed irritated by the way the server had addressed him. "Don't call me sir," he grumbled with a sneer.
"Is that him?"
"He looks Just like the portrait."
Seeing them so chatty and not doing their jobs, the Daoist grew impatient and yelled at them, "What are you guys whispering about?"
The next moment, two heavy blows landed on the back of his head, knocking him out cold. The Daoist’s last thoughts before passing out were: "Is this a nest of bandits? Why the hell are the people here so audacious?”
He was hit with a club on the street while ordering a cup of tea—in broad daylight, too!
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