Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Chapter 428: Chapter 193: The Sky Changes (3)

He Yuzhou took a deep breath and said no more.

....

「In Yunlin Prefecture, within the tranquil back garden of the Liu Residence.」

Liu Mingxuan, Patriarch of the Liu Family, was holding an exquisite birdcage, teasing the brightly-feathered, priceless bird inside.

The sunlight filtered through the sparse bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows. It was a scene of leisure and peace.

Just then, the sound of slightly hurried footsteps shattered the tranquility.

Liu Mingyuan, the second master of the Liu Family, walked quickly through the moon gate, an irrepressible look of excitement on his face as he headed straight for Liu Mingxuan.

"Brother!"

Liu Mingyuan’s voice was tinged with a slight pant; he had clearly rushed over.

Liu Mingxuan didn’t stop what he was doing. Still teasing the bird in a leisurely manner, he asked without turning his head, "What’s all the fuss about? Didn’t I send you to the Xuanjia Sect for news? Could it be..."

"Brother, it’s wonderful news!"

Liu Mingyuan cut him off, the excitement on his face growing even more intense. "The siege of the Xuanjia Sect has been lifted! The Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion... has been almost completely wiped out!"

"What!?"

Liu Mingxuan’s hand, which had been teasing the bird, paused slightly. He quickly said, "Tell me everything."

’The Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion was completely wiped out!?’

This was earth-shattering news for Yunlin Prefecture!

"Sect Leader He of the Wutai Sect and the Cold Valley Master of Cold Jade Valley personally led reinforcements. The two sides clashed in a great battle at the gates of the Xuanjia Sect! The Demon Sect’s experts suffered heavy casualties. Even Jiangchuan Bridge and Mei Kun from Lin’an Prefecture fell! Most importantly..."

Liu Mingyuan took a deep breath, his tone becoming heavier. "The true identity of the Heart-devouring Old Demon has been exposed!"

"Who is it?" Liu Mingxuan sucked in a sharp breath.

"It’s the Great Manor Master of Qixia Manor, Zhou Nianchu!" Liu Mingyuan said, enunciating each word.

"Zhou Nianchu!?"

The leisurely expression on Liu Mingxuan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock. He subconsciously lowered the birdcage in his hand. "He’s actually Heart Devourer?! What a man, that Zhou Nianchu. He hid himself so deep! No wonder the Demon Sect could always act preemptively!"

After the shock came wild joy.

The Liu Family and the Demon Sect had a long and deep-seated grudge.

Previously, Liu Han was suspected to have died at the hands of Zuo Feng, and not long ago, several Tributors had also been killed by the Demon Sect.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

Liu Mingxuan clapped his hands and laughed heartily, repeating "Excellent!" three times. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out. "To see that old demon Heart Devourer brought to justice is truly satisfying! Yunlin Prefecture can finally have some peace for a while! And my Liu Family is rid of a grave threat!"

His mood was superb. He lifted the birdcage again and asked with great interest, "Who killed Zhou Nianchu... Heart Devourer? He Yuzhou or Leng Qianqiu?"

"It’s said that Sect Leader He and the Cold Valley Master joined forces to kill him on the main square of the Xuanjia Sect."

Liu Mingyuan replied, then changed the subject. "But Brother, there’s another piece of news that you might find even more pleasing."

Liu Mingxuan seemed to have thought of something, his gaze sharpening slightly. "Oh? What other good news?"

"Zuo Feng!"

Liu Mingyuan confirmed. "Zuo Feng, one of the Demon Sect’s Eight Great Guardians, is also dead!"

Liu Mingxuan’s body trembled slightly, and his eyes suddenly lit up with astonishing brightness. "Dead? Are you certain? Who killed him?"

The death of Liu Han and the loss of the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor had long been a source of heartache for the Liu Family. Although all signs pointed to Zuo Feng, how could their Liu Family possibly stand against the Demon Sect?

Now, hearing of Zuo Feng’s death, the resentment that had been building up in his heart for so long finally had an outlet.

"It’s absolutely true! They even found the body!"

Liu Mingyuan nodded affirmatively, a peculiar expression on his face. "The one who killed him... Brother, you might not guess. It was that young Chief Disciple from the Cyan Wood Institute of the Wutai Sect, Chen Qing!"

Liu Mingxuan was stunned for a moment, then he remembered. A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes. "Him? He was actually able to kill Zuo Feng? Zuo Feng was a veteran Astral Force user!"

Of course he knew of Chen Qing, the most outstanding Chief Disciple of the Wutai Sect in recent years, who had, not long ago, broken through to the Astral Force realm.

But he had only just entered the Astral Force realm, whereas Zuo Feng had been at that level for several years.

"The news is absolutely solid! They say that in the woods outside the Xuanjia Sect, Chen Qing single-handedly intercepted Zuo Feng as he tried to flee. After a fierce battle, he ran him through with his spear in the forest!"

Liu Mingyuan’s tone was filled with amazement and emotion. "Truly, the younger generation is formidable! Han’s revenge... Although we couldn’t take it with our own hands, with Zuo Feng dead and the murderer brought to justice, the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor must be... it must have fallen into Chen Qing’s hands."

A Top-Grade Treasure Armor like the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor was a supreme treasure of the Liu Family, exceptionally precious.

Liu Mingxuan was silent for a moment. The joy on his face gradually gave way to a complex emotion, a mixture of relief and regret.

He let out a long sigh. "...Ah, forget it. The fact that Zuo Feng was killed has lifted a great weight from my mind. This Chen Qing... he has truly vented my Liu Family’s anger for us! As for the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor, we’ll certainly never get it back."

Liu Mingyuan nodded. The circumstances were beyond their control. Not to mention Chen Qing’s Astral Force strength, he also had the Wutai Sect backing him.

It was virtually impossible for the Liu Family to ask for the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor back.

It would be better to say nothing at all; they might even earn some goodwill that way.

Liu Mingxuan pondered for a moment, then said decisively, "Mingyuan, prepare a generous gift! A very generous one! Our Liu Family must properly thank this Chen Qing! This young man has limitless potential, and now he has done our Liu Family a great service. We must build a good relationship with him!"

Liu Mingyuan acknowledged the order, then added in a more solemn tone, "Brother, after this battle, the power structure in Yunlin Prefecture is likely to change completely."

Liu Mingxuan nodded slowly, his gaze growing profound. "The Xuanjia Sect has been gravely weakened. Qixia Manor will inevitably face liquidation and suppression because of Zhou Nianchu, and its strength will be greatly diminished. From now on, Yunlin Prefecture will likely be a duopoly dominated by the Wutai Sect and Cold Jade Valley. Our Liu Family... will also have to carefully consider our position in the days to come."

The garden fell silent once more, with only the occasional clear chirp from the rare bird in the cage. But Liu Mingxuan’s thoughts had already flown to the turbulent future of Yunlin Prefecture.

....

「That same day, in a bustling tavern in Yunlin Prefecture City.」

It was nearly evening, and the tavern’s main hall was buzzing with activity. All sorts of Jianghu wanderers, traveling merchants, and local businessmen were gathered here. Amidst the clinking of cups, they were all discussing the same earth-shattering event.

"Hey! Did you hear? Something big happened! Something huge!"

A tall, skinny man chugged a mouthful of wine and yelled to his tablemates.

"Hah! Who doesn’t know by now? The whole city is talking about it! The Xuanjia Sect was almost wiped out by the Demon Sect!" a fat man next to him mumbled indistinctly while gnawing on a chicken leg.

At another table, an old man who seemed well-informed turned his head. He lowered his voice, but couldn’t hide his excitement. "The Altar Master of the Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion, the Heart-devouring Old Demon—guess who it was? Holy shit, it was the Great Manor Master of Qixia Manor, Zhou Nianchu!"

"What?! Zhou Nianchu? Th-that’s impossible!" His words immediately drew a chorus of sharp gasps and incredulous cries.

"It’s absolutely true! I heard he was killed right at the gates of the Xuanjia Sect by Sect Leader He Yuzhou and Valley Master Leng Qianqiu working together! They even cut off his head!" The old man spoke with spittle flying, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

"My heavens... Zhou Nianchu was Heart Devourer? That’s terrifying! He was the leader of a sect!"

"No wonder the Demon Sect is so hard to exterminate! The root of the problem was one of our own!"

The tavern instantly erupted. Discussions, gasps, and curses rose and fell one after another.

"And that’s not all!"

Someone else chimed in, "I heard the Demon Sect lost a ton of experts this time! Those two demons from Lin’an Prefecture, what were their names... Jiangchuan Bridge and Mei Kun, they’re both dead! And those infamous Eight Great Guardians—I think their names were Zuo Feng, Hu Mei, and Han Baiyi—they’re all dead too!"

"Leng Qianqiu and He Yuzhou joined forces. They say the sky itself changed at the gates of the Xuanjia Sect that day, with True Astral energy overflowing everywhere. It must have been an incredible sight."

"The destruction of the Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion is a huge blessing."

"You can say that again! Every last one of those Demon Sect fiends deserves to be executed!"

"With Heart Devourer dead, the Yunlin Martial World has one less major threat to worry about."

"Now the Xuanjia Sect is crippled and Qixia Manor is finished. From now on, in Yunlin Prefecture, the Wutai Sect and Cold Jade Valley will be calling the shots!"

"Yeah, the times... they really are changing!"

The patrons celebrated and chattered endlessly.

The sudden fall of the Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion was truly gratifying news for the entire Yunlin Martial World.

After all, it wasn’t the Four Great Sects that had suffered the most from the Yunlin Demon Sect’s poison, but rather the weaker and more isolated groups—the Martial Arts Halls, the Escort Agencies, and even the unaffiliated Lone Rangers.

In a corner of the tavern, a person in gray clothes and a bamboo hat listened silently to the surrounding discussions. The gaze beneath the brim of their hat flickered uncertainly. Finally, they drained their cup of wine in one gulp, left a few pieces of broken silver, and rose silently. They left the clamorous tavern and melted into the gathering twilight outside.

......