Chapter 72: Chapter 72: What if I Say No?
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A flash of admiration crossed Hu’s eyes as he said softly, "The Zhe Family resides at Qingping Lake, over seven hundred li from Yellow Sand City. They are one of the few major powers in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom that refuses to be governed. They’ve claimed the mountains as their own kingdom, ruling over eight hundred li of territory. The terrain is treacherous and surrounded by the lake on all four sides, making them extremely difficult to attack! The Zhe Family has countless heroes, including many Earth Level and Celestial Level powerhouses. According to rumor, the Zhe Family even has a Supreme Powerhouse who has broken through the Celestial Level. In any case, many years ago, the late emperor sent troops to attack them several times. Each time, his forces were utterly crushed, suffering heavy losses and returning in disgrace. In the end, it even became a source of constant grief for the late emperor. After he passed away, the current emperor ascended the throne and changed his predecessor’s approach. He issued an imperial edict to offer amnesty to the Zhe Family of Qingping Lake, granting them the hereditary title of a first-rank Marquis. So, you tell me, is it really a problem for the Zhe family to shoot dead a mere Profound Level Martial Artist from the Imperial Family?"
Qin Li listened, smiled, and shook his head. ’Indeed. For an ordinary person, it would be a capital offense, but for the Zhe family, the worst they can expect is a scolding.’
Sure enough, from amidst the Royal Martial Artists, who were still in some disarray, one man stepped forward. Although he couldn’t hide the anger in his eyes, his tone was much softer than that of the man who had just been shot dead.
"Which young master of Marquis Zhe’s household is this? Please, come forward!"
Qin Li saw that next to the young man from the Zhe Family were several elderly men who seemed to be trying to dissuade him. But the Zhe Family youth just snorted, nonchalantly walking out with his bow in hand. He spoke coldly to the Martial Artist who had called out, "I’m from the Zhe Family. What, you want to let me pass now? Hmph. A bunch of worthless curs who won’t move when led but back away when beaten!"
BOOM!
An immense pressure suddenly erupted from the midst of the Royal Martial Artists, bearing down on the young man from the Zhe Family like the sky was falling. Even Qin Li, hundreds of meters away, could feel the pressure that made one tremble!
"You suicidal fool! How dare you speak so arrogantly!" Following these utterly ice-cold words, the young man from the Zhe Family seemed as if he’d been hit by a Body Fixation Technique. He stood frozen, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, his face flushed crimson as blood slowly trickled from his seven orifices!
"Stop!"
"How dare you! You dare harm our young master!"
A few furious roars suddenly erupted from the crowd. Several figures instantly flew to the side of the Zhe Family youth. A tremendous BOOM suddenly echoed through the air, and a visible shockwave of energy violently exploded outward!
The young man from the Zhe Family was snatched back by the elderly men. He retched, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his expression immediately becoming listless.
"This is just a lesson for him! Be content as the Marquis of Qingping Lake. Remember, this Cyan Dragon Kingdom is ruled by the Zhaos, not the Zhes! Don’t think you can be so arrogant everywhere you go!" The voice was utterly cold, as if it held the Zhe Family in complete disregard. But in truth, if anyone else had shot that Royal Martial Artist, there probably wouldn’t even be dust left of them now. Sparing the Zhe Family youth’s life was, in fact, already giving them immense face!
The cold voice seemed to come from among the two hundred Royal Martial Artists, but no one could pinpoint its source. The voice continued, "If you’re capable enough, find another way into Phoenix Lake. This path is closed! You want to reap benefits from the Royal Family without paying any price? Where in the world can you find such a sweet deal? If you find one, be sure to let me know. I’d be very grateful! Heh heh... Anyone else not convinced? You can step forward and try me. I wasn’t here just now, and you actually managed a sneak attack. Hmph. Now that I’m back, anyone who dares stir up trouble had better watch out, because I won’t be so polite. Don’t think I can’t find you. Crushing you would be no different from crushing an ant!"
This person’s tone was the very definition of arrogance, yet not a single one of the several hundred Martial Artists dared to make a sound. The aura the man had just displayed—crushing the Zhe Family youth to the brink of his body exploding without even showing himself—that kind of power was simply impossible for an Earth Level expert!
Then... it could only be a Celestial Level expert!
Most of these people were not afraid of death, but no one liked to actively seek it out.
So, after the man finished speaking, many Martial Artists immediately began to head off to either side. They were still unwilling to give up; no one retreated! ’This might be the only chance in a thousand years. Having come all this way to the edge of Phoenix Lake, if I can’t even go in and have a look, I’ll truly die with regrets!’
The Royal Martial Artists at the valley entrance sneered as they watched the dispersing crowd. ’Cross the mountains? If it were that easy, what would we be doing guarding this place? Once you encounter a truly powerful Celestial Level Spirit Beast, you’ll understand how terrifying this place is!’
"What should we do?" Hu asked Qin Li in a low voice.
Just then, the Martial Artist who had looked down on them earlier deliberately shot them a cold smirk. "Don’t you dare follow us. I’m warning you, if you do, you’ll be responsible for the consequences!"
Qin Li and his group didn’t even spare the man a glance. The man, feeling snubbed, turned and left with his group. ’The people who came here are far more than just these few hundred,’ Qin Li knew. ’More will surely continue to arrive. And it’s not as if no one is taking the other paths; it’s just that this one had the most people.’
In a matter of moments, all the Martial Artists had dispersed, leaving only the Royal guards. Most of them headed to the right, toward a Forest. After crossing a large mountain, they could reach another valley. However, although it was said there were eight paths, no one knew if their way would be blocked by a transverse mountain range. But as long as they could reach the peak, they would be able to see Phoenix Lake and could just go straight down the slope.
By now, Qin Li roughly understood the Royal Family’s intention. ’They’ll block as many people as they can. If they let everyone in, and someone gets lucky, finds a real treasure, and slips away, wouldn’t the Royal Family have just done all the hard work for someone else’s gain?’
’How could the emperor, who dispatched so many Martial Artists, be content with that?’
Thinking of this, the bit of displeasure in Qin Li’s heart vanished completely. ’But having come to a mountain of treasures, how can I return empty-handed?’ he thought. So he said, "Hu, you’re the most experienced. Do you think it’s possible for us to avoid the powerful Spirit Beasts and get into Phoenix Lake?"
Hu scanned the surrounding terrain and said, "Difficult, but we can try!" Pointing to a swamp on their left, he added, "If we can get through this way, we should have a chance!"
Qin Li glanced at the swamp a few hundred meters away. Unlike typical dirty, murky swamps, the water here was very clear, almost transparent to the bottom. Grassy tussocks floated on the surface, and there were also a few small, interconnected islands on which grew some shrubs and short trees.
"How are we supposed to cross this?" Bu Yunyan said with a frown. The people who just left hadn’t even considered this swamp, which was over a thousand meters wide. Who knew what kind of powerful Spirit Beasts might be hiding in the seemingly calm water? For most people, keeping their feet on solid ground felt safer.
Qin Li smiled. "That’s simple. We’ll just build a raft!"
They got right to it. For this group, building a raft wasn’t too difficult, but aside from Hu, they were all amateurs. It still took them over an hour, and by the time the simple, ten-meter by three-meter raft was complete, they were all sweating.
Qin Li and Hu carried it, one at the front and one at the back. Because it was made from fresh tree trunks, the raft was very heavy, probably weighing several hundred pounds. As the two of them carried it to the edge of the swamp, a dozen or so people suddenly appeared from the side. The one in the lead was the same Martial Artist who had mocked Qin Li earlier. He immediately said, "Give us that raft!"
The group was instantly furious. ’We worked so hard on this raft, what right do you have to just demand it? Besides, can’t you make one yourselves?’
However, because they had all sworn to follow Qin Li, they had to wait for his decision on external matters like this. In reality, anger aside, Hu, Leng Yao, and Bu Yunyan all understood that giving up the raft was the wisest choice.
At that moment, Qin Li looked up and saw it was that man again. With a calm expression, he said, "And if I say... no?"
