Chapter 754: Chapter 753: Gui Nanyan
The people of the Martial World are always punctual, and for a covert operation like this, neither Yan Kai nor the Sixth Elder would dare to slack off.
But the Sixth Elder failed to show up.
This made Yan Kai realize that something must have gone wrong. Just at this moment, he sensed a faint aura around him.
"Golden Armor Guard?"
What are they doing here when he was waiting for people at Sharp Beak Cliff?
Without hesitating, Yan Kai slipped into the forest like a panther, concealed his breath, and with his overpowering strength, easily moved behind a Golden Armor Guard, took him under control, and employed a psychic hypnotic technique.
As one of the weapons used by the royal court to keep the Martial World in check, every Golden Armor Guard was trained in this technique to gather relevant information as quickly as possible.
After a while, Yan Kai grimly let go of his hold, wiped the short-term memory of the Golden Armor Guard, and vanished into the forest.
Yang Ting told him that the meeting time was nine p.m., but at 7 p.m., the other side had secretly met with the Sixth Elder. There was only one explanation: Yang Ting had betrayed him!
Unfortunately, his plan failed because Gui Fuling was not poisoned. This led to the exposure of his plan. Certainly, Yang Ting noticed that something was wrong, so he chose to escape at the first opportunity, leaving Yan Kai to handle the mess!
Damn bastard!
Now, Yan Kai had two choices: return or escape?
If he chose to escape, he would be effectively admitting his guilt, with no hope for redemption. If he chose to return, he could accuse the Gui family of framing him because of the capture of the Seventeenth Elder.
The problem was that Shi Guangwei’s psychic techniques were unfathomable, and Yan Kai was not sure if he could keep the secret if they were used against him.
This dilemma left him wavering.
Just then, he sensed a familiar aura. It was from one of the three Pacifying Envoys who came with Shi Guangwei, and whose strength was even greater than his.
"Damn it!"
Yan Kai’s hair stood on end.
"Brother Yan, let’s stop here."
The resounding voice startled a flock of birds in the forest.
"Who are you? Surrender now!"
At the same time, thousands of meters away, a roar of anger resonated.
Shi Xiaole had told Yan Kai that the meeting place was Sharp Beak Cliff, so after he knocked out the Sixth Elder, he intentionally left him not far away.
The Sixth Elder woke up right at this moment, only to unexpectedly find a group of Golden Armor Guards. While he was flustered, they pounced on him, and his immediate reaction was to resist and run.
After a brief moment of clarity, the Sixth Elder’s mind began to race. His kidnap of Gui Fuling was certainly exposed. If he was caught by the Golden Armor Guards, he would undoubtedly face dire consequences.
Who exactly is Yang Ting?
In the midst of this crisis, the image of Shi Xiaole flashed in his mind, causing a surge of rage and murderous intent. Even he was not so foolish as to not realize that he had been used.
Several thousand meters held no significance to the Terrestrial Immortals. It was just a moment’s difference to them. Yan Kai saw the Sixth Elder, and the Sixth Elder also saw Yan Kai.
"Heaven seeks my doom!"
Yan Kai roared inwardly.
Originally, if he had chosen to return, there might still be a slim chance for him. But now, that glimmer of hope was also extinguished. The Sixth Elder must not be allowed to live.
He knew too many of Yan Kai’s secrets. If these secrets ever came to Shi Guangwei’s knowledge, they might jeopardize the grand plan of Blade Slaves Sect. Well, it seems he would have to abandon the Golden Armor Guard and seek another path!
A flash of killing intent in his eyes, Yan Kai had no more hesitations and fiercely clawed at the air in front of him.
In the darkness of the night, a huge leopard’s paw tore through the dark curtain.
"No!"
The Sixth Elder turned cold all over, wanting to resist, but his body turned rigid involuntarily.
"Stop!"
A blade light streaked from the right side, but it was a bit too slow, only canceling out a third of the lethality of the leopard’s paw. The remaining two-thirds hit the Sixth Elder, tearing his body into seventeen or eighteen pieces, with flesh and blood scattering through the air.
"Brother Yan, you’ve really done it this time."
The middle-aged man who swung the knife was one of the three Pacifying Envoys. He brandished his knife at Yan Kai with all his strength.
However, Yan Kai had no intention of fighting him directly. At the same time as he killed the Sixth Elder, he desperately charged towards the weakest part of the aura. Known as the ’Cold-faced Devil Leopard’, his Flying Skill was unparalleled. With a few swift movements, he shook off his pursuer.
By the time the other two Pacifying Envoys arrived, there was no trace of Yan Kai.
"He got away. It’s going to be tough explaining this to Master Shi."
A bearded man complained ruefully.
"We’ll just be reprimanded. Let’s head back."
Seeing their pursuit was fruitless, the three men ordered their subordinates to gather the remains of the Sixth Elder and hurriedly returned to their base.
"Number Six!"
The mangled flesh and blood on the ground was revolting, but the Third Elder and the Eighteenth Elder immediately recognized the identity of the deceased, and they couldn’t help but feel both grief and satisfaction.
Gui Fuling turned pale, covering her mouth with one hand and quickly looked away.
The rest of the people also wore grim expressions.
Under such circumstances, no one noticed the flicker of calmness in Shi Xiaole’s eyes besides his sigh.
"Are you saying that, upon meeting, Yan Kai killed the Sixth Elder and then fled?"
Shi Guangwei stared at the returning Pacifying Envoys, his face as black as the bottom of a pan. His stout body exuded the ferocity of a tiger about to pounce.
Their actions undoubtedly confirmed the Gui Family’s claims. The just and mighty Golden Armor Guard, the enforcement arm of the emperor, had a traitor in its midst. Wonderful!
"Sir, we dare not lie."
The three Pacifying Envoys lowered their heads, their voices trembling.
The air within the tent was as solid and oppressive as lead, making it hard for everyone to breathe. At its climax, Shi Guangwei casually waved his hand, the three Pacifying Envoys quickly exited as if granted amnesty, leaving only the Gui Family and Shi Xiaole’s party.
"I deeply apologize for what happened this time. Rest assured, the seized Seventeenth Elder will be released tomorrow."
"Thank you, Lord Shi. If there’s nothing else, we won’t disturb you any longer as it is already late."
The Third Elder hurriedly expressed his gratitude and prepared to lead the group to leave.
"Wait!"
Shi Guangwei spoke with a smile: "Tonight’s incident is of great concern. What should be said and what should not be said, you all should be aware, right?"
The Golden Armor Guard represents the face of the emperor, if the traitor’s deeds are revealed, not to mention the Gui Family, Shi Guangwei himself can’t bear the responsibility. Everyone got the implication, and the Third Elder was even more eager to swear, pledging not to reveal a single word.
"I certainly trust you all, however, just to be on the safe side, it might be better to erase your memories of today, don’t you think?"
Shi Guangwei’s smile remained yet the words he spoke were hard for everyone to accept.
A memory wipe doesn’t sound serious. However, memories represent fragments of the mind and removing even the slightest bit can cause irreparable damage to the mental power.
For common people, this might not manifest clearly. But for phenomena like Shi Xiaole, even a slight impact could have significant effects and lead to a decrease in their qualifications.
This was intolerable!
Shi Xiaole felt a fleeting rise in his heart rate. Despite contemplating various scenarios, he ultimately misjudged the attitudes of those in the court.
In their eyes, the reputation of the emperor trumped all. In comparison, the futures of several martial arts masters like them, even their personal preferences, were not worth considering.
Shi Xiaole even suspected, if the people present didn’t have influential backgrounds, especially Gui Family closely aligned with Wei Langyi, would Shi Guangwei have resorted directly to killing?
"But sir, this..."
The Third Elder had yet to refute, when Shi Guangwei’s face turned cold, he unquestioningly stated, "No need for further discussions! Rest assured, I will only erase your memories of today."
As he spoke, he ignored everyone’s reactions. His eyes gleamed bizarrely, while his mental power, like invisible hands, viciously reached out to grasp the minds of those present.
Shi Guangwei’s use of mental tactics had undeniably reached the high ranks of Earth Immortals. However, based on Shi Xiaole and Mu Ling’s mental power, they might not necessarily be incapable of resisting, or even counteracting him.
Although Duanmu Keren and Gui Zhihang were somewhat inferior, they, too, were not weaker than Shi Guangwei when considered relatively.
But they did not act impulsively.
Shi Guangwei is a peak Earth Immortal, once they rebel, he will undoubtedly resort to fiercer tactics. When that happens, they will only face capture, death, or fleeing.
None of this was desirable to them.
But should they just allow him to do as he wishes?
Shi Xiaole had a calm demeanor, but countless thoughts were flashing in his mind.
At this moment, being like a lamb waiting for the slaughter made him yearn for an overriding power. All these predicaments were his fault, causing both him and others to suffer undeserved calamities.
His fists clenched suddenly, at this critical moment.
"Hahaha, Lord Shi really knows how to enjoy life. I wonder if I could also ask you for a cup of water and wine?"
A laughter, as stable as a mountain, resounded, dispersing the mental power within the tent.
Shi Guangwei’s face changed greatly, he quickly stood up. When the newcomer walked into the tent, he was wearing a smile, "Rare guest, when did Gui Young Master arrive?"
The man was unusually tall, a full three inches taller than Shi Xiaole. His limbs were long and strong, his face had some similarities with Gui Zhihang’s but lacked the latter’s softness and seemed much more rugged.
"Just arrived."
The man looked at Gui Fuling and Gui Zhihang as if he only just discovered them, he exclaimed, "Second Sister, Third Brother, why are you here?" He then quickly greeted the Third Elder and the Eighteenth Elder.
All members of the Gui Family were overjoyed.
Especially Gui Fuling and Gui Zhihang, admiration seldom seen in them was evident as they called out, "Brother".
"Lord Gui is in charge of the Northwest and is often at Lord Wei’s side. We wonder how he could find time to come here?"
Shi Guangwei barely wore a strained smile.
His tense muscles revealed just how much pressure Gui Nanyan brought upon him.
Shi Xiaole did not expect to encounter the rumored eldest son of the Gui Family under such circumstances. According to his senses, the man’s capabilities might not surpass Shi Guangwei’s, but the aura of influence and power he exuded could easily match that of Shi Guangwei’s.
"Something happened to the Liu Family’s son, and Lord Wei was very concerned. He sent me here to investigate. Lord Shi, I have something to discuss with my siblings so I’ll pay you a visit another day."
After speaking, he led the group to leave, totally ignoring Shi Guangwei’s livid face.
If Yan Kai was the traitor, to some extent, Shi Guangwei was also greatly responsible, so he dared not make a big fuss. But Gui Nanyan was not an ordinary person, and he had no power to detain him.
So be it, even if their memories were not wiped, that group of people would not dare to say anything. But this...
"Let yourself be pleased for a while. Humph, Wei is too arrogant and offends people wherever he goes. His downfall is imminent. I’ll like to see how long you can keep up your arrogance!"
