The Revenge of the Reborn Supreme Sovereign

Chapter 673: Chapter 631: Treacherous Officials and Rebels! (5)

While Qin Fan leisurely strolled away from Nanjing Avenue, a different scene was unfolding far in the northwest, atop the peaks of Kunlun Mountain. Frost and snow had already dressed the surrounding trees and vegetation in a silvery-white garb.

However, as always, Qilian Demi Immortal was perched on the edge of a cliff, dressed only in his usual thin clothes. He seemed entirely unaffected by the temperature. His body, steady and unshivering, sat as firmly as an old monk in meditation, his eyes tightly shut.

"Speak," he said quietly.

"Master!" Behind Qilian Demi Immortal, Hua Xiaotian called out, his voice strained with conflict.

"What’s the matter?" Sensing the struggle in Hua Xiaotian’s tone, Qilian Demi Immortal raised an eyebrow. "Don’t hem and haw like a girl. At the end of the day, you’re a Grand Energist of your generation!"

After a few seconds of silence, Hua Xiaotian let out a heavy sigh.

"Master, what is your opinion of Qin Fan?" he asked.

Hearing this, Qilian Demi Immortal’s lightless eyes snapped open. His eyelids twitched as he stared in astonishment. "Why do you ask?"

"Master, you’ve lived through the eras of past centuries. Based on your vast experience and knowledge, what is your opinion on Qin Fan’s existence?" With resolve hardening his gaze, Hua Xiaotian no longer held back and spoke directly.

"Have the higher-ups decided to deal with him?" Qilian Demi Immortal asked with a playful smile.

"Not long ago, he openly entered Jinling Mansion and, in a public declaration to the world, killed the three members of the Bo Family. He also issued a warning: anyone who touches his reverse scale will die. This incident has had an extremely negative impact. The higher-ups cannot abandon their duty to maintain stability just for one man. Therefore, this matter requires a resolution, and the Forbidden City has no choice but to declare its stance. Since peaceful coexistence is impossible, it’s inevitable that they would start to harbor other ideas," Hua Xiaotian explained wearily.

This was the outcome he had most dreaded, one he had no idea how to face. His trip to Japan had forged an intangible bond between him and Qin Fan. Moreover, as someone who had witnessed Qin Fan’s true power, he knew that if things escalated to that point, it would be an absolute disaster. A nightmare. But no matter how much he wished otherwise, the decision was not his to make. His words were merely suggestions; he had no control over the final verdict.

"So the higher-ups sent you to me, hoping that a few of us old fossils would come out to defuse this ticking time bomb?" Qilian Demi Immortal asked, a slow, meaningful smile playing on his lips.

After a moment’s hesitation, Hua Xiaotian nodded. "That’s right, that’s what they’re thinking. But Master, I’m more interested in your perspective on Qin Fan’s existence and this so-called threat."

He had always been concerned about his master’s opinion of Qin Fan. If Qilian Demi Immortal were to intervene, his words could definitely sway the Forbidden City’s decision—but only if his master also believed that antagonizing Qin Fan would be a disastrous choice.

However, in the next moment, Qilian Demi Immortal’s answer made Hua Xiaotian’s eyes widen in disbelief, his heart sinking to the depths of despair.

Shaking his head at his disciple’s persistent questions, Qilian Demi Immortal uttered four words: "A rebellious, treacherous subject."

"A rebellious, treacherous subject?" Hua Xiaotian echoed, his voice trembling with shock.

"Indeed. I have read his bones. He is the type of person who will never bow or yield, obstinate and defiant to the very end. Huaxia’s history is filled with such people. They have no concern for benevolence; they seek a life of swift vengeance and settling grudges, with no regard for the rules of the world. In chaotic times, they would raise a rebel flag in an instant. It’s one thing if they lack power, but when they possess it, they become an endless source of future trouble. Although the world is now stable, a person who so recklessly destroys the established rules to create their own order is a major threat in every respect. If we don’t deal with him soon, it will be like rearing a tiger only to be devoured by it. When that day comes, the situation will escalate beyond our control. The Forbidden City isn’t foolish; they must have thought of this, so their decision is perfectly understandable. They always have to consider far more than we do. To put it bluntly, it’s better to suffer a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. It is, without a doubt, a terrible choice, but it is also a choice that may prevent a greater disaster."

Could a man known as a Demi Immortal be an ordinary person? Of course not. Qilian Demi Immortal’s words about reading bones were not unfounded. Before he went blind, he was not only a Divine Level Martial Artist but also a Super Physiognomist truly worthy of his title.

When Hua Xiaotian failed to respond, Qilian Demi Immortal sighed and continued, "Ah, Xiaotian. It seems your trip to Japan has clouded your judgment. When facing a threat to our collective security, there is no room for sentiment or mercy."

Under the weight of his master’s words, Hua Xiaotian had no defense left for Qin Fan and could only pivot to his heaven-defying power. "Master, let’s set aside my concerns about sentiment and mercy for a moment. To put it another way, do you truly believe anyone can actually sanction him? During my trip to Japan, I witnessed his strength firsthand. He is an existence on a plane that our current understanding cannot even begin to comprehend!"

As expected, Qilian Demi Immortal fell silent upon hearing this.

Initiating sanctions was certainly the best option on the table. But what if they failed?

Even a cornered animal will fight back. What would a monstrous genius with heaven-defying strength and a rebellious, untamable nature do?

If they truly pushed him to the brink, even Qilian Demi Immortal dared not imagine the consequences.

Amid the sudden silence between master and disciple, a bone-chilling wind swept across the peak of Kunlun Mountain, its mournful howl seeming to refute their very words.

A moment later, Qilian Demi Immortal gritted his teeth. "You’re right. Tell the higher-ups to hold off for now. It will be soon. Once the Child of Heavenly Dao is found, we can properly plan how to sanction him."

The Child of Heavenly Dao? That name again! Every time he heard those words, Hua Xiaotian couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable panic. He had never seen this so-called Child of Heavenly Dao and had no idea what kind of existence it might be, yet he couldn’t control the sense of dread that washed over him.

Swallowing hard, he suppressed the urge to ask more about this Child of Heavenly Dao, a name so often on his master’s lips. Instead, he said, "The Forbidden City’s directive was for me to ask you, along with the Four Heavenly Kings of the Guardian Institute, to come out of seclusion."

Instead of responding, Qilian Demi Immortal suddenly turned, a single eyebrow raised. "Did you witness Qin Fan’s deathmatch with Orochi?"

"Yes," Hua Xiaotian nodded truthfully.

"And what was his condition before he finally slew Orochi?" Qilian Demi Immortal pressed, his tone growing serious.

Hua Xiaotian hesitated, then replied with uncertainty, "It wasn’t easy for him. I believe he had to use everything he had."

"Go and reply to the higher-ups," Qilian Demi Immortal said at last, no longer daring to be overconfident. "When the time is right, I will personally lead the Drunkard, the Layabout, the Taoist, and the Monk into the capital."

It seemed this once-mighty figure had become fixated, almost bewitched by the so-called Child of Heavenly Dao.