Chapter Ninety-Eight: Playing with Fire

Those who still did not know why Yu Shiyu had suddenly gone mad were still sneering, but the Xiang clan disciples had already obediently handed over the demon cores of the Phantom Demon Worms, more than a hundred thousand in all.

The Ning clan disciples could still stand there with composure, while the disciples of the other factions had all turned pale in alarm.

Wen Shaokun, the young master of the Wen family from Southern Yan Prefecture, who had a good relationship with Yu Shiyu, asked in astonishment, "Brother Yu, what has happened?"

"Do not ask. Hand some over as well, or the Wen family will be treated as an accomplice of the Yu family and crushed," Yu Shiyu said with a smile. Before Wen Shaokun could make up his mind, Lu Yinghao of the Lu family from Dongchang Prefecture, who had placed third in the previous ranking, stepped forward and turned over his own harvest, then ordered the disciples of his family to do the same.

At the sight of that, not only the Wen family, but also the Yu family of Beimu Prefecture, the Zheng family of Xiyuan Prefecture, the Xi family of Haining Prefecture, the Yan family of Zhongchuan Prefecture, and the Nangong family of Jianmen Prefecture all immediately handed over every last one of their gains.

Piles upon piles of demon cores flashed into being, only to be swept away by Yu Shiyu. By the lowest estimate, there were at least a million of them.

"Yu Shiyu, you are playing with fire. Be careful not to get burned," Wen Shaokun said with worry.

"When a sword is hanging over your head, there is no such thing as playing too wildly. Pity that the days of drinking and carousing together are gone forever," Yu Shiyu said with a roguish smile.

"Brother, take care!" Wen Shaokun seemed to understand. He solemnly cupped his hands in salute. From deep within Tiger Roar Peak came a muffled sound like a tiger's roar, and on the mountainside a gate-like light of white mist surged upward. He led the Wen family disciples and darted into the white glow.

The Xiang family disciples wanted to leave as well, but Yu Shiyu stopped them. "You stay until the end."

Recalling the magnificence he had shown while crossing his heavenly tribulation, and with Yu Youwei standing beside him, the Xiang family disciples lacked the courage to argue. Even Xiang Bingfeng did not dare fly into a rage.

Seeing this scene, how could the disciples of the other mansions still not understand what had happened? Fearing to be caught in the crossfire, they quickly exited through the teleportation array. The Ning family disciples also left until only Ning Jinchun remained. Yu Youwei said, "Second Brother, let's go."

Yu Shiyu's eyes reddened. In a rough voice he said, "Once you have taken everyone out, our Yu family may be left with only these few people. You must protect them."

The Yu family disciples grew agitated, and after he barked at them to quiet down, they all burst into tears.

It felt as though a thousand-ton boulder were pressing down on his chest, and in his eyes shone brilliance piled upon by tears. Yu Youwei choked back emotion and said, "Perhaps things are not as bad as you think. Second Brother, as long as the hills remain green, there will be no shortage of firewood. Do not act rashly."

"With these hostages at hand, the old monsters of the Xiang family would not dare lay a hand on Second Brother. He will not die so easily!" Reaching out to pat his younger sister's head, Yu Shiyu sighed. "Second Brother knows you could never have much sense of belonging to the Yu family. I am not asking you to avenge the Yu family. I only ask that you protect those few people and leave a few sparks for the Yu family."

This was clearly a man entrusting his final affairs with death already in his heart. Even Yu Youwei's usually cool nature began to blaze. Fierce battle intent burned in her eyes, and the smile on her face grew brighter, more enchanting, and more dangerous. "Second Brother, if it truly comes to that, then at worst we will fight our way out of this Qian imperial capital together. I refuse to believe that our brother and sister cannot leap out of this little muddy pond."

The Yu family disciples roared together, "Let's break out together!"

"What are you all shouting for?" Yu Shiyu rebuked them in feigned displeasure, regaining his former irreverent smile. "How can you speak such treasonous nonsense so carelessly?"

The Xiang family disciples trembled with rage, yet not one of them dared say a word. Ning Jinchun, in particular, was as silent as a cicada in winter, regretting bitterly that he had ever listened to Ling Yanfeng's instigation and provoked these two fiends.

Unable to persuade Yu Shiyu otherwise, Yu Youwei led the Yu family disciples out, and Ning Jinchun was kicked into the teleportation array by her as well, sent together with them to the northwest imperial palace of the Qian Emperor. They had originally thought that royal experts would already be waiting outside the teleportation array, but instead they saw only the same filthy old man in gray robes who had guarded it when they first arrived.

This old man was comparable to Granny Mu, who guarded the passage to the Ning family's secret chamber. He sat there dozing, and when anyone emerged from the teleportation array, he could not be bothered to lift his eyelids even once. Yet Yu Youwei felt as though she were being spied upon, and her gaze locked onto the old man in gray.

"Girl, take the second door on the left after you leave. Go in there and you will find the teleportation array to the imperial capital," the gray-robed old man said, suddenly opening his eyes. Two terrifying black hollows appeared where his eyes should have been, nearly startling Yu Youwei into a scream.

"Xiang the Butcher? You are Xiang the Butcher, the one whose eyes were gouged out by the Star-Picking Sword Immortal Xu Ruyun. So you are not dead after all!" Yu Youwei cried out.

"So the girl even knows of that?" The gray-robed old man's tone was calm, as though he were speaking of another man's affairs.

"I also know that you let her gouge out your eyes. She loved you so deeply that she went searching for the Drunken God Herb to cure your poison and never came back. I suppose even her bones have long since turned to ash. The funny thing is that you are still alive, and you even returned to the family." Having encountered a legendary figure at last, Yu Youwei could not help indulging her curiosity. "Was the story of Xiang the Butcher, who loved beauty more than kingdom, really true?"

A trace of tears surfaced in the empty black hollows of his eye sockets. Xiang the Butcher drew in a breath and asked, "You have seen Ruyun?"

"Only by hearsay."

"From where did you hear it?"

"That cannot be said."

"I can promise you one thing."

"Too little." Yu Youwei lifted two slender jade-white fingers and waved them, speaking with decisive certainty. "Two things."

"Agreed."

"You did not even ask..." Before Yu Youwei could finish, Xiang the Butcher had already struck Ning Jinchun on the head with a palm. At first she was startled, but then she saw Ning Jinchun roll his eyes, foam at the mouth, and collapse to the ground.

The gray-robed old man said, "He has become an idiot. When the Yu family boy comes out, I will escort him to the Cloud Wasteland Marsh. Is that acceptable?" His tone was as casual as if he had just slaughtered a chicken.

"You can read minds?" Yu Youwei revealed a guarded expression.

Inside the beast-taming token, the little white bear, still thick with sleep, grumbled, "What trouble have you gone and provoked now? If Lord Bear had not been sharp enough to block it for a moment, everything you were thinking would have been known to someone else."

The gray-robed old man was also surprised. "The girl has quite a few secrets on her body! Even my mind-reading art can be interrupted."

If she left a mind-reader beside Yu Shiyu, the secret that she was the Poison Lady would no longer be safe. Yu Youwei made her decision at once. "The second thing I need you to do has changed. Send these Yu family disciples to the Cloud Wasteland Marsh and stay with them for one month. Then I will tell you everything you want to know."

Seeing through Yu Youwei's caution, the gray-robed old man laughed softly. "Girl, rest assured. Xiang the Butcher died long ago, and the rise and fall of the Xiang dynasty has nothing to do with me. Just tell me where Ruyun is. I will go be with her and never come back."

As though to reassure her, when he finished speaking he swept his sleeve and, with a single motion, took away the Yu family disciples and Ning Jinchun from the scene.

White light flashed inside the teleportation array, and Yu Shiyu and the Xiang family disciples were transported over. Seeing that she alone remained behind, he frowned and said, "Ninth Sister, staying here will do no good. Only by returning to the Ning family can you help the Yu family."

"The Yu family has you, and that is enough! I cannot be bothered to worry about the Yu family's affairs. It's just that the old man guarding the formation suddenly went mad and took everyone away, so I had no choice but to wait for you to come out," Yu Youwei said, half-truth and half-lie.

Yu Shiyu's imagination was rich, and he immediately said, "The one guarding the formation is a master of the Xiang family. They really are going to cut the Yu family down to the roots!"