Chapter 278

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Qin Shiyue was very close to Murong Jian and had long since let down his guard against him. The dark light from the hidden mechanism struck swiftly, leaving Qin Shiyue no time to react as it pierced straight into his heart. His right hand immediately clutched his chest, a trickle of fresh blood seeping from the corner of his mouth before he collapsed weakly to the ground.

“Xiaoyue!” Xu Jiaotong finally cried out, rushing to Qin Shiyue’s side, her face drenched in tears.

Flood Dragon King Xu and the others were furious and were just about to step forward and surround Murong Jian. However, Murong Jian remained calm and unhurried, flicking his right hand upward. A signal flare shot into the sky and exploded with a loud “pa” in midair. Soon after, a faint commotion could be heard from outside.

Flood Dragon King Xu questioned: “Lord Murong, the South Sea Flood Dragon Palace has not treated you poorly. What is the meaning of this?”

Murong Jian sneered. “Old Xu, your South Sea Flood Dragon Palace has existed in the South Sea for far too long. Isn’t it time to consider a change in leadership? I have the softest heart, so I shall help shoulder your burden. From now on, I will be the one managing all matters of the Flood Dragon Palace.”

“You!” Flood Dragon King Xu could hardly believe his ears. He looked at Murong Jian and suddenly burst into laughter. “Murong brat, this old man has always respected you as the naval commander of this city and has never treated you unfairly. Though we’ve never dealt with each other directly, Jiaotong and the others have always been courteous toward you. I never expected you to harbor such wolfish ambition, scheming against my Flood Dragon Palace for so long!”

“Hahaha! Your South Sea Flood Dragon Palace is nothing more than a band of outlaws in the martial world. In the future, once you submit to the imperial court, there will be boundless prospects ahead—far better than clinging to the Heavenly Dragon Cult. Besides, once you all surrender, I will restore the name of the South Sea Dragon Palace. Isn’t that better than being mere flood dragons under the Heavenly Dragon Cult’s rule?”

Flood Dragon King Xu, however, was unmoved. “The imperial court and the martial world have always been separate, each minding their own affairs. Matters of the martial world are determined by those within it. You, a mere commander, dare to spout such grandiose words? Aren’t you afraid of biting your own tongue? Murong brat, if you know what’s best for you, let go now. You take your broad, well-paved road, and I will take my narrow, single-plank bridge. I won’t say anything about you before General Lu. What do you think?”

“Hahaha! Do you take me for a three-year-old child? Once I capture all of you and make the rice fully cooked, what can General Lu possibly say? I’ll first offer up the treasures of the South Sea Dragon Palace, and from now on, the South Sea’s profits will increase by thirty percent. Do you really think he’ll still remember your past friendship?”

“You, capture us? Hah! Do you think you’re Situ Yueming?” Flood Dragon King Xu laughed, clearly amused.

Before the Flood Dragon King Xu could finish speaking, Murong Jian suddenly moved, flashing toward Qin Shiyue. As Qin Shiyue collapsed to the ground, Xu Jiaotong was the first to rush over, followed closely by Ying Fei, his face filled with sorrow and fury. Seeing Murong Jian approaching, Ying Fei immediately drew his treasured sword and positioned himself in front, thrusting a strike at Murong Jian.

In Ying Fei’s mind, this strike was bound to force Murong Jian back. Unfortunately, reality always surpasses imagination. Murong Jian’s figure spun in a fluid motion, dodging to the side in an instant. Reaching into his robes, he swiftly pulled out a dagger and flicked his wrist toward Ying Fei’s wrist tendons. Ying Fei’s heart skipped a beat in fear—where was the clumsy, ugly man he had seen earlier at the city gate? He hastily withdrew his hand, his sword tracing a defensive arc to guard his openings. But Murong Jian had no interest in engaging him at all. With another quick movement, he bypassed Ying Fei entirely and closed in on the grief-stricken Xu Jiaotong. Jiaotong was kneeling beside Qin Shiyue, completely immersed in sorrow, oblivious to everything happening around her.

Murong Jian reached out and seized Xu Jiaotong, pressing the dagger against her throat. Turning to face the others, he smiled and said: “I don’t need to capture all of you. I just need to follow Miss Jiaotong. Once my subordinates take the stronghold, it’ll be over. Don’t you think so?”

Just as he spoke, Xu Jiaotong struggled forward, attempting to throw herself onto the dagger in his hand. Murong Jian was startled and immediately tightened his grip, holding her firmly so that she couldn’t move.

Glancing at the visibly tense expressions of the others, he chuckled and said: “Old Xu, look at you all. I originally wanted to take a softer approach, starting with Miss Jiaotong—let you enjoy the feeling of becoming a father-in-law first. But this little lady just doesn’t play along, not giving me the chance at all.

Heh, if it weren’t for Situ Yueming of the Heaven’s Way Alliance tracking me down, I wouldn’t have even known that Qin Shiyue had come to Jingyue City. I had planned to use the opportunity of Situ Yueming eliminating Qin Shiyue to offer my betrothal gifts and convince you, old man. But who would’ve thought that my flawless plan would be ruined by some random fool?

Well, no matter. I still have a backup plan. Since you, dear father-in-law, won’t accept my betrothal gifts, I had no choice but to let Qin Shiyue receive them instead. Haha, do you think I don’t know that he’s Qin Shiyue? Pretending to be some elder in front of me—if I don’t kill him, who else should I kill? He even dares to compete with me for a beauty? He must be tired of living.

Alright, dear father-in-law, no need to say more. Miss Jiaotong will come with me now. Once we’ve had our wedding night, I’ll bring her back to pay respects to you and your family.”

Murong Jian tightened his grip around Xu Jiaotong and was about to leave when the others, unwilling to let him go, all drew their weapons and rushed forward. However, Murong Jian pressed the dagger against Xu Jiaotong’s throat and said: “Stop right there! If any of you take another step, I’ll slit her throat.”

Seeing this, no one dared to move. Xu Jiaotong struggled desperately, even trying to throw herself onto the dagger. But Murong Jian, who had been playing the fool all along, finally revealed his true strength—how could Xu Jiaotong possibly break free?

Standing at the back of the crowd, Zhang Xiaohua hesitated, debating whether he should make a move to rescue her.

Just then, a gentle voice rang out from behind him: “I’ve disliked you for a long time. Murong, Situ, Huangpu, Shangguan—these double surnames are the most irritating. What do you think this is, some kind of garden play?”

Murong Jian was shocked. The voice was so familiar—could it be…?

He didn’t dare to believe it. He turned his head in panic, only to see a smiling, silver-haired man—and a sword light slashing across. That was the last thing he ever saw in this world. The next moment, his head soared into the air, separated cleanly from his body. Blood splattered all over Xu Jiaotong. Yet Jiaotong was already dazed by the voice that had imprinted itself into her soul. She no longer cared about anything else and threw herself into Qin Shiyue’s arms as if flying. His clothes, too, were stained with fresh blood.

Qin Shiyue smiled gently, stroking her silky black hair.

After a while, Xu Jiaotong came to her senses. She let out a soft, coquettish cry and pushed him away, retreating to the side with a face flushed red in embarrassment. Ying Fei, who was closest, stepped forward with concern and asked: “Daren, are you…?”

Qin Shiyue glanced at Ying Fei, then at Flood Dragon King Xu and the others, who were still filled with confusion. He opened his left hand, revealing a short arrow. There was no blood on it. Then, he tugged at the hole in his robes at his chest and said with a smile: “Sorry to startle everyone. When I left home, my master gifted me a treasure to protect my heart. At the time, I thought he was being overly cautious. Who would have thought I’d actually need it here? Murong Jian truly was a despicable man. He played the role so well that even I didn’t expect he possessed such skill. And his ambition… it was beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Flood Dragon King Xu laughed and said: “Lord Qin, your wisdom and resourcefulness have truly opened this old man’s eyes. That Murong Jian’s petty tricks were nothing more than child’s play before you. Not only did you easily neutralize his schemes, but you also managed to extract so many of his secrets. We are all in absolute admiration.”

He then listened to the sounds from outside before continuing: “However, that scoundrel did have some influence in Jingyue City. His subordinates must be the ones attacking outside the manor. Lord Qin, this estate is merely a temporary foothold for us in Jingyue City. We’ve always maintained good relations with the local authorities, and we don’t have strong defenses here. The battle outside has likely reached its peak. While we don’t fear the government forces, it’s still unwise to clash directly with the officials—especially when those so-called naval troops are operating under the banner of the authorities but clearly have their own agenda.

Furthermore, with Murong Jian dead, we’ll have trouble explaining this to General Lu. The city’s garrison won’t let us off easily either. In my opinion, Lord Qin, we should lie low for a while and wait for the situation to settle before negotiating with General Lu. What do you think?”

Qin Shiyue sighed apologetically: “Flood Dragon King Xu, in my haste, I killed Murong Jian, and now it seems I’ve brought trouble upon us. Since you’ve been in charge of things here, I will defer to your judgment. Whatever you decide, I shall follow.”

Flood Dragon King Xu responded: “It’s not that we fear the authorities. Murong Jian is dead, and that’s that—our Heavenly Dragon Divine Cult has never been afraid of anyone! But we’re on their turf, and two fists can’t fight four hands. A wise man doesn’t suffer unnecessary losses. Let’s get out of the city first.”

Qin Shiyue smiled: “I’ll follow your arrangements, Flood Dragon King Xu.”

Hearing this, Flood Dragon King Xu turned and called out: “Everyone, let’s go! We’ll leave Jingyue City and enjoy ourselves in the South Sea for a while.”

The members of the Two Seas and Seven Waters all laughed: “Let’s go! We’re used to life on the water. Being on land just feels wrong. It’s better to return to the sea.”

With that, they all followed Flood Dragon King Xu toward the back of the hall.

As they moved, Zhang Xiaohua, who had been standing behind them, was revealed. Qin Shiyue spotted him and smiled: “Ren Xiaoyao, I must thank you for earlier. I won’t forget the favor of you saving my life. However, there’s still the matter of that cauldron in your possession. I can’t decide on my own to let you go. You’ll have to come back to the Divine Cult with me. I will report everything truthfully to the cult leader and even ask my master to put in a good word for you. As long as you tell the truth, I assure you that the cult leader won’t make things difficult for you. If your sect can hand over the cauldron—or at least if you tell us which sect it belongs to—then the cult leader will certainly let you go. What do you think?”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled inwardly. The cauldron is right here in my arms. How do you expect me to explain that? It’s not like I can just take it out now—this really puts me in a difficult spot.

Ever since he discovered the wonders of divine sense in martial arts, he no longer feared Qin Shiyue. He was confident that he could escape from Qin Shiyue’s pursuit—or even defeat him in battle. However, given the current situation, with naval troops likely surrounding the estate, he wasn’t foolish enough to abandon Qin Shiyue’s protection and throw himself into the hands of the soldiers. So, he smiled and said: “Since Lord Qin says so, I’ll follow you. I just ask that you put in a few good words for me in front of your cult master.”