vncnus Page 239
Page 239
As he was pondering, the man in black suddenly realized that Xiao Fan and his companion, who had been buying candied hawthorns from a vendor, were gone. He craned his neck and looked around, but couldn't find them.
Yun Yun, who had concealed her presence, looked at Xiao Fan beside her and said in a surprised tone, "I thought you would go back and talk to him."
Upon hearing Yun Yun's words, Xiao Fan glanced at the black-clad man searching the street and said with a sneer, "Forget it, he's just a minor Dou Shi. What could he possibly know? It's a complete waste of my time."
"Oh, so when I first met you, you were just a lowly Dou Zhe. Now you look down on Dou Shi?"
When Xiao Fan heard Yun Yun's words, he also recalled the time when the two of them met. He hadn't recognized Yun Yun and had even asked her about the experts she had met. It was really funny.
"Let's go, let's find a place to rest first."
"Aren't you in a hurry to go to Dinggu City to find your little sweetheart?"
"Tsk, one more day won't make a difference. It's getting late now, let's get some rest."
"Manager, a superior room..."
Chapter 20 Plan ahead
Inside the Imperial Palace of Tianrong City.
A middle-aged man dressed in a dragon robe stood atop a tall pavilion, looking down at the magnificent imperial palace below with a cold gaze. He was none other than Sikou Qingtian, the current emperor of the Chuyun Empire.
Si Kou Qingtian looked to be only around thirty years old, with a strong physique and an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger.
Si Kou Qingtian had only been in charge of the Chuyun Empire for a little over ten years. He was only twenty years old when he was forced to take the throne after the death of the previous emperor. Everyone thought that a newly appointed young man would not be able to do a good job as emperor. However, no one expected that under the pressure from all sides, he would manage the Chuyun Empire in an orderly manner, which made all forces admire him.
"Has Xiao Liu seen them?"
Si Kou Qingtian looked at the brightly lit palace and spoke softly, as if he were talking to someone even though there was no one around.
However, after Si Kou Qingtian finished speaking, the space behind him froze slightly. A man hidden in the darkness stepped out of the shadows, knelt down in front of Si Kou Qingtian, and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, they met in the Sixth Princess's palace this evening, but the Sixth Princess cleared everyone out, so we do not know the content of their conversation."
"Heh, what else could it be but trying to win them over?"
Si Kou Qingtian waved his hand upon hearing the man in black's words and said in a relaxed tone, then added, "Hei Yu, you can go now."
Hei Yu nodded upon hearing Si Kou Qingtian's words, then bowed and retreated, disappearing back into the shadows. However, this time, he did not remain in the pavilion.
After all, His Majesty had just told him to leave, so he couldn't stay here any longer. Having served Sikou Qingtian for so many years, he knew all too well how terrifying this man was.
After Hei Yu left, Si Kou Qingtian looked up at the moon, which was now hanging in the sky, and muttered to himself in barely audible voice, "Wan Xie Sect, some scores must be settled..."
......
As soon as it was light, Xiao Fan originally planned to have breakfast with Yun Yun and then head to Dinggu City, but a sudden event disrupted his plans.
Just as Xiao Fan and his companion were having breakfast, a waiter from Tianxiang Restaurant suddenly walked in. After looking them over, he went straight to Xiao Fan and his companion.
"Mr. Xiao, our manager invites you in."
Xiao Fan looked at the Tianxianglou waiter in front of him with surprise. Xiao Fan knew that unless there was some special situation, Sikou Shisan probably would not have sent someone to contact him. After all, when he went to the palace to see Sikou Ning yesterday, Sikou Shisan deliberately avoided the time when he went to see him to avoid the attention of Wanxiemen.
Xiao Fan nodded to the waiter, then exchanged a glance with Yun Yun, and the two headed towards Tianxiang Tower.
Inside Tianxiang Tower, everything seemed the same as usual. However, just as Xiao Fan and Yun Yun entered the tower, Uncle Tai, who had taken them to see Sikou Shisan that day, was already waiting in the hall.
After seeing Xiao Fan and the others, Uncle Tai didn't say much and led them straight up to the seventh floor.
On the seventh floor of Tianxiang Tower, Sikou Shisan looked anxious. Upon seeing Xiao Fan and his companion, he hurriedly walked towards them and said, "Something terrible has happened!"
"what's up?"
Xiao Fan looked at Si Kou Shisan with curiosity. He was fine yesterday, so why did Si Kou Shisan look so anxious now?
Si Kou Shisan took a deep breath before speaking to Xiao Fan: "I just received news this morning that the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect has begun preparing to instigate a war between the two countries."
Xiao Fan frowned upon hearing Si Kou Shisan's words, sized him up, and then said, "Why so soon? Didn't they just come up with this plan?"
"We don't know either."
Si Kou Shisan shook his head helplessly, a flash of anger in his eyes, and said, "According to the latest information I have received, the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect has brought out the source of the poison. They plan to place the source of the poison in a certain city, sacrifice the people, frame the Jia Ma Empire, and then force the royal family to issue an edict to start a war between the two countries."
Upon hearing Si Kou Shisan's explanation, Xiao Fan and Yun Yun could no longer remain silent. If what Si Kou Shisan said was true, and the Wan Xie Sect succeeded, then war between the two countries would likely be unavoidable.
"Do you know where the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect is planning to target?"
Xiao Fan glanced at Si Kou Shisan and asked.
Si Kou Shisan shook his head helplessly when he heard Xiao Fan's words. After all, the Chuyun Empire was so large that the Wanxie Sect could easily choose any city to attack, so it was impossible for them to find a suitable target.
When Xiao Fan saw Si Kou Shisan's actions, his brows furrowed tightly. It wasn't that he didn't want to stop the Wan Xie Sect, but he didn't even know where they wanted to cause trouble, so how could he talk about stopping them?
"You haven't received any news at all?"
Si Kou Shisan shook his head helplessly upon hearing Xiao Fan's words and said with a wry smile, "The reason we were able to get the news out ahead of time this time is because our spies who infiltrated the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect were clever, plus a bit of luck. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have known the news until after they made their move."
Xiao Fan frowned upon hearing Si Kou Shisan's words. How could he stop the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect without any hints?
[Ding! New mission detected: Stop the Thousand Scorpion Clan from massacring the city. Mission rewards: Battle Qi +100, Alchemist Experience +30, Source Coins +1000, Time limit: 5 days]
Just as Xiao Fan was pondering, the system's voice sounded again, and a new task was triggered.
Isn’t this like giving me a pillow when I feel sleepy?
Xiao Fan was secretly delighted. He was just worried about not finding a target for the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect to attack, but unexpectedly, the system appeared.
"System, where does the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect plan to make its move?"
[This is a timed task with no prior notice. If it is not completed within the time limit, the task will fail.]
Xiao Fan, who was initially overjoyed, froze on his face when he heard the system's voice.
A system of this magnitude, and it didn't even give a single notification?
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Fan turned his gaze to Si Kou Shisan again and said, "Such a big operation by the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect couldn't possibly be unknown to everyone. Whether it's the preparation of materials or the mobilization of personnel, it's impossible for just a few elders to accomplish it. Are there any high-ranking members of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect in Tianrong City?"
Upon hearing Xiao Fan's words, Si Kou Shisan understood Xiao Fan's plan. His eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "There is a branch of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect in Tianrong City, and an elder is stationed here."
Chapter 21 New Mission
After obtaining the address of the Wanxie Sect elder from Sikou Shisan, Xiao Fan and Yun Yun hurriedly left Tianxiang Tower.
As the capital of the Chuyun Empire, Tianrong City holds extraordinary significance. Naturally, the Wanxie Sect could not remain indifferent to such a place. Therefore, they established a branch of the Wanxie Sect here and dispatched an elder from within the sect to be stationed there year-round.
Xiao Fan and Yun Yun soon arrived at the residence of the Wanxie Sect elders that Si Kou Shisan had mentioned.
According to Si Kou Shisan's description, this elder is named Sha Qing, and he holds a high position in the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect. Many of the disciples and stewards in the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect today were once his disciples, and even several elders have a good relationship with him.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Without connections, one wouldn't be able to get such a lucrative position as the head of the Tianrong City branch.
According to Si Kou Shisan and his group, Sha Qing's strength is roughly at the seventh-rank Dou Wang level. He usually stays in his own residence and rarely goes out.
Xiao Fan and Yun Yun soon arrived at a large mansion with an extremely spacious area.
Xiao Fan swept his soul power across the courtyard in front of him and quickly sensed Sha Qing cultivating inside. It seemed he had found the right place.
Having confirmed that Sha Qing was at the mansion, Xiao Fan and Yun Yun went directly into the courtyard where Sha Qing was staying.
Xiao Fan and his companion did not want to cause too much trouble, lest they alert the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, so they avoided the guards hiding in the shadows.
Soon, Xiao Fan and Yun Yun arrived directly at the courtyard where Sha Qing was. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Xiao Fan's powerful soul force sensed that Sha Qing had stopped cultivating inside the room.
Xiao Fan raised an eyebrow in surprise, subtly surveying the scene in the courtyard before his gaze fell upon a colorful toad on a shelf.
"I never expected Elder Sha Qing to be so vigilant."
Now that he knew the other party had discovered him, Xiao Fan made no attempt to hide it and spoke directly.
Yun Yun looked at Xiao Fan with a puzzled expression. She couldn't understand how Xiao Fan knew that the other party had discovered them.
Looking at the clear stupidity in Yun Yun's eyes, Xiao Fan smiled and pointed to the colorful toad on the shelf, saying, "This must be his method. When we entered the courtyard just now, this toad saw us, so he should have already known."
As Xiao Fan explained to Yun Yun, the door to the house in the courtyard creaked open.
"You have a good eye!"
After the door opened, a white-haired, youthful-looking old man appeared in front of Xiao Fan and his companion.
"Who are you?"
Sha Qing was surprised to find that the person who stepped into her courtyard was such a young man. She asked him in surprise. As for Yun Yun beside Xiao Fan, Sha Qing glanced at her but didn't pay her any attention. After all, she hadn't even noticed her own Seven-Colored Toad. If the other party had come alone, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.
However, there were quite a few guards in his mansion, and the fact that these two young people were able to enter his courtyard without making a sound was enough to show that they had extraordinary potential. Sha Qing couldn't help but wonder about their origins.
At this moment, Sha Qing had no idea that the two people in front of him were both powerful figures whose strength was enough to crush him.
"We're here just to ask you for some information."
Xiao Fan did not answer Sha Qing's question. Instead, he pulled Yun Yun to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down.
Seeing Xiao Fan's behavior, Sha Qing gradually felt displeased.
"Young man, I advise you not to be ungrateful. Being too arrogant will never end well."
As Sha Qing spoke, relying on his strength as a Seven-Star Dou King, he stepped to the shelf, took the toad, placed it on his shoulder, and then walked towards Xiao Fan and the other person. The aura of a Seven-Star Dou King pressed down on Xiao Fan and the other person.
However, to Sha Qing's surprise, the pressure of his Seven-Star Dou King aura mysteriously disappeared when he approached Xiao Fan and the other person, causing a sense of unease to rise in Sha Qing's heart.
"Who...who exactly are you people?"
Xiao Fan glanced at Sha Qing indifferently, and then a powerful force crushed towards Sha Qing.
"Battle...Battle Emperor!?"
Sha Qing sensed the aura emanating from Xiao Fan and looked at him in disbelief.
How could a boy who looks to be no more than twenty years old have such great strength?