Chapter 553: If They Have Unequal Strengths, No Can Do
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The reason it was of the highest level was mainly that this assembly dictum targeted all the assassins in this world. It was not only limited to a particular school, a clan, a sect, or any organization. As long as one was an assassin, one had to obey and act according to this dictum!
As for the factor supporting the dictum to cover such a wide range of influence, it was because the dictum was made by Sun Changkong, the Unrivaled Expert of the world back in the day, who was also called the Unrivaled Assassin.
Sun Changkong had prevailed over the world, able to kill anyone he targeted, and trounced the world's heroes to obedience. He had made the dictum due to the incessant revenge murders in the martial world and the blind transactions of assassination, but truthfully, the main reason for the dictum was to set restrictions on the world's assassins.
Even when this man passed away, his dictum was taken as a sacred order by the world's assassins and no one dared to violate it. This Dictum of Death was guarded in The Merciless Tower. It was also the primary reason The Merciless Tower could develop to its current massive scale, in addition to being the biggest factor that The Merciless Tower was unhappy with the Concourse of the Underworld.
Now, the Dictum of Death had been executed.
Anyone who had the slightest knowledge and experience, who knew what the dictum entailed, who saw it flare at such a high altitude, could not help but shudder.
"Dictum of Death!"
Yun Yang looked up and wore a vague smile. "It looks like Hen Bieli is really enraged now, he can't hold it in…"
First Court King Qinguang chuckled coldly. "Hen Bieli thought he could leave himself out of it and watch us fight from the side. Isn't he releasing the Dictum of Death for help now? What a loud slap he lands on his own cheek!"
Yun Yang stood with his arms on his back and replied with a faint smile, "No one, no organization, could still have the confidence to win in a battle when faced with the Four Seasons Tower's terror attack. The Concourse of the Underworld has told everyone this with absolute sincerity. How could The Merciless Tower even dare to try it?"
"But, I don't understand…" King QInguang scratched his head and said, "How did Sword, Snow, and Frost head upThe Merciless Tower? This doesn't make any sense!"
Yun Yang answered, "According to hearsay, the Hall of Crimson Blade's leaders Hong Zhan and Hen Bieli are sworn brothers, very close to each other… The situation now is that Hong Zhan has gone missing, so the Three Venerable Lords must, of course, go to Hen Bieli who would most likely know where Hong Zhan went to."
"Actually, even if the Four Seasons Tower didn't act first, The Merciless Tower would have joined Hong Zhan's fight against the tower in secret as well."
"According to the intelligence I've gathered, Hong Zhan has met up with Hen Bieli outside the city. It proved the foresight of the Venerable Lords in annihilating The Merciless Tower instead."
Yun Yang wore a faint smile.
First Court King Qinguang was struck with the realization, replying, "I see. How discreet this must be! The Concourse of the Underworld's intelligence has no knowledge of it at all."
As he spoke, he had another question. "But, how did Sword, Snow and Frost know about it? Is the Four Seasons Tower's intelligence system so widespread?"
Yun Yang looked at him meaningfully as a smirk grew on his lips, answering faintly, "Not really… I was the one who disclosed this to them. They'll have to take this favor anyway, I'm just doing more good…"
First Court King Qinguang was speechless.
The culprit who dared to conjure this ripple of havoc was sitting peacefully in front of him.
"But, how did you know? Intelligence that not even Concourse of Underworld and Four Seasons Tower know should be considered absolute secret, shouldn't it?" First Court King Qinguang thought about it only after a while.
Yun Yang chuckled. "Of course I have my information channels. I am going against the Four Seasons Tower. Even if my combat power is weak compared to theirs, what else would I use to fight them if my other aspects lose out as well?"
Since Shui Wuyin had taken over and organized the Labyrinth of Nine Heavens Intelligence, Yun Yang was privy to too much confidential information! Specifically, now that these assassins had come to Tiantang City, that was within Shui Wuyin's base, Shui Wuyin deserved to die by running into a wall if he could not gather as much information.
"Once this Dictum of Death is released, all the world's assassins will definitely gather here!" King Qinguang's gaze was burning. "It is the holy item of all assassins! Since the beginning of time, nobody could achieve this other than Sun Changkong!"
"The Unrivaled Assassin! The Unrivaled Expert!"
"To be able to serve under the Dictum of Death in one's assassination career is basically the dream of those of us who are killers."
"The presence of the Dictum of Death is also a scene that all the killers want to see!"
"The release of the Dictum of Death equates to the submission of the martial world! This isn't just a saying!"
"How many assassins are you estimating to assemble here from The Merciless Tower's release of Dictum of Death this time around?" asked Yun Yang.
"A safe estimation…" First Court King Qinguang did an internal calculation and said, "Ten thousand people is a safe bet for sure. These will only be assassins from the heaven realm. The real number of people who make it here will be more than that."
"The Dictum of Death may not capture the attention of those assassins who have established their organizations, but to a murderous lone ranger, especially those who are already famed, it holds a nearly holy meaning! Sun Changkong himself was a lone ranger back then; he managed to triumph over the entire world alone."
"Ten thousand people? Ten thousand heaven realm cultivators? Aren't you exaggerating this a bit?" Yun Yang replied in shock.
It was not that Yun Yang was shocked. King QInguang's announced headcount was indeed too much of an exaggeration. While the people around Yun Yang, allies and foes alike, were all past the heaven realm, heaven realm cultivators were still on another level in this world. The strongest of abilities in the eyes of a commoner was only possessed by a Tenth Perfection martial master.
The heaven realm was one step further than Tenth Perfection, a legendary level!
The Dragon of Clouds, Liang Yunqi, who had perished in the Residence of Nine Supremes previously was only a Tenth Perfection cultivator, but he was already the Empire of Dayuan's legend. For King Qinguang to now suggest ten thousand heaven realm assassins was somewhat of a joke.
"Young Master Yun's knowledge may be severely limited. The martial world sees too many talents sprouting here and there. The more famous ones do not necessarily represent their capabilities. There are more expert assassins who are scattered all over the martial world than one can count! Once the Dictum of Death is announced, it'd be like a gale that blows in through the martial world! As long as there's enough time, even the killers from the snow-capped mountains, the grasslands, the endless deserts or the borderless ocean will rush all the way back!"
"This is the power, or perhaps, the beauty of the Dictum of Death. Ten thousand is really the safest estimation. Besides, that is the number I foresee will be gathered within seven days. I can't possibly estimate how many killers can be assembled over a longer period."
The most reserved estimation was ten thousand heaven realm assassins, while the final number of accumulated killers could not be guessed!
Yun Yang was shocked once again before joy filled him. This was good news indeed!
If these people all went against the Four Seasons Tower… oh, how excited he was just thinking about it!
"Then, the Four Seasons Tower's strength in Tiantang City would not be enough, far from adequate," Yun Yang said quietly.
"That's right. As long as these assassins could serve once each, the manpower that the Four Seasons Tower has now cannot take even a single blow."
King Qinguang said quite gleefully, "Don't forget, the martial world also has many mysterious assassins who don't have names but their cultivation base are terrifyingly high… Those type of people, any one of them could easily wipe out the Three Venerable Lords as well!"
Yun Yang pondered upon this and replied, "No can do. Their unequal strengths aren't beneficial to our subsequent plans."
"Also, this isn't the end for the Hall of Crimson Blade and The Merciless Tower. Why did Hen Bieli release the Dictum of Death at this moment? There must be another story behind it."
Yun Yang shifted his gaze to King Qinguang.
First Court King Qinguang chuckled dryly. "There is another story indeed. The Concourse of the Underworld is as good as gone now. I guess Hen Bieli has already thought of bringing out the dictum and gathering the world's assassins for some time."
"He's probably waiting for a suitable time. Once the timing is right and the Dictum of Death is out, The Merciless Tower will be the top assassin organization, as long as one-tenth of the assassins who arrives, joins them. In addition, he does not need to worry about the Concourse of the Underworld's."
"Now that the Four Seasons Tower has attacked, I guess it gives Hen Bieli an even more valid excuse!"
"I see… I didn't expect there to be so many implications hidden within."
Yun Yang frowned and said, "I'm going out for a bit."
King Qinguang replied cautiously, "You're going to Sword, Snow, and Frost?"
"Of course. If they were wiped out so easily… it just won't do. The enemy's enemy may not be my friend, they could possibly be an accomplice or bent on sabotaging people," Yun Yang said.
"To divulge confidential information is the most basic justice I can have, as someone in the martial world," Yun Yang asserted righteously.
He then left with King Qinguang's speechless expression in the background.