Chapter 669: Yun Xiaoyao’s Suspicion
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The chaos in Tiantang City this time around was even worse than before. After all, the excitement generated from the appearance of the Dictum of Death was a highlight only for the assassins of the world, but this treasure map of dragon hide was something that everyone would go crazy for as long as they knew about the story!
The whole martial world was going agog over it.
The news of the reemergence of the Seventeenth Master of the Abyss' dragonhide treasure map in the mortal world was being circulated at a speed faster than lightning!
Within the span of two days, it was already public knowledge – news that was of universal appeal to the masses!
Even Yun Xiaoyao was clouded with suspicious doubt. Bloody hell... how the hell did the news get out? Only so little time had elapsed!
Initially, the city was already in the midst of restoring itself, reverting into its original state. Tiantang City, which was normally unfrequented by martial world practitioners, was now facing overcrowding issues even more severe than before. Every single practitioner in the world, no matter how reputable and capable they were, how high their cultivation base, were all rushing towards this direction— rushing, rushing…
Had it already been seized by somebody?
Was this not a dumb question?
This item never had an official owner!
As long as I manage to get hold of it, that secret treasure is unquestionably mine to claim; I am the chosen one of the heavens!
What? My cultivation base is too low? There is no point for me to even try?
Bullshit! What if someone actually stuffed the dragonhide map into my robes when they were merely just walking past me?"
As long as I am not as dumb as Dong Tianleng, letting everyone know about it, that secret treasure will be mine!
How could you possibly know that someone won't pull the same trick of passing it to a man with low cultivation base, just before being assassinated by the rest? Or perhaps, someone heavily injured might just stumble into my path – someone who coincidentally has the dragonhide treasure map in his possession?
What if...
No matter what, I want to go! I might just be the chosen one. Why else would the secret treasure even exist, if it was not for me!
A sea of heads!
Long lines were being formed right outside the four main gates leading into Tiantang city. They spanned at least a few miles long, and this queue only showed signs of extending further and further. After all, there were still many who still attempted to enter the city, coming from afar, just like a thousand streams leading towards the sea.
After all, this was Tiaxuan's only genuine, divine treasure on record!
...
As soon as he returned from the palace, Yun Xiaoyao started to worry intensely – his hair was on the verge of turning white.
What the heck is wrong? It wasn't easy for the situation to simmer down after the incident with the assassin's league, but now, such an earth-shattering event was being stirred up again.
Dong Tianleng was truly a trouble-making monster...
King Yun grabbed Dong Tianleng and without the slightest regard for the status of the Dong noble house, gave him a solid beating with a stick he had picked up. He ground his teeth indignantly, and there was no sign of his wrath subsiding. "This mess was created by you, you trouble-making moron!"
Dong Tianleng – Young Master Dong – whose legs were broken from the beating, could only moan in response as he sprawled across the bed.
He wanted to explain, desperately; It was my boss – your son – who made me do it...
However, those words never left his lips. After all, if he did really voice it out, perhaps his legs would not be the only things that would be broken!
Without a doubt, King Xiaoyao was as savage as that, but compared to Yun Yang, it was a hell of a difference.
King Xiaoyao had, at most, broken his legs once, which would not be much of a problem after enduring the pain for a while... If it had been Yun Yang instead, his whole being would probably have been diced into pieces a hundred times, over and that would probably have been the least of his problems.
Dong Tianleng wisely chose to remain silent. Either way, you're already treating me like a dimwit, are you not?
What's there to be worried about?
I always have been that dimwit for so many years; I don't mind the slur at all!
"How can this incident be so bizarre, erupting so suddenly?" Yun Xiaoyao frowned, facing Yun Yang who stood before him.
Yun Yang coughed. "I really don't know anything about this."
"Dong Tianleng and the few of them have been indoors of late, being as quiet as chickens. Besides practicing their skills and the occasional banter, nothing untoward had happened. They have been rather obedient. Going out for drinks like this was as normal as could be! Who would have known that this would turn into a series of unusual events? Honestly, I didn't think that there was anything wrong with Dong Tianleng's response. Everything was to be blamed on that invaluable, indestructible treasure – or else, we could have just destroyed it and saved ourselves all this trouble!"
Yun Xiaoyao squinted his eyes before speaking in a distant manner. "It was precisely this part that I found puzzling. I wouldn't have imagined that Dong Tianleng had such good brains. In fact, it seemed like he was trying to bring out how incredibly rare the hide was on purpose. So, you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it, would you?"
Facing his suddenly wise and farsighted father, Yun Yang lapsed into silence for a moment before he said, "This incident... will not cause any harm to the Yutang Empire!"
Yun Xiaoyao sighed. "So you knew about it. Perhaps I should ask – was this whole incident orchestrated by you?"
"Don't you worry about it. Everything that has unfolded before our eyes were expected. It is within our grasp."
He continued, unperturbed. "The winds and thunder of the martial world will no doubt rise once more from this; but at the same time, Yutang could ride on this opportunity to advance forward!"
"Within your expectations? Your grasp? You are getting cockier with all your talk, boy. This is equivalent to dancing on the edge of a sword – how can you guarantee that you won't get hurt in the process!"
"If one desires to rule for years to come, how one avoid taking any risks?" replied Yun Yang.
"You should know that if news like this gets out, Tiantang City would be the nucleus of the whole continent. Countless men of the trade and schools of the martial world will find their way here. At that point, the whole city will become a massive whirlpool!" Yun Xiaoyao let out a troubled sigh.
"I was only worried that they wouldn't come." A hint of bloodlust flashed across Yun Yang's eyes.
Yun Xiaoyao remained silent.
"If this can be pulled off well enough, Yutang's foundation to achieve greatness for years to come will begin right here," said Yun Yang in a serious manner.
Upon hearing Yun Yang's words, Yun Xiaoyao slumped into a deep silence. After some time had elapsed, he asked, "Is this really possible?"
"It could, naturally, and it might not even just stop at that," said Yun Yang. "I want to take advantage of this situation to eradicate certain schools in the martial world and end a few people while I am at it. There are a few other matters as well which I intend to settle once and for all in the midst of this scheme."
"Will this event bring harm to the royals?" said Yun Xiaoyao worriedly.
"Does it matter if they are royals? Those who bleed will bleed, inevitably," replied Yun Yang nonchalantly.
Yun Xiaoyao looked up to the sky and gave a long sigh. There was no point in discussing further upon reaching this point.
"You... are you cleaning up the mess?" Yun Xiaoyao asked in a forlorn manner.
Yun Yang lapsed into a long stretch of silence. "... it has yet to reach that level."
Yun Xiaoyao let out another sigh.
"The situation before us is turbulent, hence, everything you do must be carried out with caution." Yun Xiaoyao said at last. Upon uttering these words, his whole being seemed to age tremendously in a short span of time.
A sense of regret surfaced within the depths of Yun Yang's heart. He intended to apologize, to say something, but those words never left his lips.
...
In the dead of the night, as Yun Yang was about to turn in, Yun Xiaoyao suddenly dropped by.
"This matter... I'm afraid there will be some trouble that may come out of it. " Yun Xiaoyao's face was slightly pale.
"What's wrong?"
"I would like to confirm something with you. The two hides you procured – are they truly impregnable and indestructible? Dong Tianleng was not just pretending?"
"From the looks of it... yes... "
"Sigh... " Yun Xiaoyao let out a long, worried sigh.