Chapter 3162 — The Newly Taken Underling
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
With that, Ancestor Huangquan recounted the whole tangled tale of grievance between the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect and Wei Zhao, exactly as it stood, not daring the slightest concealment or embellishment—and he even told Lin Dongfang of their plans and purpose in coming this time.
After all, none of this could be hidden from Lin Dongfang. Better to tell the truth plainly than to argue stubbornly and pretend innocence; at least that way they might earn leniency.
"Oh—so that is to say, if the man sitting here were not me, you would have killed him today, correct?" Lin Dongfang asked in reply once he had heard them out.
"That..." Ancestor Huangquan nodded with a helpless air. "You could put it that way..."
"Heh, very well. At least you are honest." Lin Dongfang neither reproached nor flew into a rage; he merely nodded with great composure. "The cultivation world is a place where the weak are meat and the strong eat. I understand all that you have said. So this matter—this business between you and Wei Zhao—ends here. I do not wish you to move against Wei Zhao again hereafter."
"Of course not! How could we ever move against Young Hero Wei Zhao again? Unless we have a death wish!" Ancestor Blood-Robe spread his hands as he spoke, his face a study in helpless laughter and tears.
"Good. Then the matter is settled." Ancestor Huangquan and the other two breathed a sigh of relief at Lin Dongfang's words—but his next sentence set them on edge again. "However, this business of your coming into the mundane world without leave to kill people—do you not owe me some explanation?"
The three exchanged a look of helpless dismay. They had wondered why Lin Dongfang had let the matter slide so easily; now it seemed this was the old man's real move, held back until now.
"Senior Lin, how do you mean... to punish us?" Ancestor Blood-Robe sighed. "So long as you do not wipe out the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect, name whatever condition, whatever punishment you like."
It was not that Ancestor Blood-Robe belittled himself; it was that Lin Dongfang truly had the power to annihilate the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect. What they did not know was that Lin Dongfang depended upon the spring water and could not leave West Star Mountain Village for long at will—so they still took him to be the Twin Demons of Vajra of former days.
"Back then, Mr. Yang Zhao told you that if you set foot in the mundane world, he would wipe out your Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect. You have not forgotten that, have you?" Lin Dongfang asked.
"That... no," Ancestor Blood-Robe answered, steeling himself.
"Good. Since you have not forgotten, then I hope you will honor the promise you made that year." As he spoke, Lin Dongfang rose slowly to his feet.
Ancestor Blood-Robe, Ancestor Huangquan, and Ancestor Gloom broke out in cold sweat; at Lin Dongfang's words they nearly dropped straight to the ground. Were they to be annihilated? Was it truly to be annihilation?
They regretted it—oh, how they regretted it! Had they not acted on impulse and come to deal with Old Man Wei, none of this would have come to pass. Ah, why had they ever made an enemy of Wei Zhao?
It was not as though the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect had never lost men. In the past, when they went to assassinate experts of other ancient sects, there had been deaths as well—and of course, whether the dead were men of the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect or the targets of assassination, no feud ever arose between the parties over it.
If a killer of the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect died, it merely meant his skills were lacking; if you went to kill another and he killed you instead, you had only yourself to blame. And if other experts were slain by the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect, then they had no one to blame either—the sect took money to do the deed, its men were but executors, not the masters behind it. If you sought vengeance, you went to the master behind it!