Azure Heaven Saber
Chapter 653 - 653 194 Take a Breather Two in One

Chapter 653: Chapter 194: Take a Breather [Two in One] Chapter 653: Chapter 194: Take a Breather [Two in One] But Ximen Huaide knew that if he voiced these thoughts, it would only freeze the already tense atmosphere further, making it even harder to recuperate. Despite the words rising to his lips, he was forced to swallow them back bitterly.

Du Qingwen scrutinized the note in his hands, reading it several times over.

“May I ask, Young Nephew Nangong, when did you receive this note?”

Nangong Sword didn’t hide anything, answering truthfully.

While the two sides were conversing, gradually understanding the situation and easing their relationship, Du Qingwen was not an adept diplomat, yet he managed to defuse the tension somewhat.

Meanwhile, new information came to light.

“Taking the tunnel as the origin point, and probing in four directions, we discovered a sewage tunnel… This tunnel connects to the inn where the Dongfang Clan resides… I mean, it passes by it!”

“Should we go and ask them about it?”

Du Qingwen was livid!

“Probe? Stop with this pointless probing, can’t you stop wasting our time? This can be considered a clue? Which city does not have sewage tunnels?”

“Following the sewage tunnel could even lead to the imperial palace, and that should be considered a clue?!”

“Would you willingly follow a sewage tunnel to kill someone? Ask yourself if you are willing, would the Dongfang Clan do such a thing? It’s nonsensical!”

“If you want to use this as evidence… Do you even believe in it?”

“We’ve already offended the Nangong Family over this ridiculous tunnel. If we use this as a basis to trouble the Dongfang Clan, we would be making enemies on two fronts without the moral high ground!”

Everyone fell silent after being berated, while Nangong Sword and the others couldn’t help but be curious.

“What exactly is going on? Can we go and have a look?”

Despite knowing that these people just wanted to spectate, this matter involved the Nangong Family, hence they couldn’t refuse a request from the implicated party to observe the situation.

The most crucial point was, under the current circumstances where everything was shrouded in strangeness, the Nangong Family, despite their hostility, had brought the matter out into the open, hence there was no room for them to scheme in the shadows—it was possible that they could even serve as witnesses.

“So it caved in here… Tsk tsk…”

“Oh, is this female corpse one of your Ximen disciples? Hmm, she had a good figure. The scene brings to mind Master Mo from Supreme Mountain. I mean no disrespect, just getting a bit sentimental, merely an association…nothing more…”

Ximen Huaide and Ximen Huairou were so enraged that they turned pale, but they knew the situation would only worsen the more they tried to explain.

“Well, has the head of Ximen San been found yet?”

Every member of the Nangong Family subtly exchanged glances—clearly, their speculation had been right on the mark.

The enemy didn’t just kill, but also took the head, which undoubtedly was a grudge-bearing vendetta from the martial arts world!

Normally, except for using the enemy’s head to honor the dead, there were very few who would take away the head of their enemy!

At this moment, Ximen Qianqiu slowly descended the staircase to inspect the scene in question.

Though it was his youngest son who had died, Ximen Qianqiu’s expression remained perfectly calm.

Nangong Xue stood alongside Ximen Qianqiu, her feelings a mix of emotions.

Truthfully speaking, this was the first time in her life she had stood side by side with the bitter foe responsible for her older brother’s death, a situation where she could not act on her aggressive impulses.

Now that she had seen him, and since she could not react vocally, she decided to observe just who this Ximen Qianqiu really was!

“Are you Nangong Xue, the younger brother of Nangong Yun?”

Ximen Qianqiu was the first to speak.

“Indeed!”

“Heh… There’s no need to look at me with such hatred. Your brother indeed departed before me, but this old body of mine is barely holding on. I can’t live much longer. Once I’m gone, I may even have to answer to your brother down there.…”

Ximen Qianqiu dons a faint smile on his gaunt face.

“The events of the past you probably know all about. Things were as they were back then. It was a life or death battle, and we both ended up injured. It was, considering the circumstances, the best outcome for both of us. After all, neither of us fell at the scene. We had the strength to go home. For practitioners like us, being able to return to one’s roots is already a blessing.”

Ximen Qianqiu sighed.

Nangong Xue spoke icily, “While my brother died shortly after returning home, you, even though barely hanging on, managed to hang on until now, with descendants as far as the eye can see. Such an existence, ninety-nine percent of the world would dream of having!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, for people like us, not having descendants would be the greatest joke.”

Ximen Qianqiu’s voice was weak, and he seemed breathless, pausing before adding: “We’re all people who have grown tired of having descendants.”

Nangong Xue couldn’t help but sigh.

In fairness, what Ximen Qianqiu said was utterly true – they were all people who had grown tired of having many descendants.

Living for a long time made the matters of lust seem too mundane for them – and their desire had dampened ages ago.

Women were plentiful for them; they could have as many as they desired.

Their children were born one after another, to the point where after their eldest wife, they could no longer tell which child was from who…

As for their grandchildren…

They were everywhere, to the degree that they started to feel dizzy. The talk of four or five generations living under the same roof… it really was too cliche, all results of too many mundane happenings…