Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 431 : Threat (3)

Chapter 431: Chapter 431 : Threat (3)

"Impudent rascal!" A voice cried out at the back, followed by the sound of a hand smashing against the pavilion railing.

"We cannot let this Huang Taichen live!" Another shouted out, fueled by grief over Shang Daoming’s death and the rage over the gruesome manner of his passing.

"We must vanquish demon seeds before they grow up and swallow the entire mortal realm!!!" Yet another joined in the plight.

Several others remained silent, busy dissecting the news in their mind.

And then, Meng Xijun went on one knee and held a hand up against the wisps of the dark cloud that emanated from the heart. Some of the demonic aura coiled around his fingers like a venomous snake.

He yanked his hand back, snapping his wrist as if swatting a venomous insect to dispel. The demonic aura receded, and he rose back to his feet.

"Sect Leader Meng, did you discover something?" Qiao Wei asked.

"Certainly," Meng Xijun’s face went grim when he spoke, "I sense the same aura during the Spiritual Mountain Competition. Huang Taichen’s involvement might not be mere rumors."

Upon hearing Meng Xijun’s words, endless relief washed over Shang Zichen.

"Thank you, Sect Leader Meng, for your honest words."

Shang Zichen then turned to look at Qiao Wei with a regretful smile lacing his lips.

"Master Qiao Wei, like you, I too once thought that Huang Taichen was innocent. He deceived us both."

Qiao Wei stared at Shang Zichen.

He still recalled the conversation between Huang Taichen and Shang Zichen that took place weeks ago in a remote corner of Tian’an Jade Palace’s garden.

Huang Taichen was not the one who smuggled the three-headed lion into Mount E’ling.

"I believe that Huang Taichen did not act alone in Mount E’ling," Qiao Wei claimed. "The beast passed through the barrier, but someone must have guided him into the cave."

Shang Zichen clenched his jaw.

"Qiao Wei is right," Bai Siyang agreed with his disciple’s observation. "Huang Taichen had an accomplice, someone who joined the competition just to wreak chaos."

"At this point, it is impossible to find out," another sect leader said. "The competition was over months ago, and every cultivator across the realm, including rogue cultivators, were encouraged to join. It can be anyone."

"I don’t think that we need to worry about that accomplice," Shang Zichen quickly redirected the focus back to Huang Taichen. "Huang Taichen is the leader. As long as we catch and kill him, whatever accomplices he has at the moment will scatter about."

"You seem to know where Huang Taichen currently is, Second Young Master Shang," Bai Siyang furrowed his brows.

"Indeed, we do. There is a deserted hill just outside Tian’an City. Huang Taichen lived there from the moment he arrived at Jiangnan."

Qiao Wei narrowed his eyes at Shang Zichen.

"Second Young Master Shang, are you suggesting to carry out a siege against Huang Taichen?"

Shang Zichen licked his lips nervously before swallowing hard.

"Yes," he said. "Best to go together. Unless Wushan Temple Sect would rather not join?"

Doubt clouded Qiao Wei’s eyes. If he had the choice, he would rather not join the siege. But Bai Siyang, his shizun, had already made his decision.

"Our Wushan Temple Sect has always been righteous and never strayed from Buddhism. We will naturally contribute to this cause."

"Sect Leader Bai took the words out of my mouth," Meng Xijun followed. "Dalian Meng Sect will also join."

"So will my sect."

"And mine."

"And mine!!"

"Everyone, thank you."

"Thank you very much."

Qiao Wei’s face darkened as he watched the venerated elders, their beards like flowing silver and their eyes glinting with formidable power, clasp hands in a pact to bully a young, untalented man with no support at all.

This was not merely wrong. It was a travesty of justice.

"Qiao Wei."

Bai Siyang’s sudden grip on his shoulder, firm and unexpected, brought Qiao Wei back from the depths of his thoughts.

"Don’t let your mind wander. It has been decided. We will invade said hill tomorrow and capture Huang Taichen by tomorrow."

"Shizun, I..."

"Don’t say anything," Bai Siyang tightened his grip around Qiao Wei’s shoulder. "You are too naive, too trusting. I am glad that you at least heeded my advice and not accepted him into our sect."

"..."

Qiao Wei wondered whether things would have been different, had he accepted Huang Taichen into Wushan Temple Sect.

He did not think of himself as a grand visionary who could inspire evil and transform it into good, but he could at least try.

Not giving Huang Taichen any chance to redeem himself was no different from pushing him down a path of no return.

"Yes, Shizun."

The siege was planned for tomorrow. To fulfill their part, each sect had to arrange for more disciples to gather at Tian’an Jade Palace before they all went together to Huang Taichen’s hill and forced him into submission.

Qiao Wei meticulously fulfilled his shizun’s every command in preparing for the coming conflict. Yet, as the moon cast its silvery light upon the Jade Palace rooftops, and the majority of the palace residents were sleeping soundly in their comfortable beds, Qiao Wei was still fully clothed and wide awake.

The man silently stepped onto his sword and guided it into the sky, heading for Huang Taichen’s solitary hill.

Huang Taichen’s nest was an ordinary deserted hill, untouched by the hand of man for generations. Time had etched its passage upon its slopes, leaving behind a tapestry of weathered rock and crumbling stone. The wind, a constant companion, sang mournful dirges through the skeletal remains of stunted trees, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers.

Autumn painted the hill in a palette of muted golds, fiery oranges, and deep, brooding reds during the day. At night, the leaves all appeared in different shades of dark blue and black.

The wind, now tinged with a hint of chill, swirled the leaves into miniature whirlwinds, chasing them across the parched earth like restless souls demanding vengeance.

Qiao Wei dismounted his sword at the foot of the hill. He began the ascent, the sound of his steps crunching on fallen leaves was amplified by the silence of the hill. Halfway up, he paused, a prickling sensation crawling up his spine.

When he slowly turned on his heel to inspect his surroundings, he saw three pairs of yellow eyes fly open in the darkness, followed by the guttural rasp of unseen predators. Their hunger hung heavy in the air, a tangible presence that sent a tremor through his resolve.