Love & Redemption
Chapter 182: Volume 4: The Fragile Dream Shatters, - 39: Riot (1)

Chapter 182: Volume 4: The Fragile Dream Shatters, Chapter 39: Riot (1)

Chu Lei let out a roar and fiercely picked up the broken sword from the ground and hurled it at that person. The blade flew straight and suddenly stopped more than a yard in front of him, turned a circle sharply, and with a kick of his toe, accompanied by a piercing whistling of wind, it turned back and plunged towards its target!

He Yang swiftly pulled Chu Lei back, and with a "thud," the sword, tip to hilt, buried itself completely in the stone floor, leaving not even a crack in the surrounding tiles. It seemed as if the sword had grown from within the stone itself, such was the precision of the throw that it was astonishing. That person unfurled his wings as if he was about to descend to confront Chu Lei; however, he had only descended a little when the crazed Zhu Shi loudly commanded the Sword Array to disperse and the Iron Crossbows to be drawn, firing at him.

That person neither dodged nor hid, simply wrapping his wings around his body, including Yu Sifeng within, as the Crossbow Arrows futilely punctured the wings. It was like striking an iron wall; they couldn’t penetrate at all, and fell clattering to the ground. That person coldly said, "Old Zhu Shi! You’ve got quite the nerve!" Zhu Shi cackled madly, "What are you? Haha! What are you! So Lize Palace is nothing but a demon den! You think to play me for a fool? Let’s take out this abomination first!"

That person didn’t even bother to reply; with a sudden flourish of his wings, he shot up into the sky. Zhu Shi yelled repeatedly, "Change positions, nail him down!" No sooner had his words faded, the sound of Iron Crossbows slicing through the air erupted, and the Sword Array, instead of dealing with Chu Lei and the others, made that person the priority target. The Crossbow Arrows shot densely at him, but to no avail. A mysterious golden light shimmered on his wings, and not a single arrow could penetrate, immediately falling upon contact.

Apparently annoyed by the relentless barrage of Crossbow Arrows, that person swept his wings, sending countless arrows flying back to their origin. If not for the intricate changes of the Sword Array, many would have been pinned to the ground by their own arrows. That person laughed, "A bunch of rodents! You sicken me!" Suddenly, he swooped down, his golden wings stirring up massive gusts, blowing everyone off balance. Unlucky disciples who were grazed by his wings did not even have the chance to cry out before they were struck dead, their organs severely damaged. That person extended his other hand, reaching for Chu Lei. He Yang and the others were terrified, crying out and rushing forward to block, throwing the scene into chaos.

Yu Sifeng, held in his grasp, struggled in vain and, seeing him go for Chu Lei again, couldn’t help but shout, "Master! Your disciple must offend you!" He thrust fiercely into the man’s ribs, knowing that was their weak spot, and was very clear on how it would feel to be hit there. Sure enough, the strike hit home, and the man trembled all over, suddenly losing his grip on Yu Sifeng, who fell from the sky with great force. Looking down at him, the man seemed disbelieving, perhaps even disappointed and sad.

Yu Sifeng awkwardly turned his face away, not daring to look at him again, and the moment he landed, he immediately sprang up, only to be yanked to safety by Chu Lei. Everyone piled around, asking if he was hurt. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and was just about to speak when he heard the person above begin to sing loudly. The golden light burst forth; it was the harbinger of a massacre. Yu Sifeng’s heart raced, his palms sweaty.

He could not let Chu Lei and the others die here! But he could not stand against that person either! In that instant, countless potential solutions flashed through his mind, but all were dead ends. Eventually, he could only watch helplessly as that person flew lower and lower, his wings gently fluttering. Six vast feathers shone with dazzling light, speckled with flowing gold, so beautiful it was heartbreaking.

Their clan worshipped supreme beauty, always appearing incomparably graceful, even—when it was time to kill. The seal beneath his ribs burned and trembled restlessly, eager to break free. Could he really fight him without any concern? Could he give up everything he had just obtained? Could he... win against him?!

Someone was calling his name from afar, wobbling, as if about to cry at any moment. Yu Sifeng subconsciously looked over, only to see Xuanji clinging to Tengshe’s back, her expression one of anxious terror as she desperately raced towards them, Linglong and Zhong Minyan following behind her, while Liu Yihuan frowned and tried to stop them.

Please, you have to stop them! Yu Sifeng steeled his heart and closed his eyes, about to undo the seal under his ribs, when suddenly there was a thunderous shout from the sky, "Lize Palace isn’t something you can decide on your own!" Everyone was shocked, and they saw a dark shadow sweep down at an astonishing speed, crashing onto the Great Palace Master, sending him flying and a bunch of golden feathers falling.

The Great Palace Master fell to the ground, about to stand up, when suddenly he felt a chill in his chest, and a sword was pointed at him. He looked up angrily, hissing, "Are you betraying me?!" Standing opposite him was the Vice Palace Master. In one hand, he held an odd feather fan, and in the other, he gripped a sword, its tip resting on the Palace Master’s chest, as nonchalant as ever. The Vice Palace Master smiled and said, "I’m not betraying you, I’m doing this for the good of Lize Palace. The legacy of our ancestors can’t be destroyed on your whim."

The Great Palace Master flew into a rage, emboldened by the golden light protecting his body, and did not fear his treasure sword, charging forward in an attempt to rise. Unexpectedly, he felt pain in his chest as the sword actually pierced his skin, and blood slowly flowed out. The Vice Palace Master yelped, teasingly saying, "Be careful. This is no ordinary sword, it can easily puncture a hole in you. It’s better for you to remain calm."

He turned his head and saw Xuanji and the others flying over, and then said, "Little Xuanji, aren’t you going to rescue your friend? What are you standing there for, dazed? You managed to defeat Hao Feng, that impostor disciple, who else but you deserves first place?"

Xuanji couldn’t help but be astonished when she heard him say this. Just now, when the Xuanyuan Sect set up the Sword Array, they wanted to come down to help, but Yu Sifeng and Ting Nu insisted on stopping them, saying that the Sword Array was incredibly powerful and that they would be of no help if they went. Linglong almost got into a fight with him, and they were at an impasse when the Great Palace Master suddenly attacked.

Honestly, when everyone first saw the Great Palace Master sprout wings and surge with demon energy, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Yu Sifeng’s face turned ashen, like a dead man’s; he jumped down without a word, no matter how Liu Yihuan shouted after him. Xuanji also wanted to follow, but in the end, Liu Yihuan firmly stopped her. Seeing that he couldn’t dissuade her, Liu Yihuan suddenly grabbed Linglong’s broken gold, posed ready to fight, and declared, "If anyone dares to go over, they’ll have to deal with me first!"

Linglong and Tengshe, both impulsive, were about to take action when they were held back by Zhong Minyan and Ting Nu. Xuanji murmured, "Brother Liu, why are you stopping us?" Liu Yihuan sighed, "You’ll understand later. If you really care about Si Feng, don’t follow."

"If you truly value him, don’t chase after him." For the sake of that sentence, she had struggled to suppress her impulse and stayed observing at the fighting platform. But how could she endure it now, endure watching these people who were most important to her get killed?! The Great Palace Master lifted his head and sang with such captivating beauty that it made people’s toes curl. She just stood there, dazed, and whispered softly, "Tengshe, take me over!" With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Tengshe, who had long been itching for action, cheered, touched the ground with the tip of his toe, leapt over Liu Yihuan’s head, and jumped down from the platform.

The words of the Vice Palace Master confused her completely. After staring blankly for a long while, she finally said, "You... It was you who captured her." Why was he asking her to save her now? What exactly was he trying to accomplish?

The Vice Palace Master laughed with a ’hehe’ and said, "If she weren’t a ’picked flower’, could you have been determined to win against everyone?"

Her words were like an awakening blow to the head. Xuanji cried out, "You did it on purpose... all on purpose!"

The Vice Palace Master said, "That’s right, I did it on purpose. Big Brother, do you know why?" He turned his head to ask the Great Palace Master, whom he had immobilized with a sword.

Big Brother?! Everyone was stunned. Yu Sifeng spoke up in a hurry, "Vice Palace Master! The disciple... doesn’t understand..." The Vice Palace Master said softly, "There are too many things you don’t understand. How much do you know about the affairs of Lize Palace? You don’t even understand your own background. What do you really know?"

He turned his head to look at Liu Yihuan, whose face had turned pale, and said with a smile, "The senior has indeed kept his promise and didn’t tell him a single word." Liu Yihuan paused for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense! What in the world are you up to?"

The Vice Palace Master slowly explained, "It’s simple, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there were two brothers. The younger brother was no match for the elder, and he revered his Big Brother like a god, believing he was infallible. But one day, the younger brother discovered that Big Brother was completely different from what he had imagined. Not only could he make mistakes, but he made enormously questionable ones. These, however, weren’t really important, and the younger brother soon got over it. Working together for the same goal, they planned and schemed, until the younger suddenly found out that their thoughts were miles apart. The younger brother abided by the wishes of his ancestors and acted with utmost diligence and caution, taking great care not to conflict with other Sects. But Big Brother, he had a secret wild notion. He wanted to use this operation to eliminate all the major Cultivation Sects... what was the origin of all this? Big Brother, I know everything, starting from your mistake. I can’t allow the foundations built over generations to be destroyed because of your private desires. I conceded to you for so many years, but not anymore!"

Although he spoke vaguely, the general meaning was clear to everyone. It turned out that the two Palace Masters of Lize Palace were brothers, and they disagreed on a certain matter; and from the sound of it, it seemed to be a very significant matter.

Yu Sifeng said, trembling, "The ’foundations’ you speak of... could it be the matter of destroying the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain? Those demons... they all belong to Lize Palace..."

The Vice Palace Master nodded and said, "Exactly. Haven’t you been to Buzhou Mountain? Wu Tong did a decent job, but alas, his ambition was too great; I couldn’t allow him to survive for long. That was another side of Lize Palace. A side so internal that even you young disciples had no clue about. Hehe, Si Feng, you’ve caused quite some trouble multiple times, nearly ruining our grand plans. By rights, I should have executed you long ago, but someone put their life on the line to protect you. You’re pretty lucky, huh!"

Yu Sifeng’s face turned ashen; he was unable to utter another word. If only this were a dream, and he’d pleasurably wake up soon. If it wasn’t a dream, then what was all that he had done? What did it amount to? What was it that he had been so steadfast about?

Suddenly someone supported him by the shoulder. He turned his head, his expression changing, only to see Xuanji looking at him worriedly. Yu Sifeng offered a faint smile, his voice low, "I’m fine, very good." But he was lying; if he were fine, why did his face look worse than a corpse’s? Xuanji grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

Chu Lei suddenly said in a deep voice, "Vice Palace Master has bared everything today. What is your intention? Could it be to let us know that Lize Palace has always been deceitful and malicious, spreading huge lies?"

The Vice Palace Master replied with a smile, "Sect Leader Chu, why hide knives in your words? Since the matter has been exposed, might as well make it clear! I am being kind, adhering to the will of the previous generation of Lize Palace, not to engage with mortals in any conflict, but that doesn’t mean I personally agree with it. When necessary, I can be even more ruthless than Big Brother! Right now, Big Brother wants to kill you, and I want to save you. The leaders of the Five Great Sects are all here; listen to me. From now on, I want you to stop pursuing the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain issue, continue on as your Cultivation Sects, eliminate your demons, and we in Lize Palace will continue to be one of the Five Great Sects, participating in the Flower Pinning Conference as usual. Dianjing Valley, Shaoyang Sect, the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain within your Sects must be released within three days. As for today’s events, let them rot in all of our stomachs, as if they never happened. Then I will, out of compassion, let you leave the island. Otherwise... heh, you can become the silt in the belly of the fish and shrimps in the sea!"

He blew a sharp whistle. At that sound, boots shuffling, the previously motionless disciples of Lize Palace surged forward, their swords raised, brimming with murderous intent. (To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)