Chapter 202 – Uncle Niu (1/2)

Yu Shukuang smiled bitterly. “You should have known this already. I had no chance to tamper with your food or drink.”

This was a thought that had lingered in Ma Chaoqun’s mind for many years now, but he had always refused to face it or believe in it. It was impossible for the lady he had grown up with who was as kind as they came to do something so cruel to him.

Now that he had suddenly verified this, all of his hard work over the years, all of his thoughts for revenge, suddenly became laughable. He could not help but become overcome by anger as tears streaked across his face. He roared at the sky crazily.

Originally, Yu Zijian disliked him very much. She heard his howl that sounded just like a despaired beast’s and could not help but become saddened. She sympathised with him, He must have loved my mother very much. Mother let him down. If she didn’t like him, she should have told him directly. Why did she have to poison him?

“D- don’t feel too bad. So many years have passed already. You will definitely find someone better than my mother.”

Mao Chaoqun stopped howling. He looked at Yu Zijian. Her beautiful face overflowing with sincere sympathy seemed to overlap with the face in his heart. He murmured, “You really do look like her.”

“Brother Ma, so many years have passed already. Neither of us are young anymore. It’s time for us to drop these grievances. Today is a joyous day for celebrating how Zijian has become a Qi Practitioner. She’ll be attending the Academy of the Hundred Schools next year. Why don’t you take a seat and share a drink with us?” Yu Shukuang implied that neither of them were regular people of the jianghu who could be trampled over anymore.

Ma Chaoqun suddenly raised an eyebrow and produced a twisted smile. Combined with his pitted face, he seemed even uglier. “I want to fight you again!” Afterwards, he pointed at Yu Zijian. “She’ll be the wager!”

Crack! Li Qingshan snapped the chopsticks in his hands. “That’s far too underhanded!”

He noticed the disturbance outside before anyone else. Afterwards, he continued to eat as he listened in on the past grievances of the jianghu out of interest. It went well with his feast.

He was also rather sympathetic towards this pitted-face brother as well. It must have been horrible to be betrayed by a person you trusted. He also felt contempt towards this “Zi’er”. She had sacrificed her own senior brother for a handsome man. That was far too dishonourable.

Both of these people could be considered as outstanding, yet they had both chosen a fickle woman. Their insight was horrible. Fortunately, Yu Zijian was not as vicious as her mother.

However, when he heard Ma Chaoqun’s final decision, he completely disagreed with it. This was no longer exacting revenge on Yu Shukuang. It was taking revenge on the woman called “Zi’er”, along with all of society.

“Don’t even think about it!” Yu Shukuang immediately became bright red, despite remaining calm the entire time. He drew his sword with a furious gaze. Yu Zijian was his treasured daughter. If anyone even touched a hair on her, he would throw his life at them.

There was a series of clangs and swishes as weapons were drawn from their sheathes. It was not just the disciples of the Proud Sword manor, but the guests present too. Although some were closer to Yu Shukuang than others, they were still Yu Shukuang’s friends. If they did not help their friend at a time like this, they would be despised by their fellow members of the martial arts society.

This bastard was alone anyway. Even if he was an innate master, he would still run out of true qi!

“Alright, alright, alright!” Ma Chaoqun called out under everyone’s glares. He was fearless. “I’ve spent all these years focusing on cultivation on Pheasant’s Grace mountain, just for this day. Those who have nothing to do with this, piss off. Anyone who gets in my way will be awaiting the retribution of Pheasant’s Grace mountain!”

“Ah!”

With that, a series of disjointed cries rang out. Ma Chaoqun’s words rushed into Li Qingshan’s ears as well. His expression was strange. Pheasant’s Grace mountain? Don’t tell me he’s the legendary Count of Monte Cristo2?

Everyone else obviously did not share the same thought as Li Qingshan. No one present had ever been to the Pheasant’s Grace mountain. They did not even know where it was. However, as long as they were first-rate masters, they would have heard about it before.

The Green Vine mountain, the Pheasant’s Grace mountain, and the Burial Mound mountain were three powerful cultivation sects. They were renowned throughout the Clear River prefecture. Together, they were three famous mountains that stood side by side. Not only did they have Qi Practitioners, but they also had Foundation Establishment cultivators who had undergone the first heavenly tribulation. Their power and influence went without saying.

Regular people only needed to join one of them, and it would be like a change of fate. Their identities would undergo an upheaving change. No one dared to brush aside Ma Chaoqun’s threat. To the people of the jianghu, Qi Practitioners were like higher existences on the food chain.

Many of the people present who were not particularly close with Yu Shukuang retreated slightly. Only a few good friends remained by his side, but they too hesitated.

Yu Zijian was bright red. She was speechless with anger and shame. She saw the situation and rebuked loudly, “If you just kill people blindly, aren’t you afraid of the Hawkwolf Guard?” She had once witnessed the power of a Hawkwolf Guard in person, which left behind an extremely deep impression on her.

Ma Chaoqun burst out laughing. “The Hawkwolf Guard? Do you really think they’ll care about you people of the jianghu?”

Li Qingshan sighed gently. He knew that Ma Chaoqun was right. He was a member of the Hawkwolf Guard, and he knew how they functioned very well. People of the jianghu who could practise inner force were a special group of people who existed between regular people and cultivators, and the Hawkwolf Guard treated them in a very special way too.

The Black Wind stronghold could slaughter whole villages to set precedents and make it onto the blacklist, but not a single Hawkwolf Guard would pay attention to them for several years. However, if cultivators did something like that, it would be regarded as evil, and the commanders would directly send people on a mission to handle them.

If an entire organisation of the jianghu was annihilated, even if it amounted to several hundred lives, the Hawkwolf Guard would investigate the matter at most. They would never handle it seriously. When the people of the jianghu killed regular people, they would be treated like regular people, allowed to run free. However, when they were killed by Qi Practitioners, they would be treated like Qi Practitioners and ignored.

Under Ma Chaoqun’s sinister glare, the master of the Elation sect gulped. “Brother Yu, do you think…”