Chapter 51 - Four Pillars’ Leader (1/2)

The slums in the Imperial Capital were the darkest corners of the empire. Seedy, good, devious, and all other kinds of people mixed in here, along with the downed shacks painted a perfectly wretched image. Any self-respecting man who had some money on the side would never choose to live here.

Only those living from one day to the next and the truly poor stayed here, waiting for the day that would rob them of their lives.

Yet in the worst corner of the slums was a courtyard the people feared to the point of being afraid to step through its doors. Even if the vilest and most sinister man was to wander by happenstance here, he would be warned to leave this house be.

This courtyard was unoccupied, but at night, there were eerie whispers coming from it. Some braved to investigate, but it was as if their traces in this world vanished the moment they stepped foot inside.

Recently, some Bone Tempering and even a Profound Heaven expert charged in, fearing no evil.

Afterwards, well, there was no news. They were gone all the same. From that moment, the courtyard became a taboo, avoided by the strong and weak alike.

On a full moon night, when the slums had turned unusually quiet. The people had gone home earlier and as far away from the demonic courtyard as possible.

But it was then that a faint lantern lit up in the courtyard. It was akin to ghost fire, flickering on and off.

In a ruined room of the courtyard, an elderly with white temples sat in a pleased manner on a tutor’s chair, waving a goose feathered fan. His half-lidded eyes flashed here and there, and his mouth was twisted at the corners. It was as if the world’s suffering and happiness were beneath him.

Two old men stood behind, one with black hair and the other with white hair. Their eyes were closed but their powerful auras identified them as experts, preventing any living creature from approaching a hundred meters around them.

Even a harmless beetle would find its tiny heart wreaked with fear.

Whoosh!

A sound broke the silence and a black-clothed man suddenly appeared outside the room. He had a bamboo hat that hid his features.

The sitting old man stopped fanning and smiled, “Valley Lord You, how is it progressing?”

The bamboo wearing man was Hell Valley’s Valley Lord, You Wanshan!

Sighing, You Wanshan shook his head, “A dozen years of painstaking effort was ruined. The Emperor ordered for Hell Valley to stay away from Windgaze City. The same goes for the other houses. He must have sensed something.”

“Oh.” The old man raised an eyebrow with a smile, “The Emperor is planning on enacting the Secret Pearl Order?”

“My guess is yes.”

You Wanshan’s face grew angry, “They got luck on their side last time, but next time, it won’t be so simple. Emperor wants to raise the 8th house, but we shall see if the clan can live to see that day!”

“Ha-ha-ha, Valley Lord You, ease your anger. A loss is a loss. Why make excuses?” The old man was still calm, yet his words were sharp and filled with disdain, “Hell Valley is one of the Seven Noble Houses, yet it can’t even deal with three common clans. The time of its fall must be close at hand.”

You Wanshan snapped, his power exploding. Peak Profound Heaven cultivation smashed the windows to splinters. He unleashed all of it to pressure the old man.

“Zhuge Changfeng, you were the one who told me of the contents of the Secret Pearl Order. It was also you who said the Emperor wants to help in the rise of the 8th house. The dozen years plan also came from you. So how can you speak like this?”

You Wanshan bellowed, “Go to hell!”

The smile never left the old man’s face, still sitting calmly and fanning slowly.

Boom!

Just when the pressure was drawing near Zhuge Changfeng, the black and white elders behind him opened their eyes.

At that moment, one’s eyes flashed black while the other’s flashed white. A ripple echoed outwards and clashed with You Wanshan’s display of power, creating a jarring sound.

The entire slums shook.

You Wanshan’s felt a sweetness in his throat and spat blood as his face paled.

The two elders closed their eyes again, while Zhuge Changfeng swayed the fan like nothing had happened, still sporting that ever-present smile.

You Wanshan watched the black and white elders incredulously, “Yin Yang Elders?”

Zhuge Changfeng nodded, “Valley Lord You sure is knowledgeable. These seniors haven’t shown up over the past century. I find it amazing that you still recognize them.”

Grinding his teeth in anger, You Wanshan panted while also spitting blood now and then, but the look he had when he turned to the elders was now one of fear.

“You are worthy of being Tianyu’s number one sage, Four Pillars’s Leader, Prime Minister Zhuge. To be able to make these monsters leave their mountain, not even that Fang Qiubai from the Divine Dragons can compare to you.”

“Ha-ha-ha, Valley Lord You is exaggerating. I am not worthy of such a title. I do not dare face the Imperial family in the open just yet.” Zhuge Changfeng let out a short laugh, but the confidence he exuded was unshakable.