Chapter 161 - Confrontation (1/2)

"Senior Martial Brother Zhong, please come in."

'Shui Qingyan' held a warm bright smile and invited Zhong Yue into her cave dwelling without the slightest sign of enmity or hatred. She smiled, "Senior Martial Brother Zhong is really a man of his word, coming in time as he promised. What a scenic night this is, a bright moon and a beautiful partner. Is Senior Martial Brother Zhong getting a little enamored?"

Zhong Yue followed her into her cave dwelling, he raised his head up and indeed, the moon was dangling high in the sky and he could vaguely perceive the landscape on the surface of the moon, it was clear and bright.

Although it held the name of a 'cave dwelling', it looked more like a palace. It was not really a cave, but rather a courtyard. It was the early days in the history of humans where they would stay in the caves, but ever since the emergence of the You Chao Clan and the Fuxi Era's Da Ting Clan, most of humanity evolved from cave dwellers to vast and wide houses.

Her cave dwelling was embellished with beautiful lanterns and the walls were adorned with night pearls. There were also different totem pillars perfusing the surroundings with their colors as the moonlight shone on them — it was truly the courtyard of a young lady. Even in the darkness of the night, it had an inimitably idyllic ambiance.

"What a picture-perfect moon!"

Zhong Yue praised nonchalantly, "There is indeed a bright moon, but maybe not the beautiful partner, whereas enamorment is utterly absurd."

'Shui Qingyan' walked shoulder to shoulder with him as her sweet-scented fragrance wafted their way into Zhong Yue's nose. Cold rays flashed in her eyes and she said smilingly, "Senior martial brother has taken Junior Martial Sister Xiao Chuqing's moon spirit, bathing under this spectacular moonlight would be quite beneficial for your cultivation base."

"Junior martial sister's words, I don't understand them at all"

Zhong Yue responded laughingly, "To be honest, talking to the Tian Myriad Mother who is tens of thousands of years my senior, yet acknowledging you as junior martial sister ... quite a novel concept I must admit."

Words were merely characters one uttered; although he had said so, the expression on his face betrayed nothing.

Their conversations were laden with hidden meanings, directing onto one another — Zhong Yue denied that he killed Xiao Chuqing as he was worried that the young lady possessed some sort of arcane skill that could record his voice, or that there may be some other experts hiding in the shadows, waiting for the chance to accost him once he admitted his guilt.

Suddenly, 'Shui Qingyan' chortled, "Senior Martial Brother Zhong is very vigilant, please, take a sit."

They walked past the pontoons and reached the gazebo in the middle of the pool, a fire burned atop her fingertip as she brewed a pot of tea. Standing up, she poured him a warm cup of tea and said, "There are no outsiders here, our conversation is concealed from the ears of others."

She smiled coquettishly, "When Junior Martial Sister Xiao's death news reached back to Swords Gate, I was greatly shocked. I've made my way to the celestial messenger and guess what he said? He heaved a breath of relief and rejoiced her death."

Zhong Yue's facial expressions shifted slightly, Xiao Chuqing's death gave rise to a series of difficulties, and yet the celestial messenger hiding in Swords Gate cheered for her death. It was not hard to infer that the celestials were not a unified front. Xiao Chuqing's arrival had threatened the celestial messenger's position and hence, he longed for her death.

And more importantly, 'Shui Qingyan' told him a very crucial piece of information — that there was a celestial messenger hiding in Swords Gate!

She must have thought that I know all these things already, that's why she mentioned the celestial messenger. It seems like the celestials have seeped their influence into Swords Gate already.

Zhong Yue thought to himself,  Who would this celestial messenger be….

'Shui Qingyan' saw his expressions and her heart shook, she instantly knew that she had revealed information that Zhong Yue was never aware of,  This brat, the things he knows weren't as much as I thought. I've miscalculated, but he won't be able to find out more information from my mouth anymore!

Zhong Yue smiled and asked, "Junior martial sister invited me over, this can't possibly be about the dead Xiao Chuqing right? This celestial race must have some words for me?"

'Shui Qingyan' smiled while covering her alluring lips with her hands and said, "His requests are simple — I'll represent the Swords Gate in the duel with the Xiao Mang Celestial Race while you sit by and watch quietly. And also, Senior Martial Brother Zhong should stay low a little bit more, and be compliant and obedient for a little longer. After all, it is the bird that flies at the front that gets shot down first, and the giant among the men that dies the fastest. As long as a single word about you killing Xiao Chuqing reached to the ears of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race, you will definitely die by their hands with no chance of survival at all. Don't forget, you are the man that had been to the moon."

She gazed deeply at Zhong Yue, intentionally emphasizing on the last sentence.

'The man that's been to the moon," this one reason was enough for the Xiao Mang Celestial Race to exert their utmost strength in exterminating him!

All because he has been to the moon and discovering the biggest secret of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race ... it was of the utmost importance!

The disappearance of the moon spirit with the replacement of Xiao Mang Celestial Race great ancestor's spirit — if the world were to find out about it, it would cause an earth-shaking uproar, and the Xiao Mang Celestial Race's schemes of tens of thousands of years would vanish overnight!

All these years, the races that paid obeisance the moon were actually strengthening the Xiao Mang Celestial Race great ancestor's godly spirit. If this nefarious scheme were exposed, no one would continue worshipping the moon and manifest the moon spirit anymore.

Hence, the Xiao Mang Celestial Race can never abide a single word of this matter to be leaked!

"I see."

Zhong Yue answered bluntly, "I refuse."

'Shui Qingyan' sneered coldly, a flash of killing intent crossed her eyes, "So Senior Martial Brother Zhong is planning to have a life and death struggle? Even if you were to divulge my identity as Tian Myriad Mother to the world, who would believe you? However, if the celestial messenger said out that you've killed Xiao Chuqing, you'll undoubtedly die for sure!"

Rays also flashed in Zhong Yue's eyes, he replied with a smiling face, "I've attained the headmaster's heritage, I could be considered as a half disciple of the Swords Gate headmaster. My weight that my words now carry are a far cry from before, even the elder council must take it into consideration!"

'Shui Qingyan' chuckled merrily and asked, "Alright then, how did you tell that I'm Tian Myriad Mother? And what evidence do you have to prove such statements?"

Zhong Yue's heart sank, 'Shui Qingyan' gazed at his face and noticed his forlorn expression. She suddenly laughed and said, "You have your own secrets, don't you? It was because of the little secret of yours, that you could realize that I'm Tian Myriad Mother. You want to divulge my identity as the Tian Myriad Mother, but when the world demands you to show evidence, your little secret will be exposed as well, am I right?"