Chapter 14: Vessel (1/2)
“Dead! Ge Chengxian’s been murdered!” Incredulous cultivators shuddered with shock. Someone had been so bold as to kill Ge Chengxian!
House Ge was the second most powerful clan of cultivators in Dusk Province. With House Lu’s decline, House Ge was poised to replace them as the most powerful clan. They were also the most likely to take over the governorship.
Major factions in Nephrite Major had spared no effort to raise up House Ge, wanting to extend their fingers into Dusk Province. That was also why Ge Chengxian had returned. No one had expected the young man would be killed so soon after setting foot in the province!
“You killed the sixth master, Lu Yun. You’re dead. You’re dead!” Those from House Ge just about lost their minds. However, with a spirit realm expert like Yin Xuantian in front of them, they didn’t dare do anything but run their mouths.
“Ha! Hahaha! Now you recognize me? House Ge has committed high treason in Dusk City! They attempted to assassinate the governor and attacked the Dusk Phalanx. They were blatantly staging a coup! Soldiers, capture all of the treacherous scum!”
The cultivators present felt their stomachs lurch. Among them, those from House Ge were the most desperate. The Dusk Phalanx!
Lu Yun had summoned the army stationed in the northern territories!
They’d thought the soldiers in black armor were merely the remaining militia of House Lu. Located in the north of Nephrite Major, Dusk cherished black as their provincial color. Forces serving the governor’s manor wore black as well, so who would’ve surmised that these soldiers were the heavenly army?
While Lu Yun had lain unconscious, factions in Dusk Province made quick work of the Lu loyalists, either transferring them to other posts or executing them with flimsy excuses. Those operations continued to even this day.
Even then, House Lu had once been the most powerful family in the province. Though they were on the verge of collapse, their many branches hadn’t all been excised yet. There were some remnants left still.
“How dare you, Lu Yun!” roared a cultivator. “The Dusk Phalanx defends the northern border against the sea monsters. What if those monsters invade and conquer our territory because you brought the army here? You’ll be the greatest sinner in all of the immortal world!”
“Only ten thousand came. If the remaining nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand soldiers fail to withstand the monsters, then the entirety of the Dusk Phalanx may as well end ourselves by self-detonation.” Spear still dripping with blood, Yin Xuantian’s gaze turned mocking. “Kill!”
“Wait!” A messily dressed young man with red lipstick imprinted on his cheek elbowed his way through the crowd. “Stop! Halt, everyone!”
He raised his hand and waved a shiny token. “I am a special envoy of His Majesty the Celestial Emperor. Under His Majesty’s command, halt! You there! What are you doing? Why did you step forward? Back down, all of you!
“This is all a misunderstanding, Your Excellency! Please be so kind as to forgive them. Well, what are you all still doing here? Get going!”
The man had called himself a celestial emperor’s envoy, but he hardly looked the part. He seemed more like a typical skirt-chaser who’d been dragged out of his latest foray into the flower bushes. His words held no weight at all.
Yin Xuantian’s expression changed when he noted the token, but he didn’t put away his spear. Dusk Phalanx was the Nephrite Major’s heavenly army, but they were commanded by the governor of Dusk. He wasn’t going to stop unless Lu Yun commanded it. A mere envoy had no power over the Dusk Phalanx; only the celestial emperor himself could override the orders of the governor of the city of Dusk.
“Greetings, Sir Envoy!” The crowd sighed in relief to see an envoy from the celestial emperor show up. The tension in the air slightly dissipated.
“Since you’ve come in person, then this certainly is a misunderstanding,” Lu Yun cheerily joked with a smile. “It’s not like His Majesty’s envoy is going to rebel against His Majesty, is he?”
This governor really is crazy! The envoy shuddered. If he dared favor House Ge and the others even a little at this moment, this madman would likely order his execution.
“Thank you for answering the call, General Yin.” Lu Yun raised a cupped fist salute at Yin Xuantian. “Please assign some dependable men to take over the city’s defense once you return. The law and order of the provincial capital must be preserved. I may have only half a year left in my term, but I hope that this remaining time will peacefully pass by in the province. If someone rebels again, it will reflect badly on me.”
“Understood!” Yin Xuantian bowed to Lu Yun.
“Yuying.” Lu Yun glanced at his servant. She remained silent, and the token in her hand shone with a bright golden light, materializing the enormous door once again.
“Retreat!” The Dusk Phalanx marched in neat fashion through the portal and disappeared from sight.
“We’ll wipe that arrogance off of your face soon enough, Lu Yun. Your death sentence is in six more months!” House Ge cultivators gnashed their teeth.
“Didn’t we clean out the remnants of House Lu? Who’s the woman following Lu Yun? Why does she dare to stick close to him at such a time? Let’s find a chance to kill her, too!” Just like House Ge, those from Houses Feng and Gongsun were staring at Yuying with a thick murderous intent.
House Lu was close to falling apart. Although some stubborn supporters remained, most had been taken out by major provincial factions over the past few days.
“Let’s go.” Lu Yun swept a glance over the crowd. Varying expressions hung on their faces, and though many were trying their best to conceal killing intent, Lu Yun could still see through their masks. Scoffing, he memorized their faces. It was better to know his enemies than to die from an unexpected stab in the back.
“Please wait a minute, pretty fairy. I’m Feng Li. May I have the honor of knowing your name?” The envoy caught up with Lu Yun and fell in step with Yuying. He smiled and wiped away the lipstick on his face.
Yuying followed after the governor with a frosty expression, paying the envoy no attention.
“Feng Li?” Lu Yun stopped in his tracks. “Someone from House Feng has become an imperial envoy?” He recalled a House Feng in Dusk City. Their family’s grand steward lived in his manor.
“Ah, you misunderstand, Your Excellency. I belong to House Feng of the Nephrite capital, which has nothing to do with the House Feng here.” Feng Li shifted to cozying up to Lu Yun, seeing that Yuying had refused to even spare him a glance.
“You would know best if the two are actually separate,” smirked Lu Yun. “Didn’t you come here to support House Feng and help them claim the seat of the governor?”
Feng Li paused. He hadn’t expected that Lu Yun would so easily see through him. He seems a little different from the simpleminded bully that rumor paints him as.
“That sixth son of House Ge didn’t know me, either,” continued Lu Yun. “He must’ve been sent by one of the factions of Nephrite Capital to fight for the position. Tsk tsk, Patriarch Ge didn’t even show his face when his son was killed, nor did he collect the body. That kid was probably adopted.”
He followed up his words with a round of laughter. His voice wasn’t too loud, but everyone around them had heard him quite clearly.
Those from House Ge finally broke free from their shock and collected their sixth master’s body.
“Heh heh, you’ve guessed right, Your Excellency.” Feng Li shamelessly clung to Lu Yun, glancing at Yuying every once in a while. “On top of my duty to support House Feng, however,” a serious expression accompanied his sudden shift in topic, “I bring a message for you, Your Excellency.”
“What is it?” Lu Yun asked in surprise. “Is His Majesty going to strip me of my title right now?”
“No,” Feng Li replied solemnly. “The decree has been modified. There will be a tournament in half a year, with Your Excellency as the defending champion. If you can defeat a hundred challengers, you get to keep your position! Likewise, if anyone else manages to get a hundred consecutive wins, they’ll become the new ruler of the province!”
“A hundred challengers?!” Lu Yun’s expression soured. “Does His Majesty want me dead? No, that can’t be. He can kill me with a simple decree, so why go through all this trouble?”
The expressions on his face reflected his rapidly shifting thoughts, and an answer quickly showed itself. “Someone acquired a Aurum Openia Pill for me, didn’t they?”