Chapter 158: First Court King Qinguang
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"If you win?" First Court King Qinguang snorted. "If you win, I shall let you all off the hook."
Yun Yang was silent for a while before he spoke, "There is another condition. From now onwards, Fang Mofei will be free from the machinations of the Concourse of the Underworld!"
King Qinguang sneered derisively. "You can ask for whatever you wish, as this is a battle you cannot win!"
Yun Yang’s expression was still as maddeningly calm as he said softly, "Very well, after you then."
First Court King Qinguang chuckled softly yet his chuckle seemed like the chilling wind of hell ascending the world. The ghastly fog expanded abruptly to cover a radius of over a hundred feet, engulfing both himself and Yun Yang within it.
The abrupt fog had inhibited Yun Yang’s vision so much so that he could not even see his fingers in front of him.
Without hesitation, Yun Yang immediately closed his eyes.
His body swayed with the wind and cloud; a chilling breeze blew through the fog but Yun Yang remained unmoved, allowing the macabre wind to whisk past him. Yun Yang twitched slightly, his finger flicking out just as the ghastly wind howled across him.
A soft hum emanated from the side, followed by a powerful force that came crashing from the top.
Yun Yang remained stationary; his opponent's energy had slashed at him, slicing down from head to toe in a powerful chop but until it landed on the ground, it faced no resistance. Yun Yang, who had been dealt a terrible blow, had lashed out at the same time, his palm punching out in a counterattack.
His palm landed right on the leg that had crushed his body.
King Qinguang made another hum of surprise before his entire being turned into a foul, billowing wind. It rapidly encircled Yun Yang as the wind took the form of sharp blades and arrows, spinning and slashing at Yun Yang from every direction at once.
It was no longer an easy feat for Yun Yang to stay stationary, so he shifted his body accordingly. His body faded into illusion, as ethereal as the wind and clouds, his physique dissolving and reassembling itself at will; a head to head battle against the first court king then ensued in the fog.
The more King Qinguang fought, the more he realized that there was something odd about the person he was fighting with. He could help but grow increasingly worried about this child's ability to shift in and out of existence, an ability which almost rivaled his own.
What was worse, a few of this child's attacks had actually gotten past his defenses.
Although their abilities were vastly different and Yun Yang could never actually hurt him, he still felt the keen sting of humiliation.
King Qinguang could not help second guessing himself – could he really win this battle?
This was the first time King Qinguang had doubted himself, especially when he was sure that he held victory within his grasp.
A cold glint flashed in the mist followed by a bone-chilling growl; a colossal force suddenly exploded within the murky depths of the fog.
Yun Yang groaned as he was flung away like a kite with broken thread.
The chillingly thick fog immediately dissipated.
Victory and defeat had been decided.
Yun Yang staggered to his feet, seventy paces away in the courtyard, his gaze icy as an iceberg. He did not wipe away the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth as he said quietly, "You’ve lost."
An extremely cold fog erupted right before King Qinguang’s face, charged with the macabre fury of vengeful spirits.
"Pressing on no matter your position? You started the battle by using mystical Qi of fifth peak’s level, but in the midst of our struggle, you unleashed the Wraith of the Underworld." Yun Yang continued nonchalantly, "After three subsequent strikes, you began to use the cultivation base of the sixth peak… As for the last strike, you used…"
Yun Yan’s gaze was mocking as he completed his sentence on a triumphant note. "You used the cultivation base of at least the eighth peak! You have lost the battle."
"Your Highness King Qinguang." Yun Yang smiled lightly. "The Concourse of the Underworld is indeed faithful to their promises."
The intense gray fog that had been roiling about the First Court King Qinguang stilled abruptly. From the solidifying fog, it was obvious that he was infuriated, but suddenly, the ghastly aura disappeared.
"You have indeed won this battle." The black mist around King Qinguang’s face dissipated to reveal the unremarkable face of a thirty-seven or thirty-eight-year-old man.
He looked at Yun Yang with no small measure of surprise and doubt.
Yun Yang smiled and walked back towards him leisurely, not at all worried that he would inflict any harm on him and said in a relaxed manner, "If there’s one such day by chance, I’ll let you off the hook too."
King Qinguang chuckled eerily and said, "Are you not afraid of me?"
Yun Yang laughed. "Why do I have to be afraid of you? Can you kill me?"
First Court King Qinguang actually thought long and hard about Yun Yang’s words before he sighed softly and answered, "No."
He shook his head in puzzlement. "My cultivation base is at least a hundred times stronger than yours, but I sincerely believe that I wouldn't be able to kill you. Your skill is so inexplicably bizarre, it’s amazing."
Yun Yang replied with a smile. "Actually, my favorite thing to do is to make friends. An additional friend opens additional paths; making enemies is simply a waste of resources – not something a wise man would do."
First court king’s gaze glinted merrily like the flickering light of the will-o’-the-wisp as he let out a strange chuckle. "My mantra is exactly the opposite of yours. All I’ve done in this life is to make enemies; I have never made friends."
Yun Yang questioned, "Could it be that the other nine court kings are not your friends?"
King Qinguang was quiet for a bit before he replied faintly, "We are not friends."
He enunciated his next words clearly, "We are brothers."
…
King Qinguang was bewildered about the situation he found himself in.
As he spoke his last few words, the expression of the young in front of him began to darken as he fell into a stony silence.
He was utterly perplexed. What ails this man? Is he enchanted or stunned? Does he actually feel jealous about the words I have just spoken?
Fang Mofei looked at Yun Yang worriedly from the sidelines.
King Qinguang had no intention of kicking up a fuss when he came over– firstly, he had other, more important, things to do and it was not the time to complicate matters; secondly, it was an important point to the Concourse of the Underworld that Fang Mofei was the first person to willingly leave the organization. The others had either died in battle, left due to handicaps, or had taken their own lives as payment for failed missions.
King Qinguang was extremely curious about this, so he had come to Fang Mofei to find out the reason behind the desertion. The latter had spoken unceasingly of Yun Yang’s positive points and saving grace, babbling about how he would be willing to die for someone who understood him best.
The truth and the reason that could quell King Qinguang’s confusion, however, was not mentioned at all.
This made King Qinguang immensely curious about this person named Yun Yang.
Having met the fellow, he felt something akin to kinship, an appreciation of the similarities between them.
There was another reason why King Qinguang was reluctant to give in as well.
He had come with the title of king of the underworld, yet this man could not seem to be defeated, regardless of the severity of his attacks. He even had the ability to phase his body in and out of existence.
In that sense, Yun Yang was more like a ghost than he himself was and that was why King Qinguang felt like they were similar… as if he had finally met his own kind.
Of course, the main reason behind the feeling of kinship was because he realized that he could not defeat this man.
His cultivation was much higher and stronger but he was certain that he could not best this man. King Qinguang felt the sharp sting of humiliation keenly.
Because of the seeming invincibility of the man, King Qinguang was certain that he was a force to be reckoned with in time to come.
"Why aren’t you saying anything?" King Qinguang asked Yun Yang.
"I am thinking of your nine brothers." Yun Yang grinned, one that held no real mirth. "I am really envious of you."
His dark expression and silence were due to jealousy?
"Envious? I have never made a friend, not a single one." King Qinguang said sincerely, "But if I had no choice but to form such meaningless relations, well, you would be the first on my list."
Yun Yang smiled. "Truly? You regard me so highly?"
"Truly!" King Qinguang was the very soul of sincerity. "I even rank you higher than Ling Xiaozui!"
If this evaluation was genuine, it was one that came highly praised!
Yun Yang laughed.
"Since this is the result of today’s battle, this issue shall be forgone once and for all. Fang Mofei…" King Qinguang turned to look at the man in question and continued, "Henceforth, you shall no longer part of the affairs of the Concourse of the Underworld."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Fang Mofei said shakily, still unwilling to believe the turn of events.
It has been solved, just like that?
So easily?
Isn’t this child’s play?
"Farewell, my friend." King Qinguang stood up and waved at Yun Yang. "If ever the situation permits, I shall present you to the Concourse of the Underworld."
The gray fog wreathed him once more and King Qinguang turned into a chilling ball of wind. He dissipated into the air, disappearing within the blink of an eye.
"That day won't be far off." Yun Yang murmured, looking in the direction where the first court king had left, "Perhaps we can meet again at Tiantang City."
He sighed and turned to walk away.
After just two steps, Yun Yang, who had been the victor, seemed to lose control of his emotions as he spun around to kick the stone table right into the air.
With a loud crack, the stone table disintegrated into dust as it reached its peak in midair.
Holding his head high against the swirling dust in the air, Yun Yang shouted with clenched jaws and gritted teeth, "Do you think you are the only one who has brothers? I f*cking have brothers too!"
This was, of course, in reply to King Qinguang’s earlier words, "We’re not friends, we’re brothers."
When King Qinguang had proclaimed it, Yun Yang was immensely envious – insanely jealous of the radiance dancing in the king’s eyes.
He could only vent his frustration and anger now.
Oh, how pitiful his ranting must sound!
Fang Mofei and Lao Mei, who had just regained consciousness, were simultaneously dumbfounded.
They could hear the endless heartache contained within his brief growl that sounded suspiciously like a heart-shattering sob.
…
Tie Zheng had his frown locked deeply in place for days now.
He had finally come to realize that his budget was insufficient.
He had tried to ascertain the final number of guests, but he had never thought that there would be so many of them!