Chapter 536: The Underworld Visits, The Haunting Temple as the Provenance
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
With Yun Yang's current cultivation base and assistance from others, like Bai Yixue, he was not too worried despite the sticky situation he was now facing. He had inferred the other two assassin organizations' combat standard based on what he understood about the Concourse of the Underworld's capability. Even if they were to really engage in a violent duel, Yun Yang's side might not be at a disadvantage, especially when he shared a somewhat familiar relationship with Concourse of the Underworld; there was a huge chance that he could win them over.
But with the addition of the Four Seasons Tower, the three assassin organizations had become less significant.
"Pay close attention to the princes' actions. Watch the residences and houses of higher authorities closely, don't let even a minuscule move slip past your attention," ordered Yun Yang.
"Yes."
Shui Wuyin understood the situation perfectly well.
So many top-notch assassins had come in unison, forming an unprecedented level of risk. Those killers were trained to wait for the perfect chance, lurking in the dark, and would not usually enter big cities so quickly – to them, entering such a bustling city would greatly increase the possibility of them being exposed. Now, however, they had appeared simultaneously in the city! The seriousness of this issue couldn't be clearer.
It would be bizarre if no one had employed them! But that begs the question, who had employed these people? And who was their target?
The answer was blatant!
When night came, Yun Yang received Shui Wuyin's ceaseless supply of information.
Experts from certain schools had suddenly emerged. Those travelling in the night had suddenly increased in number. Someone had landed outside the city riding a flying mystical beast before they disappeared. A one-eyed man had come, it seemed like he was carrying a strange looking weapon.
The constant messages brewed a storm within Yun Yang. When midnight came, he was still silently waiting for any updates in his study.
A thick fog engulfed the Residence of Yu out of nowhere. Outside of the window, a ghostly wind billowed as a voice spoke, "Young Master Yun, long time no see…"
Yun Yang smiled faintly and got up to open his window.
The ghostly mist that surrounded the house was suddenly churned up as the silhouette of a person abruptly appeared. The person wore a high hat, nodding at Yun Yang, "Does Young Master Yun still remember me?"
First Court King Qinguang! An old enemy he had not met in a long time indeed!
Yun Yang let out a breath of relief when he saw who had come, saying, "Your Highness King Qinguang, I actually feel relieved now that I see you're here safely."
King Qinguang's face looked bitter, he would rather not look back at the past; drifting into Yun Yang's room, he picked up the teapot off the table and gulped its contents, shaking his head. "It's a long story!"
Yun Yang sipped his tea grimly and said, "The world is unpredictable. There are pros and cons. Your Highness' cultivation base now has improved leaps and bounds. Other than being surprised, I'm also very happy for you."
King Qinguang rolled his eyes and replied, "That's thanks to the trouble I got myself wrapped in previously. The Four Seasons Tower is not yet off our backs and we have to risk the advance, the process is more than deadly. Young Master Yun, this is all thanks to you."
Yun Yang laughed and sipped his tea. "No hurry. My time today is all yours. Let's talk through the night, from how it all began, in detail."
King Qinguang snorted.
As he recounted the tale, Yun Yang finally understood why the Four Seasons Tower was so quiet and inactive for this time being.
"I'd rather not look back on the past! That time… that time, you really put me in a fatal spot." First Court King Qinguang sighed, emptying the pot of tea in his hand, and continued glumly.
"You weren't there to personally experience it– how could you possibly understand that the attackers from the Four Seasons Tower that day were f*cking nuts. The Four Venerable Lords led their team of Four Seasons Tower's secret experts and wiped out every Concourse of the Underworld base in the whole martial world. Once it was discovered, it was an extreme battle of death."
First Court King Qinguang said grimly, "Do you know? We initially had one hundred and eight Gold ranked assassins in the Concourse of the Underworld. The fame and reputation of the concourse is largely from these people's efforts but in just this short half a year, a hundred and four of them were killed. The few lucky survivors only managed to stay alive by sheer dumb luck – all of them were severely injured!"
The corners of Yun Yang's lips twitched.
Yun Yang had thought about it before, that Concourse of the Underworld would face the Four Seasons Tower's revenge after that episode, but he had never expected the situation to be so devastating! In fact, Yun Yang had been following the battle between the tower and the concourse but these two parties were exceptionally talented. Before they came to the ultimate outcome, there was hardly any intel regarding their number of casualties. It wasn't until King Qinguang's narration that Yun Yang now knew for certain how crushing the battle between both the parties truly was.
His initial intention was to utilize the Concourse of the Underworld, and all their violent fighting, to ensure that the Four Seasons Tower would suffer immensely. Even if the Concourse of the Underworld was annihilated in the process, such an outcome would absolutely benefit Nine Supremes!
In spite of this, one must not only think about oneself – if he had only thought about being safe himself, the Concourse of the Underworld would only need to toss the fact that Yun Yang was the Nine Supremes' remaining Supreme Cloud and this information would suffice in erasing all grudges they had with the Four Seasons Tower; they could even milk the tower for whatever they could and the Four Seasons Tower would easily comply. Yet the concourse had willingly shouldered the grudge themselves – this was the greatest kindness they could have possibly shown. If Yun Yang did not requite such kindness, he would be a disappointment indeed!
"There's no need to be so shocked. It wasn't only us who suffered from damages, the Four Seasons Tower didn't have it going well for them too. Their forty-eight top-notch experts, besides the Five Venerable Lords and Four Supreme Lords, are about half gone now, killed by us. No more than ten of them are left now. We've even broken the meridians of Venerable Lord Ice from the Four Venerable Lords connected to his heart – he won't live for long."
"We've also killed as many as three of the accompanying experts of the Four Seasons Tower who are said to be on par with the Five Venerable Lords. They're really tough characters, parallel to the Five Venerable Lords, as their men were really impressive."
Hearing this, Yun Yang asked in concern, "To make Four Seasons Tower suffer such damage, I believe the Ten Court Kings must have also suffered losses, other than losing most of your one hundred and eight Gold ranked assassins?"
Yun Yang had asked the question in earnest. From a certain perspective, he felt a sense of loss from the massive casualty of the concourse's Gold ranked assassins but it would be worst if the Ten Court Kings, alongside King Qinguang, had suffered any reduction of members. Although Yun Yang had only met the Ten Court Kings once, not even long enough for a proper conversation, they had a left a deep impression on him; Yun Yang shared a special emotional connection with the Ten Court Kings, just like the reflection of his Nine Supremes brothers. Brotherhood was always the weakest and most vulnerable part of Yun Yang's being. If King Qinguang were to say that there was really a loss of members among the Ten Court Kings, the blow to Yun Yang would be about the same as when he heard his Nine Supremes brothers' passing!
"Don't worry. Who are we, the ten kings of the underworld – we're all still here, no one's missing."
King Qinguang looked proud but his face fell immediately after his words, as he continued, "I'm telling you, kid, don't even think about tricking my brothers. Ten of us are alive but we're all heavily wounded. Those who still have intact combat power now are only two brothers and me."
First Court King Qinguang sighed, "The Concourse of the Underworld, that's usually so renowned in the world and is always referred to as the top assassin organization, is now ruined after this battle. The average combat power we have now is not even a fragment of what we used to be."
Yun Yang coughed and asked in surprise, "What do you mean? You just said that so many from the Four Seasons Tower have died while the ten kings of the concourse are all alive and well. You guys have obviously gained the upper hand here! Don't wallow in self-pity– we weren't that familiar with each other previously thus I thought only of utilizing you and be done with it. But I won't do the same now or else I would look down on myself too!"
First Court King Qinguang chuckled, but it was void of humor, "I'm really not pitying myself. The reason all ten of us brothers could survive is because we've paid a huge price for it. Our master, to make sure all of us survive, he's gone against the Four Seasons Tower's Autumn Wind, Summer Thunder, and Winter Snow alone in the Annihilation Valley battle. He gave his all and it ended in a devastating outcome for both sides – the enemy retreated with injuries while my master…has fallen into a comatose state since that day until now."
"The current Concourse of the Underworld is really left with ten of us tattered brothers and four Gold ranked assassins. Our forces right now can barely withstand another attack. Furthermore, this martial world has nowhere else for us to go!"
First Court King Qinguang sighed, his tone of voice was brimming with remorse.
When he had accepted the deal regarding the Four Seasons Tower, it was to requite the favor they had received and put an end to the kindness in the past but there was also an implicit reason for regarding themselves as much higher in comparison to the Four Seasons Tower.
After all, the Concourse of the Underworld had taken the throne of the world's top assassination organization for too long. While the Four Seasons Tower was entitled to become world's top too, it was something very long ago as well. It was fine if they were to fight each other then – it wouldn't be known as to who would intimidate and win over the other! In spite of it, only when they experienced it personally, it was then that they truly understood how terrifying the tower could be.
If they had not watched it with their own eyes, how could they have believe or even imagined that the concourse's Gold ranked assassins, who had fought countless battles, could barely counter even with their invisibility trick that they depended so proudly on to make a living, it was as if the trick was an imaginary obstacle in the enemy's eyes.
Fight after bloody fight, it all happened within the hundreds of thousands of miles that stretched across the martial world.
What the worldly mortals could not see was that First Court King Qinguang and his group were put into moments of slaughtering almost every second.
"Luckily, our teacher has led us away from the Concourse of the Underworld's headquarters at once, and moved us to the Haunting Temple," sighed King Qinguang.
The Haunting Temple was where the Nine Supremes had helped the Concourse of the Underworld's Ten Court Kings back then. It was due to this that King Qinguang and his brothers owed a huge favor to the brothers of the Nine Supremes. But it was also due to this favor that the concourse was nearly wiped out.
Strictly speaking, King Qinguang and brothers had regretted it before. If they knew that they would pay such a hefty price for this favor, they would have opted for another requite instead or maybe dish out the fact that Yun Yang was Supreme Cloud out in exchange for their safety. One's conscience would always be obscured when forced to an impasse, this was how it had always been!
Now that the Concourse of the Underworld was set to fight to the bitter end against the Four Seasons Tower, they had to instead keep Supreme Cloud's secret for as long as the Nine Supremes' Supreme Cloud remained alive. The Four Seasons Tower would forever feel a prick embedded in their side.
So profound was their determination to fight to their death, that King Qinguang and others who had once again returned to the Haunting Temple, cultivated wholeheartedly. It caused the brothers' cultivation base to grow as if all their potential was reset; all of them had ascended into a new realm, exceeding boundaries by leaps and bounds.
They had risen from the Haunting Temple.
The provenance began from the Haunting Temple.
The fall of the Concourse of the Underworld was also due to the Haunting Temple.
If they were to rise again, it would still be due to the Haunting Temple!
What a roundabout way of fate!
Yun Yang seemed to vaguely understand King Qinguang's intention for this visit. "So you have come now to…" he left the question hanging.
King Qinguang answered grimly, "We've come mainly because we realize that the Four Seasons Tower's main combat squad has all moved to Tiantang City. Because we share the same enemy, we should collaborate to face the tower and triumph over it. Tiantang City is your territory, so perhaps you could provide some kind of dependable hideout to us. Besides, there's also the issue of our master's injury.
He sighed, "Up to now, the Four Seasons Tower's killing intent towards us has never wavered or decreased. It only grows. Unable to take the Four Seasons Tower out, we'll be doomed sooner or later. Defeating the Four Seasons Tower is the crux of our current priorities."
A ghostly flame flickered in First Court King Qinguang's eyes. They were trained on Yun Yang as the man uttered each word clearly, "Let us work together! Lord… Cloud!"
Lord Cloud.
Yun Yang smiled meaningfully and said, "Your Highness King Qinguang, your Lord Cloud is worthy of pondering."
"Everything happens with cause and effect in this world. The karma owed from life and death is destined to end in life and death. If not for you, we wouldn't have gone against the Four Seasons Tower. The Concourse of the Underworld rarely breaks its promises or deals but we will try our best to avoid any risk," the First Court King spoke seriously.
"Oh?" Yun Yang raised his brow with a frown.
Truthfully, Yun Yang was rather confused by the Concourse of the Underworld's attitude towards him. He had plotted a massive trick against them in the past, but although the party followed through with their deal, they did not hold him liable afterwards. Even when they paid such a hefty price for it, they still did not come after him. Listening to it now, it seemed that there was a larger story behind all of this!
"Back then…" First Court King Qinguang sighed. His tone was rather lethargic – he had explained the same reason to his brothers and now, he had to explain the situation to the litigant. How helpless it all seemed!
"So that's why!" Yun Yang would never have guessed that the group of people he and his brothers had saved by chance was actually the ten kings of hell. He was deeply moved.
Looking at the stoic and eerie expression of King Qinguang in front of him, Yun Yang felt a surge of emotions.
It had not been very long since the establishment of the Nine Supremes', but they had managed to help so many people. Yet after they were stricken with misfortune, what most people did in return was only to pay tribute to them, expressing their gratitude, and worshipping them. At most, they would vehemently condemn the bad guys who had conspired against the Nine Supremes. But to find someone who really went out of their way and actually did something for the Nine Supremes, someone who made an effort with the idea of avenging the Nine Supremes in mind…could there even be one such person among ten thousand?
Never would Yun Yang have expected this assassin organization, infamous throughout the martial world, to remember their favor years ago and even willingly pay the hefty price of almost annihilating themselves for that said favor.
All this while, he did not even know about the provenance of things.
It only showed how precious such kinship was all the more!
"Thank you!" Yun Yang stood up and bowed deeply to King Qinguang.
First Court King Qinguang had always been ghostly, basically putting a ghoulish front all the time. But when suddenly faced with Yun Yang's bow, he was actually flustered, springing up and waving his hands. "No need, no need. What we brothers ask for is only a clear conscience."
"To ask for a clear conscience, to be free of guilt to oneself, a lot of people might say things like that, but to actually put such words into action, it would only still be a handful of such people," Yun Yang said softly.
"The ten kings of the underworld, the martial world assassins who work on commission, it's incredibly moving to see such justice and kinship at your core!" Yun Yang continued more seriously, "Yun Yang thanks all of you here on behalf of my eight brothers!"
The first court king's pale face flushed.
He was one who had heard too many compliments, too much pandering, and flattering words; he should already be immune to them. Yet the situation now was largely different. This was a compliment and a thank-you from the Nine Supremes' Supreme Cloud – what was more, it was genuine and came from the bottom of his heart.
It was utterly precious!