Chapter 552: Sacred Heavenly Church
Initially, the crowd of onlookers were laughing; they felt that Zhang Zeyang was very comical and funny. When they thought of his domineering attitude, they felt extremely good.
However, when the crowd saw his increasingly miserable situation, their smiles vanished. They felt pity for this fellow. Being taught a lesson to this extent was worse than killing him.
No matter what the others said, Zhang Zeyang still kept trying to stand up. This time, he carefully placed both hands on the floor and pushed.
Zhang Zeyang braced his left leg on the floor and slowly got to his feet. He revealed an expression filled with hope as he steadily straightened his back, gradually succeeding in standing up.
The manservant at the side quickly smiled and said, “Young Master, you have succeeded!”
Zhang Zeyang laughed carefreely. “Ha ha ha! Playing with me? Damn it! If I know who was the one who did this, I will kill his entire family. Doesn’t he know who is in charge in Mohe City…”
“Pa!”
Before Zhang Zeyang could finish speaking, he slammed back onto the floor, this time with even more force. The sound was very clearly audible to everyone in the restaurant.
The crowd felt their chests tighten; many people could not bear to continue looking. They closed their eyes. This was too tragic!
Kill my entire family?
Xiao Chen smiled coldly to himself. After his long absence, this group of people had already forgotten the present he left them before.
Xiao Chen walked back to his table and put down the wine flask. Then, he tossed a gold ingot on the table before jumping out the window.
The strongest cultivator present was only a peak Martial Grand Master. These people could not detect what a half-step Martial Monarch like Xiao Chen had done.
This was the difference between heaven and earth.
After four hours, the manservant sat beside Zhang Zeyang and advised, “Second Young Master, it’s time to get up. Everyone in the restaurant has left already.”
Zhang Zeyang buried his face in the floor. He was in so much pain he had tears in his eyes. He shouted, “Scram. What does an idiot like you know? You just want to humiliate this Second Young Master. Even if you kill me, I won’t get up. My face hurts, do you know that?”
In the desolate streets of Mohe City, Xiao Chen slowly headed towards Mo Fan’s smithy as he tried to recall the route there.
Just like four years ago, Mo Fan’s smithy looked extremely plain. A weather-beaten signboard hung above the door; it looked like it would fall off at any moment.
The door was left unlocked. Xiao Chen stood in front of it for a long time, recalling the scene from long ago. Many thoughts ran through his head as he looked at the Lunar Shadow Saber in his hand.
The Lunar Shadow Saber was forged here four years ago. At that time, he had spoken to a man a thousand years gone, promising not to let Ao Jiao cry.
Back then, Xiao Chen had not known who that man was; he had not known how powerful this person used to be.
Only when he completely understood did he realize how heavy that promise was. That one promise was equivalent to him accepting the Thunder Emperor’s sword.
She was Ao Jiao, a proud Sword Spirit. Even with the Thunder Emperor’s strength, he could not prevent her fall. Could Xiao Chen?
Xiao Chen had a grave expression as he sighed softly. “The Thunder Emperor was unable to prevent the fall of the Thunder Wood Sword. Can I?
“Still so unconfident, Trashy Master?”
Xiao Chen startled before joyfully saying, “Ao Jiao, you are awake already?”
He remembered Ao Jiao saying that the next time she woke up, she would have completely assimilated the Saber Spirit.
Ao Jiao’s lips curled up within the Lunar Shadow Saber. She said softly, “I have been awake since the time you and Liu Ruyue were intimate. I even watched for a long time.”
Flabbergasted, Xiao Chen asked, “In that case, should I be thanking you for not interrupting me?”
Ao Jiao laughed and said, “There is no need to thank me. I have always been magnanimous. Don’t just stand there. Go in!”
Xiao Chen felt helpless; he could not do anything about Ao Jiao. So, he pushed the door open and entered.
“The shop is already closed. We are already closed for the day!”
The small shop was filled with dust. Mo Fan was limping towards a shelf, tidying up some of the weapons there.
Xiao Chen asked softly, “Even for me?”
Mo Fan’s hands paused. Then, he turned around and saw a youth in white robes and a saber at his waist. He revealed a smile and looked calmly at Xiao Chen.
“Xiao Chen!” Mo Fan exclaimed joyfully after a long moment.
Xiao Chen’s appearance was now very different from how he looked four years ago. This was especially so for his aura, which was vastly different.
When ordinary people looked at Xiao Chen, they would not be able to connect him to the Xiao Clan’s Second Young Master from four years ago. The biggest proof was that no one recognized him when he entered Mohe City.
Mo Fan said ruefully, “It really is you. You really changed a lot. If not for the Lunar Shadow Saber, I would not have recognized you.
Xiao Chen looked around the shop. When he saw the messy piles of sabers, he sighed and said, “It’s been four years and your shop has not changed at all.”
Mo Fan smiled and said, “How much can my shop change? Come in and talk. We can chat as we drink.”
“Wait a moment!”
Mo Fan asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Chen did not say anything. He extended a hand and a sword flew out from the weapons rack. The sword was about 1.5 meters long and three centimeters wide. It was very light and thin. When it moved in the air, it did not make any sound.
“Listening to the Sword and Communicating with It!” Xiao Chen shouted and the thin sword vibrated continuously, giving off a melodious hum.
“Weng! Weng! Weng!”
In that instant, all the swords in the shop started humming. When all the swords vibrated together, the room seemed to resonate.
“Good, we can go in now.”
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and stopped. Right then, all the humming stopped and peace was restored.
Mo Fan felt it was strange. He did not know why Xiao Chen had done this.
Ao Jiao, within the Lunar Shadow Saber, clenched her fist. She said grumpily, “This fellow is really vengeful. Unexpectedly, he did not forget what I said from four years ago.”
------
Back in Mohe City, after the incident in the restaurant, the Zhang Clan’s Clan Head, Zhang Yan, lead the clan’s elites and rushed over.
When Zhang Yan arrived, he saw the cracks on the floor and the still-prostrate Zhang Zeyang, who refused to stand up. He also saw the five men who had collapsed on the floor beside him.
Zhang Yan’s expression was very sullen as he stood at the doors. He called the manservant over and said, “Tell me everything that happened, in detail.”
Unexpectedly, five Martial Grand Masters had died. A Martial Grand Master was considered an elite fighter in Mohe City. Now that five died in one go, he could not help but be in a bad mood.
The manservant detailed everything that happened. When he saw Zhang Yan going over to Zhang Zeyang to pull him up, he said anxiously, “Clan Head, don’t go over and speak to him now. The Young Master is in a very bad mood.”
Zhang Yan glanced at the manservant without a care. He thought to himself, I am his father. What’s wrong with calling him to get up?
When Zhang Zeyang heard footsteps, he immediately cried out loudly, “Scram, you idiot. Did you not hear what I said? My face hurts. I do not want to get up. Who is calling me, now? I will not get up!”
Zhang Yan’s expression changed and he immediately kicked Zhang Zeyang, knocking him back.
When Zhang Zeyang saw it was Zhang Yan, he made to get up right away. However, halfway to his feet, he seemed to have remembered something scary and quickly lay back down again.
“Father, I really cannot get up now. Just ignore me. Let me lie here for a night first. If I do not lie here, I will feel very uncomfortable,” Zhang Zeyang said with a sullen expression.
Zhang Yan shouted furiously, “Trash! Drag him back. Bring back the five corpses for the Lord Emissary to take a look at as well.”
“There is no need. I am here already.”
At some point in time, a cultivator in black robes appeared in the hall, floating down from the roof.
The black robes had many ancient patterns embroidered on it, making him look very dignified and mysterious.
When Zhang Yan saw this person, he quickly saluted him respectfully, “Greetings, Lord Emissary.”
The black-robed cultivator ignored Zhang Yan and started to examine the five corpses. When he turned them around, he discovered bloody holes in their foreheads. That was the cause of death.
The black-robed cultivator stretched out his hand and a suction force came from it. That corpse’s head started shaking left and right, like there was something stuck in it.
“Xiu!”
A tiny fragment came out from the bloody hole.
The instant the fragment came out, it suddenly released a surging force. The corpse’s head instantly shattered and turned into dust.
The surrounding Zhang Clan cultivators, including Zhang Yan, were all startled, turning pale. The remnant force was unexpectedly so mighty. How strong exactly was the person who did this?
The black-robed cultivator took a look at the fragment and said in shock, “This is a fragment of a Medial Grade Spirit Stone. The attacker is really extravagant.”
Zhang Yan asked carefully, “Lord Emissary, how strong is this person?”
The black-robed man said indifferently, “Probably about Medial Grade Martial King. Don’t bother about this. I will deal with it. Call all the staff of the shop over. That person must have come here. We will be able to find out who it is after some careful questioning.”
Medial Grade Martial King. Zhang Yan’s chest tightened. The Xiao Clan’s Clan Head is only an Inferior Grade Martial King. Given that this person is a Medial Grade Martial King, it would be easy for him to kill me.
Fortunately, the Lord Emissary is here. A Medial Grade Martial King would not be a problem.
------
In the backyard of Mo Fan’s smithy, Mo Fan took a sip of wine. After he heard about Xiao Chen’s problem, he sighed. “Back then, when you wrote to me to help take care of the Xiao Clan, I have always kept it in mind. However, this time, I can’t help you.”
Xiao Chen’s chest tightened. Indeed, there were some hidden matters. That morning, Xiao Chen had heard from the waiter that the Xiao Clan’s Clan Head and First Elder were severely injured.
Xiao Chen had already guessed that there were some secrets behind this. So he was not in a rush to meet with Xiao Ling`er and Ye Lan; he planned to hide himself first.
Four years ago, Xiao Xiong was a Peak Martial Saint. Now that four years had passed, he would definitely be a Martial King already. Someone who could injure him would be a higher-leveled Martial King.
If it was said that the Zhang Clan had pooled their savings together to hire an Inferior Grade Martial King, that might be possible. However, it would be impossible for them to have enough to hire anyone stronger.
If the Zhang Clan could do that, they would have ruled Mohe City long ago. There would have been no need for the Promise of Ten Years.
Mo Fan continued, “Two years ago, a sect called the Sacred Heavenly Church arrived in Qizi County. They were very strong. Your father was injured by the emissary of this sect. The Zhang Clan is also a figurehead supported by the Sacred Heavenly Church.”
Xiao Chen gently took a sip of wine. He frowned and said, “Sacred Heavenly Church…where are they from? I never heard of them before.”