Proofreader: Papatonks
In the middle of the night, a blaze reached the heavens.
Coming out of the Main Hall, Xiao Yunshan observed the hellish scenery around accompanied by an endless strings of wails and cries of agony. His heart sighed with disappointment.
Ren Xiaoyun came from behind to stand next to him. He bowed, “High Venerable, is it possible that you and Demon Scheming Sect’s High Venerable were friends? Why would you care so much that he died? If you really were friends, why…”
“Kill him?”
Ren Xiaoyun finished his thought then frowned, “We’re not friends, but the opposite, bitter rivals.”
“Rivals?”
“Yes, rivals that have been fighting for a thousand years.”
Xiao Yunshan sighed looking at the sky as he recalled those times. “When Heaven Trailing Sect and Demon Scheming Sect sent their disciples to compete, I was the best then and had defeated everyone. Even elites would quiver at the mere whisper of my name. In the arena, most of them would lose before they even struck. While I was filled with vigor and power, the Demon Scheming Sect’s team was like a bunch of rats. But then he came.”
“Demon Scheming Sect’s High Venerable?”
“But he was no Venerable then, not even a normal disciple, just a laborer.”
Xiao Yunshan smiled, “One laborer actually dared to challenge me. Like anyone else in my position, I looked down on him and mocked him. Only to find out at the end how much trouble he was. Not even twenty years passed and he came challenging me again. I asked him what a laborer was trying to do, while he answered that he would definitely revitalize his sect and keep surpassing his limits. I laughed in his face, saying that I was far beyond his limit and he will never reach me. But he was stubborn regardless, fighting me again and again.
“I first found him amusing so I humored him since he was easy to beat. But then I felt threatened. This kid, this laborer of poor constitution, was gaining on me one step at a time. I did not accept it and lashed out, telling him he was useless, that he couldn’t touch a hair on me. In the end, he still came to fight me, I sometimes wanted to kill him. He sensed it as well and urged me in fact. As if by killing him I showed that I was scared of him.”
“Ha-ha-ha, how was he worth it? But what came next proved I was indeed afraid he would overtake me. A laborer actually forced me to get serious about training, a genius like me, to reaffirm my position. Sounds like a really bad joke. But that’s how it was. This is how we became bitter rivals over time.”
Xiao Yunshan gave a sad smile. “Our fights soon evolved to being a comparison of our sects. Who will be the first to take their sect higher? He’s been High Venerable of the Demon Scheming Sect for years and years, but our fights never stopped. I’ve gotten used to them over the years. Now that he’s suddenly gone, I do feel a sense of loss and loneliness. Now there’s no one to match my strength.”
“Oh, I see. I didn’t think Demon Scheming Sect’s High Venerable would have such a story. Truly inspiring!” Ren Xiaoyun nodded.
Xiao Yunshan sighed, “He was amazing, but failed in the end. For wealth and fame, he tore up his sect. Xie Wuyue, with all his skills, is nothing more than a common man that won’t amount to anything.”
“Yes, only with him as Sect Leader can we rest easy, ha-ha-ha…” Ren Xiaoyun laughed.
Xiao Yunshan nodded, “As their adversary, the weaker they are the better. After this, Venerable Shi will have Xie Wuyue’s weakness and will hardly be neutral. Middle-three sect? Ha-ha-ha, it’s way too soon for them. A shame for all the effort Yuan Xinggang put in…”
“Is High Venerable regretful?”
“No!”
Xiao Yunshan shook his head, “I did not want him to die, but for the sect’s good, I had to step in and do what needed to be done. He would’ve done the same. This was a kind of promise between us. He understood this the best.”
Ren Xiaoyun sighed.
[These two High Venerables were men among men, looking at the bigger picture and in impressive manner, becoming rivals.]
It would’ve been a touching story in times of peace, but when the sect’s interests were involved, one of them would end up as a sacrifice. Demon Scheming Sect’s High Venerable did not die, in fact, from Xiao Yunshan, but by Xie Wuyue, his own disciple…
“The old man said something about having another disciple. He spoke with pride about him. Who is he? I’m interested to meet him.”
Xiao Yunshan asked.
Ren Xiaoyun shook his head, bowing, “High Venerable, the disciple he’s talking about must be Zhuo Fan who took Double Dragon Gathering by storm. Only, you might not see him again?”
“Why?”
“I heard Xie Wuyue saying that the Universal Righteous Sect went after him…”
“Fine, you don’t have to say it.”
Xiao Yunshan sighed, “Since men from the superior-three sects came forward, he has no chance. What a shame, I really wanted to see his prized disciple…”
Xiao Yunshan vanished from his spot, leaving Ren Xiaoyun standing there.
Meanwhile, deep in a forest, Gui Hu, Qi Changlong, Yue’er, Kui Lang and other disciples all fell limp on the ground and glaring at the person in front. “Lu Xie, you poisoned us?”
“Yep, how else would your Yuan Qi get sealed? Ha-ha-ha…”
Snickering, Lu Xie mocked them as two inner Ethereal Stage elders came along.
Clenching his fists, Qi Changlong shouted, “Lu Xie, why would you do this?”
“You dare attack us? High Venerable will soon find out and there’s no escape for you!” Bai Lian threatened.
The three laughed, “High Venerable? They can hardly defend themselves and you expect them to save you? Don’t you see the chaos and smoke coming from the mountain? Humph, the Labor Office is finished.”
“What are you talking about?” Gui Hu shouted.
Lu Xie sneered, “You’ll soon be dead anyway so I might as well explain. In fact, my master and I have planned in detail just for today. The tallest tree catches the most wind. Weren’t you showing off with Zhuo Fan? At the Double Dragon Gathering, you’ve been looking good, but that meant you earned many enemies as well. I followed master’s instructions and made contact with all the ones that hated Zhuo Fan, all for today.
“I bet the Universal Righteous Sect must’ve already gone for Zhuo Fan. Heaven Trailing Sect and Mystical Heaven Sect worked with us to destroy the Labor Office, Zhuo Fan’s factions, to avoid any mishap. Such a shame the Beast Taming Sect team at the Double Dragon Gathering was destroyed, or I bet I’d get them on board too. Well, not that it mattered, ha-ha-ha…”
“You went to get other sects involved?” Qi Changlong roared, “Double Dragon Manor will interfere…”
Lu Xie waved his hand in derision, “You think we didn’t know about it? Since you guys came up with an excuse to attack Mystical Heaven Sect, why couldn’t we as well? Humph, Zhuo Fan has only been a Sect Leader for just one day. Who’d recognize that? With Heaven Trailing Sect and Mystical Heaven Sect helping us stem the chaos in Demon Scheming Sect, Xie Wuyue would be back as Sect Leader and that made you with Zhuo Fan as traitors. How’s that for logic? We’re in the right here, ha-ha-ha…”
They all gnashed their teeth in hatred.
They knew as well that Double Dragon Manor would not interfere in a sect’s inner conflict.
“Also, master had set this plan for a long time, suffering in silence. He figured that Zhuo Fan and Xie Wuyue would at some point butt heads, just as expected. Well, isn’t my master much more cunning than Zhuo Fan?”
Lu Xie raised a taunting eyebrow and raised his fist with Yuan Qi, “Qi Changlong, I told you, the best disciple in the sect will be me in the end. With you finished, all problems are solved…”
Bang~
He didn’t get to finish as three rays of red erupted.
Lu Xie shook and looked down at the huge hole in his chest. Looking around, he saw the elders looking the same.
Only then he noticed a familiar figure, “Y-you… Grand Elder… why…”
“Lu Xie, you talk too much, or I’d have struck faster. Ha-ha, still green in the end.” Grand Elder smirked and made a sign. A falcon a hundred meters big came out and struck the two bodies on the ground, ripping their souls apart.
Next, the falcon grabbed the weakened Lu Xie, and he cried, “Wait, aren’t you part of the inner sect? Why…”
“Yes, but…” Grand Elder’s eyes flashed and roared, “I’m Gui Hu’s master first and foremost!”
