Chapter 61: Assassination

It was not until after the fifth day that the heavily guarded patrols around the Liang Mansion began to scale back. It seemed they finally believed no one would be audacious enough to commit murder within the very heart of the Liang estate, and thus their vigilance relaxed.

Throughout this time, Su Yang had yet to regain consciousness.

However, Li Shanshan, who had kept a constant vigil by his side, could clearly sense that Su Yang's injuries were healing at a remarkable pace. His vital aura was gradually stabilizing, and the internal trauma within his body was practically recovered by seven or eight tenths.

For five whole days, Li Shanshan had not closed her eyes once, terrified that Su Yang might encounter danger or wake up in the next second.

Yet, in truth, Su Yang had already regained consciousness.

It was simply that the massive expenditure of his internal energy had left him utterly exhausted, making it difficult for him to even open his eyes.

The Great Sage had also informed Su Yang that Li Shanshan had remained by his bedside every single step of the way without resting or even closing her eyes. This touched Su Yang deeply, filling him with a complex mixture of gratitude and emotional turmoil... He felt somewhat at a loss as to how to face her.

The Great Sage, however, chuckled and said, "To have such a young maiden treat you this way—even if you feel nothing for her romantically, you must find a way to resolve the extreme yin bloodline within her body."

"The only way you can do this is by cultivating as diligently as possible and breaking through once again. Perhaps when you eventually breakthrough to the Origin Realm, the blood of the Supreme will grow even stronger, and only then might you be able to completely suppress the yin Qi within her. Who knows, that lass might even turn misfortune into a blessing and convert that yin Qi to her own use. If she can fully master it, her future achievements will be terrifying indeed."

Su Yang firmly etched the Great Sage's words into his heart.

Indeed, no matter what, he had to find a solution to prevent the future eruption of yin Qi within Li Shanshan.

This profound debt of gratitude had to be repaid.

With five days past, Xuantian had not appeared again, and Yu Qiuyue merely dropped by once a day. Seeing that Su Yang was steadily recovering, she would leave with a mind at ease.

As for the Prince of Liang, although he never showed his face in person, he frequently dispatched subordinates to deliver fine medicines and elixirs. Every single time, Li Shanshan politely declined them all. Firstly, she could not be certain if there were any hidden issues with the medicinal pills, and secondly, she felt that the reason Su Yang had not yet woken up was not because of his physical injuries.

Perhaps, he simply wanted to enjoy a sound and undisturbed sleep.

Meanwhile, outside the city of Zhongzhou.

Within a dilapidated temple, Xuantian and Bai Ruyue stood facing each other. As two overlords of the three major factions in Zhongzhou, they were actually standing this close together at this moment.

"Bai Ruyue, you have already taken in Wang Yiyi as a disciple, so why must you continue to hound Su Yang relentlessly? Could it be that you are afraid?" Xuantian looked at the woman before him and asked with a helpless sigh.

For the past five days, Bai Ruyue had refused to see Xuantian, leaving him with no opportunity to converse with her. It was only today that she finally agreed to a meeting, choosing this ruined temple as the venue.

"Hmph, would this Sect Master be afraid? Xuantian, you underestimate me far too much. I have my own reasons for refusing to let him go. Do you really think I care all that much about Wuqing's death?" Bai Ruyue said with an icy tone.

"Oh? Could it be that you are not after that brat's life because of Wuqing's demise?" Hearing Bai Ruyue's response, Xuantian could not help but feel astonished.

He had assumed that the only reason Bai Ruyue was bent on taking Su Yang's life was because Elder Wuqing had been slain by him. That concerned the dignity of the Moon Gazing Sect, which would be human nature, but from the looks of it now, her motives did not seem to stem from Wuqing's death...

"Xuantian, do you really think this Sect Master is unaware that you have been meeting with the Xia Emperor in private over the years?"

"Do not assume I am ignorant of your covert dealings with the Xia Emperor. Furthermore, let me offer you a word of warning: the Xia Emperor is far from as simple as either you or I imagine, and the foundations of the Great Xia Dynasty are far more formidable than we realize. Although you have received considerable assistance from the Xia Emperor over the years and your sect's strength has grown significantly, have you ever seen me raise a single objection?"

"To be frank, although your cultivation is not inferior to mine, the elders within your sect are utterly mediocre. If this Sect Master truly wished it, your Xuantian Sect would never have achieved its current standing."

"As for the matter concerning Su Yang, it is not entirely impossible for this Sect Master to make a concession. However, you must carefully consider the price for such a compromise," Bai Ruyue stated, her tone solemn and cold.

Though Xuantian's expression remained unchanged, his heart was shaken to its core.

He had never imagined that he still underestimated this madwoman before him; she was even aware of his clandestine meetings with the Xia Emperor. It was truly terrifying.

Yet, Xuantian was no fool either; he naturally understood the Xia Emperor's intentions in backing him.

It was simply that, being the weaker party at the time, he occasionally needed to rely on external forces to elevate his own strength.

"What do you want?" Xuantian asked slowly.

"I want Su Yang forbidden from setting foot in the Moon Gazing Sect for three years. Otherwise, this Sect Master will personally step in and execute him," Bai Ruyue declared flatly.

"......"

Xuantian was rendered speechless. How did this still wind up tied to Su Yang?

"Why three years?" Xuantian asked, somewhat baffled. In his view, a span of three years was nothing. Even if Su Yang possessed the potential to grow, he could not possibly become terrifying enough within that timeframe to pose a threat, let alone rival Wang Yiyi.

"There is no need for you to inquire further about that. Just three years. After three years, let him do as he pleases—provided he has the capability to do so." Bai Ruyue clearly had no intention of offering a lengthy explanation.

Hearing this, Xuantian fell silent in contemplation for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Very well. Since that is the case, this Sect Master agrees to your terms."

Though he remained clueless about Bai Ruyue's ultimate objective, it was best to defuse the situation for now. Once he returned to the Xuantian Sect, he could plan their future steps accordingly.

"Since it is settled, let this matter rest. However, this Sect Master will offer you one final piece of advice: you would do well not to embroil yourself too deeply in the affairs of the Great Xia Imperial Court. Otherwise, when the time comes, you won't even be able to extricate yourself if you wish to." With those words, Bai Ruyue's figure vanished from the dilapidated temple.

Xuantian cupped his fists toward the direction where Bai Ruyue had disappeared and smiled faintly. "Many thanks for Sect Master Bai's warning; this Sect Master will take heed."

With this affair concluded, Xuantian felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders. Now, he only needed to wait for Su Yang to wake up so they could return safely to the Xuantian Sect...

Before long, Xuantian also vanished from the ruined temple.

Night fell, and after a day devoid of incident, the entire outer city of Zhongzhou grew exceptionally quiet. Yet beneath the bright canopy of the night sky, countless dark shadows seemed to flit silently through the darkness.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Over a dozen figures broke through the air, landing softly upon the rooftops not far from the Liang Mansion.

"Is this the place? The Liang Mansion," a figure clad in night-walker garb said, gazing at the estate before him.

"This is it. That brat's room is on the southern side, towards the left," another voice chimed in.

"Very well, leave this task to me, Scar-Faced Tiger. Go back and tell the lord that if this deed is accomplished, I expect him to keep his promise."

"Rest assured, as long as you complete this mission, the lord will not treat you unfairly."

"However, there is one thing you should also understand: if anything goes wrong, you know what you must do."

"Hmph! Merely the Liang Mansion—this lord truly hasn't placed it in his eyes, to say nothing of dealing with a brat in the Three Profound Realm?" Scar-Faced Tiger said with a sneer of disdain.

He had been executing a mission in the Province of You and was entirely unaware that the target he had been sent to assassinate had, only a short time ago, slaughtered a master of the Origin Realm... Had he known that, he most likely would not have uttered such arrogant words.

"Good! The lord has great confidence in your efficiency," the other figure said before vanishing into the shadows of the rooftop.

Only the remaining dozen or so figures lingered, crouching in concealment as if awaiting the optimal moment to strike.