Chapter 479 - 324: Lie Que’s Scheme

Chapter 479: Chapter 324: Lie Que’s Scheme

Bad news travels fast.

It was the absolute truth. Somehow, the news of Miss Huangpu’s refusal to marry had suddenly spread. The smiles on the faces of the guests who had come to offer their congratulations remained, but no matter how you looked at it, there was something odd about them. They whispered amongst themselves, and some who were already at odds with the Wulan Family even had clear looks of schadenfreude on their faces.

Wulan Tuo emerged full of spirit, surrounded by a fawning crowd like the moon surrounded by stars. Countless people, feigning ignorance, offered him their sincere congratulations.

This made even more people want to burst out laughing, yet not a single one of them spoke up to warn him.

At that moment, who knew how many people were waiting to watch the spectacle. If Wulan Tuo had possessed any depth of thought, he would surely have subscribed to the view that human nature is inherently evil. There are always more people willing to kick a man when he’s down than to offer a helping hand.

The two Sword Emperor powerhouses from the Jingwu Family had actually been briefed by Lie Que long before their arrival. The three of them had discussed the matter: nine Sword Emperors had died at Ling Xiao’s hands, and even a Sword Venerable hadn’t been spared. Although the Zhe Family wasn’t as powerful as the Lie Family, from Ling Xiao’s perspective, there was likely no difference between a first-rate family and a super-family!

Behind Lie Que’s perpetually grinning face lay a maturity and wisdom far beyond his years. He had also done something that many others had not bothered to do: he had thoroughly and completely researched Ling Xiao!

’Perhaps, in the eyes of countless clans and sects, Ling Xiao is nothing more than a wealthy country bumpkin from the Mortal World,’ he thought. ’In front of the powerful clans and sects with their deep foundations, he doesn’t even count as dregs!’

It wasn’t until all the Zhe Family’s powerhouses were wiped out on Ling Xiao’s territory that countless people felt surprise, and even fear. ’The clan’s elders haven’t had to deal with this kind of thing for too many years. Their constant cultivation has left them out of touch with the times!’ That was what Lie Que had thought after receiving the assignment.

The two men at the Sword Emperor Realm dispatched by the family this time were both from a branch family of the Lie Clan. Their bloodline was already quite distant from Lie Que’s, let alone from the direct heir, Lie Yang.

The two were named Lie Yuntong and Lie Yunliang. They were brothers, both the quick-witted and sharp-minded type. In terms of seniority, despite being over a hundred years old, they were actually from a younger generation than Lie Que.

When Lie Que left, he instructed the two of them that if Ling Xiao’s people were at the Huangpu Family residence, they were to immediately withdraw from this messy affair. If Ling Xiao wasn’t there, they were to ascertain the relationship between Miss Huangpu and Ling Xiao. As long as Miss Huangpu mentioned Ling Xiao’s name even once, they could do Ling Xiao a favor. He was confident that neither the Lanyue Empire’s Royal Family nor this so-called Wulan Family would have the guts to oppose the Jingwu Family!

This was because Lie Que had carefully studied all of Ling Xiao’s experiences over the past two years and had discovered a fact: Ling Xiao’s temperament seemed indifferent, but in reality, he was extremely protective of his own people and incredibly unyielding. ’If you hit one of my people, I’ll hit ten of yours. If you injure one of mine, I’ll kill one of yours!’

From teaching Qin Kang a lesson at the Imperial Academy for Yisha’s sake, to his later rampage in the Zhe Family’s Seven-colored City for his sister, and then to crippling Xie Xiaoyan’s cultivation and ruthlessly killing a Tier Five Sword Emperor from his own Jingwu Family without any hesitation—all of it showed that he valued his family and friends immensely. And that he was merciless!

Normally, grasping such a person’s weakness would be simple. Just capture one of his relatives or friends and use them as a threat, and he would most likely submit.

But Lie Que didn’t dare.

’This kind of person is more terrifying than a Tier Nine Magical Beast! You have to be careful who you threaten!’

’Unless you’re absolutely certain you have him completely in your grasp, it’s best not to play with fire. If the other party isn’t afraid of being threatened, you’ll be the one to suffer in the end!’

Lie Que believed that many people now understood this principle!

For many, Penzes New City had practically become a forbidden land!

’So what right does the Lie Family have to be so arrogant? Do they think they can bully Ling Xiao with just two Sword Emperors?’

’A bunch of old fools! And that idiot, Lie Yang!’

Then there was that woman, Xie Xiaoyan. Lie Que had no good impression of her whatsoever. ’A woman from the Mortal World appearing alone in the Vantia Mountain Range is in itself a matter worthy of deep thought. But of course, the love-struck Lie Yang is completely oblivious, and I have no interest in guiding him out of his confusion.’

’If Lie Yang really becomes the Patriarch, that woman might just be the ruin of the entire Jingwu Family!’ Lie Que had a complete understanding of the grudges between Ling Xiao and Xie Xiaoyan. Although there were some things he didn’t know, like the matter with the Baihua Sect, it didn’t stop him from concluding that Xie Xiaoyan was an incredibly cunning and intelligent woman.

Having such a woman enter the Lie Family was not a good thing.

Therefore, Lie Que had headed straight south from the Imperial Capital. He wanted to find Ling Xiao and have a talk. Perhaps the two of them shared a common wish.

...

Quefeng and Tiger, the two non-humans, spoke very little. In contrast, the Thirteenth Master and the Fourteenth Master, two old men with the personalities of mischievous children, were already very familiar with Huangpu Yue.

And so, the two of them, along with Huangpu Cangran, quietly went to Huangpu Yue’s room.

Seeing Huangpu Yue’s angry expression, the Thirteenth Master chuckled and said, "Don’t be afraid, little girl. With us here, who could possibly take you away?"

The Fourteenth Master snorted. "You clearly don’t understand love. The Huangpu girl is obviously missing that boy, Ling Xiao!"

The Thirteenth Master looked scornful. "And you do? I’ve never seen a single woman like you!"

"No woman’s ever liked you either!" the Fourteenth Master retorted.

Huangpu Cangran stared in astonishment at the two "masters," probably never imagining that experts at the Sword Emperor Realm could have such an "approachable" side.

Huangpu Yue watched them, speechless. The two old pranksters seemed to be bickering at every waking moment, but if a real fight broke out, they were of one mind, and both would risk their lives to protect the other.

Huangpu Yue gave a bitter smile. "Please, don’t tease me. After this, our Huangpu Clan will have to face the Wulan Clan’s retaliation."

The Thirteenth Master sneered. "The Wulan Clan? What a load of bullshit! They’re nothing! If they dare act insolently before me, I’ll just wipe them out!"

"Exactly! Girl, what are you afraid of? With us backing you, do you think they can fly up to the heavens?"

Huangpu Cangran was much more optimistic than his daughter. He comforted her, saying, "Yue’Er, this matter was also approved by our clan’s Elder Council. The Wulan Clan’s ultimate goal is to annex the Huangpu Family. So, even if you had married into the Wulan Family, a conflict would have been inevitable. Since that’s the case, what difference does it make if it happens ten years sooner or ten years later? What’s more, I could never bear to see my own daughter marry someone she doesn’t love!"

Huangpu Yue’s eyes reddened slightly. "I’ve dragged you into this, Father," she said.

Just then, someone from outside reported that people from the Wulan Family had arrived. Before Huangpu Cangran and his daughter could react, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Masters leaped out, shouting, "Here’s our job! Haha, someone’s finally come looking for a fight!"

Huangpu Cangran looked speechlessly at his daughter and asked, "Are they... are they really supreme experts of the Sword Emperor Realm?"

Huangpu Yue was also at a loss for words. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Masters certainly didn’t carry themselves with the legendary air of a master. "I... suppose so."

The Huangpu Clan residence was actually quite lively. In the eyes of many, the eldest daughter’s marriage was a monumental event. As with anything, some were happy and some were worried. The happy ones were naturally Huangpu Yue’s brothers, who stood to inherit control of the clan. The worried ones were the elders who truly understood what was at stake for the Huangpu Clan’s future.

However, when a group of guards had just driven out the maids and matrons from the Wulan Family, the scene caught the attention of many, who began to speculate.

Huangpu Yue’s half-brother, Huangpu Wenrui, even stormed over to demand what his own family’s guards were doing. The guard looked at the young master and said lightly, "It is the Patriarch’s will."

Young Master Huangpu immediately deflated. Behind his back, the guards secretly curled their lips in disdain. ’If the young master had even a tenth of the young miss’s ability,’ they thought, ’the position of future Patriarch wouldn’t be going to someone else!’

Accompanied by a crowd from the Wulan Family, Lie Yuntong and Lie Yunliang arrived at the gates of the Huangpu residence. In truth, the two family estates were not very far apart! The Huangpu Clan had numerous properties in the Imperial Capital, and this was just one of them.

The two of them saw that the Huangpu Family courtyard was also a scene of bustling activity, likewise filled with guests. They exchanged a glance, both feeling a little puzzled. ’It seems the problem really does lie with Miss Huangpu herself. If this is truly related to that Ling Xiao, should we do as Young Master Que said and just let it go?’

Just then, two figures emerged from within, with Huangpu Cangran following at a distance. Huangpu Yue was still nowhere to be seen. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Masters had just approached.

Lie Yuntong and Lie Yunliang immediately understood. Ling Xiao had definitely gotten involved! ’Impressive that they managed to keep it so secret,’ they thought. ’There wasn’t even a whisper about it beforehand.’

At this thought, the Lie Yuntong brothers felt a bit annoyed. ’Even though Young Master Que instructed us, it would be too humiliating to just walk away like this. It’s not every day you meet a worthy opponent. These two don’t seem as strong as us, so why don’t we... teach them a lesson, and then leave? The Royal Family, the Wulan Family... to hell with them!’

With this in mind, the two brothers exchanged a knowing smile. Then, they announced to the crowd in the courtyard, "We are here to escort Miss Huangpu to her wedding!"

"Wedding, my ass!" The Thirteenth Master could tell their power fluctuations with a single glance and was certain these were the two legendary helpers of the Wulan Family. "You two dogs! If you’ve got the guts, fight your grandpa here! If you win, we’ll let you take her!"

The Lie brothers sneered. "You said it, don’t go back on your word. Let’s find another place to fight!" As they spoke, they both smirked, thinking, ’How utterly reckless of them.’

But the very instant the four of them soared into the sky, they felt another, extremely powerful aura rise up from the Huangpu residence.

The two Lie brothers were both stunned. They pointed at the Thirteenth Master, who was cackling, and cursed, "You’re ganging up on us?"

"That’s right!" the Fourteenth Master declared with a righteous expression. "We don’t need to talk about honor when dealing with people like you!"

...

Before their very eyes, the two sides vanished into the sky without another word, and a moment later, a tremendous BOOM echoed from the distance.

The people on both sides were left dumbstruck. The members of the Wulan Family now understood—the Huangpu Family had been prepared all along! Helpless, the group hurried back, planning to find a substitute woman to get through the wedding ceremony for now.

But just at that moment, a deafening clamor of festive drums and music erupted from behind them, and someone shouted, "Young Master Wulan has come to escort the bride!"