Chapter 247 - 243: Blood Sun

Endure and concede to those you cannot defeat, to those you dare not provoke. Then, bide your time, gather your strength, find the perfect opportunity, and strike to kill.

This was Chen Qingyang's assessment of Zhang Jiu.

Thus, faced with Senior Brother Bai's scorn, he lowered his head with the utmost deference. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Bai. In the entire Sect, other than my own master, no one has ever imparted such words to me."

His earnestness was so convincing it could pass for the real thing.

Senior Brother Bai still scoffed, but his tone softened slightly. "You certainly have a silver tongue. No wonder you're so good at winning favor."

And by "winning favor," he was, of course, referring to the woman with them.

"I wouldn't dare be presumptuous in front of Senior Brother Bai," Zhang Jiu added, all meekness and deference.

No longer bothering with him, Senior Brother Bai glanced at the woman. "Alright, spit it out. Why did you bring this brat to me?"

The woman was just as respectful toward her senior. "Senior Brother Bai, Junior Brother Zhang just brought me news. He says that tonight, Li Zheng is the only one in the Imperial Palace. Since none of the big players from the Tai Xu Sect are making a move, shouldn't we take this chance to test the waters?"

Her eyes never left Senior Brother Bai's face as she spoke. Seeing him sink into thought, she pressed on, "I know you warned us to be cautious, Senior Brother, but Venerable Meng did promise that whoever distinguishes themselves this time will be richly rewarded."

Listening from the shadows, Chen Qingyang was also puzzled, wondering what method Zhang Jiu had used.

The first time the matter was raised, the woman had rejected it outright. He'd only been gone long enough to kill someone, and by the time he returned, she had changed her mind.

"Hmph!" Seeing his words go in one ear and out the other, Senior Brother Bai's anger flared. "You didn't hear a single thing I just said, did you? You just have to be the one to stick your neck out!"

His aura was so powerful that the woman was stunned into silence, unable to think of a reply.

At that moment, Zhang Jiu immediately dropped to his knees before Senior Brother Bai. "Senior Brother Bai, please calm your anger. It isn't Senior Sister's fault. This was all my idea. If you must punish someone, please punish me."

Seeing his display of selfless righteousness, even the woman couldn't help but look at him with newfound admiration.

"Heh!" Senior Brother Bai let out a laugh of exasperation, pointing a finger at the woman. "Junior Sister, you've truly let yourself be fooled. To have your mind changed by this little brat… with a Mental Realm like that, how do you ever expect to achieve the Great Dao? I've told you before, your worldly attachments are too strong. You'll never amount to anything!"

The berated woman didn't dare say a word.

But Zhang Jiu persisted, "Senior Brother Bai, Venerable Meng has set such a grand plan in motion. Besides giving the Tai Xu Sect a show of our power here in the Daoist Sect's territory of the Yong Kingdom, she also wants to take that disciple she desires so much."

"Since they're all hesitant and afraid to act, why don't we just test the waters? If we succeed, we can present our prize directly to the True Monarch. We'd surely be rewarded with a heaven-defying opportunity."

"I've also made inquiries. The Imperial Consort will give birth within the hour. This is an opportunity that will not come again. I've heard Senior Sister mention that you, Senior Brother, are already at Half-Step Foundation Establishment. Your Cultivation just lacks that little bit of fortune. If you were to receive an Earth Deity as a reward from the True Monarch, that gap would be filled."

These words truly silenced Senior Brother Bai.

Chen Qingyang knew very well how powerful the allure of an Earth Deity was to a Cultivator at Half-Step Foundation Establishment.

Hearing this, he finally understood the Demon Sect's plot.

Just as Zhang Jiu had said, it was twofold: one, a show of power, and two, the infant girl.

The book artifact was being used as an Array. In addition to being a show of power, it also blocked the Circulation Demon Suppression Star Array, allowing the Demon Sect Disciples to act freely.

Meanwhile, the Demon Sect Disciples were all suspicious of one another and feared the Daoist Sect's true strength, so they all remained in hiding, none of them wanting to be the one to make the first move.

Then there was the Daoist Sect's plan. They must have realized their own Array was failing, forcing them to hide in the shadows to keep the Demon Sect guessing, ready to deliver a killing blow at the critical moment.

And finally, Zhang Jiu. He had gone to all this trouble not for the infant girl, nor for any reward from a Demon Sect True Monarch. His only goal was to have the woman and the Daoist Sect grievously injure each other, at which point he could devour her completely.

He recalled the first time he had seen Zhang Jiu, respectfully following an old woman. Then, in a sudden burst, he had devoured her.

'The situation isn't actually that complex. I just had too little information at the start to judge it properly.'

Senior Brother Bai seemed genuinely tempted. After a long silence, he asked Zhang Jiu, "Your name is… Zhang Jiuyuan, a Disciple of Ten Prisons Peak?"

'Zhang Jiuyuan. The guy was using the name of his own Cultivation Technique,' Chen Qingyang thought. 'So brazen. But then again, no one would connect a mere Essence Condensation First Realm cultivator with the Nine Nether Demonic Devouring Technique.'

"That is correct, Senior Brother."

"And your master… is Pure Yuan Master."

"Indeed, Pure Yuan."

"Though I'm not from Ten Prisons Peak, I've heard of this Master's reputation. But he's known to be rather eccentric, rarely interacting with others and strictly forbidding his disciples from antagonizing the Daoist Sect. I don't understand why he would send a mere Essence Condensation First Realm disciple like you out this time."

This Senior Brother Bai was a cautious one. Before he would even consider Zhang Jiu's proposal, he had to get his story straight.

As if he had anticipated the question, Zhang Jiu answered smoothly, "If Senior Sister hadn't come here, I wouldn't have followed. She has been kind to me, and I must stay by her side at all times to repay her."

He didn't elaborate on how he intended to repay her, but a crimson blush spread across the woman's cheeks, making it all perfectly clear.

All at once, Senior Brother Bai laughed. "Get up."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

With that, Senior Brother Bai ignored Zhang Jiu and turned back to his junior sister. "You… do you really think this is a good idea?"

His tone was much gentler, no longer laced with anger.

Seeing his junior sister hesitate, he continued, "You know me, I'm not a close-minded person. It's just that Master entrusted all of you to my care, and it's my duty to bring you back safely. What Zhang Jiu said just now… well, he did make a few good points. So, Junior Sister, now I want to hear *your* reasoning."

Now that he'd put it that way, the woman naturally replied, "Senior Brother Bai, I just want you to earn merit before the True Monarch. I want you to reach the Realm of Master as soon as possible. Since everyone else is too afraid to move, we might as well strike first and gain the upper hand."

Upon hearing the word "Master," Senior Brother Bai couldn't hide a smile. "Well now, how thoughtful of you. I suppose the brat did have a point. I know of that Li Zheng. According to the original plan, he was supposed to die in the Six Paths Blood Refining Array, but who knew those idiots would bungle it and let him live… Junior Sister, I agree to your plan, but…"

He trailed off, and the woman naturally asked, "But what?"

"You'll take a few people. Don't act rashly under any circumstances. If you sense that things are going wrong, you must retreat immediately. I'll wait here to provide backup."

Strangely, now that Senior Brother Bai had agreed, the woman wasn't happy. Instead, she felt a flicker of worry. But since matters had already reached this point, she could only say, "Thank you, Senior Brother Bai."

...

With Senior Brother Bai's approval, Chen Qingyang watched as they began to rally their troops.

A total of four Fifth Realm junior brothers and twelve Third Realm Disciples, plus Zhang Jiu and the woman herself, made a party of seventeen. They were preparing to assault the Imperial Palace.

But right before they departed, the woman was still filled with apprehension.

After all, she had been caught up in the heat of the moment when Zhang Jiu's words seemed so reasonable. Now, looking back, the abruptness of Senior Brother Bai's change in attitude was deeply suspicious.

"I feel like something's wrong. Didn't Senior Brother Bai change his tune a little too quickly?"

Zhang Jiu had her completely wrapped around his finger. He traced a slow circle on one of her full curves, his voice a soft murmur against her earlobe.

"Whether he was quick about it or not is unimportant. What's most important, Senior Sister, is that you understand my true plan has nothing to do with this."

The woman shot him a coquettish look, a mixture of scorn and affection in her eyes. "You? What kind of plan could you possibly have?"

Zhang Jiu said, "My dear sister, you're at the Seventh Realm Cultivation, yet you're stuck here. Isn't it because our master doesn't value you, giving all the best resources to that man, Bai? If you were the head disciple of our branch, you'd be at Half-Step Foundation Establishment by now, too."

"Rather than rot away here, we should take a gamble. Once we have the infant girl, I have no intention of handing her over to Senior Brother Bai. The two of us will present her directly to Venerable Meng…"

As he spoke, his hand slipped inside her robes. "My dear sister, you have to understand how incredible that True Monarch's methods are. If she were to favor you just a little, you could break through your Seventh Realm Cultivation within months. After a bit more time, the Eighth and Ninth Realms would be within your grasp. I can't bear to stand by and watch all of my dear sister's talent go to waste."

He stressed the word "talent," his tone deepening as his hand grew bolder.

Dazed and mesmerized, the woman listened to his words. "That makes sense… If we fail, Senior Brother Bai can take the fall, and we can just retreat back here."

Zhang Jiu gave her a gentle squeeze. By now, she was thoroughly aroused. "My dear sister, you finally understand."

Chen Qingyang also finally understood. What Senior Brother Bai had said earlier was absolutely right.

The woman was a fool, guilty of greed, obsession, and lust. He had no idea how someone like her had ever achieved her current Cultivation.

Once Zhang Jiu was gone, Chen Qingyang had no reason to stay. 'I'll get ahead of him and kill the woman myself after she's wounded,' he decided. 'He interfered with me getting the Immortal Seedling, so it's only fair I interfere with him a few times in return.'

Standing atop the Imperial Palace, he surveyed his surroundings.

The air grew heavier, thick with the stench of blood. Smoke billowed over the city, blotting out the sky. Fires raged in every direction, from the southeast to the northwest. The number of corpses on the streets grew, while the number of the living dwindled.

A similar scene unfolded within the Imperial Palace itself.

Palace Maids, Palace Attendants, and Guards were all in a state of chaos. Bodies lay strewn everywhere. The only sanctuary was Ci Yun Temple.

But the temple's great gates were shut tight, as if to completely seal itself off from the outside world. It ignored everyone, even those lucid enough to beg for help at its doorstep.

To the Tai Xu Sect, as long as this spark of the Daoist Sect was preserved, it wouldn't matter if ninety percent of the people here perished. After all, you can't burn away all the weeds; they'll just grow back when the spring wind blows.

Looking toward the east, he saw the sun slowly rising. Reflected against the clouds high in the sky, it cast a blood-red glow.

The bloody sun shrouded the entire landscape in a sanguine hue. People still wandered the streets in a daze, looking exactly like a scene Chen Qingyang had once read about in a book: countless people in a long line, walking toward the palace of the "Venerable's Dream."

There was one last sanctuary within the Imperial Palace, a courtyard protected by an Array and isolated from the chaos outside.

Li Zheng sat upright in the courtyard, surrounded by four of his junior brothers and sisters. From the room behind him came the low groans of a woman, punctuated by a midwife's comforting voice. "It's almost out, almost…"

Chen Qingyang had already snuck into position outside. The seventeen members of the Demon Sect were surrounding the courtyard. With an Essence Condensation Seventh Realm cultivator among them, Li Zheng's defeat was certain.

He wondered where the other members of the Tai Xu Sect were hiding, and whether they would make a move to stop the Demon Sect.