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Chapter 474: The Oriole Behind
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
"They are actually from Above Heavens," Yu ManLou suddenly said with a chilly tone. "The person in the lead is obviously one of the five great experts from back then, Meng WuQing. The one slightly weaker should probably be Meng WuYi who never leaves Meng WuQing's side. A thousand-year-old sect is different indeed! Even if they have declined, the combat prowess of these few individuals can't be underestimated."
"Family Head, if this battle continues, while we will be able to wipe out our enemies completely, we will have to pay an immense price to do so. Should this subordinate take action immediately to quickly end this battle?"
"Quickly end this battle?" Yu ManLou seemed to have heard a joke and a smile could be seen on his face. However, this smile of his was filled with coldness, "Meng WuQing and the two by his side obviously have some strength left. If all of you take action right now, the three of them would definitely fight back at full force. It is best for us to exhaust them further first." Yu ManLou then paused for a moment before continuing, "The thing I am puzzled about is why these Above Heavens experts would appear in the courtyard of my third son! Who can give me an explanation?!"
While the tone Yu ManLou used was extremely soft and light-hearted, the two individuals by the side immediately realized something and lowered their heads without saying a word.
Yu ManLou sneered, "It seems that my children have truly given me a huge surprise."
Unable to bear the tense atmosphere, a black-robed expert stammered, "Perhaps… third young noble didn't know their identities…"
"Hahaha, letting them stay at his courtyard meant for hiding his love affairs without knowing their identities?" Yu ManLou chuckled, "Big Hei, can you even convince yourself to believe that?"
The two of them couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. While Yu ManLou had an amiable smile on his face right now, these two individuals who had followed Yu ManLou for a long time could naturally sense the uncontrollable anger in Yu ManLou's heart.
Another two miserable groans could be heard from below and two Yu Family experts died in the battlefield with their corpses trampled and mutilated in just a short moment. After being sent flying by one of the reinforcements of the Yu Family, both of their corpses were at the very least 'intact'.
"Such a huge disturbance tonight was truly out of this old man's expectations," Yu ManLou said with a chilly voice as though he couldn't be bothered about the deaths of his subordinates. "That second son of mine is probably behind this matter right? They are truly 'close brothers'!"
The two black-robed men shivered as their backs turned cold, and a cold sweat had already drenched their clothes.
"Furthermore, the Head Deacon should be aware of this matter as well, right?" Yu ManLou watched the skinny figure engaging in a bloody battle and said calmly, "Perhaps he may even be the mastermind of this incident. However, this old man who is their father was actually the last to find out! If not for that little brat Ling Tian playing his little tricks, this old man wouldn't be here to personally witness such an exciting show! If that's the case, I would even have to thank Ling Tian!" These final words of his were said with a chilly tone as a dense killing intent shot out from his eyes!
Both the black-robed man couldn't help but turn to face each other. After serving Yu ManLou together for so many years, both of them had already achieved great chemistry and couldn't help but wonder why their Family Head talked about Ling Tian at such a moment. Could it be that their Family Head was angered by his sons' degeneracy to the point his thoughts weren't clear? This Ling Tian was truly a capable individual. Regardless of the matter, as long as they decided to investigate it thoroughly, Ling Tian's figure would definitely appear in the matter. This was truly the mark of an extremely capable individual! Both the black-robed men couldn't help but muse to themselves.
Yu ManLou was suddenly startled as his own words reminded him about something. Ling Tian! Could this be a part of Ling Tian's schemes? The motive of this scheme was obvious, to drive both the Yu and Xiao families to opposing ends and form an irreconcilable enmity between our families so that he can fish for benefits from the side. If not, my second son certainly wouldn't be able to come up with such a detailed plan!
All of a sudden, Yu ManLou was shocked by his own thoughts. Could it be that of both my sons, one of them colluded with Above Heavens and the other one is colluding with Ling Tian?
If someone were to say that there wasn't an inside story to this affair, Yu ManLou would be the first to disagree with that! Everything definitely has a cause and effect. This incident couldn't have happened without any rhyme or reason. If not, how could it be that they coexisted in harmony for such a long time but broke out in conflict the moment Ling Tian arrived?
However, if Ling Tian was truly the person behind this affair, he would definitely have another trick up his sleeves! Thinking about this, Yu ManLou felt a heavy feeling in his heart before feeling elated. With the bulk of the Yu Family's elites being present, as long as Ling Tian appeared now or something odd occurred, he would be able to deal Ling Tian a heavy blow or even get rid of this huge trouble by his side!
Yu ManLou's narrowed his eyes as his gaze swept passed the battlefield slowly and watched for any oddities in the surroundings.
Ling Tian should probably be watching all of this by the side, right? Yu ManLou's lips curled up in a trace of mockery. Want to watch a show involving my Yu Family? If that's the case, you will probably have to come out and put on a show as well!
Two robust figures dashed over from afar at a lightning fast speed. The moment they landed on the ground, they immediately joined in the battle and the situation in the battle changed again. While every one of the remaining Above Heavens experts was a top-notch expert, the gathering experts of the Yu Family weren't much weaker. In fact, they were stronger than the Above Heavens experts in almost all ways. Furthermore, the final few experts who joined in the fray were the Pavilion Heads of the Yu Family. Their strength was no weaker than Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi, and the Above Heavens experts felt an immense increase in pressure. Even the most powerful Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi had no choice but to unleash their full strength to defend against the incoming attackers. As for the weaker experts of Above Heavens, they were in an even more miserable state.
In just a short while later, another two Above Heavens experts died under the weapons of the Yu Family and a hole was formed in the defensive circle of the Above Heavens experts. If Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi still did not go all out at this moment, they would no longer have the chance to do so. The both of them let out a loud roar and spread out to the left and right. Two brilliant rays of sword light shot out of the encirclement and blood sprayed out in all directions, raining down on all the experts present. The Head Deacon was originally at the frontline of the battle but after these two brilliant sword rays shot out, he made a swift retreat and felt a tinge of chill at the top of his head before feeling a sharp pain. A layer of his scalp was actually shaved off.
"Retreat!" Meng WuQing shouted and blocked all the Yu Family experts together with Meng WuYi. An empty space was immediately formed in the encirclement and the remaining two experts of Above Heavens, Meng JueChen and Meng WuHui, made use of that opportunity to jump up to the roof. The both of them knew that Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi would never retreat before them and they would only be a burden by staying behind.
The experts of Above Heavens were truly united. Despite being in such a precarious situation, not a single one of them retreated out of cowardice!
Meng WuHui was originally the same level expert as Meng WuQing. However, he suffered inner injuries from the battle with Justice and had not recovered fully yet, thus becoming a burden in this battle. He already felt extremely guilty in his heart and now that he had the chance, he quickly made a retreat lest he becomes a burden. He had already made a decision in his heart that if he couldn't make use of this opportunity to escape, then he would rather sacrifice his life to give his brothers a chance to escape. He would never remain beside them and become a burden.
The figures watching by the side flew to the skies and blocked Meng JueCheng and Meng WuHui together. Below, Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi let out a roar and shot their swords towards the sky to obstruct the two Pavilion Heads who wanted to block Meng JueChen and Meng WuHui.
The Head Deacon let out a sharp scream and with both anger and humiliation, his sword shot towards Meng WuYi. On the ground, almost all of the Yu Family experts who could react in time shot towards the air and gave chase.
"Big Hei, should I capture them, let them off, or kill them all?" Yu ManLou watched the four escaping Above Heavens experts heartlessly and asked.
"Err… this subordinate does not know." Big Hei bowed down and broke out in a cold sweat.
It was obvious that this matter involved Yu ManLou's two sons. How would he dare to express his opinion?
Yu ManLou shut his eyes with fatigue and said with a tinge of weariness, "Let it be then. If they are lucky, let them off. If they aren't so lucky, kill them all. Even if they can be captured alive, don't give them a chance to say anything."
"Yes, the Family Head is wise." Big Hei acknowledged Yu ManLou's words and sighed in his heart. Yu ManLou naturally has his reasons for letting them go. While Big Hei did not know what the reason was, he was certain that Yu ManLou had his own reasons. As for killing them, it was naturally so that he wouldn't hear anything he didn't want to.
Just why were these Above Heavens experts in third young noble's courtyard? What was their relationship with third young noble? Why would second young noble and the Head Deacon plan this operation? How much was hidden within this affair? The two of them did not dare to ask these questions and were not willing to find out the answers to them as well. They just did not dare to know the answer to those questions!
While Yu ManLou was definitely able to deduce all of these matters, he did not want to think about them right now. He had just lost his most outstanding son and even if his other two sons were degenerates, they were still his own flesh and blood. It was impossible for him to punish both of his sons at such a moment regardless of the mistakes they made!
But if he were to catch the Above Heavens experts alive, he wouldn't have a choice but to face all of these fairly. By letting them off, he would still be able to make use of them but he could never catch them alive!
These Above Heavens experts had already killed so many of their Yu Family's experts and a few of their brothers had died in the hands of their Yu Family experts as well. The enmity between them was already irreconcilable, but their Family Head still chose to let them escape if their luck was good. Just what did this mean? Could it be that their Yu Family brothers died for nothing?
Right at this moment, Meng WuHui, who had landed on the roof, noticed the precarious situation of his brothers. A resolute gaze shot out from his eyes and he shot back towards the ground. He was immediately stabbed by the two Pavilion Heads of the Yu Family but it seemed as though he did not notice a thing and he dashed past the sides of his brothers. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, the splendor of his sword light exploded forth and blocked all of the incoming Yu Family experts charging towards him. He had actually single-handedly blocked a few experts who were not weaker than himself!
He then shouted in a hoarse but resolute voice, "If you don't want me to sacrifice my life for nothing, leave now!" After that, he was swallowed by the numerous weapons.
Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi let out an indignant roar but did not hesitate in the slightest. Without even looking back, they shot up towards the roof and after meeting up with Meng JueChen, they immediately fled for their lives. They knew that their brother had just used a forbidden technique which burned up his life essence to create an opportunity for the two of them to escape. No matter what, Meng WuHui's death was certain and there was nothing they could do to reverse the situation!
In the surroundings, arrows shot over from the surroundings and the sounds of metal clashing rang out incessantly. Then, a low grunt could be heard, and Meng WuYi suffered an arrow to his left shoulder, causing him to almost fall off from the roof. Meng WuQing hurriedly brandished his sword to deflect all the incoming arrows and charged out with Meng WuYi.
Right at this moment, a swooshing sound could be heard and a few Pavilion Head level experts rushed over. Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi looked at each other and saw the grief in each other's eyes. Their third brother had stayed behind to block these experts and now that these experts were chasing after them safe and sound, it could only mean one thing: their third brother had already perished! While they knew that their third brother had used a forbidden technique and his death was certain, affirming the matter was a completely different matter.
There was an obstruction in the front and enemies chasing after them from the back. Furthermore, arrows were raining down upon them like a thunderstorm and they were currently in the territory of their enemy. Of the three of them left, there were already two of them who were injured and there were no less than seven to eight top-notch experts eyeing on them by the side. All of a sudden, the three of them couldn't help but be overwhelmed by a wave of hopelessness.
Meng JueChen let out a roar of hopelessness and was like a beast trapped in a pitfall. He then clenched his teeth, raised his sword, turned around and charged towards the pursing Yu Family experts. Meng WuQing let out a long sigh. Since there wasn't a hope for them to escape, why was there a need to abandon one more of their brothers? He knew that Meng JueChen turned around so that he could use his life to buy them a little bit of time to increase their chances of escape!
However, Meng WuQing did not want to escape any further. Almost all of his brothers had perished in Bright Jade City and what was the point for him to escape alone? Furthermore, he would still have to face the punishment of his sect if he returned alive. If that's the case, he might as well accompany his brothers to the yellow springs road!
Both Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi had the same thoughts and turned around in unison with a resolution to die!
Cutting off all paths of retreat and fighting with their backs against the river! Even if they are going to die, they must definitely squeeze out a few more drops of blood from the Yu Family!
The three of them charged back in an almost maniacal manner obviously intending to fight to the death. This action of theirs shocked the Yu Family experts, especially the Vice Pavilion Head of the River Mountain Pavilion, who was still delighted after killing Meng WuHui and giving chase at the very front. However, he never expected the three Above Heavens experts to charge back at them instead of escaping for their lives. With this slight moment of distraction, the three of them were already in front of this Vice Pavilion Head. At this moment this Vice Pavilion Head was still in midair and with his robes fluttering in the winds looking extremely carefree.
Thus, he also died in an extremely carefree manner!
"Be careful!" A couple of people cried out and quickly made their way over.
However, what kind of a person was Meng WuYi? How would he be willing to let go of this opportunity that he had spent so much effort to create? Furthermore, his own brother had died in the hands of this individual and even if he had to exchange his life to take revenge, it would be worth it.
Like three meteors, the three of them clashed together and Meng WuYi intentionally sped up in front of Meng WuQing to welcome the Vice Pavilion Head's sword. Turning his body slightly, his opponent's sword stabbed into his right shoulder and his own sword stabbed right into the abdomen of his opponent. His left fist was then clenched into a fist and he smashed it into the nose of his opponent.
A malevolent glare could be seen in Meng WuQing's gaze and both he and Meng JueChen stabbed their swords towards their hated enemy. His sword shot towards his enemy's abdomen and Meng JueChen's sword shot towards his enemy's neck. Meng JueChen wanted to slice off the head of this enemy who killed his own brother!
Because of this, he had also paid the price of two palm strikes, one kick, and one sword. But with a flick of his sword, a big head with a shocked expression flew towards the sky! Meng JueChen was already spitting out mouthfuls of blood, but a trace of delight could still be seen in his eyes as he burst out in laughter and with a kick sent the head flying to the horizon.
If there were national soccer players present, they would definitely kowtow to take Meng JueChen as a coach. If they could master this kick, not to mention the quarter or semi-finals, even the championship would be firmly in their grasp…
As for the 'ball' which was kicked by Meng JueChen, that Vice Pavilion Head naturally died a carefree death and was deader than dead!
While they had killed the enemy that they wanted to kill, the three of them were once again surrounded. They had suffered heavy injuries, and their situation was even more precarious than before.
At this moment, the three of them no longer had any thoughts of staying alive. Instead, they were full of battle intent and grew more and more valiant as they fought. As the members of the Yu Family faced the valiant Above Heavens experts, while victory was already within their grasp, they were still filled with shock!
Ling Tian hid in the shadows and shook his head with a bitter laugh. These three fellows are truly like idiots. To think that they don't even know how to escape. Even if you guys are willing to throw away your lives, if all of you were to die an unknown death in Bright Jade City, when would the Yu and Xiao Families be able to fall out with each other?
It seems like this young noble has to take personal action. Forget it, the heavens will reward the kind and let me be a flawless citizen for once!
Seeing the three individuals about to lose their lives, Yu ManLou who was watching from afar suddenly lit up with a powerful battle intent! The two black-robed individuals beside him couldn't help but be bewildered. With victory right in front of their eyes, why would their Family Head suddenly display such a battle intent?
On the battlefield, the three of them were already in extreme danger with their lives hanging on a thread.
Yu ManLou was indeed a soul brother of Ling Tian. As he watched closely from the side, he was certain that if Ling Tian was present, this was the best moment for Ling Tian to take action. As long as Ling Tian delayed for even the slightest bit, it would be too late for him to do anything!
If Ling Tian did not take action now, it would mean that he wasn't present here and there wouldn't be any meaning for him to wait here with his Yu Family experts.
In actuality how would Ling Tian not wish to take action? But just when he was about to take action, he felt an immense wave of danger in his heart. It was as though there was an extremely venomous snake eyeing him from the dark! That bone-chilling feeling sent a chill down his spine, and Ling Tian couldn't help but tremble.
Could there be someone watching me in the dark?
With such a disturbance in the city, where could Yu ManLou be at such a moment? There was definitely something fishy about this matter. The mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind. Could it be that there was an eagle behind him, the oriole?
Ling Tian was filled with a cold chill!
However, the battlefield was growing more and more dangerous by the second and if he didn't take action now, all of his arrangements would go to waste. With the strength of the Yu Family in Bright Jade City, they were definitely capable of sealing up the news regarding the experts of Above Heavens. But if the news of the Above Heavens experts' deaths doesn't spread out, how would he be able to instigate a war between both the families?
Ling Tian had still decided to take action. Even if he knew that Yu ManLou was waiting for him to take action, he had no other choice!
How could he allow all of his efforts to go to waste?
Ling Tian crouched down and moved slowly in the darkness.
Seeing the many experts of the Yu Family inching nearer and nearer to them, Meng WuQing let out a sneer. Is it finally the time to die? Let death come then! This old man will definitely pull a couple of them down with me!
With a loud scream, the experts of the Yu Family charged over. Meng WuQing and Meng WuYi looked at each other and gave a carefree smile. Just when they were about to face the Yu Family experts, they suddenly saw a gold and silver light flash past their eyes and numerous hidden weapons exploded forth like a peacock spreading its tail. With a dreamy rainbow colored light and a threatening killing intent, the hidden weapons sprayed towards the Yu Family experts who were charging over!
With victory right in front of their eyes and their opponent without the strength to fight back, the Yu Family experts charged forward excitedly. However, they never imagined that they would be greeted by a bunch of hidden weapons instead! The silver and gold needles sliced through the air with a powerful penetrative power and shot through the Yu Family experts carrying with them trails of blood!
Their extreme joy turned into sorrow!
Miserable groans sounded and there were many Yu Family experts who threw away the swords in their hands as they held onto their bleeding eyes. Many of the Yu Family experts rolled off the roof and those who didn't roll off jumped up to pitifully avoid the incoming hidden weapons while cursing incessantly.
A hole was immediately formed in the encirclement of the Yu Family experts!
This opportunity can't be missed!
Even though they knew that there was an expert aiding them in the dark, this wasn't the time for them to exchange greetings!
As long as they had the chance to stay alive, who would be willing to die?!
Meng WuQing held onto both his brothers and with his fastest possible speed, he dashed out from the opening and was forty to fifty feet away!
The archers of the Yu Family members nocked their bows and right when they were about to fire, a copper coin shot towards them with a 'weng' and more than twenty bows were sliced into half by the sharp copper coin.
"Little brat, you dare!" Yu ManLou roared and his hiding figure shot out from his hiding place. Before the crowd could even blink, Yu ManLou had already covered more than a hundred feet and arrived at the bush beside the wall. At the same time, his palm struck down with the majesty of lightning descending from the heavens!
It struck towards the bush and the shadow hiding within it!
Chapter 475: Before Dawn
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
At the same time, the two black-robed experts who were standing behind Yu ManLou also made a move. They flew over the buildings without a sound, drew their swords, and their swords stabbed out like two venomous snakes. Every place their sword light flashed by, the vegetation would be slashed apart cleanly and sent flying into the sky.
Above the roof, the Yu Family experts looked at the escaping Meng WuQing and then looked at their Family Head launching an attack as though he was facing a great enemy. They were then stuck in a dilemma about whether they should give chase to the escaping experts or join their Family Head's attack.
With just that slight moment of doubt, Meng WuQing and the rest disappeared into the darkness.
With a loud bang, a huge crater was formed in the ground from Yu ManLou's palm strike. At the same time, the swords of the two black-robed experts also shot past the sky. To the surprise of everyone else, Yu ManLou's palm strikes and the two sword strikes of the black-robed experts had actually struck air.
With a wave of slashing sounds, the diced-up vegetation floated down gently from the sky.
Yu ManLou's eagle's eyes were locked onto the place where his palm struck out and feeling the empty feeling of his palm strike, he let out a sneer. Although he didn't know what method his opponent used to avoid his attack, Yu ManLou was certain that there was definitely someone in that direction! Even if that person was able to alter the trajectory of his hidden weapons, how would that person be able to hide it from Yu ManLou's eagle-like eyes?
As Yu ManLou stood still, the two black-robed men returned behind him and the Yu Family experts slowly gathered around from the roof. Naturally, the shadows were still completely motionless.
The winds began to blow, and everyone's robes began to flutter in the winds. At the same time, the atmosphere in the place grew extremely heavy and stifling.
"You still aren't willing to come out? As a man, why are you acting in such a cowardly manner!" Yu ManLou's voice sounded in a calm manner, "Our Yu Family and your Above Heavens had never interfered with each other's affairs, but your esteemed sect had actually bullied your way right up to our doorstep! You caused both of our families to meet each other with weapons, and it is truly a pity." Yu ManLou lamented and a tinge of pity could be heard in his voice.
The leaves fluttered lightly in the wind as though they were also lamenting with Yu ManLou.
Behind Yu ManLou, the two black-robed experts stared at each other in confusion. Didn't our Family Head just say that Ling Tian was the one hiding in secret? Why did he proclaim that he was from Above Heavens now? Does he intend to pull the wool over the eyes of the Yu Family members to hide the matter of their third young noble colluding with Above Heavens? However, this didn't seem necessary with the status of their Family Head.
While they weren't clear about why Yu ManLou would do that, Ling Tian was extremely clear about the reason in his heart. Right when he had used his Divine Shocking Dragon Formula to send out the gold and silver needles, the unease in his heart grew greater and greater and he hurriedly left his original spot. If he had left his spot just a bit later, he would have definitely be injured in the joint attack of the three experts. Thinking about the close shave, Ling Tian couldn't help but be filled with a cold sweat.
Seeing Yu ManLou's reaction and hearing what Yu ManLou had said, Ling Tian could be certain that Yu ManLou knew that he was the one hiding in the dark. However, Yu ManLou had still proclaimed him to be a member of Above Heavens, and Ling Tian couldn't help but be filled with disdain.
An old fox indeed; a wily old fox! Because Ling Tian was still his in-law in name and the husband-to-be of Yu BingYan, even if Yu ManLou wanted to tear Ling Tian into pieces, he must not allow the world to know that he had such vicious thoughts towards his in-law. Thus, he had no choice but to proclaim that Ling Tian was a member of Above Heavens.
Even if he found out that this person was Ling Tian in the future, he could just give an excuse that he killed the wrong person. It wouldn't matter if the people in the world doubted him, the important thing was that he didn't knowingly order Ling Tian's death. Ling Tian finally knew why his plan of instigating Yu LiuFeng's little scheme would cause so many experts of the Yu Family to be mobilized. It turns out that Yu ManLou's true target was himself. The person who Yu ManLou truly wanted to plot against was himself!
However, Ling Tian was puzzled about how Yu ManLou knew that this matter was related to him.
"You can no longer escape." Yu ManLou said slowly, "You actually dare to interfere in the internal affairs of my Yu Family and sow discord between both my sons. You deserve death! However, giving face to Above Heavens, I will promise you a complete corpse if you reveal yourself right now."
For Yu ManLou to repeatedly mention Above Heavens, it was number one to give Ling Tian a title of belonging to Above Heavens and number two for his subordinates by the side to hear. Ling Tian was certain that Yu ManLou was definitely not mentioning Above Heavens for himself to hear.
First putting on a chastity ring before going out to become a prostitute. Old man, you truly have your means! Or perhaps everything has been going too well for him and he had begun to underestimate this old man. Was there any difference between having a complete corpse or having a mutilated corpse? Wouldn't the outcome still be death?
Without surprise, the eyes of the many Yu Family experts immediately shone with enmity and the gazes of the many hiding in the shadows turned unfriendly.
Yu ManLou sneered in his heart. Just like how he didn't dare to reveal Ling Tian's true identity, he was also certain that it was impossible for Ling Tian to reveal his identity.
"Search!" Yu ManLou gave an order and more than ten people charged forward like hungry wolves.
"Reporting to Family Head, there isn't anyone here!"
"Reporting to Family Head, there isn't anyone here!"
'Reporting…"
Hearing the reports of his subordinates, Yu ManLou's countenance turned darker and darker. He never imagined that the other party would still be able to remain hidden despite such a thorough search. This was something incredulous and something that even the Pavilion Head of the First Pavilion would be incapable of doing!
Up until now, Yu ManLou could clearly feel that the other party had not left yet! At the same time, the other party also didn't have the chance to leave! However, just where was he hiding? The place was only so big, and how was it possible for him to hide from the eyes of everyone present?
Such a concealment technique was definitely worthy of being called the number one in the world!
Was Ling Tian truly this capable?!
"I am truly in admiration! Sir's concealment techniques are truly unparalleled! Even the number one assassin of the First Pavilion would probably have to admit that he is inferior in this regard!" Yu ManLou said with sincerity and a trace of respect. This was something that everyone could very obviously hear, "However, Sir made a mistake; a huge mistake! Regardless of how proficient you are in concealment techniques, this mistake of yours will render all of your techniques useless!"
Yu ManLou continued slowly, "You have only made use of the darkness to conceal yourself. While the vegetation here is dense, the daylight would definitely render the cover useless. It is only a couple of hours before daybreak, and I am certain that I will be able to wait for daybreak. However, can Sir afford to wait for daybreak?!"
After that, Yu ManLou roared a command, "Archers, lockdown the high points and the rest of you remain on the spot! From now on, all of you are to remain rooted to the spot and are prohibited from making the slightest sound until daybreak! Anyone who moves will be killed without mercy!
After Yu ManLou gave his orders, all the Yu Family experts acknowledged the order and froze there on the spot. Their Family Head's order was something which they would never dare to defy. However, there were already a few of them silently grumbling in their hearts!
The first one was definitely Ling Tian. Yu ManLou was completely right, and he was indeed making use of the darkness to conceal himself. The moment the sun came out, it would be impossible for him to maintain such a perfect concealment and the Yu Family experts would definitely be able to find his hiding spot. At that time, it would be impossible for him to escape. Thus, Ling Tian had to find a way to escape before the sun came out!
As for the second person, it was the Head Deacon, Yu ChaoRan. Yu LiuFeng was still awaiting news of his mission tonight. The both of them had agreed to split up into two groups tonight. Yu ChaoRan would gather his men to surround Yu LiuShui's courtyard and after he succeeded, Yu LiuFeng would take action to apprehend Yu LiuShui. At that time, they would be brought in front of Yu ManLou and as long as their testimonies matched, Yu LiuShui wouldn't have a chance of escaping.
Yu ManLou only had three sons and his eldest son, Yu LiuYun, was originally the most outstanding one. Everyone in the Yu Family had already recognized Yu LiuYun as the successor to the Yu Family but he had died pitifully in the hands of the First Pavilion. Currently, there were only two sons left and if Yu LiuFeng could make use of this opportunity to get rid of his competition, he would be the only person left in the race! Regardless of whether it is the territories or riches of their Yu Family, only Yu LiuFeng would have the rights to inherit them! As long as he was able to find concrete evidence on this mission of his, Yu LiuFeng was confident of kicking Yu LiuShui out of the race! This was something that Yu LiuFeng and Yu ChaoRan were certain about!
However, their current mission wasn't very successful. While they were able to successfully capture this courtyard, they weren't able to catch a single person alive. While these people were obviously in Yu LiuShui's courtyard, there wasn't a single witness and no one would be able to ascertain why they were there! While Yu LiuShui would undoubtedly be the greatest suspect, he only needed to deny everything and no one would be able to do anything to him.
They would require a flawless plan to ensure that Yu LiuShui would never be able to make a comeback. However, Yu ChaoRan was unable to send any news over to Yu LiuFeng and if he were to grow impatient and take action directly, things definitely wouldn't turn out well.
After all, fighting his own sibling was a huge crime!
At that time, if both of his sons made such grave mistakes, the mistakes would definitely cancel each other out. After all, no matter how ruthless Yu ManLou was, he couldn't possibly kill both of his remaining sons.
As time passed by, Yu ChaoRan stood there silently and his old face was already covered with a cold sweat. If the Family Head were to know that he was involved in this matter, what would the Family Head think?
The wind gradually died down and the cool of the night slowly went away. What came next was the fresh air of the dawn and the night sky began to light up gradually.
Chapter 476: Escaping Misfortune
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
Yu ManLou remained still with his eyes shut but his divine sense remained on high alert at every moment. His cultivation was fully activated and ready to take action at any moment. At the same time, he couldn't help but have praise in his heart.
Ling Tian was actually able to maintain his composure up until now and there wasn't a single fluctuation in his aura. Such concealment techniques and such accomplishment in his temperament were something extremely rare. If one wanted to achieve great things, staying calm was extremely important and victory would only be achieved when one stayed calm. This was something that Yu ManLou had always believed in. In the younger generation, Yu ManLou had never witnessed someone who was this capable in controlling himself before.
However, he also knew that daybreak was the final chance for Ling Tian to escape! The moment the sun was up in the sky, it would be impossible for Ling Tian to escape the encirclement of his many experts unless he had martial arts like Justice! However, if Ling Tian had such martial arts, he would have long escaped regardless of daylight or night time! Who would dare to block him? Who would be capable of blocking him?!
Thinking about his own two sons, Yu ManLou couldn't help but burn in anger. As compared to Ling Tian, his two sons were completely useless! He couldn't help but lament in his heart, Why can't such an outstanding individual be my son? What right does an idiot like Ling Xiao have to give birth to such an outstanding son?
Ling Tian who was supposed to be extremely anxious remained calm and steady. He knew that growing flustered would only worsen his situation!
He was waiting!
Ling Tian was waiting for a chance and a time! This time was something that Yu ManLou would never know regardless of how wise and capable he was!
That was the darkness before daybreak!
The final few minutes before daybreak was the darkest point in the night. While it was only an extremely short period of time, all of the darkness in the night would be gathered to unleash their final burst. While it was only a short few minutes and the sun would be out after those few minutes, these few minutes were more than sufficient for Ling Tian!
It was enough for him to escape his current predicament!
In fact, Ling Tian only needed a short few seconds! Thus, Ling Tian was fully confident in his ability to escape!
In the distance, a bright firework suddenly exploded and it was the emergency signal of the Yu Family.
Everyone immediately noticed this situation and while they were under their Family Head's orders to remain still, they couldn't help but look over with puzzlement.
All of them had the same question in their heart. Why was their Family Head so certain that the other party was still around? Didn't they just search the place thoroughly? Could it be that they were all useless?! If they were to wait for daybreak and realize that they had waited the whole night for nothing, wouldn't their Yu Family become a huge laughingstock?
However, how would any of them dare to voice their opinions in the face of Yu ManLou's prestige? The majority of them did indeed feel this way. Now that they witnessed the emergency signal of their Yu Family, all of the Pavilion Heads were extremely eager to make a move as the same thought surfaced in their head: Wouldn't it be great if they could make use of this opportunity to leave? If things were just like how they had guessed and they end up waiting for nothing, their Family Head would lose face for sure and all of them would end up in a difficult situation.
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over!
Furthermore, Yu ChaoRan was already filled with anxiety in his heart and was eager to find out what had happened afar. Could it be that second young noble made a move towards third young noble? My little ancestor, please don't make a rash move, or you will be killing me!
Before anyone could open their mouths to seek an instruction, they heard Yu ManLou's calm voice, "None of you are allowed to say a thing or make a move! Anyone who moves will be killed without mercy! There will be no exceptions!" As he said that, he looked towards the direction of the emergency signal and his eyes narrowed again.
Could anything be more important than killing Ling Tian?! Everything was insignificant before the possibility of killing Ling Tian!
If Yu ManLou knew what was happening in the distance, even if he felt that killing Ling Tian was of extreme importance, he would have probably sent some experts over as well. However, he was not a deity and he didn't know what had happened.
After he realized what had happened, this decision of his made him regret for a very long time!
He didn't manage to pick up a watermelon and ended up losing the seeds! Furthermore, it was a huge seed!
This emergency signal was the signal sent by a Yu Family agent because he had discovered Shui QianHuan's hiding spot! Shui QianHuan finally managed to make use of Ling Tian. While the both of them were unaware of this matter, Shui QianHuan was undoubtedly only able to escape because of Ling Tian.
The sky suddenly turned dark and the stars in the night sky seemed to have been covered at this moment!
The moment which Ling Tian had been bitterly waiting for, the darkest moment before daybreak, was finally here!
The time was right!
This sudden moment of darkness caused Yu ManLou's eyes which were already accustomed to the darkness to feel slight discomfort. He couldn't help but blink his eyes and was completely lost about what was going on.
Right at this moment, something happened!
A dark figure sprinted towards the wall like a gust of wind and speed of lightning!
Before everyone could even react, the figure had already pounced up the wall.
"Hong!" The Pavilion Head of the River Mountain Pavilion who was the nearest pounced forward and with the momentum of his pouncing action, he circulated his inner qi and sent out a powerful palm strike!
This palm strike of his had the slight intention of perishing together with his enemy! After witnessing his partner of decades pass away previously, the Pavilion Head of the River Mountain Pavilion wanted to take revenge for his partner at all costs!
The moment he came into contact with the 'enemy', he realized that he was tricked! The only thing he struck was a soft piece of black robe! However, the Pavilion Head had already unleashed his full force palm strike and could no longer withdraw it. Thus, he had no choice but to tear apart the black robe and smash his palm strike onto the ground!
The ground was already in complete chaos at this moment. As everyone's attention was focused on the flying black robes, Ling Tian's figure darted around like a demon and he sent out three palm strikes. Three black-robed Yu Family experts were then sent flying into the sky! Before they could even let out a shriek, they were shot dead like a porcupine by the archers on standby!
When Ling Tian had just made his move, Yu ManLou's eyes shone with a violent glow and with a single leap, he appeared behind Ling Tian and smashed his palms down! Ling Tian turned his body around nimbly and the exquisite movement technique of his avoided Yu ManLou's attack at the final moment. At the same time, he sent all the black-robed experts in front of him up to the skies.
In the sky, one black-robed figure after another had become a human porcupine and landed down on the ground like dead pigs. In the surroundings, the archers' faces were cold as they mechanically nocked a new arrow and continued firing downwards to take the lives of their brothers!
They would rather kill a thousand wrongly then let their enemy off! Regardless of whether it was their enemy or ally!
Another few figures swiftly appeared in front of Ling Tian. They had long noticed Yu ManLou chasing after Ling Tian but the swift movement techniques of the two individuals rendered them incapable of spotting the Yu ManLou and Ling Tian's exact location.
Ling Tian then let out a chuckle and said, "It has been a tough night guys!" He then waved his sleeves and spun around oddly on the spot. Following which, the sounds of metal slicing through the air could be heard and thousands of silver lights shot out from Ling Tian's body. All of the hidden weapons that Ling Tian had accumulated on his body was sent out together! From afar, Ling Tian's figure was like a bright sun which flashed for an instant!
This time, this flash was fatal!
Everyone was immediately startled as they brandished their weapons in an attempt to protect themselves.
A wave of mournful wails could be heard all over the place! How could Ling Tian's trump card be so easily blocked? After all, they were not Justice! How could there be a second Justice in the world?
"Hong!" Ling Tian turned around and with something in his palm, he suddenly matched a palm strike with Yu ManLou! With a loud bang, a black mist spread out the surroundings with an odd smell.
"Despicable!" Yu ManLou cursed. Afraid that there may be poison in the mist, he quickly held his breath and retreated back. Through that single palm strike, he could feel his body actually shaking slightly from the powerful inner qi of his opponent! To think that his opponent actually had such profound cultivation! Even if his opponent was slightly weaker than him, it wasn't by too much!
Ling Tian also retreated two steps and after sending out a couple of palm strikes, balls of mist could be seen spreading from all directions. The next moment, the whole courtyard was filled with a thick mist, rendering them incapable of seeing beyond 30 centimeters!
"Hold your breath! There may be poison in the mist!" The Head Deacon hurriedly shouted.
With a few pounding sounds, a few miserable groans could be heard from the wall and the sound of a few heavy objects landing on the ground could be heard. With a loud roar, Ling Tian immediately escaped.
The cool morning breeze blew away the mist, and the sky was bright!
Everyone looked at each other with complete disbelief! Who would have imagined that despite the dense encirclement of countless experts, their enemy was still able to escape and played them all for a fool! Just a moment ago, all of them were still full of confidence and felt that no one apart from Justice would be able to escape this encirclement of theirs! However, the cruel reality had destroyed all of their confidence as this person was obviously not Justice!
Seeing the many corpses like porcupines on the ground, everyone couldn't help but feel bitterness in their heart! Their enemy's martial arts, composure, resilience, and perfect planning were at a mystical level! To think that there would be someone like this in the world apart from Justice!
"Where is the Family Head?" Yu ChaoRan calmed himself down and asked after looking around.
With his reminder, everyone realized that the Family Head and his two guards had actually disappeared.
Chapter 477: Giving Chase
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
Ling Tian shot into the air and escaped like a shooting star. In just a blink of an eye, he had already traversed hundreds of feet and as he sprinted wildly, Ling Tian could even hear the sound of his body slicing across the air. The morning breeze which should have blown onto his face gently had actually turned into sharp blades pressing onto his face as he sprinted wildly!
Ling Tian did not turn back! He did not dare to turn back!
The instant he charged out of the mist, Ling Tian could feel a figure giving chase to him. This person was undoubtedly Yu ManLou! Apart from Yu ManLou, not a single person in the Yu Family would possess such mysterious cultivation! Not to mention the Yu Family, apart from Justice, Ling Tian had never met such a powerful opponent. Even Ye QingChen who he had met back then did not have such strength!
The single palm strike he exchanged with Yu ManLou already allowed Ling Tian to fully understand Yu ManLou's strength! The inner qi of that palm strike was potent and unblockable! At the same time, it was like the waves of an ocean, forever crashing onto the shore!
The instant darkness covered the earth, the Family Head of the thousand-year-old family, Yu ManLou, revealed his true strength that he had always concealed! He faced Ling Tian's confident palm strike and dispersed the force of Ling Tian's palm strike before infiltrating Ling Tian's meridians with his remaining inner qi causing Ling Tian's blood to boil! Ling Tian then could not help but feel a stuffy feeling in his chest and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Ling Tian immediately understood that his previous estimation of Yu ManLou's strength based on Yu ManTian's strength was a huge underestimation of Yu ManLou's true strength. Even if he had started training from his mother's womb and trained the mystical Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, his less than twenty years of cultivation could not be compared to the decades' worth of Yu ManLou's cultivation. He did indeed live up to the name of being the Family Head of the number one martial family in the continent!
The strength that he displayed was only slightly weaker than Justice's! How did a Family Head like him, who enjoyed riches all of his life, cultivate to such a level? Furthermore, a chilly and evil qi was hidden within Yu ManLou's pure inner qi and also caused Ling Tian huge trouble! Without this chilly and evil qi, Ling Tian would take a step back at the very most but with it, everything was completely different!
It was because Ling Tian was unable to instantly get rid of this chilly inner qi with his own Divine Shocking Dragon Formula! Ever since he arrived in this world, this was a first for Ling Tian! Even when facing Justice's tyrannical and pure inner qi, his Divine Shocking Dragon Formula would be able to instantly rid his body of Justice's inner qi. While he would still be injured, it wouldn't cause him a great deal of harm.
However, this wave of inner qi had stayed in Ling Tian's body for a long while and had even roamed around his meridians! This made Ling Tian extremely depressed in his heart. He had seen the inner qi of many Yu Family experts before; from Yu BingYan, from Yu ManTian and even from both Xue Leng and Xue Fei. The Divine Bright Jade Formula of the Yu Family should have been righteous and gentle, but definitely not chilly and evil as what he had experienced from Yu ManLou. As the Family Head of the Yu Family, why would Yu ManLou possess such an evil and sinister inner qi?
Not only was Yu ManLou's inner qi extremely odd and vicious, it wasn't an upright and frank method. If Yu ManLou was to use it when engaging in a frontal confrontation with an opponent, he would be able to catch his enemy off guard for sure. However, if it was used in a war, there wouldn't be much of a use. This was something that Ling Tian knew in his heart. If given enough time, Ling Tian was also confident that he would be able to neutralize it.
However, it was a pity that time was what Ling Tian lacked the most!
At this moment, Yu ManLou had already chased over like a shadow and was so close behind Ling Tian that Ling Tian did not even have the chance to unleash his hidden weapons! While it was because of Yu ManLou's sinister inner qi that caused Ling Tian's inner qi to be unable to flow smoothly and slowed Ling Tian down, it was also sufficient to show that Yu ManLou's movement technique was extremely close to Justice's!
Both of them sprinted through the morning breeze like a shooting star and regardless of how Ling Tian circulated his inner qi, he wasn't able to open up the gap between them. Ling Tian's Divine Shocking Dragon Formula circulated quickly and Ling Tian resolutely fought the sinister inner qi in his body, slowly getting rid of it. As long as this sinister inner qi remained in his body, Ling Tian would never dare to fully unleash his movement techniques.
If that was the case, this sinister qi might enter his meridians and that would spell trouble for him. At that time, it would take him more than ten times the effort to expel it from his body!
Thus, the distance between them remained unchanged!
Yu ManLou was also filled with doubt in his heart. He was extremely clear about the destructive force of that chilly inner qi. All of these years, there were many experts of the pugilistic world who had perished under his hands because of this infallible inner qi of his. He was certain that even Justice wouldn't be able to escape from this inner qi of his. Thus, this had always been Yu ManLou's proudest trump card! However, he could not help but be doubtful at this moment. His inner qi had obviously entered Ling Tian's body, but Ling Tian was still able to jump around so actively and run around so quickly. Could it be that Ling Tian wasn't afraid of losing his mobility the moment his internal injuries act up? To Yu ManLou, this was something that he could not understand!
He had already unleashed his movement techniques completely but regardless of how he sped up, Ling Tian was able to keep seventy feet away from him. Even after sprinting for over ten miles, the distance between the both of them had not widened for the slightest bit! This was truly bizarre! If Ling Tian wasn't injured, wouldn't that mean that Ling Tian would be able to throw him off easily?!
The thick city walls were already close, and a thick forest was in sight. This was also the reason why Ling Tian dashed forward at full speed without turning. As the guards on the city walls witnessed the two speeding figures, they could not help but flustered and a guard shouted out, "Who goes there? Stop there!"
Carrying with him a powerful gust of wind, Ling Tian darted up the city walls and without a single trace of hesitation he sent the city guard flying with a kick. Following that, he flew down from the seventy feet high city walls and shot out fifty feet away, arrived beside the soldier who he sent flying. He then tapped on the body of the soldier and further propelled himself.
Yu ManLou, who was behind him, also did a set of similar actions. He shot up the city walls shortly after Ling Tian and with two kicks, two spears on the city wall went sent propelling towards Ling Tian's back. With another kick, he then sent a city guard flying and with a wave of his sleeves, his body shot out like a cannon and followed after Ling Tian with the exact same technique!
With a single leap, Ling Tian had already traversed almost 200 feet from the city walls, and the force from his jump was exhausted. Right when he was about to land, a sharp shrill could be heard from behind him and the two spears which Yu ManLou had sent flying were right on his tail! What an accurate strike! What fabulous eyesight! If Ling Tian wasn't the person on the receiving end of these two spears, any others would have definitely perished!
Ling Tian took in a deep breath and descended at full force. At the same time, his body straightened out horizontally in midair as though he was lying down on an invisible bed.
With swooshing sounds, the two spears shot past his back. Ling Tian continued his descent and was a mere thirty feet away from the ground. He then grabbed onto one of the spears and stabbed in towards the ground, borrowing the force of his descent to speed up the spear like a landing meteorite. With a loud bang, the spear penetrated into the ground with more than half of the spear body being embedded within the earth!
However, the force from Ling Tian's descent had not been completely nullified! Ling Tian took in a deep breath and made a split second decision. He imbued his inner qi into the spear and propelled his body forward while holding onto the spear firmly. The flexible body of the spear than curved into a beautiful arc and Ling Tian unleashed the inner qi which he had imbued into the spear. Through his powerful inner qi, a loud bang sounded and a large amount of soil was forcefully dislodged and sent flying towards the incoming Yu ManLou!
Ling Tian finally nullified the force of his descent, and he rolled a few times on the ground before bursting forward at full speed again! From the start of being pursued by Yu ManLou until now, Ling Tian had yet to even take a glance back!
Right when Yu ManLou was about the land on the ground, he saw a thick layer of soil flying towards him. His calm face revealed a trace of anger and with a fierce palm strike, his figure sliced through the soil wall like a hot knife cutting through butter. However, he never expected to be greeted by the spear that he had just sent towards Ling Tian! The spear was imbued with Ling Tian's powerful inner qi and was definitely not to be underestimated!
However, this was definitely not an intentional move by Ling Tian but was completely because of Yu ManLou's 'good' luck. As long as Yu ManLou was a slight bit later, the force of the spear would be spent and it wouldn't be a threat. However, Yu ManLou was far too anxious and had met face to face with the spear.
However, if Yu ManLou didn't give chase at full speed, Ling Tian would be able to shake him off with just a small delay!
A loud bang sounded! Yu ManLou's palm smashed onto the spear's body and with a 'kacha' sound, the body of the spear was destroyed. However, Yu ManLou's figure was also slowed down by this powerful clash.
A tinge of red could be seen in Yu ManLoud's eyes as he witnessed Ling Tian enter the forest! The killing intent in his eyes grew stronger and stronger!
I have to kill Ling Tian today!
Despite his young age, he has such achievements in his martial arts! He would definitely be a future calamity, and I must get rid of him!
If I miss this opportunity today, I will probably not have a chance to get rid of him again!
Yu ManLou then barged into the forest, smashing away all the branches and leaves that got in his way like a giant crashing through a dense forest! The moment he entered the forest, Yu ManLou immediately fell into a daze.
The situation before his very eyes was completely out of his expectations!
Chapter 478: Gentleman's Conversation
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
The scene in front of Yu ManLou was completely out of his expectations. Just a moment ago, it was as though he was on a battlefield and a moment later, it was as though he was basking in the gentle moonlight by the riverside. This drastic change in atmosphere caused even a steady person like Yu ManLou to fall into a daze.
About forty to fifty feet in front of him, a young teen was standing under a tree and looking at him with an amiable smile. He had a graceful and steady disposition and every move of his seemed to carry with him an unrestrained and carefree aura. As the wind blew past, the leaves gradually floated down from the tree and looking from afar, this elegant young teen looked like a young noble who was out on vacation.
Ling Tian didn't continue to escape but actually waited for Yu ManLou calmly! As Yu ManLou walked into the forest, Ling Tian greeted with a smile, "You have arrived."
The tone of Ling Tian's voice was as though he was greeting a friend who was joining him for tea. There was even a tinge of joy within it as though a martial arts expert who stood at the peak of the world finally found a peer to exchange pointers with him. This was the loneliness of standing at the peak of the continent and also the mutual appreciation between individuals who stood at the peak. This was also the greatest respect one had for a worthy opponent!
At this moment, Ling Tian only had a single phrase in his heart. This phrase was not flattery or nonsense but Ling Tian's true feelings!
"Even if I were to search the whole world, the only heroes in the world would be you and I!" Ling Tian finally understood CaoCao's loneliness when he had said these words . 1
Just a moment ago, he was still chasing after Ling Tian and trying to exhaust all of his means to kill Ling Tian. But at this moment, Ling Tian's attitude had changed completely and this drastic change of attitude had shocked even the unshakable Yu ManLou.
Just what was this young brat Ling Tian up to again? Could it be that he didn't know that facing the Family Head of the Yu Family up front in such a manner was an extremely dangerous move that could cost him his life in an instant?
Ling Tian's 'You have arrived' made Yu ManLou not know whether to laugh or cry and also made him feel that something was definitely wrong. Just what was Ling Tian relying on to treat him in such a manner? Furthermore, Yu ManLou was also very curious why Ling Tian was so certain that he wouldn't deal with him. After all, he was just chasing after Ling Tian in an attempt to take his life just a moment ago. Up until now, Yu ManLou couldn't even think of a reason why he shouldn't kill Ling Tian.
With Yu ManLou's acute senses, he could naturally deduce Ling Tian's state of mind based on Ling Tian's words and expression. An odd feeling surfaced in Yu ManLou's heart and he revealed a smile. Following that, he swept off the dust on his robes as though he was a guest entering his host's residence. He then walked forward and said calmly, "Ling Tian, you are truly bold."
Ling Tian asked with his head slanted, "Oh?"
Yu ManLou replied with an amiable smile, "From our previous exchange, even if you were at your peak, you would still be slightly weaker than me. Now that you have been hit by my special inner qi, you are definitely not a match for me right now. As long as I continue giving chase to you, you will not have the chance to treat your inner injuries and force out the poison. As time goes on, you will definitely die under my hands."
Ling Tian's eyes gleamed and he replied with a warm smile, "Perhaps."
Yu ManLou placed his hands behind his back and looked at Ling Tian with an undisguised look of appreciation. "Currently, my subordinates should have already informed the surrounding Yu Family experts and regardless of which direction you escape towards, there will definitely be someone watching you. You will receive definitely suffer different levels of obstructions and while they wouldn't be able to block you, I would be following closely behind you. Thus, you are dead no matter what. After all, the surrounding thousand miles is the territory of my Yu Family! However, you actually chose to stop at this moment."
Yu ManLou smiled and said with a crisp tone, "Not only did you stop, you even displayed such a casual attitude obviously with the intention to have a conversation with me. If I were to reject having a conversation with you right now, I would be lacking in demeanor."
Ling Tian broke out with a wide smile. "You are indeed the head of a family and a character with the hope of ruling the world. Those little thoughts of mine can't be hidden from you at all!"
Yu ManLou shook his head as he laughed. "Don't try and flatter me. Even though your words sound extremely nice, I know that you are an eloquent individual who can turn black into white and round into square. However, your eloquence is completely useless to me! Speak your true intentions! What do you want to say? What bargaining chips do you have up your sleeves?!"
"Right, let me make something clear first. Regardless of what you say, you will never change my mind. You will definitely be killed by me today, and this is something that will never change." Yu ManLou let out a leisurely smile. "You are truly exceptional and I will never believe any of your promises. I will only be truly safe if an enemy like you dies. I believe that you also understand this point. In this world, there aren't many people capable of making me wary of and completely out of my control!"
Ling Tian replied with a smile, "Family Head Yu's words are true and I thank Family Head for your praise!"
A glimmer shone in Yu ManLou's eyes and he asked calmly, "Then why did you stop? I don't believe that you would do something useless."
Ling Tian let out a smile and with a wave of his palms in a slicing motion horizontally. Two trees by the side were then sliced cleanly from three feet up without a single sound. With a single hand, Ling Tian controlled the body of the two trees using his inner qi and placed the two trees onto the ground lightly. He then dusted his hands and said with a carefree smile, "An esteemed guest has come from afar, please take a seat." He actually ignored Yu ManLou's question and raised his arm to welcome his guest.
Yu ManLou glared at Ling Tian for a long while with a sharp gaze before breaking out into a smile suddenly, "Interesting, interesting indeed! To think that the bloodthirsty death god Ling Tian would be such an interesting person. It is a pity that there isn't any wine present at the moment or I would definitely offer a toast to you." He then walked forward slowly and sat down on the master's seat. Ling Tian was the host of this banquet with Yu ManLou being the guest. However, Yu ManLou had actually taken the master's seat obviously with the intention to overwhelm the host.
Ling Tian chuckled and said, "Family Head Yu is being too impatient. The battle between us is no longer a matter of mere territorial borders but will affect the situation of the whole continent. Before the situation in the world is settled, the position of guest and host is of little importance."
Yu ManLou's eyes flickered for a moment before saying, "We are in the territory of the Yu Family and I am the master here! Regardless of what happens in the future, that would be my status and this will be my seat! Over the many years, there have been many who wanted to take this seat of mine but they have all died without exception." Yu ManLou used his chin to point at Ling Tian, "There has been no exception, you will not be one and there wouldn't be any in the future as well!"
Ling Tian let out a silent chuckle and raised his head. "Family Head's words make sense. I am indeed a foreigner of this land, and I should be the guest instead." After that, he took a few steps back and sat down on the other tree stump.
While they had not exchanged a single blow, the confrontation between them had already started. In this first round of confrontation, Yu ManLou had gained the upper hand, and Ling Tian who was seated in the guest's position was naturally on the losing end.
The sound of the leaves rustling in the wind could be heard and two experts shot over at high speed.
Ling Tian looked at Yu ManLou with a calm smile and apart from a slight trace of ridicule and mockery, Yu ManLou couldn't read the deep thoughts in Ling Tian's eyes. Yu ManLou frowned and shouted, "The two of you are to wait outside. No one will be allowed to enter!"
The sprinting figures stopped outside the forest and a respectful voice sounded, "Yes!" They then didn't enter.
Ling Tian gave a calm smile and said with a trace of mockery and praise, "With a single command from Family Head, your subordinates don't dare to make a single move. You are indeed a wise ruler and this point alone is to be praised."
Yu ManLou watched Ling Tian calmly with gentleness like a caring elder looking at his descendant. He then chuckled, "I think I have an idea what you want to talk to me about already."
Ling Tian said, "Oh? Even with Family Head's brilliance, you may not be able to guess my thoughts right?"
Yu ManLou smiled, "Perhaps."
All of a sudden, the two of them burst out into laughter together and there was no need for words.
Yu ManLou said with a bright laugh, "This atmosphere is indeed a mystical feeling. I think that there haven't been many people since the ancient times who would have the chance to face their enemy and have such a peaceful conversation."
Ling Tian chuckled and said, "Ling Tian does not feel that there is anything mystical about this. After all, I am still your in-law in name. While we may not have much time to converse as such in the future, we are relatives after all." After that, he looked at Yu ManLou with a profound smile, "As long as you are willing to go to Sky Bearing."
Yu ManLou's brows furrowed and sneered, "It is a pity that not a single father-in-law would be able to feel assured with such a son-in-law! Such a son-in-law like you will only swallow the bones of your father-in-law without even spitting out the bones or skin. This old man has no choice but to guard against you."
Ling Tian laughed to the point he couldn't breathe before replying, "Family Head must be joking… ah ah… but is this really the case?"
Yu ManLou remained motionless as though he didn't find what Ling Tian was laughing at funny, "That's right."
Unknowingly, the second confrontation ended and while it seemed to have ended in a tie, Ling Tian had the slight upper hand. However, he had to make use of Yu BingYan's name before gaining this slight upper hand.
Chapter 479: The Top Brass Discusses
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: Rock, DavidT
"You're not interesting at all!" Ling Tian grumbled.
"Not interesting is far better than not being alive, won't you say so?" After contemplating for a while, as though in disapproval of Ling Tian's words, Yu ManLou spoke.
Ling Tian was startled before letting out a smile. "I'll take back my previous words then. You are really interesting!"
One moment saying that he was boring, the other interesting, Yu ManLou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He could only laughingly scold out, "F**k! So am I interesting or not? What are you playing at?!"
Ling Tian instead opened his eyes wide, his eyeballs almost falling off as though he had seen a real life dinosaur in a city as he stuttered, "You… you… actually said a mouthful of crass words! I never would have thought that the catchphrase of Third Master Yu would come out from your very own mouth!"
Yu ManLou, however, sighed in contentment, his entire body relaxing as he replied, "Indeed, it's been a long time since I last felt this way. Do you know, when you burst out into laughter just now, I was certain of killing you in more than ten ways, and when you glared at me, I at least had seven to eight chances? I can see that you really do not have your guard up against me at all, that even facing an enemy that wishes to kill you before anything else, you still are not wary! Why is this so? Give me a reason, I'm very interested in this!"
Ling Tian smirked inwardly to himself, Did you think that I was completely off guard? You might as well ask me to strip naked and seal off all my acupoints before throwing myself into a nest of vipers! This young master's preparations aren't something you can easily see, with your current knowledge of only this era! However, what he said was completely different, "It's only because I believe that the Yu Family Head is not such a despicable and shameless person. A family with a millennia worth of background has to live up to a certain expectation. Does Family Head agree with this?"
Despite hearing the thinly veiled insults towards him, not only did Yu ManLou not get incensed but rather heartily laughed out as he replied, "Well spoken! No matter if it's your true thoughts or not, I still feel very pleased hearing that! As such, in your heart, what kind of person do you think I am?" Yu ManLou suddenly asked in a serious tone. The eyes which he used to gaze at Ling Tian, seemed to say that he viewed this very seriously.
However, Ling Tian only laughed out in a crafty manner before replying in turn, "In your heart, what kind of person am I, Ling Tian?"
To this teasing reply, Yu ManLou actually closed his eyes, contemplating for a long time. Only then did he open his mouth to say, "If I did not exist in this world, then many years later, you would probably be the only person to rule these lands!" This praise was not small, and coming from the Yu Family Head's mouth, the weight of such words was akin to Mount Tai itself!
"Family Head is over-promoting me." Ling Tian only let out an indifferent smile. "However, as chance has it, this is exactly the same thought that I have of Family Head." His eyes narrowed. "If I was not alive, then many years later, Yu Family Head would definitely be the one to rule all under the heavens!"
"That's why I must kill you today! Be it for myself, or for the future of the Yu Family!" Yu ManLou laughed out in an abnormal way, even though the content of his words was frighteningly scary. At the same time, the gleam in his eyes suddenly sharpened. In the process of conversing, he had found out that the advantage had long been grasped by Ling Tian, letting himself shiver all over. At this time, he could not hold in the urge of killing intent towards Ling Tian!
"Perhaps, in this entire world, you're the only person who can understand me." Ling Tian sighed as he exclaimed, "But if we look at it again, maybe the only one who can understand you in this world is me. This is because our end goals are the same, to the point that even the methods we use are also similar. In my opinion, if there is no accident, the global war in the future will definitely be started by our very hands. What do you think?!"
A tiny spark of pride flickered past Yu ManLou's eyes, even as he nodded, "Based on the current circumstances, it would seem the case. Unfortunately, you no longer possess such a chance, because there's a high chance I'll kill you the next moment, and to a dead person, a chance to start a war does not matter."
Yu ManLou felt stifled; even with his current strength far outstripping Ling Tian, he had still fallen to a disadvantage in front of him. Thus, he did not wish to follow along Ling Tian's thread. However, every time Ling Tian spoke, he would immediately scratch on the sensitive spot on Yu ManLou's heart, causing him to react adversely. It could also be his own sixth sense telling him that, if he did not retaliate, he would fall into an even greater disadvantage. But if he were to reply, then that would mean falling into Ling Tian's traps. This was really the case of being trapped between a rock and a hard place. Or else, with his grand identity as a family head, how would he be reduced to threatening someone with his life and death?
Ling Tian, however, shook his head with certainty. "You definitely won't, at least not in the current window. With this situation now, how could you even bear to kill me?"
"And why so? Give me another reason!" Yu ManLou laughed out in ridicule. "Till now, I still cannot come out with a reason to not do so, and my greatest wish is still to eliminate you! As for you, you had the chance to escape at the start. But now, you do not even possess the slightest bit of a chance."
Ling Tian ignored him, instead raising his head up to look at the small patch of blue sky currently revealed through the cracks of the tree's canopy on top of them. He leisurely said, "I've always thought what a fascinating scene it would be if I was able to have a leisurely talk with my greatest opponent. Whoever won or lost in the end, this conversation will be recorded down in the annals of history, passed down to the ages! Thinking of it, one's heart would also get infatuated, as this is proof of one's mark on this world. As such, I've always thought about what sort of scenario would happen if the two of us ever sat down together."
"No matter how you think, it will only end with a forfeiture of your life!" Yu ManLou callously spat, throwing aside his original demeanor, with his killing intent now billowing out all over the place.
The third battle ended as Ling Tian's overwhelming victory! He had completely taken control of the flow of the conversation, and while Yu ManLou had tried to break out of the scenario present, using his trump card of killing Ling Tian, the latter had not even given him the chance to follow up, pulling further and further away from him.
Ling Tian only chuckled, before his expression suddenly grew grave as he seriously said, "Dare I ask Family Head, if I did not exist, then what's the best estimate of the time required for you to unite all under heavens?!"
Yu ManLou received a shock at his words. From Ling Tian's tone, he realized that this was the main course of today's conversation! As he pondered over this question, just as he was about to confidently reply to him, he realized that whatever answer he had, they all were unsuitable after some thought.
Five years? That was an impossibility. Three years later would be the Generational Battle between the Yu and Shui Families, and after the battle, whoever won or lost, there would definitely be injuries to both families. If they wanted to recover in two years to conquer the world, that was the dream of a fool!
Then a decade? With the Xiao and DongFang families still present, and with the handicap posed by the Beyond Heavens and Above Heavens Sect, that was unlikely too.
Taking a step back, two decades? While he had the confidence to complete this matter by then, he would have lost all his imposing manner! What a pathetic answer he had. After two decades, he would be an ancestor with one step into the coffin, and by then what was the point of being a hegemon?
Ling Tian had obviously calculated a rough estimate of the time Yu ManLou needed and knew where his hesitation lay, thus he started to laugh out loud.
His face reddening in embarrassment, Yu ManLou could only snap angrily, "Then this old man will ask you, Ling Tian, how many years would you need to conquer the world without me being present?!"
The laugh coming from Ling Tian was cut short immediately, he too being stumped for an answer. The Xiao, Yu, and Shui Families. Each one was a huge power unable to be ignored, and to speak of the time needed to conquer them would be a big question mark. Ling Tian might be arrogant, but he had not lost his head yet! To speak of settling everything within a decade, let's not talk about Yu ManLou not believing it, even Ling Tian himself did not believe he could actually pull it off!
It was Yu ManLou's turn to cackle in schadenfreude, as he mocked in revenge, "Seems like you can't even give an answer to the question you posed!"
"That's right. For this question, both of us cannot answer with any guarantee. The world as a chessboard, with its infinite changes, nobody can predict the next move with certainty!" Ling Tian honestly admitted, "However, I would like to pose a question to Family Head then. If you were to kill me right now, then in my most conservative estimate, you would still need at least another fifteen years of warring from north to south, before you can achieve your plan of conquering all under heavens. If we were to throw in the variables in Heavenly Wind and Heavenly Sun continent, then maybe thirty years might not even be enough. Might I ask then, how old is Family Head currently?"
Yu ManLou's hand, while stroking his goatee in satisfaction, suddenly froze as his expression grew dark. This was his sore spot, and he started to exude the aura of a dangerous beast!
"According to my sources, Family Head should be 49 years old this year." Ling Tian only continued with a cold smile. "Even if we compromise and take the rough estimate of twenty years, you would have conquered all under heavens at the ripe old age of 70. By then, can you still taste the pleasure of ruling all under heavens?"
Yu ManLou raised his head, a sharp yet wounded look in his eyes.
Ling Tian, however, ignored it, callously continuing, "Even if you can finish your career in twenty years, you would be 70 years by then. How many years can you seat on this treasured seat? One year? Two? Maybe, three?! Hahaha… your martial skills might be profound, but you are no god, and you are definitely no immortal! There will be a day when you meet your maker, and when that happens, what are you going to do?!"
Ling Tian barked out in laughter, before harshly spitting out, "Becoming a monarch at 70 years of age! Seventy!! Even if you become a monarch, what use is there? Even if you rule all under heavens, how long more time would you have to fulfill your grand ambitions? Don't tell me, that your aim is to get the treasured seat of the heavens to die in?! To ensure that your rotten meat weighing over fifty kilograms has a beautiful place to die in?!
Chapter 480: Gamble
Translator: DavidT Editor: Rock, DavidT
Yu ManLou fell silent. The things that Ling Tian had pointed out had struck him at his weakest points. Ling Tian's words were undeniably extremely nasty to his ears and Yu ManLou almost passed out from anger after hearing them. He was angered to the point his body trembled and steam could be seen coming out from his head. However, he didn't have any words to retort what Ling Tian had just said!
Yu ManLou had always placed all of his efforts into fighting for hegemony in the world. However, he had never thought about the problem of how many years he would be able to rule over the world after gaining hegemony of it.
"If you only want to become an Emperor, that isn't impossible at the moment." Ling Tian said slowly and in a heartless manner. He then lifted up his finger and pointed at Yu ManLou before pointing at himself. "Both of us can definitely do so right now! We can ascend to the throne anytime we wish and become the ruler of an Empire. Even at this moment, we are no different from being the rulers of our respective empires! However, is being the ruler of a small Empire sufficient to satisfy our appetites?"
"What we want and what we are chasing after is to rule over the whole world!" Ling Tian said with resolution, "At the very least, we must rule over the Heavenly Star Continent!"
"Thus, I wanted to wait for you here today to have a conversation with you." Ling Tian gave an amiable smile that looked extremely crafty but yet adorable.
"I shall accept this conversation of yours." Yu ManLou said slowly with a tinge of fatigue, "Can you finally say what you truly want?" After his initial anger, Yu ManLou had begun considering what Ling Tian had said with deep contemplation. While Ling Tian's words were extremely nasty, Yu ManLou had no choice but to admit that Ling Tian's words made a great deal of sense. Thus, Yu ManLou suppressed the anger in his heart so that he could also learn something from Ling Tian's words. So far, the things that he had heard were not something that he was interested in.
However, the more this was the case, the more Yu ManLou was wary towards Ling Tian. Currently, Yu ManLou couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear towards this teen in front of him! That's right, fear! Such a feeling made Yu ManLou extremely frustrated in his heart! Apart from that one person from many years ago, he had never felt fear towards anyone else!
"Before we begin talking, let me give you a piece of advice." Ling Tian said with a cunning smile. From the start until now, his negotiation with Yu ManLou had been pretty successful. Now, it was the time for him to give Yu ManLou a condition that he wouldn't be able to resist. Ling Tian was certain that there wasn't a reason for Yu ManLou to reject his condition. Since his goal had already been reached, Ling Tian was no longer anxious.
"What advice? Do you think any advice would be able to move me?" Yu ManLou looked extremely fatigued but his eyes were filled with malevolence and his tone had also turned soft. At this moment, Yu ManLou looked no different from a fatigued old man.
"I recommend that you quickly find a few more wives and have them give birth to a son for you." Ling Tian said with seriousness, "I heard that your eldest son had passed on already and as for your two remaining sons, I have previously met both of them. In all honesty, they are truly bad cement that can't hold up a wall and dog meat that can't be served at a banquet. I think that every time you think about how the world that you will reign over in future will be ruined by them, you will lose all of your motivation. Furthermore, if you don't make any plans now, in just a few years it will be too late to do so. At that time, even if you have the heart to do so, you will no longer have the ability to do so."
Ling Tian chuckled after saying in a straightforward manner. In this world, he was probably the only person who would dare to talk to Yu ManLou as such without fearing Yu ManLou's anger. Thus, Ling Tian couldn't help but be filled with delight as he looked at Yu ManLou with a look of satisfaction, looking forward to the exasperated look on Yu ManLou's face.
Asking the Family Head of the number one Family to take in a concubine! Only Ling Tian would have the guts to say such crazy words! However, Ling Tian only had the chance to let out two laughs before being unable to continue laughing.
Not only did Yu ManLou in front of him not have any anger, instead he looked as though he was seriously considering the matter with a look of temptation! At the same time, he even revealed a slight smile…
"F**k! I was only making a casual remark… you can't be truly tempted right?" Ling Tian pointed at Yu ManLou with a look of incredulity, "You are actually not angry?? I was asking you to…"
"Weren't your words the truth? Why is there a need for me to be angry?" Yu ManLou suddenly raised his head, "Could it be that if I were to blow my top at this moment, both of my sons will be enlightened? Would they be able to become like you?" Yu ManLou said calmly, "As for your advice, it is truly a good one and I will consider the matter. After all, I have to consider the matter while I am still able." Yu ManLou nodded his head, "Truly."
"What the…****" Ling Tian was completely speechless, "An old cow like you is really going to go and eat young grass? Are you not afraid of the world poking fun at your backbone? Are you not afraid… my goodness!" Ling Tian was completely speechless.
Yu ManLou said calmly, "Not only do I accept your advice, I have to thank you for it! This advice of yours is truly great. Even if I have the world in my hand, I can't stop a degenerate son from losing it in a single night in a bet! I have been thinking about this matter for a very long time already, and after last night's affair, even you have witnessed how my sons aren't worthy of inheriting my accomplishments!" A cold light glowed in Yu ManLou's eyes, "This is their nature and it is impossible to change them. Thus, I can accept this advice of yours, and I have a good twenty years to groom an outstanding successor! Am I right?"
Ling Tian slapped his forehead and was completely speechless. He even had the urge to slap his own lips for their ridiculous words!
The negotiation between the both of them was already going his way and he wanted to have some fun by teasing Yu ManLou. However, he never imagined that he would dig a hole for himself, and a casual word of advice actually gave Yu ManLou a huge hint!
The matter that happened last night had undoubtedly given Yu ManLou an extremely huge blow. Especially when he compared Ling Tian's excellence to his sons' worthlessness, Yu ManLou couldn't help but be filled with a strong sense of defeat. It wouldn't matter if they were profligates in the past. However, they had actually attempted to kill each other and resorted to unscrupulous means! This was something that Yu ManLou was unable to accept. When he had first heard Ling Tian's advice, Yu ManLou almost erupted with rage. However, as Ling Tian's words grew nastier, Yu ManLou also felt that they made more and more sense.
I have yet to turn fifty and I still have the heart and strength to fight for hegemony and groom a new successor!
Looking at Ling Tian, Yu ManLou smiled, "To ensure that the thousand-year-old heritage of the Yu Family can shine in this old man's hands and be handed down to the future generations, so what if I become the laughingstock of the world?! Could it be that the world would curse me less if I don't do this matter? Furthermore, as long as a man has the heart and the strength, why can't I find a wife and have some children?!"
Ling Tian rolled his eyes and said weakly, "Giving birth to a son isn't the main point. The main point is that you will have to groom him properly! If you end up grooming another profligate son, it would be better for you to not give birth to anyone."
"This conversation with you today is truly a wonderful affair. I have truly gained some wonderful advice." Yu ManLou agreed with a bright smile, "This old man agrees that the greatest mistake in my life was to not discipline those few brats properly. If I have more children in the future, I will definitely not make the same mistake." He then looked at Ling Tian with a smile, "You don't have to worry about that, I will definitely take care of the matter properly."
What am I worried about? F**k! Ling Tian couldn't help but grow depressed and had the urge to bang his head on the wall. What did I just say? Did I give him good advice?! Is he the fool or am I the fool?!
Although he was thinking that in his heart, Ling Tian also couldn't help but feel admiration towards Yu ManLou! In the world, how many of the leading figures would be able to listen to someone else's advice with such humility? Even though he was obviously trying to play Yu ManLou as a fool, Yu ManLou was still able to recognize his flaw and admit it! Furthermore, he was admitting his flaws to his biggest enemy!
Yu ManLou's breadth of mind made Ling Tian's heart turn chilly. In Ling Tian's heart, Yu ManLou's position was also being constantly altered.
Yu ManLou looked at Ling Tian with a cold gaze, "What else do you want to say? Why not let the cat out of the bag? I don't believe that you only have this single advice right?"
Ling Tian revealed a smile of admiration and also adjusted his emotions before saying, "The battle between the Yu and Shui Family is starting in less than two and a half years right?"
Yu ManLou smiled, "This is something that the whole world knows. Is there anything special about that?"
Ling Tian said in a low voice, "My deal with Justice only lasts for half a year and the deal is almost half done. If I die unluckily in the hands of Justice, then you can just ignore all of my words. But if I am lucky enough to be alive, I hope to have a deal with Family Head Yu."
"What deal?" Yu ManLou could already guess what Ling Tian was about to say and revealed a trace of interest.
Ling Tian smiled, "I believe that Family Head Yu wouldn't be willing to spend years or even decades to fight wars over the continent right? This advice of mine would be to reduce the time it takes for us to capture the continent to ten years or less!" Ling Tian threw out his bait.
He wasn't afraid that Yu ManLou wouldn't take the bait! He was less than twenty and had plenty of time to wait and waste. However, Yu ManLou didn't have that time.
"What's your plan?" Yu ManLou's gaze turned sharp.
Ling Tian raised five fingers and waved them around, "Five years! For the next five years, I will not find trouble with you and you are not to seek trouble with me either. Both of us, one north and one south or one east and one west, will split the continent into two. Half of it will go to me, and the other half will go to you. At that time, both of our families will face each other in an all-out war and the continent will belong to the victor. As for who should be in charge of which half, you can be the one to decide that."
Ling Tian chuckled, and rivers of blood could be seen in his eyes. "However, if any party isn't able to complete their end of the deal, they will have to admit defeat and submit to the victor!"
Ling Tian's words were as though they were two kids having a little bet. If you win, this glass ball will belong to you. If you lose, this glass ball will belong to me. It was that simple.