Chapter 45
Ever since making a fool of Jiang Li, Yu Tai had obediently remained in her cave dwelling while waiting for the day of the Martial Tournament’s lot drawing.
Perhaps the incident had affected him more than she realized, because Jiang Li never came looking for Yu Tai again after that day.
At last, the day of the lot drawing arrived, and Yu Tai left home early in the morning.
Most cultivators would choose the more leisurely afternoon to draw their lots. Since there were still few people around, Yu Tai planned to make the trip as quickly as possible.
She flew by sword to the drawing site. Although it was still early, quite a crowd had already gathered.
This year’s Martial Tournament was being held at the Qingshan Sword Sect. Early that morning, disciples from sects across the land had gathered, along with quite a few wandering cultivators.
“Good morning, Junior Sister.”
Several cultivators greeted her one after another as soon as she landed.
Ever since the annihilation of the Chengtian Sect, it had been a long time since Yu Tai experienced such enthusiasm from the Qingshan Sword Sect’s disciples.
Several cultivators who did not know Yu Tai could not resist stealing extra glances at such a beautiful female cultivator.
Lots were distributed according to the order of the queue. Yu Tai looked at the long line snaking out of the square and thought she had still arrived a little too late, so she headed obediently toward the very end.
“Over here, Junior Sister! We’re surrounded by our own people, so it doesn’t matter if you cut in!” a male cultivator called to Yu Tai.
Wen Shu, who stood behind him, nodded to Yu Tai.
Naturally, the cultivators farther back were unhappy to see someone cutting in line. But these people were disciples of the Qingshan Sword Sect, their hosts, so the outsiders could hardly say anything. They could only glare at Yu Tai.
Yet after their gazes landed on Yu Tai’s face, seemingly gilded by the morning light, many of the male cultivators looked away in embarrassment.
If someone was that beautiful, perhaps letting her cut in line was not so unreasonable.
Yu Tai declined their kindness. “Thank you, Senior Brother, but I’ll wait in line.”
She started walking again, only to be called back.
“Junior Sister! How about this? If you don’t mind, I can draw a lot for you. That way, you won’t have to wait.”
There was no telling how long a line like this would take. Besides, most people in it were men. The more reserved female cultivators had probably all asked someone else to draw for them.
Yu Tai nodded. “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Senior Brother.”
It did not actually matter what number she drew. She would be the final victor regardless.
“Jiang Li, who are you looking at?”
A petite girl stood beside the young man and followed his gaze.
Beneath a towering tree that stretched into the clouds stood a girl wearing a white disciple uniform patterned with blue. Rather than lining up, she was speaking to someone. With a cultivator’s eyesight, the petite girl could clearly make out her lovely, delicate profile.
Morning light bathed the girl’s face as if gilding it. Xiao Xin watched several male cultivators who had finished drawing their lots and were about to leave suddenly stop as if their feet had been nailed to the ground. They stared blankly at the girl.
Jiang Li had always been uninterested in women-to the point that it could almost be called disgust. Yet now, he was staring at that girl just as intently as those lovestruck men.
Although his gaze was not dazed and was instead cold enough to send chills down anyone’s spine, Xiao Xin was still deeply displeased.
“Jiang Li, there’s nothing worth looking at. Let’s go,” she said softly, sounding aggrieved.
When had Jiang Li ever looked at her like that?
“The elder said you can’t…” She abruptly closed her mouth.
She suddenly remembered that she had also mentioned the elder aboard the black tortoise last time, whereupon Jiang Li immediately jumped off.
She had heard that he even became entangled with some female cultivator from the Lower Realm.
She had not believed it before, but now it appeared that the girl in the distance must be the one.
When the person before her ignored her completely, Xiao Xin called again. “Jiang Li!”
“Shut up,” Jiang Li said coldly.
Then he turned and strode away without hesitation, abandoning Xiao Xin behind him.
Xiao Xin pouted, close to tears.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation at the Zuiyin Sect?
But she had been the one to make a fuss and insist on accompanying the elder after hearing that Jiang Li was coming. She could not complain.
Xiao Xin looked at the girl in the distance once more. Only after discovering that she had disappeared at some point did Xiao Xin reluctantly chase after Jiang Li. “Jiang Li! Wait for me!”
Number 188.
Yu Tai looked at the number token in her hand. After thanking the Senior Brother who had drawn it for her, she prepared to return home.
But Wen Shu suddenly stopped her. “Junior Sister.”
Yu Tai looked back. “Senior Brother Wen?”
After calling out to her, Wen Shu did not speak aloud. Instead, he sent her a voice transmission. “I heard that the Zuiyin Sect has begun interfering in the annihilation of the Chengtian Sect. Since you had a dispute with Mo Zhen, people from the Zuiyin Sect may come after you. You need to be careful.”
Knowing that he was concerned about her, Yu Tai nodded. “I’ll remember that. Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother Wen.”
As Wen Shu watched Yu Tai fly away on her sword, the cultivator beside him poked him. “What secret were you and Junior Sister discussing?”
Wen Shu glanced at him and drawled, “Oh, nothing much… We were just discussing how Senior Brother has a secret crush on Junior Sister Li.”
The cultivator became so angry that he pretended to punch Wen Shu, only for Wen Shu to dodge nimbly.
In the busy square, two cultivators still in the prime of youth chased and joked with each other…
Aboard the black tortoise-
“Yu Tai?” At the name, the old man instinctively glanced at Jiang Li, who was sitting beside him.
Jiang Li sat ramrod straight with his arms crossed, betraying no emotion. It was impossible to determine his mood from his face.
“Mo Zhen, sect leader of the Chengtian Sect, claimed that she killed his daughter in the Bishui Secret Realm and injured her in retaliation. But the very next day, the mortals responsible for delivering supplies to the Chengtian Sect discovered that everyone in the sect was dead. Mo Zhen’s death was the most horrifying of all.”
At the thought of the corpse outside the hall, a somber silence settled over the room.
Mo Zhen was the only victim who had not been reduced to white bones.
All the flesh on his body appeared to have melted, leaving him collapsed on the ground. His eyes had probably been gouged out by his own hands and stuffed into his mouth.
There was no doubt that it had been an act of revenge.
“And this isn’t the first murder case in which Yu Tai has been implicated,” continued the young cultivator who had spoken first.
“More than ten Qingshan Sword Sect disciples, including five inner disciples, died horribly in the Lower Realm.”
“All of them were usually close to Yu Tai. Although Yu Tai herself claims she wasn’t with them that day, rumors say she was not at the Qingshan Sword Sect either.”
“It may only be a rumor, but in my opinion, even if Yu Tai isn’t the culprit, she is hardly innocent.”
“So what are you proposing?” the old man asked.
“Better to kill a thousand by mistake than allow one to escape.” The man’s forceful voice echoed through the room. After pondering for a moment, the people seated around the table nodded one after another.
The old man beside Jiang Li sighed. “What a pity…”
“I disagree.” A solemn voice broke the silence.
Everyone turned toward its source.
It was Elder He of the Jade Sect.
Feeling their gazes upon him, Elder He said, “You have no evidence whatsoever, yet you are eager to kill an innocent female cultivator. How is that any different from those inhumane demonic cultivators?”
*Damn it! You dare lay a hand on My Lord’s woman? You people have a death wish!*
“Elder He, we know you are rigorous, but this concerns demonic cultivators. We also owe the Zuiyin Sect an explanation. We cannot afford to be careless.”
Mo Zhen had only become sect leader of the Chengtian Sect because of a distant cousin of his who held an influential position in the Zuiyin Sect.
The Chengtian Sect’s destruction meant the cousin had lost the enormous bribes Mo Zhen periodically sent him. That infuriated him, and he ordered a thorough investigation.
Although he publicly claimed that no demonic cultivator who acted with impunity could be allowed to escape, everyone understood the true reason perfectly well.
Just as Elder He was about to continue, the old man suddenly turned to Jiang Li. “Enter the Martial Tournament.”
Jiang Li’s icy gaze instantly swept toward him.
The old man met his eyes and continued, “Kill Yu Tai with your own hands.”