Chapter 396: Collecting a Debt Along the Way
The Snow Phoenix Beast soared straight upward, reaching a height of three thousand zhang, and in the blink of an eye, it had already flown beyond the bounds of Cangfeng Imperial City.
Yun Che took out the map of the Tian Xuan Continent that Cang Yue had prepared for him and estimated the distance between Cangfeng Imperial City and Shenhuang City... The territory of the Shenhuang Empire was enormous, nearly twenty times the size of the Cang Feng Kingdom. Even at the speed of the Snow Phoenix Beast, flying for seven or eight hours a day, it would still take over ten days to reach Shenhuang City.
"...It's this far!" Yun Che groaned softly. He had originally thought that setting out a month early would give him more than enough time, and even ample opportunity to move around in Shenhuang City. But having never seen a map of the Tian Xuan Continent before, he had clearly misjudged the distance between Cangfeng Imperial City and Shenhuang City.
After staring at the territory of the Shenhuang Empire for a short while, Yun Che's gaze returned to the Cang Feng Kingdom, lingered for a moment over the southwestern region, then settled on a certain place... He let out a chilling sneer, folded the map, and sped away.
………………
With the Xiao Nan Mountain at its back and the Nan Tian River to its right, the main headquarters of the Xiao Sect occupied a feng shui site that was beyond reproach. Even from a thousand zhang in the air, Yun Che could clearly see the square arch stone gate in front of the Xiao Sect. This gate was a full hundred zhang tall, and the character "Xiao" engraved at its very top was majestic and imposing.
"What a nice place."
Yun Che muttered softly, then guided the Snow Phoenix Beast in a swift descent. Just as he neared the area above the gate, he leaped down, drew the Longque Sword, and struck it directly against the stone gate with a single blow.
*Boom!!!!*
An earth-shaking explosion resounded throughout the entire Xiao Nan Mountain. As the Longque let out a dragon roar that shook the heavens, the thousand-year-old gate of the Xiao Sect trembled violently under the thunderous impact. Countless cracks spread rapidly, within moments densely covering the entire gate. Then, with a sound like rolling thunder, the enormous stone gate... collapsed with a crash.
*Rumble, rumble, rumble...*
The sound of falling boulders continued without end, kicking up a sky-blanketing cloud of dust. Yun Che landed from midair, a cold smile on his face... And this act of his was undoubtedly like poking a hornet's nest. The previously quiet Xiao Sect instantly erupted in alarm bells. Chaotic footsteps rushed in from all directions. They watched in disbelief as the gate—the very symbol of the Xiao Sect's face and thousand-year history—collapsed into a pile of rubble, and they were all stunned.
"Who dares to act wildly in my Xiao Sect?!"
Xiao Jue Tian's enraged voice came from the air. As the Sect Master, he would normally not bother with trivial matters, but the destruction of the sect's gate was a major affair concerning the thousand-year honor of the Xiao Sect! Xiao Jue Tian flew over, charging ahead like a hawk. With a palm strike, a storm of profound force howled forth, blowing away the billowing dust and revealing the culprit—Yun Che's figure.
"Sect Master Xiao, it's been a few months. I trust you've been well." Yun Che looked at Xiao Jue Tian, whose beard was almost bristling with fury, and spoke with a smile.
"Yun... Yun Che!"
The moment Xiao Jue Tian clearly saw Yun Che's face, it was as if he had seen the face of a demon. His entire face twitched violently, and his mind buzzed. The towering rage in his heart was suddenly crushed under something unbearably heavy, unable to erupt, the pressure nearly making his chest explode.
The Xiao Sect elders and disciples who had rushed over from behind turned pale at the sound of "Yun Che," and even their running pace slowed.
Yun Che put away the Longque Sword and walked unhurriedly toward Xiao Jue Tian, speaking leisurely, "Last time at the Imperial Palace, Sect Master Xiao personally attended my wedding, and I was truly grateful. So I promised on the spot that I would visit the Xiao Sect in person another day. I, Yun Che, always keep my word. That's why I'm here today... I observed from afar that your sect's gate was extremely grand and rarely seen in the entire kingdom, so I thought I'd land on it to get a bird's-eye view of the Xiao Sect. I never expected that this gate would be so unsteady. The moment I stepped on it, it collapsed outright and gave me quite a fright. Oh, and I unintentionally damaged your sect's gate. I hope Sect Master Xiao won't take offense."
The thousand-year-old gate of the Xiao Sect had weathered countless storms. How could it possibly have been "damaged by stepping on it"! To destroy a hundred-zhang gate and then dismiss it lightly with "don't take offense"... Xiao Jue Tian's blood pressure shot up on the spot, and his lungs nearly burst. If it had been anyone else standing before him, even Ling Yuefeng, he would have charged forward to fight to the death.
But the person standing before him was precisely Yun Che—someone he could not afford to provoke, someone he had already secretly sworn, absolutely and resolutely, never to conflict with, even if it meant having his dignity trampled into the dirt! Because not only was Yun Che terrifyingly strong, he was also a madman who had massacred the entire Fen Tian Gate and even beaten a Shenhuang prince to a pulp!
Four months ago, on the day of Yun Che's wedding, he had seemingly casually mentioned that he would personally visit the Xiao Sect another day. That remark had kept Xiao Jue Tian restless for half a month. Now, several months had passed, and his heart had mostly settled down... But Yun Che had finally come.
A smile more hideous than a grimace forced its way onto Xiao Jue Tian's face. "So it's Brother Yun! No wonder all the flowers in my sect's herb garden are in full bloom today—it must be because such an honored guest has arrived. My Xiao Sect is truly honored and delighted... This gate has stood for a thousand years and was long overdue for repairs. I never expected it to collapse at this very moment and even disturb our honored guest. We should be the ones apologizing. Please, Brother Yun, come in and let me fulfill my duties as host."
Seeing their sect's thousand-year gate—the symbol of their honor—destroyed, and then having to apologize to the perpetrator, the Xiao Sect elders and disciples all flushed red... At the sect assembly, Xiao Jue Tian had repeatedly warned that they must never become enemies with Yun Che and must never offend anyone close to him. Today, they witnessed Xiao Jue Tian's attitude firsthand... Clearly, his fear of Yun Che far exceeded their imagination.
"Oh..." Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly. Xiao Jue Tian's ability to "stoop and bend" had truly reached its peak. Even with such a blatant provocation and insult, he still greeted it with a smile and even apologized in return. No wonder he could become the Sect Master of the Xiao Sect. Yun Che slowly spoke, "There's no need to go inside. I came here today for only one matter."
Xiao Jue Tian quickly replied, "I wonder what matter Brother Yun has? If there's anything I can help with, I will certainly do my utmost."
"Heh, for Sect Master Xiao, this matter is far too easy." Yun Che said with a faint smile. "I want to see someone from your Xiao Sect."
Xiao Jue Tian's heart suddenly skipped a beat, but he forced himself to stay calm. "I wonder who Brother Yun wants to see..."
"Xiao Kuang Yun!" Yun Che half-closed his eyes, his face expressionless.
Although he had long anticipated this day would come, now that it had actually arrived, Xiao Jue Tian's heart still convulsed. The elders and disciples behind him also changed expressions... By now, everyone in the Xiao Sect knew what Xiao Kuang Yun had done to Yun Che back in the day. The retribution that was bound to come had finally arrived. Given Yun Che's ruthless methods in destroying the Fen Tian Gate, none of them dared to imagine what would happen to Xiao Kuang Yun once he fell into Yun Che's hands... But no matter what, the Xiao Sect absolutely could not break with Yun Che over Xiao Kuang Yun. The Fen Tian Gate's annihilation was a bloody lesson.
"Sect Master, what should we do?" Xiao Boyun came to Xiao Jue Tian's side and whispered worriedly.
Xiao Jue Tian's face shifted rapidly. Finally, he gritted his teeth and roared in a voice that could be heard across half the Xiao Sect, "Drag that bastard Xiao Kuang Yun out here for me!"
"But... but..." Xiao Jue Tian's reaction caught Xiao Boyun off guard. He had been thinking about whether to claim that Xiao Kuang Yun was not in the sect or had already been expelled, in an attempt to see if they could avoid this disaster. He never expected Xiao Jue Tian to be so resolute... Everyone in the Xiao Sect knew that among Xiao Jue Tian's four sons, the one he doted on the most was his youngest, Xiao Kuang Yun, the only son born of his legitimate wife.
But facing Yun Che, who was as terrifying as a demon, Xiao Jue Tian dared not harbor any illusions. He even desperately wanted to end this as quickly as possible, good or bad, so that he would no longer have to live in constant fear. He growled again, "No buts! Have him roll over here immediately! If he won't come, drag him here even if you have to!"
Not long after, the Xiao Sect crowd behind them parted, and Xiao Kuang Yun staggered forward, forcibly hauled and shoved by a Xiao elder until he was thrown in front of Xiao Jue Tian. Xiao Kuang Yun stumbled and fell to the ground. When he raised his head, he immediately saw a somewhat familiar face. After a brief shock, his face turned ashen. "Yun... Yun Che!"
Xiao Kuang Yun's hair was slightly disheveled, and his face was sallow. Clearly, he had not been living well recently. Ever since the Fen Tian Gate massacre, when he learned that Yun Che was the same person as the Xiao Che he had once dismissed and nearly forgotten, he had lived in nightmares every day. Now, recognizing Yun Che, it was as if he had suddenly seen the demon from his dreams in broad daylight. He was so frightened that he nearly lost control of his bowels.
"Oh, Master Xiao. It's been over three years, and you still recognize me, a nobody from the Xiao Sect in Liuyun City. I'm truly honored!" Yun Che looked down at Xiao Kuang Yun with a cold smile. Three years ago, he had hated Xiao Kuang Yun to the bone and wished he could grind his bones to dust. But now, facing this man who was lying at his feet like a dog, trembling with fear, he felt no anger, nor the slightest pleasure of collecting a long-overdue debt—only a faint sadness... Yes, it could only be blamed on his own uselessness back then. A piece of trash like this had been enough to drive him away from home and cause his grandfather and little aunt three years of hardship... If not for Chu Yueli back then, the consequences would have been even worse.
Thinking of it now, it seemed he should actually thank this Xiao Kuang Yun. If not for him, he would not have craved power so desperately, and there would be no Yun Che today.
At this moment, he no longer even had the interest to kill him. What kind of person was he now? The son-in-law of the Cang Feng Emperor, bearing the title of "Number One of Cang Feng." Even Xiao Jue Tian, the Sect Master of the Xiao Sect, which could cover the sky with one hand, trembled before him and dared not breathe too loudly. Compared to him, this Xiao Kuang Yun was nothing but a pile of dung. Killing him would only dirty his hands and disgrace his status.
Although Yun Che was only at the Earth Xuan Realm, his oppressive aura was so heavy that even Xiao Jue Tian could barely withstand it, let alone Xiao Kuang Yun. Under Yun Che's presence and gaze, Xiao Kuang Yun's face turned ashen. He scrambled backward on all fours. "No... don't kill me... back then... it wasn't my fault... those were... all Xiao Yu Long's ideas... nothing to do with me... nothing to do with me."
"I know." Yun Che said with extreme calm. "Of course I know what Xiao Yu Long did. That's why I severed his hand and foot tendons, gouged out his eyes, cut off his ears, sliced off his nose, cut out his tongue, pulled out all his hair, broke his leg and arm bones, crippled his manhood... and kept him alive! I let him live on, and die slowly... bit by bit... in hell!"
"Aaaaah!" Xiao Kuang Yun let out a terrified shriek, his limbs trembling violently... and between his legs, yellow and white filth flowed out.
Even the elders who had weathered countless storms shuddered with fear and felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing Yun Che's cruel methods... This was clearly the work of the most vicious demon.