Chapter 397: Heaven-Spanning Hatred
"I was also worried that you might have fallen victim to Ming Wang and Huai Wang." Yun Che said with an innocent expression.
Xiao Yaohou said angrily: "Since you already knew it was Ming Wang... why did you still charge in! With your strength, not to mention Ming Wang, even in front of Huai Wang, you are no different from an ant... Do you have no regard for your own life at all!"
"..." If Yun Che had been scolded like this normally, he would have retaliated several times over, but right now he couldn't bring himself to get angry. Every word from Xiao Yaohou dripped with hatred, but that hatred was not directed at him. In fact, within her angry reprimand, he heard more unwillingness and self-blame.
"You will die today because of me... After I die, what face will I have to meet the Demon Emperor... Ugh!!" Xiao Yaohou's body shook violently, and another large mouthful of blood spilled from her lips. Her already pale face turned several shades whiter. She clutched her chest, her body swaying slightly, on the verge of collapse.
"Are you... alright?" Yun Che cautiously stepped forward a small step, speaking with concern.
"Her life pulse is severed. She won't last long." Mo Li said indifferently.
"What!?" Yun Che's heart was shocked: "How is that possible! She only took one strike from Ming Wang... Although Ming Wang is powerful, Xiao Yaohou is also at the mid-stage Emperor Lord level, how could she..."
"Hmph, what do you think?" Mo Li snorted disdainfully: "At the Sovereign Xuan Realm, even a minor realm is a vast difference. And that Ming Wang surpasses Xiao Yaohou by an entire half major realm! On top of that, Ming Wang struck ruthlessly. That blow just now, even if it wasn't his full strength, was at least ninety percent! Plus, Xiao Yaohou hastily blocked in front of you, not only unable to defend with full force, but also hit directly in a vital spot... It would not be surprising if she died on the spot, let alone lingering for a few days!"
"..." Yun Che clenched his fists, his soul trembling uncontrollably.
Ming Wang's strength was so terrifying. Even the powerful Xiao Yaohou was severely wounded by a single blow... If she was like this, then if she hadn't taken Ming Wang's strike for him, he would definitely have died!
Hoo... Yun Che's heart convulsed violently, and somewhere deep in his soul, something was violently touched, trembling endlessly without stopping... Why did you block that blow for me... Yes, you don't know, what I, Yun Che, cannot bear the most in this life is owing a woman a life debt...
Because that was my promise to Ling'er when she died in my arms, and an oath I made to my own soul...
If Xiao Yaohou dies, and I ultimately escape, then another lifelong burden will be added to my soul... How will I face Ling'er...
"What are you planning to do next? Wait for death?"
"...I have never known what waiting for death means." Yun Che said through gritted teeth: "My Great Dao Pagoda Art has reached the fourth level... If I can escape from here, even if her life pulse is severed, as long as she can hold on for ten days, I have a sixty percent chance of saving her life!"
"Yun Che, let me ask you!" Xiao Yaohou suddenly spoke. Her voice was already very weak, but she still tried to maintain a low, dignified tone befitting her status as Xiao Yaohou: "When the Demon Emperor and the ten Yun family elders died in Tian Xuan Continent back then, was it also Ming Wang's doing!"
"Yes." Yun Che nodded: "The time Grandfather and the others went, and the location pointed to by the spatial passage, were all clearly informed by Ming Wang to the Tian Xuan Continent side... As soon as they arrived at Tian Xuan Continent, they fell directly into the pre-prepared Tian Wei Soul-Suppressing Array... Otherwise, with the strength of my grandfather and the ten Yun elders, how could they have been completely wiped out like that."
Xiao Yaohou exuded a hatred that reached the deepest extreme: "What else did Tian Wei Sword Domain tell you? What else did Ming Wang do?"
"This..." Yun Che let out a breath and said: "Regarding everything about Ming Wang, it was not actually learned from Tian Wei Sword Domain."
"...Then how did you find out?" Xiao Yaohou frowned.
"Conjecture... and then these conjectures have all become reality." Yun Che sighed.
"Three months ago, when I first came to the Huan Yao Realm, based on what I saw and heard, along with the situation in Yao Huang City, the reason and process of the Tian Xuan Continent invasion, and Xiao Yaohuang's unusual actions, combined with what Grandfather told me about being ambushed as soon as he entered Tian Xuan Continent, I speculated that there must be someone in Yao Huang City colluding with Tian Xuan Continent, and ninety-nine percent it was Huai Wang Manor."
"I told this to Father and Grandfather, and Father mentioned that if this were true, then Huai Wang's ambition did not arise after the Former Demon Emperor was murdered, but before... Then Father brought up the name 'Ming Wang'. And upon a slight combing through, all the suspicious points pointed to him... The Huan Yao Realm had been in turmoil in recent years, yet he had completely vanished during this time, which in itself was a huge suspicion. And the facts proved it to be true! Huai Wang's ambition and series of actions were merely a smokescreen. The real conspiracy was tens of millions of times more terrifying than what the people of Yao Huang City had seen."
What the people of Yao Huang City saw was that the Demon Emperor bloodline was severed by Tian Xuan Continent. Xiao Yaohou was a woman, unable to awaken the bloodline, and there was no successor. So Huai Wang nurtured ambition, gathered forces, and wanted to take over. Although it was essentially rebellion, in the eyes of the world, it was definitely not "universally abhorrent." In fact, many strong individuals would even approve of Huai Wang's actions — since the Demon Emperor bloodline was already severed, leaving only Xiao Yaohou, another clan becoming emperor was only a matter of time. Huai Wang had enough ambition and ability, and enough power. If he became emperor, it would be more acceptable than a woman becoming emperor.
Moreover, after Xiao Yaohou abdicated, the only one qualified to control the Huan Yao Realm was Huai Wang Manor... So from another perspective, Huai Wang's actions were merely too hasty.
Therefore, more than half of the Guardian Clans and Princes' Mansions that had been loyal to the Demon Emperor clan for ten thousand years sided with Huai Wang.
But the truth was that Huai Wang Manor colluded with external forces to murder the Demon Emperor, murdered Xiao Yaohuang, and cut off the Demon Emperor lineage that had unified the Huan Yao Realm and brought peace to the world for ten thousand years! This was an act that extinguished humanity, harmed the world, and was universally abhorred!
If the truth were known to the world, then those Guardian Clans and Huai Wang Manor, even if they had ten thousand times the courage, would not dare to side with Huai Wang Manor.
And Huai Wang Manor would become the target of public criticism, the enemy of the world, with everyone hating them and wanting to destroy them.
But now, although both Xiao Yaohou and Yun Che knew this terrifying truth, even if they escaped Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley today, they had no way to make it public. Because Ming Wang's methods were extremely clever. His series of venomous schemes and deadly strikes left no trace. The Demon Emperor died in Tian Xuan Continent, Xiao Yaohuang died in Tian Xuan Continent, the Demon Emperor also died in Tian Xuan Continent... Everything pointed to Tian Xuan Continent, not a single one to Ming Wang.
If they really exposed the truth like this, Huai Wang Manor would instead turn the tables on them.
Ming Wang was truly an extremely terrifying figure.
If Yun Che had not, by chance and fate, met Yun Canghai and learned that they were ambushed as soon as they entered Tian Xuan Continent back then, then even now, they might not know all this truth... and would still be ignoring the existence of this person "Ming Wang."
Xiao Yaohou stared at Yun Che, a strange light flickering deep in her eyes: "Then how did you know that Ming Wang, who had been hiding behind the scenes, would appear here? Was that also your speculation?"
"Mm, I guessed it." Yun Che nodded: "When you were in a favorable situation, you immediately stopped the ceremony after obtaining the Demon Emperor Seal. The most reasonable explanation I could think of was that you wanted to awaken your bloodline as soon as you got the Demon Emperor Seal. Then I thought you might have a way to forcefully open the seal of Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, and worried that if Huai Wang Manor also knew, they would definitely seize this excellent opportunity to kill you."
"I told all this to Father and Grandfather, but they were not worried. Because even if all this came true, once you entered the Jinwu Ancestral Ground, even if Ming Wang personally acted, he could not do anything to you... Later, I couldn't let go of my speculations and worries, so I came to Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley myself to confirm. At the entrance, I saw no seal, but I saw the emblem of Huai Wang Manor. Then I knew all my worries had come true!"
"I confirmed from Hui Ran that both Huai Wang and Ming Wang, whom my father mentioned, had entered Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley. At the same time, I learned from Hui Ran that even if you reached the Jinwu Ancestral Ground, you would definitely not be able to awaken your bloodline... Today's actions were merely giving Huai Wang Manor a chance to kill you. So, I couldn't wait for Father and the others to arrive, and I entered alone."
Yun Che told a small lie, because he couldn't say that he learned about Xiao Yaohou's inability to awaken her bloodline from Mo Li.
"Your father was murdered by Ming Wang; I didn't know that before. As for Xiao Yaohuang falling victim to Ming Wang's hands, I only thought of that after entering Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley." Yun Che said seriously: "That you had a way to forcefully enter Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley was unknown to my father and grandfather, indicating it was a secret of the Demon Emperor clan. Yet Ming Wang knew it clearly. Even you didn't know that women couldn't withstand the blood of the Jinwu Ancestor, but Ming Wang clearly knew it too."
"The secrets of your Demon Emperor clan, the only ones in this world who know more than you are the Former Demon Emperor and Xiao Yaohuang. So the only possibility I thought of was that a hundred years ago, Xiao Yaohuang fell victim to Ming Wang's hands. When he was on the verge of death and his consciousness was fading, Ming Wang performed a soul search on him, seizing all his memories... And Ming Wang's earlier words undoubtedly confirmed this fact."
Xiao Yaohou's heart trembled again violently.
Today, Ming Wang was clearly aware of her move to come to Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley and the result of her fruitless return. He even knew clearly about the Demon Emperor Seal's ability to perform "Blood Escape" in critical moments...
Such a life-saving trump card, in any race, was an absolute secret that could not be known to others...
But Ming Wang knew it clearly.
Yun Che's words... Xiao Yaohuang was murdered by Ming Wang back then and even had his soul searched... This speculation, which nearly suffocated her with pain and hatred, was the only explanation and possibility!
And once a person's soul is searched, they are directly turned into a shell without a soul... a pitiful living corpse...
"Ugh..." A stream of nearly black blood slowly trickled from the corner of Xiao Yaohou's mouth. It was not the reversed blood from her internal injuries, but the blood of her heart under pain and extreme rage... Over the years, she had been constantly vigilant against Huai Wang Manor, but the hatred in her heart was always directed at Tian Xuan Continent. She had even sworn that in her lifetime, when the time came, even if she died, she would bathe Tian Xuan Continent in blood to avenge the irreconcilable hatred.
Only today did she realize that she had been hating the wrong person all these years.
Her father was a generation's Demon Emperor, commanding the Huan Yao Realm, with the world bowing to him. The one who truly killed him was not Tian Xuan Continent, but the one he trusted most! Her younger brother, also her husband, did not die a tragic death saving their father, but was also murdered by a treacherous scheme... and died so miserably...
Over the years, everything she saw was an illusion. The entire Huan Yao Realm thought it was an illusion too. Everyone, including her, Xiao Yaohou, was toyed with in Ming Wang's palm. Even the Four Sacred Grounds of Tian Xuan Continent were ultimately nothing more than tools used by Ming Wang.
"Ming... Wang..." Xiao Yaohou was filled with hatred in her soul. Her hands tightly clutched the gray clothes on her chest, her white-knuckled fingers trembling and bloodless: "Ming... Wang... Ming... Wang... Even as a ghost... I will... never... forgive... you..."