Chapter 763: 763 are you a spy?
"Chairman, something terrible has happened!"
The person’s footsteps hurried as they approached, their voice arriving before they did, causing both individuals in the hall to frown, especially Xu Huang, whose mood was already irritable. Hearing this news only darkened his expression further, like gloomy waters.
"Old Six, you’re usually quite steady, why the panic?"
The Great Elder didn’t think much of it, only feeling that this newly promoted elder of the Yuyang City Spirit Fighting Commerce was too hasty. In front of himself and the Chairman, what could be so important?
However, the words of the Great Elder did not alter the demeanor of the Sixth Elder. As he approached swiftly, his trembling voice said, "Chair...Chairman, the young master’s soul token... it’s shattered!"
The Sixth Elder’s voice shook, and then his tightly clenched right hand opened to reveal several fragments of the jade token, with one piece faintly displaying the character "Huan".
"What did you say...?!"
Though the Sixth Elder had spoken quite clearly, in this moment, Xu Huang still refused to believe the news, abruptly standing up with a questioning tone filled with suppressed fury.
"The young... the young master is dead?"
In this situation, the Great Elder remained more composed. Unlike Xu Huang, he had no blood relation to Xu Huan and therefore didn’t share the same personal turmoil.
The Great Elder knew that this newly appointed Sixth Elder was in charge of the soul tokens for the Yuyang branch of the Spirit Fighting Commerce, which contained the soul marks of every elder and the Chairman of the Spirit Fighting Commerce in Yuyang City.
If a soul token shattered, meaning the soul mark was no longer intact, it indicated a dire mishap for that branch elder. If someone’s soul is obliterated, they most likely cannot remain in this world.
Even though Xu Huan wasn’t an elder of the Yuyang branch, since he was the beloved only son of the Chairman, a soul token was specially made for him, but now they received such dreadful news.
At this moment, Xu Huang finally understood the cause of his recent unrest. Indeed, a great calamity had occurred. His only loved son died under mysterious circumstances?
"Yun Xiao, it must be Yun Xiao!"
Xu Huang, regaining some of his composure, suddenly envisioned a figure in coarse clothes, the young man. Never before had he harbored such hatred for anyone in his life.
The Spirit Fighting Commerce had always been untouchable, even the Yuyang branch never faced idle provocation. But this meddling had cost his son’s life.
A person like Xu Huang, however, would never reflect on his own faults. The extant issue of the Spirit Fighting Commerce begrudging Yun Xiao led to their feud, ultimately culminating in his own death which could be seen as just retribution.
"Yun Xiao, I, Xu Huang, swear, I will find you and tear you apart!"
At this moment, Xu Huang’s roaring voice paralleled that of Xia Yong, but whereas one wailed over the murder of his child, the other merely watched helplessly as his enemy escaped before his eyes.
"Issue my chairman’s command, all cities under Yuyang City’s jurisdiction are to hunt for Yun Xiao. Upon discovery, they may execute first and report later. Just bring his head to Yuyang City!"
In his fury, Xu Huang immediately issued this strict command. Yuyang City was a major city with many subordinate cities, like Yujiang City being one of them.
"Additionally inform the nearby branches. If they can provide any information on Yun Xiao, I, Xu Huang, will generously reward them!"
For cities almost equivalent to Yuyang, Xu Huang’s influence wasn’t as strong, so he offered a hefty reward instead, believing that those branch leaders within the Spirit Fighting Commerce would honor his request.
After issuing the orders, Xu Huang took the soul token fragments from the Sixth Elder’s hand, sensing briefly before vengefully stating, "My son’s body must not be left in the wilderness. I must personally bring him back!"
After his declaration, Xu Huang hurriedly left the room, leaving the two Great Elders exchanging looks, thinking that this Yun Xiao really had stirred a great disaster this time. Because of this affair, not only Yuyang City but also its surrounding cities would likely be stirred into action.
However, what they didn’t know was that Yun Xiao had not only exterminated all opposition in the Yuyang branch but had also escaped death from Xia Yong, the special envoy from the peak of the Seeking Origin Realm. After hearing this, would they still retain such confidence?
...
Deep within Yulei Mountain!
Step, step, step!
In the darkness of the night, a figure walked forward, barely discernible under the faint starlight as a young man dressed in an earthy yellow robe, his features dark and unremarkable.
This yellow-robed young man was naturally Yun Xiao, who had changed his appearance. It had been a day and a night since he escaped from the canyon’s edge.
Yet, this time, Yun Xiao had utilized the power of the Golden Snake Worm and forcibly activated the Ancestor Vein Thunder Wings, the toll on his body and the consumption of his Meridian Qi being nothing short of terrifying.
Therefore, after a day and night, Yun Xiao’s strength had only recovered one third. At this moment, he looked like a low-level practitioner at the early stage of the Spirit Vein Realm, which was a side effect of desperately forcing his power.
"Who’s there?"
Just as Yun Xiao was strolling down a remote path amidst the rubbish, a low shout came from the dark night, startling him until he looked towards the source of the noise and heaved a sigh of relief.
He saw several large tents set up in a clearing within the dense forest in the distance, with faint firelight reflecting off them. Yun Xiao, preoccupied with his own thoughts, had not noticed them earlier.
The tall figure who had shouted seemed to be a guard set up by the tent owners. Whenever someone approached, they would issue a warning.
"Sorry, I was just passing by, didn’t mean to disturb!"
Yun Xiao had no interest in dealing with these strangers, so he directly clasped his fists, voiced his apology, and turned to walk in another direction.
Swish swish swish...
However, at this moment, Yun Xiao wanted to leave, but the others might not be willing to let him. Just as he moved, several figures with considerable aura emerged from various positions around him.
"Hmph, think you can leave just like that?"
The brawny man who had spoken earlier let out a cold laugh, then the other figures simultaneously stepped forward, further squeezing the space Yun Xiao had to move.
Seeing the actions of these people, Yun Xiao’s expression also grew gloomy. He was here by mere accident and these guys wouldn’t even let him leave, their domineering behavior was comparable to that of the Spirit Fighting Commerce in Yuyang City.
"Tell me, sneaking around and spying on our Hu Family camp, are you a spy sent by the Yang Family?"
The speaker revealed his face, which was thickset with muscles, but his words reminded Yun Xiao of the conflicts between the Lin Family and Tao Family in Yujiang City.
It seemed another messy clan conflict had inadvertently involved Yun Xiao, but at this moment, he had no desire to deal with these trivial matters.
"I don’t know your Hu Family, nor do I have anything to do with that Yang Family. Can I go now?"
Since his injuries hadn’t fully healed and he didn’t know what level of cultivators were in the opposing camp, Yun Xiao didn’t escalate matters but replied indifferently.
However, his response did not seem to satisfy the burly man, who retorted, "Whether you’re involved or not, why don’t we capture you and find out under severe interrogation?"
After these words, the people around Yun Xiao were already eager to move. As he said, in such a delicate moment, simply relying on a few words to clear himself seemed too naive.
"I say, isn’t your Hu Family being a bit too overbearing? Does every person who accidentally strays here need to be captured and subjected to harsh interrogation?"
Yun Xiao stared at the muscular brawny man. His words left the crowd momentarily dumbfounded, unsure how to respond. In terms of eloquence, all of them together probably couldn’t match even half of Yun Xiao’s skill.
"Hong Liu, what’s happening here?"
During this increasingly tense moment, a slightly aged voice suddenly came from somewhere, causing everyone’s faces to turn respectful in an instant, as they all turned around.
"Great Elder!"
Hearing this title, Yun Xiao guessed the identity of the elderly speaker. It seemed this person was the Great Elder of the Hu Family, whose status was far beyond that of ordinary guards.
"Reporting to the Great Elder, tonight it was Hong Liu leading the night watch when we found this youngster sneaking around outside, so we thought to capture him for questioning!"
In the presence of the Great Elder, Hong Liu, the muscular man, toned down his arrogance, changing his talk of severe interrogation to mere questioning, which made Yun Xiao feel somewhat amused.
"Oh? Spying? Could it be someone from the Yang Family?"
Upon hearing this, the Great Elder’s expression also became more solemn. It seemed the Hu Family had significant conflict with the Yang Family, and their members were quick to suspect the Yang Family when encountering outsiders.
"Tsk tsk, does everyone from the Hu Family look like a person from the Yang Family to you?"
Even sensing that this Hu Family Great Elder was a cultivator at least at the late stage of the Qi Seeking Realm, Yun Xiao was unfazed and even mocked at this moment.
"How dare you! Showing such disrespect to the Great Elder!"
Hong Liu, who was already somewhat displeased with Yun Xiao, became enraged. After the Hu Family’s crisis, the Great Elder had become the spiritual pillar for the remaining members, all of whom had to show utmost respect. This young man, merely at the early stage of the Spirit Vein Realm, was simply courting death.