Chapter 154: Hand Moves, Knife Falls

Xuanzhou Domain Lord Chi Rang stared at the scene on the screen, his face twisted in frustration. He fidgeted, then glanced at Wei Mo's movements. After holding back for a moment, he finally blurted out, "How are the entrants being checked? Where did a cultivator with Initial Martial Arts cultivation come from among these two combatants?" He didn't specify a name, but everyone familiar with the situation knew who he meant.

Wei Mo turned at the sound, adopting a reassuring tone. "Initial Martial Arts and High Martial Arts are only a step apart. Isn't it normal to have a breakthrough within two or three months?" It was clear that having someone else speak on your behalf made a significant difference. Chi Rang ignored him, as if to say, "I wasn't talking to you." He turned to glare at the steward of the viewing platform and barked, "What's going on with this screen? So many sects are lined up, desperate to see how their disciples are doing! Why is one group being given priority so quickly? Go ask Yang Wu which family he's showing favoritism to!"

This unexpected outburst left the steward breaking into a nervous sweat. He thought to himself, "You usually maintain such a dignified composure in front of everyone else!"

But what else could he do? He immediately turned and scurried off to carry out the order.

"Heh heh." A domain lord couldn't help but chuckle. He turned to a colleague who hadn't been present before and quietly explained how Chi Rang had previously monopolized the screen, causing widespread dissatisfaction.

Someone sighed dramatically, "Ah, Brother Chi is truly upright, I admire him!" Wei Mo released his hands, sat down again, and added, "I admire him greatly too."

Xiang Lan'er, a pale-faced man himself, admired Ji Qing, thinking, "He truly dares to live up to that 'pale-faced' image!" He was at a loss for words for Ji Qing, as the scene of his recent battle with Chao Zhilin continued to flash in his mind.

As soon as they heard about another wager, some people immediately perked up. This was far more engaging than watching young apprentices fight. They seemed to instantly fear that the world wasn't chaotic enough.

Another fellow disciple immediately whispered in agreement, "That's right! Junior Brother Chao's 'Blade Dissection Art' hasn't even reached its ultimate form yet, and he could only unleash eight blades, not even half his full strength! Otherwise, how could that fiend still be alive?"

Elder Dusha of Lanqiao remained stony-faced, staring motionlessly at the screen, seemingly unfazed by the surrounding criticisms.

Kang Shanyi commented, "It's your father." Simply by looking at the central figure on the screen, it was clear who the current focus was on.

Miao Yilan couldn't help but turn back and ask, "Dad, after the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Grand Assembly ends, will Dusha Ning's people let Ji Qing go?"

Chi Rang was speechless. He flicked his fingers, dismissing the thought. "Dusha," he muttered, "they're openly challenging you. Can you truly tolerate this?" The elder, Dusha, remained silent, for her heart held an incomparable suppression.

Chi Rang could only swallow his anger. He asked curiously, "Why is he staring at Ji Qing? What's his relationship with him?"

However, the murmur of discussions from the surrounding domains was uncontrollable. "I don't know," the steward said, shaking his head. Even if he knew, he wouldn't say; some matters were not for him to disclose.

Chi Rang was already harboring a hidden fire, and hearing this, his anger flared further. With a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes, he sneered, "So wealthy, so extravagant! Who is it? Introduce me to him."

She had long harbored a desire to strike down the Heavenly Court and trample the Royal Court. What were these ridiculous "Urinal Sects" and "Excrement Sects" anyway? Just like now, killing was the only answer! Kill, kill, kill!

Su Yuanzong was surprised. "With that status, he still participates in the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Grand Assembly?" Earlier, when Ji Qing had just appeared on the screen, others hadn't recognized someone from their sect, but surely they themselves could recognize their own participating disciple?Back at the VIP viewing platform, the steward returned. He personally approached Domain Lord Chi Rang of Shichun to explain, "Domain Lord Chi, this screen situation is also difficult for Yang Wu's side to manage. He said that *they* paid for it..."

Dusha simply ignored that pack of barking dogs. The odds were too high; it was clearly a losing bet, so why bother? She leaned back comfortably in her chair, her hand tapping a rhythm on the armrest. Having that one moment of regaining face was enough; at least she now had something to shut that old dog Chi Rang's mouth during their squabbles.

Wei Mo said no more, his gaze once again fixed on the screen. He then suddenly added, "Later, when Guan Baizao and Yan Ji went missing, it was also connected to Ji Qing..."

At the Wumulan viewing stand, two elders and a disciple stared blankly at the screen, their jaws simultaneously dropping in shock.

The disciples to his left and right stared at him in unison, unsure what he meant. Were they to believe that the disappearance of those two in the Moon Sea was also connected to Ji Qing?

The steward hesitated, glancing at the crowd. But under Chi Rang's sharp gaze, he had no choice but to honestly explain, "It's a distinguished guest from the south, the grandson of the Left Vice Marquis of Huobu Prefecture, Gong Duoci."

Although the scene on the screen hadn't yet changed, some sects belonging to Shichun's contingent were secretly grumbling, such as the Bilan Sect, represented by Chu Jingting, and the Ziyun Sect, represented by Lao Changtai, among others.

Su Yuanzong uttered an "oh," finally understanding that this meant defending Dusha Ning's reputation to the death. He then made a sound as if remembering something, "That... that one who was expelled from Lanqiao, now serving in the Heavenly Court, Xuanzhou Jin, and you..." The thought trailed off.Until then, they hadn't taken the situation seriously. But the moment they saw Dusha Ning's faction publicly kill Chao Zhilin, the people from the eleven implicated sects felt their scalps tingle. They couldn't understand why their disciples were associating with Ji Qing.Cloaked, Feng Chi looked left and right, observing everyone's reactions. The moment a head rolled on the screen, she was so excited she almost clenched her fists, waved her arms, and cheered. Her blood boiled, and she felt an intense, almost overwhelming satisfaction!

They weren't speaking to each other but rather addressing everyone around them. Furthermore, Shengzhou Domain Lord Miao Ding already had a strong opinion regarding Wumulan, and considering the future, the two began to argue heatedly.

Elder Dusha stared at the screen and said calmly, "Whether he can pass this stage after the assembly begins is another matter. He killed a Lanqiao disciple. For the reputation of Dusha Ning, Xuanzhou Qingqing, who leads their team, will likely not let him off easily.""Although the distinguished guest from the south cannot dictate to us in the east, his grandfather's status is far higher than ours. He's simply paying for his entertainment, not provoking anyone. We domain lords have no reason to provoke him, nor is it convenient to do so.""It's not about face; it's about making a stand!" Chi Rang declared, "Bet with me!"

He stared at the seven individuals for a moment in thought. Then, to the astonishment of Xiang, Wu, and the others, he suddenly raised his blade and brought it down. Blood splattered as he cut down all seven, and two heads rolled onto the ground. Xiang and Wu turned to look at him, then faced forward, quietly awaiting his instructions.

Dusha's own people were falling at their feet, yet they simply ignored it, instead chatting cheerfully with a Shengzhou person. What in the world was going on?

They couldn't understand any of it, and they worried that Ji Qing, shown on the screen, would return and conspire with their sect members. If he continued to show his face so much, it would naturally become harder for him to avoid being recognized.

Ji Qing on the screen was perfectly to her taste; she absolutely adored him, wishing she could hug him and kiss him countless times.

She had suppressed countless grievances for too long. How could she, who had been repressed to the point of being a mere servant, or even less, a wet nurse, be considered a fearsome demonic cultivator? What was the difference between her and a prostitute?

Xiang Lan'er and Wu Jinliang had already flashed to Ji Qing's side. (She wasn't a demonic cultivator; she was a woman from a brothel.) "Enough!" Wei Mo suddenly barked at the two people on his left and right, his own face sinking as he settled back into his seat.

While she might not fully understand other sects, she certainly knew of Lanqiao's formidable reputation, at least more than Ji Qing did.

They immediately noticed their sect's disciples mixed in with Ji Qing's group. Kang Shanyi smiled faintly, "Status can be a burden sometimes." "Understood," the two replied, standing up as if to leave.

In the arena, an incredulous gasp erupted, igniting the entire venue as guests immediately burst into a tide of discussion.

Su Yuanzong keenly sensed a hidden meaning in her husband's words. "Does that Xuanzhou Qingqing have a reputation?" she asked.

She had already silently screamed countless times over countless days and nights. The disciples on the left and right sighed helplessly and quietly sat down. Kang Shanyi said, "Lanqiao's previous sect leader's surname was Xuan." The two disciples exchanged a helpless glance, then had no choice but to sit down again. "Wait!" Wei Mo suddenly called out to them again.

No one who hadn't experienced what she had could truly understand her. She was a perfectly decent, attractive woman, yet she had been forced to become a madam in a brothel. All day long, she had to smile and greet customers, treat every man like a lord for a bit of money, and endure being groped by crude hands. She often felt like killing, yet she had to endure it all.

The disciples at his side held back again and again, but one simply couldn't take it anymore. He said loudly to his companion, "Ji Qing, that scoundrel, is truly cunning! He deliberately injured Junior Brother Chao severely in the match—it's utterly disgraceful!"

Wei Mo said, "Go ask the Wumulan people if they gave Ji Qing any 'wind scales' after he entered." On the viewing platform, Su Yuanzong stared at the screen, sighed, and muttered, "That..."

Very quickly, the two elders who exchanged glances both felt a chill. The life and death of ordinary competitors didn't truly matter, but publicly humiliating Lanqiao like this wouldn't be easily smoothed over.

Chi Rang immediately swept a cold gaze across the room. "Stop being so sarcastic! Or how about we bet on the final amount of Insect Prime Crystals between Shengzhou and my Xuanzhou?"Gong Duoci's gaze also shifted away from the screen. He stood calmly and unassumingly by the Miao family's seats, quietly accompanying them and listening to their conversation.

She had originally intended to address the matter directly, but on second thought, she decided it would only make Lanqiao lose face, so it was unnecessary.

Wu Jinliang helped lightly treat a large, 'Y'-shaped wound on Ji Qing's face, then turned to Xiang Lan'er with a chuckle. "That cheap skin of his heals quickly," he said. "In a few days, he'll be a perfectly fine pale-faced boy again."

Of course, her boiling emotions could only be contained within her body; if they erupted, it would mean her death. Emotions were one thing, but rationally, she couldn't help but worry a little about Ji Qing's future.

As soon as these words were uttered, Chi Rang's face registered bewilderment, and all the domain lords were stunned.

"Elder," the two disciples protested, still somewhat unwilling. They didn't want to go and confront Dusha as part of their inquiry.

"Let's go," said Ji Qing, touching the wound on his face, as he flashed over to where the other two unconscious individuals lay.

While the crowd buzzed with noise, the Shichun viewing area remained relatively quiet. At most, there was some whispering. No matter how surprised or eager to discuss, they still had to show Lanqiao some respect.