Chapter 182: 惊魂之变

Yang Qingxi smiled. "The master of the Luan Terrace is the Second Palace Master. Can Jiang Ning defy her elder's will?"

“So, Huai Zong has completely defected? I thought you would leave yourselves a way out, or at least not rush into it so quickly,” Zuoqiu Ting asked tentatively.

Yang Qingxi saw through her thoughts and did not answer.

"The fact that Young Miss Yang did not go to the seventh floor suggests that Xuan is still hesitant and wants to observe the situation further," Li Weiyi sighed inwardly. He was amazed at how drastically the situation in Lizhou had changed in just a few months; no wonder the war had reached a stalemate.

He asked, "What exactly does this Far West Ash region intend to do?"

"They only want to make the entire Lingxiao Life Realm as chaotic as possible, and then march east to annex all of us. Collaborating with them is like making a deal with a tiger; it won't end well."

These words were not from Zuoqiu Ting or Shi Shishi, but from Yang Qingxi.

Zuoqiu Ting smiled, "Is that all the insight Young Miss Yang has?"

Yang Qingxi had always preferred to hide her abilities, but now, provoked by Zuoqiu Ting's words, her competitive spirit was ignited. Her red lips curled slightly, and with a flick of her sleeve, streams of spiritual energy flew out.

"Clatter!"

The plates, cups, and bowls on the table moved rapidly. Shi Shishi, despite his quick hands, couldn't pick up a single piece of food and looked speechlessly at Yang Qingxi.

In an instant, the dishes and wine on the table were arranged to represent the twenty-eight states of Lingxiao.

She stood up and said, "The Far West Ash region is closest to the Western Border, where its influence and infiltration are deepest. Ten years ago, in the Battle of Cangyuan, the imperial court's millennium-old elite army, the Xihainu, suffered a devastating defeat, with Ash Spirits participating. Following that, the seven states of the Western Border fell into chaos."

"Now, after ten years of chaotic warfare, the Western Border's population has sharply declined by forty percent, making it the most devastated among the four borders. Of the seven states, two belong to the imperial court, three to the Vermilion Gate, and the remaining two are controlled by the Dog Rong and Sparrow Rong tribes respectively. These two Western Rong bandits are backed by the Far West Ash region."

"Undoubtedly, the Far West Ash region's intervention in the Southern Border this time aims to replicate the chaos of the Western Border. They first supported Night City and the Three Chen Palaces, used Suizong to defeat the Jiuli tribe, and seized control of all of Lizhou. Then they would coerce forces like Coffin Mountain, Licheng, and Tianyaling to collectively attack the Zuoqiu family."

"When the Snow Sword Tang Court from the Northern Border and the Dragon Gate and Leixiao Sect from the Eastern Border converge below Lingxiao City, and both sides suffer heavy losses fighting the imperial army, that will be the moment for the Ash Spirits to advance eastward and burn down all twenty-eight states of Lingxiao."

Qian Yanzhen gazed at the arrangement on the table, her eyes deep and strange. "Since the Far West Ash region is a common enemy, why are some willing to be used? Why can't everyone unite to deal with them first?"

Zuoqiu Ting chuckled mockingly, "Even during the Grand Palace Master's most wise and decisive era, the forces of the world couldn't unite to eradicate the Far West Ash region, which shows just how powerful they are."

Yang Qingxi nodded, "No one thinks they are being used; they only believe they are using the Far West Ash region, borrowing its power to achieve their own goals."

A commotion arose outside the pavilion. From the shouts, it was clear that the imperial court's top experts had arrived.

The South Tower only offered a sea view, so they couldn't see the grand spectacle unfolding.

However, silence fell within the tower, as everyone knew that the imperial experts would undoubtedly pass by outside. For these martial cultivators posing as part of the imperial faction, there was naturally psychological pressure.

Zuoqiu Baiyuan, having a good mindset, poured Li Weiyi a full cup of wine. Holding the cup with both hands, he said obsequiously, "Brother Li, Baiyuan offers you this toast as an apology for my previous disrespect."

Li Weiyi declined, "I never drink..."

"How can you not drink? The fish head is facing you," Shi Shishi said. He had wanted to eat the fish head for a long time but it was too far away for him to reach.

Li Weiyi handed the fish to him. Just as he was about to substitute tea for wine, the dense sound of footsteps and noisy conversations had spread from the first floor to the fourth, reaching the entrance of the South Tower.

As if time had frozen, everyone at the table looked over, their eyes fixed, motionless.

Ge Xiantong, the leader of the Phoenix Pavilion, Jiang Ning, the leader of the Luan Terrace, and Chen Ziliang, the leader of the Kylin Terrace, along with a large group of imperial experts, passed by the door. Each wore ornate official robes, exuding an imposing nobility. Their silhouettes cast shadows, their footsteps echoed continuously, and their whispered conversations were endless.

Dozens of young generation military experts, all clad in armor, also passed by. Even through the doors and windows, one could feel their chilling murderous aura, and the battle-hardened intent of clashing swords and galloping horses surged into their ears.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, the door to the tower room was pushed open with a palm.

The person outside had not yet appeared, but a surge of powerful energy had already rushed in.

Over a dozen young imperial martial arts experts, dressed in black official robes and wearing long-winged official hats, filed in. Half were women, half were eunuchs, all imposing yet emanating a dense, ominous aura.

They parted, stepping back to either side.

"You go ahead; I need to settle a private grudge." A familiar, melodious voice, like a heavenly sound, came from outside.

Jiang Ning walked in, her posture tall and elegant, hands clasped behind her back. White feathered spiritual energy swirled around her, her skin glowed, and her beautiful eyebrows were concealed by a three-finger-wide white dragon-patterned silken veil over her eyes. Her official robe was also different from the others; it was pristine white, embroidered with five luan birds, imbuing her heroic demeanor with a mysterious and ethereal quality.

Everyone in the tower felt her unparalleled mental pressure, especially those from the Dong Sect.

"Yang Qingxi, why are you sitting on the fourth floor? With your cultivation..."

Jiang Ning saw Li Weiyi sitting next to Yang Qingxi, paused, and then said in an even colder tone, "You shouldn't be here."

Yang Qingxi remained seated, not looking at her. She transmitted her voice with spiritual energy: "Jiang Ning, before you settle personal grudges, you'd better think carefully. The imperial court needs the Dong Sect now, not to push the Dong Sect into opposition for a moment's satisfaction."

Jiang Ning raised her right hand.

Immediately, a female official behind her presented a sword to her.

"Swish!"

Jiang Ning merely lifted a finger to guide the sword. As the sword light poured down like a silvery waterfall, Sheng Qingyan, who had previously escorted Zhuang Yue, was decapitated, her head falling with a thud into a dish on the table.

This scene was terrifying; blood splattered several yards away.

Shi Shishi, sitting next to Sheng Qingyan, was so terrified that he held his breath and shrunk back, frozen in place, not daring to look back at Jiang Ning.

"Do you think you're important? Killing you won't change the decisions of the Dong Sect's high-ranking officials."

Jiang Ning turned and left, dropping a remark, "For the startled guests, move them to another tower room and serve the best wine."

A group of young imperial martial cultivators in official robes chuckled softly, then left like a tide.

Only Yang Qingxi remained, her eyes cold as frost. Her teeth were almost grinding to powder, her fingers clenched tightly, and her entire body trembled as she forcibly swallowed this utter humiliation.

Yang Yue and Yang Zhiyong recovered from their shock, looking at Sheng Qingyan's headless corpse, which was still spurting blood. "Young Miss... let's go. We've been here. We came to apologize, but who would have thought... she..."

Yang Qingxi's mental fortitude was truly exceptional. She recovered in moments and said calmly, "Then let's go! Li Weiyi, be careful after you leave the Sky Pavilion. The night road is treacherous; everyone is prey. It's either you eat me, or I eat you."

With these words, Yang Qingxi picked up Sheng Qingyan's head and instructed the two Yangs to carry the corpse. She then descended the stairs, drawing a trail of onlookers, under the shocked gazes of all the martial cultivators in the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion.

Shi Shishi recovered and said, "Brother Weiyi, she's very angry... I'm afraid she'll only be able to vent it on you!"

Li Weiyi asked, "Can you escape?"

Shi Shishi immediately looked dejected, losing all appetite.

By the carved railing of the seventh floor pavilion, Jiang Ning stood with one hand behind her back, as if on a cloud, looking down at the people walking away along the jade steps below.

Beside her, the voice of Chen Ziliang, leader of the Kylin Terrace, sounded, "She's deliberately playing the victim, and at the same time, she's leaving a way out for the Shen Sect, silently retaliating against you. You haven't hit her hard enough!"

Jiang Ning's thoughts weren't on Yang Qingxi. She muttered to herself, "Self-righteous, refuses advice, full of defiance – a real headache."

"I can cure your headache and ensure she doesn't live past tonight..." Chen Ziliang chuckled.

Jiang Ning glanced at him. "What skill is there in killing Yang Qingxi? Dragon Hall and Lu Cangsheng are about to arrive. Can you defeat either the first or second most powerful in the Eastern Border?"

Chen Ziliang's eyes turned cold, and his voice became high-pitched and effeminate. "Then I'll weigh them up later and send them back east."

Having moved to the adjacent tower room, the table felt much emptier.

Qi Wangshu sighed, "To be able to see the Plumage Immortal's elegance so closely is truly amazing, but it's a great regret in life that the dragon veil covered her eyes, preventing us from witnessing her full stunning beauty. There won't be another chance like this in the future!"

Zuoqiu Baiyuan said, "This Plumage Immortal is quite magnanimous. She knew we were fake guests, yet she didn't expel us. Instead, she moved us to another room and sent us the best wine."

Li Weiyi was thoughtful and asked Zuoqiu Ting, "Jiang Ning's eye veil seems quite special. Is there any particular significance to it?"

Zuoqiu Ting replied, "That's Dragon Soul Veil. She probably wants to cultivate the Dragon Awakening Art before the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, intending to borrow the power of dragon souls sealed by the imperial court for a thousand years to enhance her own hidden strength."

Time passed, and everyone in the pavilion waited for the inheritors of the Dragon Gate and Leixiao Sect to arrive, eager to witness the fierce contest between the two sides.

Noon.

The roar of dragons and the rumble of thunder resonated simultaneously, echoing for a long time, filling the heavens and earth.

A large number of experts from the Dragon Gate and Leixiao Sect arrived, riding dragon-scaled exotic beasts and thunder-winged birds respectively, coming from the ground and the sky.

Dragon Hall, Dragon Court, Lu Cangsheng, and over a hundred supreme prodigies from the Eastern Border who were affiliated with these two major forces, all stood outside the first floor pavilion's main entrance, arrayed in a ceremonial display.

Inside the southwest tower room on the fourth floor, the group couldn't see what was happening outside, but they could feel the lively atmosphere in the plaza.

"The Dragon Gate and Leixiao Sect have given Zhu Huan ample face. All three inheritors and their top experts are waiting there to greet him," Li Weiyi remarked with a sigh.

Zuoqiu Ting said, "They're not just giving face to Zhu Huan, but to the Vermilion Gate itself. With the Eastern and Western Borders joining forces, the imperial court is under immense pressure. I'm curious to see how those three at the top will respond."

A quarter of an hour later, the top martial cultivators of the Vermilion Gate arrived. The lively atmosphere beneath the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion reached its peak, drawing the attention of talents from across the land, as if witnessing a historic moment.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a tumultuous clamor rose from below the pavilion.

A cry of alarm rang out: "Something terrible has happened! Dragon Court killed the Vermilion Gate inheritor..."

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Ting, who was usually calm, suddenly changed color. Detecting a hint of conspiracy, her figure vanished from her seat, leaving behind the words: "Everyone, quickly leave the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion! Something big is going to happen today!"