Chapter 26

Following that, Ximen Wuya loudly ordered from outside, "Everyone to your posts, return to Cloud Peak City at the fastest speed possible."

"Yes!" came a voice in response from outside.

"Raise the sails fully, everyone to your posts with the oars, full speed ahead, back to Cloud Peak City!" This was Ximen Yan's voice.

"Yes!" Then, over a hundred people inside the ship responded in unison.

Following that, everyone ran out of the cabins to the lower deck to row the boat, the sound of footsteps densely filling the air.

Ximen Wuya frowned tightly and said, "I hope they don't catch up so quickly. As long as we can make it through one more day, they won't be able to catch us."

Then, Ximen Wuya sat behind Yang Dingtian and continued to channel mystic energy into his body, saying, "Don't worry, I am your Uncle. No matter who comes, I will protect you. You just need to focus on recovering."

Then, the two fell silent, and Ximen Wuya quietly treated Yang Dingtian's injuries.

A few minutes later, Ximen Wuya suddenly opened his eyes and sighed, "They have indeed come, and they came so fast. I hope the people who came are not too troublesome."

"Your niece Dongfang Bingling, pays respects to Uncle Ximen." Dongfang Bingling's voice came from the sea outside.

"Zhu Hongxue of the Mystic Heaven Sect, greets City Lord Ximen." Then came Zhu Hongxue's extremely proud voice.

"Jiang Songyang of the Yin-Yang Sect greets the City Lord of Cloud Peak City. Why did Brother Ximen leave in such a hurry?" Even from such a distance, this person's voice still made the candle next to Yang Dingtian flicker violently, tilting sharply.

Ximen Wuya's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this name.

"Uncle, who is this person?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"He is your master Dongfang Niemie's senior brother, who once competed with your master for the position of Yin-Yang Sect leader," Ximen Wuya said.

Yang Dingtian immediately drew a sharp breath. This Jiang Songyang was actually his master's senior brother, indicating his high cultivation.

Outside, it became quiet, and Ximen Wuya let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "Just these three people? That's good, they might not be able to stop me."

Just as Ximen Wuya's voice faded, another voice sounded from outside.

"Yin-Yang Sect's Wu Ying, pays respects to Brother Ximen." A cold voice sounded, devoid of any emotion, as if it were a lifeless object.

"Has he come too?" Ximen Wuya said. "This is your master's nominal junior brother, the executor of the Yin-Yang Sect, responsible for killings. No fewer than five sect leaders have died at his hands, and he has killed no less than a thousand people in his lifetime."

"Ximen Wuya, will you come out, or shall we board your ship?" This was an extremely soft and gentle voice, like a needle piercing into Yang Dingtian's ears, making his muscles twitch.

Upon hearing this voice, Ximen Wuya's face changed dramatically.

"Who is this person?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"Nie Buqi, your master's uncle, one of the supreme elders of the Yin-Yang Sect. He has been in seclusion for twenty years and did not even appear at the grand ceremony. I didn't expect him to show up here," Ximen Wuya said.

Yang Dingtian held his breath. The person who had come was his master Dongfang Niemie's uncle, indicating his immense power.

Ximen Wuya took a deep breath and said, "It seems things are even worse than I imagined. Tonight, it will not end well."

"Hand me over, Uncle," Yang Dingtian said. "Hand me over!"

Ximen Wuya shook his head lightly and said, "How can I? Don't talk nonsense."

Although his tone was calm, it was filled with pride.

"City Lord Ximen, long time no see," a very ordinary voice sounded, neither sharp nor shocking, just a common man's voice.

But upon hearing this voice, Ximen Wuya's body trembled, and his wide sleeves shook, a reaction he had never shown before.

"Uncle, who is this person?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"Zhu Qingzhu," Ximen Wuya said slowly.

Zhu Qingzhu of the Mystic Heaven Sect.

"Ten years ago, your master Dongfang Niemie was the first in the world, and he was the second," Ximen Wuya said. "But this person is very mysterious. Being second might not mean he is second. He is the most dangerous and powerful person in the world. If you ever meet him, you can never overestimate him, understand?"

"Although there is no evidence, your master's tragic fate is closely related to him," Ximen Wuya said. "Since he has appeared, it shows that tonight is not just about you."

"Uncle Ximen, is Yang Dingtian on your ship?" Dongfang Bingling called out crisply. "He is a criminal of the Yin-Yang Sect. Please hand him over, and we will let you go."

Ximen Wuya gave a silent cold laugh and then called out, "Yan Yan, Ximen Yan, come in!"

The incomparably beautiful Ximen Yan Yan walked in, and Ximen Yan, the adopted son of City Lord Ximen, walked in. Both of their faces were filled with unease, even forgetting their hostility towards Yang Dingtian.

"Yan Yan, bring me a basin of water," Ximen Wuya said.

"Yes, Father," Ximen Yan Yan walked to the corner, filled a basin with water, and because her hands were trembling, the water spilled onto the floor.

Outside, Jiang Songyang's voice sounded.

"Ximen Wuya, do you think hiding inside will save you? We are giving you face by not rushing in. I will count to ten, and if you don't hand over Yang Dingtian, we will board the ship."

Yang Dingtian said again, "Uncle, hand me over!"

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

Jiang Songyang's counting voice was like a death knell.

Ximen Wuya completely ignored it, neither Jiang Songyang's counting nor Yang Dingtian's voice. He placed his slender hands in the basin of water, washed them carefully, then gently shook them and took a towel to dry them.

"The sea tonight will surely be stained red with blood," Ximen Wuya said.

"Yan Yan, Ximen Yan, if I don't return, remember to take everyone back to Cloud Peak City and immediately submit to the Yin-Yang Sect. Endure any humiliation to protect the lives of everyone in Cloud Peak City," Ximen Wuya said.

"Father, no, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it..." Ximen Yan Yan covered her ears and cried.

Ximen Yan clenched his teeth until they bled and said, "Foster Father, we don't have to do this."

At this moment, Yang Dingtian no longer spoke. He struggled to get off the bed and walked towards the door. To save his life by letting Ximen Wuya die, he could not do it.

Ximen Wuya flicked his sleeve, and Yang Dingtian was sent flying back to the bed. He then took out a pill and forced it into Yang Dingtian's mouth. Yang Dingtian immediately felt drowsy, his vision blurring.

"Foolish child..." Ximen Wuya smiled faintly. "Letting others take you away like this is not my style. Of course, if I fall, I won't be able to protect you, and you will have to pay with your life here!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Outside, the countdown by the Yin-Yang Sect elder Jiang Songyang had ended.

"Brother Ximen, we are boarding your ship," Jiang Songyang said loudly.

"No need, no need, I'm coming," Ximen Wuya said, then pushed open the cabin door and walked out.

"Father, don't go out!" Ximen Yan Yan cried loudly, then suddenly drew her sword and rushed out, saying, "Father, I will go with you, to die together."

Ximen Wuya flicked his sleeve, and a powerful yet gentle wind pushed Ximen Yan Yan back.

The second flick of his sleeve, and both Ximen Yan Yan and Ximen Yan fainted.

The third flick of his sleeve, and the cabin door was tightly closed.

******

Ximen Wuya walked onto the deck and saw himself surrounded by several large ships. On the sea surface within a few hundred meters, over a dozen experts were floating in the air, surrounding the large ship of Cloud Peak City.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang Songyang!"

"Greetings, Junior Brother Wu Ying."

"Greetings, Uncle Nie Buqi."

Finally, Ximen Wuya bowed to a dark area and said slowly, "Greetings... Sect Leader Zhu!"

Jiang Songyang said, "Brother Ximen, you have finally come out. Is the Yin-Yang Sect criminal Yang Dingtian on your ship?"

"Yes," Ximen Wuya said. "But may I ask, Senior Brother Jiang, what crime has Yang Dingtian committed to even involve Uncle Nie Buqi?"

"He stole the Flame Ring of the Yin-Yang Sect," Jiang Songyang said. "And he is with you, a traitor of the Yin-Yang Sect. Is this not a major crime?"

Ximen Wuya pretended not to hear the hidden meaning in Jiang Songyang's words and smiled, "Senior Brother Jiang must be mistaken. I heard that Yang Dingtian did not steal the Flame Ring. Instead, Senior Brother Dongfang Niemie personally gave it to him, designating him as the successor of the Yin-Yang Sect. He also betrothed his niece Dongfang Bingling to Yang Dingtian."

"Is this true, Niece Dongfang Bingling? Is there any falsehood in my words?" Ximen Wuya turned to Dongfang Bingling and asked.

Dongfang Bingling was floating ten feet above the sea, her white dress fluttering in the wind, making her slender and graceful figure even more alluring, like a fairy from the heavens.

Zhu Hongxue was by her side, and the two really looked like a perfect match, a heavenly couple.

"That's correct," Dongfang Bingling said coldly. "Yang Dingtian brought my father's last words, which said this."

Ximen Wuya said, "Then may I ask, in the Chaotic Continent, does a father have the absolute authority to betroth his daughter to a man?"

"Yes," Dongfang Bingling said coldly.

Ximen Wuya asked again, "Then may I ask, in the Yin-Yang Sect, can the sect leader designate a successor and give the Flame Ring to someone?"

"Yes," Dongfang Bingling said.

Ximen Wuya's face showed a hint of anger, and he said slowly, "Then I don't understand. If the Flame Ring was given to Yang Dingtian by Sect Leader Dongfang Niemie, why do you keep saying he stole it?"

Before Dongfang Bingling could speak, Ximen Wuya continued coldly, "I also don't understand. If Yang Dingtian is your fiancé, why do you not respect or love him, and why do you go in and out with other men? What about your chastity? Not only do you go in and out with other men, but you also chase and kill Yang Dingtian with other men? This is murder, deserving of a thousand cuts and eternal damnation!"