Chapter 526: Tiger and Ghost

Chapter 526: The Tiger and the Ghost

The embers within the furnace burned with a vivid red glow, crackling with a sharp, resonant sound.

But Liu Xianzhou felt a slight chill run down his spine. His brow furrowed, his expression tightening. He muttered, “Liu Daoshou, this is just a poor mess of filth, isn’t it? You really can’t see anything?”

“As you said, the elder mentioned someone planting poison. I wonder—who is behind it?”

Liu Yi’s gaze was sharp, his voice low and probing.

“What do you mean, Liu Daoshou? Why do you seem so confused?”

Liu Yi’s firm demeanor unsettled Liu Xianzhou, who had long felt his position in the inner circle was precarious. The fact that the inner court was closely aligned with the powerful Confucian faction in the capital made his role seem precarious. And since he shared the same city as Liu Baili, their relationship remained distant, a mere trickle of influence rather than a deep alliance.

“You’re still clinging to that idea of poisoning, aren’t you?” Liu Yi’s tone was cold.

Liu Xianzhou shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing. “But now, the Confucian officials in the capital are all under my influence. It’s impossible for them to act independently.”

“So you’re saying the elders are just pawns?” Liu Yi’s eyes narrowed. “What if they’re trying to push you into a trap? Who would benefit from this?”

“You’re confusing things,” Liu Xianzhou said, his voice steady. “But if you’re truly the one behind this, you’ll need to prove it. Otherwise, you’ll be just another pawn in their game.”

“Ah, so you think I’m the one pulling the strings?” Liu Yi’s smirk was unmistakable. “But let’s not forget—your ‘trust’ is a fragile thing. What if the real power lies with someone else?”

Liu Xianzhou’s eyes flickered with resolve. “Then what? You’re not the only one with a plan.”

“Then let’s see if you’re as clever as you think,” Liu Yi replied, his tone light but his eyes sharp.

As the scene unfolded, the tension between the two men grew, their words weaving a complex web of suspicion and ambition. The fate of their positions hung in the balance, but only time would tell.

Liu Tu cast his gaze outward, fixing his eyes on the frozen wasteland beyond the door, his robes rustling like dried leaves, his pupils blazing with intensity as he bellowed, “That mountain tiger wishes to devour men—let it have its wish! We shall feed it until it is sated, until it can no longer stir! Then we shall slowly wrench out its teeth, sever its claws, and tear at its carcass!”

Liu Xianzhou rose after him, laughing heartily. “Fish meat on a chopping board—let’s prepare it slowly!”

Liu Tu, back turned to his companion, licked his lips and murmured softly, “Indeed, slowly prepared.”

“What does ‘prepared’ mean, you brat? Do you even know how to speak? Do you realize how many outsiders struggle to find a path to the elixirs? When I was in Jinmen, I fought men with a nine-grade elixir, bled for it, took three stabs to claim it. Now you’ve struck gold and still aren’t satisfied—it’s sheer folly to be content when you’re already in paradise! Besides, to become a martial peer worthy of honor in their eyes, to endure disgrace in their shadows—what’s the big deal?”

In a secluded stronghold within the city of Jiangling, Shen Li could hear Wang Qi’s anguished screams through the door, his voice hoarse with rage.

“Shen-ge, I’ve served as a martial peer for years, and I’ve never seen a specimen so deficient. So many nine-grade elixirs have failed to stir him—his body’s like stone, unresponsive to all. I even wonder if those elixirs were brewed in his urine. And yet he feels such intense pain—this is highly irregular.”

A member of Tianque sighed, gazing at Shen Li. “Perhaps we should let this pass. I fear he’ll go mad from the pain before he even attains martial peerage.”

“Madness is still martial madness.”

Shen Li spoke loudly, “Listen—his rage isn’t that of a madman. Give him a greater dose, flood him with all our sect’s foundational inner energy! I want to see whether his genes unlock first or his sanity shatters!”

“Shen-ge, my father—ah!”

When Wang Qi let out another soul-rending wail, Shen Li smiled, settling comfortably onto a sofa.

“My father? Pah. I’ll call you my father.”

Shen Li propped his hands under his head, lost in thought, then turned to his subordinate waiting nearby. “Any news from the mountains?”

“Nothing yet.”

“These ancient fools, stuck in their ways—do they think I don’t understand? In the northeast, my elder brother explained everything clearly. What are they planning? Will they descend into madness to fight over the rites of solitary martial peerage?”

Shen Li sprang to his feet, roaring, “If these old hooligans can’t manage basic matters, if they dare commit such atrocities against friends and enemies alike, I’ll break from the sect myself, join my elder brother as a bandit!”

The subordinate, ever watchful, paid no heed to the outburst.

But Shen Li pressed on, relentless. “Old Hu, stop pretending. Tell me—do you agree with me?”

“Shen-ge, these words… I can’t say.”

“High heaven, distant emperor—don’t let a mere fear of me stop you. Speak!”

“Actually, I also believe our martial order shouldn’t keep fighting internally.”

Hu sighed. “Whether sect or lone warrior, we’re all part of the same martial order. We should unite against outsiders. Even if a formal conflict arises later, it should be open and just. Now, tormenting one of our own—this isn’t right.”

“The key is whether we can win. That’s the most shameful part! I’ll tell you—if my elder brother, with iron resolve, sought to harm me, he’d need only five strikes. I’d likely collapse, calculating how to birth a good heir in my next life. With such a vast future ahead, why not embrace it? Instead, they’re hacking away at his legs—how foolish they must be!”

Shen Li paced behind Hu, his voice a torrent of curses.

“Has the traitor been dealt with?”

Hu nodded. “He’s been executed. We extracted a four-grade skill from him. He should reach the mountains by tomorrow or the day after.”

“Don’t send him back to the mountains—let him return to Jiangling City.”

Hu hesitated. “Shen-ge, you want to send him to…”

“No need for subterfuge. When the time comes, you deliver it to my elder brother.”

“Of course. We’ve already seized so much treasure, though they haven’t spoken up, I can’t act thoughtlessly. This is just the beginning. Once those artifacts are used, I’ll need more elixirs. Reciprocity demands we fulfill our obligations.”

Hu grimaced. “What if the mountain folk object?”

“What then? Let them cool off. Let them come to me themselves. I’ve captured them, I have no authority to dispose of them.”

Shen Li scoffed. “Besides, all those above me in rank within this sect are dead. Now I’m the sole leader—all they can do is threaten me. If they truly anger me, I’ll simply leave Tianque and join my elder brother!”