Chapter 873: Jiang Yingliu

Now that they thought about it, it was a bit awkward: even now, Ye Tianqu and Tu Yong didn’t know who Su Yi was.

They didn’t even know his name.

Deep within their hearts, they took him for a mysterious expert they’d happened upon by chance, one with a lofty, inscrutable, terrifying cultivation base.

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Neither of them would have guessed that the blue-robed young man was on his way to see the Ghost Serpents, much less that he was looking for Jiang Yingliu!

What was he visiting the Ghost Serpents for?

And why seek out Jiang Yingliu?

One question after another rose within Ye Tianqu and Tu Yong’s hearts.

Only now did they realize that the young man in blue wasn’t a passerby who’d gotten mixed up in this by chance. No, he was here with a goal!

“You… Are you planning to become Jiang Yingliu’s enemy?” The woman in the black dress was obviously stunned too, and her eyes widened.

“Her enemy?” Su Yi said distractedly from his wicker chair. “She… isn’t worthy of that.”

The woman in black was completely dumbstruck, and she fell silent.

Ye Tianqu and Tu Yong looked at each other. They couldn’t help but gasp.

Jiang Yingliu!

One of the disciples of Pi Mo, the leader of the Wilds’ Abstruse Force Alliance!

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

With this status alone, which of the Netherworld’s top factions would dare disrespect her?

And Jiang Yingliu was an Empress in her own right!

She had mid-stage Profound Illumination cultivation, and she practiced a supreme Daoist canon. Her master’s master was unmatched in his era, the man whose sword dominated the heavens—the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force!

What peer Imperial expert would dare oppose someone like Jiang Yingliu?

Admittedly the founder of their lineage, the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force, had died five hundred years ago, but the Abstruse Force Alliance was a massive, powerful organization. It too was enough to instill dread in the hearts of Emperors!

Yet now, a Spiritual Revolution Realm young man dared use such a casual contemptuous tone to say that Jiang Yingliu was unqualified to become his enemy? How… How brazen was that?

If not for the overly heaven-defying combat prowess Su Yi had only just displayed, Ye Tianqu and the others would have suspected that he was simply ignorant of just how lofty and powerful Jiang Yingliu was!

A little while later, the woman in black couldn’t help but ask, “Do you… really understand Jiang Yingliu’s background?”

When Ye Tianqu saw this, he couldn’t help but warn Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, Her Excellency Jiang Yingliu’s status is lofty and extraordinary. Even among the Ghost Serpents, she occupies a transcendent position. She…”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly. “She’ll die.”

“....”

Su Yi suddenly recalled something, then laughed. “Your son is infatuated with this woman, and she agreed to become his Dao partner. Do you approve of their union?”

“Ah? Er…” Ye Tianqu was flabbergasted.

The woman in black reacted as if she’d been struck by lightning, and she completely lost her cool. “Kill me if you must, Fellow Daoist; I have no fear of death. But why humiliate me like this?”

Su Yi said coolly, “Ye Boheng is a bit dim, but he has deep feelings for you, and you’re the one who agreed to become his Dao partner. Why is it that now, you see this as a humiliation? Do you really think that being an Empress means you’re above other people and that you can gaze down upon the masses with contempt?”

The woman’s delicate frame quivered, and her expression shifted erratically. “That was obviously just a trick! Don’t take it so seriously!”

Su Yi nodded. “Indeed, such manipulations shouldn’t be taken seriously. Tell me, then: you’re our prisoner. What should we do with you?”

A chill coursed through the woman in black as she realized that this didn’t bode well for her. “Fellow Daoist, if you’re willing to spare my life, I’m willing to do whatever I can to make up for my mistakes!”

“If you’re willing to become Ye Boheng’s Dao partner, you can live,” said Su Yi.

“....” The woman in black’s expression darkened as her hopes were extinguished. After a moment’s silence, she gnashed her teeth and said. “Then… I’d rather die!”

Su Yi looked at Ye Tianqu. “When your son wakes up, tell him everything that just happened. I trust that he’ll come to his senses and turn over a new leaf.”

Ye Tianqu nodded, his expression complicated.

“Also, if you can trust me, entrust your Ancestral Jade Seal to my care. If you don’t trust me enough, that’s fine too. I’m taking a trip to see the Ghost Serpents either way,” said Su Yi. “Decide for yourself.”

With that, he stretched contentedly in his wicker chair, then gazed at the distant lake, taking in the warm light of the sun, the waterbirds flying overhead, and the rustling of the reeds. It was like a natural symphony.

After a long silence, he said, “Fellow Daoist, might I be so bold as to ask… are you our friend? Or our enemy?”

Su Yi said casually, “Just like you, I’m opposed to instating a new clan leader.”

When Ye Tianqu heard that, he took a deep breath, then said to Tu Yong, “Give our Fellow Daoist the seal.”

Tu Yong slipped a jade box out of his sleeves, then passed it to Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, please accept this.”

Su Yi opened the box and saw the jade seal inside. It was only about the size of a child’s fist, black, and perfectly square. There was a strange, lotus-shaped lantern with a serpentine wick on top.

It was smooth and lustrous, with the dense aura of countless years. Faint light emanated from the lotus-shaped lantern, giving it an ancient, mysterious quality.

“Does the power of the strange formation carved into this treasure have a purpose?” asked Su Yi.

Ye Tianqu thought for a moment, then said, “According to generations of our ancestors’ teachings, when the clan encounters peril too great to resolve on our own, assembling the four Ancestral Jade Seals will be enough to avert calamity. I’m unsure whether or not they have any other function.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. He put away the jade box, then rose from his wicker chair. “Once the Ghost Serpents’ problems have been resolved, I’ll naturally return this treasure.”

Ye Tianqu visibly sighed in relief.

“As for you…” Su Yi looked at the woman in black. “Killing you now would be a waste.”

The woman’s eyes shone, as if she’d seized onto a thread of hope. “Fellow Daoist, please, show mercy!”

“When we get to Tianya City, I’ll give you a chance to pay for your crimes.”

With that, Su Yi flicked his finger. l

Bang!

The woman in black immediately fell unconscious.

“Let’s go see the Ghost Serpents,” Su Yi said leisurely as he gazed into the distance.

……

Tianya City.

This was one of the largest, most ancient cities in the Ghost Lands. It was prosperous and bustling.

It was also the ancestral home of the Ghost Serpents.

Rumor had it that the city was named “Tianya” after the core divine artifact of the Ghost Serpents, the Tianya Dark Torchlight.

Tianya City was enormous. Densely packed streets aside, there were several dozen mountains and lakes within its borders!

Meanwhile, in a grand palace built on the peak of Earthly Flame Mountain.

A woman in a scarlet ruqun skirt sat upright in the chair at the center of the hall. A waterfall of black hair flowed behind her.

She had a long, snowy neck and lustrous skin. Her features were elegant, with an air of transcendence. Her long, slender fingers were currently caressing the blade of the ancient sword laid out in front of her.

The sword was only two feet long and dark as ink. The name “Artless” was carved on its hilt.

They said that great skill required no delicate touches. And indeed, the sword’s name suited it.

The woman looked at the sword with deep sentiment.

This was the Dao Sword her master had given her, as well as one of the numerous famous swords their founder had collected!

“Xiang Tian of the Blood Pheasants still isn’t back?” The woman suddenly seemed to recall something. Her voice was like the burbling of a clear spring flowing through an empty valley, and it resounded throughout the grand, ancient hall.

“Your Excellency, there’s still no word from Xiang Tian.” A remarkable-looking man in clothes white than snow suddenly appeared outside the hall, then bowed in the woman’s direction.

“She’s just seizing treasure from a Spiritual Revolution Realm elder of a branch lineage. With her abilities, that shouldn’t be the least bit difficult. Why is there still no word from her?”

The woman was a bit confused.

The man in white said solemnly, “Your Excellency, shall I investigate?”

The woman thought for a moment, then put away the sword laid out in front of her. “No need. Whether or not Xiang Tian succeeds, it’ll be enough so long as the Ancestral Jade Seal appears at the conference the Ghost Serpents are convening on the fifteenth.

She paused, then looked at the man in white. “Send a message to Elder Huang of the Profound Yellow Sword Pavilion. Tell him that I hope he can visit the Ghost Serpents with me on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.”

“Understood!” The man in white solemnly assented, then turned and left.

The woman sat alone, gazing at the light of the heavens outside the hall. She muttered to herself, “Master, I’ve finally uncovered a major secret. It turns out that our founder left his sword, the Tiny Heart of the Cosmos, with the Ghost Serpents!”

When she said the name "Tiny Heart of the Cosmos", her starry eyes shone with irrepressible fervor and excitement.

This was an unsurpassed sword, a blade that would have dazzled any era it appeared in. It was an unmatched divine weapon; even Emperors could only lower their heads before it!

It was also the sword their founder was the most pleased with!

“How could I let our founder’s treasure collect dust in the Ghost Serpent’s vaults? I, Jiang Yingliu, must naturally retrieve this treasure!”

Her eyes shone with determination.