Chapter 364 - Sir, Can You Open The Door First?
Just as everyone heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed their stressed minds, Ai Hui suddenly pounced forward like a nimble cheetah.
Ai Hui’s movements were very swift and his sword gleam was even swifter
In the mid-air, the Silverfold Plum’s sword gleam was like a dazzling silvery lightning bolt, brightly illuminating Xiaobao’s blank face.
Chu Zhaoyang was going for Xiaobao!
In an instant, Madam Ye’s face turned deathly pale.
The middle-aged man who had just arrived to reinforce Madam Ye drastically changed his facial expression. He had not expected such an unforeseen event to happen right under his nose. The sword gleam was too fast. He was caught off guard and could not react in time.
The illustrious sword gleam outshone the remaining lights in the residence of the Fu Family. It was so bright that it lit up the night sky. Its overpowering sharpness and bone-piercing chilliness momentarily froze everyone.
Xiaobao was terrified and stood motionless.
The sword gleam brushed past Xiaobao’s face. A few strands of his hair were shredded to smithereens by the slipstream spiralling around the sword gleam.
Did the attack… miss?
Everyone widened their eyes as they did not know what was going on. Chu Zhaoyang’s swordsmanship was legitimately powerful. There was no reason for him to miss such a short-ranged attack.
40 centimeters behind Xiaobao, a brightly-colored mini vortex suddenly appeared out of thin air without any warning.
The sword gleam brushed past Xiaobao’s face and collided heavily against the brightly-colored mini vortex.
Boom!
Like a balloon that popped, a crisp and clear sonic boom resounded through the air. The shock wave from the collision erupted in all directions. Xiaobao let out a blood-curdling scream as his body rocketed up into the air.
The middle-aged man in the sky flashed across the air and caught the flying Xiaobao. Following which, he landed beside Madam Ye and quickly examined Xiaobao’s body. When he saw that Xiaobao was merely bruised by the shock wave, he felt relieved.
The middle-aged man was enraged. The person who launched the sneak attack was vile. How dare this person do such a thing under his nose!
She Yu, who was so confident in her attack, had not expected it to fail!
Furthermore, the one who warded off her attack was Ai Hui.
A bitter sigh spiralled in the air like a wisp of smoke.
"Destined nemesis, destined nemesis…"
Before the voice completely disappeared, She Yu had already vanished into thin air. It was as if she had never even been here at all.
Everyone felt a cold shiver down their spines. The other party was able to appear and disappear unpredictably, and her methods were unforeseeable and unguardable. Even now, they did not know who the other party was.
"She’s gone," the middle-aged man standing beside Madam Ye said in a deep voice.
Then, he turned around to face Madam Ye and bowed his head. "Is Madam injured? Yuchi Qingshan has arrived late!"
The man had a dignified look on his face and the hair at his temples was snow-white. He was the younger brother of Elder Yuchi Ba, Yuchi Qingshan.
Back when Yuchi Qingshan was young, he had assumed the position of vice division leader of the Sky Edge Division.
The current vice division leader of the Sky Edge Division was Yuchi Ba’s adopted son, Tong Gui. Meanwhile, Yu Lin was Yuchi Qingshan’s adopted daughter.
"Thank you for the assistance, Mr. Qingshan! Otherwise, my son and I would have reunited with my dead husband today," Madam Ye thanked Yuchi Qingshan with a mournful look on her face.
Yuchi Qingshan had a headache. Initially, he had not wanted to take part in the strife between the Ling Residence and the Ye Residence. If not for the fact that the Sky Edge Division was stationed in Silver City and was responsible for Silver City’s public order, he would not have come. If anything was to happen to Madam Ye in Silver City, the Sky Edge Division would not be let off. Tong Gui and Yu Lin would have been punished as well.
"I am glad you’re safe and sound." Yuchi Qingshan then changed the topic. "The person who just mounted that sneak attack has a weird attacking method and does not emit any elemental energy undulations. He might be a blood elementalist."
"The incident happened so fast that I couldn’t even clearly see what was going on!" Madam Ye was choked with sobs. "Granny She has been taking care of me since I was a child. Today, she died by the hands of an evil scheme. If it was done by a blood elementalist, there will definitely be leftover traces of blood poison. Can I implore Mr. Qingshan to check if there are any traces of blood poison on the body of Granny She?"
Yuchi Qingshan was shocked. The old servant who attended Madam Ye had an unfathomable depth of strength. She was just as powerful as him. Even so, she was murdered. With a solemn look on his face, Yuchi Qingshan walked to Granny She’s body and squatted down to examine it. Soon, he nodded his head and said, "There are indeed traces of blood poison!"
"At the end of day, the fight between the Ling Residence and the Ye Residence is like a mere family tiff. When a family has many members, it is unavoidable to have occasional disagreements. After all, we are one big family. Our enmity will eventually be resolved as time goes by. However, why are there blood elementalists among the Ling Residence’s Sacrificial Guards?"
With tears still flowing down her cheeks, an incredulous look appeared on Madam Ye’s face.
Immediately, Yuchi Qingshan knew the Ling Residence was in trouble.
"I am not an ungrateful person. Mr. Qingshan saved my life and I shall never forget it. I will report this incident to the Elders Guild and let them make the decision. When the time comes, the Elders Guild might inquire Mr. Qingshan about this incident. I’m sorry for troubling Mr. Qingshan."
Madam Ye bowed respectfully to Yuchi Qingshan.
Yuchi Qinghshan quickly returned a bow and replied, "Madam, you’re being too courteous. When the Elders Guild inquires me about this incident, I will speak and report truthfully."
The Ling Residence had already lost this battle. Having blood elementalists among their Sacrificial Guards was something that the Elders Guild could not tolerate. The Elders Guild could tolerate the Ling Residence’s collusion with Dai Gang, but definitely could not accept their collusion with the Blood of God.
Yuchi Qingshan could anticipate that a gigantic storm was going to break out in Silver City. The seats in the Elders Guild would face great changes as well. He was thinking that he needed to immediately discuss this issue with his elder brother. It might be an opportunity for them.
The Elders might be very divisive on other issues, but all of them were unanimous in their attitudes toward the Blood of God.
They would never ever tolerate or appease the Blood of God!
Yuchi Qingshan shifted his gaze to Ai Hui and asked curiously, "Sir, your swordsmanship is indeed terrifying. May I know your distinguished name?"
Filled with gratitude, Madam Ye introduced Ai Hui. "Mr. Chu Zhaoyang is my family’s swordplay teacher. Even though he is not particularly famous, his swordsmanship is superb. If Zhaoyang was not present today, I’m afraid that Xiaobao and I would have…"
"So you’re the Silverwheel Swordsman, Mr. Chu Zhaoyang!" Yuchi Qingshan nodded his head respectfully. "Tong Kui and Yu Lin told me how outstanding Lightning Blade Ai Hui’s swordsmanship was when they were in Peace City. Today, after witnessing Mr. Chu’s swordsmanship, I have to say yours is far better than Lightning Blade Ai Hui’s."
Initially, when Ai Hui heard Yuchi Qingshan mentioning his name, his heart thumped with anticipation. However, when he heard Yuchi Qingshan’s last few words, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Still, he regained his composure and cupped his hands in obeisance. "Thank you for your praises. My chief from the Karakorum Sword League is the one with the truly extraordinary and godly swordsmanship."
"The Karakorum Savant’s swordsmanship ushers in a new era and is unequalled in her time!" Yuchi Qingshan showed a deep veneration for the Karakorum Savant.
Masters were usually well-respected and revered. However, the first Master in any field always commanded an incalculably greater degree of respect and reverence compared to ordinary Masters. Even though the Karakorum Savant had just stepped into the realm of Master, she had already become a well-known individual. Her reputation far exceeded any ordinary Master’s.
The anguish and suffering that a pioneer had to undergo qualified him or her to enjoy these fruits of success.
When the Sky Edge Division’s elites arrived, everyone finally felt at ease. Under the protection of Sky Edge Division’s elites, Madam Ye and her entourage returned to the Ye Residence. Tong Gui and Yu Lin were part of the the protection team as well. The fact that they did not recognize Ai Hui made him felt at ease.
Fu Sisi rejected Madam Ye’s invitation to follow her back to the Ye Residence.
"Before my father passed away, his final words are for Sisi to become the head of the Fu Family. Now that my home has been half destroyed and every member of my Fu Family is feeling anxious and fearful, how can I, the symbol and leader of the family, abandon them and enjoy the luxury of peace and safety alone? Without the Fu Family, there would be no Fu Sisi. Sisi has to take up the responsibility of a family head and repay my family for raising me!"
Ai Hui looked at the red-eyed Fu Sisi, whose face was filled with stubbornness, in surprise. Even though this woman was practical and shrewd, she was a responsible individual.
Madam Ye touched Fu Sisi’s hair and nodded her head. "Having such will and responsibility shows that your father’s effort in grooming you was not in vain. Don’t worry, Aunt Ye has seen with my own eyes what your father did. The Fu Family will not be destroyed. The Fu Family will only become more prosperous. This is Aunt Ye’s promise to the Fu Family."
Fu Sisi could no longer restrain her emotions, threw herself into Madam Ye’s arms, and started wailing in anguish.
Madam Fu requested for Yuchi Qingshan to deploy an elite unit from the Sky Edge Division to safeguard the Fu Family for two days. Naturally, Yuchi Qingshan immediately agreed to this costless favor.
Under the protection of the Sky Edge Division’s elite unit, Madam Ye and her retinue returned to the Ye Residence that very night. At this point in time, the experts that the Great Elder deployed had reached the Ye Residence as well. Finally, everyone felt relieved.
Everyone had a mournful look on their face. They had been through the most frightening day of their lives.
The battle between two top-notch aristocratic families was brutal and cruel.
More than half of Su Huaijun’s peers had died.
The good news was that Madam Ye had announced that all of them had obtained the qualifications to join Master’s Glory. Every one of them would be rewarded as well. Su Huaijun, who had performed outstandingly during the battle, had received a wood elemental elixir and an absolute art. These two rewards caused everyone to turn green with envy.
After the Jadeite Forest declared their independence, the prices of wood elemental materials and ingredients had skyrocketed. A wood elemental treasure like the wood elemental elixir could not even be found on the market. Only the powerful and influential aristocratic families possessed them.
Madam Ye was even more generous toward Ai Hui, who had saved her and Xiaobao.
Three metal elemental elixirs, 10,000 Heaven Merit Points, and one treasure that Ai Hui could freely choose from the Ye Residence’s treasury. Ai Hui was also allowed to read any swordplay manuals and encyclopedias that the Ye Residence owned.
An unexpected windfall!
Madam Ye’s generosity almost caused Ai Hui to faint.
By now, he knew that he had underestimated these aristocratic families. Initially, when he first saw the plain and old-fashioned Ye Residence, he had thought that maybe they were a slightly poorer aristocratic family.
Poor?
When the butler led Ai Hui to the Ye Residence’s treasury, he realized how naive and ignorant he had been.
"Our treasury was built five years after the Avalon of Five Elements was established. It took three years to be built. The first family head was a swordsman, so he kept many flying swords and swordplay encyclopedias. The subsequent family heads had different preferences, so the treasures in the treasury begin to increase in variety. Every family head has to abide by a traditional custom set by the first family head: no more than 10 artifacts can be put in the treasury during his or her lifetime. One must know that a family head of the Ye Residence is well-respected and highly revered. The treasures he or she has come across in his or her lifetime are countless. As such, it is extremely hard for a family head to choose 10 treasures to put into the treasury!"
The butler grieved and lamented as he shook his head. He looked as if the treasury had missed out on so many treasures because of this custom.
Ai Hui could hear one underlying message in the butler’s words. Flaunting your wealth! Blatantly flaunting your wealth!
"However, a custom will always be a custom. What can one do about it? This means a family head can only choose the best, the most expensive, and the most precious treasures to be stored in the treasury! Every family head regards the limit of 10 treasures as their ultimate goal. Each of them does not want to lose out to his or her predecessor. Anything that goes inside the Ye Residence’s treasury is definitely a treasure and is the best treasure."
You are so good! Continue to show off!
"The custom has been continued for a millenia. Throughout the history of the Ye Residence, other than the seven family heads who encountered unexpected calamities, the rest have succeeded in the goal of selecting ten treasures for the treasury. Their treasures are on full display in the treasury. Throughout the history of the Ye Residence, you’re the thirteenth guest to enter the treasury."
A fancy-style of flaunting your wealth!
Continue to show off if you are capable of doing so! I want to see how far you can go!
"Out of the previous twelve guests, five have assumed the position of the Great Elder before, four were Grandmasters, and the remaining three were illustrious individuals. Some of them were revered by the world and had countless disciple, some were so fearsome that they could contend against the Elders Guild for years, some were so shrewd that they could dominate the Avalon of Five Elements with words alone, and others were so smart and evil that they could manipulate the Elders Guild from behind the scenes."
Lou Lan once asked me why my eyes were glittering. I told him there was someone flaunting his wealth to me.
"You’re the thirteenth guest to enter the treasury, so you’re destined to become an extraordinary individual in the future."
Standing at the doorstep of the treasury, the butler’s face brimmed with sincerity and solemness.
Suddenly, a thought flashed across Ai Hui’s mind. He had taken on the responsibility of caring for everyone in the world. He was a being that descended from the sky to save the world!
Even Ai Hui, who was a shameless individual, had been defeated by such a high level of flaunting.
"Sir, can you open the door first?"