Chapter 492: After the Heavy Rain

Rumble!

The previously cloudless sky instantly darkened.

A torrential downpour broke, smashing into the ground as if driven by some furious emotion.

The crowd in the First Ring Domain stood in the rain, staring blankly up into the air, their eyes wide and trembling.

Liu Xiaoyue was dead.

The ruler of Yueyin was dead.

For the first time in its thousands of years of history, a change in Yueyin's ownership had been announced in such a manner.

For a moment, neither Wang Yu nor Long Quezhou could process what had happened.

It was only when Yan Jing began using weird energy to systematically destroy Liu Xiaoyue's body that Wang Yu snapped out of her daze. She immediately rushed forward to stop him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm worried she might resurrect."

Yan Jing's face was completely expressionless as he systematically tore Liu Xiaoyue's body to shreds.

Wang Yu didn't know what to say.

She already knew this guy was an absolute butcher.

By the time Liu Xiaoyue's body completely vanished, the rain had turned into a torrential deluge.

Through the thick curtain of rain, the three of them could barely see one another's faces despite standing only a few meters apart.

After a long silence, Long Quezhou finally spoke.

"Did you not hear her last words?"

"I heard her."

Yan Jing nodded.

"But she still had to die."

A profound sense of powerlessness welled up in Wang Yu's heart.

When it came to certain matters, reasoning with the man opposite them was simply impossible.

"Zodiac has explicit rules. When a member of the organization dies, the others must avenge them."

Wang Yu rubbed her temples.

Yan Jing nodded.

"You can come at me together."

Wang Yu and Long Quezhou exchanged a glance.

Neither of them moved.

They weren't crazy.

From the start of the battle until now, Yan Jing had only suffered superficial flesh wounds. Even after witnessing many of his techniques firsthand, neither of them had any idea how to counter them.

Fight him now? Besides, neither of them actually held a grudge against Yan Jing.

"We need to discuss this at length."

Wang Yu offered a suggestion.

Long Quezhou nodded.

"For a gentleman's revenge, even a hundred years is not too late."

Hearing their words, Yan Jing smiled.

"Or there is another way."

The two of them looked up at him.

Neither of them trusted Yan Jing much right now; they had a sinking feeling he was about to pull some crazy stunt.

"Does your organization have any systems in place? Like substituting members, for instance."

At those words, both of their eyes lit up.

That was indeed a method.

It was just that...

"You mean you want to join us?"

Wang Yu found it hard to believe and pressed for confirmation.

"Then why did you just kill Liu Xiaoyue...?"

In truth, Liu Xiaoyue's proposition right before her death had meant exactly this.

Yan Jing, as a part of Yueyin, would join Zodiac.

Long Quezhou had even suggested letting Yan Jing lead the three domains.

But Liu Xiaoyue had died anyway.

Because of that, the two of them had assumed Yan Jing was dead set on a dictatorship to rule all three domains himself.

But now it seemed... that wasn't the case at all?

"I didn't like her," Yan Jing said, giving a response that barely counted as an answer.

The two of them felt a bit helpless.

Nobody liked Liu Xiaoyue.

In reality, those who reached the Summit were rarely good people. Yan Jing's reasoning could be used to justify killing practically anyone.

But overall... The two exchanged a glance before Wang Yu spoke slowly.

"This requires a lot of procedures."

"If you want to become a member of Zodiac, you must first be reported. Normally, we only fill vacancies for members who die by another's hand or by accident. There is rarely a direct replacement of a living member."

"We need to forge the circumstances, and that takes time."

Yan Jing nodded.

"It can be forged, and there is time."

"The success rate isn't particularly high," Long Quezhou said slowly. "This incident caused a massive uproar. It's hard to guarantee that the other domains haven't planted spies in our three domains to investigate."

Wang Yu nodded.

"We need to act fast and lock down the information immediately. We can guarantee the silence of our two domains, but Yueyin..."

She looked a bit awkward.

Earlier, she and Long Quezhou had assumed things would end in a truce and the three domains would merge smoothly, so they had already spread the news.

Now, everyone in Yueyin already knew.

But Yan Jing shook his head.

"Locking down information and forging the events are both decent methods."

"But in my eyes, there are only two things that actually matter."

Under Wang Yu and Long Quezhou's gazes, Yan Jing spoke slowly.

"The first is connections."

"Zodiac is most likely not a monolithic block. Wherever there are people, there are factions."

"Whoever was on Liu Xiaoyue's side will not accept me, and whoever opposed her will likely accept me. How many people can be bribed, and how many can be reasoned with? I need to know this."

"The second is value."

"Everyone's value can be quantified. If the value is great enough, I believe the vast majority of people will quietly accept this arrangement. What kind of value I need to demonstrate is also extremely important."

Wang Yu and Long Quezhou exchanged a somewhat surprised glance. Then, Wang Yu stepped forward, extended her hand toward Yan Jing, and spoke with absolute solemnity. "You are far more suited for Zodiac than I imagined."

"Welcome to the fold."

"The new domain lord of Yueyin."

Second Ring Domain.

Chaotic City.

In a cramped and messy room, a sofa sat in the middle.

Jian Yi sat on the sofa, his face covered in stubble. Empty cans were scattered haphazardly beside him.

Countless memories flashed back into his mind.

[The streets of Chaotic City.

"If Teacher Shen wasn't around when the Mu family disappeared, then this whole affair means nothing to me."

"That is the reason," Yan Jing said calmly.

His eyes revealed his disbelief as he stared at Yan Jing, his face pale.

"Are you trying to put on some tragic play for me?"

"If you can't accept it, you can take your own life."

Yan Jing spoke softly.

"But if you want to live, then you have the perfect opportunity to see if I'm telling the truth or not."]

[On the streets of the Third Ring Domain.

He looked at Qi Ming.

"Oh, right."

"There's one more thing you got wrong."

"I joined Zhoulin in the first place because of that guy. It had nothing to do with Shen Youran."

He hadn't turned his head when he spoke, but suddenly, Qi Ming's voice came from behind him.

"Fuck! Jian Yi! You fucking coward!!!"

"If it wasn't for Big Sister Shen, who would have ever noticed you?!"

With a loud thud, the two of them tackled each other and began to brawl.]

[The day that figure left.

In the courtyard of the Mu family, he tracked down that person.

"Are you really leaving?"

"You believe Shen Youran was born with some constitution of naturally bad luck."

The person spoke calmly.

"Of course I don't."

"Then why are you leaving?! Just because Shen Youran doesn't like you?"

For a split second, he saw a vicious glint in the figure's eyes.

It was a look reserved strictly for enemies.

It terrified him so much that he subconsciously stepped back.

But in the end, the fierce glint faded away.

"Because staying here will only slow me down."

"Because you are all pitifully weak."

"As for Youran... she will understand."

"Without me, she can't do a single thing."

"I'll be waiting on a larger stage for her to call me."]

The memories flooded his vision one by one... How high-spirited they had been, fighting their way from the Fifth Ring Domain all the way to the Third Ring Domain. How they had made the news together, and how they had celebrated at a bar after clearing another stage...

How did things end up like this?

The flashing memories froze, and Yan Jing's face suddenly appeared in his mind's eye.

"If you were capable of throwing a punch at a simple portrait of me, you might have discovered it."

"Perhaps you should be a little braver, Mr. Jian."

Several seconds passed.

Squelch.

The sharp scissors easily plunged into the artery of his wrist. Like a rusted faucet left unclosed, blood gurgled and flowed out. Jian Yi had finally done the bravest thing of his entire life.

The light in his eyes slowly extinguished.

Third Ring Domain, Long Family.

"Prepare a heavy gift. We are departing for the First Ring Domain."

Long Qiancheng stood in the light, addressing Steward Long.

The steward didn't move immediately. Long Qiancheng had just thrown a massive tantrum, and he still hadn't fully recovered his wits.

He recalled the ill-mannered man he had seen back then... Eventually, the face in his memory slowly merged with the face broadcasted in the sky. It wasn't until Long Qiancheng spoke again that the steward jolted, shivering before hurriedly turning toward the storehouse.

But before he could get very far, Long Qiancheng's exhausted voice called out from behind him.

"Old Sha, our Long family might really be finished this time."

Steward Long's body trembled once again.

He didn't know what he should say, nor did he know what he even could say.

"...Once you've prepared the gifts, find your own way out."

Long Qiancheng said.

Only then did Steward Long seemingly wake from a dream, hastily dropping to his knees.

"My lord."

"Go."

Long Qiancheng simply repeated his order.

Second Ring Domain.

Precognition Society.

Zhao Qianling gently tapped her fingers against the armrest. The rhythm was erratic, much like the state of her heart.

"Do you think I should wear a formal suit tomorrow or stick to casual clothes?"

She looked at Vice President Ye Liu standing before her and asked.

"Formal wear seems a bit more appropriate, but wouldn't that create too much of a distance?"

"But if I go casual, I can't be too relaxed or it will seem disrespectful. I still need to show the proper amount of reverence... What do you think?"

Vice President Ye Liu smiled bitterly.

"You've been agonizing over this for half the day now."

"I feel that Mr. Yan... I mean, Lord Yan isn't the type to care about these little details. Just acting naturally should be fine."

"No!" Zhao Qianling raised a finger.

"Details. Details are incredibly important."

"Come on, let's discuss how I should address him when we meet, how far away I should stand, my attitude, and some of the vocabulary I should employ..."

Fifth Ring Domain.

Wang Changnian rubbed his temples.

A full hour had already passed.

Yet he still felt like he was dreaming.

The world had changed.

It had truly flipped upside down.

Saying he wasn't nervous would be a lie. When he saw Yan Jing and Liu Xiaoyue start fighting, he felt as if the prostatitis he had cured years ago was flaring up again. If Yan Jing lost... If Yan Jing had actually lost...

He reached up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Beneath the terror was absolute ecstasy.

He, Wang Changnian, had won the gamble. Even though he hadn't actively chosen to bet, and even though this wasn't what he had originally intended to bet on, and even though he never thought he could win... He really won.

He had boarded the ship.

He had secured his passage before the ship had even set sail.

He picked up the phone, but ultimately set it back down.

No, he couldn't appear too desperate.

In a remote village.

A beautiful figure wearing a straw hat sat by a doorway. A piece of bristlegrass hung from her lips, her gaze slightly hollow.

Seeing her in this state, an older woman passing by stepped forward and spoke.

"Xiao Ran, are you feeling unwell? You've only been here a few days, so you probably aren't used to life here yet. It's nothing like the city."

Brought out of her daze by the woman's words, the figure slowly regained her focus and smiled at her.

"No, Aunt Chen, I'm doing fine."

"That's good. Just make sure to take care of yourself, alright." Aunt Chen hadn't chatted with a young person in a long time, and the conversation opened the floodgates.

"Did you hear? I heard Old Man Wei say that our Yueyin seems to have gotten a new domain lord."

"Ah... I heard..."

The beautiful figure chuckled.

"I heard the new domain lord is very handsome."

"Oh my, you silly girl, so you're just lovesick after all." Aunt Chen's face crinkled like a chrysanthemum as she laughed, reaching out to gently poke the girl's forehead. "You really do need to find yourself a man. It's a shame our village doesn't have many young lads, but if I spot someone suitable, I'll introduce him to you." "There's no need for that, Aunt Chen..."

Third Ring Domain.

Mu Family.

A man with inverted triangular eyes reclined in a chair, leisurely sipping his tea.

The entire estate was in complete chaos, yet the man alone was in no rush. His face was a picture of perfect relaxation, and he even hummed a little tune.

Beside him, his nine wives stood in a row, some crying softly while others wailed out loud.

The most composed among them, his first wife, looked at the man and spoke.

"Master, what do you think we should do now? Please, say something."

Perhaps annoyed by her questioning, the man forcefully pushed her hand away and snapped impatiently.

"What's the rush?"

"He wants to be the domain lord, but does he really think he can just take the seat because he wants to?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, all nine wives stopped wailing, their eyes darting to stare at him.

"What do you mean by that?" the first wife asked tentatively.

"Do you have a way to..."

She dragged a flat hand across her neck.

The man sighed helplessly.

"No."

"Then what did you mean?"

"The workings of heaven cannot be revealed." The man smiled mysteriously before frowning.

"Get out! All of you, scram! Stop annoying me!!!"

It wasn't until the crowd dispersed that the man finally retreated into his room, carefully locking the door behind him.

He then slowly unbuttoned his coat.

One layer, two layers, three layers...

When he finally reached the innermost layer, he pulled out a jade pendant kept tightly against his body.

The pendant was covered in numerous cracks and wrapped in cloth. The cloth was encased in cotton, and the cotton was inside a small pouch. Three strings hung from the pouch, every single one of them securely tied around his neck.

From the cloth down to the strings, none of it was ordinary material.

He reached out, bit down on his fingertip until it bled, and pressed it against the jade pendant, channeling his weird energy into it.

The pendant gradually lit up.

Once the brightness reached its peak, the pendant emitted a soft hum, and several new cracks spiderwebbed across its surface.

Mu Yi stroked the jade pendant with heartache, waiting carefully for the person on the other side to speak.

Soon, a voice echoed from the artifact.

"...Who goes there?"

"I am a man of the Twelve Desolate Realms. My surname is Mu, and my given name is Yi."

"Fuck, you're wasting my time." The man on the other side sounded impatient and was clearly about to sever the connection, but Mu Yi quickly interjected.

"I have a top-tier seed here, ready for your harvest."

"A seed?" Hearing Mu Yi's words, the voice across the line finally softened a fraction.

"To be cultivated into talent, or harvested for medicine?"

"Either one works, either one is fine."

Mu Yi answered hurriedly.

"Have you ever heard of..."

"Reaching the Summit purely through the physical body?"

The person on the other end fell silent for a long while, but his breathing grew increasingly heavy.

"You do know that in a trade mediated by the Peace Pendant, one cannot lie."

The voice suddenly barked out a harsh laugh. Mu Yi's head instantly spun as blood slowly trickled from his nose and ears.

"I understand! I understand completely."

"Report your coordinates."

The voice commanded. "As for what you can take..."

"This lowly one doesn't want anything!"

Soon, the connection cut off.

Mu Yi let out a long breath of relief.

"Heh heh... Since I can't beat you, I just need to send you away. Isn't that enough?"

He chuckled with disdain.

It was perfect. Liu Xiaoyue's defeat actually played right into his hands.