Chapter 166 - 163: Leaving

"Emperor Xia!!!"

Mo Qianqian couldn’t help but let out a gasp of shock. The old man standing before him was none other than the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, Emperor Xia!

As a former enforcer for the Ling family, Mo Qianqian had once had the privilege of seeing Emperor Xia. Yet, he never expected that the person who saved him would be the emperor himself! Nor could he have imagined that Emperor Xia—who was never known to have personally engaged in combat—was actually a formidable expert in the Void Spirit Realm!

"Surprised?" Emperor Xia asked with a faint smile.

Mo Qianqian nodded.

Without wasting words, Emperor Xia handed him a prepared map and a token engraved with a special symbol.

"Given your current situation, staying in the Great Xia Dynasty is no longer feasible. I’ve prepared a route for you to head to Black Dragon City in the Realm of Chaos," Emperor Xia said. "Take this Black Dragon City Resident Token. Once you enter the city, it will provide you with sanctuary."

"The Realm of Chaos? Black Dragon City?" Mo Qianqian asked, bewildered.

"The Realm of Chaos is the most turbulent region in all of Yangzhou, yet it is also the gathering place for the most powerful factions," Emperor Xia explained. "There are three dominant forces in the Realm of Chaos: Black Dragon City, Cyan Cloud Mountain, and the Imperial Alliance.

"The Imperial Alliance consists of people from a coalition of one empire and four great dynasties, with our Great Xia Dynasty being one of them.

"Even so, the Imperial Alliance can only be considered equals with Black Dragon City or Cyan Cloud Mountain.

"Furthermore, the Realm of Chaos is quite distant from here. The reach of the Ling family and Tai Xuan Academy cannot easily extend that far. By going there, your safety should be guaranteed for a time."

Hearing this, Mo Qianqian roughly grasped the situation. The strength of Black Dragon City far exceeded that of a single dynasty; it was equivalent to the combined might of an empire and four dynasties! Black Dragon City was undoubtedly a terrifying existence.

"Black Dragon City has a rule. As long as someone is a resident of the city, once they step inside, they are under its protection. Outsiders are strictly forbidden from entering the city to attack its residents," Emperor Xia continued. "However, to become a resident, one must make specific contributions to the city or complete certain tasks.

"I happened to complete a task and obtained a resident token. Since I have no use for it, I’m giving it to you."

"Thank you, Emperor Xia. I, Mo Qianqian, will forever remember your kindness today," Mo Qianqian expressed his gratitude.

He knew that if Emperor Xia truly wanted to deal with him, there would have been no need to go through such convoluted measures or hand over a token. There was no one else around; the emperor could have simply killed him right then and there.

"I just don’t quite understand," Mo Qianqian still had to ask. "Why didn’t you attack me and seize my treasures?"

"Whether it’s the major noble clans or the imperial family, not everything is meant to be possessed," Emperor Xia replied calmly. "Sometimes, it’s better to let others wield certain things.

"Helping you escape is a nightmare for the Ling family. Letting you deal with them is far better than us taking them on ourselves.

"Besides, if we can reap some rewards from you in the future, the harvest will undoubtedly be substantial."

Listening to Emperor Xia’s candid confession, Mo Qianqian nodded in strong agreement. As expected of an emperor, his vision was long-term, and his insight was profound. Anyone else would have already killed him and looted his belongings, regardless of the future consequences.

"Rest assured, Emperor Xia. I was originally a citizen of the Great Xia Dynasty. Should the dynasty ever have a use for me in the future, simply give the word. As long as it is within my power, I, Mo Qianqian, will never decline," Mo Qianqian declared with solemn sincerity.

Emperor Xia nodded. "Begin your journey while you recover. Staying in the Great Xia Dynasty puts you in constant danger. Of course, the road ahead is also fraught with peril. Take care of yourself."

With that, Emperor Xia’s figure blurred as he soared into the air and departed.

"I will!" Mo Qianqian cupped his fists in a respectful farewell to the departing emperor. What Emperor Xia had done for him today was an immense favor.

"I wonder if Sect Leader Yu and the others are alright?" Mo Qianqian sighed with worry as he looked up in the direction of the Ling family.

Now that he had left, the Ling family’s experts, whose primary target was him, would definitely pursue him. Combined with the confrontation against the imperial family, the forces from the Great Zhou Dynasty likely wouldn’t linger for too long either. Those associated with him should be safe, right? Of course, even if they were in danger, there was nothing he could do to help them now. Returning would only put everyone in greater jeopardy.

"The Ling family, Tai Xuan Academy, the Great Zhou Dynasty, that old man from the Realm of Chaos, and all the participating factions—when I return, I will make you pay a heavy price!" Mo Qianqian clenched his fists, intense killing intent flashing in his eyes.

This time, he had achieved one of his goals by killing Ling Qingxue, slaying several elders of the Ling family and Tai Xuan Academy, and ruining the marriage alliance. However, he hadn’t managed to completely flatten the Ling family, even after exhausting all his trump cards. Moreover, this incident had cost Nangong Ling her life for his sake, and Shi Muyao had almost suffered the same fate. She had even been abducted. This was a grudge he absolutely had to avenge!

He wondered where the person who abducted Yaoyao had come from.

Thinking of Shi Muyao, Mo Qianqian grew anxious again. The middle-aged man who had taken her claimed that only a Saint Heir was worthy of her. He was terrified that Shi Muyao would be forced to marry this so-called Saint Heir, or worse, be coerced into doing something against her will. To save him, she had promised her captor that she would do anything he demanded. Mo Qianqian could hardly imagine the plight she would face in captivity.

"If anything happens to Yaoyao, I will bury your entire faction alongside her!!!" Mo Qianqian squeezed his fists so tightly that his body trembled, endless murderous light welling up in his eyes.

After a while, Mo Qianqian forced himself to calm down. Now was not the time to go searching for her. He had to leave the Great Xia Dynasty first. Only by surviving could he save her and seek his revenge.

Pulling out the map to check his route, Mo Qianqian estimated that the journey would take him about half a month to a month. He set off immediately, traveling while simultaneously healing his wounds. His Spirit Body had been shattered once, and his Spirit had suffered severe trauma, but he could still endure these injuries. Since this route had been meticulously prepared for him by the imperial family, he figured he shouldn’t face any major dangers in the short term.

Sure enough, over the next several days, until he completely left the borders of the Great Xia Dynasty, Mo Qianqian encountered no pursuit. No one came chasing after him in this direction. It seemed the forces of the Ling family were entirely unaware of this hidden route.

Through days of continuous travel and recuperation, Mo Qianqian’s injuries had mostly healed, and his pace quickened significantly.

Just then, a group of riders appeared on another small path behind him. There were over a dozen people in the group, all in disguise. The party consisted of youths, middle-aged men, and elders, and every single one of them was riding a Spiritual Steed. Astonishingly, the speed of these Spiritual Steeds was much faster than his own traveling speed, even at the Ninth Level of the Second Realm.

Seeing this, Mo Qianqian frowned and stepped off to the side of the road. He had no idea who these people were, and for now, it was best to avoid conflict if possible.

As the galloping caravan drew near Mo Qianqian, a slightly plump young man dressed in coarse clothes suddenly shouted, "WHOA!"

Following his command, the entire line of Spiritual Steeds came to a halting stop, one after another.