Chapter 196 - 193: Chat for a Bit

Two days later.

Jingshui Town.

It was a moderately sized town situated next to a tranquil lake that spanned seven or eight miles. The clear, still water was completely undisturbed, reflecting the sky like a mirror.

Black Dragon brought Mo Qianqian down to the town’s entrance, and from there, they walked into Jingshui Town.

Though not as grand as a city, the town was highly developed. With plenty of shops and pedestrians, it gave off the impression of a small but wealthy settlement.

"The people from Black Dragon City are here."

"That’s Black Dragon. He actually came in person."

"Who wouldn’t be tempted by the auction of a major treasure? It’s not just the three major powers—I bet all the experts in the Realm of Chaos have gathered in Jingshui Town."

"The treasure’s original owner, Mo Qianqian, is here too."

"He’s so young, only sixteen or seventeen. I heard he killed a Void Spirit Realm Second Level expert and only lost to Mu Chen by a narrow margin."

"Although he lost, Mo Qianqian is ten years younger than Mu Chen. In terms of talent and combat prowess within the same tier, Mo Qianqian is far superior. Given enough time, his strength will definitely surpass Mu Chen’s."

"He’s someone who accepts defeat gracefully. Mo Qianqian is a good sport, a true monstrous genius..."

As soon as they entered Jingshui Town, Mo Qianqian’s group drew the attention of the surrounding crowd. The onlookers instinctively parted to make way for them. After all, they belonged to one of the three major powers in the Realm of Chaos. No one dared to provoke them lightly.

Hearing the murmurs of admiration, Mo Qianqian felt a bit embarrassed. He knew that if they discovered the truth, their discussions would take a completely different turn.

Mo Qianqian and the dozens of experts from the Black Dragon Army paid them no heed, striding confidently deeper into Jingshui Town.

After they had been walking for a while, a white-haired old man in a golden robe approached them from the front.

The golden-robed old man bowed to Black Dragon. "Xia Hui of the Imperial Alliance greets Black Dragon."

Upon hearing this, the people of Black Dragon City frowned, their expressions turning cold. Mo Qianqian also frowned. Someone from the Imperial Alliance? Surnamed Xia? From the Great Xia Dynasty?

"What is it?" Black Dragon asked.

"I wish to have a quick word with our young friend, Mo Qianqian," the old man named Xia Hui replied.

Mo Qianqian was surprised. He wanted to talk to him?

Black Dragon glanced at Mo Qianqian, clearly giving his tacit approval. The old man was not a top-tier expert and posed no threat to Mo Qianqian.

Catching Black Dragon’s look and scanning his surroundings, Mo Qianqian figured the man must be from the Great Xia Dynasty’s royal Xia Family. He stepped forward.

"Elder Xia!" Mo Qianqian greeted him politely.

WHOOSH!

An aura erupted from Xia Hui’s body, enveloping the two of them and forming an isolation barrier. It was meant to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

Mo Qianqian was taken aback. Having a "private chat" right in the middle of the street was a bit unexpected. At the same time, sensing the old man’s Void Spirit Realm First Layer cultivation aura left him somewhat shocked.

The Great Xia Dynasty actually had a Void Spirit Realm expert in the Realm of Chaos? Before the battle with the Ling Family, wasn’t it said that there were no active Void Spirit Realm experts in the entire Great Xia Dynasty?

Xia Hui nodded at Mo Qianqian. "I am a member of the Great Xia Dynasty’s royal family, an Imperial Uncle to the current Emperor.

"Aside from gathering some information from you on behalf of the Imperial Alliance, I also have a message I wish to pass along."

Mo Qianqian frowned. Gathering information for the Imperial Alliance? They were probably trying to exploit his relationship with the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Please speak, Elder," Mo Qianqian said. The Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty had helped him in the past, and since this man was the Emperor’s Imperial Uncle, he had to treat him with courtesy.

"Let’s start with matters concerning the Great Xia Dynasty," Xia Hui said. "As you know, our Great Xia Dynasty stands with you. Even if the Imperial Alliance forms a grudge against you, the Great Xia Dynasty will never raise a hand against you.

"Moreover, the Imperial Alliance itself is not entirely united.

"The various dynasties constantly compete and harbor intentions of waging war against one another. They only formed this alliance to deal with the Realm of Chaos."

Hearing this, Mo Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief. If Xia Hui had sided with the Imperial Alliance and attacked him, things would have been very difficult. It had to be said that an alliance was fundamentally different from a single, cohesive faction.

Having set the stage, Xia Hui got straight to the point. "Back in the Great Xia Dynasty, during the nearly two months you’ve been gone, the people from the Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy haven’t just been searching everywhere for you. They’ve also been thinking of all sorts of ways to force you out of hiding."

"Do they not know about my presence in the Realm of Chaos?" Mo Qianqian asked.

Xia Hui shook his head. "They don’t. It was covered up by the people from the Great Zhou Dynasty. They also want to force you to go back so they can use the Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy to deal with you."

Pausing for a moment, Xia Hui continued, "To get to the main point, they have captured members of the Shi Family and Shi Muyao’s parents to threaten you into showing yourself."

"The Shi Family?" Mo Qianqian was stunned.

The Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy really were going to great lengths to deal with him and force him out. However, did they really think capturing people from the Shi Family would be enough to force his hand?

"They should know that Shi Muyao’s parents, and the entire Shi Family for that matter, treated me horribly," Mo Qianqian said. Although he felt nothing for the Shi Family, the fact that the Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy were kidnapping people to threaten him ignited a murderous intent in his heart.

"After all, you and Shi Muyao were once husband and wife, and she did save you that day. Because of that, they chose to go through with it," Xia Hui explained. "Recently, the Ling Family has intermittently killed a few people from the Shi Family. Seeing that you still haven’t shown up, they are now preparing to make a move against the Asura Conglomerate and the Yuling Sect. They know you have a close relationship with the Yuling Sect Master and Pei Hong."

Mo Qianqian’s eyes narrowed, his expression instantly turning icy.

The Asura Conglomerate was his, but they weren’t particularly close to him on a personal level. However, the Yuling Sect Master and Pei Hong had helped him quite a lot. To think the Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy would actually target them. The thing he hated most was people using those around him as leverage!

"If the Ling Family and Tai Xuan Academy attack the Yuling Sect, will the royal family, the Vast Sect, and the other factions just sit by and do nothing?" Mo Qianqian asked, suppressing his anger.

The Yuling Sect Master was backed by a masked person in black who possessed combat power at the Quasi-Space Spirit Realm. That masked figure had helped him multiple times, though he still didn’t know their true identity. But against the Ling Family, which had an ancestor at the Void Spirit Realm Fourth Level, that masked figure would be no match at all.

Logically speaking, the reason they hadn’t struck earlier was because the royal family’s side had been keeping the Ling Family and their allies in check. Attacking the Yuling Sect and the Asura Conglomerate would be like pulling a single hair and moving the whole body—it would trigger a massive chain reaction. After all, he still hadn’t shown himself. Such a reckless move by the Ling Family was clearly detrimental to their own side.

"The royal family will naturally assist, and the Vast Sect Leader, along with a few others, are also ready to intervene at any moment," Xia Hui replied. "You could say that the royal family, the Yuling Sect, the Asura Conglomerate, and the Vast Sect are all standing on the same front.

"If the Ling Family Ancestor makes a move, others will attack the Ling Family’s compound in response, so the Ling Family still has its reservations.

"However, the Great Zhou Dynasty is growing anxious. They’ve roped in experts from the Great Wu Empire to head to the Great Xia Dynasty as backup. They plan to strike at the factions affiliated with you first, aiming to intimidate the royal family and the other powers.

"If they can’t find an opportunity to kill you here in the Realm of Chaos, they will lure you back to the Great Xia Dynasty to finish the job."