These men in black had left as mysteriously as they had come, leaving many dead in the alliance and the survivors utterly baffled.
“That’s right! Just what did they want?! It all happened so suddenly that I’m still scratching my head even now.”
The others called out in agreement with Sikong Yuanjia’s words. Every operation had a goal, but no one could tell what these men in black had wanted.
Was it fortune? Then they should have gone to the Imperial Court of the secular world.
For treasure? The Righteous Alliance wasn’t holding any treasure in this temporary base.
Revenge? The Righteous Alliance had never seen these people before. The battle was done now, with both sides suffering heavy losses, but the Righteous Alliance still did not know what they wanted. There was no more confusing matter in the world than this.
“Heheheh!”
At this moment, a strange and sinister laugh rang out in everyone’s ears.
“None of you know what’s going on, but I do!”
This person immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“Ji Andu, what nonsense are you babbling?! If you’ve thought of something, hurry up and talk! Don’t try and act all mysterious!” a nearby Righteous Alliance Elder couldn’t help but rebuke.
The Righteous Alliance Lord also couldn’t help but frown, but he remained silent. Ji Andu pretended not to hear, his shoulders trembling as he proudly smiled.
“Haha, not for fortune, treasure, or revenge, and there are certainly no women here to kidnap, so what exactly were they here for? All of you can’t understand, but the reason is very simple. These people weren’t coming for us, but they were intentionally drawn here by someone else!
“Someone set us up!”
Whoooah!
The elders and experts had been angrily glaring at Ji Andu at first, but now, they were in an uproar over Ji Andu’s words.
Wang Chong remained silent, but his heart sank. He could already see what Ji Andu was trying.
“Protector Ji, stop exaggerating. Who would try to set us up, and who would dare to do so? Has this stimulation caused you to start talking nonsense?” a Righteous Alliance Elder chided.
Ji Andu had originated from the evil path and had been a disciple of it. Although it was said that he had corrected himself and stepped back onto the righteous path, many in the alliance still found him unpleasant.
“That’s right! Protector Ji, what are you saying? Across the realm, just who would be so daring as to set up our Righteous Alliance!?”
All of them found this matter simply too absurd to simply take Ji Andu at his word.
“Hmph!”
Ji Andu only scornfully smiled.
“Let him talk!” Sikong Yuanjia interjected.
Sikong Yuanjia had sustained significant injuries in his battle with that bamboo hat man. If he hadn’t been cultivating the Zhurong Divine Art, he would have probably been slain by that scimitar. Right now, he was willing to listen to any possible explanation.
All he wanted was to know the truth.
Sikong Yuanjia’s outburst silenced the crowd.
“Haha, all of you, just think about it. Our Righteous Alliance has been established for some time without encountering this kind of opponent, and let alone the Righteous Alliance, even further back, have any of you, all renowned individuals of the martial arts world, ever encountered such a foe?
“Martial arts, techniques, and objectives are all a mystery, and we’ve been in the northwest for quite some time. Why was there only an incident now?
“Have none of you realized that all this only happened after an outsider appeared at our Righteous Alliance?”
Ji Andu sinisterly smiled, and then he shot a profound glance at Wang Chong.
The mood instantly changed, and the chattering crowd began to turn to Wang Chong, their eyes suspicious and doubtful.
Before anyone else could speak, Song Youran jumped forward, her body trembling in rage. “Ji Andu, this is slander! Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing in making such charges against Young Master Qingyang?”
Song Jue also jumped forward. “That’s right! Young Master Qingyang isn’t that kind of person!”
“Andu, cease your nonsense!” At this moment, Song Yuanyi spoke in a dignified tone. “Young Master Qingyang is an honored guest of our Righteous Alliance, and he even helped us before. How could he hurt us now?”
Song Yuanyi’s expression was calm, but his tone was of a person who would not be questioned.
Seeing Song Yuanyi speak up, Song Youran and Song Jue both rejoiced and sighed in relief.
“Alliance Lord! This one is not speaking nonsense. This man is truly too suspicious. I am not just randomly throwing out unjust accusations!”
Ji Andu finally turned serious, clasping his hands and bowing.
“I have reasons for my suspicions. The time of his appearance is just too fishy. Everyone knows that the men in black attacked only after his arrival. There is no need for me to elaborate any further on that.
“Young Master Qingyang is well-learned in all martial arts, and on the first day, with just his mouth, he was able to command our Righteous Alliance disciples in using their sword arrays to kill Black General Impermanence and force back the Black Yin Ancestor.
“But tonight, even though so many people died in the alliance, did any of you see Young Master Qingyang command our experts in dealing with the men in black? The renowned Young Master Qingyang actually chose to hide? Is this not suspicious?” Ji Andu sneered.
Chapter 1366 - Throwing a Rock at Your Own Foot!
Chapter 1366: Throwing a Rock at Your Own Foot!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Buzz!
The Righteous Alliance experts had originally believed that Ji Andu was speaking nonsense and was trying to frame Young Master Qingyang out of envy for the closeness of his relationship with Song Youran. But now that they thought about it, they truly did not know where this Young Master Qingyang had been throughout the battle. He had seemingly disappeared like a puff of steam.
At this moment, even Ouyang Changheng, who had firmly supported Wang Chong, unconsciously shot a glance at him.
Wang Chong said nothing, his expression calm. He did not attempt to retort as he waited for Ji Andu to finish.
“Not only that, it’s one thing if Young Master Qingyang doesn’t help us, but do all of you know where I found him at the fiercest moments of the battle? At the base of the mountain! I found him at the base of the mountain. That Young Master Qingyang of yours was getting ready to secretly flee this place!” Ji Andu coldly said, his voice oozing with disdain.
Bang!
The crowd fell into an uproar. However, Song Yuanyi and Xie Guangting remained unmoved.
“How could this be?”
The Righteous Alliance experts began to whisper amongst themselves, shooting glances that were different from before at Wang Chong.
“Hmph, that’s not the end of it. Did none of you notice that when these people first arrived, they seemed to charge straight up the mountain with a definite goal, but when it seemed like they couldn’t find their target, they began to fight with us? Do you need me to explain to you what might be worth searching for in our Righteous Alliance?”
Ji Andu broadly grinned. He stared viciously at Wang Chong, his intentions clear.
Whoosh!
For a moment, all fell silent, save for the sound of the gusting wind. Everyone stared at ‘Young Master Qingyang’, an invisible tension building up in the air.
At this time, only three people had retained their composure. One was Righteous Alliance Lord Song Yuanyi, the second was Righteous Alliance Vice Lord Xie Guangting, and the last was none other than the center of attention, Wang Chong.
“Are you done?” Wang Chong said indifferently as he walked forward with his hands behind his back. These three words immediately had everyone waiting with bated breath. His
expression was composed, and even though all the experts of the Righteous Alliance surrounded him, he showed no fear. When he heard that Song Yuanyi had invited him, Wang Chong had already guessed at what was going on.
There was no such thing as a free banquet. Whether it was Ji Andu, Song Yuanyi, or the vice alliance lord, all of them were difficult customers. The first would find every way to make trouble for him while the other two had succeeded in entrapping the Demonic Emperor Old Man at his peak. From this, one could easily see how shrewd they had to be.
These people had been suspicious of him from the very start, and recent events had probably only increased their suspicion. If he answered poorly, all the Righteous Alliance experts surrounding him would attack.
It seemed like Song Yuanyi was choosing to stand by the wayside or even speak up on his behalf. But Wang Chong was sure that if he didn’t step up, the Righteous Alliance Lord would strike more swiftly and viciously than anyone else here!
“It seems like Protector Ji’s bias toward me has already reached an irreconcilable level! With just a few groundless accusations, you wish to push me into the abyss! Truly a completely unscrupulous fellow!”
Wang Chong shot a glance at Ji Andu, who felt his heart jolt in ill foreboding.
“Hmph, I’d like to see what arguments you can make!” Ji Andu coldly sneered.
“On my first day in the Righteous Alliance, Protector Ji misunderstood me to have designs on Miss Song and wanted to attack me, but Miss Song stopped him. Then, he started to doubt that I was the real Young Master Qingyang. Even now, when the alliance was under attack and everyone was bitterly fighting, Protector Ji was not thinking about ways to deal with the men in black, but ran all the way to the base of the mountain to find me! I thoroughly appreciate Protector Ji’s heartfelt concern!”
Wang Chong glanced at Ji Andu and smirked.
Thump!
Ji Andu felt his heart thump once more, his face instantly paling.
The expression in the eyes of the Righteous Alliance Elders and disciples also shifted. In this battle, the Righteous Alliance had sustained serious losses, with six to seven hundred disciples entering their eternal sleep. When Ji Andu, a Protector of the Righteous Alliance, was needed the most, he had run off to search for Young Master Qingyang. There was no denying this.
“Don’t speak nonsense! The entire mountain was covered in enemies. I had rushed there at the time to reinforce the area!” Ji Andu harshly said.
The expressions of the others remained doubtful. Saying anything more at this time was pointless. There was no question that Ji Andu was targeting Young Master Qingyang, and the explanation he gave now was a feeble and unconvincing one.
“Heh, whether that’s right or wrong, I won’t say. I’m sure everyone understands,” Wang Chong said.
“Don’t try your word tricks here! You didn’t appear once during this night raid, much less command the Righteous Alliance disciples in dealing with the men in black. When something abnormal happens, there’s always an evildoer behind it. While everyone else was fighting with the men in black, you were hiding around, even trying to escape off the mountain! If you say that these people weren’t coming for you, then who were they coming for? And the elders of the alliance can all serve as witnesses. You can’t escape this charge!” Ji Andu coldly shot back, his demeanor imposing and showing no intent of letting Wang Chong go.
“Heheh, I must thank Protector for saying this.”
Wang Chong couldn’t help but coldly chuckle.
“Firstly, I am no disciple of the Righteous Alliance, and I never said that I wanted to stay here forever! It was Alliance Lord who invited me! In other words, I have no duty to help out the Righteous Alliance!”
Wang Chong coldly sneered, and his words left everyone embarrassed. Although they didn’t want to hear, Young Master Qingyang was right. He had never been a disciple of the Righteous Alliance, and it was completely up to him whether he helped or not. The Righteous Alliance had no right to ask him for anything. Moreover, Young Master Qingyang had even helped yesterday in dealing with the Black Yin Ancestor and Black General Impermanence, but now, the Righteous Alliance was creating all sorts of difficulties for him. It was no wonder he was angry.
“Young Master Qingyang, don’t be angry. We didn’t mean it that way,” a Righteous Alliance Elder said, his expression embarrassed to the extreme.
“And at the end, I appeared at the base of the mountain because I was trying to avoid you, right, Protector Ji?”
Wang Chong coldly glared at Ji Andu.
Swoosh!
The crowd fell into an uproar.
“Kid, what nonsense are you babbling!” Ji Andu sternly shot back, his expression ice-cold. In his ears, Wang Chong’s words were sheer nonsense.
“Hmph, from the very beginning, Protector Ji has been brimming with hostility toward me. In such an intense battle, Protector Ji didn’t deal with the men in black, but instead tried to use the chaos to deal with me, chasing me from the summit to the base, and even attempting to murder me at the base of the mountain. Protector Ji believed that no one else knew, but someone noticed all this a long time ago,” Wang Chong coldly said.
“That’s right!”
Wang Chong had barely finished speaking when Song Jue jumped out of the crowd, his expression burning with rage.
“I saw it with my own eyes! Not only that, in order to deal with Young Master Qingyang, Ji Andu even used the Yin Yang Art that Alliance Lord expressly forbade him from using!” Song Jue immediately blurted out what he had seen.
Bang!
The Righteous Alliance Elders and Protectors instantly exploded at Song Jue’s words. Even Righteous Alliance Vice Lord Xie Guangting creased his brow.
The Yin Yang Art was an evil art, the supreme art of the most infamous individual in the entire martial arts world, Zhang Wenfu, the Demonic Emperor. The Righteous Alliance was a righteous sect that was not supposed to use this kind of evil art. This had been told to Ji Andu many times, but despite knowing this, he still went against this order. Not only that, the Righteous Alliance owed a favor to ‘Young Master Qingyang’, but Ji Andu, for his own selfish desires, had chased him down to the base of the mountain and then even tried to frame him. Those of the righteous path regarded such conduct with utter contempt.
Countless eyes, oozing with disdain, turned on Ji Andu.
“Bastard! Everyone, don’t listen to this nonsense! He’s just playing word games!”
Ji Andu’s face was pale from rage and shock. Everything had reversed too quickly.
“Ji Andu, you still want to escape the responsibility? Young Master Qingyang might lie, but is Song Jue also lying?” Song Youran couldn’t help but speak up at this time, and as she stared at Ji Andu, her face was ashen with anger. She knew that Ji Andu harbored ill intentions, but she had never imagined him to be this despicable.
“Protector Ji, you’ve truly disappointed us. Young Master Qingyang has assisted us before, so how could you treat him this way?”
“That’s right! Even if you like Miss Song, you can’t resort to such lowly methods!”
“It’s one thing for you to not help out when everyone else was fighting with the men in black, but you even decided to use the chance to attack someone on your own side! You’ve brought shame on the entire righteous path!”
“Haa, Protector Ji, what can I say!”
The Righteous Alliance Elders sighed as they looked at Ji Andu. And though the other Righteous Alliance experts said nothing, the strange looks in their eyes said enough.
“Youran, listen to me! This isn’t what it looks like! This scoundrel pretending to be Young Master Qingyang claims that he doesn’t know martial arts, but in truth…”
Ji Andu was vexed that his attempt to expose Wang Chong had ended up being a trial against him. Ji Andu hated Wang Chong to his bones at this time, and if there weren’t so many people around, he would have already charged up and cleaved Wang Chong apart with his palm.
&nbs
p; “Enough!”
A thunderous voice resounded. Song Yuanyi’s icy voice immediately caused the crowd to calm down.
“Alliance Lord!”
Everyone bowed to the cold and aloof Song Yuanyi, falling silent. When Song Yuanyi spoke, no one dared to talk back.
“This one now understands what is going on. Ji Andu, did I not tell you that since you were now a part of our Righteous Alliance, you should not use the arts of the evil path, particularly the Yin Yang Art?”
Chapter 1367 - Danger, Song Yuanyi’s Doubts!
Chapter 1367: Danger, Song Yuanyi’s Doubts!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Song Yuanyi turned his head and coldly glanced at Ji Andu. This single glance was enough to cause Ji Andu to shiver in both body and mind. He hurriedly lowered his head, his complexion pale.
“Alliance Lord, forgive me!”
“Do not repeat this matter in the future! Young Master Qingyang is our ally, and I do not wish to see such things happen. Understood?” Song Yuanyi coldly said.
“Andu understands!”
Ji Andu’s heart shivered as he lowered his head even further.
As the mood was relaxing, the taciturn vice alliance lord, Xie Guangting, suddenly said, “Alliance Lord, our Righteous Alliance suffered many losses in this battle, and it seems like Young Master Qingyang has also been injured. Your Eternal Spring Mantra is profound beyond compare. There is no harm in giving a little assistance to Young Master Qingyang.”
These words had come so unbidden that Ji Andu, who had just been ready to turn and leave, came to an abrupt halt as if sensing that something was about to happen.
The other Righteous Alliance Elders and experts also felt their hearts thump as if in realization.
Song Youran and Song Jue paled in unease.
“Many thanks, Vice Alliance Lord, but that is not necessary. This one’s injuries are not serious, and Alliance Lord has just been through a major battle, severely exhausting his Stellar Energy. There is no need for Alliance Lord to tire himself over such a trifling injury.”
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 857