Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1722 - Condition

Chapter 1722 – Condition

Both sides fell into a stalemate. The feud between the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion had taken root long ago, and over the years, the Wen Clan had even sent spies into the City Lord Mansion. Without exception, the City Lord Mansion had exposed and executed each of them.

As the saying goes, one should never intend to harm others, but one must always guard against others. For that reason, Ye Linghan’s suspicion toward Liu Wuxie’s identity was understandable.

Chen Ping, however, naturally couldn’t reveal it to her. If his enemies learned the truth, the consequences would become unimaginable.

Chen Ping and Liu Wuxie knew nothing about the feud between the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion, so they believed Ye Linghan was being unreasonable. Ye Linghan, on the other hand, believed Chen Ping and Liu Wuxie were deliberately hiding something, which instantly deepened her suspicion. Just like that, the misunderstanding took shape.

At this point, it was no longer about who was right or wrong. It could only be called a coincidence arranged by fate.

“If you don’t explain things clearly today, there’s no need for the Peace and Stability Merchant Association to continue existing,” Ye Linghan said coldly, and a terrifying chill filled the main hall.

Liu Wuxie had saved her father, and she had just returned the favor by saving his life. That meant neither side owed the other anything anymore. Even if Ye Linghan destroyed the Peace and Stability Merchant Association now, she wouldn’t feel guilty.

Her father, Ye Guhai, had reached the Divine Immortal Realm, and experts filled the entire City Lord Mansion. Destroying the Peace and Stability Merchant Association would require almost no effort on their part. The two sides remained locked in confrontation, neither willing to yield.

“Lady Ye, I know that you suspect Uncle Liu’s identity. But I can swear to the heavens that the Peace and Stability Merchant Association would never do anything to harm the City Lord Mansion’s interests,” Chen An assured, rising to his feet and raising one hand toward the sky as he swore an oath before Ye Linghan.

Ye Linghan wasn’t the only one who had suspected Liu Wuxie’s identity at first. Chen Ping and Chen An had also doubted him. After all, Liu Wuxie had appeared out of nowhere, saved them, and then saved Ye Guhai as well. Such a series of actions didn’t look like something a mere heavenly immortal could accomplish.

“I believe you won’t do anything to harm the City Lord Mansion, but I want to know who you really are,” Ye Linghan said. She had come here to investigate Liu Wuxie’s origins. After seeing him slay High Immortals while still in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, she felt that she would regret it if she failed to uncover the truth.

“We have our difficulties, and it’s not that we’re unwilling to tell you, Lady Ye. Please forgive us,” Chen Ping said, his expression turning troubled.

From the beginning, Liu Wuxie hadn’t said a single word. He wasn’t too worried about others discovering his name, since many people in the celestial realm shared identical names.

Judging from the current situation, his enemies in the celestial realm still didn’t know he had returned. He had killed all the immortals who had descended to the mortal realm, and the Heavenly Sealing Array had isolated the mortal realm from the celestial realm. As long as he avoided using immortal arts from his previous life, no one would guess his true identity.

Ye Linghan had only tried to frighten them earlier. She didn’t truly intend to destroy the Peace and Stability Merchant Association.

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t leak a single word,” Ye Linghan said. Her tone softened considerably as she promised.

Chen Ping turned toward Liu Wuxie, and Liu Wuxie nodded silently in agreement. They knew Ye Linghan wouldn’t leave if they told her nothing, and no one could predict what she might do next.

“To be honest, he’s a distant relative of mine. But his enemies are pursuing him, and he now has no choice but to conceal his identity. His actual name is Liu Wuxie,” Chen Ping said, fabricating a lie while avoiding any mention that Liu Wuxie had once been an immortal emperor.

“That’s all?” Ye Linghan asked, still looking unconvinced. She couldn’t understand why someone would hide a name so carefully for such a simple reason.

“That’s all,” Chen Ping replied with a solemn nod.

Ye Linghan knew Chen Ping wasn’t telling the whole truth, but since he refused to say more, she couldn’t keep pressing him. She decided to investigate the matter gradually and was confident that she would uncover Liu Wuxie’s true identity sooner or later.

“I plan to offer you a position. Would you be interested?” Ye Linghan asked. If she wanted to investigate Liu Wuxie, she needed to keep him close.

“What position?” Liu Wuxie asked, finally speaking.

He knew he couldn’t stay in the Peace and Stability Merchant Association for long, or he might implicate Chen Ping. The celestial realm was vast, and only now did he realize he had no proper place to settle down.

“Become a mentor in the Azure Flame Dao Hall,” Ye Linghan said. This wasn’t the first time this thought had appeared in her mind.

Chen Ping’s eyes lit up at the mention of Azure Flame Dao Hall, and he nudged Liu Wuxie to agree. After all, within a radius of three thousand miles, the Azure Flame Dao Hall was considered a powerful force. Since it wasn’t a sect, its rules were relatively lenient.

In addition, mentors held high status in the Azure Flame Dao Hall and received generous monthly salaries.

“I’m only a Heavenly Immortal. Aren’t you afraid that I might mislead the students for me to teach them?” Liu Wuxie asked with a smile.

He had learned about the Azure Flame Dao Hall over the past two days, but he was only a Heavenly Immortal. The Azure Flame Dao Hall definitely had students with cultivation far higher than his. If he went there to become a mentor, who would accept him?

“Y-Your cultivation is truly lacking to become a mentor. But you can become my assistant,” Ye Linghan said awkwardly, realizing that Liu Wuxie had a point.

Chen Ping kept signaling Liu Wuxie, because this was a good opportunity. If Liu Wuxie entered the Azure Flame Dao Hall, he could not only earn resources but also gain access to its facilities.

The Azure Flame Dao Hall mainly focused on nurturing disciples, so it had complete facilities. Mentors could use those facilities for free.

“What do you teach in the Azure Flame Dao Hall?” Liu Wuxie asked after pondering briefly. He knew this was indeed a good opportunity for him, but he wanted to know what Ye Linghan taught there. If it were something unorthodox, he wouldn’t consider it. It wasn’t that he didn’t know those things, but he disdained them.

“Spiritual arrays,” Ye Linghan said without hiding anything.

She had originally planned to recommend Liu Wuxie to another mentor and bring him into the Azure Flame Dao Hall as an alchemy assistant. But after witnessing his attainments in spiritual arrays, she changed her mind.

The main hall fell silent for a brief moment. Chen Ping naturally hoped Liu Wuxie would enter the Azure Flame Dao Hall because that was the only way he could raise his cultivation and take revenge against his enemies. Even so, Chen Ping would respect Liu Wuxie’s decision either way.

“I will become your assistant, but I need you to do something for me if you want me to agree to it,” Liu Wuxie finally said after considering this for ten full breaths.

Ye Linghan was domineering but not unreasonable. Excitement flashed in her eyes as she asked, “What is it?”

She believed her class would rise rapidly once Liu Wuxie joined her.

“Help me destroy the Azure Bamboo Gang,” Liu Wuxie said.

Bai Jingfu might have died, but the Azure Bamboo Gang had managed to flee. If Liu Wuxie left now, the Azure Bamboo Gang would return and destroy the Peace and Stability Merchant Association.

Based on Chen Ping’s personality, Liu Wuxie knew Chen Ping would never abandon the Peace and Stability Merchant Association even if it cost him his life. If the Azure Bamboo Gang attacked again, the Azure Viper Lord only needed to hold Chen Ping back. At the same time, the four guardians and twelve envoys could slaughter everyone in the merchant association.

Since Liu Wuxie had decided to leave, he had to remove this hidden threat first.

“Okay. I agree to it,” Ye Linghan said, accepting Liu Wuxie’s condition without the slightest hesitation.

They couldn’t afford to waste time, so they immediately prepared to march toward the Azure Bamboo Gang as per Liu Wuxie’s request. If they delayed the attack, they feared the Azure Bamboo Gang would flee and gather even more experts.

Chen Ping quickly gathered all the upper echelons of the Peace and Stability Merchant Association and led them toward the Azure Bamboo Gang.

Ye Linghan understood the Azure Bamboo Gang’s background clearly. They made a living through murder, robbery, and all kinds of vile deeds. As the daughter of Fourfold City’s city lord, it was her duty to eliminate such a wicked organization.

That was why Ye Linghan didn’t refuse Liu Wuxie’s request. Even if he hadn’t asked, she would have destroyed the Azure Bamboo Gang sooner or later once she learned about their crimes.

After the Azure Viper Lord and the others fled back to the valley, they immediately sealed the entrance and even gave the order to kill anyone who tried to enter.

In just an hour, Chen Ping led a large expedition of experts to the wall. Liu Wuxie used the Divine Mystic Yin Needle to kill several guards, and Chen Ping seized the opportunity to leap onto the wall and kill the rest.

After opening the gate, the group surged inside with imposing momentum. The Azure Viper Lord heard sounds of battle in the distance.

Members of the Azure Bamboo Gang rushed out in disbelief when they saw Chen Ping’s group.

“The Peace and Stability Merchant Association has launched an attack on us!” They had always been the ones attacking the Peace and Stability Merchant Association, but today, the situation had reversed.

“Chen Ping, how bold of you to break into my Azure Bamboo Gang!” The Azure Viper Lord roared and charged toward Chen Ping.

“Lady Ye, I’ll have to trouble you to help,” Chen Ping said before rushing forward. He left the four guardians and twelve envoys to Ye Linghan, while Chen An intercepted the ordinary disciples of the Azure Bamboo Gang.

Liu Wuxie summoned the Bloodthirst Blade and began his massacre.

Chen Ping and the Azure Viper Lord clashed, and the spacious valley gave them enough room to fight.

Sword rays shot out from Ye Linghan’s sword. The four guardians were only Spirit Immortals, so how could they possibly contend with a Profound Immortal?

Being a realm higher, she completely suppressed them, and their ordinary martial techniques couldn’t overcome that gap. After all, not everyone could challenge those above their level like Liu Wuxie. As for the twelve envoys, Ye Linghan had already slain them.

The four guardians planned to escape and quickly retreated into the distance. They could no longer care about their chief, as survival came first.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ye Linghan roared. She naturally couldn’t let them escape, since Liu Wuxie had said he wouldn’t join the Azure Flame Dao Hall if even one person from the Azure Bamboo Gang fled.

The four guardians only lasted a few moves before Ye Linghan killed them. After that, she swiftly joined Chen Ping in fighting the Azure Viper Lord.

The Azure Viper Lord struggled under their pincer attack. He had lost his composure, and his movements became stiff and restricted. When the ordinary disciples witnessed the four guardians’ deaths, they lost the will to fight.

The experts led by Chen An began their massacre. In only fifteen minutes, they killed several hundred Azure Bamboo Gang disciples. Yet whenever those disciples died, their interspatial rings vanished.

After looting the battlefield, Liu Wuxie managed to collect only 30,000 immortal stones. The Azure Bamboo Gang’s disciples were too poor, and gathering even that amount was already impressive. This was why the Azure Bamboo Gang wanted to seize the Peace and Stability Merchant Association. If they had their own assets, they would gain a stable income.

After seeing the deaths of the ordinary members, the Azure Viper Lord let out a furious roar. Only he remained from the Azure Bamboo Gang, barely putting up a struggle.

“Azure Viper Lord, I advise you to surrender. I’ll leave you with an intact corpse if you surrender,” Chen Ping yelled, urging the Azure Viper Lord to stop resisting.

“Even if I die, I’ll drag you both to hell with me!” The Azure Viper Lord said, suddenly charging at Chen Ping and Ye Linghan as he switched to a fighting style aimed at mutual destruction.

Liu Wuxie stood in the distance, feeling anxious. He knew he couldn’t interfere in a battle between profound immortals.

Right at that moment, Ye Linghan took out something from her robes, and it unfurled in the wind.