Chapter 132

Si Ming had no choice but to drag his tired body and try his best to erase the traces of practicing martial arts in the yard, while also having the idea of changing the training ground tomorrow.

However, his idea could not be put into practice because an unexpected variable caused the entire escape plan to go off track.

This variable did not come from the Si Clan, nor from Yan Jinghong, but from the Eight Asura Sin Lord, who was used as a background by Si Ming.

Just as the Si Clan was mobilizing their connections to lay a trap in the nearby towns, the Eight Asura Sin Lord, whom everyone thought would continue to hide until he could no longer remain in hiding, did not sit idly by and wait for his doom. To everyone's surprise, he took the initiative to strike, infiltrated the Water Mirror Manor, and, upon being discovered, kidnapped Si Jingyu as a hostage and forcibly broke out of the encirclement.

The entire Water Mirror Manor was in an uproar!

Chapter V Substitution

"What kind of guard work have you done? Not only did you let someone infiltrate the village, but you also let him kidnap people. Are you blind? Are you deaf?"

The ancestor Si Jingxi was furious and stomped her dragon-headed cane several times. The powerful force shook the entire room, but the ground that was stabbed by the cane did not show any signs of cracking. This exquisite control showed her strength as a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

Although Si Jingxi had long since stopped caring about clan affairs and had been living in seclusion for many years, and many young clansmen had never even seen her, her seniority and strength made everyone tremble with fear and dare not utter a sound.

"Speak up, are you all mute? Moon Lake, I heard you were in charge of the guard duty that night."

The Fourth Master Si Yuetan, paled, her voice trembling as she said, "Ancestor, the guards that night were arranged according to the rules, without the slightest negligence, but... but I never expected..."

Si Jingxi sneered, "I didn't expect the Eight Asura Sin Lord to dare to take such a risk. Clearly, within a hundred miles, the Water Mirror Manor has the strongest security. No matter how you look at it, there's no way he could have broken into the Water Mirror Manor and 'walked into a trap.' It's precisely because you think that he did the opposite. Don't underestimate the wisdom and courage of Spirit Transformation expert! As the common enemy of the Aristocratic Clan, how could the Eight Asura Sin Lord have survived until now, especially someone with such a hollow reputation?"

The angrier she got, the more Si Jingxi slapped the palm of her hand, shattering the nanmu wood table beside her into pieces. One of the fragments flew out and hit Si Yuetan's hair, smashing her headdress to pieces with a loud bang, turning it into a messy bird's nest.

"Please forgive me, Ancestor."

Si Yuetan was so frightened that she knelt down on the spot.

"If killing you can save Yu'er, I'll kill you with one blow right now!" Si Jingxi was so angry that he was breathing heavily, and his eyes swept across the entire scene with a fierce light. "You all know Yu'er's talent. She awakened her Qi sense at the age of three, possessed Level Two Internal Cultivation at the age of five, completed the first chapter of the Water Moon Precious Mirror at the age of seven, and broke through to Internal Cultivation Level Four at the age of eight. Such talent is even better than that of our ancestor back then."

She is the future of the Water Mirror Manor. I am getting old, and even if I grit my teeth, I can't protect Water Mirror Manor for many more years. If I pass away one day, and there is no other Spirit Transformation cultivator to succeed me, do you think you can keep what you have? I didn't care about your infighting in the past, but now you must work together and, no matter the cost, ensure Yu'er's safety!

The crowd exchanged glances, but no one dared to be the first to speak out, fearing they might say the wrong thing and invite criticism for no reason.

Si Jingyue knew that at this moment, only she, as Yu'er's mother, would not be blamed, so she spoke up, "Ancestor, the Eight Asura Sin Lord is ultimately only one person, and he is injured. If we join forces with the Mohist School, can't we forcibly take Yu'er back?"

"There's not enough time. The Eight Asura Sin Lord only gave us half a day. If we don't let them pass, he'll kill them. Even if the Mohist School's experts move quickly, they can't arrive within six hours. With just Yan Jinghong and me, although we can snatch Yu'er back from the Eight Asura Sin Lord, we can't guarantee her safety."

Without the cultivation of the Spirit Transformation Realm, she was not qualified to participate in the battle. Si Jingxi did not expect her clansmen to be able to help her. Although she was confident that she could join forces with Yan Jinghong to snatch the person back, she dared not take the risk that Yuwen Dongliu would be able to kill Si Jingyu with just a shout.

Wanting to atone for his sins, Si Yuetan mustered his courage and advised, "The pursuit of the Eight Asura Sin Lord has nothing to do with our manor. We should simply agree to his request and secretly let him leave. Although this will offend the Mohist School, it is still worthwhile compared to Yu'er's safety."

Si Jingxi stomped her cane again and cursed, "Foolish! Who can guarantee that the Eight Asura Sin Lord will keep his promise and release the people? Do you really want to trust the credibility of a thief?"

If a deal could be reached, she wouldn't mind letting the Eight Asura Sin Lord leave, even if doing so would displease the Mohist School. But the Mohist School wasn't from this country, so revenge would be beyond their reach. At most, they could send a powerful figure to give them a warning.

They couldn't advance, nor could they retreat; everyone was at a loss, racking their brains but still unable to come up with a perfect solution.

Just then, a servant announced that Yan Jinghong was requesting an audience. Si Jingxi thought for a moment and granted permission. Everyone already knew that Yu'er had been kidnapped, so there was no need to hide it. Even if the thief was to be released, being open and honest would undoubtedly earn more understanding.

Before long, Yan Jinghong stepped into the hall, but he was not alone. A child was with him, none other than Si Ming.

Everyone in the room who knew Si Ming was puzzled: how did these two get together?

Si Jingzhi was startled, guessing a possibility. He first glared at Si Jingyue, then quickly used a Secret Voice Transmission technique to say to Si Jingxi, "Grandmother, if he makes a demand—that we agree to the deal between our manor and the Eight Asura Sin Lord —to release this child, we must not agree!"

Si Jingxi remained expressionless and did not respond.

Yan Jinghong calmly bowed to Si Jingxi to show respect, and then said, "I have heard about the hostage situation at your manor, and I have a plan for you to consider. I wonder if you have ever heard of 'substituting a plum for a peach'?"

I disagree!

Before the others could even grasp the meaning, Si Jingyue loudly objected, her face showing anxiety and panic, a far cry from her usual composed and elegant demeanor.

Si Ming looked up at his mother, filled with surprise, never expecting her to object.

There is no such thing as the Thirty-Six Stratagems in this world, but the phrase "plum tree replacing peach tree" originally refers to a plum tree dying in place of a peach tree, used as a metaphor for brothers loving and helping each other. A smart person can understand the meaning behind Yan Jinghong's words at a glance.

This is what puzzled Si Ming. He had always thought that he was not favored by Si Jingyue, so they only saw each other a few times a year. Even when they did meet, it was just a few indifferent words. This was not the attitude of a mother towards her own son.

Given the choice between a daughter with unparalleled talent, considered the hope of the clan, and a son born with a congenital deficiency who has always suffered discrimination, choosing the former would be the more correct decision, and no one would object. If it were that old hag Si Jingzhi, she would probably be eager to agree and would never risk angering the clan by speaking out against it.

Scenes from past meetings flashed through my mind: the hesitant look, the desire to say more that was misinterpreted as impatience; the attempt to hug that was also a desire for closer contact that was misinterpreted as disdain...

Si Ming suddenly realized, "So, she was protecting me."

I was inexplicably moved, but also felt a pang of guilt. It's one thing for a child not to understand, but I, with the mind of an adult, was blinded by a leaf and mistook kindness for malice. It's truly like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, failing to recognize a good heart.

Si Jingxi was the second person in the room, besides Si Jingyue, to understand. He said in a deep voice, "This kind of thing depends on the wishes of the person involved. If they cannot cooperate, it will only arouse the suspicion of the Eight Asura Sin Lord."

If Si Ming, who was to die in place of others, were to resist and struggle, the plan would naturally fail. Even if he were immobilized by acupuncture beforehand, this unusual behavior would easily attract the attention of the Eight Asura Sin Lord.

Although Si Ming was moved by Si Jingyue's concern, he was the one who originally suggested this substitution scheme. There was no turning back now; he had no room to retreat. He stepped forward and said, "Grandmother, as long as my sister can be saved, I'm willing to face any danger."

To others, this performance was seen as nothing more than ignorance and Si Ming, unaware of the terrifying power of Spirit Transformation. They believed that once the Eight Asura Sin Lord discovered the hostage had been replaced, he would be enraged and, with a single slap, would immediately result in the splattering of the hostage's brains.

Only Si Jingzhi believed that he had brought it up because he knew the danger, and from this she deduced that all his past behavior was a facade. How could she not feel a chill when a child not even ten years old possessed such cunning and scheming? She immediately Secret Voice Transmission: "Ancestor, this child's words are not entirely truthful, it is unacceptable..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a cold snort, which was as loud as thunder and exploded in Si Jingzhi's ears. She was immediately stunned and confused, her mind was buzzing, her Qi and Blood was churning, and she almost had a nosebleed. The others, however, did not react at all, so she was the only one who suffered such treatment.

Si Jingxi, leaning on her cane, slowly approached Si Ming, reached out and patted his head, praising, "Good child, you truly deserve to be a descendant of the Si Clan. Just this courage alone far surpasses that of your elders who can't distinguish right from wrong. Your ancestor promises you, as long as you return safely, whatever your wish may be, your ancestor will grant it."

Si Ming smiled happily and said, "Thank you, Ancestor. I only hope that my sister can return safely."

Upon seeing this, Si Jingyue's face turned pale. She knew that since the ancestor had already agreed, this decision could not be changed. She turned to look at Yan Jinghong and vented her resentment on him.

"Master Yan, using a mere child as bait—is this the style of your Mohist School?"