A Trap Laid Long Ago

"That sounds fairly reasonable, but I still think you're vicious. Doesn't the Mohist School believe in universal love? I haven't seen a trace of compassion in you. You're so ruthless at such a young age—what will you be like when you grow up?" Yuezheng Qiong looked worried about Si Ming's future.

"Our Mohist School says, 'If people leave me alone, I'll leave them alone. If they mess with me, I'll kill the bastards!'" Si Ming was talking through his hat. Even now, he couldn't recite the Mohist School's ten principles. "What are you planning to do now? Go back to the venue and let everyone know you're safe, or come with me to the Mohist Knight Guard base?"

"You're in the Mohist Knight Guard too? Are they hiring child laborers now?"

After thinking for a while, Yuezheng Qiong made a swift decision. "I'll go back to the Mohist Knight Guard base with you. Contact your superiors as soon as possible and tell them the Yuezheng Lineage is willing to move to your country, the whole Lineage. Since Fifth Uncle has shown neither kindness nor righteousness and even hired killers, I can only pull the firewood from under his cauldron. Anyone who wants to stay with him can remain in the Beauty Dynasty, and anyone willing to come with me can move to the Su Dynasty. Your country should be willing to take us in, right?"

"We couldn't ask for more."

Even though Si Ming wasn't politically minded, he knew that the Yuezheng Lineage's arrival could do a great deal to make up for the Su State's weakness in music. It was no less significant than moving a top-tier soccer team directly to China. Though it still couldn't change the overall weakness, at least there would be star players worth showing off. Even setting all that aside, the increase in population alone would provide quite a few more True Qi resources. On that basis alone, the Su State couldn't possibly reject their allegiance.

As for souring relations with the Nation of Beauty, that was even less of a concern. The Su State was acknowledged as the strongest nation, ranking in the first tier alongside Germany, home to the Daoist and Yin-Yang Schools, and the Li State, home to the Confucian School. The Nation of Beauty was an allied nation made up of the Painting School, School of Fiction, Music School, Chess School, Calligraphy School, and Shaman School. Its national strength ranked in the third tier.

A strong nation's ears could not hear a weak nation's protests.

Yuezheng Qiong thought the same, so she urged him on. "Let's hurry. Since Fifth Uncle has even resorted to hiring killers, there's no telling whether he'll send more experts after us. Let's get somewhere safe first."

Taking the injured fat man along would have been too much trouble, so Si Ming simply left him in the warehouse, planning to ask someone to come and arrest the criminal later. If the man managed to break free of his bonds and escape while standing on his head, Si Ming would just have to accept it.

"Don't worry. Public safety in our country is very good. We'll be safe once we reach the city. If there's a commotion, the Mohist Knight Guard will naturally come and deal with it. Even if they really do send more experts, if we can't beat them, can't we run? In short, we've got this one in the bag. We'll win however we play it."

Si Ming helped Yuezheng Qiong out of the dockside warehouse and was about to start the motorcycle when he suddenly felt her body stiffen. He looked up and saw her staring blankly to the south, where a man stood.

The man looked to be in his fifties, but considering the existence of internal cultivation, his actual age could only be greater. His features were somewhat sharp, but he had a well-shaped face and a well-proportioned build. He had undoubtedly been a handsome man in his youth.

Si Ming's body stiffened too, because he realized the man was a Spirit Transformation expert. The gulf between their strengths meant that no matter what scheme he used, he couldn't turn the tables. His chances of escaping were even zero.

"Fifth Uncle, I didn't expect you to come in person..."

Yuezheng Qiong bit her lower lip as she spoke.

Fifth Uncle sighed. "I came here intending to silence those people from the Tiger and Wolf Death School, and pin your death on them while I was at it. I didn't expect them to be so useless as to fail-though the outcome is the same either way."

"How can you be so heartless? How could you raise a hand against your own blood?"

"Why? I'd like to ask why myself. I'm clearly the most promising descendant in the Lineage, yet the Lineage head wouldn't pass the position to me and gave it to a young slip of a girl instead."

Yuezheng Qiong said, "By 'most promising,' Fifth Uncle means in martial arts, doesn't he? But you may have forgotten that our Lineage follows the Music School. What we pursue isn't strength in the martial path, but beauty in the musical path. My younger sister's musical talent is seen only once in a century, and everyone can see it. The Lineage head saw it too, and that's why she passed the position to her."

"Ridiculous. In this world, the weak are meat for the strong. Without martial arts, how can you protect the Lineage's wealth? Can music alone deter enemies? In your hands, the Twelve Immortal Pitch-Pipe Instruments are merely toys for entertainment. In mine, they could become divine weapons of the highest order under heaven. There's no question who should have them."

Fifth Uncle unleashed the presence of a Spirit Transformation expert, bearing down on them. Yuezheng Qiong's face turned pale with fear, and if Si Ming hadn't been supporting her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

Still, she protested, "Using musical instruments for fighting and killing is like burning a zither for firewood to cook a crane. The Lineage head realized that, and that's why she refused to give you Yellow Bell, Great Cluster, and Cleansing of the Old."

Fifth Uncle shook his head. "An ordinary man is innocent, but possessing a jade treasure makes him guilty. Without martial arts, do you think the Lineage can keep those three Immortal Pitch-Pipe Instruments safe? It's true that I can't play beautiful music with them, but at least I can protect them. In your hands, I'm afraid they'd all be snatched away in less than three days."

Yuezheng Qiong retorted defiantly, "They certainly were snatched away. After all, an arrow fired in the open is easy to dodge, but a thief in the family is hard to guard against."

Fifth Uncle's face darkened, then returned to normal. He shook his head and sighed. "Since our ideals differ, let's each prove whose way is right."

His way, naturally, was to seize them by force!

Fifth Uncle reached out and flicked a finger. With a faint chime, an invisible sound blade three meters long slashed through the air. The twisting, vibrating currents formed a long dragon that pounced on Si Ming and Yuezheng Qiong.

I can't dodge it!

Though he hadn't even tried to evade it yet, Si Ming realized he could never dodge this strike. No matter how outstanding his lightness skill was, it meant nothing at this moment.

At that critical moment, a huge sword case swept in between them and blocked the invisible sound blade head-on, producing a shattering sound like a great bell.

"Sorry, this is Mohist School territory. Outsiders aren't allowed to run wild here!"

Yan Jinghong descended gracefully from the sky like an immortal cast down to the mortal world, landing in front of the sword case.

Si Ming's heart settled. "At a time like this, it's time to change the BGM!"

Chapter 34: A Trap Laid Long Ago

At the sight of the newcomer, Fifth Uncle couldn't help frowning. "Yan Jinghong, why are you here? Weren't you..."

Then realization dawned on him. "I see. It was a trap from beginning to end. And there I was, thinking it was a wonderful opportunity, so eager to jump right in."

Yan Jinghong said, "We weren't sure whether you would come, but whether you did or not, the outcome would have been the same. The Yuezheng Lineage would join the Su State; that was decided long ago. Admittedly, from our country's standpoint, we hoped you would come. That way, there would be much less resistance when the Yuezheng Lineage moved, and fewer people would split away."

Fifth Uncle gave a bitter smile. "This trap wasn't particularly clever, but my niece is too good an actress. Even I never imagined that a harmless, obedient girl could have such boldness, or dare to make the decision to move the entire Lineage. As the saying goes, it's hard to leave one's homeland. When the time comes, plenty of our people surely won't want to leave. Her decision will only split the Lineage."

"A split in the Lineage isn't necessarily a bad thing. Not putting all your eggs in one basket is the wise choice. Spreading one's branches and leaves, like a crafty rabbit with three burrows—that's the decision a leader with a long-term vision should make."

Fifth Uncle fell silent. He couldn't accept that his niece, whom he regarded as innocent and naive, with neither the bearing of a leader nor the ability to head the Lineage, could do a better job than he could. He sneered. "My niece Yao talks all day about promoting the art of music. Even the previous Lineage head valued her talent for it. Yet now she wants to move the Lineage to your country, which is known as a 'musical desert.' I wonder whether the previous Lineage head would regret choosing her as her successor if she knew."

"Quite the opposite. Miss Yao's decision would only make the previous Lineage head value her more. Your failure to see the reasoning behind it proves that while you may be quite talented in the martial path, your management abilities truly fall far short of hers."

Fifth Uncle's eyebrows shot up in anger, and his presence spread outward. "What did you say?!"

Yan Jinghong was unmoved. He said calmly, "It seems you haven't heard this story. Two merchants came to an island cut off from the rest of the world. On the day they arrived, they discovered that all the locals went barefoot. From the emperor to the common people, no one wore shoes. One merchant was bitterly disappointed. He thought that since the people here never wore shoes, no one would buy them, and he went home the next day. The other merchant, however, was delighted. He thought everyone here was a future customer, which meant unlimited business opportunities, and that he could have the entire market to himself. Which man do you think was right?"

Fifth Uncle was taken aback. After a moment's silence, he shook his head. "It doesn't matter who was right. Even if the second merchant sold many shoes on the island and made a great deal of money, if he couldn't protect himself, he'd only end up making a wedding dress for someone else. I've read history books from cover to cover, and found they say the same thing over and over—the victor is king, and the loser an outlaw!"

Yan Jinghong didn't mock him for changing his argument as fast as the wind. Instead, he extended a hand in invitation to fight. "Everything as you wish. Let victory or defeat decide whether you stay or leave."

Fifth Uncle stirred the True Qi within him and said in a deep voice, "You can't stop me alone."

In a battle between Spirit Transformation experts, even if one could defeat the other, it was very difficult to stop an opponent determined to escape, unless there was a vast gap in their strength or their lightness skills.

Yan Jinghong smiled. "I really can't manage it alone, so I invited two helpers. Please be understanding."

As he spoke, two figures emerged from the shadows beneath the shipping containers.