Chapter 45: Wickedness
At Canghai Chengkong's words, the faces of every member of the Nangong Family present darkened.
Making the Nangong Family patriarch's legitimate son kneel and kowtow in apology? That was a **blatant slap in the face.
Originally, although the Canghai Family was a major lineage in Moon-Gazing City, it was still far inferior to the Nangong Family. Usually, even the Canghai Family patriarch treated Xia Rende with respect, and he had strictly forbidden Canghai Chengkong from causing trouble at Heavenly Abode.
Now, Canghai Chengkong dared speak to Xia Rende like this. It was obvious he had someone backing him, and Chen Xiao was that powerful backer.
At that moment, Chen Xiao wore the smug look of a petty man who had finally gotten his way. He lifted his pointed chin slightly and looked down on Nangong Wenyang and Xia Rende.
Everyone present was a powerful cultivator. Every subtle change in Chen Xiao's expression had been under their watchful eyes. Now, the trace of regard they had felt for him vanished without a trace.
"Making friends with Chen Xiao... I think we'd better forget it."
Fifth Brother smiled bitterly. Now he understood why Chen Xiao had been so courteous earlier. It was clearly because Chen Fengyang had obtained the Town-Suppressing Seal, and Chen Xiao had been showing off his refined manners.
But he couldn't go three sentences without showing his true colors. Nangong Wenyang had exposed him as soon as he arrived. And though Nangong Wenyang had offended the foreign cultivators at Heavenly Abode, it wasn't really a big deal. In fact, from the start, Nangong Wenyang had been targeting Chen Xiao.
Those cultivators weren't petty people, either. Quibbling over such things with a spoiled young master would have been beneath them.
Little Seven shook his head. "Fifth Brother, what if the trouble in the Nangong Family was caused by Chen Xiao? What then?"
"Uh..." Fifth Brother froze.
"It's obvious that something major has happened to the Nangong Family. Xia Rende even scolded his own young master over it. Yet at this very moment, Chen Xiao just had to barge in and stir things up."
Little Seven continued analyzing the situation aloud. "The Chen Clan is the ruling family of Moon-Gazing City. If some treasure appears anywhere in the city's territory, the Chen Clan will inevitably bear the brunt of the damage. When that happens, even the Glazed Heaven Palace might not be able to protect them."
At Little Seven's words, Fifth Brother furrowed his brow and fell into deep thought.
"But now the Nangong Family is in trouble. Could that be a breakthrough for us? From this point on, the Nangong Family may be thrust into the eye of the storm, while the Chen Clan retreats into the shadows."
"If that's true, then Chen Xiao's scheming is terrifying, isn't it?" Fifth Brother drew a deep breath, his heart shaken. He hadn't even considered any of this.
"No. It's not necessarily Chen Xiao."
Little Seven shook his head. A glimmer flickered in his eyes. "We know everything Chen Xiao has done from the day he was born until now. There's no way he could have spent his whole life hiding his true nature. Cultivation can be concealed, but one's temperament can't. So I suspect there's another master mind behind the Chen Clan!"
"A master mind... Then what's his purpose in doing this? Will pushing the Nangong Family to the forefront really spare the Chen Clan from harm?" Fifth Brother shook his head and said uncertainly, "If there's truly something in Moon-Gazing City worth offending the Glazed Heaven Palace for, then the Chen Clan won't escape being dragged into it."
"What if the Nangong Family has always known about that thing?" A glint flashed in Little Seven's eyes. "I suspect the Nangong Family here in the city is a branch of the Southern Overlord's lineage. They've been lying low here for the treasure in Moon-Gazing City's territory. And the person behind Chen Xiao clearly knows about this, which is why he's steering our attention toward the Nangong Family."
Fifth Brother's eyes suddenly lit up. If this was really the case, then that supposed treasure—or whatever it was—must be extraordinary. It would have to be worth a super lineage like the Nangong Family secretly laying plans for hundreds of years to keep other forces from noticing.
"Of course, this is only my guess. We'll have to wait for our scouts to return before deciding what to do."
Little Seven breathed a sigh of relief and said.
At that moment, Xia Rende was nearly cursing out loud. The family was in an extremely dangerous position, yet Chen Xiao had brought a bunch of spoiled young masters here to make trouble. Xia Rende could barely stop himself from attacking them.
But when Xia Rende looked at the three personal guards behind Bei Yu Xian, Canghai Chengkong, and Li Changqi, his heart couldn't help but sink. All three were Late Stage of Soul-Division Realm experts, nearly on par with him. He had no chance of beating even one of them. After all, they were legitimate heirs, while he was only an outer steward.
Of course, given Chen Xiao's nature, he wouldn't have minded if all three of them attacked at once.
"Either kowtow and apologize, or keep fighting until we see who comes out on top. Of course, if you lose, you'll still have to kowtow and apologize."
Chen Xiao's handsome face twisted slightly with excitement. He clearly looked like a petty man who had finally gotten his way.
Li Changqi's three personal guards also understood and released their magic treasures.
"Fight! Get them, for your young master!"
Nangong Wenyang couldn't hold back any longer. The little bit of reason he had just regained was instantly swallowed up again.
He himself charged forward first.
Seeing Nangong Wenyang attack in person, Xia Rende was alarmed. Afraid he would get hurt, he rushed forward too.
"Brothers, beat them up!"
Chen Xiao chuckled and shouted as well. The situation, which had just begun to calm down, erupted into chaos once more.
"Third Young Master, isn't this going a little too far?" Li Changqi was worried. After all, his family's interests were tied to those of the Nangong Family. If this matter blew up, he'd be in trouble when he got back.
"Don't worry, brother." Chen Xiao patted Li Changqi on the shoulder and smiled. "The Li Family won't be harmed. The only ones who'll suffer are the Nangong Family."
As soon as the chaotic battle below broke out, Chen Xiao and the others retreated to the third floor. The people on the second floor were now fighting in earnest, releasing flying swords and magic treasures. After this battle, Heavenly Abode in Moon-Gazing City would probably become history.
"Ao Xie, Shadow."
At that moment, Chen Xiao had used the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book to contact Ao Xie and Shadow directly.
The two were hiding inside the Nangong Family's headquarters with the help of the Heaven-Concealing Talismans Chen Xiao had given them. They were carefully searching for powerful members of the Nangong Family, killing without mercy anyone they found in the Division Spirit Realm or above.
"Young Master!"
As soon as the two heard Chen Xiao's voice transmission, they answered.
"There are quite a few cultivators at the Nangong Family headquarters now, aren't there?" Chen Xiao asked.
"Mm," Ao Xie replied.
"Good. Now come out of hiding and make a big scene at the Nangong Family. Best if you can draw out any Tribulation Transcendence Realm cultivators hidden within their ranks. Then have Cai Di poison them somehow, let them slaughter everyone in sight, and finally detonate their Nascent Souls. Make sure they look like they're defending something to the death."
At Chen Xiao's words, even Ao Xie couldn't help shivering. He finally realized just how vicious this young Tribulation Master really was.
Three updates done,