Things unfolded exactly as Sunday had expected. In less than two hours, an urgent Confidential Letter from the Star Luo Empire was delivered into Xue Ye's hands by a Soul Douluo.
Opening the letter, Xue Ye saw Ning Fengzhi's own handwriting.
It stated that Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo had been ambushed by a powerful expert on their way to the Star Luo Empire, only escaping with their lives after several twists and turns.
At the same time, a letter from Bone Douluo was also delivered.
Its explanation was much the same: an unfamiliar Titled Douluo with a sword-type martial soul had launched a midnight attack on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect while Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi were away.
After reading both letters, Xue Ye let out a long breath. He was now certain that Ning Fengzhi had orchestrated this affair.
Otherwise, how could there have been such a coincidence? They had been ambushed just as they left for the Star Luo Empire, and their home base had been attacked as well.
Still, Xue Ye had no intention of digging deeper. After all, this counted as good news for him, too.
First, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now on the Heaven Dou Empire's side. Regardless of who was right or wrong, he could only support Ning Fengzhi.
Second, Xue Ye could no longer stand the Strength Clan either.
Those brainless monkeys swaggered through Heaven Dou City every day, bullying everyone and showing not a shred of respect for the imperial family.
If he had not been trying to win over the already secluded Clear Sky Sect, why would he have tolerated the likes of the Moonlight Pavilion and the Strength Clan?
But things were different now. The imperial family had its own Imperial Offering, making up for its lack of high-level fighting power.
Although the territory under the imperial family's control remained limited, it still commanded several armies.
With this new pillar of support, he had nothing to fear from anyone. As for the Clear Sky Sect, which hid like a turtle with its head tucked into its shell,
Xue Ye could not have despised it more. It had taken so many benefits from him over the years without so much as letting out a fart.
"Hmm, sir, you truly possess exceptional wisdom. The facts are exactly as you predicted. Why not... handle this matter on my behalf?
"It happened so suddenly, and its repercussions are too great. I fear an ordinary person would fail to handle it properly."
"Qinghe, draft an edict immediately and reduce the impact of this incident to a minimum."
"Yes."
Both men nodded, then turned and left the court.
Sunday went straight to the Strength Clan's compound, though it was now nothing but ruins.
Passing the cordon, he saw several coroners collecting the bodies.
"Your Excellency Sunday."
Sunday waved a hand, picked a corner at random, and sat there watching them work.
Why would such a trivial matter require him? Xue Ye had sent him here because he feared there might be survivors.
Since he knew Ning Fengzhi was involved, Xue Ye could not possibly allow any survivors to leave the Strength Clan.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Sunday?"
Sunday had been resting with his eyes closed. At those words, he reluctantly opened them and saw a beautiful woman in a blue dress standing before him.
"Did you need something, miss?"
Seeing Sunday open his eyes, Tang Yuehua gave him a gentle smile.
"My name is Tang Yuehua, and I am the proprietor of the Moonlight Pavilion. Since we happened to meet today, I came over to greet you, Mr. Sunday."
At her words, Sunday leaned to one side and glanced at the Strength Clan disciple being carried away behind Tang Yuehua, his body reduced to several pieces.
He gave Tang Yuehua a rather odd look.
"A deliberate chance encounter? I never imagined you had such refined tastes, Proprietor Tang."
Tang Yuehua realized she had misspoken, but this was precisely the moment when she could least afford to panic.
"Just call me Yuehua, sir. There is no need to be so formal."
"Miss Yuehua, what can I do for you?"
Looking at Sunday's indifferent expression, Tang Yuehua could not help marveling at his self-control. Other people certainly did not act this way when they saw her.
They either came to curry favor with the Clear Sky Sect or came for her beauty. To some degree, they all had an ulterior motive.
Her favorable impression of Sunday immediately rose considerably.
Sunday had no idea what Tang Yuehua was thinking. Otherwise, he would certainly have given her a Dream of Days Past and taught her to be a better person.
"I heard that a massacre had occurred in Heaven Dou City, so I came to see what had happened."
As she spoke, Tang Yuehua walked gracefully to Sunday's side and looked at the Strength Clan's tragic state, a hint of pity appearing in her eyes.
"Is that so? What about the Clear Sky Sect? Something this serious happened to the Strength Clan, yet they did not even send a representative? They left a young woman like you to shoulder it?"
At Sunday's mention of the Clear Sky Sect, the smile on Tang Yuehua's face faded.
After hearing that morning that the Strength Clan had been wiped out, she had sent someone back with the news.
Unfortunately, the Clear Sky Sect had given no response even now. With no other choice, she had come to hold things together for the time being.
Tang Yuehua also felt weary of the Clear Sky Sect. Those elders constantly stirred up trouble within the sect, throwing their seniority around.
A few years earlier, when the sect had first sealed its mountain, circumstances had been exceptional, and her eldest brother had been its only Titled Douluo.
Tang Xiao had still been able to keep them in check. But over the past few years, as those old fossils broke through one after another, they had grown increasingly dissatisfied with their current positions.
Tang Xiao had to safeguard the sect while also maneuvering around them, and there were already signs that he could no longer keep them under control.
As for Tang Yuehua herself, she had secured so many benefits for those old men in Heaven Dou City over the years,
Yet every time she returned home, she was treated like an outsider and subjected to endless scorn.
The real problem was that those people accepted benefits without doing anything in return-the land for the Moonlight Pavilion, the funds for its construction, and its reputation among the nobility.
Which of those had not been helped along by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? Yet after enjoying all those benefits, they left her to deal with Xue Ye.
Tang Yuehua could sense Xue Ye's growing dissatisfaction with her. With Sunday's arrival, it was only a matter of time before the Clear Sky Sect was kicked out of the game.
That was why, upon seeing Sunday, she had thought of befriending him. She wanted to placate Xue Ye and secure more benefits for the Clear Sky Sect as well.
"You jest, sir. I came here of my own accord. The Clear Sky Sect has been secluded for so long that it no longer concerns itself with outside affairs."
"Really? What a pity. I heard that the old clan chief, Tai Tan, always called himself a household servant of Clear Sky Douluo.
"By the way, Miss Yuehua, what do you intend to do about his grandson, Tai Long?"
Tang Yuehua froze at his words, then shook her head.
"I heard the old clan chief's grandson is studying at an academy. Let him pursue his wishes."
Tang Yuehua was deeply conflicted as well, wanting to pry some information out of Sunday.
What Tang Yuehua was thinking about now was how to survive. After all, she could barely protect herself.
Ning Fengzhi's operation had backfired this time. Xue Ye had already been nursing a grudge over Tang Hao's attack on the Heaven Dou Crown Prince and the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Xue Ye's tolerance for the Moonlight Pavilion had already reached its limit, and he intended to begin suppressing Tang Yuehua.
Now, with the incident involving the Strength Clan, the completely uninformed Tang Yuehua connected it to Xue Ye's recent changes in attitude.
The thought arose that Xue Ye intended to prune away the Clear Sky Sect's eyes and ears outside its walls.
"Sir, do you know anything about the person behind this attack? I heard it was a Titled Douluo with a Sword Martial Soul?"
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