Situ Yuntian

Chapter 40: Situ Yuntian

"Go take a look," Situ Yuntian said with a frown.

When he led three elders to the entrance, he saw several patrolling disciples lying in pools of blood, with Instructor Lou's corpse off to one side.

He appeared to have been killed by a single sword strike, the wound on his neck extremely narrow.

"May I ask what brings you Sword Sect prodigies to my Situ Family?" Situ Yuntian asked as he looked at Xu Zimo.

"Who are you?" Xu Zimo asked casually.

"I am the Situ Family's patriarch, Situ Yuntian."

"You came at the right time. I was just about to ask whether we offended your Situ Family somewhere, for you to send people to kill us?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Why do you say that?" Situ Yuntian asked with a frown.

"I can testify to it. I'm from Zhouque City's White Crane Mercenary Group. At noon today, the chief steward of your Situ Family's inner court found our captain and asked him to help kill several people," Xiao Guizi hurriedly said from the side.

With tears and snot streaming down his face, his acting was as exaggerated as it could possibly be.

"And you are?" Situ Yuntian asked, looking at Xiao Guizi.

"I'm a new little brother taken in by our captain, Xiao Baihe," Xiao Guizi replied.

"Please don't be hasty, everyone. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding," Situ Yuntian said after thinking for a moment. He then told a servant beside him, "Go fetch Hai Dafu for me."

The servant hurried away. Before long, a plump, rotund fat man came swaggering over.

Because he was so fat, he had to gasp for breath after taking only a few steps.

"That's him!" Xiao Guizi's sharp eyes immediately spotted him, and he pointed at the fat man with a shout.

Situ Yuntian frowned slightly.

Hai Dafu walked up to Situ Yuntian and hurriedly asked respectfully, "Patriarch, did you summon me for something?"

"Do you not know what you have done?" Situ Yuntian demanded sternly.

"Patriarch, this lowly one doesn't know!" Hai Dafu hurriedly shook his head and replied in terror.

"I'm asking you, did you hire people to assassinate several prodigies of the Sacred Sect?" Situ Yuntian said.

"Patriarch, please see clearly! Even if I had a hundred times the courage, I wouldn't dare!" Hai Dafu hurriedly dropped to his knees, tears and snot streaming down his face as well. His acting left Xiao Guizi several streets behind.

"Everyone, do you think there truly might be some misunderstanding?" Situ Yuntian turned to Xu Zimo and said, "Also, could you show me proof that you are disciples of the Sacred Sect?

It is not that I doubt you. I merely wish to guard against any eventuality."

"I have an inner disciple token here," Xiao Guizi hurriedly stepped forward, placed his token before Situ Yuntian, and said.

Does it have to be this convincing? Situ Yuntian felt as though he had been fucked by a dog. *Didn't you just say you were from the White Crane Mercenary Group?

How did you transform in the blink of an eye into an inner disciple of the Sacred Sect?*

Yet it was precisely this blend of truth and falsehood that made Situ Yuntian feel caught in a bind. If they truly were inner disciples of the True Martial Sacred Sect, and even an inner disciple was merely running errands, then just how astonishing must the identity of the youth before him be?

"Do you really have nothing to say?" Xu Zimo stepped forward and asked. "Or perhaps you aren't the mastermind either, and someone else ordered you to do it."

"This lowly one truly doesn't know," Hai Dafu replied in a panic. He cast an inconspicuous glance toward the three elders before hurriedly speaking.

"You needn't rush to deny it," Xu Zimo said. "In our True Martial Sacred Sect, there is a method called Soul Searching. It can interrogate all of a person's memories from within the past month.

But the price is that the person subjected to Soul Searching may die in severe cases, or become mentally impaired in lighter ones."

Hai Dafu's expression changed, and his face twisted with struggle.

Situ Yuntian frowned slightly. Looking to the side, he discovered that the expressions of all three elders had changed.

"Hai Dafu, are you still refusing to admit it?" Situ Yuntian roared. Spiritual energy surged in his palm, three Meridian Gates opened across his body, and the aura of a True Meridian Realm peak expert erupted forth.

He struck Hai Dafu's shoulder with a palm. Hai Dafu immediately bled from all seven orifices, his body exploding apart as he died.

"Rest assured, prodigies. Our Situ Family will absolutely not shelter any suspect," Situ Yuntian said firmly. "Whether Hai Dafu was truly suspicious or not, we should give you all an explanation."

"Yes, yes," the elders at the side said in agreement, all breathing sighs of relief.

"What a pity. Perhaps some clue has just been cut off like this," Xu Zimo sighed as he looked up, then smiled at everyone. "But it's fine. The days ahead are long."

"You Sacred Sect prodigies have come to my Situ Family with great difficulty. If you do not mind, shall I have someone prepare a banquet?" Situ Yuntian asked with a smile.

"I have no objections," Xu Zimo said with a smile, following Situ Yuntian into the main hall.

Xu Zimo had noticed that many people liked to build connections at the dinner table.

However, the Situ Family gave Xu Zimo some ideas as well. Perhaps his plan to establish a power could be set in motion ahead of schedule.

Subduing the Situ Family and using it as a springboard would be quite a good opportunity.

During the meal, Xu Zimo drank a few cups of wine and probed, "Patriarch Situ, your Situ Family has always remained tucked away in a corner of Zhouque City. Have you ever considered developing beyond it?"

Situ Yuntian froze for a moment. He understood what Xu Zimo meant.

With the Situ Family's current strength, they were simply not enough to expand. But with Xu Zimo's help, that might not be the case.

Yet Situ Yuntian could also see the terms clearly. At present, their Situ Family still bore the Situ name. If they truly joined forces with Xu Zimo, then the Situ Family would become part of Xu Zimo's camp.

Although their strength would increase, many matters would no longer be within their control.

After all, the premise of cooperation was that both sides possessed roughly equal strength. Between the Situ Family and Xu Zimo, they were clearly not qualified.

"Young Master Xu, you jest. Our Situ Family merely wishes to live peacefully and securely. We have no other ambitions," Situ Yuntian replied with a smile.

"That is quite good," Xu Zimo said with a nod and a smile. "Steady and solid development is sturdy as well."

After dinner, Xu Zimo politely declined Situ Yuntian's offer for them to stay at the Situ Family, then took Lin Ruhu and Xiao Guizi and bade farewell.

He did not get to see Situ Yunqing either. After all, she was a very important link in his plan to establish a power.

Back at Linjiang Restaurant, Xu Zimo stood before the window of his room, watching the setting sun gradually sink in the distance.

He tapped the windowsill three times with his right hand and smiled. "Hei Shisan, come out!"

A black shadow suddenly emerged from behind him without any warning.

Hei Shisan was somewhat puzzled. He had complete confidence in his concealment technique, yet he did not know where the problem had arisen.

"Young Master, the Vice Sect Master was worried about your safety, so he had me secretly follow you. Unless your life was in danger, I would not have appeared," Hei Shisan explained his mission.

"Help me kill someone," Xu Zimo said indifferently.