CHAPTER 338: CHAPTER 337: HATRED TO THE BONE

Zhou Qianmo did not return the way he came.

Though he was in peak condition when he arrived, he barely survived.

Now, although some of the Demon Beasts in the danger zone of the Secret Realm have been slain... the truly powerful ones still haven’t emerged, and Zhou Qianmo didn’t have the ability to provoke them.

With his current state, trying to traverse the Secret Realm would be courting death.

Fortunately, there was another way.

The Secret Realm is now in chaos, with wounded people everywhere, and as the Terminator System activates, everyone is busy cleaning up the remains of their classmates.

By randomly finding a relatively intact corpse in the danger zone of the Ice Snow Realm and peeling off his face to wear on his own, Zhou Qianmo managed to escape the Bei Xuanwu Martial Mansion and set off for the nearest city.

Along the way...

Someone saw his crippled arms and even offered him a seat.

It wasn’t that he didn’t consider sneaking into the Bei Xuanwu Martial Mansion during the chaos and seizing the opportunity to kill Xu Lingjun.

But thinking of that explosive light...

The instinct of an Upper Realm Grandmaster told him that Xu Lingjun hadn’t exerted the true power of that light; his entire body was enshrouded in it. He clearly saw his body swell suddenly as if turning into a giant... but in the end, that transformation didn’t occur.

Perhaps his strength was insufficient, so he only exerted less than a tenth of its power.

Yet even so, his Thousand Forged Body as a Martial Arts Grandmaster was melted to this state. If not for the mecha restricting his freedom while also shielding him from part of the light, Zhou Qianmo would’ve ceased to exist by now.

This matter isn’t urgent; Xu Lingjun has more trump cards than I imagined, so it must be approached gradually.

Zhou Qianmo now trembled uncontrollably at recalling that searing light. Even as an Upper Realm Grandmaster, he felt a certain dread towards facing Xu Lingjun...

In other words, he’s been beaten into fear.

Seeing himself move farther away from the Bei Xuanwu Martial Mansion, his mood relaxed a bit.

Lying on the bus, knowing he’s finally out of danger, he allowed himself a breath of relief, only to be overwhelmed by immense fatigue.

Suddenly...

The phone he carried with him started ringing.

Zhou Qianmo jolted and then realized.

He hadn’t carried the phone he usually used to avoid revealing his identity... only a phone for contacting key individuals.

There was originally only one number saved on it.

Roger Sparrow.

Now there was another, Han Qingxue; since someone was contacting him, it must be Han Qingxue.

Using the stump of his arm, Zhou Qianmo carefully took out the phone and placed it to his ear.

Sure enough, Han Qingxue’s voice came through, asking, "Pavilion Master Zhou, where have you been these past few days? I haven’t been able to get in touch with you."

"I’ve been busy with my own matters. The environment was special, so I couldn’t be reached."

Zhou Qianmo exhaled lightly, not revealing what he’d been up to.

This Han Qingxue was clearly like those ordinary women, already bewitched by Xu Lingjun’s appearance. If she knew he had been plotting against him this whole time, she might betray him at the opportunity...

For now, she’s still very important.

He asked, "Prin..."

He cautiously looked around, ensuring he was the only one on the spacious bus.

Then he softly asked, "Princess, how are things on your end?"

Han Qingxue replied, "Very smoothly. I advised Father, saying the Four Great Martial Mansions conduct trials each year, and the students receive rewards, but the sects have always been focusing only on their own cultivation without any exchange... isn’t there a risk of becoming insular? So I suggested to Father that all major sects hold martial arts exhibitions once a year, and the winners receive rewards like the students from the Four Mansions Trials. That way, the sects’ foundations could be understood more deeply."

Zhou Qianmo said, "And His Majesty agreed, didn’t he?"

"The Pavilion Master is wise; he naturally agreed."

"After all, this move can greatly stimulate the sect disciples’ enthusiasm, thereby enhancing the sects’ strengths..."

Zhou Qianmo’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, thinking that although there were missteps here, things were progressing well on that front.

He sneered, "The Martial Mansion is connected to the Pole Star Battlefield, responsible for resisting the Mysterious races of the heavens, but would His Majesty put all his eggs in one basket? Sects have developed rapidly in recent years; if you say there’s no support behind them, that’s the real ghost."

Han Qingxue exclaimed, "Are you saying it’s Father who has been supporting the sects all these years?"

She then realized that her suggestion might greatly boost the sects’ cultivation fervor, thereby enhancing Father’s power?

No wonder Father was so approving upon hearing her idea, even breaking precedent to grant rewards.

"So Pavilion Master, your actions are..."

"His Majesty’s hidden strength is immense. To rebel against him, we must first weaken his strength. The sects have been nurtured by the Imperial Family for years, already grown into a formidable force, and weakening them seems nearly impossible. If we can’t weaken them, we must sow discord."

Zhou Qianmo sneered, "Where there’s strife, there’s discord... if a few people die in the process, and if possible, dragging the Martial Mansions into it would be best. If enmity forms between the sects and the Martial Mansions that can’t be reconciled, wouldn’t that be perfect?"

He spoke lightly.

But on the other end, Han Qingxue was drenched in cold sweat.

If this were to occur, the Great Xia Empire might not fall into chaos, but internal discord would inevitably scatter its forces.

In that case, perhaps I could actually succeed.

"By the way, I just received reliable information."

Zhou Qianmo suddenly said.

"What information?"

Han Qingxue, already filled with dread towards Zhou Qianmo, thought she still needed this old fellow’s help for now, but if she succeeded in the future, he must not be kept alive.

Someone who stops at nothing for revenge, what will he seek when he fulfills his vengeance?

Satisfaction?

Someone motivated by revenge won’t find satisfaction; when he realizes his enemy’s death doesn’t bring back his loved ones or appease his heart, he will want to destroy more.

But for now, she needed his help.

Han Qingxue listened intently.

Zhou Qianmo said sternly, "Do you remember the previous assassination attempt? Cuowu Sect’s Vice Sect Leader Wu Hongzhou accidentally injured the Divine Soldier Guard, but fortunately corrected his mistake and helped kill Roger Sparrow."

Han Qingxue said, "I know, Cuowu Sect, to make amends, not only offered a large sum of funds and resources but also dispatched three hundred martial artist disciples all in the Huichuan Realm to join the Divine Soldier Guard, significantly boosting their strength."

"Xu Lingjun testified for him then; if not for Xu Lingjun, he would’ve likely been killed like Roger. Do you know why Xu Lingjun testified for him?"

Recalling his tragically dead son still made Zhou Qianmo’s heart ache.

"Why?"

"I inadvertently discovered that the martial arts technique Xu Lingjun cultivated bears some resemblance to Cuowu Sect’s ’Reversing Heaven and Earth’.

Han Qingxue couldn’t help but gasp, "What?!"

"A Martial Mansion student practicing a sect’s secret art, if Cuowu Sect finds out about this..."

Zhou Qianmo sneered, "This won’t just be brushed off lightly."

Han Qingxue: "..............."

For a moment, she almost thought the person across wasn’t the master of the Nanyun Martial Mansion but someone with a deep hatred for the Four Great Martial Mansions.