radicalducati Chapter 32 Acting Leader of Quanxing Sect - Gong Qing
Chapter 32 Acting Leader of Quanxing Sect - Gong Qing
A mountain wind, carrying the stench of blood, howled across the front of Longhu Mountain, whipping up screams of battle and the clashing of weapons, sweeping all the way to the depths of the back mountain. Tian Jinzhong's residence, hidden behind a bamboo grove, was a secluded and tranquil place with green tiles, wooden houses, and a small fenced courtyard. Now, however, it was permeated with the malevolent energy of the mountain wind, and even the moss in the corner of the courtyard seemed to be tinged with a chilling aura.
Zhang Yulei's figure clung to the beams of the wooden house like a ghost.
His breath blended with the mountain breeze, his vital energy completely concealed, not even the hem of his robe swaying. His coarse Taoist robe was almost identical in color to the wood of the roof beams; unless someone looked very closely, it would be impossible to discover that a fierce god, dormant for thirty years, lurked atop those beams. The black scabbard of his sword rested tightly against his palm, the icy touch spreading from his fingertips, suppressing the surging killing intent in his chest.
His gaze, peering through the gaps in the roof beams, fell upon the scene inside the house.
Tian Jinzhong sat in a wheelchair, covered with a thin blanket, his face pale to the point of being almost transparent. His hands and feet were severed at the wrists, and he could only move by the wheels of his wheelchair. At this moment, he was slightly tilting his head, listening to the shouts of killing coming from outside, a trace of worry flashing in his cloudy eyes.
Rong Shan stood in the center of the room, his blue Taoist robe stained with dust, his brows furrowed, his face full of anxiety. He was the ninth disciple under the Old Celestial Master, a kind and honest man who had been following his master's orders to stay by Tian Jinzhong's side and take care of his daily needs for many years.
"Uncle-Master, the commotion on the front mountain is getting bigger and bigger." Rong Shan's voice was tinged with urgency. "The Quanxing demons must have gone mad, sending so many people to break into the mountain! I'm worried they might try to sneak up to the back mountain. Perhaps I should go out and check it out, so I can help my fellow disciples!"
Tian Jinzhong slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse yet gentle: "No need. The back mountain is secluded. Quanxing's target is the secret manual on the front mountain and that child Zhang Chulan. They won't come here. You stay here, guard me, and guard this peaceful place."
"But Uncle-Master..." Rong Shan wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps.
"Master Rongshan! Master Rongshan!"
A clear, youthful voice came from outside the courtyard, tinged with a hint of panic. Immediately afterward, a boy dressed in the robes of a young Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain stumbled into the house. This boy looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features and a perfectly measured expression of fear. He carried a blood-stained peach wood sword; it was none other than Gong Qing, who called himself "Little Yu Zi."
As soon as he entered, he knelt down with a thud, panting and shouting, "Master Rongshan, it's terrible! The front mountain... the front mountain is about to fall! There are too many demons from Quanxing! Many of my fellow disciples are injured, and even... even Grandmaster Rongshan is being held back by several Quanxing masters and is in a fierce battle!"
"What?!" Rong Shan's expression changed drastically. He rushed to Gong Qing and grabbed his shoulder. "What did you say? Master is in a tough battle?"
Gong Qing's shoulder ached from being gripped so tightly, but he still nodded with a look of fear on his face, his eyes reddening and his voice choked with sobs: "It's true! This disciple saw it with his own eyes! Several masked demons surrounded Grand Master and attacked him. They even broke a hole in Grand Master's Golden Light Spell! This disciple risked his life to escape, just to tell Grand Master, please think of a way!"
His acting was so lifelike; the fear and anxiety in his eyes were completely convincing. If it were anyone else, they would probably have been fooled completely.
Zhang Yulei, who was hiding on the roof beam, suddenly had his pupils contract the moment he saw the boy.
Xiao Yuzi?
What a flawless disguise, Xiao Yu Zi!
Zhang Yulei's gaze, like a sharp blade tempered with ice, was fixed on Gong Qing's back. Thirty years had passed, and he could no longer remember what Gong Qing looked like, but the moment this young man appeared before him, the fragments deep in his memory instantly pieced themselves together.
Gong Qing!
Gong Qing, acting leader of the Quanxing Sect!
That seemingly gentle and even timid young man harbored the fiercest wolf within him. For years, he lay in wait on Mount Longhu, disguised as an inconspicuous Taoist priest, enduring humiliation and hardship, all for one opportunity—an opportunity to sneak into Tian Jinzhong's room and interrogate him about the secrets of the Jia Shen Rebellion!
Zhang Yulei's fingers slowly tightened, gripping the sword hilt. The patterns on the scabbard caused a slight pain in his palm. He could sense a faint, almost imperceptible aura of malevolence surrounding Gong Qing. It was the murderous aura he had picked up from years of associating with the Quanxing demons; no matter how well he disguised it, it couldn't escape Zhang Yulei's eyes, honed by thirty years of Taoist cultivation.
The atmosphere inside the room grew increasingly tense.
Rong Shan was terrified by Gong Qing's words, his face turning deathly pale. He had followed the Old Celestial Master in his cultivation since childhood, revering him as a deity, and had never imagined that his master would be in such a difficult situation. His hands trembled slightly, his eyes filled with panic and worry, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do.
"Uncle-Master..." Rong Shan turned to look at Tian Jinzhong, his voice trembling with a sob, "My master..."
Tian Jinzhong sat in his wheelchair, his face darkening. He remained silent for a moment, a flicker of struggle crossing his cloudy eyes. He knew that his disability prevented him from offering any help. But the Old Celestial Master was his senior brother, a pillar of Longhu Mountain, and he couldn't just stand by and watch him fall into danger.
"Rongshan," Tian Jinzhong said slowly, his voice lower than usual, "The front mountain is in danger. You can't stay here. Go to the front mountain immediately to meet your master. Remember, your master's safety is the most important thing. Don't worry about me."
"But Uncle-Master, what about you here..." Rong Shan hesitated. If he left, who would protect Tian Jinzhong?
"I'm in a remote spot, nothing will happen here." Tian Jinzhong waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Hurry up! If you wait any longer, it'll be too late!"
Gong Qing, standing nearby, chimed in at the opportune moment, "Master Rongshan, Grandmaster is right! Master needs you more! With Junior Brother Qing and I here to guard this place, nothing will happen!"
The junior brother Xiao Qing he mentioned was another young Taoist priest who was guarding Tian Jinzhong's side. That young Taoist priest was even younger, only thirteen or fourteen years old, and was currently huddled in a corner of the room, trembling with fear, unable to utter a word.
Looking into Tian Jinzhong's determined eyes, and recalling the image of his master in the midst of a fierce battle, Rong Shan finally gritted his teeth and nodded heavily: "Alright! Uncle-Master, please take care! This disciple will go to the front mountain now!"
He turned and strode towards the door. As he reached the doorway, he glanced back at Tian Jinzhong, his eyes filled with worry: "Uncle Tian, please be careful!"
"Go."
Without further hesitation, Rong Shan turned and rushed out of the courtyard, speeding towards the front of the mountain.
The footsteps in the courtyard gradually faded away.
The room fell silent instantly.
Only Tian Jinzhong's soft breathing and Gong Qing's deliberately slowed panting remained.
The young Taoist priest, Xiao Qing, who was huddled in the corner of the room, was still trembling with fear, his head down, not daring to look at anyone.
Gong Qing slowly stood up from the ground, brushing the dust off his clothes. The fear and anxiety on his face receded like the tide, replaced by a calmness and ruthlessness that was incongruous with his age. He turned his head to look at Tian Jinzhong, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Tian Jinzhong's brows furrowed slowly. He looked at the young man before him, a hint of doubt flashing in his cloudy eyes: "You…"
"Master Tian," Gong Qing spoke, his voice still clear and crisp, yet carrying a chilling undertone, "How have you been?"
Tian Jinzhong's body trembled violently. His gaze towards Gong Qing shifted from confusion to shock, then to disbelief: "You...you're not Xiaoyuzi? Who are you?"
"Little Yu Zi?" Gong Qing chuckled, as if he had heard an amusing joke. "That's just an identity I use to cover my tracks."
He walked slowly to Tian Jinzhong's wheelchair, looking down at him with a mocking and greedy gaze: "Grand Tutor Tian, I know you were a survivor of the Jia Shen Rebellion. I also know that you have what I want hidden in your mind."
Tian Jinzhong's face turned deathly pale instantly. He shrank back abruptly, his eyes filled with terror: "You...you're a member of the Quanxing?"
"Quanxing?" Gong Qing laughed, his laughter growing increasingly sinister. "That's right. I am Gong Qing, the acting leader of Quanxing. Greetings, Elder Tian."
As he spoke, he bowed slightly to Tian Jinzhong.
"Gong Qing!" Tian Jinzhong's voice trembled slightly, "You...you infiltrated Longhu Mountain just to..."
"To force you to reveal what Zhang Huaiyi said when he betrayed Longhu Mountain back then," Gong Qing interrupted him, his eyes gleaming with greed. "And the secrets of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, the truth behind the Jia Shen Rebellion... Elder Tian, you know too much. Today, you must tell me all these secrets!"
"?" Gong Qing's eyes turned cold, and he suddenly swung his right hand.
A black thread shot out like a venomous snake, precisely wrapping around Xiao Qing's ankle as he attacked. Gong Qing gave it a light tug, and Xiao Qing screamed in pain, falling heavily to the ground and losing consciousness.
Gong Qing clapped his hands, as if he had done something insignificant. He turned to look at Tian Jinzhong again, his eyes filled with a chilling light that could freeze anyone's heart: "Old Tian, you're a smart man. I don't want to be violent with you. As long as you obediently tell me the secret I want to know, I can give you a quick death."
Tian Jinzhong stared at him, his eyes filled with anger and despair. He knew that he was likely doomed today. But he also knew that the secret from back then concerned the honor and disgrace of Longhu Mountain, and the safety of the entire world of supernatural beings—he absolutely could not reveal it!
"Dream on!" Tian Jinzhong gritted his teeth, saying each word clearly, "Even if I die, I won't tell you any secrets!"
"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences." Gong Qing's face darkened, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. "Since that's how it is, then don't blame me for being impolite!"
He raised his hand and clapped his hands.
A dark figure darted out from the bamboo grove outside the house and landed at the doorway.
Zhang Yulei's gaze fell on the thin man in black.
His gaze suddenly turned sharp.
It's him!
That brat from the Lü family!
That Lu family descendant who knows the Minghun Technique, also known as the Dual-Hand Technique!
Gong Qing intends to use his two extraordinary skills to forcibly erase the memories from Tian Jinzhong's mind!
A volcanic eruption of rage surged within Zhang Yulei's chest. He could picture what would happen next—the Lu family brat would use his dual-wielding technique to invade Tian Jinzhong's consciousness, tearing apart his memories bit by bit, forcing him to reveal the secrets of the past. And Tian Jinzhong, in endless agony, would have all his memories drained, ultimately dying a gruesome death!
What a cruel method this is!
These two bastards actually dared to treat his second senior brother like that!
Zhang Yulei's internal energy instantly spiraled out of control. Wood chips from the roof beams were shaken down by the invisible force. The veins on his sword-wielding hand bulged, and lightning flickered faintly on the scabbard.
The time he'd been waiting for had arrived!
Gong Qing seemed to sense something, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked up at the roof beam: "Who?!"
The young man from the Lü family also raised his head warily, his hands forming a hand seal, and the evil aura around him grew even stronger.
Tian Jinzhong also raised his head, a hint of doubt flashing in his cloudy eyes.
Zhang Yulei slowly stood up.
His figure slowly descended from the roof beam.
His coarse Taoist robe fluttered in the mountain wind, and his gray hair danced in the breeze. The lightning on the scabbard of the black sword in his hand grew brighter and brighter, illuminating his crimson eyes.
Decades of forbearance and quiet cultivation have, at this moment, transformed into overwhelming killing intent.
He looked at Gong Qing and the young man from the Lü family inside the room, his eyes cold and devoid of any warmth.
"The scum of Quanxing..."
Zhang Yulei's voice was hoarse and deep, as if it came from the deepest hell, echoing throughout the entire wooden house.
"Today, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!"
The moment he finished speaking, the sword in his hand was suddenly drawn!
A golden bolt of lightning, like a giant dragon, burst through the roof and shot straight into the sky!
The sword's cry, like a dragon's roar, resounded throughout the entire back mountain of Longhu Mountain!