Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 421: Chapter 301: Taking You as My Slave

Quefeng’s greatest fear had come to pass. He couldn’t believe Ling Xiao already knew the whole story, but he was certain Ling Xiao knew he hadn’t given his all to help them. After all, Quefeng had only stepped in after sensing Ling Xiao’s aura. And if he could sense Ling Xiao’s aura, Ling Xiao could certainly sense his.

With a look of terror, Quefeng said, "Master... Quefeng has done nothing wrong. Please don’t abandon the Ice Sea Secret Race!"

Ling Xiao gave a scornful laugh. "I never said you wronged me. You helped me by giving me the Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworm King Blood. In turn, I brought you out of the Polar Ice Sea and gave you a place of refuge. So, we’re even. You aren’t my slave, and you’re certainly not my subordinate. You are powerful; you can go anywhere in this world. Any Royal Family would be more than happy to revere you. Why stay here in Penzes City, living in fear?"

Quefeng was about to argue, but Ling Xiao raised his right index finger and wagged it slightly. "Also, I’m not abandoning the Ice Sea Secret Race. Just you... and you alone."

"What... what do you mean?" Quefeng’s deeply lined face crumpled together. He was about to erupt in anger, but he suddenly remembered the fate of the Great God of the Deep Sea Demon Chapter. He also recalled the expert, whose power was no less than his own, that Ling Xiao had made disappear without even lifting a finger! The sight of that giant cauldron sent a chill spreading from the depths of his heart. ’This man... his power is terrifying. I was so, so wrong. I missed the perfect opportunity to get on his good side. If his women tell him what happened earlier, I’ll truly have no place here!’

At this thought, Quefeng’s attitude suddenly softened. He looked at Ling Xiao pleadingly. "Master... You can’t just cast me aside! I am your most loyal servant, I..."

Nearby, Ye Zi took a couple of steps forward as if to speak, but then she stopped. She trusted Ling Xiao. He must have seen how they had been treating Quefeng, and she was certain he would handle the matter perfectly. So, she closed her mouth and swallowed her words.

Ling Xiao’s gaze flickered as he looked at Quefeng. He suddenly smiled faintly and said, "You’re truly willing to be my servant?"

Quefeng’s heart skipped a beat; his instincts screamed that something was wrong. But he knew that if he didn’t agree readily right now, he would have no place left in Penzes City. A massive underground complex had been specially built in Penzes New City as a habitat for the Ice Sea Secret Clan People, with a temperature perfectly suited for them. Furthermore, all the Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworms were being raised there. Quefeng understood that his clansmen viewed Ling Xiao as a god. If Ling Xiao wanted to win them over, it would take no effort at all! So, Quefeng could only brace himself and answer, "Yes. Quefeng is willing to be Master’s most loyal servant!"

"Good!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ling Xiao barked, "Repeat after me: ’By heaven and earth I bear witness, by blood I swear, by my soul as the guide, I willingly dedicate my all to my master, Ling Xiao!’"

Quefeng’s expression changed drastically. He was about to object when, suddenly, the nine hundred and ninety-nine Cold Iron Short Swords appeared, hovering around his body. At the same time, Ling Xiao’s chilling voice echoed, "Recite it, or die!"

Quefeng could tell from Ling Xiao’s voice that he was absolutely serious. Moreover, the killing intent radiating from the Sword Array could only be felt by the person trapped within it.

’Being his servant might not be such a bad thing,’ Quefeng thought. ’It’s too late for regrets now. The choice was made long ago; I’ve already missed my chance to be treated as an equal by Ling Xiao!’

Ling Wu and the others watched this scene from a distance, having completely sealed off both sides of the main street to the Lord’s Mansion. The gawkers had no idea what was happening inside.

Ling Wu said with a gloating expression, "Serves him right! He took the Young Master’s kindness for granted. The idiot deserves this!"

Evidently, Quefeng’s failure to intervene when the two Sword Emperors from the Zhe Family came for revenge had earned him the immense hatred of Ling Xiao’s subordinates. Beside Ling Wu, Zhang Danian, Ah Ku, and the others who had followed Ling Xiao to the Polar Ice Sea couldn’t help but shake their heads, feeling not an ounce of sympathy for the terrifyingly pale-skinned Quefeng trapped by the Sword Array.

"I... I will recite it. By heaven... and earth... I bear witness... by blood I swear..." As he recited this part, Quefeng discovered in horror that a gash had appeared on his arm—the one with the Dragon Race bloodline—as if cut by a sharp, invisible blade. Blood gushed out, and his fear of Ling Xiao intensified. He continued, "...by my soul... as the guide... I... I willingly dedicate my all... to... my master, Ling Xiao!" As he finished, a white light rose from the top of Quefeng’s head, turning into a thin wisp of smoke that entered Ling Xiao’s mind.

Quefeng was horrified to find himself suddenly weak. When he looked at Ling Xiao again, his eyes were filled with terror, because he could feel that Ling Xiao’s gaze could now see straight through him, laying bare his every secret.

’It’s over!’ Quefeng’s eyes became dull and lifeless, and he trembled all over. He knew that from this day forward, his life was in this young man’s hands. If he ever had any other ideas, his fate would be worse than anyone else’s.

Every person in the Lord’s Mansion who witnessed this, even Uncle Fu, who had received guidance from Quefeng before, couldn’t help but inwardly cheer. Quefeng’s recent actions had truly hurt everyone. Otherwise, someone would have pleaded for him just now.

Ling Xiao glanced at the ashen-faced Quefeng and said calmly, "I don’t want to make things difficult for you. As long as you... know how to act from now on, everything can go back to how it was."

Quefeng put on an expression of tearful gratitude, but in his heart, he was cursing Ling Xiao’s entire family line. "This old servant knows what to do from now on. This old servant understands."

Ling Xiao shot Quefeng a look that was not quite a smile and said nonchalantly, "Next time you want to curse me, try some new material. Don’t use such clichés..."

With that, he turned and walked into the courtyard. Behind him, Quefeng broke out in a cold sweat, his head bowed as he followed at the very back of the group.

Ling Xiao first walked over to Fengling. Smiling, he looked at her and said, "You’re back?"

"I... I came back to deliver a warning!" Fengling said in a low voice, her cheeks flushing.

Ye Zi walked beside Ling Xiao. She hadn’t wanted to tell him about what happened so soon. After all, he had just returned, and no one wanted to upset him right away. But the truth couldn’t be hidden for long. Tang Ming and Gaia were currently in the Lord’s Mansion recuperating from their injuries, with Anya taking care of them.

"Ling Xiao, Fengling... she came back with Tang Ming and the others," Ye Zi said in a low voice.

Seeing Ye Zi’s hesitation, Ling Xiao first looked startled, then his brow furrowed slightly. "Go on, tell me what happened."

After Ye Zi briefly explained what had happened, Quefeng—who had expected Ling Xiao to fly into a rage—was so scared he had already hidden at the very back of the crowd. This was the first time he’d heard that the weak human who had been killed was his master’s brother! Although the man had been killed far from Penzes City, who knew if an enraged Ling Xiao would pin the blame on him too?

Song Mingyue and Shangguan Yutong both looked at Ling Xiao with concern. Shangguan Yutong said softly, "Ling Xiao... being an Adventurer has always been a dangerous profession. From the very first day, everyone in that line of work is prepared to die. So, don’t be too sad. I’m sure Big Brother Wang Chao... wouldn’t want you to be so upset either!"

Ye Zi also said, "Tang Ming and Gaia are still alive, but their injuries are severe. I’m sure you’ll have a way to help them! Ling Xiao, it was Wu Liang who betrayed them!"

"Wu Liang... the Zhe Family."

Ling Xiao was silent for a long moment. The atmosphere in the courtyard became terrifyingly oppressive. Everyone felt as if a giant boulder was crushing their hearts, and they didn’t dare to even breathe too loudly.

Ling Xiao let out a long breath. Inside his sleeves, his tightly clenched fists relaxed. Both his palms were bright red, his nails having dug so deep into the flesh that they had nearly drawn blood.

Ling Xiao glanced at everyone. "Heh, what’s with all of you? Why the long faces? I’m fine."

Almost everyone who had known Ling Xiao for a while knew that while he might seem indifferent on the surface, he was deeply loyal at heart. Moreover, Wang Chao was the first person Ling Xiao had met back then. Although he hadn’t done Ling Xiao any great favors, he had taught him many things and helped him truly get to know this world. Even though Ling Xiao had left Wang Chao’s Adventurer’s Guild, he had never held it against them. After all, he wasn’t a naive child who thought it was all just a game. An Adventurer’s Guild, just as Shangguan Yutong had said, was a profession where one traded their life for wealth. At the time, his own strength was low, so it was understandable that Wu Liang had objected to him.

’But... Wu Liang!’ Ling Xiao repeated the name in his mind as the man’s somewhat gloomy face appeared in his thoughts. Then he said, "Let’s go. Let’s see Gaia and Tang Ming."

Anya was still the same Anya from two years ago, but Ling Xiao... was no longer the same Ling Xiao.

From the moment Anya had stepped into the Lord’s Mansion and seen the devastatingly beautiful Ye Zi, the gentle and lovely Chunlan and Qiuyue, the poised and noble Song Mingyue, the elegant and virtuous Shangguan Yutong, and the elfin yet stunningly gorgeous Fengling, she knew in her heart that the distance between her and that man had grown ever wider.

So far that all she could do was stand on the ground and gaze up at him.

So, the moment she saw Ling Xiao, despite the thousand emotions swirling in her heart, she simply smiled faintly and said, "Hello."

Ling Xiao nodded. He saw Tang Ming and Gaia lying on two separate beds. Gaia, that mountain of a man, started to cry the moment he saw Ling Xiao, his tears streaming down. He sobbed, "Brother Ling Xiao, the Boss is dead... He’s... he’s left us. We’re useless, too weak to get revenge. You... you have to get revenge for him!"

Across the room, Tang Ming’s pale face flushed red when he saw Ling Xiao. He bit his lip hard and said nothing, but his bloodshot eyes and mournful expression would have made anyone’s heart ache.

"Don’t worry. I will let you kill that... ungrateful bastard with your own hands!"

Thus spoke Ling Xiao.

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