novelraw Chapter 367: Playing with Fire
Chapter 367: Playing with Fire
As soon as they left, only the local Gu Kings of the Flaming Court Empire remained here.
The group of Gu Kings sighed deeply, exchanged glances, and all wore bitter expressions on their faces.
“Well, it seems like the operation to hunt down Duan Tianwu has failed. Let’s all head back to our own homes and lives,” one of the Gu Kings said with a sigh.
“No wonder he was the Heaven-Deceitful Patriarch who once massacred the entire demonic sect. Even after being severely injured by the Divine Thunder of Evil-Bane, he still possesses such terrifying combat power and even managed to escape.”
“If he were in his prime, none of us would stand a chance against him. Even now, as he regains his peak strength as a Gu King, what can we do?” Another Gu King laughed bitterly, showing deep fear.
“Is everyone okay? Are there any injured?”
Seeing that the danger had completely passed, Long Xuan finally stepped forward, ready to fulfill his duty as the team's medic. He was part of this demon-exterminating mission, after all, and couldn’t just stand idly by.
Qin Manyuan looked at him and said, “Duan Tianwu is ruthless. Every move he makes targets vital points without mercy. Anyone injured by him has essentially died.”
“The only one he spared was that old abbot. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the old abbot was injured by his Heart-Questioning Finger.”
“The Heart-Questioning Finger is one of Duan Tianwu’s heaven-defying, unique techniques. Those hit by it won’t die immediately, but it will stir up their inner demons.” “For someone struck by the Heart-Questioning Finger, survival depends on overcoming their inner demons. If they fail, they perish. The injuries caused by it are beyond your ability to heal. He can only rely on himself.”
Qin Manyuan glanced at the old abbot, who was already sitting on the ground.
At this moment, the old abbot’s inner demons had begun to manifest. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he sat cross-legged on the ground, struggling bitterly. His expression revealed profound pain.
Qin Manyuan smirked and said mockingly, “Who would have thought? Truly unexpected. Only those who have committed sins harbor inner demons. I didn’t expect such a revered old abbot to have them.”
“And his inner demons seem significant. What kind of shameful act has he committed? Could it be that he broke his vow of celibacy? Haha, just kidding, just kidding.”
“Since this matter is over and the enforcement team from Gu Emperor City has already left, let’s disperse as well.”
Sighs echoed again among the crowd before the Gu Kings gradually left.
The old abbot, whose inner demons had resurfaced, was hurriedly carried away by a group of monks. Whether he could survive this ordeal was uncertain.
Long Xuan ultimately refrained from using his Heavenly Secret Eye to search for Duan Tianwu’s whereabouts and left quietly as well.
In the end, only Qin Manyuan remained standing there. For some reason, he had sent away all the Qin family Gu Kings but did not leave himself.
“Uncle! It was you who ambushed Enforcer Lei from behind and instantly killed him, wasn’t it? Otherwise, with Enforcer Lei’s combat strength, even if outmatched, he couldn’t have been instantly killed by the heavily injured Duan Tianwu.”
Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from behind Qin Manyuan, causing his body to stiffen.
He slowly turned to face the woman, who bore a striking resemblance to Qin Yuyou, and said helplessly, “Why would you suspect me? Everyone knows that our Qin family has a deep-seated grudge against Duan Tianwu. Why would I kill Lei Wan to save him?”
“Lei Wan was indeed killed by a strike that pierced his heart, but it’s also possible that Duan Tianwu, hiding after fleeing here, ambushed and killed him when Lei Wan arrived.”
“It’s also possible that Duan Tianwu was so fast that he instantly appeared behind him.”
“After all, the weapon that killed Lei Wan was the Sword of Evil-Bane, which is solid evidence of Duan Tianwu’s involvement!” Qin Manyuan said firmly.
The Female Gu King shook her head and said, "Your explanation might deceive everyone else, but it cannot fool me. When the Evil-Bane Sword was in my possession, I was afraid Duan Tianwu might escape our encirclement. To make tracking him easier, I tampered with the sword."
"I can precisely locate the position of the Evil-Bane Sword, and right now, it is with you."
"You killed Lei Wan!" The Female Gu King glared at him intensely, her voice sharp with accusation.
Upon hearing this, Qin Manyuan finally fell silent. Slowly, a bitter smile appeared on his face. No longer maintaining his facade, he sighed in defeat, "I never expected my flawless plan to be uncovered by you. You truly are meticulous to have tampered with the Evil-Bane Sword."
"Why did you save Duan Tianwu? The Qin clan mobilized so many people this time, all to ensure his death!" The Female Gu King questioned again with a displeased expression.
Qin Manyuan shook his head and sighed. "It's true that we have a life-and-death feud with Duan Tianwu. But remember, in this world, there are no eternal enemies—only eternal interests."
"Our mission this time was indeed to kill Duan Tianwu at all costs. However, after hearing the abbot's words in the secret chamber of the Grand Buddha Temple, I changed my mind."
"Duan Tianwu cannot die now. At least, he cannot die within the next year!"
"Why not?" the Female Gu King asked urgently.
Qin Manyuan looked at her solemnly and said seriously, "Because he is a person of the Flaming Court Empire."
"The Alchemy Competition is about to begin, and our Flaming Court Empire has a bet with the Glorious Moon Empire involving half of our national fate."
"Whichever empire's alchemists achieve the highest ranking in the competition will win half of the other's national fate."
"Facing this old rival, our Flaming Court Empire does not have absolute confidence in victory. So, I plan to let Duan Tianwu participate."
"Don’t be fooled by the age restriction of 50 years for the participants. The Demon-Sealing Tower can freeze one's lifespan. According to the abbot, Duan Tianwu's current body is definitely within the age limit."
"This is our chance to cheat!"
Qin Manyuan clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with frenzy as he exclaimed, "With the spiritual energy of the world thinning, very few people can become fourth-grade alchemists before the age of 50."
"But Duan Tianwu is a rare prodigy. He is the only person in ten thousand years to achieve the rank of a fourth-grade alchemist before 50."
"In the last Western Region Alchemy Competition, Duan Tianwu dominated the event as the only fourth-grade alchemist, effortlessly claiming the championship and gaining worldwide fame."
"In this era, apart from him, no one can achieve the rank of a fourth-grade alchemist before 50."
"This year's competition will be filled with third-grade alchemists. If he enters, his fourth-grade alchemy skills will sweep the competition."
"With him, we will undoubtedly win the bet with the
Glorious Moon Empire. Nothing will go wrong." Qin Manyuan’s eyes burned with ambition as a sinister smile appeared on his lips.
Hearing this, the Female Gu King’s face turned pale, and she exclaimed in shock, "You are playing with fire! The one you saved is someone who practiced forbidden Gu arts, and the one you killed is an enforcer of Gu Emperor City. Do you realize how much disaster this could bring upon our clan if this is exposed?"
Qin Manyuan immediately turned to her with a grim expression, his emotions surging as he said, "Do you realize what will happen if Flaming Court Empire loses this bet?"
"Do you know what it means for an empire to lose half of its national fate?"
"An empire losing half its national fate could lead to its downfall. What consequences could be worse than the destruction of a nation?"
"When faced with two harms, choose the lesser one. As long as we successfully keep this under wraps, nothing will happen. If we win half of the Glorious Moon Empire's national fate, countless geniuses will emerge in Flaming Court Empire. Our nation will prosper for at least a thousand years."
Qin Manyuan gazed into the distance, clenching his fists, his face full of ambition…