Wayfarer

Chapter 792: Kill Them All

The entire delegation from Dahan on the nearby island was swiftly subdued.

"Your Majesty, something's not right. These people are all very weak," Ye Dafu called out from afar.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He had learned that the Immortal Emperor of Dahan himself had come to propose to Lady Yaoguang. It was odd enough that the emperor wasn't present with his delegation, and odder still that the entire delegation was weak.

Ye Dafu and his men continued interrogating the members of the delegation, all of whom claimed ignorance. Xiao Nanfeng was certain that there was a conspiracy at play.

"Qu Jianfeng, where is Lady Yaoguang?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"I don't know myself," Qu Jianfeng replied, genuinely shocked.

"You were the one who sent her out of Cursebane Island. How can you not know?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"I..." Qu Jianfeng stammered, unable to explain himself.

The female Golden Immortal from earlier glared at him coldly. "Qu'er, Yaoguang's your niece. How could you have plotted against her?"

Qu Jianfeng's face flushed with shame. "I didn't mean to. Yaoguang didn't want to marry the Immortal Emperor of Dahan, but some of the elders suggested letting them talk and sort it out between themselves. I thought it wouldn't be a problem so I agreed..."

"You secretly brought the Immortal Emperor of Dahan onto Cursebane Island to meet Lady Yaoguang?" The female Golden Immortal's eyes flared in anger.

"Those elders persuaded me to do it. I..." Qu Jianfeng glanced down in shame.

"Which elders?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Them." Qu Jianfeng pointed at a few elders in the distance, all of whom were soaking wet. Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates had thrown them into the sea. They looked utterly wretched. When they saw Qu Jianfeng pointing at them, their faces turned pale as they tried to flee.

"Seize them!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the black-robed men chorused. They closed in on the elders.

"Help us, Grand Elder! This is the Shangqing holy land. Outsiders can't make a fuss here!"

"Save us, Grand Elder!"

With a series of loud thuds, the black-robed men punched the elders in the stomach, causing them to contort in pain. They were so badly hurt that they couldn't even scream. They were quickly dragged before Xiao Nanfeng.

The female Golden Immortal looked at them coldly. "How dare you conspire with outsiders to harm a holy maiden of Shangqing? And you even had the nerve to call out for help! Aren't you ashamed?"

The elders' faces turned red, either from pain or shame.

"Now, explain how Lady Yaoguang was taken away," Xiao Nanfeng demanded coldly.

"The elders suggested that Lady Yaoguang and the Immortal Emperor of Dahan be allowed some time to talk alone. I agreed. They spoke briefly in her courtyard while we waited outside. Not long afterwards, the Immortal Emperor presented himself to us, ready to leave. I thought that their discussion hadn't gone well, so we politely escorted him from the island. When I returned, I discovered that Lady Yaoguang was gone too," Qu Jianfeng confessed.

"So the Immortal Emperor of Dahan abducted Lady Yaoguang, with your cooperation no less?" Xiao Nanfeng asked coldly.

"I... Afterwards, I attempted to seek out the Immortal Emperor of Dahan on the delegation's island, but he was nowhere to be seen. He had left a message behind saying that he wanted to speak with Yaoguang privately, promising to marry her. The elders advised me to drop the matter at that, so I returned. Not long thereafter, you arrived."

Xiao Nanfeng slapped Qu Jianfeng across the face.

Blood and teeth flew from Qu Jianfeng's mouth. He was stunned by the blow.

"If you weren't Lady Yaoguang's uncle, I would already have killed you."

Qu Jianfeng was about to resist, but he was cowed by Xiao Nanfeng's murderous gaze.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to the elders. "Where's Yaoguang? Speak!"

"We don't know!" the elders cried out.

"Destroy his body and seize his soul," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

One of his black-robed subordinates instantly struck the elder's head with such force that his body was obliterated. He caught the elder's soul in his hand.

"Xiao Nanfeng, how dare you!"

"Insolence! This is the Shangqing holy land!"

"Xiao Nanfeng, you dare kill a Shangqing elder?!"

Furious shouts came from the onlookers.

The female Golden Immortal was appalled by the elders' betrayal, but she was outraged herself. Even if punishment was warranted, shouldn't it come from within the Shangqing holy land itself? How could an outsider get involved to this extent?

"Xiao Nanfeng, aren't you going too far? Let me remind you that we're in the Shangqing holy land," the female Golden Immortal said coldly.

With a rush of overwhelming energy, one of Xiao Nanfeng's black-robed subordinates released his aura. Everyone present was forced back from the pressure. Even the female Golden Immortal felt her breath catch in her throat.

Xiao Nanfeng addressed her coldly. "I shall interrogate these criminals. Do not interfere. If anything happens to Lady Yaoguang, I will not spare anyone involved. Don't try to pressure me with the authority of the Shangqing holy land. I've already destroyed two divine empires, and I'm not afraid to take on this holy land, either."

"You!" the female Golden Immortal cried out in rage.

Xiao Nanfeng's gaze swept over the other Shangqing disciples and elders heading toward the island from nearby, but no one dared to speak.

Their intimidating presence had frozen all other cultivators in place.

"Lady Yaoguang is missing, her whereabouts unknown. Anyone who stands in my way, I will consider an enemy."

His threat echoed as if it came from the underworld itself.

He turned to the elder whose body had just been destroyed. "You're nothing but a soul now. Will you reveal what you know?"

"I truly don't know anything! The Immortal Emperor of Dahan gave me some treasure that I've coveted for ages. That's why I helped him. I don't know where he took her!"

"You betrayed the holy maiden for a mere artifact? You're unforgivable!" the female Golden Immortal shouted.

Xiao Nanfeng caused the elder's soul to dissipate with a punch.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you—"

Though the elder had committed a grave crime, it wasn't appropriate for an outsider to execute him.

Xiao Nanfeng ignored her and looked toward the remaining elders. "Anyone who knows where Lady Yaoguang is can live. Otherwise, you'll all die."

The elders went pale. They didn't know where Lady Yaoguang was at all.

"Please spare us, Eastern Aspect Xiao! We were blinded by greed. I'll return whatever I received from the Immortal Emperor!"

"I'll give back everything I received as well—and forfeit all the treasures I possess!"

"I don't want to die! I'll return all the treasures I accepted. Please spare my life!"

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes were filled with killing intent. He glanced at the growing crowd of Shangqing disciples in the vicinity. "Whoever can tell me where Lady Yaoguang is will receive three Golden Immortal treasures as a reward."

However, no one knew where Lady Yaoguang was. Silence reigned.

The female Golden Immortal spoke up. "Eastern Aspect Xiao, please allow us to deal with these traitors. The Shangqing holy land will punish them gravely for this."

"No need. All those who conspired against Lady Yaoguang shall perish," Xiao Nanfeng replied coldly. "Kill them!"

"Understood!" Xiao Nanfeng's black-robed subordinates replied.

"No!" the elders and quite a few Shangqing disciples screamed.

With another loud explosion, the remaining elders were all obliterated. Their bodies were destroyed and their souls extinguished.

Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines, none more so than Qu Jianfeng. He trembled all over, his mind in turmoil.

He had been involved in Yaoguang's abduction himself. Would Xiao Nanfeng kill him too?

"Xiao Nanfeng, do you think the Shangqing holy land defenseless?!" a Golden Immortal shouted from afar.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to that Golden Immortal and pinned him down with an icy look. "I came to Shangqing today to find Lady Yaoguang. I don't have time to waste with you. Settle whatever score you have with me thereafter. Send me a formal challenge if you want. I'll return to Shangqing and face you then."

"You!" The Golden Immortal's eyes flared with rage.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't waste more time on him. He turned toward the distance. "Ye Dafu, has anyone from the delegation confessed yet?"

"No, Your Majesty! They're being incredibly stubborn. They refuse to say anything!"

"Don't bother questioning them. Kill them all," Xiao Nanfeng ordered.

"Understood!" Ye Dafu shouted.

With another resounding explosion, the delegation was wiped out entirely.

At that moment, the Shangqing disciples realized a crucial truth: Xiao Nanfeng clearly cared for Lady Yaoguang, and would kill whoever dared stand in his way.

All of Xiao Nanfeng's black-robed subordinates flew back to him.

"What do we do now, Your Majesty?" Ye Dafu asked, worried.

"Head to Dahan's capital. We'll attack the capital until the Immortal Emperor of Dahan shows himself. We'll wipe out the empire if need be."

"Understood!" Xiao Nanfeng's black-robed subordinates replied.

Xiao Nanfeng and his subordinates shot into the sky and disappeared over the horizon.

Qu Jianfeng was left lying on the ground, dazed. He and many of the Shangqing disciples were utterly bewildered.

"Xiao Nanfeng's going to destroy Dahan?"

"How can that be? He can't take on a divine empire by himself!"

"Xiao Nanfeng's already taken down two divine empires. What's one more?"

A wave of shock rippled through the Shangqing disciples. Though Xiao Nanfeng had embarrassed them, all he had done was in an attempt to save their holy maiden. Many of the disciples didn't hold his actions against him; some of the female ones even watched him leave in admiration, their cheeks flushed with excitement.

Qu Jianfeng shook his head, his mind still abuzz in confusion. The only reason he had survived was because he was Lady Yaoguang's uncle—otherwise, he would already have been killed. Xiao Nanfeng, whom he had once looked down on, had returned with overwhelming strength.

He had once said that Yaoguang had been blind to fall for Xiao Nanfeng, but it was now clear that he was the one who had failed to identify Xiao Nanfeng's incredible potential.