A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

The moment You Ming finished speaking, Li Guanqi’s heart tightened. He hadn’t expected the leader of the Sha organization to be so powerful. Everyone who knew how strong You Ming really was.

The void trembled. Gu Changsheng raised a hand and opened the domain’s entrance. Two figures stormed into the hall, both clearly furious.

They were Xiang Huaizhu, wreathed in blazing crimson flames, and Nangong Xuandu, the Qingshan Swordsman, with a wine gourd at his hip and a sword on his back.

They had both learned what had happened at the Gu clan, and their faces were grim. This time, the fallout was severe.

Xiang Huaizhi glared at You Ming. “Useless! How could you let so many of them escape?”

You Ming sat up straighter, looking uncomfortable. “You can’t blame me for—”

Nangong Xuandu gave him a cold look and cut him off. “It seems we’ll have to remove you from the Eight Generals. You’ve botched several missions in a row.”

You Ming’s lips twitched. He could see they were both furious, and he knew it was best not to provoke them at that moment. He looked away timidly and lowered his head to drink some tea.

He had barely lifted the cup when Nangong Xuandu passed him and shattered it with a single glance. Every drop of spirit tea burst into flames as it spilled. Xiang Huaizhi’s fire consumed it before it could touch the ground.

“And you’ve still got the nerve to drink tea,” Xiang Huaizhi snapped.

You Ming’s mouth hung open, but he dared not utter a word. With both men standing over him, he squirmed meekly in his chair, looking thoroughly miserable.

Gu Lie had also been invited into the great hall. Watching those two suppress You Ming with their auras alone left him shaken.

Everyone present knew exactly how powerful the Blood Sovereign was. Yet, the two newcomers had him struggling to breathe without lifting a finger.

Having already grasped most of the situation, a few questions were all that remained. Xiang Huaizhi narrowed his eyes, slipped his hands into his sleeves, and turned to face You Ming. “Why did you suddenly show up here?”

You Ming stiffened, then looked at Xiang Huaizhi with a thin smile. “Huaizhi, what exactly are you getting at?”

Xiang Huaizhi’s lips curved faintly. He said nothing, merely watching You Ming. The air shimmered due to Xiang Huaizhi’s flames.

You Ming scoffed. “Would you believe me if I said Yu Shan sent me word?”

Xiang Huaizhi frowned. You Ming might be telling the truth, but he could just as easily be lying. Yu Shan was the most mysterious of the Eight Generals. Not even Xiang Huaizhi knew anything about Yu Shan’s whereabouts or true identity.

Nangong Xuandu also frowned at the name. None of them could find Yu Shan, so there was no way to verify You Ming’s claim.

However, You Ming had indeed arrived at the Gu clan at the perfect time, preventing the Lu clan from abducting Ye Feng and the others. He also killed Yu Chang’an, the ancestor of the Yu clan, and fought the leader of the Sha organization.

You Ming’s expression gradually darkened. His earlier restraint and timidity vanished, and he reached for another cup of tea.

A burst of flame shot toward him, only to be blocked by layers of array runes.

Clink! Bang! Bang!

Xiang Huaizhi snorted. A torrent of flame surged upward, seemingly to devour You Ming whole.

Everyone held their breath. Xiang Huaizhi and You Ming seemed ready to come to blows at the slightest provocation, and no one in the hall could stop them. Gu Changsheng tried to intervene, but the crushing pressure choked off his words.

You Ming lifted his cup anyway. With his deep-set eyes fixed on Xiang Huaizhi, he drank the spirit tea right in front of him.

Bang!

You Ming crushed the cup in his hand. He was surrounded by crimson flames on all sides. The fire burned through the void, opening a patch of absolute darkness in the middle of the hall. The lingering flames kept the space from closing.

Cold sweat beaded on Gu Changsheng’s brow. He had no idea how to defuse the situation.

Gu Li swallowed hard. “Those two seniors aren’t really going to fight inside our home, are they?”

Li Guanqi glanced over. He wasn’t in the mood to comment.

You Ming tilted his head and stared at Xiang Huaizhi. “If you already have someone to take my seat among the Eight Generals, I can step down. I’m sick of being suspected over and over. This time, it’s you. Last time, when the Abyssal Demons went berserk, Chan Kongzi sent me a message asking what I was doing. I suspect you all thought I was involved with the Sha organization.”

Xiang Huaizhi narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Nangong Xuandu’s hand drifted to the hilt of the sword on his back as he stared at You Ming.

You Ming laughed derisively and went on without waiting for an answer. “If I recall correctly, Hong Zhi fought the leader of the Sha organization that day. Meanwhile, Chan Kongzi was asking about my whereabouts. He clearly suspected me.”

A heavy silence settled over the hall.

You Ming stood and looked from Xiang Huaizhi to Nangong Xuandu. Then, without a warning, he bared his teeth in a wide grin.

“You two don’t actually think I’m afraid of you, do you?”

Nangong Xuandu slowly rose and drew the sword from his back, a smirk playing across his lips. “We can put that to the test.”

You Ming threw back his head and laughed. Clutching his chest in exaggerated terror, he shot Nangong Xuandu a sidelong glance. “Oh, I’m so scared! The Qingshan Sword Immortal, Mister Nangong! Hahahaha!”

You Ming raised his hand and traced a strange array in the air. His voice turned cold. “I know why you suspect me. It’s because I’m the one who drew the Abyssal Demons’ seal in the Dungeon Abyss. The runes on the device that broke the seal are something I could have drawn too.”

Xiang Huaizhi and Nangong Xuandu both shot to their feet. The atmosphere in the hall turned razor-sharp.

“You think you’re the only clever ones and everyone else is a fool?” You Ming smiled lazily. “If there was any real proof that I was behind this, do you think I’d still be alive?”

Nangong Xuandu mulled it over for a long moment. He drew a deep breath and placed a hand on Xiang Huaizhi’s shoulder. “That’s enough. We’ll stop here. Once we’re back, our boss will look into it.”

Xiang Huaizhi reined in his Crimson Sun flames. “You Ming, you’d better be clean.”

You Ming pulled down one eyelid and stuck out his tongue. “I don’t care if I get beaten. I’m used to it. But you two... this will probably be your first time, won’t it? Hahaha! Better brace yourselves. Long Hou’s whip hurts.”

You Ming was delighted. While he would probably take a beating, at least the two of them would be taking one too. Xiang Huaizhi started to rise, but Nangong Xuandu pressed him back into his seat.

Meng Jiangchu said solemnly, “What we know for certain is that the Lu clan and the Zhu clan, two ancient clans, have allied themselves with the Sha organization.

“I can understand the Lu clan to some extent, but I can’t figure out why the Zhu clan would get involved with them. They also abducted twenty-eight alchemists from the Gu clan. What do they want with them?”

Li Guanqi spoke from his seat. “And Tang Ru. They took him too.”