Firmament Sword

”I get it. Don’t worry, Bro. I covered my tracks perfectly. This kind of thing leaves no solid evidence anyway. No matter who it is, they won’t get a shred of proof from me!” Jin Xian said, leaning wearily against the railing. ”After tonight, I’ll forget this whole thing ever happened!”

”Good. In the future... don’t do this kind of thing again. It’s really... unnecessary,” Jin Ming sighed, but thought to himself, ’Unless... you’re absolutely sure you can kill in one strike!’

But he wouldn’t say those words out loud. Otherwise, Jin Xian... might once again get the wrong idea.

It was because Jin Ming had previously told his younger brother he considered Luo Tian a major threat, and as a result... Jin Xian went and created this huge mess.

He actually hired Wind to assassinate Luo Tian...

If they hadn’t been unable to find evidence, and if some elders and he hadn’t mediated, this affair would have likely spiraled out of control.

But looking at it now... it wasn’t so bad!

Although that Luo Tian didn’t die, he was severely injured. At the very least... he could forget about participating in this year’s annual competition!

That’s how it is in a Supreme Great Sect. There are countless geniuses, and just as many who fall.

Failing to reach the top this time meant he wouldn’t be able to build immense popularity. Before long, his current fame... would also gradually dissipate.

Even if the Medicine Garden went easy on him and let him into the top thirty-two, trying to take another step forward from there... with his current injuries, it was absolutely impossible!

A cold sneer crept across Jin Ming’s lips as he thought, ’When the time comes, even if you are also chosen for the Peak of Jiuzhou, I’ll have plenty of opportunities... to make you vanish from this world without a trace!’

Jin Ming sneered inwardly. ’Someone with no backing dares to compete with me in a Supreme Great Sect like Celestial Brilliance? Are you even worthy?’

By now, the entire Defense Grand Array was mostly set up, with only a few details remaining. After tonight, the Defense Array would be complete.

At that point, even a fly trying to get in would be instantly obliterated!

Jin Xian had quite a few capable people under him. Many of them were household slaves the two brothers had brought from their family!

These so-called household slaves had lived in their family for generations. Their roots were there. Facing a young master like Jin Xian, they didn’t have the guts to disobey.

The one Jin Xian had previously killed to silence was not a Jin Family household slave. This was where Jin Xian was clever. He didn’t use his own household slaves for such tasks. If something went wrong, he could deny all involvement.

After all, trusted aides being bought off by outsiders was a common occurrence, even in Celestial Brilliance. It was hardly news.

These household slaves had received good training and education since childhood. There was no shortage of very capable people among them. For them, setting up an Array was not much of a challenge.

However, Jin Xian’s attitude toward them left these household slaves feeling disheartened, though they were helpless to do anything about it.

Such was the fate of a household slave. To escape it, you’d have to completely disregard your own kin and be powerful enough that the family wouldn’t dare retaliate against you.

From ancient times to the present, the great families have never lacked household slaves who dared to rebel. But those who survived and lived peacefully after rebelling were few and far between. And those who lived *well*... were almost non-existent.

How could a great and powerful family be so easily defied and overthrown?

Therefore, even though Jin Xian’s attitude was abominable, for these household slaves, the worst it did was put them in a terrible mood. They didn’t dare harbor any thoughts of resistance.

”Alright, Second Brother, I’m leaving now. Be careful. After tonight, everything will be fine,” Jin Ming said to his brother. ”You should also keep a low profile for a while. Don’t stir up any more trouble. Spend more time on your cultivation. Remember, the only real truth is your own strength!”

”I know, Bro. Don’t worry!” Jin Xian smiled dismissively. In his opinion, his brother’s nervousness was completely unnecessary.

Never mind how secluded his residence was, even if Luo Tian could find this place, he was so badly injured he probably couldn’t even take care of himself... How could he possibly have the strength to come here for revenge? If he dared to come... it would be more like he was coming here to die!

As for anyone else... that was even more impossible.

Although Luo Tian’s popularity in Celestial Brilliance was extremely high, he had no foundation to speak of. Absolutely no one would stick their neck out for him like this.

”He’s just a commoner, nothing to worry about. Why should I be concerned?” Jin Xian glanced coldly into the distance. The night was growing late and a little chilly. He shivered slightly and shouted to the group below, ”Hurry up with your work! I’ll be checking it in the morning!”

With that, he turned and prepared to go back to his room to rest.

Outside, the household slaves and attendants setting up the Array all secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, ’He’s finally going back to his room. We can finally relax a bit!’

Jin Xian, in a relaxed mood, walked back to his room with a cheerful stride.

His room was located in the innermost part of the building, the safest place.

To reach this room, one had to pass through seven or eight rooms occupied by guards. At the slightest disturbance, these guards would rush out immediately.

’See... my brother is just too paranoid, overestimating that lowlife’s abilities,’ Jin Xian mumbled with a look of arrogance. He opened his door, closed it securely, and feeling a bit tired, prepared to head directly to the inner chamber to rest.

Suddenly, Jin Xian sensed an unusual current in the air. His heart... jolted in surprise, and he looked around the room.

The room Jin Xian occupied was a large suite. Just past the entrance was a reception area with a tea table and some chairs.

It was pitch-black, and no lamps were lit in Jin Xian’s room. But for a Cultivator, the darkness didn’t truly affect their vision.

And so, Jin Xian saw a slender young man sitting in the host’s chair at the tea table. The young man was exceedingly handsome and was holding the very Zisha teapot that Jin Xian himself favored, smiling at him.

”You...” Jin Xian’s mouth twitched violently. He subconsciously opened his mouth to shout.

But he saw the young man raise an index finger to his lips, making a ”shushing” gesture at him.

Jin Xian felt a chill shoot from the base of his spine all the way to the back of his head. He couldn’t believe it. This person... had actually appeared in his bedroom without anyone noticing!

”You... Aren’t you supposed to be severely injured? How do you look completely fine?” Unable to contain his curiosity, Jin Xian couldn’t help but ask.

”Aren’t you more curious about how I appeared here?” The person in the chair was, of course, Xu Luo. He had originally planned to come, kill Jin Xian, and leave immediately. However, Xu Luo felt that would be letting this thing that treated human life like worthless weeds off too easily.

”Hehe, for Senior Brother Medicine Garden to visit so late at night, and so suddenly... I must admit, I’m a bit surprised.” A smile suddenly appeared on Jin Xian’s face. In his view, since the other party hadn’t attacked immediately, it meant... this matter was still negotiable.

Moreover, in his opinion, the other party had made a fatal mistake!

’If you’re here for revenge, you should have just acted decisively. Giving me this time... there are just too many things I can do!’

For example, like right now, quietly preparing to activate his Sound Transmission Stone...

”I’d advise you to give up the idea of activating the Sound Transmission Stone. If I were you, I absolutely wouldn’t do that,” Xu Luo said calmly from the darkness.

Jin Xian’s finger, already on the Sound Transmission Stone’s button... froze for a fraction of a second. But then, he abruptly... slammed it down!

He didn’t even care if a voice went through. As long as this call... could ring on the other end’s Sound Transmission Stone, then... he was one hundred percent certain they would rush over immediately!

”No matter how powerful you are, Luo Tian, you can’t kill me in an instant!”

Although Jin Xian was young, he was very experienced in this kind of situation.

As a scion of a great family, the first thing he’d had to learn since childhood wasn’t honor and integrity, nor was it being well-read and reasonable. It was how to save his own life.

No matter how talented you are, you have to be alive... to show that talent.

A dead genius is worthless.

BANG!

A loud pop resounded.

The Sound Transmission Stone in Jin Xian’s hand exploded the instant his finger pressed down.

The powerful impact blasted Jin Xian’s hand into a bloody mess, even revealing the stark white bone beneath.

Jin Xian let out a howl of pain. The intense agony, combined with his deliberate effort, made his roar incredibly loud.

He firmly believed that the guards in the other rooms would rush in to protect him at once.

But the reality... disappointed him once again.

”Just as you could hire assassins to kill me so flawlessly that no one could find any evidence pointing to you, the fact that I can sit here, face to face with you, means I have my own ways and means,” Xu Luo said faintly. ”So... put away all those useless tricks. They won’t work.”

As he spoke, a sarcastic smile appeared on Xu Luo’s face. ”And don’t even think about someone coming in from outside to help you. Have you forgotten? The Defense Array your men are setting up won’t even let a fly in. Anyone who wants to enter needs your permission, you know.”

”What... exactly do you want?” Like a wounded, trapped beast, Jin Xian’s eyes shot out a cold glint as he looked at Xu Luo and asked through gritted teeth.

”That’s a question I should be asking you. As I recall, there was no grievance or grudge between you and me, Jin Xian. That first conflict was started by you.”

In the darkness, Xu Luo’s gaze was ice-cold as he looked at Jin Xian. ”And this time, you wanted me dead. Of all my attendants, only one survived because he wasn’t staying there that day. All the rest died at the hands of the assassins you hired.”

”They were people, too! They had their own dreams and ambitions! They weren’t just a few cold numbers! And they certainly weren’t a mindless horde of walking dead!”

”You snuffed all of that out, and now you have the nerve to ask me what I want?” Xu Luo looked at Jin Xian with a smile that wasn’t a smile. ”You tell me... what do you think I’m going to do?”