Chapter 45: Determining the Plan
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"Calm down. Calm down."
"There's no need to rush to a decision. Think again. Think some more." Qin Yun tried convincing himself.
He had to consider the matter carefully because he could not accept the outcome of failure.
…
That night, he sat in the restaurant till it closed before returning alone. That night, he continued cultivating his Intrinsic Flying Sword.
One day. Two days.
The summer's sun rose very early. Early in the scorching morning, Qin Yun left home and headed for County Governor Manor.
"Young Master Qin?" The guards at the entrance to County Governor Manor turned receptive the moment they saw him. All of them knew that Young Master Qin was now a distinguished favorite of the county governor.
Qin Yun did not need to wait outside before he was led in.
Soon.
He came outside Yi Xiao's yard. The guard behind shouted, "Miss Yi, Young Master Qin wishes to seek an audience."
"Young Master Qin, I'll take my leave." The guard said. There were a total of six hundred guards in County Governor Manor, with more than half of them having gone to Green Tooth Mountain. They naturally knew that White Tiger had its claw cleaved off by Young Master Qin.
"Thanks." Qin Yun said with a smile.
For Young Master Qin to be so courteous and actually thank him, the guard felt immensely proud of himself. He took his leave with a big grin.
Qin Yun stood outside the yard and soon after, the door opened with a creak.
Yi Xiao smiled when she looked out. "It's only the second day and here you are? Come in and have a seat."
Qin Yun nodded and entered.
The two sat down.
"Brother Qin, I was somewhat agitated when I went to your place. Please don't mind me," said Yi Xiao. "Indeed, I am taking a risk trying to kill Water God but I cannot force others to take the risk with me. Furthermore, you have to consider your family."
Yi Xiao believed that she understood what was holding Qin Yun back.
Qin Yun likely had many considerations. If the assassination on Water God failed, it would result in his revenge.
"Miss Yi." Qin Yun said, "I'm rather impressed by you. As a foreigner, you are willing to risk your life to save the millions of citizens of Grand Dominance County."
A sect mission might come with a reward but Kunlun Prefecture's Yi family members would not risk their lives for a bit of reward. Qin Yun could tell that Yi Xiao truly could not tolerate the circumstances Grand Dominance County was facing. She had come solely because of this.
It left him impressed.
As for Yi Xiao… It was also very normal for her not to understand how the ways of the world and people worked. Young cultivators would typically enter the mountains for cultivation as children. They experienced little of the secular world.
"If Water God can be killed, saving countless citizens of Grand Dominance County and allowing a large number of children to return to their parents' side, I'd be willing to die to see it happen." Yi Xiao looked at Qin Yun. "Let's not talk about that. Brother Qin, having come to me, have you thought it through?"
"I wish to ask about the possibility of Water God breaking through to the Connate True Core realm within a year." Qin Yun answered with a question.
"This…"
Yi Xiao hesitated for a moment. "I do not know. According to Divine Firmament Chapter's intelligence, the sect's elders have determined that he can break through at any time! The breakthrough will definitely happen within three years."
Qin Yun sighed gently.
Breakthrough at any time? It would definitely happen within three years?
Qin Yun nodded. "Alright, I'll go with you."
"You are agreeable to it?" Yi Xiao was delighted as she immediately said, "Brother Qin, if it fails, your Qin family might incur the vengeful wrath of Water God. It is not necessary for you to go with me. I'll think of ways to invite other cultivators."
"My desire to kill Water God is a lot greater than yours." Qin Yun said with a chuckle. "Miss Yi, you must have read about how Water God wreaks havoc from books, right? As for me, I lived in the villages before the age of eight."
Yi Xiao was taken aback.
Lived in the villages?
"I've seen with my own eyes, children my age drawing the lots to be given to Water God as tribute. Their parents end up letting out heart-wrenching cries." Qin Yun whispered, "I have seen villagers out in the fields being kidnapped by demons, never to return."
"My younger sister had been eaten by Water God when I was six." Qin Yun looked at Yi Xiao.
Yi Xiao's expression changed.
"Do you know why I practice the way of the sword?" Qin Yun said, "It's for the sake of killing Water God."
"Then, why didn't you previously agree…" Yi Xiao could sense a horrifying killing intent contained within Qin Yun's calm voice.
"Water God is too cunning. By combining forces with you, and using the techniques the Divine Firmament Chapter has prepared, we will be able to severely injure him even if we fail to kill him. However, if it fails this time, he will definitely not give me another chance when I try to take action again." Qin Yun said, "Your sixty to seventy percent chance was just too low. I wanted a hundred percent."
That's right.
As long I have a year's time.
As long as Water God was still in the Connate False Core realm, or even if he were at the peak of the Connate False Core realm. Once his Intrinsic Flying Sword was mastered, having Heaven Man Unity's sword kinesis together with his Misty Rain Sword Intent, he would definitely be able to kill Water God that was a little distance away from the rivers.
However, the premise was that Water God would not make a breakthrough!
It had been more than two centuries… He had not made a breakthrough but now, he was?
Truly, fate was making fools out of people!
Yi Xiao looked at Qin Yun. "A hundred percent? How is that possible? How can a Postnatal cultivator have a hundred percent certainty of killing Water God? If that's possible, the imperial government, Daoist and Buddhist sects would not be helpless against Water God for more than two centuries. The sixty to seventy percent chance I mentioned happens only if the plan proposed by the sect was carried out to perfection.
"Yes, a hundred percent is very difficult." Qin Yun did not argue. "I was hoping of making sufficient preparations first. However, now that I know that Water God can break through at any moment, all my preparations would be for naught if it happens. It is why I'm agreeing to take action together with you."
Yi Xiao looked at Qin Yun and felt a little ashamed.
She felt so because she had mistaken him.
"Alright." Yi Xiao smiled and said, "Then, let's join forces and rid this great demon known as Water God!"
"Rid him!" Qin Yun nodded as well, his eyes containing a sharp glimmer.
"However, before we take action," said Qin Yun. "We need to make sufficient preparations. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy will we have the greatest chance of killing him. These are all the information I have gathered regarding Water God."
With that said, Qin Yun took out a handwritten book.
"I have one here too." Yi Xiao took out a satchet and reached her hand into it. Suddenly, she pulled out a thick book that was much bigger than the satchet.
"Cosmic Bag." Qin Yun was secretly astonished.
Cosmic Bags were very rare. Connate False Core realm experts like Commander Fang and White Tiger did not even have one. Including the last time he saw one, this was the second time he was seeing a Cosmic Bag.
The duo began comparing the information they had each gathered.
"As expected of the Divine Firmament Chapter. This intelligence is very well sourced. So Water God is a disciple of the Cloudfiend Mountain?" Qin Yun was alarmed. Legends spoke of Cloudfiend Mountain, a fiendish mountain that floated above the clouds. The status it held in the hearts of all demons under the sky was equivalent to the Daoist sacred lands in the hearts of cultivators.
Such an ancient faction was fully capable of clashing head-on with the imperial government.
"His master is a Connate Golden Core demon. He also has many fellow disciples…" Qin Yun read the report's descriptions and could not help but exclaim in awe. The demonfiend factions in the world finally revealed a tip of its iceberg through that report.
…
"This is my original plan. Take a look." Yi Xiao handed Qin Yun a few pieces of paper.
Qin Yun took a look at it.
It wasn't fake at all!
According to Divine Firmament Chapter's plan, there was indeed a sixty to seventy percent chance of success.
"When my Intrinsic Flying Sword is mastered, my strength would increase immensely." Qin Yun thought to himself. "Although I would not reach the state of Heaven Man Unity to master sword kinesis, my strength should be a lot stronger than Yi Xiao's Uncle-Master."
"By teaming up with Yi Xiao, there should be an eighty to ninety percent chance of success." Qin Yun nodded silently.
Sitting beside him, Yi Xiao immediately asked, "How is it? Can you do what my Uncle-Master can do?"
"Of course. However, I think it needs some further refinement." Qin Yun suggested.
"Tell me." Yi Xiao listened carefully.
…
The duo researched the intelligence and discussed their strategy, with the sole goal of ridding Water God that had wreaked havoc in Grand Dominance County for more than two hundred years.
Now, be it the millions of citizens out in the world or County Governor Manor's county governor himself, they did not know that a huge battle that determined the lives of millions of Grand Dominance County citizens was about to begin.