Lin Mubai did not speak. His lips trembled slightly though no words came out of his mouth. He also had no intention to stop Cang Yue.
On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi frowned.
He had no idea what happened between Ping Yang's mother and Lin Mubai. However, he had gotten one important information. Ping Yang's mother seemed to be Cang Yue's master.
Since she was Cang Yue's master, Cang Yue's attitude to Ping Yang was slightly over the top and unreasonable.
Why would Cang Yue, the disciple, want to kill Ping Yang?
Was it because Ping Yang's birth was a mistake? Or was it the legendary sob story of the unwanted bastard child? Both seemed to make sense, though they were far-fetched as well.
Most importantly, Cang Yue clearly came to fetch Ping Yang back to the place called Ling Yun. She was even here on Yu er's orders.
There were too many loopholes in the current story.
Cang Yue was here to fetch Ping Yang. Ping Yang's mother would definitely know about this. Cang Yue might very likely be acting on her orders. If so, no matter how much Cang Yue hated Ping Yang, she could not kill her. How then, was she doing this so brazenly.
This did not make sense.
However, from Cang Yue's expression and speech, she seemed to be unfazed by the fact that people know she wants to kill Ping Yang. She even agreed that she wanted Ping Yang dead in front of Fang Zhengzhi and everyone else.
However, after agreeing to those statements, she claimed to be the messenger to bring Ping Yang back to meet her mother!
This was clearly incoherent.
If Cang Yue had killed Ping Yang without hesitation previously and silenced her, this would have made sense. However, if she were to bring Ping Yang back alive, wouldn't Ping Yang report to her mother about Cang Yue's brazen acts?
After all, if Ping Yang were to meet her mother, there was no way her actions would go unnoticed.
Was she trying to kill Ping Yang along the way?
That was impossible as well.
There was a perfect chance to kill Ping Yang just now. Ping Yang had jumped right in front of Fang Zhengzhi. If Cang Yue had killed Ping Yang then, she could have declared it as an accident.
What exactly was going on?
This was exactly what Fang Zhengzhi thought. Ping Yang seemed to be thinking of the same thing as well.
"Even if I mean nothing to you, I still have the right to not go with you!" Ping Yang shouted with determination. Her eyes glimmered once again with fervor and seemed even more alluring than before, untainted and clear.
"You can reject me. However, I can also bring your corpse with me," Cang Yue snickered as she stared condescendingly at Ping Yang, as though she was an ant that could be destroyed anytime.
It was truly shocking.
Everyone present, including Yan Qianli, was horrified at Cang Yue's words.
This was because Cang Yue had already revealed her identity.
She was a disciple or a servant of Ping Yang's mother. If that was so, then Ping Yang would still be her young master. How could a servant ever view her young master as an insignificant ant?
Wu Yuer was confused as well. She frowned as she stared at Cang Yue. There had been some instances when the servant was exceptionally rude to the young master.
But there were some conditions attached to it.
One example would be when the master did not actually have a high status in the family. Although this servant may seem to be working for the master on the surface, she was actually serving a higher authority.
However, Cang Yue did not seem like she was from such a family.
She represented Ling Yun.
Others might not know much about Ling Yun, but Wu Yuer was educated. She knew that Ling Yun was a completely different concept from a normal family. Hence, there was no way Cang Yue could have been serving another master.
This was because the servants in Ling Yun were not like the common servants you see in the palace. If Cang Yue had respect for Ping Yang's mother, it could only mean that Cang Yue was a disciple of Ping Yang's mother.
Only a disciple, and more specifically, a blood disciple who had gone through the blood ritual, was allowed to call their teachers as masters, serving alongside them.
In other words, this relationship was self-initiated and completely equal. It was accomplished at the consent of both the disciple and the master. Therefore, there were no grounds and reasons for betrayal.
A disciple that had the utmost respect and unwavering loyalty for her master was now treating the young master with a cold attitude. She had even threatened to kill her off.
This was something incredible no matter how one looked at it.
Fang Zhengzhi clenched his fists. Cang Yue was extremely strong, a lot stronger than what he imagined. She was even stronger than King Xieluo. This opponent was no longer someone he could take on.
However, how could he allow Ping Yang to suffer such humiliation?
"It seems like you want to go for another round?" Cang Yue seemed to have detected Fang Zhengzhi's emotions. She stared at him and said, "If you truly wish to be dead, I do not mind helping you out. Even if Lin Mubai were to mobilize the entire country, I am not afraid!"
"The things I do have no connection to the Great Xia Dynasty!" Fang Zhengzhi shouted as he stared coldly at Cang Yue. The Traceless Sword appeared in his hands once again as the sinister purple light lit up.
"Fang Zhengzhi, no!" Lin Mubai's voice sounded once again. Following which, he pleaded, "Cang Yue, even if you go now acknowledge me, Ping Yang is still your young master, you…"
"Shut Up!" Cang Yue interrupted Lin Mubai as she hissed, "What young master? I have never once believed that I had a young master. If not for your insatiable appetite for power and wealth then, would this have happened?"
"I…" Lin Mubai paled as though he was reminded of a terrifying past. His chest heaved slightly and a mouthful of blood spilled from his lips.
"Your Majesty!" Chen Feihua stared at Lin Mubai with a worried expression as she went forward to support him. Following which, she stared at Cang Yue accusingly while remaining silent.
"Hahaha… Lin Mubai, you have to die. You can only redeem your mistakes with your life. Chen Feihua, why didn't you mention how you brought Ping Yang back from the Lin Yun Tower? The First Concubine of the Great Xia Dynasty, what a joke!" Cang Yue stared coldly at the blood on the ground. IN fact, she seemed elated.
"It is truly my mistake…"
"Hua er, you do not have to explain yourself. I understand that I was selfish. If not for the fact that I had neglected the empire and led it to ruins, you would not have gone to Ling Yun Tower in the first place!" Lin Mubai interrupted Chen Feihua as he waved his hands.
"That's right, you were selfish. Do you really think Chen Feihua would be enough to fetch Ping Yang from Ling Yun Tower? Master was wrong to have believed in such a selfish guy like you. You have completely betrayed our trust! If not for master, would the Great Xia Dynasty achieve such success? If master was not present, the Great Xia Dynasty might already have ceased to exist. Look at you now. You look as if you have eternal youth and possessed unlimited power. Lin Mubai, everything you possess now is the work of my master! But how did you treat her?"
Cang Yue's voice was not loud. However, it echoed across the Flame Capital City. It was exceptionally chilling and piercing in the torrential rain.
Selfish and entitled.
These words would warrant a death sentence for anyone if they had said it in front of Lin Mubai.
However, no one came forward after hearing those words. Even Xing Yuanguo chose to remain silent.
This was not because Cang Yue was from Ling Yun Tower, but because it was the undeniable truth.
"Yu er, I was selfish! I have disappointed you!" Lin Mubai knelt down on the floor as he hollered, casting his gaze into the horizon. The Emperor finally broke down, shedding tears in front of his army as he shuddered.
"Your Majesty!"
"Please take care of your health!"
"Please think about the Great Xia Dynasty!"
The Mountain Breaking Army shouted in unison upon seeing Lin Mubai's actions. Each of them had an anxious look on their faces.
"Oh? Are you apologizing now? Do you think it will work? I am not here today because of this issue. You do not have to blame yourself. Please do your job as an Emperor from now on and manage your empire well!" Cang Yue stared at the kneeling Lin Mubai with a nonchalant expression.
"Cang Yue, where is Yu er now…"
"It does not concern you!" Cang Yue interrupted Lin Mubai's words. Following which, she turned to Ping Yang and said, "You can either choose to come with me willingly, or be dragged to the Ling Yun Tower as a lifeless corpse!"
"I will not let you take Ping Yang!" Fang Zhengzhi quickly rebutted. He was as determined as Ping Yang in his tone.
"Just you alone?" Cang Yue snickered
"I will not allow it as well!" A figure stood forward and came beside Fang Zhengzhi. Her black eyes glimmered with resolve.
"You?" Cang Yue fixed her gaze on the figure before she sneered, "Prince of the Southern Region, Shan Yu, that is a valuable comrade, but it is still not enough, is it?"
"There's me as well!" Another figure came forward as his attire fluttered elegantly in the wind. The expression on his face was as cold as the winter solstice.
It was Yan Xiu.
"I will not let you take Ping Yang away!" Yan Qianli had also come forward as the crimson aura danced around menacingly around his body.
"Hm, this is getting interesting. Yan Qianli, if I am not wrong, you have just attained the Saint State and do not have an identity. Are you sure you want to make Ling Yun Tower your enemy?" Cang Yue cast her glance at Yan Qianli and Yan Xiu, though her face remained expressionless.
"I do not have an identity. However, you cannot represent the entire Ling Yun Tower as well!" Yan Qianli clenched his fist and displayed his authority as a leader.
Identity.
This was something that both Cang Yue and Yan Qianli mentioned.
Though it was something everyone could not understand. What did they mean when they said Yan Qianli did not have an identity. Was K Yan of Western Liang not a powerful identity in itself?
However, Yan Qianli admitted to the accusation. Much to everyone's surprise and confusion, he admitted that he did not have an identity. No one dared to question his statement.
"This is interesting; however, do you think I will stand back simply from a Southern region leader and a Western Liang King? Do you take me as a joke?" Cang Yue said in arrogance. She did not seem to consider Shan Yu and Yan Qianli as worthy opponents.
"What if I take part in it as well?" At that moment, Wu Yuer, who had kept her hand on her waist all this time spoke.
"You?" Cang Yue frowned as she cast her gaze on Wu Yuer. After a moment of observation, she asked, "Who are you?"
Wu Yuer did not answer Cang Yue. Instead, she released her hand from her waist, pulling out a belt made from silk.
The belt did not have any fancy or eye-catching things. There was an embroidery on the back of the belt. It was a picture of a busy street, depicting many life-like humans going on with their bustling life. All of them held some form of currency in their hands, some holding bronze coins and silvers while others were holding golden ingots.
However, all of these currencies were black in color. There were not sewn with a different material which allowed them to blend in with the rest of the painting, as though they were hidden in the shadows.
Fang Zhengzhi knew exactly what this belt was. It was something that Wu Yuer kept on her body all the time. In fact, he had come into contact with this belt before.
Alas, he had never been able to take that belt off with his own hands. He was confused as to why Wu Yuer would remove that belt for no reason.
Was Wu Yuer planning to attack with this belt?
This was something Fang Zhengzhi thought of the instant he saw Wu Yuer's actions. However, he quickly suppressed his thoughts as the scene was too beautiful to imagine.
On the other hand, Cang Yue's facial expression changed the moment Wu Yuer revealed the belt. She stared at the belt with a serious expression as her eyes glimmered with shock.
"Your last name is Wu?" Cang Yue spoke after thinking for a moment.
"That's right," Wu Yuer nodded.
"Under normal circumstances, I should be leaving right this moment. However, I cannot do that. I am under my master's orders to bring Ping Yang back regardless if she was dead or alive!" Cang Yue spoke after another moment of silence. As she mentioned the last few words, she sounded extremely determined.
"Regardless if she was dead or alive? How could this be? Yu er, why would Yu er…" Lin Mubai muttered with a horrified expression on his face as he stared at Cang Yue in disbelief.