Chapter 942: Sand Burial

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Baili Jingwei's eyes flashed, "Even without Dragon Cleaving Sword King's promise, I would guarantee your last meager dying wish in exchange for the Soaring Sword. We all promise."

"Prime Minister..." Shangguan Feiyun's brow shook, but Baili Jingwei's wave stopped him, "Sword King Feiyun, please think of the bigger picture. Which is more important, your name or the Soaring Sword? Its loss affected Sword King's reputation all the same. In other words, Soaring Sword's name has already suffered, so what is a little more? Please bear this indignity, for the empire!"

Shangguan Feiyun took a look at his most pathetic state. It wasn't the missing sleeve from one arm that got to him, but the damp pants that fueled his rage and shame. But in the end, he gave an angry wave and turned around, taking out fresh clothes to change.

Baili Jingwei nodded and smiled, "Sword King Feiyun has promised you as well. That should be all, yes?"

"Ha-ha-ha, yeah, now I can tell you where the Soaring Sword is. Only, it's another matter entirely if you can get it..."

Zhuo Fan showed a crooked smile to an eager Baili Jingwei, toying with him, "Soaring Sword is now with the Shangguan clan."

Baili Jingwei gasped, "They have it?! Grandmaster Gu, are you making fun of us? How can a cunning mind like yours just hand it over to them? "

"Ha-ha-ha, what else was there?"

His loud laughter made him spray blood as well, "We all know I've had priors with Shangguan clan so I had to give them something to help me out."

Shangguan Feiyun's brow shook, his face heavy as he said, "Baili Jingwei, letting those Shangguan bastards get the sword will be even worse. With their power and numbers, they'll just flee and we won't catch them. It'll be hard even if a Sword King gets involved. Moreover, once they hole up in the expansive central area, it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Even if we do get wind of them by some miracle, the scouting team will just die for nothing without a Sword King leading them. This is really getting out of hand..."

Baili Jingwei squinted, his face grave. But he did not once let his eyes stray from Zhuo Fan, "Grandmaster Gu, stop with the games. You're on your deathbed. You said you had priors with them and they won't believe you. But this goes both ways. Do you trust them? You'd have gotten the short end of the stick if you'd have just handed them the sword. They'd have just taken it out on you to vent for their losses. For a smart guy like you, such an obvious mistake is impossible. Humph, Grandmaster Gu, don't take us up for idiots."

Baili Jingwei huffed, his eyes sharp. Shangguan Feiyun's face twitched.

[Who is Baili Jingwei calling an idiot? Humph, damn that Prime Minister, acting like the only wise guy in the world.]

"Prime Minister, would you say I'm in a position to insult you? Ha-ha-ha..."

Zhuo Fan shook his head, "But yes, neither I nor Shangguan clan trust each other so the handing of the sword is done at the right time so that we'd work out together against the enemy. Once the deal is done, neither will mind the other."

Baili Jingwei's eyes shook, "You mean..."

"You are our enemy, all three of you, ha-ha-ha..."

Zhuo Fan chuckled as he explained, "I used them to lure you all away and rescue young Sanzi, then handed over the sword to the clansmen following behind me. This was the only way to make both sides agree. We knew that fighting would be bad as it would draw the guards over, leading to them losing the sword and us getting captured. So even with the mistrust between us, the timing called for us to overlook all our past problems and think of the bigger picture. Wouldn't you say so, Prime Minister Baili?"

Baili Jingwei shook all over, believing Zhuo Fan's perfectly strung arguments. Shangguan Feiyun asked, "Prime Minister, can we believe him?"

"We don't have a choice!"

Baili Jingwei was tense, "We were clear on the hostility between him and the Shangguan clan, and working together was out of the question. The only reason they did it anyway was for the Soaring Sword. The question is, when will it be handed over? Too soon and the Shangguan clan will go back on its word. Too late and anxiety mounts, so much so the tense mood will make them settle old scores even after getting the sword. But with the threat of another enemy around, the deal will be completed, each going their own way."

Baili Jingwei stared hard at Zhuo Fan and spoke with frustration and hatred, "Grandmaster Gu, you're a true mastermind. You've done great indeed. If I were the one facing such a challenge, I don't think I'd come up with such a brilliant plan on the spot. You have my respect."

"Ha-ha-ha, why thank you for the honor, Prime Minister." Zhuo Fan waved his flattery away.

Baili Jingwei read the mockery in his eyes and turned to Danqing Shen in anger, "Dragon Cleaving Sword King, fulfill Grandmaster Gu's will and send them off!"

"Right!"

Danqing Shen drew two fingers and a deadly power surged in their tips, followed by a dragon roar and the space shimmering around him.

Cold eyes gazed upon the feeble Zhuo Fan and Danqing Shen raised his hand. Zhuo Fan stared back with a broad smile...

Whoosh~

A sword of the same level as Shangguan Feiyun's was unleashed upon Zhuo Fan. Along with thousands of dragon roars, the sword energy surged as it fell on him.

Following the devastating explosion, hundreds of miles around Zhuo Fan and his son were leveled. There was nothing there than a wasteland and thick dust that dyed the world yellow.

Once the breeze scattered it away, there was no trace of anything left behind. Everything was gone, buried with the sand.

The entire landscape had been reformed into this desolation.

Baili Jingwei sighed at the destruction, "It is finished. Such an alchemical genius of his generation found his bones resting along his son's in this sand burial. What a pity."

"Prime Minister, isn't it a bit late for that?" Shangguan Feiyun glanced over.

[Hypocrite much?]

Baili Jingwei said, "Cherishing talent is one thing, but seeing my opponent gone brought me such relief. Dragon Cleaving Sword King, Sword King Feiyun, let's go. We need to hurry back and send word to every corner of the central area. We have to track down the Shangguan clan and stop them from getting the sword out of the central area!"

"Easier said than done."

Shangguan Feiyun shook his head, "I'll say it again. They only need to hide and even a Sword King will hardly have a better chance of finding them, let alone the rest. The chances of getting the Soaring Sword back are less than ten percent."

Baili Jingwei sighed, "We'll do our part, while the rest is up to fate. In any case, this has been my, no, our failure!"

Baili Jingwei flew for Flying Cloud City.

Shangguan Feiyun shook, balling his fists and steeling his gaze.

[Baili Jingwei isn't the only one culpable.]

With the Shangguan clan escaping and the Soaring Sword gone, Shangguan Feiyun was liable as well.

Gu Yifan might have lost in the last fight, as a mere Radiant Stage cultivator, he had avoided three sword skills from a Sword King and even talked his way out of being executed by the fourth strike at his weakest.

It was Shangguan Feiyun's worst defeat. Gu Yifan and Shangguan Feiyun neither won nor lost.

But Zhuo Fan's last will and the mockery it contained was something Shangguan Feiyun would never forget. The shame and anger were ready to explode.

It was the same as saying Shangguan Feiyun had no hand in his death.

Shangguan Feiyun's face twisted, a vein popping on his forehead, from being utterly humiliated by a nobody.

Now he had no one to take it out on, for the culprit died laughing at him.

Shangguan Feiyun stomped in rage and flew behind Baili Jingwei. Danqing Shen was the only one remaining, looking where Zhuo Fan once was with a vague smile...