Yang Quan's eyes travelled through the words of the scroll as his brows furrowed. His eyeballs bulged outwards with every line he read. His nose constricted forming wrinkles.
"What!" he exclaimed in the middle of reading it. He lifted his head as he faced the messenger.
"Are Lightning Heaven Clan's claims true?" he inquired. His voice as stern as ever looking for answers.
"I do not dare to impose my opinions. But, when I was in that clan, I saw a few scores of dead bodies. On inquiring further, I got to know that the disciples had gone to the Seer's woods to train as usual but a group had ambushed them leaving none of them alive. According to their claims, it seems that the Pheonix clan was behind all of this." The messenger replied.
"I see." Yang Quan nodded as he checked the scroll again to re-read it. There are some things he needs to confirm.
'Remember this Yang Quan, a person's underlying intentions can be judged to a certain extent with the choice of words he uses.'
Yang Ding's words were ringing in his ears.
'Brother always used to say something like that. He also used to say that one always has some underlying intentions other than what they speak in public. A patriarch should be able to judge those intentions.' Yang Quan thought.
He scanned through the document to find any clues. Clues that might give away Lightning Heaven Clan's underlying motives. But after reading it thrice…
'Ah, I give up! If only Brother Yang Ding was here.' Yang Quan thought.
Yang Quan couldn't help but give up for all he felt from the note was a thirst for revenge. If there was something wrong with it, he was not able to find it. The note had slandered the Pheonix clan in the worst possible way and also challenged them.
Yang Quan bit his lips. Then something clicked in his mind.
'Ah, he's here!' he thought as he turned his head. His gaze met the messenger that was still standing in the room waiting for his instructions.
"Stand outside. I will call you if I need anything." He said in his usually deep voice.
The messenger bowed. He left the room closing the door behind him.
Yang Quan sighed.
He shook his head.
"I almost forgot about him."
Yang Quan might not be the best person to act as the temporary patriarch but he was Yang Ding's most trusted. That's why Yang Ding passed the job to him. Even though he might be incompetent in some areas, he was cautious of not revealing his weaknesses. He can't let others know. That's why whenever he had to do something that he was bad at he would do it in absolute privacy. So that no one under heaven could figure out his weaknesses and take advantage of them.
If Yang Quan would have been the patriarch of a small clan or sect, he would have maintained it in a breeze. But, for a clan as big as Geijing it was a job too tough for him. Only monsters like Yang DIng could do such intellectual tasks.
Yang Quan ducked as he took out something from under his table.
A notebook.
It had a thin binding bar coloured blue that held it together. Its pages were dyed with a tint of yellow due to being old.
On top of it, the words "GUIDEBOOK" were written in bold.
"I am sure there was something about wars in here."
He flipped open the book.
"Let's see it should be somewhere here."
Yang Quan had handwritten this guide. He might not be good at politics but he never gave up without trying, for his brother Yang Quan had always taught him to persist. He had noted everything every time Yang Ding gave him any advice regarding the ins and out of the clan.
He had a regret that he was not able to help his brother when it comes to these matters. That is why he had always tried to make himself a better elder.
As he flipped through the pages a memory that was at the back of his mind resurfaced.
[Flashback]
"Please Patriarch spare me. I have done no wrong. This is all a ploy. I cannot dare to go against you."
*slash*
With a swing of his sword, Yang Ding beheaded the man. He was sitting in a siesta with his hands tied as he begged for mercy.
Now with life leaving his body, his headless carcass fell to the floor.
*thud*
Blood spurted from his neck as it died the carpet with red.
His head which no longer had a torso was tossed a feet farther than the body. The man's eyes were bulging as if it had seen the most horrifying scene before it was beheaded.
Yang Ding's killing intent was second to none. Even Yang Quan who wasn't the object of his intent felt it piercing his very soul.
Yang Ding jerked his sword in thin air to get rid of the blood that had splashed on it. His sword needs to be cleaned yet again.
"Take care of him," Yang Ding said to a guard standing close by.
The guard nodded as he took out the sac he had prepared from beforehand. He bent low as he picked up the dismantled head and tossed it inside the sac, followed by the body.
In the Geijing clan whenever the death sentence was passed, it was always sentenced to be beheaded. Unlike some other clans where hanging by rope was practised, the Geijing clan still followed the old way. It was fast… a hassle-free process to get rid of traitors.
Yang Quan who was standing on the sidelines couldn't hold himself back anymore. He walked up to Yang Ding. He had a complete poker face that shout out aloud that a lot of things needs to be explained to him.
He cusped his hands as he bowed to Yang Ding.
"Brother Yang Ding, I dare not oppose your decisions. But I wanted to know your reasons behind this beheading. If you feel that this Yang Quan is eligible to know please enlighten me."