As he heard the sound that came from afar, Yun Che concentrated his gaze and jumped down from the bed. His hands touched his chin as he lowered his brow.
What ought to come, would eventually come. Although Qin Wuyou had told him that protecting disciples was a Palace Chief's obligation, with Yun Che's personality, there was naturally no way he would unconditionally rely on Qin Wuyou. Furthermore, he didn't entirely believe that Qin Wuyou would completely destroy all pretense of cordiality with Xiao Sect's Branch Sect that held the most influence within New Moon City, just for a disciple who had just entered New Moon Profound Palace… Him protecting Yun Che today, in front of everyone, could already be considered as extremely benevolent and dutiful.
The door to his room was pushed open and Xia Yuanba, who had his arm wrapped up in bandages, rushed in while breathing heavily. Because of his injured internal organs, his face still retained a sickly white color. He grabbed Yun Che, and said anxiously: "Brother-in-law! Quickly, run! It's Xiao Sect's people! As expected, they don't care about the promise from before, to not pursue responsibility, and came here to capture you. Quickly leave from the back door…. I'm so stupid! I should have made you leave right after the banquet ended!"
"Yuanba, don't fret."
"How could I not fret! That's Xiao Sect, Xiao Sect okay! Brother-in-law is strong, but it's simply impossible for you to provoke Xiao Sect and get away with it. If you were to land in Xiao Sect's hands, then... Then…" Xia Yuanba's hands and feet trembled from anxiety. With a completely red complexion, he grabbed Yun Che's hand and continuously tugged him outside.
"If they are here to catch me, then they will definitely not let me escape this easily. If they have people at the front gate, then the back exit and side exit ought to be already guarded too. Perhaps, they've even sent people to guard New Moon City's gates. If I escape from the back door now, I'll immediately fall into their hands instead.
Xia Yuanba instantly became stupefied. He forcefully scratched at his scalp, and anxiously spun around in circles: "Then what do we do…. what do we do."
Yun Che patted his shoulders and comforted him instead: "Yuanba, don't worry. Our newly appointed Palace Chief Qin is not a simple character; he should be able to obstruct them. Even if he couldn't, I also have many methods to escape their clutches."
"Ah? Really?" Xia Yuanba's widened his eyes and appeared to be slightly relieved.
"Help me take a look at the front gate's situation, remember to be careful. If they start fighting, be sure to hide as far away as possible."
——————————————
It was night time, yet the front of New Moon Profound Palace's main entrance was brightly lit. The atmosphere was as tense and rattling as a showdown before a duel.
Xiao Tiannan personally arrived with Xiao Zaihe, and over a hundred of Xiao Sect's disciples also followed behind him; their rage and murderous intent viciously torrented about. The main gate of New Moon Profound Palace had already been destroyed and scattered into pieces on the ground. The New Moon Profound Palace's disciples who guarded the doors all had their foreheads covered in sweat; they stood there trembling, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly. When meeting an ordinary Xiao Sect disciple, they would normally automatically lower their heads. Tonight, the Sect Master of Xiao Sect's Branch Sect actually came in person, and their hearts had almost jumped to their throats from the shock.
Qin Wuyou finally arrived with the elders and disciples and sternly spoke from some distance away: "Who is it! To dare to be so unbridled at my New Moon Profound Palace!"
"Xiao Sect's Xiao Tiannan! You are New Moon Profound Palace's newly appointed Palace Chief, Qin Wuyou?" Xiao Tiannan spoke with a darkened expression.
He had originally thought that identifying himself would be enough to greatly startle this newly appointed Palace Chief. However, what disappointed him was that after hearing his name, this newly appointed Palace Chief not only showed no fear on his face but instead, started to laugh: "So you are the current Sect Master of Xiao Sect's Branch Sect. This afternoon, I had heard your son mention that your body was ill, and it was inconvenient for you to go out. I actually had wanted to make a visit tomorrow, but it seems like it's unnecessary now."
"Hmph!" Xiao Tiannan's expression abruptly darkened: "You actually dare to mention my son! Palace Chief Qin, I'd like to see how you are going to account for today's matter!"
"Account for? Account for what?" Qin Wuyou also revealed an angry expression on his face: "You Xiao Sect broke into our New Moon Palace at night without reason; destroyed our Profound Palace's gate, and even claimed to want to flatten my Profound Palace! When saying to account for anything, you, Xiao Tiannan ought to give us an explanation instead!"
"Broke in at night without reason?" Xiao Tiannan loudly laughed and spoke with a harsh tone: "Half a month ago, I had already heard that Palace Chief Qin came from Blue Wind Imperial City with a honorable status and possessed a kind and honest disposition. However, looking at it now, you are merely a person who makes irresponsible remarks when confounding right from wrong. Your Palace disciple severely injured my son Xiao Luocheng in malice, completely broke my son's meridians and profound veins, and thereby ruined him for life! This kind of hatred cannot be repaid even if Yun Che was hacked into thousands, or even ten thousand, pieces of mincemeat!"
"Oh, you are speaking about this matter." Qin Wuyou's expression shifted as if something suddenly dawned on him, and then said with a perplexed tone: "I was personally there when this matter happened, and clearly saw it happen. Don't tell me, that this matter is the cause of Sect Master Xiao's rage? Haha, then I really don't understand. Before my Palace disciple Yun Che and your son Xiao Luocheng started their fight, they had formed a pact with each other; that no matter who was careless and severely injured, they wouldn't blame the other party in the slightest. This pact can be attested by the hundreds of people who were present; every single person saw it with their own eyes, and heard it with their own ears! Even including that person behind you; he even more so, knows it clearly!"
"Since there was a prior agreement, what is the meaning of your visit and denouncement? Don't tell me that your dignified thousand year old Xiao Sect actually had this kind of brazen custom of not upholding one's promises? Are you not concerned that you'll implicate your Xiao Sect's Main Sect; to let it be criticized and held in contempt?"
Every single word in Qin Wuyou's remarks was articulate and righteously spoken.
Xiao Tiannan's knitted his brow greatly, turned around, and said in a low voice: "Zaihe, what's going on?"
Xiao Zaihe lowered his head and said nervously: "Before Young Sect Master fought with Yun Che, they indeed did agree to this pact, and even especially made everyone present attest to it. But… But…"
"No need to say any more!" Xiao Tiannan fiercely swung his hands and suddenly laughed wildly: "Ha ha ha ha! What a joke! What a colossal joke! The hatred of crippling my son; how could it be written off by a mere nonsensical agreement! Even if I, Xiao Tiannan have to shoulder a treacherous blackened name in contempt for the rest of my life, I'll still definitely take revenge for Luocheng! Qin Wuyou, hand Yun Che over right now! Don't make me go in and catch him personally! By that time, I'm afraid that your entire New Moon Profound Palace would suffer a pandemonium so great that not even chickens and dogs would be left undisturbed!"
"Since the dignified Sect Master Xiao even threw away his face, then I don't have anything else to say either." As Qin Wuyou's voice faded, the entirety of his robe suddenly fluttered without the presence of wind, and lifted up high: "If you want to take away my Profound Palace's disciple, then you'll have to pass through me first!"
In the past century, New Moon Profound Palace had always been tightly suppressed by the Seven Great Sects. All the palace chiefs in the past would tread cautiously lest they offended the Xiao Sect Branch Sect's Sect Master when they met. However, not only did this newly appointed Palace Chief Qin Wuyou not yield in the slightest while conversing, but also was about to seriously clash with him. This actually caused Xiao Tiannan to be greatly astonished for a while, but then he guffawed: "Ha ha ha ha! Palace Chief Qin really has a sharp sense of integrity; to actually ignore the safety of the entire New Moon Profound Palace, for a mere disciple who had just entered the Profound Palace."
"Haha, even if he had only joined my Profound Palace for one day, he's still my Palace disciple! If I can't even protect my own disciples, with what face do I have to call myself the Palace Chief of this Profound Palace!" Qin Wuyou sternly stated.
"Good! I'd actually like to see how capable you are in protecting that disciple of yours!"
The robe on Xiao Tiannan's body also fiercely fluttered up. An enormous energy field abruptly exploded, and instantly fragmented the ground under his feet. The vast profound energy was like a net that covered the sky, and encased toward Qin Wuyou and the few elders behind him. With a low shout, Qin Wuyou horizontally pushed his right palm out, and Xian Tiannan's profound energy collided with his in the space between them.
With a loud bang, clouds of sand and dust flew about. A huge frightening crater of seven or eight meters deep emerged between Xiao Tiannan and Qin Wuyou.
The emotions inside the Vice Palace Chief and each elder's heart were extremely complicated. Xiao Sect's arrival was expected, but to see that Qin Wuyou unexpectedly started to fight against Xiao Sect's Sect Master now, they all grew apprehensive in their hearts. Yun Che indeed allowed New Moon Profound Palace to considerably bathe in glory today; it could be said that today was the day in which New Moon Profound Palace had stood the tallest in all these past years. The astonishing talent he exhibited was also a rarity of the century in New Moon Profound Palace. However, it was a fact that he had crippled Xiao Luocheng, and what kind of disastrous trouble was that! If New Moon Profound Palace wanted to protect him, then it would be necessary to become enemies with Xiao Sect; was this really worth it?
Because a possible outcome to this action, was that the entire New Moon Profound Palace would have to suffer a great catastrophe!
Seeing that Qin Wuyou actually wanted to protect Yun Che so strongly, they didn't know whether they ought to feel gratified or worried.
In the crossing of fists between two powerhouses, one move would be enough to measure the opponent's depth. An alarmed expression surfaced on Xiao Tiannan's face for the first time ever. Because from that round earlier, he shockingly realized that this Qin Wuyou's strength, was actually not beneath his at all! Along the way, Xiao Zaihe had told him that Qin Wuyou's strength was possibly above the fifth rank of the Earth Profound Realm; he originally did not believe him. But now, he had no choice but to believe it.
Xiao Tiannan didn't continue to attack, and spoke in an overcast voice: "As an impressively powerful practitioner at the later ranks of Earth Profound Realm, you could become a Sect Master anywhere in this continent; yet you actually came to this New Moon Profound Palace to serve as an insignificant Palace Chief!"
"No matter where I am, or what position I have; as long as it's for the Imperial Family, this Qin would feel deeply honored and won't have any complaints. Since I am now this New Moon Profound Palace's Palace Chief, this Qin will naturally fulfill my obligations diligently. To protect the disciples, is over and above the most basic of duties!" Qin Wuyou stately replied: "Sect Master Xiao, please just leave. I can pretend that nothing happened today. Otherwise, not only will you not fulfill your wish, you'll also blacken Xiao Sect's name! As for the agreement between your son and Yun Che, there were hundreds of witnesses!"
Xiao Tiannan's expression sunk again. After he had experienced Qin Wuyou's strength, he knew that it was impossible for him to do as he liked tonight. He came in a hurry, and only had brought a hundred or so normal disciples. He had thought that if he personally arrived, there was no way that a mere New Moon Profound Palace Chief wouldn't obediently hand over a disciple. Unexpectedly, this newly appointed Palace Chief was completely different from the previous Palace Chief; when faced against his Xiao Sect, he still wasn't afraid in the slightest, and even his profound strength was not inferior to his.
"Heh!" Xiao Tiannan sneered: "If I can avenge my son, I, Xiao Tiannan, am not afraid of shouldering infamy! With Palace Chief Qin here tonight, I indeed could only leave to no avail. But tomorrow… You ought to see whether or not I have the guts to flatten your New Moon Profound Palace!"
"Flatten New Moon Profound Palace?" Qin Wuyou coldly snorted: "You have a lot of nerve! This New Moon Profound Palace was established by the Imperial Family. Are you trying to rebel?"
"Rebel? Ha ha ha ha. I, Xiao Tiannan would indeed not dare. If you had only severely injured my son, even if I was more outraged, I wouldn't dare to actually flatten the New Moon Profound Palace. However, my son Luocheng is not simply just my Xiao Sect Branch Sect's Young Sect Master!" Xiao Tiannan's expression came incomparably sullen: "Right now, there is no fear in telling you this anymore. The reason as to why my son's innate talent is extraordinary, was because he had taken the Celestial Qilin Pellet bestowed upon us by Xiao Sect! Treasures of this degree isn't something that my mere Branch Sect can enjoy, but my son Luocheng, is the appointed grandson-in-law of the Main Sect's Medicinal Sect's Great Elder! The marriage was arranged four years ago, and the Celestial Qilin Pellet was then bestowed; the engagement banquet was held only half a year ago! And the wedding is scheduled to take place in half a year!"
As these words left Xiao Tiannan's mouth, Qin Wuyou's expression that had stayed as calm as water, all of a sudden drastically changed. The elders and disciples behind him also revealed extreme shock and fear on their faces. Far away, Lan Xueruo's tender body that leaned against a corner trembled as the same horrified expression emerged on her face…..
Crippling a Young Sect Master of Xiao Sect's Branch Sect and crippling the grandson-in-law of a Xiao Sect Main Sect's Elder, were two completely different concepts!
One was a huge trouble!
The other was a catastrophic disaster!