111. A Manipulation Of Fate
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The four Sect Leaders leapt towards Weiyan, who lifted her sword, ready to defend...
But there was a sudden explosion, and her attackers were instantly flung backwards and away, skidding across the platform.
A light blue aura faded away, and standing before Weiyan was a calm Lord Li, a smirk on his face.
There were several loud gasps from the crowd, and the elegant Gatekeeper scowled down at him, swishing his brush over and over again.
But the smirking individual on the platform did not return to the elevated seats, and the gatekeeper could only growl in rage.
"He's ruining my paintin-!"
"Calm yourself." It was the City Master's turn to calm his companion. "It's not like we didn't expect something like this..."
Below them, the dignitaries were open mouthed in shock.
"B- but how?!" Sect Leader Ju was peering down at Lord Li. "Aren't we all trapped by this barrier?! How can a mere House Head go out?!"
Sect Leader Xu directed an experimental jet of aura towards the barrier, but hastily evaded as a powerful backlash shot at him.
He sighed. "Infuriating words which nearly angers someone to death, and powers no one can explain... Hmph, I should have known he would follow us here!"
Meanwhile, the traitorous sect leaders were all glaring at Lord Li in shock.
"You! How did you break into this barrier?!" One asked.
"We should ask how you broke out of the elevated seats..." The 'righteous one' furrowed his brows. "Even the strongest Wulin Elder shouldn't be able to break through that!"
Lord Li raised an eyebrow. "The stupid rules of this city never applied to me. I was merely enjoying the show from day one." His eyes narrowed with a golden glint.
"But it's another matter when you threaten my wife."
Behind him, a light red colour dusted Weiyan's cheeks, and on the sidelines, Xu Min, Xu Wen, and Tao Yun shook their heads, each with relieved smiles.
"What does he mean 'wife'?!" Li San asked in confusion, then turned to the rest. "And did I miss some joke? Why do you all look relieved when nothing is resolved?!"
"Heh!" Xu Wen pointed. "Then tell me... Do you still believe that's your father?!"
Li San cocked his head from side to side. "I'll admit he's acting possessed today, but who else could he be?!"
Back on the platform, the traitorous sect leaders showed several forms of disgust.
"'Wife', You say? You're old enough to be this little girl's father?!"
"What disgusting relationship is this?!"
"How dare you frown on our actions, when you yourself are performing such dirty acts?!"
Disapproving mutters swept through the crowd, and even the dignitaries and other contestants had raised eyebrows, but Lord Li simply turned and held open his arms.
"Yanyan! Won't you come over?"
Weiyan was in his arms in an instant, which nearly brought down the arena, as the disgusted reactions soared high!
Li San nearly fainted from shock. "Th- then X- Xu Weiyan really is my stepmother?!!!"
Xu Wen hit the back of his head. "Idiot! Open your eyes and look closely!"
On the platform, a mild blue aura was swirling around the two and it faded to revealWeiyan hugging an unexpected individual.
"Zhang Luoyin again...?!" Sect Leader Ju collapsed onto his seat. "I never should have let Duan Xiu leave Yunchi Sect!" He muttered. "I sent all the good things to Yueyan with my own hand!"
"How did that fellow get here?!"
"How did the Yueyan trash break through the barriers?!!"
"Is there no end to today's bizarre events?!!!"
At the sidelines, Li San nearly collapsed from relief. "Haaaa! I thought I'd have to call her *Xiao Ma! Who knew it was Zhang Luoyin?!"
(*Xiao Ma- Little Mother... common where a stepmother is similar to a child's age, or younger!)
"Heh! Compared to us, you should have known Lord Li wouldn't come to a place like this!" Xu Min was grinning. "I thought he had grown courage... Turns out he never even left Yue City!"
"Was he even the one at that meeting?!" Xu Wen wondered aloud.
On the platform, Luoyin held Weiyan's hand and turned back to the shocked traitors.
"I ignored the earlier duel because I knew that oversized chicken couldn't hurt my Yanyan," He pointed to the still unconscious disciple Jiang, who indeed resembled a bloody, de-feathered chicken from their view.
"...but since you all want to gang up on her, then I won't be polite. For you four, I won't even use both hands." He held up the hand holding Yueyan's, insinuating he wouldn't release his hold.
"You-!"
"Who do you think you are?!"
A piece of garbage like you dares to boast here?!"
"Let's get him!"
All four indeed leapt towards him, appearing around him. One instant they were hurling spells or bringing down their weapons on him, but in the next instant, they suddenly lay unconscious on the floor.
The spectators all rose to their feet, including the City Master and gatekeeper.
It had been impossibly fast! And Luoyin and Weiyan hadn't moved in the slightest...
"What did he do?!" The City Master demanded, but the gatekeeper shook his head, his veil dancing with the motion.
"I don't know. Didn't Mistress say he was mortal?" By now the black butterflies were gone, so the two could openly discuss. "I expected some trouble from him, but not to this extent!"
The gatekeeper had recognized Luoyin from the first day, and the two had even exchanged small smiles.
At present, the gatekeeper waved a hand, and images of various paintings appeared before them. "I can't even see what he has been up to since he arrived! It's as he said! He hasn't been following the rules since he arrived!!"
"I know you're touchy about your paintings, but calm yourself!" The City Master warned in a panicked tone. "By now, we should have killed Xu Weiyan to punish Zhang Luoyin and throw him off balance, but we ourselves have lost control!!
"We don't know what the Mistress is planning, but she will destroy us if those two escape this place before her return, so we must think of something!!!"
If they failed, the Mistress might destroy their cores and banish them back to Shadow Realm.
The shadow realm was a lawless place governed by power, and both of them had escaped from hellish lives there...
If they returned with destroyed cores, it would be a life worse than death!
Or the Mistress might even destroy their essences so they ceased to exist.
They both shuddered and the gatekeeper instantly calmed himself, thinking for a bit.
Meanwhile, Luoyin glared up at the elevated seats.
"You won't pretend these are the only guilty ones, right? He eyed the second biggest box, which held core members of the Wulin, then turned his gazes to a few other boxes.
"There are members of the Wulin, and prominent elders amongst us, who have been working from the shadows, ensuring we all came to this place.
"At first, it was the winning disciples coming for some mission, but that suddenly changed to bringing in all the Pillars of Baishan."
His eyes narrowed at one of the Xu Clan Elders. "You. You secretly suggested 'Lord Li' and other weak house heads or clan elders as dignitaries, knowing they might never come here...
"Compared to the rest, Lord Li had the perfect identity I needed, especially since his son was a contestant. So you knew I'd take the bait and follow.
"Still, I boldly walked into your trap, because I already intended to follow Yanyan here, and I wanted to see what you would do."
He turned to the core Wulin members. "I wasn't going to point fingers, but I will for everyone's good... If my guess is correct, the Fate Immortal has been slowly manipulating your lives, so you would sway the Baishan Pillars into coming here.
"You." He angled his head at one Wulin elder- a beautiful and stately woman with a neat grey hairdo. "Your daughter and grandson went missing, and you received word that they were in Yu Shui City. But the City Master likely didn't let you in, so the tournament was the perfect excuse to come here."
"H- How did you know?!" She asked.
"You." It was another. "Your son is dying, and a voice suddenly convinced you that there's a treasure in Yu Shui City which can cure him."
The man had the good grace to flush in shame, and Luoyin continued.
"Similar occurrences have happened to others amongst us, and the Fate Immortal likely heightened the discontent in the hearts of these four traitorous Sect Leaders.
"But for a few of you..." He indicated a few more, including that one Xu clan elder. "...it was simply greed- The desire to swallow what you didn't work hard for.
"You were led to believe there was a treasure here which could make you surpass the Grand Wulin Master, so when Yu Shui City suddenly offered to host the tournament, you didn't hesitate to convince the Wulin to accept.
"And you've been scurrying around Yu Shui city like rats, seeking a non-existent treasure."
The guilty Xu elder scowled darkly at Luoyin, but Luoyin matched his scowl. "Hmph. Your case is the worst... Of the main Xu cousins, you were once the most promising.
"But though Sect Leader Xu wasn't as old or powerful as you, he remained the Xu Clan heir, and you could only watch in bitterness as he became Sect Leader, inheriting resources which eventually helped him surpass you...
"All this while, you knew Yueyan had offended an enemy, and they especially wanted me, Xu Weiyan, and Sect Leader Xu in Yu Shui, so you did everything in your power to make sure it happened, convincing Sect Leader Xu, and ensuring I had several identities to sneak in."
Sect Leader Xu was staring at his cousin in utter disappointment... The two hadn't exactly been overtly close, but so far, even through the Zhang Furen shenanigans, this particular cousin had remained clear of blame.
Till now...
Meanwhile, the Grand Wulin Master was the eldest of the Wulin, and the most powerful, rumoured to almost be an Immortal, and he presently sat front and center in the box.
"Little boy, how do you know these things?" He calmly asked.
Luoyin scoffed. "Hmph. For you, it was curiosity. You wanted to enter Yu Shui and see for yourself, which was why you didn't veto against it... How careless. You've attained a level which makes you forget there are beings you can't trifle with."
The Grand Wulin Master narrowed his eyes, but Luoyin continued.
"As for my knowledge on the matter, I was naturally worried when I learned my wife and friends were coming to this place, so I sent someone to investigate you, the other core Wulin members, and each Sect's elders."
"This is impossible! How did that person get close to us all without being detected?" The Grand Wulin Master inquired. "I vaguely sensed some tiger spirit once... Was that his doing?!"
"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies!" Luoyin gave an infuriating shrug, then turned to the gatekeeper and City Master.
"And as for you two, I don't know who you're receiving orders from, but I can guess it's some strange woman in a dark cloak, right?"
Several members of the Wulin gasped in shock. By now, they had all heard of the cloaked woman, and the guilty ones looked worried, as if just realizing how much trouble they had gotten themselves in.
If they had indeed acted on the cloaked woman's side, they hadn't just offended mortals, but Sky Realm itself!
"What I really want to know, is why she went to such lengths to bring us here...?"
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