sbdcsierra Chapter 124 A tacit understanding leaves room for maneuver; secret negotiations lead to revenge.
Chapter 124 A tacit understanding leaves room for maneuver; secret negotiations lead to revenge.
Upon hearing Zhou Qingfeng's blunt words, Jiang Xun wore an expression that seemed to reveal his keen insight yet feigned ignorance, and leisurely asked, "What makes you say such a thing, my dear nephew?"
Zhou Qingfeng held a bunch of glistening grapes in his hand, leisurely peeled one and put it in his mouth, then slowly said, "I secretly passed through Winter City, hiding my identity and carrying the Xiyi Treasure Map and the key."
"Unexpectedly, within just one day, this crucial news swept across the entire region like a whirlwind, and everyone knew that I held the treasure map and the key."
He turned to look at Jiang Xun, his eyes flashing with a firm yet sharp light, "There are probably only a handful of people in Winter City who possess such astonishing power."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qingfeng's expression changed drastically, and a tense and sharp aura instantly spread out. His eyes were like sharp swords piercing Jiang Xun, full of undisguised questioning and provocation.
"Coincidentally, Lord Jiang and Young Master Jiang Li seem to possess such power." These words were undoubtedly a blatant accusation against Jiang Xun and his grandson, directly pointing to whether they had deliberately plotted to harm him.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun was greatly shocked. The hand hidden under his wide sleeves suddenly clenched tightly, so much so that a tiny crack appeared in the black jade ice chess piece of the evil-grade quality that he was holding in his palm.
However, he quickly regained his composure and calmly returned to his original demeanor.
Jiang Xun still wore that gentle and carefree smile on his lips, and said in a gentle tone, "Nephew, you are exaggerating. My Winter City has been through six hundred years of trials and tribulations, and has always lived in harmony with Your Sword Tower City, exchanging goods and resources."
"Even if there are occasional minor disputes, they are often trivial matters caused by subordinates not understanding the situation."
"Moreover, my friendship with your mother has a long history, lasting for over a century. I would never do anything to harm you. There must be some misunderstanding."
At this point, Jiang Xun's expression suddenly turned indignant, and he said seriously, "In my opinion, there must be some treacherous people who want to sow discord between Sword Tower City and Winter City and incite war between the two cities."
"This person's malicious intent is so extreme that his crimes are unforgivable."
"Nephew, rest assured, I will find out the truth for you and give you a clear explanation."
Then, Jiang Xun turned to his granddaughter Jiang Li and said in a serious tone: "Li, you will personally oversee this matter. You must find out who is behind this. Once you find any clues, no matter who it is, you must immediately arrest them and punish them severely."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li immediately clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Yes, Master."
Zhou Qingfeng watched Jiang Xun's series of responses with intense gaze. His aggressive aura gradually subsided, and he returned to his original leisurely grape-eating demeanor, seemingly harmless and relaxed.
"Okay, we hope the real culprit can be found out as soon as possible."
"I will patiently await your answer, Uncle Jiang."
"If I cannot get a reasonable explanation, I will report the truth to my mother when I return to Sword Tower City."
Zhou Qingfeng appeared to believe it on the surface, but he was clear-headed and knew that this was not a simple misunderstanding.
It's important to understand that the news was able to spread throughout the entire Cold Winter region within a single day.
The power behind this is extraordinary, and it's impossible for Jiang Xun, the lord of a city, to be completely unaware of it.
Either Jiang Xun himself was a participant in this conspiracy, or even the mastermind behind it;
Or he is a blind and deaf person whose power has been usurped by his subordinates, completely unaware of it.
Previously, Zhou Qingfeng still had doubts.
Now, witnessing Jiang Xun's composure and measured approach in the face of this matter, maintaining a calm and collected demeanor and easily diverting the blame with just a few words, Zhou Qingfeng already had his answer.
Regarding the search for the truth, although Jiang Xun assigned his granddaughter Jiang Li to conduct the investigation, Zhou Qingfeng knew that it was unlikely that his own people would find any substantial results when investigating their own people, and the matter would probably end up being left unresolved.
For now, all I can do is follow the way Jiang Xun offered to ease the situation, casually agreeing and waiting for the outcome.
After all, it's always necessary to leave some room for maneuver on the surface.
Jiang Xun smiled and nodded, waving his hand to indicate, "Ah Li, you arrange for people to prepare a temporary residence for Nephew Zhou."
Jiang Li responded respectfully, cupping her fists and suggesting, "Grandpa, I live in the City Lord's Mansion year-round, and my own residence is idle and useless. Why not lend it to Young Master Zhou for the time being? That would be making the best use of it."
Jiang Xun nodded slightly in agreement, then asked Zhou Qingfeng with a beaming smile, "Nephew, do you think this is feasible? Are you satisfied?"
Zhou Qingfeng smiled back and bowed in thanks: "Young Master Jiang's kindness is hard to refuse, so I will respectfully accept your offer."
Jiang Xun laughed loudly, "That's right, my dear nephew, go and rest first, and we can deal with other matters later."
He stroked his beard, his face full of kindness, while Zhou Qingfeng humbly and politely clasped his hands in farewell. On the surface, the two appeared harmonious, but in reality, they both knew that this was merely a temporary expedient, a performance for the sake of appearances.
After this meeting, Zhou Qingfeng confirmed that Jiang Xun had set a trap for him, and Jiang Xun also realized that Zhou Qingfeng had seen through his scheme to seize the treasure.
One is an experienced old fox, and the other is a clever and cunning young fox.
Although they all understood each other implicitly, they didn't say it out loud, and only maintained a harmonious relationship on the surface.
After all, he is a person of status and position.
If core interests are not harmed, there is no need to curse like a commoner.
But when their core interests are truly threatened, Zhou Qingfeng and Jiang Xun will not care about appearances or dignity. They will point their fingers at each other and hurl insults, cursing each other's ancestors for eighteen generations, and even resorting to violence.
However, the reality is that Jiang Xun, constrained by the current situation, is unable to kill Zhou Qingfeng and can only look for an opportunity to seize the Xiyi Treasure from Zhou Qingfeng.
Due to the vast disparity in strength, Zhou Qingfeng was also unable to eliminate Jiang Xun. He could only try to find allies within the Cold Winter City to strengthen his own forces and jointly fight against Jiang Xun.
Since neither side can kill the other, why tear off the mask and create unnecessary conflict?
Under this delicate balance.
Both sides chose to temporarily yield and feign compliance in order to gain better opportunities for future maneuvering.
Time flies like an arrow, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
In front of the treasure-hunting delegation's mansion, a long line of self-proclaimed powerful independent cultivators stood, but without exception, they were all beaten like children by Jin Wei and thrown out of the mansion after being beaten.
As the commander of Zhou Qingfeng's guards, he was skilled in the top 100 flying sword technique and the demonic body technique, and all the equipment he carried were top-grade demonic artifacts.
In terms of combat power, crushing this group of independent cultivators is no problem at all.
Jin Wei walked out carrying his sword and said arrogantly, "Those below the Devouring Fiend Realm should not come here to embarrass themselves."
After saying that, he directly crushed the challenger's magic axe into a ball and threw it in front of the many cultivators in line.
The many monks in line looked fearful, indignant, and resentful.
This is already the 356th challenger. Jin Wei has finally had his fill of crushing the weak. To put it bluntly, everyone is at the Food Demon Realm, but there is still a huge gap between them.
If the combat strength of a rogue cultivator at the Food Demon Realm is 6,000, then Jin Wei's combat strength is at least 10,000.
"I'll do it!" A sword-wielding man at the Food Fiend Realm stepped forward, pointed at Jin Wei, and said, "Don't be arrogant. You're just a mere guard commander. Watch how I beat you into submission."
"Eating Fiend Realm, not bad. Come with me, let's fight in the sky." Jin Wei, holding his sword, flew into the air, his magic power manifesting, his body surrounded by azure light, like a peerless master, transforming into azure sword light that shot straight into the sky.
The sword-wielding man, not to be outdone, was surrounded by azure light and soared into the air, chasing after Jin Wei.
Those at the Devouring Fiend Realm are already able to control their Qi and fly, possessing terrifying combat power.
Once a fight breaks out, it will cause upheavals, change the color of the sun and moon, and cause the earth to crack and mountains to collapse, as if the end of the world has arrived.
The mortals living in the Frostwinter City will be killed in large numbers by the aftershocks of the battle between the cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm.
Therefore, even if you want to fight, you can't fight in the city, otherwise all you'll face is death.
Both flew rapidly into the sky, creating sonic booms and leaving behind two afterimages.
After a while, Jin Wei stopped above the clouds, holding his sword. Looking at the sword-wielding man opposite him, he said calmly, "Alright, this place is high enough. No one is watching. Tell me, who are you representing?"
The swordsman raised an eyebrow: "You know I'm here on behalf of someone else?"
Jin Wei said calmly, "Young Master is incredibly shrewd. He sent you a signal that as long as you're not as stupid as pigs and dogs, you will definitely send representatives to negotiate. So Young Master anticipated this scene and specially sent Jin Wei to wait here for a long time. Let's talk about you. Which faction do you represent?"
The man with the sword smiled slightly: "Let me introduce myself. My name is Wei Heyi. You don't need to look at me. My face and appearance have been disguised by magic. You can't see my true appearance."
"I am the young master of the Wei family, one of the four great families of Winter City. My ancestors built the city together with the Jiang family. It was originally agreed that there would be two city lords, but the ancestors of the Jiang family cheated and never mentioned the matter of two city lords after the city was built."
"Although the Jiang family has given our Wei family all kinds of preferential treatment and compensation for six hundred years, what's the use? The position of the Jiang family should have belonged to our Wei family in the first place. Now we have to beg and fawn for their charity and be grateful."
"What a joke! If it weren't for the survival of the family, how could my Wei family have swallowed this insult for six hundred years?"
“Go back and tell your young master that my Wei family is willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, become his steadfast ally, and explore the treasures of Xiyi City together. As for how to divide the treasures, I think it would be better to discuss it with your young master in person.”
"By the way, here's some news for you: the people who plotted against your young master are Jiang Xun and Jiang Li, this grandfather and grandson duo."
Upon hearing this, Jin Wei said calmly, "Understood, I will convey the message to the young master."
After saying that, Jin Wei took out a communication bracelet of the Disaster level from his pocket and threw it over: "This item can be used to contact my young master directly. In the future, Young Master Wei will not need to risk his life to visit. He can discuss matters with my young master in secret."
Wei Heyi took the communication bracelet and nodded, "So, what should we do next?"
Jin Wei coldly replied, "It's simple. Just pretend you've lost to me and then leave."
Wei Heyi understood his meaning and immediately pretended to be outmatched, falling downwards.
Jin Wei followed closely behind.
The two landed one after the other in front of the treasure-hunting delegation's residence.
Wei Heyi clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain: "I concede defeat and take my leave."
Jin Wei remained aloof, sword at his chest, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of onlookers. He declared loudly, "Anyone else who wishes to challenge me? Come and fight me in the heavens! I, Jin Wei, will gladly oblige!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Wei took off again.
The crowd fell silent, watching Jin Wei's retreating figure. It wasn't that cultivators in the Food Calamity Realm couldn't fly; they could catch up as long as they learned flight-related techniques. Even cultivators in the Food Turbidity Realm could fly, but... it was all useless; they couldn't defeat him.
Moreover, the demons and monsters in the sky are particularly powerful, such as the Prison-Controlling Dragon, the Ghost-Headed Phoenix, the Netherworld Ship Monster, and the Mysterious Thunder Demon. Each of them is extremely terrifying and roams the sky, much more ferocious than the demons and monsters on the ground.
Even cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm usually dare not fly to extremely high places easily, lest they inadvertently anger these terrifying beings and suffer annihilation.
However, there are always some self-confident or eager-to-show-off rogue cultivators from the Food Demon Realm.
After a brief hesitation, they resolutely took to the air, following closely in Jin Wei's footsteps.
Meanwhile, Ye Tingxiu was filled with sorrow these past few days.
After returning to the city for a temporary stay, he rushed to the Warm Inn to find his beloved Lan Yue, only to find the room empty and her gone, nowhere to be found.
Ye Tingxiu was extremely anxious, and at one point thought that Lan Yue had met with misfortune, so he was eager to go out and search for her.
Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng determined that the time was ripe, so he handed Ye Tingxiu a farewell letter that Lan Yue had entrusted to him and recounted the events in detail.
Upon learning the details, Ye Tingxiu's emotions were in turmoil, a mixture of anger and grief. While desperately wanting to find Lan Yue, he also harbored deep hatred for Xing Cishu and sought revenge.
However, after reading Lan Yue's farewell letter, Ye Tingxiu both cried and laughed.
Zhou Qingfeng and Xiao Hongyun were curious about the contents of the letter. They took it and read that there was only one line: "Seven years from now, I will be waiting for you at the ancestral home. Don't be late."
In the dimly lit room, Ye Tingxiu sat on the edge of the bed, his calm gaze shifting back and forth between Zhou Qingfeng and Xiao Hongyun. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Old Zhou, Old Xiao, I'm going to settle accounts with Xing Cishu."
Zhou Qingfeng frowned slightly, deeply worried about Ye Tingxiu's current state. After all, they were all in the same boat, and one person's impulsive actions could implicate everyone.
He patted Ye Tingxiu on the shoulder and comforted him, "You once said that brotherhood is in your heart, and I'm returning that to you now."
"If you want revenge, I will definitely help you."
"But revenge also requires strategy and method; acting blindly and impulsively will only lead you into a bigger predicament."
“I know you’re not afraid of death, but you don’t want to drag your brothers down with you, do you?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Seeking revenge would implicate his brothers, but not seeking revenge would be unfair to his beloved. He was in a terrible dilemma.
Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng continued to analyze: "Xing Cishu has reached the Devouring Fiend Realm, making him a master in the army. With Jiang Xun backing him up, he is not someone who can be easily dealt with."
"But if you trust me, I promise I'll kill Xing Cishu and help you get revenge."
Ye Tingxiu looked up at Zhou Qingfeng, his eyes brimming with tears. The tough man couldn't help but choke up at this moment, even though his body was enduring the excruciating pain of breaking the three-word silencing spell, he still wanted to pour out his heart.
"Old Zhou, I want to kill him with my own hands. I want him to experience the most painful torture in the world, to have his tendons pulled out, his skin peeled off, to be cut into a thousand pieces, until his soul is tormented and he slowly walks towards death in despair and pain!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng replied with a resolute look in his eyes: "Alright, Old Ye, I, Zhou Qingfeng, guarantee with the reputation of my Zhou family that I will definitely grant you your wish."
Ye Tingxiu wiped away his tears, stood up, and firmly stated, "Whatever you need me to do, just say the word. I, Ye Tingxiu, will go through fire and water for you!"
Zhou Qingfeng patted Ye Tingxiu's arm: "Rest well first, calm down, and remember your promise to me. You absolutely cannot do anything reckless without my permission."
Ye Tingxiu nodded firmly, indicating that he would definitely not do anything reckless.
Zhou Qingfeng glanced at Xiao Hongyun, then walked out of the room.
Xiao Hongyun understood and followed, walking out the door.
Zhou Qingfeng said, "Spend more time with him when you have nothing to do, take him out for a walk, and help him relax so he doesn't keep thinking about revenge all the time and cause trouble."
Xiao Hongyun nodded slightly: "Understood. I'll keep an eye on him and won't let him mess around."
Zhou Qingfeng hummed in response, his eyes darting around until he saw Jin Wei approaching with his sword slung over his shoulder. He asked, "What is it?"
Jin Wei clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Young Master, as you predicted, a powerful force has indeed secretly sent a representative to discuss cooperation matters today."