Liang Hao, Liu Hongyi and the other Iridescent Clouds Palace cultivators knelt on the ground in shivers. They looked at Su Zimo with fear as sweat filled their palms.
Shen Mengqi stood rooted to the spot and stared blankly at Xu You who died with grievances on the ground with disbelief in her eyes.
Everything had happened too suddenly and Shen Mengqi’s head felt as though it had exploded, buzzing chaotically.
“Su Zimo, h-how dare he?”
“Is he crazy?”
“Did he not think about the consequences?”
Demoness Ji narrowed her gaze and licked her lips.
To be fair, she was the most calm of the people present.
Even though she had not known Su Zimo for long, she could vaguely understand his temperament.
This was a man who looked weak on the outside but had a tiger in his heart, decisive to kill. The moment he made a move, he was like a thunderbolt that would not give anyone a chance to breathe!
Even the fiend heir of Malevolent Earth Sect was killed by him, let alone a mere cultivator of Iridescent Clouds Palace who was yapping incessantly without fear.
“Su Zimo, do you know what you’re doing? Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?”
Shen Mengqi glared at Su Zimo, looking agitated as she questioned loudly.
Su Zimo smiled nonchalantly.
That made Shen Mengqi even angrier. She clenched her fists and shouted, “I didn’t expect you to still be so immature after four years! You’re a cultivator! Even if you can escape, have you ever thought about your brother who will still be in the capital of Yan Country? Have you considered that you would implicate your family?!”
Su Zimo glanced sideways and waved his sleeves.
A golden silk cloth floated over from the table in front of Su Hong. It emitted a faint authority as if the emperor had descended and was inspecting the world.
“The imperial edict!”
Shen Mengqi and the others recognized the origin of that golden silk cloth immediately and were shocked.
The status of the Emperor of Great Zhou was much higher than theirs!
Su Zimo replied indifferently, “My brother has the imperial edict with him. Anyone who dares goes against him is going against the Great Zhou Dynasty, making an enemy of the emperor!”
Everyone from Iridescent Clouds Palace fell silent.
“Furthermore, grudges of the cultivation world should not implicate mortals.”
Pausing for a moment, Su Zimo swept his gaze across everyone from Iridescent Clouds Palace and finally fixed it on Shen Mengqi, saying slowly, “Whoever dares lay a hand on my brother and break the rules first, I’m sorry… I’ll have them pay with blood!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a torrential murderous aura burst out from Su Zimo’s body, almost materializing. It caused everyone’s hearts to tremble.
The temperature in the chamber plummeted!
Liang Hao and the others trembled. They quickly avoided Su Zimo’s gaze, not daring to look him in the eye.
In Shen Mengqi’s eyes, Su Zimo had suddenly become an extremely unfamiliar person – someone that she did not know at all.
This wasn’t a frail scholar. This was clearly a fiendcelestial from hell, a bloodthirsty and violent ancient demon!
That feeling was fleeting, as if it was an illusion.
In the cultivation world, while there was no official rule, many cultivators had a tacit understanding that they would not involve mortals in their grudges.
Shen Mengqi took a deep breath and composed herself before continuing, “Alright, even if your brother is safe, you’ll have to account for killing a disciple of Iridescent Clouds Palace!”
“From now on, you’ll be running away from home, living in fear every day. Is this what you want?”
Su Zimo smiled, looking at Shen Mengqi calmly and asked, “Who said that I’ll be homeless?”
“You still refuse to come to your senses.”
Shen Mengqi looked at Su Zimo in disappointment. “Iridescent Clouds Palace is one of the five major sects in the Great Zhou Dynasty. As long as you’re within the borders of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who can protect you? Which sect will dare take you in? Su Zimo, wake up!”
Piak!
Right then, Su Zimo took out a long badge from his storage bag and tossed it at the table beside him.
“I forgot to mention, I’m a disciple of Ethereal Peak. It’s no big deal killing someone from Iridescent Clouds Palace. Ethereal Peak will naturally protect me.”
Shen Mengqi stared intently at the identity badge on the table. Biting her cherry lips, she stood there in a daze. Everything she was prepared to say could no longer come out of her mouth.
Ethereal Peak.
It had been four years, but Su Zimo had actually joined one of the five major sects as well – Ethereal Peak!
From the moment she saw Su Zimo, Shen Mengqi had been looking down at him condescendingly.
All of a sudden, Shen Mengqi realized that Su Zimo had everything she relied on as well.
Her pride seemed to have turned worthless.
In that four years, the gap between them had not increased. Instead, it shrank.
What comforted Shen Mengqi slightly was that she was still higher than Su Zimo in terms of cultivation realm!
“I’ll be at Ethereal Peak. Whoever wants revenge, come. I’ll take you on.”
Su Zimo’s tone was calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
After a brief silence, Shen Mengqi gave Su Zimo a complicated look. She turned around and said, “Let’s go back to the sect!”
With that, she walked over to Liang Hao and Liu Hongyi, wanting to help them up.
Both of them eyed Su Zimo warily. Seeing that the latter was expressionless and did not object, they endured the pain and stood up.
The group from Iridescent Clouds Palace supported one another and left the King of Yan’s chamber.
A breeze brushed past them and they felt a chill. Unknowingly, all of them had broken out in cold sweat.
It was only when they walked out the door that everyone heaved a sigh of relief – they felt as though they had survived a disaster!
Even though they were all Foundation Establishment Cultivators, for some reason, all of them felt a tightness in their chest against Su Zimo. It was as though there was a menacing pressure that prevented them from breathing.
Shen Mengqi said to everyone from Iridescent Clouds Palace in a low voice, “Leave the palace first. I’ll be right after.”
“Senior Sister Shen, don’t… don’t fight with that Su Zimo anymore? What if… what if…” Liu Hongyi’s heart skipped a beat as he hurried to persuade her.
Everyone else nodded in agreement with fright in their eyes.
It would be fine if Shen Mengqi won. But, if she lost, they were worried that they would be implicated and lose their lives here as well!
“Senior Sister Shen, let him off this time. There will be many opportunities to take his life in the future!” Another person tried to persuade while encouraging Shen Mengqi at the same time.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back. I won’t fight with him,” Shen Mengqi let out a reassuring smile and turned back.
Coming in front of Su Zimo, Shen Mengqi stared at him and said coldly, “Come out. I have some things to say to you.”
With that, Shen Mengqi turned and walked out.
Shen Mengqi’s tone made Su Zimo frown.
“What’s the matter that’s so mysterious that you have to hide it from me?” Demoness Ji’s eyes darted between Su Zimo and Shen Mengqi as she asked meaningfully.
Clang! Clang!
Right then, Su Zimo knocked his fingers on the table.
“If you have anything, you can say it here.”
Su Zimo did not get up as he lowered his eyes and said calmly.
Shen Mengqi stopped in her tracks, back facing Su Zimo. Her expression changed continuously as she grit her teeth and turned around slowly.