Chapter 941: Back Against the Wall/Backed into a Corner

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“First is a show of strength to unsettle the mind, second is baiting to get every guard out of the jail and give me time to rescue him. The whole guards throughout the city will be drawn as well, making our escape all the much easier…”

“The plan does sound solid, but will they fall for it so easily?”

“Shangguan Yulin hates Shangguan Clan Head to the marrow, thus making Shangguan Yulin detonate himself in his face and with you raiding the manor, his mind will jump to conclusions I wanted out of rage. He’ll believe beyond any shadow of a doubt that Clan Head is behind this. While I’ll also scare the guards with this attack, making them feel safe only around Shangguan Feiyun, thus leaving the jail free to rescue him.”

“This plan has a very good chance of duping Shangguan Feiyun, but that might not go the same for the wisest man in the empire, Baili Jingwei.”

“His reputation precedes him and it’s guaranteed he’ll see through it. But no matter how shrewd he is, he has one glaring flaw I can exploit.”

“What?”

“Untold greed, ha-ha-ha. Though it’s not really a glaring weakness, since any highly skilled manipulator will feel greater desire in always wanting things to go his way. The Pill King Convention is the perfect example. He knew where all of you were hiding and laid a bait for the perfect trap to catch all of you. He is a man with a clear objective and great patience. So no matter what doubts he might have about anything, he won’t act on them, but instead seek to outdo me in the same field by using this alluring bait. In that case, we should outdo him as well by following his plan of saving young Sanzi from the manor.”

“Then what?”

“Hunting me down to the ends of the world. I reckon they’d catch up in an hour of two. Escaping again will be even harder.”

“Won’t they just kill you?”

“Yeah, only with death staring you in the face will you see the light of tomorrow. This is the only way for the two of us to escape Baili Jingwei’s hunt and leave the central area. Shangguan Clan Head should just forget about it since I have my own plans…”

Boom~

Heavy rumbling came from afar, with a cloud of dust rising in the horizon, so high it covered the sun and the blue sky.

Shangguan Feixiong’s team was hovering high in the air. As he recalled Zhuo Fan’s foolproof plan back in the cave, his eyes were fixed on the source of those loud sounds, his gaze heavy. 

He sighed, “Everything went exactly as the kid speculated. Baili Jingwei and the other two went after the kid to catch him.”

“He’s got valor and smarts, anticipating the enemy’s moves, even Baili Jingwei.” One venerable shook his head in worry, “Just what could the kid do to escape from two Sword Kings and a Prime Minister?”

The rest wore heavy frowns, “Yeah, what can he do? There were so many of us and not even we could save anyone from the two Sword Kings.”

“There’s no point worrying. He said he had a way and that’s that.” Shangguan Feixiong sighed, “It’s quite amazing how everyone started caring about him in just a few days, ha-ha-ha…”

One venerable huffed, “Who is? We’re only lamenting the death of such a genius. And who are we going to take it out on if he dies without giving us the sword?”

“Ha-ha-ha, Venerable can relax in this case. He said back in the cave that he’ll hand it over once he escapes with his son. I had already sent men over to wait. Once Baili Jingwei and the others leave, we’ll look for the kid to hand it over.”

“Feixiong, are you just going to believe his words? He’s too cunning!” Another venerable chuckled.

Shangguan Feixiong showed a look of glee, nodding determined, “I do, because he swore on his son. I don’t believe any parent would toy with their children. He will keep his word.”

The others shook and nodded.

“And if he dies? There’s a chance his plan will fall through.”

“He’ll still leave us with a trail so we can find the divine sword.” Shangguan Feixiong looked at the disturbance once more with shaky eyes, “Even if they die, he’ll keep his words, only wishing to give the two of them proper burial, to give his son his blessing…”

The men looked at the Clan Head and then nodded in silence.

Gu Yifan’s mind was more twisted than a gnarled root, but one thing they could all swear on was his undying love for his son… 

Hum~

Shangguan Feiyun’s fourth sword unleashed a terrible aura, making the air shimmer around it. Zhuo Fan stared back with a grin, in utter calm. As he waited, he chuckled at some point, closing his eyes and resigning himself to fate.

It was done without an ounce of regret, welcoming the end with a free heart…

With no hope of the two lovers getting back together, with enemies too strong to be overcome, nothing could ever get him out of such a hopeless situation. Zhuo Fan had carried so much weight inside him these past years, coming to bear too much alone. Even with the faint glimmer of hope presented to him, it felt always out of reach, always unattainable.

The stress and grief had eaten away at his mind for such a long time. It was a recipe for disaster, avoiding insanity only because he trained the True Self Art to center himself.

The deeper the love, the heavier the wound. He now came to see why love was forbidden to demonic cultivators, for one man alone might never escape its torment.

He found being in a situation where another was giving him a mercy killing was a fit ending. He should’ve died ages ago…

Showing a smile only he understood, Zhuo Fan welcomed the end.

Hum~

Shangguan Feiyun’s sword rang constantly, aimed squarely at Zhuo Fan’s head. As the bloodthirst in his eyes focused, the devastating sword was released. Zhuo Fan could feel its terror but all he had for it was a faint smile…

Shangguan Feiyun’s fingers did not finish cutting the air and sending the sword, as they were caught mid-move by a tight hand. 

Shangguan Feiyun spoke in a chilling tone, “Brother Dan, what are you doing?”

Baili Jingwei was taken aback.

“I just think we should save it for after we find the Soaring Sword.” Danqing Shen’s beard swished as he spoke.

Shangguan Feiyun huffed, “With his character, there’s no way he’ll say anything. And is this a time to think about the Soaring Sword? He has now become a far greater danger than the sword’s value. He has to die, right, Prime Minister?”

Baili Jingwei nodded after a pause, “Soaring Sword is missing and the Patriarch will at most feel a longing for a lost toy. What we can’t allow however, is to permit anything that might endanger his life. The moment I saw the kid release the black flame, I was even more sure that he must die.”

“It’s clear to anyone here that it must be so, but wouldn’t it be better to have it both ways?”

Danqing Shen nodded and turned to the unmoving Zhuo, “Gu Yifan, you heard it. Today’s your funeral and you can’t take the Soaring Sword where you’re going. I am willing to fulfill your last wish, your will. You’ve come from the western lands and have been in the central area for a year now. You should understand that I hardly make promises, but when I do, I always keep them. Now tell me your dying wish.”

Zhuo Fan looked him in the eye with a smile, “Ha-ha-ha, let my son go!”

“Impossible!”

Baili Jingwei denied it on the spot, “Gu Yifan, you yourself said something about weeding out the remains. We’ll never allow this threat to live!”

Zhuo Fan chuckled, “Then there’s nothing else…”

“Damn rotten dying brat! Since you love death so much, have it all!” Shangguan Feiyun’s fingers cut the air again.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes lit up and waved him off, “Hold up, there is one other, however. It just came to me…”

“Then go ahead, say it!” Danqing Shen frowned.

Looking from him to Shangguan Feiyun, Zhuo Fan smirked, “I only wish for Dragon Cleaving Sword King to be the one ending me.”

“Why?”

“I’d hate to see Shangguan Feiyun happy. Three times he failed to kill me and I’d rather not have his fourth sword touch a hair on me. Let this Sword King carry the shame with him always, ha-ha-ha…” Zhuo Fan cackled.

Shangguan Feiyun’s face twitched and roared, his fingers finishing the move, “Goddamned bastard! I’ll frickin’ kill you!”

“Wait!”

Baili Jingwei stopped him, turning to Zhuo Fan with a sharp gaze, “Alright, we agree!”

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