Chapter 122: The Clan Leader Is a Traitor?
"I don't know!" the elderly woman's soul form was bound to a pitch black iron pillar, her body restrained by chains forged from a rare metal.
These chains were the same cruel tools once used by the Hall of Souls now ironically employed against the remnants of the Soul Clan.
"You don't know?" Xiao Wu sneered, lashing the soul bound woman with a fearsome soul whip.
"If you can't give me a satisfactory answer today, I'll ensure your soul is utterly destroyed!"
"I really don't know!" the old woman wailed, her voice quivering.
"When the Soul Clan was defeated, I was gravely injured by one of your Xiao Clan's Saints. I barely survived thanks to the Soul Boundary Stone. How could I know anything after that? I went into hiding and didn't dare emerge until now, only to run into one of your Xiao Clan's Half Saints!"
"Half Saint?" Xiao Wu's eyes narrowed, and he cracked the whip again.
"Saint! I meant Saint!" The old woman quickly corrected herself, her tone trembling in fear.
"Better." Xiao Wu's expression eased, but his tone remained icy. "What about Yun Potian? Explain his situation!"
The elderly woman hesitated before responding weakly. "When I was fleeing, I hid the Soul Boundary Stone in an ordinary looking rock. Later, Yun Potian discovered it while wandering the Central Plains and kept it as a curiosity.
"Years later, he suffered severe injuries and passed away while sitting on that stone. In his final moments, he noticed the stone's unusual properties, and his soul fell into it."
"So that's how it is." Xiao Wu nodded slowly. Still, the increasing involvement of his young master with that small sect made him uneasy. As a protector, he needed to monitor this matter closely.
"Do you truly not know where the remaining Soul Clan remnants are?" Xiao Wu's voice turned cold again. "Think carefully once you're no longer useful, I'll deliver you to the Xiao Clan as soul fodder."
At the mention of the Soul Breeding Grounds, the old woman's face turned pale. As a Soul Clan member, she was well aware of the horrors of becoming soul fodder it meant annihilation.
After a long pause, her expression shifted, and she reluctantly provided a clue.
"Back then, a young Saint of your Xiao Clan had an affair with a Soul Clan Saintess. During the Xiao Soul war, he secretly helped her and several of her closest relatives escape."
"What?" Xiao Wu's face darkened in shock. "There was a traitor in the Xiao Clan?"
"Where are those Soul Clan remnants now?" Xiao Wu's tone betrayed his growing interest. If the Soul Saintess was still alive, she would likely have reached Dou Saint by now. Reporting such a discovery could earn him immense merit.
"I don't know." The old woman gave a bitter smile. "After the Saintess fled, I was gravely injured and trapped in the Soul Boundary Stone. I haven't left it since."
"Useless!" Xiao Wu spat, his eyes glinting with calculation. "Do you at least know the name of this Xiao Clan Saint? Tell me, and I might spare your life."
"Do you mean that?" Hope flickered in the old woman's voice.
"You're in no position to bargain." Xiao Wu's tone was cold as ice.
The old woman sighed, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "That Xiao Clan Saint was rather prominent among your Dou Saints back then. His name was... Xiao Shaobei. If he's still alive "
"Shut up!" Xiao Wu barked, his expression instantly becoming complicated.
The old woman recoiled, startled by his outburst.
"Should I even know this?" Xiao Wu muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting.
The Xiao Clan's patriarch had helped a Soul Clan Saintess escape. Was this truly something he should have learned?
What could he possibly do with this knowledge? Return to the clan and be silenced by the patriarch? Or announce it publicly: "Brothers, run! The clan leader is a traitor!"
No matter the choice, the consequences were far beyond his ability to handle.
"No. This secret can't stay with me alone I'm too low level for this!" Xiao Wu shook his head resolutely. "This has to be reported to the Young Master. Only he can bring it to the attention of the clan's ancestors.
"They're the only ones who can suppress the patriarch..."
The weight of the situation made Xiao Wu's head ache.
Within the imperial palace's depths...
Galloping hooves echoed in the moonlit corridors as the stunning and seductive Princess Yao Ye rode atop a silver armored warhorse. However, a strange flush colored her face.
After dismounting with visible exhaustion, she found Xiao Yan standing at her side.
"Princess, your knight is ready to charge into battle. Are you prepared?" Xiao Yan asked, his tone half teasing.
Yao Ye remained silent but nodded slightly.
After a night of fierce "battle," the princess rested in her knight's arms.
"I heard you're leaving the capital in a few days?" Yao Ye murmured.
"Indeed," Xiao Yan replied with a slight nod. "You and Ya Fei must carefully consider the alliance's future. It will rise to dominate the northwest continent.
"While I'm gone, powerful experts will assist you both in managing its affairs. When I return, I hope to greet you as Empress."
He smiled warmly.
Yao Ye chuckled lightly, her enchanting eyes glinting with playfulness. "What a crafty plan you get to build a personal faction while also taking care of your women."
"Princess, being too clever isn't always a good thing," Xiao Yan quipped, playfully pinching her. "Take care of Yanran too. In time, she'll oversee the Yun Lan Sect."
"Breaking off the engagement only to win her over again Xiao Yan, you've got quite the talent," Yao Ye teased. "Though, I doubt Yanran is the only one.
"Tell me, with your means, have you not yet claimed that ethereal Cloud Sect Master?"
"Don't bring it up," Xiao Yan sighed, his expression darkening.
Seeing his reaction, Yao Ye arched an eyebrow in surprise. "She must truly be exceptional."
"I'm done wasting time on her. Let her be." Xiao Yan shook his head dismissively.
For a "scoundrel" like Xiao Yan, no matter how divine a woman seemed, if she remained unattainable, she was no different from a commoner.
Three days later...
Xiao Yan sat atop a rooftop in the starlit night, his expression contemplative.
"At this rate, I might just turn into a furnace cauldron myself..." he murmured, clutching his waist.
As he gazed at the stars, the sky above the imperial capital suddenly cracked open. A spatial rift appeared, alarming the capital's many experts.
Only Xiao Yan grinned as he watched a familiar figure emerge from the rift.
It was Xiao Wen, accompanied by several young figures.
(End of chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10