Bab 114: Enemies On All Sides
As the Fallen Leaf King's voice faded, Yuan Kuang and Lu Qing gradually began to smile, but Wu Ming's face darkened.
Indeed, the Fallen Leaf King was as bloodthirsty as the legends said.
The Flower Plucking King's trial involved gathering flowers, but the Fallen Leaf King had turned his trial into a deadly game of survival.
Wu Ming regretted not firmly insisting that Zheng Tao keep Mo Qingkuang from coming along on this dangerous venture.
Who could have predicted that the Fallen Leaf King would be so playful, declaring that whoever killed Mo Qingkuang would inherit his legacy?
There were hundreds of people present, many with cultivation levels higher than Mo Qingkuang's. Among them were two geniuses of Chen Kong's caliber!
"All members of the Imperial Academy, protect Mo Qingkuang at all costs!" Only those under twenty could enter the Fallen Leaf King's tomb, so Wu Ming could only order the disciples of the Imperial Academy to safeguard Mo Qingkuang.
If he tried to force his way in, not only would he have to face the Fallen Leaf King's challenge, but even Yuan Kuang and Lu Qing wouldn't let him break the rules.
"Kid, you're on your own now," Wu Ming sighed inwardly, turning to Chen Kong with a serious expression. "Chen Kong, you must ensure Mo Qingkuang's safety!"
"I will do my best!" Chen Kong nodded, then addressed the other Imperial Academy disciples. "Everyone, Mo Qingkuang is one of us! He is this year's top martial arts scholar and a hero of the empire. I know some of you have issues with him but let me make this clear: within the academy, you can fight all you want, but outside, we are all on the same side!"
"If anyone tries to undermine him, I, Chen Kong, will be the first to deal with them!" He cast a pointed glance at Li Sheng, who was at the front of the group.
With that, Chen Kong was the first to charge into the black hole at the entrance. The other Imperial Academy disciples followed, one after another.
Han Yan finally reacted, feeling utterly desolate as she looked at the dark black hole.
Mo Qingkuang was only a fourth-ranked martial master. Among the elite disciples from various sects present, there were at least eighty to a hundred who surpassed him in cultivation! There were even two grandmaster-realm individuals. No matter how fast Mo Qingkuang was, his chances of survival were slim.
"Ninth Princess, you shouldn't go in," Wu Ming knew of Han Yan's feelings for Mo Qingkuang. His journey was akin to dancing on the edge of a knife, with the slightest misstep leading to death.
Han Yan's presence would not only distract Mo Qingkuang but might also cause unnecessary conflicts.
Wu Ming had seen too many young people willing to die for each other.
"..."
Han Yan remained silent. She wasn't a fool and understood Wu Ming's concerns. She ultimately decided not to go in and cause more trouble.
In her heart, she resolved that if Mo Qingkuang died, she would live a life of purity and avenge him at all costs.
If Mo Qingkuang returned alive, what harm would there be in unveiling herself to him?
The Yuan Sword Sect couldn't stay idle. Lu Qing immediately commanded, "Yuan Sword Sect disciples, whoever kills Mo Qingkuang will be promoted! Outer disciples will become inner disciples, and inner disciples will become personal disciples!"
Excited by Lu Qing's promises, the Yuan Sword Sect disciples roared enthusiastically. The lead disciple charged forward, leading nearly a hundred disciples towards the Fallen Leaf King's tomb.
Among them, Lin Yang and Chu Yanran felt only bitterness.
Mo Qingkuang was now so highly regarded, even more so than Lin Yang. Many must be saying behind Chu Yanran's back that she had made a poor choice.
Gritting their teeth, they followed the others into the tomb.
Wu Ming's eyes burned with anger as he watched Lu Qing, but he could do nothing.
The Yuan Sword Sect had a deep grudge against Mo Qingkuang, wanting nothing more than to kill him. However, due to the Imperial Academy's protection and the sect's unwillingness to openly defy the court, they hadn't made a move.
Now, with the Fallen Leaf King's decree, the Yuan Sword Sect would go after Mo Qingkuang, even if they didn't care about the legacy.
To become a personal disciple of the Yuan Sword Sect was no small matter. Only the sect leader and elders could have personal disciples.
And the elders of the Yuan Sword Sect were at least at the Martial King level!
The Yuan Sword Sect's willingness to offer such rewards showed how deeply they hated Mo Qingkuang.
On the other hand, the Tiandao Sect didn't have such deep-seated animosity towards Mo Qingkuang. In fact, there was a longstanding enmity between the Tiandao Sect and the Yuan Sword Sect.
If it weren't for the rules of the Fallen Leaf King's game, they wouldn't want to get involved in the conflict between these two. Unfortunately, the winds wouldn't stop even if the trees wished to remain still.
"Marquis Ying, apologies," Yuan Kuang said, gripping his sword and saluting Wu Ming.
Behind him, a group of disciples from the Tiandao Sect, led by a young man in red, entered the Fallen Leaf King's tomb.
Wu Ming closed his eyes helplessly. The major sects wouldn't let go of this opportunity for the sake of the court's face. Even at the height of the Tianxuan Empire's power, it couldn't achieve that.
This Mo Qingkuang, wherever he went, seemed to attract extreme hostility. In the past, people wanted to beat him up; now, it seemed the whole world wanted him dead.
Seeing the disciples of the three major forces enter the tomb, the disciples of the smaller sects began to leisurely walk toward the entrance.
These were the leftovers, the ones picked over by the major sects.
Those with real talent had been chosen by the four major sects, and the rest had gone to the capital for the martial examination.
These remaining individuals had little potential, except for some who were internal disciples of their sects.
Moreover, their sects couldn't afford to provoke the mighty Imperial Academy. Even if these people managed to kill Mo Qingkuang by chance, they would eventually face the Academy's retaliation.
Thus, they weren't aiming for any major treasures. They just hoped to follow behind and perhaps pick up some scraps, which would still be a considerable opportunity.
As for the so-called 'Fallen Leaf Compendium,' they didn't even dare to dream of it.
Of course, wherever there were people, there was the Dazhi Gate. The Dazhi Gate resembled an intelligence organization more than a sect.
It had branches in all five regions, recruiting countless disciples to gather information. They didn't have high requirements for talent; attention to detail and eloquence were enough.
This time, many disciples from the Dazhi Gate had come, including Zhong Nian from the distant southern province, who had volunteered to personally follow the events of the Fallen Leaf King's tomb.
During the Flower Plucking King's tomb expedition, he had been quite surprised by Mo Qingkuang, who was then going by the alias Kuang Qing.
Zhong Nian hadn't attended the martial examination in the capital but later learned that Kuang Qing was actually Mo Qingkuang, the same person he had told wasn't on the rankings. He had slapped himself ten times hard for this mistake.
It wasn't just because he failed to see through Mo Qingkuang's disguise, but because his intelligence analysis had been inaccurate. He hadn't discovered Mo Qingkuang's faked death, and even more humiliatingly, he had told Mo Qingkuang to his face that he wasn't on the rankings. Remembering this still made his face burn.
The Fallen Leaf King's game rules were incredibly thrilling. Being chased by hundreds of people, Mo Qingkuang would surely make big news.
Yet, Zhong Nian had a strange feeling in his heart. He couldn't shake the sense that Mo Qingkuang would create a miracle.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone