"Tanhua Qi, I recall you once saying that if anyone dares to touch the family of our Nine Heavens, we will repay them many times over. This rule wouldn't just vanish simply because we ran into some confidante of the Second Prince, would it?" Lianshan Xin asked pointedly.
This was indeed something he was concerned about.
After all, having lived two lifetimes, Lianshan Xin had shed his naivety long ago. He knew that when ordinary people crossed a red line, the ordinary people ceased to exist. But when certain people crossed a red line, the red line ceased to exist.
Who knew whether the Nine Heavens member's family killed by the former Demon Cult back then had some imperial relative backing them?
It was hard to say.
Fortunately, Qi Shiyun put his mind at ease. "She is not worthy."
*That's only because you don't know her parentage,* Lianshan Xin thought to himself.
*Still, I won't be able to keep it from you for long.*
*Tanhua Qi, my angel investor, let me, this Chosen Son of Heaven, provide the final nourishment you need to break through into the Domain realm.*
Lianshan Xin felt he was truly far too diligent in repaying kindness.
"What do Miss Zhuo and Brother Tian think?" Lianshan Xin continued to ask.
Their answer would determine whether the two of them were willing to stand in the same boat with him.
Zhuo Biyu said in a low voice, "Zeng Ningbing deserves death. The Golden Scale Alliance needn't be implicated."
Tian Ji nodded. "I agree. Of course, it all depends on what you want, brother. If you truly wish to vent your wrath on the Golden Scale Alliance... naturally, I stand with you. Nine Heavens has always advanced and retreated as one. Especially in matters like this, we will never leave you to shoulder it alone."
Truth be told, Lianshan Xin was somewhat surprised by their attitudes.
Nine Heavens' protection of their own was now proving to be far beyond his imagination.
This gave Lianshan Xin an even stronger sense of belonging to Nine Heavens.
"Since Miss Zhuo and Brother Tian have given me face, I must naturally return the courtesy," Lianshan Xin said magnanimously. "This matter ends with Zeng Ningbing. It's clear from the letter that both the Golden Scale Alliance and the Second Prince were kept in the dark. I certainly won't make an issue of it."
Both Zhuo Biyu and Tian Ji breathed a sigh of relief.
Internally, Lianshan Xin breathed a sigh of relief as well.
As his angel investor, Qi Shiyun went without saying—Lianshan Xin naturally wanted to tie himself to her completely.
Zhuo Biyu and Tian Ji were hardly lesser figures: one was the successor to Heavenly Sword, the other the successor to Heavenly Divination. Both were quasi-young-masters of Nine Heavens, prodigies who stood out among the younger generation anywhere under heaven.
Forging a life-and-death bond with them was, in Lianshan Xin's eyes, a very worthwhile investment.
For this, even if it meant giving up monopolizing the benefits of a princess, Lianshan Xin felt it was well worth it.
After all, multiple sources of intelligence had already confirmed that His Majesty was remarkably prolific.
In Lianshan Xin's mind, a mere princess without official status was nowhere near as valuable as binding three quasi-young-masters of Nine Heavens to all nine branches of his clan.
"Miss Zhuo, Brother Tian, Tanhua Qi, could the three of you strike with me to kill this demonic woman? To be frank, I worry that if I act alone, I'll face retaliation from the Second Prince."
"This matter violates the taboo of everyone in Nine Heavens. I have an inescapable duty."
"As do I."
Both Zhuo Biyu and Tian Ji readily agreed.
"Wait..."
Zeng Ningbing's face turned deathly pale in terror.
"Lianshan Xin, I didn't tell Jiang Haoran to kill your parents! I only told Jiang Haoran to 'look out' for your parents—at most a covert threat to make you back down!"
Zeng Ningbing hurriedly added, "I swear to Heaven, from beginning to end, I never wanted your parents' lives!"
Lianshan Xin gave Zeng Ningbing a genial smile. "If you had intended to kill my parents, I wouldn't be letting the Golden Scale Alliance off. You should count yourself lucky that you didn't take things to the absolute limit. But even when it comes to threatening my parents, that thought shouldn't have crossed your mind in the first place."
The last person who had entertained such a thought was Dai Yueying.
Truth be told, Zeng Ningbing and Dai Yueying truly lived up to being half-sisters bound by blood.
When it came to targeting Lianshan Xin, they had adopted the exact same approach.
And so their endings were identical as well.
"The Second Prince... If you kill me, the Second Prince will never let you off! There's no way you can keep this a secret!" Zeng Ningbing yelled. "And the rest of you—do you really intend to offend the Second Prince?"
Zhuo Biyu sneered. "If Lianshan Xin acted alone, there's a ninety percent chance the Second Prince would retaliate against him. But with me, Tian Ji, and Mad Qi striking together, I don't believe the Second Prince would offend all of us for your sake alone."
With those words, Zhuo Biyu drove a blade into Zeng Ningbing's lower abdomen.
Decisive and ruthless.
"Lianshan Xin, if I run into trouble in the future and you have the power to help, remember that you owe me for this blade."
Ignoring Zeng Ningbing's screams, Zhuo Biyu looked directly at Lianshan Xin.
Lianshan Xin said solemnly, "Through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I will not hesitate."
"Good. I trust you."
Before Zhuo Biyu could even withdraw her weapon, Tian Ji likewise thrust a sword through Zeng Ningbing's chest.
Then he also looked at Lianshan Xin. "Brother, if I run into trouble in the future, I hope you'll draw your sword to help as well."
Lianshan Xin gave the same solemn reply: "Through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I will not hesitate."
Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Qi Shiyun's face.
"I won't stand on ceremony with you. Let's end this fool's life together."
"All right."
Lianshan Xin had no intention of standing on ceremony with Qi Shiyun either.
They struck almost simultaneously.
One pierced the heart.
One slit the throat.
Zeng Ningbing drew her final breath.
Her eyes remained wide open in death.
Yet no one cared.
Tian Ji and Zhuo Biyu withdrew their weapons, only to suddenly notice Qi Shiyun's body trembling.
Her aura was steadily swelling.
"Mad Qi, what's wrong with you?" Zhuo Biyu asked in surprise.
Qi Shiyun's trembling grew even more violent.
Her eyes locked onto Lianshan Xin in disbelief.
Lianshan Xin met Qi Shiyun's gaze with equal disbelief.
"Tanhua Qi... what... what is happening?"
Lianshan Xin's aura was swelling in sync with hers.
Although the four of them had killed Zeng Ningbing together, the ones who took the final blow were him and Qi Shiyun.
Lianshan Xin naturally received half the benefits.
Qi Shiyun's expression was bizarre, caught between tears and laughter.
After exchanging a glance with Lianshan Xin, she looked over at Tian Ji.
Sensing the surging aura emanating from Qi Shiyun, Tian Ji met her gaze, and a shadow suddenly fell across his heart.
Subconsciously, he pinched his fingers in divination. Then his face drained of color, his hair stood on end, and he froze as if struck by lightning. "Holy shit!"
By now, Lianshan Xin also finally realized Zeng Ningbing's true identity and let out the exact same reaction as Tian Ji: "Holy shit!"
Zhuo Biyu asked, "? What kind of riddles are you playing at? Am I the only one who doesn't know?"
She felt excluded.
That made her very unhappy.
Lianshan Xin decided to help Miss Zhuo integrate into their little clique, so he took the initiative to strike first, angrily questioning Tian Ji, "Didn't Lord Heavenly Divination divine that the princess possessed an innate internal charm physique? Could Lord Heavenly Divination have divined wrong?"
"My Master could not possibly have divined wrong." Tian Ji strove to defend Heavenly Divination's dignity, not hesitating to disparage His Majesty: "I'm afraid His Majesty is simply too promiscuous."
Zhuo Biyu blinked, and the realization suddenly dawned on her. "Holy shit!"
Chapter 75