Chapter 643: Guilty of The Same Crime
Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: - -
Although the Royal Sacred Sect had many factions, they didn’t interfere with each others matters. Rather than to say they were a sect, it would be better to say that they were an alliance.
This point was clearly understood by all the factions within the Sect. The Core Faction were the masters of the Royal Sacred Sect, while the other factions were their servants. If they were truly a sect instead of an alliance, that elder surnamed Li wouldn’t have needed to invite Qin Wentian to join the Core Faction.
In this alliance, the Core Faction was the leading faction. They were the strongest, irreplaceable faction. In the history of the Royal Sacred Sect, there had been cases of other factions being replaced before. Those factions that were too weak would simply be eliminated and kicked out. They didn’t have the qualifications to remain in the Royal Sacred Sect.
As for the Royal Sacred Sect, naturally there would be times where they needed the various factions. But the ancestor didn’t really touch much on that.
He too was very saddened by Quinn’s death. But if they rebelled, he knew that an unprecedented calamity involving the lives of all their members of the Battle Sword Sect would descend upon them.
Right now, they could only endure and bear with this agony. Zai Qiu slew a genius of their Faction, but they couldn’t do anything to him. In addition to that, from now onwards, the Core Faction might always be wary towards them.
Regarding all of this, Qin Wentian had no idea at all. Right now he was on his way back to the Sacred Royal City. As to why he took so long to return, it was because no one led the way. He had to traverse the vast Illusion Mountains for a few days before he exited the mountain range. The immortal palace was somewhere inside it, and was exceedingly hard to locate. Comparatively, it was much easier to exit rather than entering. The immortal palace was too small compared to the outside world. And as long as one was outside the immortal palace, they just had to head straight in a direction and they would find their way out sooner or later.
Qin Wentian’s heart was set on speeding home, and his speed was extremely quick. Outside the city gates of the Sacred Royal City, there was an extremely beautiful silhouette standing there with her eyes staring at the far off distance as though waiting for someone to return.
Behind this flawless maiden, there were several silhouettes. These were all maidens of the Medicine Sovereign Sect, and they all exuded an extraordinary aura that caused the gazes of people to be constantly drawn in their direction.
"Who is the Holy Maiden of the Medicine Sovereign Valley waiting for? She has already been standing there for more than two days." Many felt taken aback by the sight. This flawlessly beautiful maiden had stood there day and night motionlessly for the past few days.
"The only person that could cause the Holy Maiden to wait, other than the top ranker of the Immortal Martial Realm Qin Wentian, who else could it be?" Someone laughed. However, no one knew why would Mo Qingcheng would wait at this place for Qin Wentian. Right now, roughly about a year had already passed since the Immortal Martial Realm concluded, but Qin Wentian’s name was still fresh in topics of discussion among the crowd. He slew Di Shi on the Sacred Battle Platform and fought against supreme-tiered Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns. Even the era-suppressing genius Fan Miaoyu, who was at the peak of Heavenly Dipper, had conceded to him. However after that, when the Core Faction of the Royal Sacred Sect issued an invitation to him, Qin Wentian seemed to have vanished without a trace. Maybe, he entered some secretive realms or went far away.
"If the Holy Maiden would long for me so much, I would even be willing to die." Someone in the crowd sighed.
Actually, Mo Qingcheng had no choice but to wait for Qin Wentian here. If Qin Wentian returned, he should be returning via this direction. The Royal Sacred Region was too vast, if she chose to wait for him elsewhere, she might miss him. She knew of Quinn’s death and she knew that Qin Wentian had a very high probability of being in danger as well. Hence, she could only personally wait for him here. If the Royal Sacred Sect directly acted against Qin Wentian, they could only choose to fall out with them directly.
After another day passed by, the unending streams of people continued. Mo Qingcheng’s gaze had never left the entrance of the city. Not only here, there were quite a few scouts from the Battle Sword Sect stationed here as well.
Back then, the act of Quinn and Qin Wentian saving Fan Miaoyu caused Zai Qiu to kill Quinn out of hatred. The Battle Sword Faction was helpless, they couldn’t avenge Quinn. Zai Qiu’s surname was Zai, the surname of the Sacred Emperor. His status wasn’t simply someone of the Core Faction, he was also one of the direct descendents of the Sacred Emperor.
Those surnamed Zai would usually hold high positions in the Royal Sacred Sect and possessed special privileges. If his surname wasn’t Zai, Zai Qiu wouldn’t have dared to be so brazen, acting first without seeking approval. It was because he knew that nobody dared to touch him. Not even the Battle Sword Faction, unless the Battle Sword Faction wanted to use the lives of everyone in their sect to gamble for Zai Qiu’s life.
Right now, not far from the Sacred Royal City, Qin Wentian was soaring on a sword formed of his sword Qi, speeding forward with blinding speed. His white robes fluttered and his hair danced in the wind. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, and eyes filled with spirit set in his handsome countenance contained hints of confidence and being at ease. After this journey into the immortal palace, his combat strength was already at the very peak of Heavenly Dipper.
Not so long ago, Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns were unreachable existences to him. But now, he was already about to prepare for his breakthrough to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. Time that flowed by when he was cultivating was simply akin to a dream.
The ancient city soon entered his vision, and right now, Qin Wentian’s expression stiffened slightly before a radiant smile appeared on his lips. Staring at that flawlessly beautiful woman waiting for him, Qin Wentian’s heart filled with warmth. He had his heart set on speeding home, but wasn’t Qingcheng also constantly thinking of him? Right now she was actually waiting outside the Sacred Royal City for him to return.
"Qingcheng." Qin Wentian’s speed grew even quicker. He transformed into a beam of light and instantly landed beside Mo Qingcheng. Gazing at her, his eyes were filled with warmth and gentleness.
"Wentian." Mo Qingcheng held on to Qin Wentian’s hand as her head leaned against his chest. After a moment, she pulled away as a mesmerizing smile appeared on her face.
"I’m back," Qin Wentian softly replied. This separation had lasted for more than half a year. Qin Wentian’s heart was filled with guilt; Mo Qingcheng was his woman, yet it seemed that they spent more time apart rather than together.
"Mhm," Mo Qingcheng nodded her head.
"Let’s return to the Royal Sacred Sect first." Qin Wentian smiled. However, soon after, he saw Mo Qingcheng’s countenance drastically change. Qin Wentian involuntarily inquired, "What’s wrong?"
"Wentian, accompany me to the Medicine Sovereign Valley okay?" Mo Qingcheng’s gaze was like water as she stared at Qin Wentian.
"Qingcheng, what happened exactly?" A feeling of unrest appeared in Qin Wentian’s heart.
He only saw Mo Qingcheng lower her head and sigh, "Quinn is dead. He was jointly killed by Zai Qiu and the others from the Core Faction in the Royal Sacred Sect. I heard that Quinn and you have both offended Zai Qiu."
"Quinn is dead?" Qin Wentian felt his heart convulse violently as he turned pale. "He was killed by Zai Qiu in the Royal Sacred Sect?"
Although Qin Wentian and Quinn hadn’t interact much before, Qin Wentian truly took a liking to Quinn’s personality. Quinn was direct, honest, and uninhibited, he believed that they would definitely become very good friends in the future. This time around after returning to the Royal Sacred Sect, he initially still wanted to drink a few cups of wine with Quinn. Yet now Mo Qingcheng actually told him that Quinn was already dead, and that he was killed by Zai Qiu.
The joy he felt upon returning instantly turned into nothingness. What remained behind was only pure red-hot anger, as well as an ice cold heart.
"Qingcheng, tell me the details." Qin Wentian felt a stabbing pain in his heart. Although his cultivation base would soon breakthrough to Celestial Phenomenon and he had an incomparably strong heart, he still had no way to calmly view the deaths of those around him. He had no way to maintain a heart state as still as water, he had no way to achieve the ice-cold heartlessness.
Mo Qingcheng told everything she knew regarding Quinn’s death to Qin Wentian. Even the words spoken by the ancestor of the Battle Sword Sect were included in it. Qin Wentian’s fists were tightly clenched when he heard that, and he felt a flame of vengeance burning in his heart.
Because he was surnamed Zai, sharing the surname of the Sacred Emperor, he could act in such a tyrannical manner, disregarding everything else?
Because he was surnamed Zai, Zai Qiu could kill a Heaven Chosen from the Battle Sword Faction in public and pinned a groundless crime onto Quinn?
Because he was surnamed Zai, he could take their lives away any time because back then, he and Quinn chose to save Fan Miaoyu?
His relationship with Fan Miaoyu was better so when in times of danger, he would naturally chose to save Fan Miaoyu. Sun Qing died, so they had to die together with him?
What nonsense was this. Qin Wentian was so enraged that his body trembled involuntarily as a glacial killing intent radiated out from him.
Since Quinn was already dead, would the next one to die be him, Qin Wentian?
"Qingcheng, we will return to the Royal Sacred Sect," Qin Wentian spoke, his words causing Mo Qingcheng’s expression to stiffen slightly. After which, Qin Wentian stated again, "I’m afraid there are already spies monitoring our movements. In such a scenario, if he wished to kill me, wouldn’t it easier for him to pin the crime on me if I tried to escape? We might as well return openly to the Royal Sacred Sect."
"Mhm." Mo Qingcheng nodded her head, yet she was still very worried in her heart. The two of them turned and soared into the skies, Mo Qingcheng was tightly holding on to Qin Wentian’s hand, as though she was afraid of losing him. Such a scene engendered envy in the hearts of countless people who were watching. What a match made in heaven. Right now, they still didn’t know of the incoming storm which Qin Wentian would soon face.
On the way back to the Royal Sacred Sect, there were people sneakily following them from behind. But nobody acted during their journey back.
....
In the Royal Sacred Sect, where the palace of the Battle Sword Faction was, the news of Qin Wentian’s return instantly caused a commotion. This had nothing to do with Qin Wentian’s position, the only reason was because Quinn’s death made Qin Wentian’s status overly sensitive. There were countless pairs of eyes watching him, they all wanted to see what Zai Qiu would do next. Would he pin the crime of Quinn onto Qin Wentian as well, and slaughter him right after?
"You shouldn’t have returned." The voice of the ancestor of the Battle Sword Sect drifted into Qin Wentian’s ear. And after the voice rang out, whistling sounds could be heard as a row of figures appeared. These new arrivals were none other than members of the Core Faction of the Royal Sacred Sect.
"Qin Wentian." The person in the lead of those new arrivals stood in the air. He was Xia Sheng, he stared at Qin Wentian and spoke, "Earlier in our trip into the immortal palace, you disobeyed orders, causing the death of Sun Qing. After which, you tried to implicate a member of the Royal Sacred Sect to her death by luring a buried immortal to her. I hereby command you to head over to the Core Faction and beg forgiveness from junior sister Shang. Nobody can shield you and if you try to escape because you are guilty, you will be killed with no mercy."
After speaking, Zai Qiu brought the others and left after leaving this statement. Those of the Battle Sword Faction all had intense cold gleams in their eyes upon hearing the words of Xia Sheng.
How excellent, Zai Qiu didn’t need another excuse, he didn’t need to sneak around to accomplish his objectives. He used the same method before, summoning Quinn to the Core Faction, pinning the blame on him and killed him. He was so arrogant that he even said that if Qin Wentian tried to escape, it would be taken as a sign of guilt and he would be slain with no mercy.
This was the most direct method.
Since Quinn was already slain, Qin Wentian must die as well because he was guilty of the same crime. Who could say anything to refute that?
And as for escaping now, it was highly probable that the moment Qin Wentian set foot into this place, it was already nigh impossible for him to leave!