Chapter 520 — A Forceful Coercion

Emperor Yanfeng was unconcerned. "Brother, do not sow discord between father and daughter. Does Brother Xing An perhaps take an interest in the Heaven Alliance as well?"

Xing An shook his head. "I am interested in a sky three hundred zhang thick. The Heaven Alliance does not interest me."

"Then has Brother Xing An come to kill me?" Shen Mu asked.

Xing An shook his head again. "I did indeed intend to kill Shen the Great Divine Physician. I have suffered loss at your hands again and again — my chest stolen, my whole hoard carried off. I hated you to the bone. But this time, reading in the Tower of Heavenly Records, I saw your Spirit Bridge space-divination model; and these past days I have heard you expound the Dao and the law in the Grand Academy, passing on your sword arts, and in but a few short days creating the Three Primal Spirit Council Formula. Suddenly my desire to kill vanished, and instead a measure of respect for you arose."

His gaze was bright as snow, yet his expression placid, as he looked straight at Shen Mu and said in admiration, "Everyone here is a hero. The divine powers and Daoist arts created in these few days surpass even the advances I have seen in the past several hundred years. I cherish your talents. Keeping you alive will make the world to come exceedingly interesting. I look forward to your growth; hunting you then will be all the more entertaining."

Xu Shenghua, Wang Muran, and the others wore shifting expressions.

Wang Muran said mildly, "Senior Xing An holds himself very high, and takes our lives for things within his palm. Yet at the same realm, you would only be our inferior! Does the senior dare to contend with us at the same realm?"

Xing An's gaze was strange. He shook his head. "There is no need. At the same realm you are still no match for me. Of all present, perhaps only Shen the Great Divine Physician and Xu Shenghua of Shang Cang could contest with me at the same realm. Apart from those two, in all of Jingping there is likely only the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping who could contend with me at the same realm."

Wang Muran's face went white as snow.

The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping was the opponent he had spent his whole life wanting to defeat, to avenge his master. To hear Xing An say that only three could contend with him, and that Wang Muran was not among them, plunged Wang Muran into despair.

Shen Mu, however, was relieved. Xing An, for all his odd quirks and perverse temper, kept his word and had qualities worthy of admiration. He had said he would not strike; so long as he was not truly provoked, he would not strike. His own life was safe.

"Does Brother Xing An wish to go up and take a look at the sky?"

Shen Mu blinked and suggested, "My Grandpa Tu once went up to look. He went in haste, but he saw many formations, and many deities. Brother, your body can never be recovered — those limbs are all lost in Fengdu, and there is nothing in the chest. But there are many gods in the heavens; you could go there and collect a few limbs."

Xing An was unmoved. "I shall go up to look at the heavens sooner or later. But I have not come this time to ascend to the sky; I have come to find a person. The Nether Demon Cult, the Daoist sect, the Buddhist sect, Little Jade Capital, Shang Cang, and the Jingping court besides — your powers are immense, and you are just the ones to help me find this person."

He gave no one a chance to object, and went on, "The person I seek was born seventeen years ago, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, in the zi hour of the chou month of a jiazi year. With your abilities — yours especially, Your Majesty — it should be no trouble to comb through all the people of Jingping and the Western Lands and pick out those born at that hour. Agree to this, and no one in the Grand Academy need die."

He smiled slightly, tore off a piece of fish, soaked it in the wine jar, and put it in his mouth. His face placid, he said, "Otherwise, how many in the whole capital will live — that is hard to say. I will not kill you, but the lives of these scholars of the Grand Academy and the common folk of the capital will depend on your sincerity."

Cold sweat broke out on Emperor Yanfeng's forehead. He said abruptly, "Good! I will help you find everyone in the realm born at that hour! When this is done, I hope Brother Xing An will keep quiet for a while!"

Xing An looked around the circle and smiled. "Apart from the emperor, will no one else do their utmost?"

Shen Mu let out a breath of foul air and said in a low voice, "The Heavenly Sage Cult can also comb the population for Brother Xing An."

Dao Lord Lin Xuan nodded. "My Daoist sect can take charge of matters within the Daoist territories."

Xuanliao the Demon Ape said, "Excellent!"

Xu Shenghua hesitated, then said, "The Western Lands have already been merged into Jingping. As for Shang Cang, I will look into it when I return; whether it can be done remains to be seen."

Xing An clapped his hands and laughed. "Then the matter is much easier. Shen the Great Divine Physician, if you have nothing to do, why not stay by my side and help me regulate my body."

Cold sweat sprang out on Shen Mu's forehead. He said hurriedly, "I have things to do! I still have a great business deal to make!"

Xing An was unbothered. He laughed. "Then it is the same if I stay by your side. Your Majesty, you may withdraw."