Chapter 27: 27 - Hunted

It took a week after their arrival for them to get an audience with Lord Bai, Jiang Tao was one hundred percent certain the man was avoiding them but it was fine. It gave them time to rest and think before confronting the older cultivator.

When the day finally came, the same servant as before, who shook like a leaf at the expressions that adorned their faces led them through the winding corridors of Lord Bai's estate.

As they approached the audience chamber, Jiang Tao exchanged a glance with his companion. Yixing though calm on the surface, couldn’t hide the slight tension in his eyes. They had spoken little of what they were going to do but Tao knew Zhou Yixing meant to get his recompense.

The servant opened the grand double doors, and they stepped inside. Lord Bai was seated on his tacky throne watching them warily as they entered.

Jiang Tao clenched his jaw, his steps deliberate and measured. Beside him, Yixing moved with the grace of a coiled serpent, every muscle tense and ready to strike. The silence in the room was thick, charged with unspoken animosity.

Lord Bai greeted them with a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah, the esteemed Juniors finally grace me with their presence,” he said, his tone dripping with false warmth. “I must apologize for the delay—matters of state, you understand.”

Tao bowed slightly, still maintaining social graces.

Yixing, however, remained upright, his gaze locked onto Lord Bai. The older man shifted uncomfortably under the weight of Yixing’s stare, and a flicker of irritation crossed his face.

Lord Bai cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “Please, sit,” he gestured to the ornate chairs positioned a few steps away from his throne. Neither Jiang Tao nor Yixing moved.

His smile faltered, and a hint of frustration seeped into his expression. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne; the sound echoing faintly in the grand hall.

“I insist,” he repeated, voice tight as if trying to maintain a semblance of control.

Jiang Tao finally spoke, his voice calm but steely. “We prefer to stand, Lord Bai. Our business here will not take long.”

Lord Bai’s eyes narrowed slightly, the mask of cordiality slipping just a bit. He was a man used to deference and obedience, and Jiang Tao’s casual dismissal was a blatant challenge. But it was Yixing’s silence that unnerved him most—the young cultivator’s stillness was too predatory, too focused.

“Very well,” Lord Bai conceded, waving his hand dismissively as if their refusal was of little consequence. “I trust the beast was not too difficult to deal with?"

“It was a wyvern.” Jiang replied.

“Oh!” Lord Bai’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker feigned of surprise crossing his face. “A wyvern, you say? I had assumed it was something more... mundane. I hope it did not cause you too-”

“Silence you black-bellied scum!” Yixing growled. “Don't pretend you were unaware You knew exactly what kind of beast you were sending us to face, and you sent us there to die.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as Yixing’s words echoed off the walls. Lord Bai’s face darkened, his thin veneer of civility cracking under the weight of Yixing’s accusation. The thin smile had disappeared completely, replaced by a deep scowl.

Jiang Tao remained quiet, his gaze steady. He could feel the tension mounting, the air thick with the unsaid. Yixing’s rage was palpable, a storm waiting to break, and Lord Bai’s own anger was simmering beneath his usually composed exterior.

Lord Bai’s voice was a low, dangerous growl. “How dare you come into my home and accuse me of treachery? You should be grateful for the opportunity I provided you, lowly wandering cultivators such as yourselves. You survived, didn’t you?”

Yixing’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white. “Because of you, I had to sacrifice a priceless artifact.”

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Lord Bai’s eyes narrowed further, the hostility between them now almost tangible. “An artifact? You dare to speak of a mere object when your lives were at stake?” His voice was laced with mockery, his patience wearing thin.

Yixing’s face flushed with anger. “To have third-rate trash like you —” he cut himself off “I sacrificed a treasure would beggar this village a thousand times over. I shall have my compensation.”

Lord Bai’s scowl deepened as Yixing’s words hit their mark. The older cultivator’s composure was rapidly deteriorating. His eyes glinted with something dark and dangerous.

“You think you can barge in here, insult me, and demand compensation?” Lord Bai’s voice was a harsh whisper now, barely containing the fury that burned in his eyes. “You are in no position to make demands of me.”

Yixing took a step forward, his stance unwavering. “Don’t delude yourself, I will see you die. I swear upon the heavens should I not have killed Bai Yuxi by sundown may my attainment disperse ”

Lord Bai's face turned ashen, his eyes widening in shock and fear. The weight of Yixing's vow hung heavily in the air, an unspoken threat that made the grand hall feel suddenly smaller, more oppressive.

“You—” Lord Bai began, his voice trembling with a blend of rage and fear. “You dare—”

Jiang Tao took a step forward, placing a calming hand on Yixing’s shoulder. “Yixing,” he whispered so as not to reveal his name, “Let’s not escalate this to the point of bloodshed.”

Yixing’s eyes, still burning with fury, remained locked on Lord Bai. “Too late my cultivation is at stake. He dies today.” His saber flashed into his hands.

Jiang Tao’s heart sank as he saw Yixing’s saber materialize, its blade gleaming ominously in the grand hall’s light. The tension in the room had reached a breaking point, and it was clear they went way past the point of no return.

I guess I deserve this for dragging him into fighting the wyvern. Tao thought grimly. The thought of killing an actual person was daunting. He'd been in a lot of fights but killing felt too extreme. He was curious to know whether it was his modern morals or his natural reluctance.

It seemed their time in black vale village was about to end since they were about to commit regicide.

Bai Yuxi stood from his throne. “You pushed me to this you honorless curs!” He snarled, a talisman appearing in his hands.

Tao acted instinctively dashing towards the older cultivator and kicking his hand before he could activate the talisman.

It skidded across the polished marble floor, coming to rest near the edge of the chamber. Lord Bai’s eyes widened in shock and fury, his face contorted in a snarl. He staggered back, clutching his bruised hand, his anger now a seething storm.

Yixing took that as a signal to escalate the violence as he dashed forward saber aimed at Lord Bai’s neck.

Lord Bai's eyes widened in horror as he saw the blade coming for him. He staggered backward, barely avoiding the initial strike. The clang of metal against metal filled the hall as Yixing's saber met Lord Bai's hastily summoned weapon, a golden scepter.

The older cultivator’s eyes were wild with fear as he struggled to hold his ground against Yixing’s relentless assault.

Jiang Tao knew the outcome was already decided, while Lord Bai was a mid-foundation stage cultivator and Yixing was early foundation stage, his friend held the advantage of the basis of knowing how to actually fight and having a better cultivation base.

As Yixing pressed his attack, Jiang Tao watched with a mix of apprehension and grim determination.

Lord Bai’s scepter clashed with Yixing’s saber, the impact sending sparks flying and reverberating through the grand hall. The older cultivator's movements were frantic, his attempts to fend off Yixing’s strikes growing more desperate.

Oh my god, how can a person suck at fighting this much? He thought looking at the older cultivators' performance. He wondered why he had even granted them an audience. He probably didn't expect actual violence.

With a decisive swing, Yixing’s saber cleaved through the scepter, sending shards of golden metal flying. The blade continued its path, finding its mark. Lord Bai let out a choked cry, his eyes wide with shock and pain as he staggered backward, clutching at the gaping wound on his shoulder.

“Mercy! Please mercy! Spare me! I-Ill lead you to the twilight flame sect! Guards!” he shouted in terror.

The shout for the guards echoed off the grand hall’s walls, but Jiang Tao knew it was unlikely anyone would come in time.

Lord Bai’s plea for mercy was cut short as the saber pierced through his chest. The once-proud lord staggered, his eyes glazed over with disbelief and agony, before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

Yixing stood over the body, his breathing ragged, the fury that had driven him spent with the act of violence. The saber, now slick with blood, was held at his side, his expression satisfied.

"Heh, pathetic. I didn't even have to use any techniques."

Jiang Tao moved cautiously, his mind racing. The weight of what they had done pressed heavily upon him, mingling with his own conflicted feelings. He glanced at Yixing, who was now staring down at Lord Bai's lifeless form with a stony expression.

Then he stood still for a moment, his gaze fixed on Lord Bai’s lifeless body. Morbid fascination filled him as stared at the corpse.

He’s dead. He observed in a detached manner.

“Take his sect plaque,” Yixing said.

Jiang Tao hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, his movements slow and deliberate. He knelt beside Lord Bai’s body, carefully extracting the sect plaque from the fallen lord’s robes.

The plaque was ornate, engraved with intricate symbols and the emblem of the Twilight Flame Sect. Jiang Tao held it up, the dim light of the grand hall reflecting off its polished surface.

The guards stopped short, their faces a mixture of shock and horror. They quickly assessed the scene—Yixing’s bloody saber and Jiang Tao standing over his lifeless body holding his sect plaque—and their expressions shifted to grim determination.

“S-stand down!” one guard shouted, his voice trembling with fear. “Or face the consequences!”

Yixing looked at Tao, silently questioning their next move. He could sense the tension in the room, the guards' indecision creating a dangerous edge.

Jiang Tao's grip tightened around the plaque. “We’re leaving,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “We have what we came for. If any of you try to stop us, you will join your lord.”