AZI Volume 6 Chapter 27.5 Intermission – I Want You To Die!
It didn't take very long for the death of General Li's son to spread.
And a single day later, wanted posters with Cuo Qing Yi's name, description, and portrait were pasted throughout the walls and news boards of the capital.
"…"
Walking down the streets, Cuo Qing Yi—dressed in torn robes with a bamboo hat over his head, heads for the capital's southern gates.
The injuries received from the white-robed young man—who was a disciple of the Radiant Sword Sect, have been healed after consuming a pill that was stored inside of the former's storage pouch.
"…"
With the southern gates in sight, Cuo Qing Yi frowns.
Due to how recent surnamed Li's death had been, security throughout the four gates of the capital were rather tight.
That being said, anyone who wished to head outside had to have their faces examined in detail by the sentries.
"Next!"
"…"
Knowing that he would be forced to have his face examined, Cuo Qing Yi had covered his face in a thin layer of dirt ahead of time, while the robes that he is currently wearing were obtained from a random beggar.
"Next!"
Upon the arrival of his turn, Cuo Qing Yi walks in front of the sentry, and raises his dirt-covered face.
"Hmm."
Seeing the beggar's rags that Cuo Qing Yi is wearing, the sentry didn't raise an eye at the former's dirt-covered face, but instead chose to stare at the former for a greater duration.
"…"
Maintaining a calm expression on the outside, Cuo Qing Yi swallows his spit subtly, while a few beads of sweat form over his forehead.
Eventually—
"Next!"
Following the sentry's shout, Cuo Qing Yi exhales subtly, and continues to move along.
And upon taking five steps—
*…!!!* a heavy gale of wind howls, and all eyes turn towards an elderly figure—who is dressed in white robes, and is currently resting his feet on a sword.
"I-Immortal…!"
Realizing the elderly figure to be a practitioner, several mortals dropped onto their knees.
"…"
Ignoring the mortals' reactions, the elderly figure narrows his eyes at Cuo Qing Yi, and remarks—
"I sense traces of my disciple's blood on you."
"…"
Taking one step back, Cuo Qing Yi grinds his teeth together.
"…"
Just as the white-robed elder raises his right hand, Cuo Qing Yi makes preparations to leap back, and in the next instance—
*Boom!* barely dodging the spirit Qi handprint, Cuo Qing Yi uses the dust clouds to his advantage, as he dashes pass the sentries!
"Hmph!"
Raising a cold snort, the white-robed elder waves his hand—ripping the dust clouds apart, and proceeds to throw out another spirit Qi handprint!
"…!"
Pulling the white flute out of his clothes, Cuo Qing Yi directs it at the incoming handprint, and—
*Boom!!!*
"Uh…!"
As dark mist erupts from the white flute, they pierce through the spirit Qi handprint—dampening its momentum, prior to closing in on the white-robed elder.
"A magic treasure of the demonic nature?"
Muttering this, the white-robed elder presses his hand forward, and clashes with the dark mist directly!
"Huh…?!"
Widening his eyes, the white-robed elder quickly backs away from the dark mist.
While in the same instance, Cuo Qing Yi had created a great deal of distance between the white-robed elder and himself.
Enduring the pain that is emanating from his right hand, the white-robed elder controls the flying sword to close the distance!
"Tch!"
Clicking his tongue, Cuo Qing Yi presses the flute to his lips, and blows into it—causing a dense volume of dark mist to erupt from the instrument!
(I want that old fart dead!)
Focusing on this thought, Cuo Qing Yi continues to play the flute, and influenced by his hostile thoughts, the dark mist lunges at the white-robed elder!
"Dammit!"
Cursing aloud, the white-robed elder controls the sword beneath his feet to evade.
In terms of cultivation base, the white-robed elder is only at the Foundation Establishment realm. That being the case, flight isn't something that he can maintain for very long.
And making the matter worse, he had rushed over to the capital of the Danqing Empire in a hurry—meaning his spirit Qi reserve was already low to begin with.
Taking aim at Cuo Qing Yi—
"Die!"
The white-robed elder throws out another spirit Qi handprint.
*Boom!!!* thrown into the air by the blast, Cuo Qing Yi's eyes turn bloodshot, as he continues to play the flute.
And fueling the white flute with a greater degree of killing intent, the dark mist rears its head like a serpent, and lunges itself at the white-robed elder!
"Tch!"
Clicking his tongue loudly, the white-robed elder controls the sword to evade once more.
However, as if it were a living creature, the dark mist continues to give chase in a persistent manner.
"…!"
Gradually, panic appears on the white-robed elder's face, as his spirit Qi reserves begin to dry up.
"…"
Glaring at the white-robed elder, Cuo Qing Yi continues to play the flute, and—
(Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Just die already!)
*Boom!!!* closing in on the white-robed elder once more, the dark mist explodes into numerous serpentine tendrils—forming a colossal web around the former!
"This…-?!"
As the web of dark mist closes in, the white-robed elder's complexion turns pale, and—
"Aaaaaaahhh!!!"
Almost as soon as the dark mist comes into contact with his body, the white-robed elder raises a scream of agony, and much like his disciple—
*Boom!!!* his body explodes into a haze of blood!
"…"
Lowering the white flute, Cuo Qing Yi gasps for air, as sweat covers his face.
And a second later, the white-robed elder's storage pouch lands.
Walking over to the storage pouch, Cuo Qing Yi picks it up, and upon straightening his back—
*Shu…!* an arrow flies in from the distance, and ends up impaling his left shoulder—throwing him onto the ground.
"Ah!"
Raising a pained cry, Cuo Qing Yi looks into the distance, where a pack of soldiers on horseback are approaching.
Leading the soldiers at the forefront, while notching an arrow onto his bow is—
"For daring to kill my son, hand over your life!"
General Li.
"…Why did things turn out like this?"
Born in a rural village, Cuo Qing Yi had once imagined that he would simply spend the rest of his life there, and eventually die an old man.
However, being given the opportunity to head to the capital, and being allowed to take the civil exam, ambition of becoming something more than a commoner manifested in his heart.
It's common knowledge that the greater one's anticipation is, the worse one's disappointment would be when their expectations go unfilled.
But in Cuo Qing Yi's case, this entire matter had already gone far beyond disappointing—for he had already taken three lives.
(Was it so wrong for me to have wanted to be something more than a commoner? Was hoping for a better life…? Too greedy of me?)
Just as Cuo Qing Yi is thinking of this, another arrow is fired at him.
Fortunately, it narrowly misses his head—giving him time to peel himself off the ground, and rise to a stand.
"No… Everything…- It was you, you're the one… You're the one who forced me to walk down this path. I want…"
Muttering this, Cuo Qing Yi glares at General Li, and presses the white flute to his lips.
(I want you to die! Go to hell! Hand over your dog life!)
*…!!!!!* blowing into the flute, dark mist erupts from the instrument once more, and pours forth!
"Surround him!"
Unable to see the dark mist, General Li continues to lead his soldiers forward, but as soon as the dark mist floods over them—
"Uggghh…!"
"Aaaaaaahhh!!!"
Horrific screams go off, as human bodies and horses topple over, and it wasn't until every living entity had been turned into a haze of blood, that Cuo Qing Yi stops playing the flute.
"Ugh…"
Storing the flute away, Cuo Qing Yi grabs the arrow that is lodged in his shoulder, and—
"…"
Clenching his teeth, he forcefully pries the arrow out in one pull.
"Argh…!!!"
Overwhelmed by the sensation of pain, Cuo Qing Yi falls onto his back, while screaming, and it wasn't until he becomes too exhausted to scream that he manages to take out a medicinal pill.
Swallowing the pill, Cuo Qing Yi gets back on his feet quickly.
(I need to… Find some place to hide.)
Knowing that there are more pursuers coming, Cuo Qing Yi endures the aching pain, and forces himself to move.