Bounty
Xu Kong, led by Wang Yu, entered the mansion. There were no servants, and even Wang Yu himself was dressed in coarse linen, living a simple life.
Arriving at the main house, Xu Kong stood respectfully and clasped his hands in salute. "Junior Xu Kong requests an audience with Elder Wang."
There was no response from inside, not a single sound.
Xu Kong pushed the door open, and the scene inside the room made his heart ache.
The room was unlit, with doors and windows tightly shut, shrouded in darkness. An elderly figure, hunched over, was trembling on a high cabinet.
It was an old man with white hair and a beard. His clothes were relatively clean, but it seemed he had been huddled in this dark environment for a long time.
The light from the open door made him squint. The old man covered his eyes, his voice trembling and hoarse, filled with endless fear. "Don't come near, stay away!"
Through the light from outside, the old man's appearance could be faintly seen. It was Wang Hua, once the prime minister of Tianxuan, now a traitor.
Xu Kong sighed and closed the door, plunging the room back into darkness. Only then did Wang Hua's emotions stabilize slightly, and he lowered his hands.
However, his heavy breathing still betrayed his fear, and in the darkness, his murky eyes cautiously observed Xu Kong and Wang Yu.
"Has Elder Wang always been like this?" Xu Kong asked Wang Yu with some heartache.
"Grandfather's mind is still unclear. He doesn't even recognize me," Wang Yu replied with a somber expression. The great changes his family had undergone made this young man, already brought up with strict discipline, even more gloomy and cautious.
Wang Hua was eventually exchanged back by the Blue Flame Empire from Tianxuan. His sacrifices and contributions to the Blue Flame Empire warranted their effort to secure his life.
After paying the price of ten spots for the Dream Flame Baptism, Tianxuan finally agreed to release the Wang family, officially announcing that Wang Hua had committed suicide in prison, with his family following suit.
But Tianxuan wasn't foolish. Given Wang Hua's abilities, intelligence, and knowledge about Tianxuan, they wouldn't let such a person return to the Blue Flame Empire easily.
Tianxuan stripped all the Wang family members of their cultivation and erased Wang Hua's mind. Now, Wang Hua was no different from an idiot, just a useless cripple.
Unlike Wang Hua's mental loss, the younger generation like Wang Yu was even more devastated, and they had yet to recover.
No one in the Wang family knew about Wang Hua's espionage for the Blue Flame Empire, not even his closest relatives.
Wang Yu's father couldn't accept the fact that his father, who had been loyal to Tianxuan all his life, ended up being a traitor to Tianxuan. He committed suicide shortly after arriving in the Blue Flame Empire.
His mother followed suit, leaving only Wang Yu and his grandfather Wang Hua as the last members of the Wang family.
The Blue Flame Empire prepared this mansion for Wang Hua, said to be his ancestral home, preserved for a hundred years.
Wang Hua's contributions during his near-century of espionage for the Blue Flame Empire warranted the highest respect. Thus, the Blue Flame Empire spared no expense in trying to cure Wang Hua, sending valuable elixirs. Unfortunately, it had little effect.
Wang Hua was honoured as a pillar of the nation, and his title was inherited by Wang Yu, making him one of the most prestigious figures in the Blue Flame Empire.
Wang Yu, whose cultivation was restored using high-grade elixirs from the Blue Flame Empire, had regained the ability to cultivate.
However, Wang Yu's heart was dead. He refused visitors, even removing the signboard at the mansion's entrance, determined never to cultivate again.
Although Wang Hua's final mission failed, putting the Blue Flame Empire at a disadvantage and rendering himself a cripple, it didn't diminish Xu Kong's respect for him.
To stay hidden for a hundred years, to rise to such a high position—what extraordinary wisdom it must have taken!
It was just a pity that once his identity was exposed, the hero was in decline. If not for the valuable elixirs sustaining him, Wang Hua, frail and old, might have already passed away.
"Wang Yu, rest assured, one day, our Blue Flame Empire will avenge Elder Wang," Xu Kong said solemnly, looking into Wang Yu's eyes.
Wang Yu shook his head. "It's a struggle between two nations. Grandfather has wronged Tianxuan greatly. His current fate can only be seen as destiny not favouring him."
As for revenge, Wang Yu no longer cared. Despite the Blue Flame Empire's strength, it still couldn't do much against Tianxuan.
Moreover, Grandfather Wang Hua already owed Tianxuan a great deal. How could he, with any dignity, speak of revenge?
As he was about to leave Tianxuan, he clearly remembered how the people once spoke of Grandfather Wang Hua with endless respect and admiration, which had now turned into hatred and resentment.
Many people, whose faith had been shattered, even sought death because of it. What right did he have to hold a grudge against them?
Having gone through such a great change, he had grown a lot, becoming much more mature.
Xu Kong sighed again. He knew Wang Yu's thoughts well. After taking one more look at the trembling Wang Hua, he exited the room.
Wang Yu followed him out, locked the door, and looked at Xu Kong.
He knew that Xu Kong had come here for more than just visiting Wang Hua.
"Wang Yu, I heard that at the Lu Ming Banquet in Tianxuan, you had a dispute with Mo Qingkuang, and the essay 'Love for the Lotus' was written because of you. Could you tell me what kind of person Mo Qingkuang is?" Xu Kong asked.
Upon hearing Xu Kong's words, a pained expression appeared on Wang Yu's face. It was from the moment he clashed with Mo Qingkuang that the Wang family's downfall truly began.
Thinking of Mo Qingkuang, Wang Yu didn't feel particularly resentful. After just a year, he felt that his youthful arrogance was rightly met with such humiliation.
Later, his grandfather took advantage of the situation to appear to be standing up for him but was actually planning to assassinate Mo Qingkuang.
This would have not only temporarily cleared the suspicions of the Imperial Academy but also provided an opportunity to remove Mo Qingkuang, a future threat, for the Blue Flame Empire.
Unfortunately, the assassins failed, and he became the scapegoat to bear the responsibility, with his grandfather breaking his legs in a show of severity.
"I know recalling this isn't pleasant for you, but this information is crucial for me. So, I apologize," Xu Kong said, seeing the pain on Wang Yu's face.
Wang Yu gave a bitter smile, thinking that Mo Qingkuang must have caused another major incident, enough to attract the attention of someone as talented as Xu Kong.
Living secluded in his home, Wang Yu had no idea that Mo Qingkuang had arrived in Lan Yan.
"Mo Qingkuang is a peculiar person with extraordinary talent, especially in combat. Challenging opponents of higher levels is a common occurrence for him," Wang Yu recalled.
"He grew up in a declining martial family..."
Wang Yu spoke at length, sharing everything he knew about Mo Qingkuang.
Xu Kong's expression was solemn as he listened. After a long moment, he clasped his hands in thanks. "I understand. Thank you, Wang Yu. If your household needs anything, just let me know. Elder Wang is a hero of the Empire, and we will do everything we can to cure him."
"Thank you," Wang Yu said with a deep bow.
"With that, I will take my leave for now. Please take good care of Elder Wang. I will visit him again when I have the chance."
"Of course."
...
After leaving Wang Hua's mansion, Xu Kong walked into a small alley and flicked his fingers, producing a crisp sound in the air.
A man in a cloak with his head lowered, face obscured, appeared before Xu Kong without a sound. "Young master, what are your orders?"
"Go to the Sinister Hall and place a bounty on Mo Qingkuang's life."
***
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