Eternal Evil Emperor

Ignoring the astonished stares of passersby, Xie Tian dragged Xie Bao and walked slowly forward. Before they even reached the north gate, he stopped, opened his mouth, and spat out the blood that was caused by the internal injuries inflicted by Xie Changrong's Inner Qi, then he faintly looked toward Chen Qin who had suddenly appeared ten paces ahead.

Chen Qin's gaze shifted from Xie Bao and settled on Xie Tian. Seeing Xie Tian covered in blood, he was at a loss for words despite being prepared to speak.

"You're leaving?"

Xie Tian nodded slightly.

"Where to?"

"Wherever there are people, that's where I'll go."

Chen Qin was silent for a long while before he bitterly smiled and said, "To turn the world upside down with half a dead body, I truly am not your equal."

Xie Tian, not wanting to waste more of his energy, continued forward, dragging Xie Bao along. As he passed next to Chen Qin, he stopped because Chen Qin handed him a piece of armor.

"The Tethered Snake and the Green Striped Tiger of Beast Cliff were killed by you, right?" Chen Qin looked closely at Xie Tian and sighed, "The skin of the Tethered Snake is extremely tough. I had someone make an armor out of it for you, returning it to its original owner."

Taking the armor, Xie Tian hesitated for a moment before he pulled out Chen Feng's token from his bosom.

Chen Qin's pupils dilated, and he took several steps back!

"He was Xie family's man, ordered by Commander Xie to come to Anlan Mountain to kill me, an act of reciprocity."

After a long time, Chen Qin finally let out a heavy breath. Despite having exchanged only a few words with Xie Tian, he believed Xie Tian wouldn't deceive him, hence, this token from Chen Feng was indeed a significant gift!

"With such a generous gift, I, on behalf of the Chen family, thank you deeply!" Chen Qin bowed deeply. After getting up, he swallowed nervously and tentatively asked, "Was it you who killed him?"

Xie Tian casually nodded and said, "Since it is a great gift, return the favor once again."

Chen Qin quickly suppressed the tumult in his heart and hurriedly said, "Speak freely, I will do my utmost!"

"That man saved my life once, but I ended up breaking his arm," Xie Tian pointed at Chen Qin who had followed him and said softly, "Take him back to the Chen family and take good care of him, thank you."

Watching Xie Tian disappear at the end of the north gate, Chen Qin finally came back to his senses and looked at the token representing the eighth level of brute force realm in his hand, shaking his head sadly.

He could imagine how Chen Feng, who had been bribed by Commander Xie, would mock and pursue Xie Tian, could imagine his own heart being filled with fear facing an enemy of the eighth level of brute force realm, but he could never have imagined how Xie Tian had killed Chen Feng.

However, when he brought Chen Qiang back home, he learned from his clan about the news that had come from the post station of Anlan Town.

Xie Tian had tricked Chen Feng into death, then cut off his head and had the post station send this head away.

And this post station belonged to the Chen family.

No matter how he looked at it, this was like slapping the Chen family's face repeatedly. Seeing the elders filled with righteous indignation, even the usually calm Clan Leader Chen Zhen had a somber expression. Chen Qin had no choice but to take out the token and explain the whole story.

"Are you sure he didn't deceive you?" Clan Leader Chen Zhen tapped the rosewood tabletop with his index finger as he asked in a stern voice.

Chen Qin shook his head resolutely: "First, Xie Tian does not provoke others unless provoked, he killed Chen Feng only because Chen Feng wanted to kill him; second, it's impossible for Xie Tian to know that the Anlan Town post station belongs to our Chen family; third, Xie Tian has already been expelled and hunted by the Xie family, he has no reason to offend our Chen family further; fourth, I believe him!"

Knowing his son better than anyone, Clan Leader Chen Zhen sighed upon seeing Chen Qin's resolute expression, "This is the first time I've seen you admire someone so much. This man, with all his energy gone and on the brink of death, still managed to cause such a commotion, lamentable!"

"I truly am not his equal." Chen Qin shook his head bitterly, threw the token on the table, and continued to narrate Xie Tian's deeds, "Killing Chen Feng is nothing; Xie Tian just dragged the second young master of the main Xie family branch and walked straight out of the Xie family's main gate, haha, and before this, he had killed the Xie family's Twin Blades."

"What did you say? Impossible!"

Chen Zhen's pupils shrunk, and he exclaimed in shock along with everyone in the council hall!

Chen Qin did not want to explain, as he knew that in a short time, this matter would spread throughout Yangshuo City. He called Chen Qiang over and said to Chen Zhen, "Dad, this is the man Xie Tian asked me to take care of."

"Saved Xie Tian's life and in return, Xie Tian broke his arm?" Chen Zhen inhaled deeply, suppressing the eerie feeling Xie Tian gave him, walked beside Chen Qiang and examined him closely. When he saw Chen Qiang's broken arm, he sighed heavily, "So it is, Qin, you did well!"

Seeing Chen Qin puzzled, Clan Leader Chen Zhen sighed again and then pointed to Chen Qiang's broken arm and explained, "This man practiced the Fierce Tiger King Fist, but due to no proper guidance, he entered demonic cultivation, causing his meridians to twist and clog, making his right arm thicker than his left by two parts. Ordinary people would think this is a sign of perfection in the Fierce Tiger King Fist, little knowing this is a sign of imminent disability!"

As soon as the words fell, Chen Qiang slightly raised his head, his unfocused gaze gathered a bit more attention, and he listened intently to Clan Leader Chen Zhen's words.

"The reason Xie Tian broke this man's right arm wasn't to repay kindness with enmity, on the contrary, it was to save him!"

Clan Leader Chen Zhen lifted Chen Qiang's broken arm and observed it closely, soon clicking his tongue in appreciation, "Although the methods seem crude, the effect of clearing the blockages is very good. With the help of medicinal stones, in less than two months, the broken arm will certainly recover as before."

Thump, the broken-armed Chen Qiang slumped to the ground, his heart's resentment instantly turning into tears of guilt and moved sobs.

Chen Qin glanced at Chen Qiang and then asked, "Dad, why then do you say I did well in this matter?"

"As you said, although Xie Tian may not be comparable to Xie Yun and Commander Xie, his future achievements will probably not be far off," Chen Zhen sighed three times, frowning and murmuring, "Xie Tian turning against the Xie family means one less enemy for our Chen family. And you being able to form a good relationship with a person like Xie Tian, who has a clear sense of gratitude and grudge, is indeed a blessing for our Chen family, so I say, you did well!"

Recalling his first encounter with Xie Tian on Anlan Mountain, how he was nearly blinded by jealousy, Chen Qin felt a mix of emotions; besides being thankful for not acting impulsively back then, he also felt a retrospective fear—if he had acted that time, it wouldn't have been Chen Feng who died, but himself.

Clan Leader Chen Zhen waved his hand, having the inconsolable Chen Qiang helped away, then took Chen Qin into the study, and said gravely, "There's no need for you to participate in the martial arts competition in Yangshuo City in half a month."

"Why?"

"Xie Tian will definitely go to the imperial capital, Bianliang City. Take Chen Qiang with you to find him!" Chen Zhen's eyes glittered as he spoke, word by word, "Xie Tian is a proud person. Though he saved Chen Qiang, he refused to clarify his intentions. By having me speak up, Chen Qiang will surely be moved to tears with gratitude. In this way, he will owe the Chen family a favor!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qin opened his mouth to say something, but seeing his father's excited demeanor, he chose to keep silent and continue listening.

"Qin, don't blame your father for being opportunistic; this is how family interests are accrued!" Seeing his son hesitating to speak, Chen Zhen raised his voice, "The Xie family is currently an unrivaled force. Even if we joined forces with the Jin family, we would stand no chance against Commander Xie Yun. Our only strategy now is to win over the genius, Xie Tian!"

"Father..."

Chen Zhen's expression changed, and he exclaimed, "Call me father, and heed my words!"

"Your son obeys, Father."

"Let me tell you the truth: I've got Xie Tian's straightforward nature figured out!"

Chen Zhen spoke with resolute decisiveness, "Rest assured, though I am scheming against him, I mean him no harm. Once you arrive in Bianliang, truly befriend and support him without any reservations. Furthermore, a major martial arts competition will be held in Bianliang City in over a month, and it will not affect your chances of being selected by a major sect. Go ahead, leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

After watching his son leave the study, a hint of coldness flitted across Chen Zhen's face. In this clan war, what use was Xie Tian alone? His real goal, just like the Xie family's, was to obtain the secret of advancing one's cultivation from Xie Tian!

With this powerful weapon in hand, even if they were temporarily at a disadvantage against the Xie family, the Chen family could still turn the tables in ten or twenty years!

The next morning, Chen Qin and five other martial artists, all masters of Inner Qi, left Yangshuo City on fast horses, heading straight for the only entryway into the imperial capital a hundred miles away—the Hexi Corridor.

The so-called Hexi Corridor was a flat mountain path within the Anlan Mountain range. This path was the sole route connecting the Song Country's court with Yangshuo City. At this moment, Xie Tian was standing at the entrance of the Hexi Corridor, preparing to enter this mountain path.

But he had hardly taken a few steps when mocking voices of passersby reached his ears.

"Look at that, which expert is this, thinking of going through Hexi on his own?"

"Ha, just you talk too much; if someone wants to walk, let them—we'll just enjoy the show..."

"Tsk tsk, this young man looks pale and thin, probably lost his vital energy. Even if the bandits of Hexi don't kill him, he won't survive this treacherous three hundred miles..."

...

Xie Tian stopped in his tracks and glanced to the side, his cold gaze falling on martial artists dressed for a long journey. Even the lowest among them were at the seventh level of brute force, usually gathered in groups of three to five.

"Bandits of Hexi..."

Xie Tian furrowed his brow in thought; he had indeed read about the Hexi bandits in books about the martial world. It was said that on the three hundred miles of the Hexi Corridor, there were numerous gangs of bandits, collectively known as the Hexi bandits, who were notoriously brutal.

Because the book had mentioned them only briefly, Xie Tian hadn't taken them seriously. Moreover, since he didn't carry valuable treasures or much money, after looking at the other martial artists, he stepped onto the Hexi Corridor.

"Ha, the recklessness of youth—he really went on his own."

"Never mind him; the Yin family's merchant caravan is almost done loading its goods. It's best to follow the Yin family through Hexi..."

"Hehe, I wonder when this young man's corpse will be sent back..."

"Hmph, in my opinion, within the time it takes an incense stick to burn—damn, that young man is coming back!"

Indeed, Xie Tian had turned back because behind him was a body being carried; it was a martial artist at the ninth level of brute force.

The crowd gathered around quickly recognized the corpse and exclaimed, "It's Dangyang Yijian Chun! A martial artist at the ninth level of brute force skill!"

In the Song Country Martial World, anyone with a title was acknowledged as a skilled fighter. For example, Dangyang Yijian Chun, whose real name was Li Chun, was only twenty-eight years old. Though he had not achieved the Inner Qi realm, his family's Dangyang Spring Cold Sword technique was formidable. He had once contended with a higher-level Inner Qi prowess in front of a large audience for a hundred moves before being defeated.

Alas, such a skilled martial artist had still fallen on the Hexi Corridor.

"Alas, Brother Li, Brother Li, I had long advised you not to overexert yourself. Now that you have passed on, everything is gone..."

"Although Li Chun had not reached the Inner Qi realm, his cultivation was indeed remarkable. Could it be that he lost to a group attack by the Hexi bandits?"

"Not so; Brother Li was just unlucky. Soon after entering the mountains, he encountered the chief of the Xie Evil Demon Village, the Flame Evil Demon, and was killed by the Flame Evil Palm within just ten exchanges..."

"Oh my dear mother, the Flame Evil Demon! A top-tier expert at the first level of the Inner Qi realm!"

...

At that moment, Xie Tian finally realized just how dangerous the Hexi Corridor was. If he naively continued based on what the books said, it was likely that he would not survive. Remembering this lesson deeply, he asked aloud, "Is there a way to safely cross the Hexi Corridor?"

"Yes!"

"What might that be?"

"Follow the Bianliang Yin family's merchant caravan, you'll be safe all the way!"

Xie Tian nodded, about to thank the speaker, when the same martial artist pointed at him and burst into laughter: "Too bad, to follow the Yin family's caravan, one must be at least at the seventh level of brute force. What level are you? An utterly fanciful dream!"