492: Chapter 62: The Yellow Sparrow 492: Chapter 62: The Yellow Sparrow “Whoosh—”
The river water surged, icy cold, as the Sword Light condensed from the Rule of Destruction withdrew back into Xie Xuanyi’s forehead.
Huo Qu perished and his Dao dissipated, his body turned to ashes, fluttering in the air.
The river was filled with wails and pleas for mercy.
“Please spare my life, sir…”
“Mercy!
Please spare us!”
Xie Xuanyi looked down at these disciples.
He had searched Huo Qu’s soul and knew that these people were innocent.
They had come to Qu River, not even knowing what their Master intended to do.
Huo Qu was afraid of death and greedy for life, he had kept them by his side merely for the convenience of forming his arrays.
A soft sigh came from the Treasure Ship.
“Brother Xie, how will you deal with them?”
The tall monk standing at the prow of the ship silently watched everything unfold.
Miao Zhen didn’t project his voice, but spoke in a deep tone: “These young cultivators…
are you going to kill them all?”
His voice, carried by the wind over the river, made one’s Heart Lake feel chilled.
Huo Qu’s disciples, with pale faces, wailed and pleaded even more intensely.
They knew.
Whether they lived or died now hinged on a single thought from this young man with the surname Xie.
Xie Xuanyi retracted his Sword Intent.
According to his usual approach, he would naturally have killed them all.
Huo Qu was not a good man; how could his disciples be any better?
“Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life.”
Miao Zhen intoned a Buddhist chant softly, compassionately speaking, “These people cannot stir up big waves.
It might be better to let them go.”
“…”
Xie Xuanyi remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the Treasure Ship.
After a brief eye contact with the tall monk, a complex expression flickered across his face.
“Get lost.”
Xie Xuanyi turned his head back, his face expressionless again: “Don’t let me see you again!”
“…Run!”
“Escape quickly!”
Several rays of light shot across the river surface.
The Qi Control Disciples scattered from Qu River, fleeing towards the distant fog like birds escaping a cage.
With Huo Qu dead, the camaraderie between sect mates naturally dissipated; in the face of disaster, they all fled to save their own lives.
As expected.
Such a cold-hearted person as Huo Qu could only raise cold-hearted disciples.
With a single sentence from Xie Xuanyi, in less than ten breaths, the riverside was cleared of each and every person.
It was laughable that the two Foundation Establishment Disciples, whose sword treasures were broken, could not find anyone to rescue them and had no choice but to desperately swim towards the opposite bank of the river.
However, one thing was unexpected.
Among these people, there was one who did not flee…
Xuan Wu was still kneeling in the void, gazing at his Master’s ashes with a sorrowful expression.
Xie Xuanyi was seeing such a fool for the first time.
He could see clearly.
When Huo Qu died, grief flashed in Xuan Wu’s eyes.
Could it be that such a heartless and unrighteous villain had disciples who wept for his death?
“Aren’t you running?” Xie Xuanyi sneered.
“Run… where to?”
Xuan Wu laughed softly: “Just kill me.
It’s better to die by your sword than at the hands of the Imperial City Department.”
Xie Xuanyi again looked towards the Treasure Ship.
Miao Zhen shook his head once more.
Xie Xuanyi sighed softly and walked away.
…
…
“You mean, Xie Zhen killed Huo Qu but spared your lives?”
On the other side of Qu River, deep within the fog, a lean young man in a cloak sat upon an iron throne, the three walnuts in his palm making a rumbling sound like thunder.
“Special Enforcement Officer, it’s the absolute truth!”
A Qi Control Disciple, drenched, prostrated on the ground, pleading continuously.
“How intriguing…
Do you take me for a fool?”
The lean young man’s face darkened as he spoke: “Xie Xuanyi was a notorious killer in the past, his disciples aren’t likely to be merciful.
Since he has slain Huo Qu with one sword strike, he should have killed you all as well.”
“Huang Xi, calm your anger…”
Next to the iron throne hung a child in a black robe.
This child had a face hidden by a large robe, quite mysterious, yet spoke with an extremely gentle and soft voice.
“The Head of the Department only tasked us to check the water situation in Qu River and to observe that Purple Green Treasure Ship…”
The child smiled, saying, “All of Huo Qu’s subordinates were just a bunch of rabble, unable to measure Xie Zhen’s depth.
It’s no surprise they returned without accomplishment; there’s no need for fury.”
“Brother Wu…”
Special Enforcement Officer Huang Xi took a deep breath, frowning: “What do you suggest we do?”
“Simple.”
The child smiled, floated over to the kneeling disciple, and said warmly: “Don’t worry.
I just have a couple of questions for you.
Lift your head and look at me properly…”
The voice was extremely soothing to the ear.
The disciple, dazed, lifted his head, looking directly at the face hidden beneath the child’s black robe.
“Huo Qu is dead, so where is the nine-grade treasure ‘Smoke Burning Bowl’ that was granted earlier?”
That was the child’s first question.
The disciple was stunned for a moment, as if recalling the scene on the river, and slowly said, “The Smoke Burning Bowl…
it seemed to be in the hands of Brother Xuan Wu.”
“Xuan Wu?”
Huang Xi narrowed his eyes.
Huo Qu’s sect wasn’t large, with only dozens of disciples, most of whom were Qi Refining Masters.
This guy didn’t cultivate good karma, yet he ended up with a good disciple.
Xuan Wu cultivated Huo Qu’s unsophisticated cultivation techniques and managed to advance to the Grotto Heaven Realm through sheer effort.
It was just unfortunate that the geomancy of Qu River was poor.
If this fellow could have been taken in by a reputable sect, he might have had a chance to glimpse the scenery of the Heavenly Pride List.
“Where is Xuan Wu?” Huang Xi couldn’t help interrupting, asking sternly.
“…”
Silence fell over the mountaintop, everyone exchanged glances.
Those who should have escaped had all fled.
It seemed Xuan Wu had not returned.
Huang Xi got a bit restless, standing up and looking towards the opposite shore of Qu River with an anxious expression.
“What was the scene like by the Treasure Ship at the time…
did you see clearly?”
The child extended a hand, gesturing the Special Enforcement Officer not to be hasty and then softly posed the second question: “Do you remember how many people were on the Treasure Ship?”
“Two.”
The disciple honestly said: “Apart from Xie Zhen, there was a very tall monk.”
“Is that so…”
Upon receiving this response, the child seemed slightly disappointed.