The Modern Martial Immortal-Chapter 63: Confrontation

Inside the car, Zong Yan handed a file to Yaoguang before giving a brief explanation. "Thanks to the killing spree you recently went on across Tiannan, there were only four confirmed lifeforms left that were suspected to be fiends. Of course, these were only the ones we could verify. There might still be a few that slipped through the net, but there's no way to determine how many."

Yaoguang glanced at the file. Several familiar names appeared on it, including Wang Lie and Xie Yusheng.

"Fiends have one defining trait, which you should already know," Zong Yan continued. "Once they daemonify, their combat power usually exceeds that of their original bodies by a wide margin. A martial master can rival a grandmaster, and a grandmaster can rival a martial paragon. So..."

Zong Yan pointed at Xie Yusheng's name. "Aside from Zhao Sheng, the other real threat is Xie Yusheng. My suggestion is to kill Xie Yusheng first, then move on to Zhao Sheng."

"Kill Zhao Sheng first. That way, Xie Yusheng's death won't alert him," Yaoguang said.

This was not the most appropriate tactical choice. However, considering that Yaoguang's primary objective was to avenge Xia Wuyuan, if Zhao Sheng were alerted and escaped, the cost would far outweigh the benefit. Under those circumstances, this relatively suboptimal decision was still understandable.

Zong Yan nodded. "When the time comes, I'll take the lead. You stay on the side and wait for an opening. Together, we'll wipe out Zhao Sheng."

"I already said that Zhao Sheng is mine," Yaoguang said.

Zong Yan opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but before he could speak, Yaoguang said, "I have already killed a fiend with martial-paragon-tier combat power."

There was no dramatic emphasis in his tone, no deliberate weight to his words. He stated it plainly, as if describing an ordinary fact. Yet to Zong Yan, it struck like lightning, causing his pupils to constrict sharply.

He turned to stare at Yaoguang. "You..."

"If that weren't the case, how would I dare say I can kill Zhao Sheng?" Yaoguang said. "I understand the logic of preserving one's life to fight another day."

"A grandmaster killing a martial paragon? And not just any martial paragon, but a fiend that had fully manifested its true form?" Zong Yan's eyes were filled with disbelief. "T-That's impossible..."

Fiends were created through the refinement of the Ten-Thousand-Fiend Blood Soul Banner. Each one was exceptionally proficient in close combat and utterly fearless in the face of death. In a head-on confrontation, they were often even stronger than human martial paragons!

If Yaoguang had truly killed a fiend with martial-paragon-tier combat power, then that meant he had already surpassed ordinary human martial paragons!

"People often refuse to believe things that fall outside their understanding. And I've always believed that no amount of words is as persuasive as direct action," Yaoguang said, then shifted his gaze toward Tiannan. "Once we face Zhao Sheng, you'll see for yourself."

***

The convoy soon arrived at the outskirts of Tiannan's capital. Before entering the city, Yaoguang dialed Yue Xingzhou's number.

"I need Zhao Sheng's whereabouts," he said. "There shouldn't be much in Tiannan that can escape the Yue family's eyes."

On the other end of the line, there was only the sound of Yue Xingzhou's heavy breathing. He understood perfectly what this call meant. Yaoguang was forcing him to choose between the Rebirth Society and Yaoguang.

If he claimed ignorance of Zhao Sheng's whereabouts, it would be equivalent to openly siding with the Rebirth Society. If he revealed Zhao Sheng's location...

"My elder brother, Yue Nanxing, has already prepared gifts and plans to visit Zhao Sheng. He's even released word to signal the Yue family's stance," Yue Xingzhou said after a long pause, his voice hoarse.

"I got it," Yaoguang replied, preparing to hang up.

"Wait!" Yue Xingzhou's voice rang out again.

This time, it carried firm resolve. "I disagree with his approach. What Xia Wuyuan did, exposing those monsters, was indeed reckless and disregarded the bigger picture. It only put him in danger. But I believe that when he did it, he had already cast aside any concern for his own life! Someone willing to give up his life to bring the truth to light... He cannot, and should not, die so lightly."

After that, he spoke decisively. "Zhao Sheng is staying at the Xie family manor. We've also discovered that many martial masters who've risen to fame recently have been gathering there under abnormal circumstances. It's a trap."

"No, it's not a trap," Yaoguang said calmly. "It's the grave they chose for themselves."

Yue Xingzhou was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Thank you," Yaoguang said.

"You shouldn't be thanking me. I should be the one apologizing," Yue Xingzhou replied with guilt. "I'm sorry that, unlike the Baisheng Chemical Plant incident, I can't stand by your side and fight with you this time."

"I understand," Yaoguang said, ending the call. He then turned to Zong Yan. "Head to the Xie family manor."

"The manor of Xie Yusheng, the Saber Absolute?" Zong Yan gestured for the convoy to change direction as he sighed. "So he was replaced by a fiend, just as we suspected."

"What you should really be asking is how Zhao Sheng managed to make preparations in advance," Yaoguang said.

"Perhaps killing Xia Wuyuan in Tiannan was itself a warning, a provocation. And since it was a provocation, they naturally prepared countermeasures."

"That's one possibility," Yaoguang said as he looked at the martial paragon from Lihuo. "But there's another... Within your World-Saving Society, some people may not be on the same side as you."

Zong Yan had clearly considered that possibility as well. Now that Yaoguang stated it outright, he fell into silence. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The World-Saving Society's primary objective... has always been to oppose the tyranny of the Crimson Star Empire's martial paragons and reclaim the recommendation slots to the Artifact Sect. Some people simply don't care about anything beyond those slots," Zong Yan finally said after a long pause,

He then added, "I'll report this to the president."

Yaoguang said nothing further. Instead, he checked the level 5S battle suit he had already donned and the Divine Shadow Sword in his hand.

"The Xie family manor is a trap. We—"

"When the time comes, you'll launch a feint attack from the outside and draw their attention. As for whether you enter the manor or not, that choice is yours. I'll infiltrate the Xie family manor and kill Zhao Sheng," Yaoguang interrupted.

"Infiltrate... At the very least, shouldn't we wait until nightfall?"

"Speed is the essence of warfare," Yaoguang replied. "If we can act now, why wait for the night?"

Night offered the cover of darkness and favored concealment. That was what Zong Yan was thinking. But he found it difficult to voice that thought.

"I'll infiltrate with you," he said instead.

"You?" Yaoguang shook his head. "Fiends have extremely keen perception. You won't do."

Zong Yan frowned and countered, "I've been a martial paragon for over twenty years. When it comes to concealment—"

Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly widened. Because right in front of him, Yaoguang had completely vanished from his perception. Not a single trace of qi remained.

"T-This... How are you doing this?!" Zong Yan was shaken to the core. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, then in this state, even if Yaoguang were standing right behind him, he would never have detected him in the slightest.

"In concealment, you still have a long way to go," Yaoguang said, his gaze already shifting forward. Ahead, a cluster of buildings surrounded by lush greenery on the outskirts of the city entered his field of vision.

"Stop the car. I'll get out first. Slow down after that," Yaoguang said.

"You..." Zong Yan lowered his head. "Why would you go this far?!"

He sighed and added, "With your talent, you could have waited until you reached the martial paragon tier in the future. At the very least, you could have waited until Zhao Sheng let his guard down before assassinating him. Why insist on acting now, choosing the most unfavorable timing and the most dangerous method to put yourself at risk?"

"You're right... Why risk it at the most unsuitable time and in the most unsafe way?" Yaoguang echoed softly. It sounded as though he was responding to Zong Yan, yet also as though he was asking himself. And in the end, he gave himself an answer.

"Because... the old me was too safe, too cautious," Yaoguang said, raising his head to look into the distance. "In this world, which matters can truly be planned down to the last detail, with victory assured from afar?"

Yaoguang continued, "When Xiang Yu invaded the Chu faction from Pengcheng, did he know he would escape unscathed? When Cao Cao launched his night raid on Wuchao, could he guarantee his own safety? And during the ten-month bloodbath at Suiyang, what kind of conviction did those people hold?"[1]

His thoughts returned to the last time he had seen Xia Wuyuan, and to the words Xia Wuyuan had spoken then. "I know this is a difficult decision. Because of it, I may lose my time, my family, my friends, my life, everything. But someone has to stand up and put a stop to this. If no one else will, I will!"

Yaoguang knew he could not be like Xia Wuyuan, someone who had truly given his life for a cause. But if he could try to do something, having sufficient strength and only facing a certain degree of risk, why not try it? An accident was called an accident precisely because it never waited for you to be fully prepared.

"Sometimes, being too low-key and too cautious only makes others see you as weak and easy to bully." Yaoguang ended with that.

The vehicle came to a stop, and Yaoguang got out. This time, the contemplative Zong Yan did not stop him. He looked at Yaoguang and said solemnly, "Be careful. Only by staying alive does everything remain possible."

"I know," Yaoguang replied. Only by standing firm could one continue dealing damage.

With that, he stepped forward. After several swift leaps, he vanished from Zong Yan's sight. Nearby, Zhang Tianji opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, not a single word came out.

"Now... We will head straight to the Xie family manor and pay a visit to the Saber Absolute, Xie Yusheng!"

***

At the Xie family manor, inside the study that originally belonged to the manor's owner, Zhao Sheng, head of Tiannan's branch of the Rebirth Society, as well as the person in charge of the entire Dayu divine blood industry chain, was idly playing with a phone.

As he read the message he had just received, a hint of amusement appeared on his face. "Interesting... These people are really interesting..."

He tossed the phone onto the floor and stood up. "Still... since they're being so sensible, we'll take them in when the time comes. Keep them as yapping dogs. Watching them now and then could be entertaining."

Suddenly, a voice filled with respect came from outside. "Leader, they're almost here."

"Then I'll leave it to you," Zhao Sheng said, waving his hand. "I'll wait and watch your performance."

As he spoke, he poured himself a glass of fine wine that had just been delivered, worth no less than several hundred thousand, and tasted it leisurely.

"As for me..." Holding the wine glass, Zhao Sheng looked straight out the window. "Since you're already here, why not come in? Let me see just who it is that's been opposing me."

1. These are all famous stories in ancient Chinese history during the three kingdoms period. ☜