Chapter 460: I Don't Hold Grudges
But it seemed a bit too lively.
Yue Shanhe shrank his neck, not daring to utter a word, silently praying that Xu Sanyan would forget about him.
The Yue Clan Patriarch steadied his composure and spoke in a raspy voice, “This old one’s eyes have failed him. I failed to recognize the holy son before me. We were blind to offend you earlier, and we beg your forgiveness.”
“Eh, why bother with formalities? I’m the least vengeful person you’ll ever meet. Don’t let those rumors fool you. Killing you all would gain me nothing—why waste the effort?”
The Yue Clan Patriarch felt a slight relief. His expression didn’t seem hostile; perhaps he was just passing through by chance.
Xu Sanyan waved dismissively. “Remember five years ago, when I first arrived in the Central Region and passed through here? The Yue Clan sent people to chase me into Great Solitary Mountain, nearly costing me my life. I’d almost forgotten about it if you hadn’t brought it up.”
The Yue Clan Patriarch’s fleeting relief vanished, his heart leaping back into his throat. When did I mention it?
Besides, dredging up a five-year-old grudge today? Is that what you call not holding grudges?
And I didn’t even know about this! Does the Yue Clan really have the power to chase someone into Great Solitary Mountain?
The young man beside the Yue Clan Patriarch suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in shock, “So it was you?!”
“Remember now?” Xu Sanyan smiled.
“What’s going on?” the Yue Clan Patriarch asked in a low voice.
The young man replied, “The matter with our seventh sister…”
The Yue Clan Patriarch immediately understood. So it was him!
How could this man have survived his ordeal in the Great Solitary Mountain?!
While the Yue Clan couldn’t be entirely blamed for the incident—Qin Manyang had provoked the conflict, forcing them to defend themselves—times had changed. Xu Sanyan was not a man of reason, leaving the Yue Clan Patriarch no choice but to swallow his pride and endure.
“Indeed, the Yue Clan was at fault in that matter. This old one is willing to offer compensation. I humbly request that the holy son set aside past grievances.”
Xu Sanyan glanced at Lu Wang with a cryptic smile, his words carrying a veiled meaning. “Ah, what nonsense is this? As I said earlier, my heart is broad and I never hold grudges. Take, for example, the Lu Clan sending men to search for me in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains two years ago, intending to seize my treasure. I’d almost forgotten about that until you mentioned it.”
Lu Wang’s heart leaped in alarm. How could Xu Sanyan know about that? We never even crossed paths!
Cold sweat streamed down Lu Wanzhe’s forehead as her toes involuntarily clenched. He knows? How could he possibly know? We never encountered him…
Wait!
The Lu Family didn’t encounter Xu Sanyan, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t encounter them. Perhaps he was hiding in the shadows, observing them all along.
The Lu Clan elder’s face was grim as he secretly channeled his qi, ready to fight at any moment.
Though he knew he couldn’t defeat Xu Sanyan, he wasn’t afraid of death. He refused to simply offer his neck for the slaughter; a desperate gamble might offer a sliver of hope.
The Yue Clan Patriarch was at a loss for words. This wasn’t about letting go of grudges—it was as if the words “vengeance” were branded on Xu Sanyan’s forehead.
After this exchange, no one could decipher Xu Sanyan’s true intentions.
Was he here for revenge?
If so, why waste words? With his power, none of them would survive.
If not revenge, then why did every word drip with malice?
“Sit down, all of you. Why are you staring?” Xu Sanyan smiled, tugging the arm of the girl beside him to signal her to sit.
The once-eloquent girl couldn’t utter a word. Learning that the smiling, sunny youth beside her was the infamous Demonic Path tyrant, she felt her life was about to end.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, her back already soaked in cold sweat. After all, she had been the most vicious in her insults earlier.
Noticing her fear, Xu Sanyan reassured her softly, “Don’t be nervous. You’re too beautiful for me to harm. I’m a man who cherishes beauty and delicacy.”
These words only intensified her terror, yet she dared not make any unnecessary movements, obediently sitting down.
“Please, everyone, sit down. Don’t be so formal. Make yourselves at home,” Xu Sanyan said, gesturing with a wave of his hand.
The crowd exchanged glances, but it was the Lu Clan elder who moved first, selecting a seat as far from Xu Sanyan as possible. The Yue Clan Patriarch immediately followed suit, settling down beside him.
Seeing the two elders seated, the rest of the crowd reluctantly found places to sit, though none dared enter the main hall, choosing instead to remain in the courtyard.
“I pride myself on fairness,” Xu Sanyan continued. “I never bully the weak. You’ve offended me, so it’s only reasonable to demand compensation, wouldn’t you agree?”
Perhaps emboldened by his seemingly reasonable tone, a young man in the crowd dared to speak up in a low voice, “But you said earlier you weren’t here for revenge…”
Before he could finish, Xu Sanyan flicked his sleeve lightly. The young man’s head instantly separated from his body, crimson blood splattering across the ground.
Did this idiot actually believe my casual remark?
“Any more questions?” Xu Sanyan asked, his tone icy.
When Xu Sanyan claimed he didn’t hold grudges, he meant he didn’t dwell on revenge already taken. Unavenged slights, however, were etched into his memory—not just remembered, but memorized!
“No questions, Holy Son,” the Yue Clan Patriarch immediately declared. “Please state your demands directly.”
As for the dead man, no one cared. The fool had somehow survived this long, actually thinking he could reason with a demonic path demonfolk.
Those who can’t discern the situation deserve to die.
Xu Sanyan surveyed the group and asked, “Has anyone been to Desolate Sheep Mountain?”
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances, unsure why he was asking. The Yue Clan Patriarch nodded. “This old one has visited twice.”
“Good. Your task is simple: enter Desolate Sheep Mountain and find anything unusual—places with heavy Yin Qi, demon-infested areas, and so on. Find it, and you live. Fail, and… you know the consequences. Simple, right?”
The Yue Clan Patriarch lowered his head slightly, his eyes flickering with cautious inquiry. “Holy Son, are you seeking the ruins of that ancient sect?”
“Oh? You know about it?” Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. Records of the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect were scarce; he had only gleaned fragments from the sect’s ancient texts and later heard a few more details from Zuoqiu Zhen. After that, all traces vanished. He never imagined the Yue Clan would possess any records.
The Yue Clan Patriarch replied, “We know a little. The Yue Clan has resided near Desolate Sheep Mountain for generations, so we naturally have some understanding. We have a few records of the ruins, though not many. This old one has explored the area twice, but both attempts ended in failure.”
“Oh? Tell me more,” Xu Sanyan said, intrigued. He propped his leg up, crossed it over his other, and sat cross-legged on the chair. He casually pulled the young woman beside him into his arms, buried his nose in her hair, and inhaled deeply. The rich fragrance filled his senses, the scent rising straight to the crown of his head—a truly intoxicating aroma.
To onlookers, the scene was utterly perverse. A single thought flashed through everyone’s mind: As expected of a demonic path demonfolk. His actions are bizarre and unpredictable.
The young woman’s body stiffened like a wooden man, offering no resistance as he manipulated her at will. Her beautiful eyes welled with tears, two clear streams tracing paths down her cheeks. Even as she wept, she dared not make a sound, fearing it would displease Xu Sanyan.
Sigh…
The Yue Clan Patriarch sighed inwardly, his heart aching with sympathy for the young woman’s plight. A perfectly good banquet had been ruined by this hateful demonic path demonfolk!
The patriarch turned his head away, pretending not to see. “The ruins are hidden deep within an anomalous realm within Desolate Sheep Mountain, shrouded by a powerful formation that makes entry nearly impossible for outsiders.”
(End of the Chapter)