Chapter Ninety-Six: Calling to Account

At those words, the people who had come in first hurriedly stepped aside, leaving a passage open at the doorway. Tang Wei and Zi Xuan walked in hand in hand from the center, their faces set in righteous indignation as they stared at the two black-clad men, who were now terrified out of their wits. Tang Wei then asked, "What is it? Does someone else’s family register hide some secret? Or are you just the sort who has the nerve to do it but not the guts to admit it?"

In the face of the present situation, the old man could only force down the panic in his heart and remain silent, looking as though he were at the mercy of others. Yet the rolling of his eyes betrayed him; there was a sly, calculating light in them, and anyone could see at a glance that he was no honest man. In truth, he had never intended to admit anything. His mind was filled only with how he might extricate himself this time.

"You’d better not be thinking those useless thoughts. Instead of wondering how to slip through this one, you’d do better to confess everything honestly. At the very least, we might spare your life, and the Ouyang family might still get a fresh start. To tell you the truth, my senior sister and I are both Golden Core cultivators. If you’re hoping to get away by luck, then see whether you have the ability." Zi Xuan threatened him, pressing down on him with the power of a Golden Core cultivator, hoping he would come clean of his own accord.

Tang Wei’s face was even brighter with schadenfreude as she said with obvious satisfaction, "So many people have caught you. Let’s see where you can run now."

Zi Xuan went on, "Oh, right. You’re still wearing masks. Sigh, how rude of me. I’ve always hated talking to people who are so sneaky, so I’ll have to trouble you a little." As soon as he finished speaking, his spiritual sense bore down again, pinning the man so hard he could not move. Then with a sweep of his hands, the face coverings were torn away.

Their faces were as pale as death. Whether it was from fear or from Zi Xuan’s spiritual pressure, no one could tell.

Zi Xuan actually laughed, utterly without a care in the world. Ah, that feeling of standing high above others truly was excellent. No wonder those with great cultivation always liked to toy with those weaker than themselves; it turned out that the sensation of waving a hand and dropping someone to the ground was this satisfying. He decided then and there that whenever he had nothing better to do, he would go and be the villain for a while. That did not seem so bad either.

At first, the black-clad elder had been forced to resist with all his strength under the crushing weight of a powerful spiritual pressure, but it was useless. He had no room to counterattack at all. The spiritual energy within his body could not be used in the slightest; instead, it was firmly suppressed, and before long his entire body grew weak and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, Zi Xuan did not truly mean to deal with him. He only wanted to teach him a lesson. At the critical moment, he withdrew his spiritual sense. He still spared him some dignity, though the mask had already been taken off.

Having lived so many years, the old man had never before experienced such overwhelming spiritual pressure. Even those old monsters of the same cultivation level could not possibly possess such ability. In his heart, he was becoming more and more convinced that Zi Xuan’s words were true. He thought, It seems I’ve really kicked an iron plate this time. How am I supposed to slip through this disaster? Is it really necessary to expose the secret? No. I cannot accept this. This concerns the future development of our clan. I absolutely cannot give up now.

The old man was locked in a fierce inner struggle, wrestling without cease, paying no mind to the mask lying on the floor. The elders of the Xuanyuan family, upon seeing the old man’s true appearance, showed no surprise at all. It was as though they had expected it long ago. All of them remained silent. Only the Great Elder, Patriarch Xuanyuan, laughed and said, "Old Ouyang, it really was you! I should have guessed as much long ago. Come to think of it, I’m afraid the matter of the Shi family in those years was also staged by you, wasn’t it?"

Patriarch Ouyang laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, it was me! But isn’t it a little late for you to think of that now? The Shi family was already completely finished long ago. Were you planning to seek justice for them? I’m afraid that’s not very likely." The wrinkles and pockmarks on his face twisted into a laugh so hideous it made one’s hair stand on end. Tang Wei was immensely relieved that she had not brought Yaya tonight, or the child would surely have been frightened even worse than in daylight.

"To be honest, I found it strange from the very beginning. It was only because the Shi family had long since vanished without a trace that I had no way to investigate. Their matter was already history, so I won’t dwell on it. But now it’s our Xuanyuan family’s turn, and I’m afraid you old ghost won’t be able to walk away so easily. I’d very much like to know, Brother Ouyang, what exactly you stand to gain from doing this? You even risked offending two seniors to frame my Xuanyuan family. Whatever you are after, it must be no small thing." Patriarch Xuanyuan chatted amiably with the old man across from him, smiling all the while.

"I ask for nothing else. I only want my Ouyang family to become the sole cultivation family in the land of Huaxia in the future!" Patriarch Ouyang declared brazenly, with no trace of guilt on his face.

"Old ghost, your ambition is certainly not small. I’m afraid this time it has all come to nothing," said Patriarch Xuanyuan, his expression unchanged and his smile still bright. Indeed, the Xuanyuan family could be counted as the great winner in this struggle. They had regained their honor and won the support of the two seniors. There was no need to argue endlessly with him here, only to end up disgracing themselves. So long as they obtained the outcome everyone wanted, what harm would there be in letting the Ouyang family off once? After committing such shameless and despicable deeds, even if he were spared this time, the Ouyang family would likely never be able to hold their heads up again among the cultivation world. At the same time, the Xuanyuan family’s reputation would be enhanced. Why not?

"Don’t get too pleased with yourself. If those two seniors were not helping you, then who would win and who would lose would still be uncertain," Patriarch Ouyang said unwillingly.

"You dragged my daughter into your scheme, even trying to lure us into attacking the Xuanyuan family. And now you want us not to lift a finger while watching you run away, do you?" Tang Wei said, casually tossing out a stool and mocking Patriarch Ouyang with a laugh. "Have you gone mad? How could you even come up with such an idea? I’m impressed."

"Two seniors, I truly did hope to borrow your hands to help me eliminate the Xuanyuan family, but I never harmed that little girl by so much as a hair. That hardly counts as any great sin, does it? Besides, the little girl was not abducted by people I sent. I merely took advantage of the situation and rescued her from someone else’s hands. Afterward I also provided her with food and lodging; that cannot be considered going against the two seniors, can it? I only ask that the matter between my Ouyang family and the Xuanyuan family be left to us. Please, do not intervene!" Patriarch Ouyang emphasized the word rescue. His meaning was clear: he wanted to keep these two Golden Core cultivators out of the matter and have the Xuanyuan family face him one on one, so that the result might yet turn in his favor.

However, Tang Wei had no intention of granting his wish. She took an apple from her spatial storage and bit into it as she said, "No matter how nicely you put it, it’s useless. You say you wanted to use our hands to eliminate the Xuanyuan family, but in my view you were plainly trying to make fools of us both. And you still have the nerve to quibble over words. That little girl was not rescued by you either. If you had not meddled, we would have found her long ago. Do you know how much suffering you made us endure during this time? We were anxious and fearful every single day, terrified that something might happen to the little girl. And if that had happened, who were we supposed to go and settle accounts with?"

"Then my Ouyang family is willing to compensate the two seniors for your losses. I only ask that the senior let me first resolve the conflict with the Xuanyuan family. As for the matter of the little girl, the two seniors may do with me as you please afterward." Patriarch Ouyang refused to give up. So long as these two agreed to step away, what did losing a junior amount to? Only if he could get out of this alive would he have the chance to display his full abilities.

"Compensation? Your tiny Ouyang family—what could you possibly afford?" Tang Wei was not looking down on him for no reason. She could take out any random object from her spatial storage and it would be enough to smash him to death.

"Senior, you..." Patriarch Ouyang was still smoldering with rage, but he could only swallow it down. Not a trace showed on his face. For the sake of the future, he had no choice but to work hard to persuade the two of them.

"What do you mean, 'you'? You’d better behave yourself, or you’ll be in for a world of hurt." Tang Wei was growing impatient with his rambling; he kept circling around the point and getting nowhere, which was infuriating to hear. She could not help losing her temper.

Only when she saw him obediently close his mouth did she nod with satisfaction. Then she beckoned and said, "Old Bai, come in for a moment!"

White Brow heard the call and walked in.

"You keep an eye on him. If he misbehaves, then such a fine soul can go to you as the main spirit of your magical artifact. How about that? Not a loss, right?" Tang Wei believed she had thought of a foolproof plan, and turning back to Zi Xuan, she asked with a smile, "Xiao Xuan, what do you think of this idea of mine?"

Zi Xuan nodded with a smile, not forgetting to help out by saying, "Senior Sister’s idea is naturally excellent. Otherwise, letting him be scattered to the winds would just be a waste, wouldn’t it?"

"Many thanks for the master’s reward! I, White Brow, will certainly watch him carefully for you." White Brow was shrewd as well. The moment he heard it, he understood her plan, and naturally nodded along.

"He..." Patriarch Ouyang still felt a chill at their back-and-forth. Scattered to the winds? Was it really that serious?

"Oh, let me introduce you first. This Daoist White Brow has spent so much time dealing with ghosts that he is especially sensitive to things like souls. He also likes using them in his cultivation. Normally, when ordinary people lie, their souls will fluctuate a little, and he can sense it immediately. To put it more plainly, he is what people call a ghost cultivator. I hear that the soul of a cultivator at the bigu stage is already among the strongest in present-day Huaxia, and it just so happens that his chief magical artifact is lacking a ghost general. Whether you are fortunate enough to have your soul used as one will depend on how well you answer my questions." Tang Wei continued to bluff. If he were not frightened half to death, how could he possibly answer truthfully later?

"You... you dare do such a heinous thing? Ghost cultivators have always been the target of attacks by us righteous cultivators. Yet you actually keep company with them! It is simply intolerable to heaven and earth!" Patriarch Ouyang was not so easily frightened. Pointing at them, he shouted loudly. Then, seeing that Tang Wei and Zi Xuan did not care in the slightest, he turned to Patriarch Xuanyuan and shouted, "Old Xuanyuan, are you in league with them too? Have you forgotten the instructions of our ancestors? Do you know that this is betrayal of your masters and destruction of your lineage?"

"Spare me your nonsense. Better that than being like you, all virtue on the lips and a heap of filth within. If you do not want your junior here to watch you being refined into a ghost general, then you’d better behave. Whatever I ask, you answer. If I find even one answer that does not add up, then just wait and see what becomes of your Ouyang family!" At a time like this and he still would not be honest—did he want her to use that little trick? That would be too much trouble. Tang Wei could not help cursing him.