Chapter 163: The Truth is Often Dangerous

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Liu Jin comes down like lightning, accelerating with Ground Contraction and then using the same technique to counter his momentum before touching the ground. Despite the lightning that sparks around him, not one of Liu Jin’s hairs is out of place. He holds himself with poise. His Qi does not blaze with force but calmly spreads out like water, impressing his strength onto others with such subtlety one could be forgiven for missing it.

True Realm, Second Level.

“That will not be happening, seniors.”

His words are delivered calmly, some might even say with confidence. However, Liu Jin is neither of those things. Two Core Disciples stand before him, and this time, he has neither a temple full of dangerous Spirit Beast to slow them down nor the advantage of them being blind with anger.

To think he told Fan Bingbing to watch out for Core Disciples before leaving the temple when it was going to be him who’d leap right in front of them!

“Elder Brother!”

“Brother Jin!”

Feng Hao says his name with hope, Huang Shing with joy. Liu Jin hopes he does not betray either of those feelings.

“It has been a while,” Liu Jin says as the two run up to him.

Feng Hao grabs hold of his sleeve, and a flood of information rushes through Liu Jin’s brain as Feng Hao desperately tries to communicate everything he has been through with his Qi. Thankfully, the Core Disciples do not take advantage of his momentary lapse.

“I see,” Liu Jin says, smiling down at him. “You have gotten stronger.”

“This time it was I who made the most progress!” Huang Shing grins proudly, misunderstanding who Liu Jin’s words were meant for. “I hope Brother Jin can keep up!”

The female Core Disciples flares her Qi, immediately ending their conversation.

“Good entrance, junior,” the female disciple, Shi Qingxia, says. Despite her words, the scowl on her face does not waver. “But pointless! You intrude where you are not wanted. Young Master Feng Hao will come with us. Inner Disciples have no voice here.”

“Senior Sister,” Liu Jin says, meeting her gaze, “whether we are Inner Disciples or not, the voice that is most important here is surely that of Young Master Feng Hao. Does Young Master Feng Hao wish to go with them?”

The reply comes immediately.

“No!”

“You heard him, seniors.” Liu Jin moves to block Feng Hao from their line of sight. “The Young Master does not wish to go with you. Isn’t his peace of mind something we should consider as well?”

“Do you take me for a fool?!” Shi’s Qi spikes in tandem with her temper. “The Young Master is a child who doesn’t know any better! If his judgment leads him to pick two Inner Disciples over two Core ones, then his words have no value here!”

“It is true you are both stronger than us,” Liu Jin admits. “However, that does not make us incapable of protecting the Young Master. There are other considerations.”

“Oh?” Shi Qingxia smiles with far too many teeth. “Like what?”

“Impartiality, senior sister,” Liu Jin replies. “Brother Huang is a member of the Punishment Force. I belong to the Apothecary. We both belong to different factions, unlike senior brother and senior sister who both support Lord Feng Shang.”

“It is because we support Lord Feng Shang that we are more trustworthy than a dog of Lord Feng Gui! Everyone knows the death of the Young Master would only be a boon to his father!” She says, making Feng Hao flinch behind Liu Jin.

“Senior sister,” Liu Jin says, narrowing his eyes. “If you will not trust Lord Feng Gui, then at least trust Lady Ling, who has entrusted me with the safety of her son. Who are you to doubt her judgment?”

“Lady Ling,” Shi Qingxia echoes in a whisper. Her scowl darkens. “You are the dog that gave Lord Feng Gui the Medical Pavilion!”

“That, I am.”

Yet again, her Qi spikes. The menacing intent radiating from her feels like a thousand needles prickling against his skin.

“To admit that in front of me! How stupid are you?”

“We were at the same banquet, senior sister,” Liu Jin points out. “I saw little point hiding it, though perhaps that was my mistake. I shouldn’t have assumed either of you put me in your eyes.”

“I did,” replies the large man behind Shi Qingxia, Ye Zheyu. “Qing Jin, you speak well, cultivate well, and prepare pills with skill. That doesn’t matter. Senior Brother Yong has spoken.”

“The Young Master will come with us,” Shi Qingxia repeats, pointing her hand towards them. To Liu Jin’s surprise, it is not flames that appear around her hands but angry flashes of light. “Move.”

“I already said that will not be happening,” Liu Jin says, his aura flaring around him.

Shi Qingxia laughs.

“You already said? Junior, do you really think you can stop us?” Her aura clashes against his. Liu Jin grits his teeth as his Qi is pushed back. “You are strong. Both of you. I’m willing to compliment you that much.”

Her aura rises even higher.

“You two are still not our match!”

Her face is a mask of fury. Light rages around her and tears the earth asunder. It is only because Huang Shing and Liu Jin flare up their Qi in response that they and Feng Hao suffer no injuries from the increase in pressure

Light rages in the palm of her hand; pure that plasma looks like it will explode at any moment.

“Step back! This is your last chance!”

Huang Shing takes a step forward. His face shines with sweat, yet he dares to speak! “Whether we are strong or weak is not for you to decide!”

“No, she is right,” Liu Jin says, holding his hand to stop him from attacking. “They are much stronger than we are.”

“Brother Jin!” Huang Shing shoots him a betrayed look. “Don’t let your heart falter now!”

“Heart has nothing to do with it,” Liu Jin replies tonelessly. “They are both in the Earth Realm, and we are not. They are stronger than you by at least one Realm, and in my case, the difference is higher. If we were to fight, it would all be over in ten seconds.”

Huang Shing scowls. Though Liu Jin’s words may sound defeatist, that he is willing to say they can last ten seconds against two Core Disciples demonstrates a tremendous level of confidence in his and Huang Shing’s skills. If this fight were happening before an audience, most people would only be wondering whether the fight would last more than one breath.

“So you’re all talk then!” Shi Qingxia laughs. Her Qi began to fade out. “Better to have sense than courage, I suppose. I don’t hate it, so hand over-”

“However,” Liu Jin says, fighting the bile that threatens to rise up in his throat, “what would happen if I threatened the Young Master’s life?”

Everyone goes silent. The sphere of light in the female disciple’s hand fizzles out. Even Huang Shing and Feng Hao stare at Liu Jin in shock.

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“If the Young Master dies, Lord Feng Shang loses. You just said so, senior sister,” Liu Jin says, doing his hardest to keep his face from showing his emotions even as he feels the shock and betrayal radiating from Feng Hao. “That is why you wish to secure him, so threatening his life should be effective against you.”

Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.

“And yet,” Liu Jin continues. “Why do I feel you don’t really care about who wins?”

“You are saying dangerous things, Junior,” Ye Zheyu warns him.

“The truth is often dangerous, senior brother, and I have been thinking much of it lately. Why were we sent here? Why are some of the disciples acting in the way they are? I can’t help but feel there is something else at play.”

“I knew… I knew, but… I was… ordered…”

That was what Yuan Yi told him after his failed to attempt to kill him. Liu Jin hadn’t thought much of it back then, dismissing it as his way to remind him of the competition between the two factions.

However, what if someone had ordered Yuan Yi to kill him?

Similarly, Qu Rou had reasons to foster hate in his heart, but was it possible someone had stoked those flames long before they encountered him?

Liu Jin will not go as far as to say the information Feng Hao shared with him is the missing piece, but it has made him aware of just how much he doesn’t know yet.

“I will say it again. You don’t care about the contest at all!”

“And what would you do if that was the case, junior?” Shi Qingxia asks him. Her voice lacks its former heat yet is undeniably more menacing because of it.

“To be honest, I would be a little relieved.”

She snorts. “Relieved?”

“I don’t think I could bring myself to seriously threaten the Young Master,” Liu Jin says. “Even talking about doing it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” His eyes flick over to Feng Hao. “I scared you just now, didn’t I? I am deeply sorry.”

“Ah, no it’s-”

“Of course, you scared him!” Huang Shing shouts. “Even I was scared! You are a very scary person!”

“Am I? Really?”

“Brother Jin is definitely the scariest person I know who is close to my age.”

“Oh? I can’t compete with those older?”

“Of course not! Old people are always scarier than young ones. That’s how they became old.”