Chapter 1646: Two Statues
Yulong City!
This is a particularly remote small city in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud Western Region. For many years, it has been a chaotic mix of fish and dragons, which might explain its name, and it’s also a haven for outlaws.
However, since the Wang Family came here, through iron-fisted measures and a wave of slaughter, the chaos in Yulong City has greatly improved, and now, within Yulong City, the Wang Family dominates.
Although there are still some small forces and small families in and around Yulong City, they are very wary of the Wang Family and dare not cause trouble in Yulong City easily. It appears quite peaceful.
In the center of Yulong City, there is a square of moderate size, but this square is different from ordinary squares because in the very center, stand two statues.
One of the statues is nearly two zhangs tall, and it vaguely appears to be a woman. Cultivators from Yulong City who pass by the square all have solemn expressions and eyes full of respect, as if fearing that walking a little faster would incur the statues’ disapproval.
It is conceivable that the origin of these two statues is extraordinary, and even though they are lifeless statues, the many cultivators in Yulong City dare not show the slightest disrespect.
"Tsk tsk, Emperor Canglong, Lu Qinwan, after all these years, have you really expanded to this extent?"
Not far from the center square of Yulong City, on the top floor of a three-story pavilion, a young man in coarse clothes was fixated on the distant statues, murmuring a sigh.
The owner of this voice, naturally, was Yun Xiao, who had returned to the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud. His soul was that of the Long Xiao Battle God in a past life, who had an intricate connection with the owners of those two statues in the square.
The Long Xiao Battle God of his past life had achieved great merits for the Emperor Canglong Palace; without him, the Emperor Canglong Palace would not hold its present domineering power.
Unfortunately, the Long Xiao Battle God, blinded at the time, failed to see that Emperor Canglong, who he once regarded as a brother, was actually a despicable person. Along with his former wife, Lu Qinwan, they eventually stabbed him to death.
From Yun Xiao’s perspective, he immediately recognized that the statues standing in the center square of Yulong City were of Emperor Canglong and Lu Qinwan, leading to his sigh.
Because, in Yun Xiao’s previous life, in the major cities of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, not only were there no statues of Lu Qinwan, there weren’t even any of Emperor Canglong.
Yun Xiao could imagine, after he had swept away the opposing forces of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud for Emperor Canglong and was then plotted against and killed by him, that the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud had no rivals left for the Emperor Canglong Palace.
Because of this sole domination, the major human cities of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud spontaneously erected statues of the two sovereigns of the Emperor Canglong Palace, as if worshipping the statues daily was a sincere devotion to the Emperor Canglong Palace.
"Brother Yun Xiao, watch your words!"
Wang Zilang, sitting across from Yun Xiao, naturally heard Yun Xiao’s sardonic sigh and couldn’t help but shiver all over, looking around as he spoke, and only when he saw that no one was paying attention did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Wang Zilang, born into the Wang Family, although always afflicted with Innate Pulse Cutting and unable to cultivate Meridian Qi, had some insight and discernment. He believed that if others heard Yun Xiao’s words, it might instantly bring great trouble.
Although Wang Zilang knew Yun Xiao’s strength and might not fear those ordinary cultivators, the ones Yun Xiao disdainfully mocked were the two sovereigns of the Emperor Canglong Palace. If this were to get out, the two of them might have no place in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.
"Watch my words? Heh, indeed, now they are the sovereigns of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, probably no one even dares to mention their names?"
In response to Wang Zilang’s cautious words, Yun Xiao merely displayed a helpless smile, then nodded and asked, "Zilang, do you know the current situation of the Emperor Canglong Palace?"
Upon his initial return to the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, Yun Xiao was in the dark about the changes during this period, but only after entering Yulong City and seeing the statues of Emperor Canglong and Lu Qinwan did he have the urge to ask.
"The Emperor Canglong Palace?"
Upon suddenly hearing that supreme name, Wang Zilang’s body shook heavily. He glanced around again before taking a deep breath and said, "I know a little!"
"Tell me all you know!"
Yun Xiao nodded, signaling Wang Zilang to continue speaking. He showed no interest in the latter’s state of mind. For the Emperor Canglong Palace, he harbored an inexplicable sense of disgust.
"Forget it!"
Seeing Yun Xiao’s attitude, Wang Zilang knew he had little choice but to say, "The Emperor Canglong Palace has always been the sovereign of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud. A century ago, after the Long Xiao Battle God rebelled against the palace, the new Emperor Canglong, leading the palace’s strongmen, destroyed the Four Great Families, and since then, no one dares to show any disrespect!"
In fact, what Wang Zilang knew was merely what the small Wang Family knew, and these things could be easily inquired about in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.
However, for Yun Xiao, who had just returned to the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, it was the first time hearing such facts, and his heart undeniably surged with turbulent waves, quite unlike his calm surface.
"So... it’s already been a hundred years?"
This was Yun Xiao’s first realization. After all, the soul of the Long Xiao Battle God was reborn within Yun Xiao, and it had only been seven or eight years. During these years, he was making waves on the Hidden Dragon Continent and the Tenglong Continent.
But who would have thought that the seven or eight years after his rebirth had spanned a whole century since the fall of the Long Xiao Battle God on the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud. This realization brought many thoughts to Yun Xiao’s mind.
"It seems that after I was stabbed to death by Emperor Canglong, I didn’t immediately reincarnate in this body. There was actually a significant gap in between!"
With Yun Xiao’s keen intellect, he quickly guessed a possibility, and the next moment, a glint flashed in his eyes, accompanied by a hint of indescribable sorrow.
"The Four Great Families you mentioned, are they the Nangong, Murong, Ouyang, and Situ families?"
This was a question Yun Xiao asked through gritted teeth. Memories rushed into his mind like tidal waves.
Upon seeing Wang Zilang nod strangely, the sorrow in Yun Xiao’s eyes grew even deeper. For back then, the clan leaders of these Four Great Families were great friends of the Long Xiao Battle God.
When he was the Long Xiao Battle God, Yun Xiao led a solitary life and did not have many friends. He never thought of relying on the Lu Family where Lu Qinwan belonged.
Though the background of the Emperor Canglong Palace provided Yun Xiao with endless status and identity, he now clearly regarded the Emperor Canglong Palace and the Lu Family as his greatest enemies.
The clan leaders of the so-called Nangong, Murong, Ouyang, and Situ Four Great Families were true friends he had casually befriended as Long Xiao Battle God, yet unexpectedly, they were completely annihilated by people led by Lu Qinwan.
Yun Xiao could easily guess that the annihilation of the Four Great Families was likely due to him. That despicable couple clearly preempted them to prevent the Four Great Families from seeking justice for him.
With the strength of the Four Great Families, if they had joined forces, even the Emperor Canglong Palace would have found it difficult to withstand. However, if they were defeated individually by the Emperor Canglong Palace, it became much easier.
Yun Xiao naturally did not know the details, but he could imagine that after he was killed and even accused of being a traitor, all those families or sects close to Long Xiao Battle God likely faced disaster.
Now, with no one aware of the truth from those days, Long Xiao Battle God was labeled as ungrateful, a betrayer of brothers and wives, while that vile couple from the Emperor Canglong Palace were worshipped by countless cultivators with their statues being revered.
Such is the fickleness of fate. Even Yun Xiao, living two lives, found it a bit hard to bear. Staring at the two statues on the distant square, he wished to fly down and smash them to pieces.
"Emperor Canglong, Lu Qinwan, who would have thought you two could be so ruthless!"
In his fury, Yun Xiao couldn’t resist slamming his palm on the table, making Wang Zilang secretly lament, for this time Yun Xiao’s angry outburst was unrestrained.
The third floor of this pavilion was not occupied by just them; hearing the commotion, many people turned their heads, and some even had looks of extreme anger on their faces.
"Who is so rebellious as to dare speak disrespectfully of the Emperor and Empress Canglong?"
Just as some individuals seemed poised to act, a cold voice abruptly came from the stairs of the pavilion, drawing everyone’s attention.
Tap tap tap!
The sound of footsteps arose, and Yun Xiao’s vision flickered as several somewhat young figures appeared jointly on the third floor of the pavilion. The young man in the lead shook a folding fan, a hint of coldness on his face. He was the one who had just spoken.
"Second Brother?"
At the first sight of the young man with the folding fan, Wang Zitong stood up from his chair, but his voice carried little joy, rather a trace of suppressed gloom.
"Huh?"
The young man shaking the folding fan was also taken aback to see Wang Zilang here, and after exclaiming, his face instantly turned a few shades darker.
"Wang Zilang, shouldn’t you be in the Five Desolate Village? How dare you return to Yulong City without father’s orders? What is your crime?"
The individual whom Wang Zilang called Second Brother reprimanded directly. This reprimand allowed Yun Xiao to instantly understand their relationship; it seemed that even between blood relatives, things were not very amiable.
When Yun Xiao was on the Hidden Dragon Continent, his good friend Ling Wan was considered a monster by the Zhao Family due to his inherent anomaly. This Wang family before his eyes seemed to echo that Zhao Family’s sentiment.