"Heh heh, although the Sea Heart Sect is far away in the Wuyou Sea and quite a distance from here, its influence is far from insignificant. I've heard much about it, and among the Sea Heart Sect, the only one with such red hair would surely be none other than Brother Cui." The warrior blocking the path of the Sea Heart Sect group explained with a composed and unhurried expression.
Hearing his flattery, the red-haired elder's expression softened slightly, though he did not relax his vigilance. "And who might you be?"
"My surname is Xie!" The man revealed a mysterious smile.
"Xie? What does that have to do with me?" The red-haired elder furrowed his brow.
The Xie-surnamed warrior raised his own brow, seemingly surprised. He thought for a moment, then asked试探ly, "Brother Cui, how many days have you been here since your long journey?"
"Only three days, but what does that matter to you?" The red-haired elder was growing somewhat confused by the other party's words. The man neither disclosed his purpose nor revealed his identity, making him thoroughly suspicious—and now asking these head-scratching questions on top of it, which was thoroughly exasperating.
"So that's how it is. I take it Brother Cui hasn't yet looked into the situation around Tianyun City in any detail?" The Xie-surnamed warrior said as though the answer was self-evident, smiling faintly.
The red-haired elder snorted coldly. "And if I haven't? If you have something to say, say it plainly—no need to beat around the bush!"
The Xie-surnamed warrior chuckled. "Don't take offense, Brother Cui. If that's the case, then it's not hard to explain why your sect's disciples went to Dragon Cave Mountain to pull a tiger's whiskers."
"Pull a tiger's whiskers?" The red-haired elder narrowed his eyes. "That little hillock? They're hardly worthy of being called tigers."
The Xie-surnamed warrior said flatly, "If I told you that the master of that little mountain has a good relationship with Elder Qian Tong, and that there are even rumors of some connection with City Lord Fei Zhitu, and moreover that he personally killed a Return to Void Stage One warrior—would you still look down on him like that?"
"What?" The red-haired elder's expression changed drastically, his face shifting between dark and light. He hissed low, "Is this true?"
"I have no reason to lie to you."
"Even if that's so, what of it? He killed elite disciples of my sect—he will pay in blood!" the red-haired elder shouted with bluster masking his inner apprehension. Though the information the Xie-surnamed warrior had shared left him somewhat wary, the matter at stake today was far too significant for him to hold back from seeking vengeance however he could.
If he returned without doing anything, he wouldn't even be able to face the Sea Heart Sect.
"Ha ha! That's exactly the response I wanted from you, Brother Cui." The Xie-surnamed warrior laughed upon hearing this, a flash of sharp intent passing through his eyes. He lowered his voice. "To be honest with you, Brother Cui, the Return to Void warrior who died at the hands of that little mountain's master was none other than an elder of my Xie family. My Xie family and that brat have an irreconcilable enmity!"
"Oh?" The red-haired elder looked somewhat surprised, then seemed to recall something. He looked the warrior blocking his path up and down and asked hesitantly, "There is a deacon in the Shadow Moon Hall named Xie Li. And you are…?"
"Xie Li is my cousin!" The Xie-surnamed warrior smiled faintly.
Hearing this, the red-haired elder's face lit up with delight. He no longer dared to act aloof and cupped his fists courteously. "So it's Brother Xie. Cui has been discourteous."
"Not at all, not at all!" The Xie-surnamed warrior waved his hand dismissively, speaking warmly. "No harm in not knowing. Brother Cui, you've been stationed nearby with your disciples to keep watch on the Imperial Garden's movements, I presume? If you have no objections, why not stay at the Xie family estate for a time? Although the Xie family isn't exactly a grand clan, we can certainly spare a fine villa and a few guest rooms."
"That would be wonderful. I hope we won't be too much of a bother to your clan." The red-haired elder's face brightened. He had been fretting about finding a proper place to stay, and now here was an invitation. Moreover, based on what the man had just said, it seemed his grudge against the master of that little mountain ran deep. He felt an instant kinship and a shared desire for vengeance—agreeing without a moment's hesitation. After all, the enemy of one's enemy is a friend. Though the red-haired elder realized the man likely had designs on using their strength in return, he couldn't have cared less.
"Where would Brother Cui get such an idea? Having your sect stay at the Xie family estate brings great honor to our humble home. This way, please—let's walk and talk as we go. I've long admired the Wuyou Sea but never had the chance to visit." The Xie-surnamed warrior gestured invitingly.
"Please!" The red-haired elder returned the courtesy, and the two of them set off toward the Xie family headquarters with a dozen or so Sea Heart Sect disciples in tow.
The Xie-surnamed warrior proved an excellent conversationalist. Along the way, he chatted at length with the red-haired elder about all manner of extraordinary people and strange events, and expressed his longing for the Wuyou Sea at just the right moments, immediately making the red-haired elder feel like an honored guest.
After chatting for a while, the red-haired elder began to probe for information about Yang Kai. Upon learning that his backer really was Qian Tong, his expression shifted subtly. If that was the case, exacting revenge would be far from easy.
Furthermore, the Xie family technically fell within the Shadow Moon Hall's sphere of influence. Would openly antagonizing Dragon Cave Mountain cause any problems?
As though sensing his concerns, the Xie-surnamed warrior promptly assured him that the Shadow Moon Hall would not interfere in the slightest with the Xie family's grudge against Dragon Cave Mountain. This news sent the red-haired elder into a state of elation, confirming that the decision to visit the Xie family had been the right one. As long as the Shadow Moon Hall stayed out of it, combining the Xie family's strength with his own forces—wouldn't demolishing a little hillock be child's play?