"Three years ago, Bi Qing of Yama Palace, along with four others, accepted the task of assassinating you."
"Bi Qing and the other four are Inner Sect Disciples of Yama Palace, all with Foundation Establishment Cultivation. True disciples of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace’s Master and Disciple Lineage all carry Fourth Level Talismans, so they don’t dare to act recklessly."
"They have devised two strategies."
"First, they instructed Yu Ci and other mortal ministers to probe the royal family while disrupting the state’s Luck and ruining your Human King physique’s Great Fortune. Second, the five of them went to Folding Mountain Island, formed a Killing Formation, and planned to use Second-level puppets to force you to use the Fourth Level Talisman, then swiftly cut through the chaos to kill you directly..."
"They just didn’t expect that you, Fourth Brother, had returned to the Mortal World a step ahead of them, leaving them empty-handed."
At this, King of Might smiled.
"The Flying Feather Immortal Palace’s holdings in the Mortal World were not far from their Sect’s residence, unlike the distant Wangchuan Sea. If Xu Xing had used the Fourth Level Talisman there, it would surely have alerted the Flying Feather Immortal Palace. Then, the five Inner Sect Disciples from Yama Palace wouldn’t have been able to escape and would have been killed by cultivators from the Flying Feather Immortal Palace."
This was also why the five assassins had remained inactive until now.
"How could Second Brother know this so clearly?"
Xu Xing looked at King of Might suspiciously.
He had assumed King of Might only knew some trivial details. He hadn’t expected King of Might to be so thoroughly aware of Yama Palace’s plans and the five individuals involved.
Unless King of Might was one of those five people.
"Your guess is correct, Fourth Brother."
King of Might nodded. He stopped concealing his aura, revealing his Immortal Foundation Early Stage Realm.
"Second Brother is one of the five cultivators sent to assassinate you."
"Immortal Foundation Early Stage?"
Xu Xing frowned deeply.
That King of Might could break through to the Immortal Foundation Early Stage in less than twenty years was far beyond his expectations.
However, after carefully discerning King of Might’s aura, he found that King of Might’s Magic Power was significantly weaker than his own had been when he was at the Immortal Foundation Early Stage.
"Initially, Bi Qing approached me because I hailed from Fengxi Country and knew the routes. I also wished to return to the Mortal World to see Big Brother, so I accepted the assignment."
"When I saw how you, Fourth Brother, treated Big Brother and our former brothers with righteousness, I intentionally revealed my tracks while heading to the Yu family, allowing your subordinates to discover them..."
King of Might’s explanation dispelled Xu Xing’s suspicions.
He seemed to sense Xu Xing’s puzzlement regarding his Cultivation, so he gave a bitter smile and said, "Fourth Brother, your Flying Feather Immortal Palace has its Family Line and Master and Disciple Lineage; Yama Palace is much the same. Yama Palace is divided into eight outer halls and four inner palaces. The disciples of the Shadow Assassination Hall all cultivate the ’Shadow Killing Magic Skill.’"
"Cultivating this Demonic Technique grants a physique comparable to those with Innate Immortal Genius. However, the price is a lifespan only half that of a regular Foundation Establishment Cultivator—just two hundred Yangshou. Furthermore, the Immortal Base they establish is far inferior to that of true immortal talents like yourself."
"In this world, there are no free lunches."
"Despite its righteous reputation, the lower-level disciples of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace lead difficult lives. They either marry into the Family Line, their future Immortal Journey then controlled by those families, or join the Master and Disciple Lineage as External Cultivators. Before being formally accepted into the Master and Disciple system, the Sect treats them as cannon fodder and expendables."
"As for Yama Palace, being a Sect of the demonic path, the lives of its Bottom-level Cultivators are even harsher."
"Essentially, Bottom-level Cultivators there don’t even have a choice."
"The reason Second Brother came to find me Today..." Xu Xing began, looking at King of Might.
"Yes," King of Might affirmed.
Xu Xing studied him intently.
If I’m not mistaken, the intelligence Gongyang Yi obtained must have come from King of Might. However, at that time, King of Might was likely playing both sides, placing a strategic piece in advance. This way, he would have established a favorable connection should he face difficulties later.
Otherwise, he could have just sent a secret message directly to me or Zhao Yunniang.
Why bother with such elaborate misdirection?
But then again, I don’t want to expose King of Might’s Disguise.
King of Might and I share no true brotherly bond; for him to have done this much is already commendable.
"Recently, Bi Qing was planning to report back to the Sect, resigned to the mission’s failure."
"Unexpectedly, a cultivator from Flying Feather Immortal Palace contacted Bi Qing."
King of Might’s expression turned grave. "If Bi Qing had merely given up on the mission, I, your Second Brother, wouldn’t have troubled myself to come. But Bi Qing is now colluding with a cultivator from the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, and that changes things."
"Someone is colluding..."
Although Xu Xing’s expression remained unchanged, his heart leaped in alarm.
It’s difficult to guard against a thief from your own family.
Dealing with assassins from Yama Palace was something he could manage, provided his methods were smart and his strength sufficient; the danger was still within his control.
But if someone within the Sect was targeting him...
...that would be far more difficult to handle than assassins from Yama Palace.
He was a First-class genuine transmission and a disciple of the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch. If someone within the Sect targeted him, their strength and Power would be at least at the Dao Pill level, possibly even the Nascent Soul Daoist Lord level.
Even if such Nascent Soul Daoist Lords or Dao Pill Daoists didn’t act personally, the methods and Resources they could deploy would far surpass those available to ordinary Yama Palace disciples.
"The Hangu Mountain Secret Realm, located within Flying Feather Immortal Palace territory, is set to open. They’ve arranged for you to be sent there as well, because within the Hangu Mountain Secret Realm are three Top-grade Fixed Light Talismans refined by the Divine Illusion Saint Monarch back then."
"On the journey to Hangu Mountain, they will feign a malfunction with the Flying Boat, drop you off midway, and then we five will move in to assassinate you..."
"During this period, the Guarding elders assigned to protect you will conveniently be absent for various contrived reasons."