"Qingxue, your father... Lin Xuangan, is dead!"
Hou Yuxiao noticed the hand Zhao Qingxue had on his shoulder tensed slightly and hurriedly corrected himself. From the time they set off, he hadn't seen Zhao Qingxue's face under the red yarn, but he was acutely aware that the moment he uttered Lin Xuangan's death, Zhao Qingxue's body had clearly stiffened.
No matter the grievances, he was still her father!
Moreover, judging by Lin Xuangan's final instruction to him, his love for Zhao Qingxue, his daughter, was absolutely profound.
Blood is thicker than water, after all; it must be hard on her heart.
Hou Yuxiao held Zhao Qingxue a bit tighter in his arms and sighed quietly.
Lin Xuangan was dead, but the two of them were still in danger.
The nine clusters of fog in the sky lingered, and Hou Yuxiao was certain that those nine were discussing the ownership of the eight fragments. One could tell from Shi Tian's earlier reaction how precious the Treasure Map of the Divine Sect was; surely none of the nine Holy Lands wanted to relinquish it.
But there were only eight pieces, so what should be done?
As no conclusion had been reached in the sky, Hou Yuxiao could only stand still, growing more anxious the longer he waited.
Those nine clusters of fog likely represented the heads of the nine Holy Lands, which meant that the leaders of Qinjian Villa and the Rakshasa Holy Sect were present...
There was no need to mention the enmity between Qinjian Villa and the Hou Clan. In fact, ever since they declared independence in Hexi, the relationship between the Hou Clan and the Rakshasa Holy Sect had soured as well.
Among those nine mists were Zhao Yulong and Sikong Xingzhou. Arguably, two Martial Dao Saints shouldn't lay hands on a mere Qianyang realm martial artist like him, but feeling his life in the hands of others filled Hou Yuxiao with unease.
What if they decided to act without reason?
Suddenly, a chilling sensation rose from the depths of his heart, and Hou Yuxiao quickly looked down. He felt the gazes from behind the nine clouds above were fixed on his position.
No, it seemed they were looking at Zhao Qingxue in his arms...
Hou Yuxiao's eyes darted frantically as he realized why the nine were looking at Zhao Qingxue. Steeling himself, he stood in front of her and bowed toward the empty air:
"Esteemed seniors, although Qingxue is Lin Xuangan's biological daughter, she has no connection to this matter whatsoever. We are both totally unaware of what the Treasure Map of the Divine Sect is. I implore the nine seniors to show mercy and spare my consort!"
Speaking to the nine mightiest individuals in the world, Hou Yuxiao was fraught with unease, but for Zhao Qingxue's sake, he could not help but step forward despite fearing death, because after all, today's events were his own doing. If it hadn't been for his scheme against Leiyin Temple, none of this would have happened.
Should he not bear the burden himself instead of letting Zhao Qingxue?
The nine clouds in the sky remained silent for a long time, tightening Hou Yuxiao's mind and spirit. Just as he could no longer bear it and was about to speak again, someone finally spoke up.
"It's her own daughter, after all; Lin Xuangan wouldn't harm her. No need to look any further."
"Since that's the case, let's stick to the plan. The eight fragments will be temporarily kept by our Great Jin until such time as one of you gets the one from Shi Tian's hands. Then we'll gather again and open the Treasure Map of the Divine Sect."
"We trust the Emperor of Jin."
"Let us put an end to today's events!"
Hou Yuxiao's pupils shook violently as he stood in place, his expression unchanged, but a thrill of exultation surged within him.
The fragment that Shi Tian had risked his life to steal, were they planning to snatch it?
Yes, these people didn't trust each other, so they couldn't unite to press Shi Tian. None of the nine Holy Lands wanted to give up the Treasure Map of the Divine Sect, and if they invited Shi Tian over, one of the nine Holy Lands would inevitably be left without a fragment.
There were ten including the Leiyin Temple and nine Holy Lands.
But there were only nine fragments in total.
The fragment of the Treasure Map of the Divine Sect that Shi Tian had just fought desperately to obtain now seemed not to be a treasure but more of a Death Sentence.
Lin Xuangan's move was truly venomous!
"Helping you out with such a big trouble, don't fail my Qingxue in the future!"
Only now did Hou Yuxiao understand the meaning behind Lin Xuangan's last words.
With this move, Leiyin Temple was equivalent to having offended the nine Holy Lands, and just like that, Hou Yuxiao's meticulously planned alliance came to fruition effortlessly.
The future of Hexi was now looking bright.
After the nine clouds departed, Hou Yuxiao remained in place for a good two more hours, partly to heal and recover, and partly out of fear that the nine had not completely left. Only when the Hou Clan members arrived did he dare to emerge with Zhao Qingxue.
"Family Head, are you alright?"
The three brothers from the Gao Family wore expressions of shame, as they had vowed confidently to ensure the safety of the lady, but in the recent battle, after the initial clash, they didn't even have the opportunity to intervene, leaving them feeling somewhat embarrassed.
With the appearance of the nine Holy Land leaders, Hou Yuxiao naturally wouldn't blame the three men. After learning that the Red Flame Army hadn't suffered any casualties, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, gesturing to the three to gather the Red Flame Army and continue on their way back to Hexi.
The aftershocks of the Martial Dao Saints' battle had reduced the entire Wanglong Mountain to flatland, and Hou Yuxiao couldn't even find a single intact Official Road. It was fortunate that the Gao Family brothers had taken the Red Flame Army to hide early on, or survival would have been highly unlikely.