Chapter 21: The Siblings' Enemy

"We must destroy the Shaoyan clan?" Ji Ning was shaken. Even though he regarded the Shaoyan clan as a great enemy, deep in his heart he also had a longing... a longing to one day destroy the Shaoyan clan and comfort his mother's spirit in heaven!

His mother's elder sister, his father, and many other relatives—the entire Yuchi clan—had all died at the hands of the Shaoyan clan.

His mother must have wanted to destroy the Shaoyan clan, but the Shaoyan clan was too powerful. So powerful that Yuchi Shan had never told Princess Xiyue that the enemy who had wiped out her clan was the Shaoyan clan, and Yuchi Xue had never told Ji Ning. This was an ancient tribe that ranked among the top ten in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, a powerful tribe that had endured from the age of gods and demons to the present day. Who dared to claim they could destroy such a tribe?

Ji Ning longed for it in his heart, but he dared not speak of it.

But Princess Xiyue dared!

Ji Ning could feel from his cousin's words the hatred, the will to achieve her goal at any cost!

"This was my father's longing. My father is dead, and I will fulfill it for him." Princess Xiyue gritted her teeth. "Even if I lose my life, even if I fail, I will still bite a chunk out of the Shaoyan clan."

"Cousin." Ji Ning couldn't help saying, "Destroying the Shaoyan clan—this matter cannot be rushed."

"Of course I know." Princess Xiyue shook her head. "I haven't even told Grandfather about this idea, because I know that although the entire royal clan of Xia, the Xiamang clan, might have the power to destroy the Shaoyan clan, the royal clan won't do it. The royal clan doesn't want to cause fear and unrest among the many tribes under its command, let alone rebellion."

Ji Ning nodded.

For the royal clan to destroy a major tribe, they needed a sufficient reason. They couldn't just find any excuse, because the various lords under heaven were not fools. Only if the Shaoyan clan truly did something that crossed the line could the royal clan destroy them. Otherwise, if the royal clan destroyed whomever they pleased, how could the other lords feel secure?

They would probably all rise up in rebellion, and the land would once again fall into a great chaos like the age of gods and demons.

The royal clan had been able to unify the world back then because many tribes had submitted to them. If all those tribes rebelled, the royal clan's fate would likely be very grim.

"So I endure. The fact that I am called Yuchi Xiyue is known to few in the royal capital. I've also asked Grandfather not to speak of it." Princess Xiyue said, "I don't want to alert the Shaoyan clan. I want to wait for an opportunity, to find a chance. If I don't strike, fine; but if I do, I will either wipe out the Shaoyan clan or at least cripple them."

"Cousin, what do you plan to do?" Ji Ning was puzzled. His cousin's strength seemed average; to destroy the Shaoyan clan? Even a Celestial Immortal ancestor wouldn't dare say that.

"If I had your talent, I would train with all my might, striving to become a Celestial Immortal. Once I became a Celestial Immortal, I would naturally have plenty of time to slowly deal with them." Princess Xiyue shook her head. "But I don't have that talent, so I must borrow strength—I must borrow the strength of the royal clan."

"Borrow strength?" Ji Ning was startled.

"If the royal clan has no sufficient reason, then I'll find a way to create one." Princess Xiyue said. "Even if it costs my life, I'm willing. But I know that even if I sacrifice my life, it will still be very difficult. Yet no matter how hard, I will keep trying, and I will wait patiently, silently."

Princess Xiyue was like a venomous snake seeking revenge, silently waiting for the moment to strike.

"For me to destroy the Shaoyan clan in this lifetime is very, very hard." A resolute gleam shone in Princess Xiyue's eyes. "So I will take a husband into my family, not marry out. I will take a husband. The children I bear will follow my publicly declared surname 'Chi'. My children will continue to have children, generation after generation without end. My descendants' greatest goal will be the Shaoyan clan!"

"I have Grandfather behind me; I am his only relative. Even if I die, I will ask Grandfather to look after the Chi clan." Princess Xiyue said. "Grandfather is a Celestial Immortal ancestor of the royal clan. With his protection, the Chi clan will surely grow stronger. The day the Chi clan itself produces a Celestial Immortal ancestor, or the day the Shaoyan clan is destroyed, only then will my Chi clan truly restore the name 'Yuchi'."

Ji Ning took a deep breath.

The hatred in his cousin's words made Ji Ning's heart tremble.

Yes.

His cousin was different from him.

He was a member of the Ji clan, so his mother Yuchi Xue never even mentioned the enemy. His hatred for the Shaoyan clan had not truly sunk into his bones. But his cousin was a member of the Yuchi clan. Uncle Yuchi Shan had raised her from childhood, had her train, and told her about the Yuchi clan's past glory.

Although Yuchi Shan never said who the enemy was, he himself had been training hard, wanting to rebuild the clan while also longing to grow strong enough to take revenge.

Yuchi Xiyue had silently watched her father. She knew that his longing was to rebuild the Yuchi clan and take revenge. The revenge was buried deep in his heart, but his daughter could feel the hatred he had always suppressed. So she wanted to fulfill his wish—rebuild the clan and take revenge!

"Yes." Ji Ning's heart suddenly trembled.

"Uncle is the only surviving man of the Yuchi clan. His hatred must be intense. Cousin also hates the Shaoyan clan. And my mother?"

"Grandfather and the others all died. Didn't Mother hate them?"

"But she married Father, and after marrying into the Ji clan, she never mentioned it, never showed it in front of me. Perhaps in private she also grieved and hated for her father and relatives." Ji Ning suddenly felt a pang in his heart. His mother never passed this hatred on to him precisely because she didn't want him to seek revenge.

She worried he would be like an egg dashing against a rock!

"Mother, you worried about your child. But now your child has still ended up opposing the Shaoyan clan."

"This is fate!"

"Mother, if your child were just an ordinary peerless genius, it would be hard to take revenge. But I am not! I have inherited the legacy of the Chaos God, Sanzo Daoist. I can easily obtain Immortal-ranked magic treasures and even Pure Yang treasures in the future. My divine abilities are among the top ten in the Three Realms. I have every hope of becoming a powerhouse who roams the Three Realms. Destroying the Shaoyan clan... I can do it, I can!"

A resolute gleam shone in Ji Ning's eyes.

"Cousin." Ji Ning looked at his cousin.

"Little brother." Yuchi Xiyue looked at her younger cousin and said softly, "I've never said these words before. Seeing you, I've let out everything I've been holding in. Besides Grandfather, you are my only relative."

Ji Ning nodded. "Cousin, rest assured. Becoming a Return to Void Earth Immortal is no obstacle for me at all—it's a smooth road! Even overcoming the tribulation to become a Celestial Immortal... although it's very hard, I will do it, I will definitely do it. Dealing with the Shaoyan clan is not your burden alone; it's also my matter. The Shaoyan clan and I are already irreconcilable. It's either they destroy me, or I destroy them!"

"Little brother." Yuchi Xiyue felt warmth in her heart.

Although they both knew how difficult it was to overcome the tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal, at least for now, the siblings would not speak of it.

At least, they had determination.

"We siblings will join hands and destroy the Shaoyan clan." Ji Ning held his cousin's hand.

"Yes, join hands and destroy the Shaoyan clan." Yuchi Xiyue nodded excitedly. "United, we siblings are as strong as metal."

"United, we are as strong as metal." Ji Ning nodded heavily.

On this day, at this moment.

While the treasure-gathering meeting was still ongoing, while the Floating Cloud Immortal was still waiting on the street to assassinate Ji Ning, Yuchi Xiyue and Ji Ning, these two cousins, truly joined hearts, sharing a common enemy—the Shaoyan clan!

…

Drawn by two huge green luan birds, the immortal carriage surrounded by golden flames flew up, traveling within the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. Beside the carriage were some attendants, and all around was a large group of golden-armored imperial guards.

Princess Xiyue and Ji Ning sat together on the carriage. The Whitewater Hound lay beside them, while Little Qing coiled around Ji Ning's arm.

Earlier, when Princess Xiyue had pulled Ji Ning to sit on the carriage, some female soldiers and attendants had objected, worried that Ji Ning might assassinate the princess. But the princess insisted, so they had no choice.

"In the capital, it's very common to invite some talents to ride together in a carriage." Princess Xiyue transmitted. "If I invite a genius, should I sit on the carriage while you fly behind? That would be too disrespectful to a peerless genius, right?"

Ji Ning smiled helplessly.

"Don't stay at the Yinglong Guard headquarters. Although it's safe, there are many eyes and ears there. The Shaoyan clan's Yinglong Guards will definitely monitor you; every move you make will be discovered. Better to stay at my Yan Prince's mansion. No one will disturb you there." Princess Xiyue transmitted.

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded.

Although his original plan was to stay at the Yinglong Guard headquarters, Yinglong Divine Mountain, during his time in the capital—a place of absolute safety, since Yinglong Divine Mountain was even slightly higher than the Heavenly Firmament Hall, and the hidden military force there was terrifyingly vast, so much so that even Celestial Immortal ancestors dared not act recklessly—

Plans changed. He had met his cousin, and they were going to a royal prince's mansion of the Great Xia royal clan, which was naturally also extremely safe.

"Among these golden-armored imperial guards, two are immortals?" Ji Ning transmitted.

"Little brother is truly perceptive. Yes, of these one hundred golden-armored imperial guards, the other ninety-eight are Soul Refining Daoists, and two are Sanxian. They are the elite of the Great Xia royal clan's imperial guard, originally bestowed upon Grandfather. Grandfather ordered them to follow my command. This time I only brought out two squads. Each squad consists of one Sanxian and forty-nine Soul Refining Daoists, capable of forming a Dao-soldier formation. With two squads working together, even dozens of Sanxian would find it hard to break through." Princess Xiyue transmitted.

Ji Ning marveled.

The Great Xia royal clan truly acted with extraordinary means.

"We can send one squad to destroy the Snowdragon Mountain you mentioned and capture Dong Qi alive." A sharp glint flashed in Princess Xiyue's eyes. "I'll have Grandfather inform Anchan Northmont's clan in advance; they won't say a word. A sect without even an Earth Immortal or Sanxian—destroying it is nothing."

Ji Ning nodded. Earlier in the pavilion, they had also discussed that Yuchi Shan was killed by people from Snowdragon Mountain. Yu Tong and Shui Yi had already been killed by him. Only Dong Qi remained on Snowdragon Mountain. Previously, because he was being hunted by the Shaoyan clan, he dared not linger near Snowdragon Mountain for a fight; once surrounded, he would be finished.

Destroying Snowdragon Mountain? For Ji Ning, it was somewhat troublesome.

But for Princess Xiyue, it was much easier.

…

"Why hasn't he come out yet?" The Floating Cloud Immortal, who had been waiting on the street for a long time, frowned. He had been waiting here for quite a while.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, a blue-clad servant came out of the Heavenly Treasures Mountain headquarters and transmitted: "Senior, Ji Ning has come out, but he is with Princess Xiyue."

"Princess Xiyue?" The Floating Cloud Immortal was stunned.

In just a few breaths, he saw the supremely beautiful and noble immortal carriage drawn by two green luan divine beasts, surrounded by golden flames. A green-clad woman sat together with Ji Ning, with the Whitewater Hound lying beside them. Behind them was a group of golden-armored imperial guards emanating powerful auras.

"This, this..." The Floating Cloud Immortal was completely dumbfounded. "Two divine beasts, green luans? One hundred golden-armored imperial guards? How... how am I supposed to assassinate him?"