The Anarchic Consort c1-1376
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Ni Biao was present too. Everyone else was standing, while the leaders of all major factions were seated on wooden chairs. They would only stand when the contest began.
Hearing Helian Wei Wei's question made him grip the teacup tightly as he slowly narrowed his eyes.
The referee frowned. He looked at Helian Wei Wei as if she was being a clown. He wondered how stupid this person was. Is she really asking me how Young Master Ni should be punished? Is there something wrong with her brain?
Ni Hu laughed and looked at Helian Wei Wei as though she was a walking joke, jeering, "Deal with me? You should be grateful that I didn't ask you to scram or beat the living daylights out of you!"
However, Helian Wei Wei was very calm and continued speaking in a nonchalant tone, "What? Just because the Ni Family is influential, they should get away with any wrongdoings without punishment? That is really eye-opening. So, the reality is that the Ni family, who prides itself with upholding justice, was merely paying lip service to it. Actually, they can bully people as they wish. What a brilliant way of hoodwinking the public!"
Helian Wei Wei's comment made the foreign exorcists, who were here for the contest, begin judging his character. Their staring gaze at Ni Hu also seemed to fill with doubt.
They had no idea that the three major factions had joined forces to ostracize the Zhuge family. They also thought that the Ni Family was the pride of all exorcists, which was why they had traveled here from the outer cities.
However, now...
The exorcists looked at one another, and then at Ni Biao.
Ni Biao's face began to darken. When he heard the ruckus at first, he knew that Ni Hu was finding fault with the Zhuge family and he never cared about such things. However, he wondered where the person came from, and how he trapped his son in just a few words.
Now, he must come forward and gave everyone an explanation. Otherwise, the Ni family's well-maintained image would be tarnished.
Ni Biao always wanted to use the Sarira to rule Exorcist City. However, he had to gain everyone's trust to ensure that he would be able to obtain that powerful position in the future.
Seeing the intensifying scrutiny from around him, Ni Biao had no choice but to stand up.
"Young Master Ni." Everyone consciously cleared a path for him.
Ni Biao walked over smilingly, looking like a wise old man as he said, "Little Tiger, you have to apologize if you have done something wrong. How many times have I told you to change that hot temper of yours!"
Ni Hu was completely dumbfounded, as he did not expect his father to come over and lecture him. However, no matter how rebellious he was, he did not dare to disobey his father. He gave Helian Wei Wei a ferocious stare and with clenched teeth, he said, "You, and you, just wait and see."
Baili Jia Jue, who he pointed at, had attracted great attention from the moment he appeared. His eyes were frigidly cold, as he raised his eyebrows and flashed a smile, causing many ladies to fall under his spell.
After all, only very few people could wear the exorcism robe so elegantly.
It was especially hard to ignore the aura of s.e.x.u.a.l suppression rolling off of him.
Ni Biao noticed Baili Jia Jue's presence, and the vileness in his heart deepened. Then, his gaze darkened when he looked at Helian Wei Wei's lazy yet delicate face.
Lecturing his son in public was a smear to Ni family's image.
Of course, he knew about these two people and had investigated them.
One of them did not have any spiritual aura, but the other one was very skilful and had to be mindful around.
Everyone said that Ni Biao was a generous person. However, no one was more vengeful than him. After seeing Helian Wei Wei and Baili Jia Jue, he was even more determined to make them kneel before him.
"Father, why did you say that to me just now?" Unlike Ni Biao, Ni Hu could not hide his anger at all. After he returned to the Ni Family area, he immediately voiced out his frustration.
Ni Biao looked at him and said gravely, "Do you think I don't want to give those two a lesson? She has spoken in a way that if I didn't step forward, those foreign exorcists will definitely question our family's reputation. Little Tiger, you have to be less short-sighted when dealing with things. There are many ways to deal with them. We'll let them take the most dangerous path to the royal tomb. Soon, they will know the price they have to pay for offending our Ni family!"
"I don't want them to die so easily." Ni Hu clenched his fingers tightly and said sinisterly, "Zhuge Yun or those two, I must make them regret messing with me!"
Ni Biao laughed menacingly, and said, "Don't worry, I will send two more exorcists to tail them. With their incompetent skills, they will be attacked by the demons in the forests after a few steps..."
Chapter 739 - Before The Next Slap On The Face, The Phoenix Girl Reincarnated
"Those two may be capable of catching ghosts, but they will surely be at a loss when they face real demons. Once the demons break their legs, the other exorcists will bring them out of the contest. Not only will I make sure that they are alive to kneel before you in apology, but I also want everyone to witness how embarrassing these silly kids are," Ni Biao described his evil plot casually.
"You're the best, father." After listening to Ni Biao, Ni Hu's anger dissipated. He gloatingly waited for the other party to beg for mercy. Those incompetent clowns thought that they could mess with him. However, they were simply humiliating themselves!
Although they were far away, the Ni Hu's menacing eyes still made Madam Zhuge's heart race erratically.
She anxiously reminded Zhuge Yun and his team once again to be extra careful.
It appeared that no one thought the Zhuge Family would win. Judging from the number of contestants, the size of their team was miserably small.
After the team line-ups, the contest officially began. The first round would be to determine which faction's exorcists could arrive at the royal tomb's entrance first and achieve victory.
Judging from the number of contestants, the Ni family undoubtedly had the highest winning rate. As every small team was made up of three contestants, the other two major factions had at most five small groups. However, the Ni family would have 20 small groups in total. No matter which of them arrived first, it would count as a victory to the Ni family.
The Zhuge family was at a complete disadvantage. They only had Helian Wei Wei's team, so no one paid them any attention.
After all, even they could not guarantee that they could make it to the entrance.
The other two major factions did pay them attention, but they were mainly wary of Zhuge Yun. Even if the other two were extraordinarily skilled, real exorcism depended on their bloodline and experiences. Furthermore, these two outsiders would be a burden during the trip to the royal tomb.
They were certainly well aware of the Zhuge family's situation. If the outsiders did not offer to form a team, Zhuge Yun could only forfeit his entry. After all, the other children of the Zhuge family were too young. Sending them there would be a sacrifice, so it was wise to go with the outsiders.
However, this also sealed their fate as the losers.
Ni Hu saw the whole situation clearly. Before he departed, he did not forget to mock Zhuge Yun again, "Brother Yun, if I were you I wouldn't think about winning, but I would be racking my brain to survive. This is a dangerous and vicious journey, if anything happened to you, the Zhuge family will surely collapse."
"You'd better mind your own business." Zhuge Yun snorted coldly, he was not giving Ni Hu any face at all.
Ni Hu sneered silently. I'll let you be arrogant for a bit longer. Let's see who will be the dumbfounded one and how you will kneel and beg for forgiveness after today!
The referee announced, "Alright. Each team has their own route. Now, let's all depart according to your faction!"
Xiao Lingyu, who was on Ni Hu's side, glanced at Helian Wei Wei and said to Ni Hu, "Master Ni, you don't have to say anything to people like them. Once
they enter the forest, they would probably be so stunned by the demons that they won't return. These people may be able to fool commoners, but they are nothing in our Exorcist City. Maybe then, they will cry and shout for us to save them."
Xiao Lingyu felt a menacing chill rising from the bottom of his heart when he saw that evil grin.
However, he merely shook his head. He wondered to himself. He's merely a commoner with better martial arts, there's nothing to worry about. The feeling just now is just me overthinking.
Helian Wei Wei also noticed the smile on His Highness. As she was familiar with His Highness' methods, she silently stayed away from Xiao Lingyu, so that she would not be implicated by His Highness' actions.
However, Baili Jia Jue had no intention of taking action. Instead, he merely glanced at her and stepped forward elegantly.
Helian Wei Wei raised her brows. Since when has he become so kind-hearted?
Baili Jia Jue merely kept quiet. However, unlike the other exorcists, he walked extremely slowly, exuding a sense of nonchalance. He held Helian Wei Wei's hand and played with it on his palm from time to time. He seemed expressionless and was indifferent as usual.
Among the three of them, Zhuge Yun was the most nervous, as he knew that there was no way they could win. After all, the Ni family had the support of so many exorcists. Furthermore, no one could defeat the eldest young lady of the Ni family, Ni Feng.
Even if they could defeat the other exorcists through sheer luck, they would not be faster than her.
He was not even sure if they could make it to the entrance of the royal tomb safely.
Perhaps, he was being too greedy.
Zhuge Yun lowered his eyes and clenched his fists tightly. I really, really want to win so badly!
"Why do you look so downhearted?" Helian Wei Wei looked back and asked, as if she had seen through Zhuge Yun's thoughts, "Aren't you confident about us?"
Zhuge Yun quickly shook his head and explained, "No, it's just that the other parties are too strong."
"There are only about 30 teams, it's not a big deal." When Helian Wei Wei opened the map in her hand, she quickly realized that they had been given the most difficult route. Their route was covered with dense overgrowth and they had to pass through a waterfall as well. All sorts of demons and strange things were sure to appear in these places.
Zhuge Yun did not know where her confidence came from, but he could not help but be convinced by her indifferent tone, saying, "The problem is not them. It's the eldest young lady of Ni family that we have to worry about. Although she hasn't appeared yet, she will definitely lead her team in the journey as well. Brother Wei is an exorcist too, you should know that in the world of exorcism, the person with the most spiritual aura is possibly the Phoenix Girl reincarnated."
"The Phoenix Girl reincarnated?" Helian Wei Wei raised her brows and asked, "Wasn't there a monk who foretold that the Phoenix Girl would appear in the War Dragon Dynasty's Helian family? Why is she in the Ni family?"
Zhuge Yun shook his head and said, "That was the case. However, no matter how strong the Helian family is, they don't have the bloodline of the exorcising tribe. In addition, Lady Ni was born with immense spiritual aura, even phoenixes were attracted to her. She also has the same name as the Phoenix Girl in the previous generation, Ni Feng. This is why everyone believed that she's the real Phoenix Girl reincarnated."
Helian Wei Wei laughed when she heard this and replied meaningfully, "Did anyone ever suspect that the last Phoenix Girl reincarnated was a fake? Maybe the previous Phoenix Girl haven't reincarnated at all..."
Chapter 740 - The Real Phoenix Girl, The First Slap In The Face
"There was no reincarnation?" Zhuge Yun looked unbelievingly at Helian Wei Wei. "Brother Wei, why do you think so?"
Helian Wei Wei curved her lips upward; her tone was languid, "Looking at the Ni family's way of handling things, it is likely if they told some lies in order to win over people. Not to mention...I know the Ni Feng you are talking about."
"You know Young Lady Ni?" Zhuge Yun felt even more baffled. "She has always been sickly. She recently emerged after being in confinement for a long time. How did you come to know her, Brother Wei?"
Helian Wei Wei gave him a meaningful look. "I was actually referring to Ni Feng in the last generation."
"Ni Feng in the last generation!" Zhuge Yun found out that he raised his voice too loudly so he looked around him and muttered, "How is that possible? That would have to be a few hundred years ago. Stop joking around, Brother Wei. I'm still very afraid of ghosts!"
Upon hearing this, Helian Wei Wei could not help but feel amused. "An exorcist that is afraid of ghosts?"
Zhuge Yun could not imagine himself revealing his weakness in this way. However, the words that she had mentioned was unbelievable and had indeed caught him off guard. Scratching his head, Zhuge Yun's face turned slightly red. "When I was young, I once visited the Ni family's residence and got terrified by a corpse there, I could never forget how I felt back then."
"The Ni family's residence had corpse?" Helian Wei Wei halted her steps; her eyes gleaming.
Zhuge Yun nodded as he replied, "This happened a long time ago when my father was still alive. The relationship between our families was not like how it is now, and as children, we liked to have adventures. Back then, I was fearless and I thought I was a big deal just because I could draw Chinese talisman. However, in reality, casting it was not as simple. I cannot remember the exact details now. But Brother Wei, how are you so certain about the reincarnation of Phoenix Girl?"
That's because the person standing in front of you is the real reincarnation of the Phoenix Girl. Helian Wei Wei did not say this out loud, but the eminent monks would never lie. However, she did not have an ounce of spiritual aura on her right now, so she really did not look like the Phoenix Girl.
Noticing that she had kept silent, Zhuge Yun said earnestly, "To be honest, at the time my father also suspected that Ni Feng may not be the real reincarnated Phoenix Girl. But this is something that happened a few hundred years ago, so there was no way to prove it. The Young Lady Ni from a hundred years ago was indeed powerful. She went into the magical realm and returned without a scratch on her. So everyone past and present believed wholeheartedly that she was the reincarnated Phoenix Girl. No one would have believed my father's speculations. But when my father was alive he once mentioned that the Exorcising Tribe had this ancient book which recorded that the Phoenix Girl, marked by dharma would only reincarnate when demons were truly running rampant. She would return to the human realm to save the world. Yet, when the previous Young Lady Ni was casting spells, she was not marked with dharma as predicted. This was something only a few knew of…"
Upon hearing this, it was clear that certain things could be confirmed.
Helian Wei Wei smilingly said, "Since all that happened could be false, then the current one might be false as well."
"Brother Wei," Zhuge Yun said seriously. "I have never discussed this with anyone else, I hope you can keep this a secret."
Helian Wei Wei nodded. "Don't worry, I am not someone who would simply spread rumors."
"I am just wondering where the real Phoenix Girl is." Zhuge Yun looked at the darkening skies and heaved a long sigh. "According to my father, the ancient records mentioned that the Phoenix Girl's dharma would be illuminated by the Buddha's light and would be able to reform all the evil spirits in the world. I really wish I could see for myself who she really is."
Helian Wei Wei coughed slightly when she heard this and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you will definitely meet her one day."
"I'm just thinking about it, the Phoenix Girl is not someone I can easily meet." Zhuge Yun smiled in adoration. However, his voice deepened as he remembered something, "Even though Young Lady Ni may not be the Phoenix Girl, but her spiritual aura is truly something. Even if we hate to acknowledge this, we still have to be mentally prepared for it. It is very likely that we may toil the entire day to reac
h the entrance, just to find them waiting for us there."
"Is that so?" Baili Jia Jue who had been silently standing by the side the entire time let out a smile. He stood where the sun shone, using his left hand to put on the glove for his right hand. His long and narrow eyes sparkled like gleaming gems with an inexplicable sense of elegance. The curled corners of his mouth were like hooks, entrancing people with ease.
Helian Wei Wei began laughing as she could certainly understand what His Highness meant. She then said in a clear voice, "The contest has just begun, perhaps we will end up being the ones waiting for them."
"Hopefully." Zhuge Yun did not really take Helian Wei Wei's words to heart. He was busy thinking about how he could guarantee the safety of their team on their journey to the tomb entrance. As for the rest… even if he did want to win, he did not dare to think too much about it. First and foremost, he had to guarantee the safety of these two people, that was his promise to his mother.
Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Lingyu had overheard Helian Wei Wei's words. He scoffed as he turned to say to the people behind him, "Look at that, what did we just hear? They should really take a hard look at themselves. I think it would be a great accomplishment for them if they could avoid dying here. Yet they are dreaming of winning? There should be a limit to arrogance and conceited. These people are really thick-skinned."
Unsurprisingly, the members of the other eight teams began to join in his mockery.
Originally, every route would have 10 different teams starting together.
From their team formation to their skills, Xiao Lingyu's team was undeniably the strongest team on this route.
Some exorcists had secretly begun to plot their own schemes from the moment they started.
As the heir of the Xiao Family, Xiao Lingyu's exorcism magic should be more than competent. This also meant that if they could curry favor with him, then they would not have to face any demons that appeared on their own. As long as they could make it to the tomb entrance alive and finish among the top 10 teams, then they would be able to enter the graveyard and see the Sarira.