Chapter Fifty-Two: The Fifth Master of the Qin Family (Part Two)
Tao Ming’s mood instantly brightened; it appeared the Qin family members were all quite easy to get along with.
Seeing the two little ones weren’t paying attention, the Seventh Prince lowered his voice and asked, “Fifth Uncle, did you wipe out the entire Chen family?”
Qin Sihou suppressed his anger. “One escaped. We had him cornered at the edge of a cliff, but he pulled out a strange bundle of colorful cloth, shook it out, and it turned out to be attached to several thick ropes. I don’t know how he managed it, but he wrapped himself in it, turned, and jumped off the cliff. I thought he was surely dead, but not long after falling, he rose back up and flew away, escaping us.”
Tao Ming listened, a thought stirring in her heart. “Fifth Uncle, let me draw it for you—see if it’s what you saw.”
She took out a sheet of paper and a pen, quickly sketching a parachute and laying it on the table.
Qin Sihou glanced at it and said, “It wasn’t so round—it was more elongated.”
Tao Ming then drew a paraglider.
“Yes, yes, it looked just like that. Do you know what this is?”
Tao Ming twirled the pen in her hand. “Could it be that this person also came from another world?”
Qin Sihou frowned. “Apart from your parents, who else has crossed into another world?”
Tao Ming thought to herself that there were certainly others, but now wasn’t the time to reveal that.
The Seventh Prince picked up Tao Ming’s pen and scribbled a few words on the paper, sighing, “This thing is quite useful.”
Tao Ming snatched the paper and pen back and put them away.
“Fifth Uncle, Cousin, I have a question. There are so many cultivators here by the Wei River, but why haven’t I seen anyone who can fly?” Tao Ming was truly curious—cultivation was supposed to be about ascending to immortality, yet none of them could fly? How disappointing!
Qin Sihou conjured a small, black tornado in his palm, faint golden threads weaving through it, making everyone’s clothes flutter. “Besides fighting, what else is it good for?”
The Seventh Prince also held a cluster of deep violet lightning in his hand. “I’ve never heard of anyone who can fly.”
Tao Ming looked from the tornado to the lightning and decided not to embarrass herself by showing her own water sphere.
Soft and Glutinous looked over. Soft said, “My toys got blown away.”
Tao Ming quickly said, “Put your powers away for now.”
Qin Sihou and the Seventh Prince each withdrew their spells.
Tao Ming thought for a moment. “Maybe you’re on the wrong path?”
“What do you mean?”
Tao Ming formed a water sphere and asked, “What do you think this water ball can do?”
Qin Sihou held back his laughter. “Such a weak water ball—throwing it wouldn’t even hurt anyone. Your mother is the real powerhouse; with a wave of her hand, she conjures a river capable of flooding the imperial city.”
The Seventh Prince seemed thoughtful.
Tao Ming brought the water ball to her lips, took a sip, swallowed it, and said, “It can be drunk, used for bathing. If one were as powerful as my mother, irrigating fields would be done in the blink of an eye—who’d worry about drought then?”
Qin Sihou’s mouth hung open.
The Seventh Prince spoke in a low tone, “All cultivators seek ascension to the immortal realm—who would use their powers for such mundane things?”
“To ascend, you’d at least need to know how to fly!” Tao Ming felt as though she were speaking to deaf ears.
Qin Sihou rubbed his face. “I never thought about ascending. As long as my powers are enough for fighting, that’s all I need.”
Such logic left her speechless.
Just as she was about to say more, they heard Mu Zhi outside. “Your Highness, there may be an ambush ahead.”
The Seventh Prince immediately rose and stepped outside, instructing, “Order everyone to halt.”
The caravan stopped. A man ran from the front to report, “Your Highness, there are two small hills ahead, with the main road passing between them. Though it’s still early, there are no carriages or horses on the road—I suspect men are hiding in the hills.”
The Seventh Prince, intent on sending the Imperial Dragon Guards to their deaths, ordered, “Qin family guards remain here. Split the Imperial Dragon Guards into two teams—each to search one hill. If you find anyone, leave no survivors.”
“At your command.”
Soon, the Imperial Dragon Guards split into two teams, each heading for a hill.
At this time, Longlin was still out scouting. Had he been present, he would likely have guessed the Seventh Prince’s intentions.
Tao Ming, sitting by the low table, heard the Seventh Prince’s words clearly and knew he intended to send the guards to their deaths. Though she felt compassion, she was powerless to intervene.
Qin Sihou, unaware of the Seventh Prince’s scheme, asked in confusion, “We could just take a detour—why send people forward?”
Tao Ming could only reply, “I don’t know either.”
...
Su Nanxing had hidden on the hill since dusk the day before, expecting the Saintess to arrive by morning. Yet now it was past noon and there was still no sign of her.
He was pondering whether she’d chosen another route when a scout reported a caravan approaching, one carriage in particular striking for its purple color.
Su Nanxing ordered the death warriors hidden on both hills to prepare for action at any moment.
He slipped down the hill himself, found a tree a hundred meters away from the Ten-Step Killing Array set up beside the road, and climbed up to watch. His eyes were fixed on the road, waiting for the carriage to enter the array’s range so he could activate it.
Why hide here?
He had planned it with Windshadow before setting out. The death warriors brought along were mere bait, meant to trade their lives for those of the Imperial Dragon Guards.
The real killing move was the Ten-Step Killing Array. Once the Seventh Prince believed the danger had passed and resumed the journey, he would surely enter its range.
He watched the caravan come to a halt, two teams splitting off toward the hills.
Soon, battle erupted. Spells flew wildly, the hills and surrounding land ravaged.
Su family’s death warriors had the advantage of terrain, but the Imperial Dragon Guards were stronger. Back and forth they went, until all Su family death warriors were slain and only about fifty guards remained.
The Seventh Prince sat quietly at the low table, waiting. Tao Ming hugged the two little ones, silent. Qin Sihou was full of questions, but said nothing.
Half an hour later, Mu Zhi reported, “Your Highness, the villains have been eliminated; countless casualties among the Imperial Dragon Guards, only fifty-two remain.”
The Seventh Prince looked at Tao Ming and said softly, “Fifty-two left.”
Qin Sihou was startled and couldn’t help but ask, “Qing’er, what do you mean?”
Tao Ming wrapped her arms around the little ones’ heads, not wanting them to hear.
Qin Sihou said, “Mingming, your mother said you possess a treasure that can hide people. Why not hide them now?”
Tao Ming nodded and, with a thought, took the two little ones into the Celestial Shift.
Inside, she had no time to speak with Star. She pushed open the small building’s door, hurried to the upstairs bedroom, handed out toys and snacks to the children, telling them, “Mommy will be back soon,” before leaving the Celestial Shift.
The Seventh Prince watched Tao Ming disappear and reappear, marveling, “No wonder you weren’t surprised last time—your treasure is much better than mine. I can’t enter it myself.”
Tao Ming wasn’t in the mood to argue. She asked, “Must they all be killed?”
Qin Sihou was puzzled. “Are you two hiding something from me?”
The Seventh Prince briefly recounted yesterday’s ambush, focusing on what Tao Ming had said to the woman, concluding, “If the Imperial Dragon Guards report this to the Celestial Emperor, Tao Ming will surely die.”
Qin Sihou stood up. “I’ll handle the remaining fifty-two.”
He went out and gathered the Qin family’s six hundred remaining death warriors, sending them to finish off the remaining guards.
The Seventh Prince called again, “Mu Zhi, come in.”
Mu Zhi entered, and the Seventh Prince quietly instructed, “Go yourself. Take care of the last few carriages and everyone inside.”
Tao Ming remembered the six beautiful maidservants she’d seen the day before and protested, “Isn’t that excessive? They’re lives, too!”
The Seventh Prince replied gravely, “Just in case.”
Tao Ming fell silent, guilt and regret weighing on her heart. Just because she’d spoken a few extra words yesterday, so many would die today.