Chapter 495: No Need to Thank Me for Helping Root Out Your Nuisances
“We've already reached an agreement, why did you still attack the Da Ji Clan?!” At the undead gathering, Qi Ling's rage boiled over as she confronted Cang Xu.
At these words, Ku Feng and Xiao Wang Zi both shot Cang Xu astonished glances, while Jian Gui remained impassive.
Cang Xu immediately grasped the situation upon seeing their expressions.
“It seems that Magician Qi Ling had already informed Jian Gui before making this accusation.”
“Which means Jian Gui has become her protector.” Cang Xu understood that any misstep now would invite relentless questioning from the others. All his previous efforts would be in vain.
However, having already taken action, Cang Xu was prepared for this outcome.
Cang Xu did not rush to refute, instead adopting a cold demeanor: “Magician Qi Ling, please calm yourself.”
“I bear a double seal, weak and powerless, unable to even defeat a bronze level fighter. Where would I have obtained the ability to target the entire Da Ji Clan?”
“Moreover, why would I target them?”
Qi Ling sneered: "Before everyone here, before Lord Jian Gui, do you still intend to weave lies and deceive us?"
“This very morning, I received a plea for aid from the Da Ji Clan Leader.”
“He informed me it was you who approached Zhou Zhang, advising the Da Ji Clan to participate in the next teleportation blood sacrifice.”
“Dare you deny this?”
Cang Xu fell silent.
Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng remained quiet too.
Jian Gui fixed his gaze on Cang Xu: “Magician Xu Jia, explain yourself thoroughly.”
His tone was cold, his heart seething with anger.
He was fully absorbed in the escape plan involving forged memories and deeply reluctant to deal with any complications.
In truth, Qi Ling had already sought out Jian Gui earlier to report: Cang Xu spent his days aimlessly socializing, paying no attention whatsoever to the memory fabrication task.
Jian Gui endured all this.
In his view, Cang Xu had already undergone the teleportation blood sacrifice and returned successfully, he no longer possessed the strongest motivation to fabricate memories.
Cang Xu considered himself safe now; relaxing a little was understandable, excusable.
But this time, Jian Gui could no longer hold back.
Because Cang Xu's actions had severely angered and disrupted Qi Ling, crossing her absolute boundaries.
Qi Ling was furious!
In Jian Gui's eyes, Qi Ling was his best and most capable assistant.
Xiao Wang Zi was naive, and Ku Feng was a fool obsessed with the blade path.
Qi Ling possessed cunning intellect, had been personally summoned by Jian Gui, and had served as his alchemy assistant for years.
She was Jian Gui's staunchest ally, his most outstanding subordinate.
While Jian Gui admired Cang Xu, in terms of closeness, Cang Xu didn't even rank above Xiao Wang Zi or Ku Feng.
With Qi Ling being bullied by Cang Xu, Jian Gui naturally had to avenge her.
Cang Xu instantly understood Jian Gui's intentions from his tone.
He had long seen through Jian Gui, even bearing the marks of Jian Gui's trap upon his body. His very life hung on Jian Gui's whim.
Yet Cang Xu showed no fear, nodding slightly. "That's correct. That was indeed my suggestion to Lord Zhou Zhang. However, at that time, Lord Zhou Zhang merely said she would consider it. She did not agree."
Qi Ling gritted her teeth, her voice cracking with emotion, “Zhou Zhang... she has already issued the order!”
“Oh, that's wonderful! I'm truly delighted for you,” Cang Xu laughed heartily, “The entire Da Ji Clan undergoing this trial, those who survive will undoubtedly grow immensely powerful, becoming the model tribe among the Charming Blue believers. This is a tremendous blessing for the Da Ji Clan!”
“You're full of shit!” Qi Ling's eyes blazed with fury as she leapt to her feet. Had Xiao Wang Zi not startled and grabbed her, she would have lunged at Cang Xu to tear him apart.
Her rage was justified.
Participating in the teleportation blood sacrifice, while offering the chance to receive divine blessings, also carried the immense risk of being slain by the saint beast.
Only those with unwavering faith in their beliefs, those filled with reverence for the Charming Blue Goddess, and those harboring ambitions for their future within the Charming Blue Church would risk their lives to choose participation in the teleportation blood sacrifice.
No tribe would ever send all their members to participate in the teleportation blood sacrifice.
Because for most people, their level of faith simply wasn't that high. When an entire tribe underwent the ritual, few survived the ordeal.
After they returned, a tribe of thousands might be reduced to a mere dozen survivors, effectively ending the lineage. The remnants were more likely to be absorbed by rival tribes than to rebuild their numbers through gradual growth over generations.
Population size was crucial for any tribe.
Therefore, Cang Xu's proposal was tantamount to dooming the Da Ji Clan!
Qi Ling was stopped by Xiao Wang Zi and gradually calmed down. She immediately turned to complain to Jian Gui: “My Lord, I did not lie! It was Xu Jia, he admitted it himself! He is a traitor!”
“That scoundrel came to my door yesterday, blackmailing me.”
“I clearly agreed to his demands, yet he committed such a treacherous act the very next day.”
“He is our enemy!”
Jian Gui shot Qi Ling a cold glance.
Qi Ling's rage was understandable, but what angered Jian Gui was that she dared to use him as a tool for revenge against Cang Xu.
She had trampled upon the pride of Jian Gui as the superior.
However, Jian Gui did not lash out at Qi Ling. Compared to Qi Ling, he was far more displeased with Cang Xu.
Jian Gui addressed Cang Xu: “Xu Jia, you are an accomplished magician. You should understand the implications of your actions this time. You had better explain yourself. After all, Qi Ling is one of our own.”
“If you made an agreement with Qi Ling only to renege the very next day, that only deepens our concerns.”
“You must understand that integrity is the world's most intangible yet indispensable treasure!”
Cang Xu paused, then spoke with utmost sincerity: "Lord Jian Gui, I admire and respect you. Over the past period, I've been honored to follow you, receive your guidance, and grow immensely under your command. My gratitude toward you is profound and heartfelt. I often find myself wishing I had met you sooner."
“That's why I've always envied Qi Ling, Xiao Wang Zi, and Ku Feng, they encountered you earlier. To me, that's undoubtedly a stroke of good fortune.”
These well-chosen words instantly softened Jian Gui's gaze.
Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng nodded in agreement.
Cang Xu looked at the two of them and continued, “I've learned a great deal from both Ku Feng and Xiao Wang Zi.”
“But with Magician Qi Ling... perhaps because we've spent so little time together, I feel a significant gap. Take what she said to me yesterday, for instance, we're not exactly close.”
“In fact, not only are we not close, but there's some grudge between us.”
“My first participation in the teleportation blood sacrifice was entirely thanks to her.”
Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng remained silent.
Cang Xu spoke the truth.
His previous efforts in building relationships had led to breakthrough progress in his ties with the two of them. This confrontation hadn't pushed them to his opposing side.
Thus, up to this point, both maintained a neutral stance.
This was the fruit of Cang Xu's prior efforts.
Jian Gui remained silent. The outcome of the first teleportation blood sacrifice was, in truth, largely tied to him as well. He had turned a blind eye to Qi Ling's underhanded maneuvers. To some extent, Cang Xu's selection as the first victim was also his responsibility.
Cang Xu continued, “Once Qi Ling agreed to my demands, I had no intention of seeking revenge against her.”
“My target isn't her, it's the Da Ji Clan!”
"Why? They're not your enemies at all! They're all innocent!” Qi Ling protested, utterly baffled.
“Perhaps they were before. But when we rescued you only to end up in this mess, the Da Ji Clan became my mortal enemy,” Cang Xu replied coldly.
"We once lived freely. Even navigating the Underworld River was safer than this. We thrived peacefully in the White Hair Trench. My Flying Head Spell flourished, my future wide open. We came here solely to save you."
"I have no objection to that. I even admire Lord Jian Gui's character. Put yourself in my shoes, if I were in your position, held hostage by enemies, I'd want my comrades to rescue me this way too."
“But reality is far more complex.”
“Think carefully. You, Magician Qi Ling, specialize in the soul aspect of necromancy. You are a ghost yourself. Why were you trapped and so easily blackmailed?”
“Wasn't it all for the Da Ji Clan?”
"Rescuing you would be simple. But why did we have to lie low, contact you cautiously, and wait so painstakingly for the right moment? Wasn't it precisely because we had to consider the Da Ji Clan while saving you?"
"Without the tribe, you could have escaped easily on your own. Had we rescued you without reservations, we would have succeeded swiftly. We wouldn't have ended up in this predicament!"
"The Da Ji Clan dragged you down and dragged us down too. They made all of us captives. Isn't this tribe my enemy? Isn't it the enemy of us all?"
Cang Xu pressed relentlessly.
Qi Ling stared in disbelief.
Jian Gui cast a look of astonishment.
For the first time, Cang Xu displayed such astonishing eloquence.
Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng remained silent, but both agreed.
Cang Xu continued, “As far as I know, you've been dragged down by the Da Ji Clan countless times before.”
“Even Lord Jian Gui has intervened multiple times to save the day for you, hasn't he?”
“You've burdened them in the past, and now you're burdening us. How long do you intend to let this damned fishman tribe keep dragging us down?”
Qi Ling fell silent, taking a step back. Her expression turned panicked as she glanced around.
Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng remained quiet, yet their looks clearly showed agreement.
Qi Ling turned to Jian Gui, as if grasping at a last lifeline.
Jian Gui remained expressionless as he spoke soothingly to Qi Ling.
“I summoned you into existence. You are my companion. My aid stems from my own free will.”
Qi Ling burst into tears, collapsing beside Jian Gui. Clutching the thigh of his cross-legged form, she clung to it with the fragile vulnerability of a woman bullied by a tyrant.