abnabooks Chapter 350 Conflict
Chapter 350 Conflict
Kaiming stopped the two of them at the entrance to the inner court. Qin Xiaochuan and Guo Shiyi had just gotten off Kaiming's back when a figure suddenly flashed from the side, knelt on one knee, and said respectfully, "Your subordinate greets the Blood Witch King."
Qin Xiaochuan sized up the newcomer. The man appeared to be a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing black, fine-scaled, close-fitting soft armor, with a black mask on his face and two crescent-shaped blades at his waist. He did not look like a member of the Imperial Guard.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before," Qin Xiaochuan asked in a deep voice.
"I am Sun Shadow of the Blood Shadow Guard. I learned that the Blood Witch King had returned to Crescent City and have been wanting to meet you, Your Excellency. I have finally found this opportunity today," the man said sincerely.
"Blood Shadow Guards?" Qin Xiaochuan frowned, suddenly remembering Yueyin and Fengyin, whom he had met on Fanli Island. Han Kexin had indeed told him that the two were two of the six Blood Shadow Guards of the Blood Witch King. When he first entered Crescent City, he wondered why he hadn't seen anyone else. He didn't expect to see the first one here today.
"That's right. The Blood Shadow Guards are directly under the command of the Blood Witch King. Their main role is to protect the Blood Witch King in the shadows, collect intelligence for him, and monitor any unusual events in Crescent City," Sun Shadow replied truthfully.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaochuan immediately understood the role of the Blood Shadow Guard. To put it bluntly, it was the Blood Witch King's exclusive intelligence department, somewhat similar to the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the early Ming Dynasty.
After learning the other party's identity, Qin Xiaochuan knew how to deal with it, so he said to him, "Get up first. I am not the Blood Witch King yet, but just the Uncrowned One."
Riyin stood up from the ground, bowed to Qin Xiaochuan with his hand on his chest, and said, "To us Blood Shadow Guards, you are our Blood Witch King. We only obey your orders."
Qin Xiaochuan glanced at the other person. He naturally wouldn't easily believe what someone he was meeting for the first time said, but he didn't expose him. Instead, he calmly said, "Come with me."
This was clearly not the place to talk, so he led the other person to the Blood Witch King's private study. He knew the other person was in the intelligence business and would naturally know about secrecy. Using his mental space to avoid the maids in the inner court was a piece of cake for him.
Inside the study, Qin Xiaochuan sat down in the chair in front of his desk. Guo Shiyi didn't follow him; instead, she went to the cultivation room alone. Looking at Riyin standing in front of him, Qin Xiaochuan pointed to a chair and said, "You can sit down too. I think you must have something to say to me."
Hiyori bowed and declined, saying, "I'll just stand."
Qin Xiaochuan didn't force him. Although he was not used to many of the etiquettes here when he first arrived, he gradually got used to them over time, thanks to Han Kexin's example. Perhaps the environment really can change a person, not only changing their behavior but also subtly changing their way of thinking.
"So what brings you here?" Qin Xiaochuan asked, getting straight to the point.
"Your Majesty, I am here on behalf of the Blood Shadow Guard to formally pay my respects. Your Majesty has completed the Dustless Trial and will soon be crowned. This is a time when manpower is needed. I am here to inform you of the current situation of the Blood Shadow Guard and to await your instructions at any time."
Qin Xiaochuan glanced at him and said calmly, "Actually, you probably had opportunities to see me before, right? The reason you're only coming to see me now is probably because you've been observing me."
Upon hearing this, Riyin raised his head. Qin Xiaochuan noticed a strange glint in the other's eyes, but he quickly replied respectfully, "This subordinate dares not conceal the truth; it is indeed so."
Qin Xiaochuan wasn't surprised by his answer; in fact, he understood the other's actions and was pleased that he hadn't hidden anything. So he didn't press further and instead asked, "I've already met Yueyin and Fengyin on Fanli Island, but to be honest, I'm not very familiar with your Blood Shadow Guard. I only know that there are six of you. Where are they now?"
Riyin replied, "That's right. There are indeed six Blood Shadow Guards. Besides my subordinates, there are Moon Shadow, Star Shadow, Wind Shadow, Thunder Shadow, and Cloud Shadow. After the previous Blood Witch King left, we each infiltrated the five high priests to monitor their every move. I was responsible for monitoring the Earth Priest, Star Shadow was infiltrating the Fire Priest, Thunder Shadow was next to the Water Priest, and Cloud Shadow was next to the Wood Priest. Moon Shadow originally planned to infiltrate the Gold Priest, but the Gold Priest was meticulous and easily discovered Moon Shadow's identity. Moon Shadow had no choice but to escape from Crescent City and go to the human world to find Wind Shadow. Wind Shadow has been responsible for collecting intelligence on the human world since the time of the previous Blood Witch King."
"I see." Qin Xiaochuan nodded, then asked, "Was monitoring the five high priests the intention of the previous Blood Witch King, or your own?"
Riyin hesitated for a moment, but still answered truthfully: "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. The order to monitor the five high priests was given by your subordinates after the previous Blood Witch King left, because at that time the whole of Crescent City was in turmoil, and I was afraid that some of the five high priests would take the opportunity to cause trouble."
Qin Xiaochuan scrutinized him carefully, offering no comment on his behavior, and said calmly, "I happen to have limited knowledge of the five high priests. Since you've been lying in wait for so long, why don't you tell me about each of them?"
So Riyin then gave Qin Xiaochuan a detailed introduction to the personalities, preferences, and daily habits of the four high priests, excluding the Gold Priest. These were not much different from Qin Xiaochuan's usual observations and understanding.
As for the attitude of the four high priests towards him, the uncrowned one, the earth priest and the water priest clearly maintained a neutral attitude at the beginning. However, after Qin Xiaochuan completed the Dustless Trial, their attitudes underwent a subtle change. Qin Xiaochuan naturally felt this as well. After returning from the Netherworld Mountains, the two priests showed him significantly more respect.
"Besides that, there is one more thing I must report to Your Excellency," Hiyori suddenly said solemnly.
"What is it?" Qin Xiaochuan asked.
"The Fire Priest has recently ordered that Miss Guo Shiyi be kept under special surveillance, and I'm afraid he's going to take some unfavorable action against her."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously clenched his fist. Several thoughts flashed through his mind, but after thinking for a long time, he slowly loosened his fist and solemnly said to Riyin, "I have something I would like to ask you."
Hiyori immediately replied, "Please give me any orders, Your Majesty, and I will do my utmost to fulfill them."
"I hope you will protect Shiyi well, and do everything you can to ensure her safety, especially in places where I can't see her," Qin Xiaochuan said in a pleading tone.
After performing a gesture of respect by pressing his hand to her chest, Riyin solemnly said, "This subordinate is willing to risk his own life to ensure Miss Guo's safety and will certainly not fail Your Excellency's trust."
"Well, then I'll leave it to you." After Qin Xiaochuan gave this instruction once again, Riyin left the study, leaving Qin Xiaochuan alone, lost in thought.
In fact, he had little interest or motivation in the matter of being crowned the Blood Witch King. So, since arriving in Crescent City, he had been taking a go-with-the-flow attitude and did not want to get involved in the specific affairs of Crescent City. After all, the Gold Priest had been operating in Crescent City for many years and his power was deeply entrenched, which could not be resolved in a short period of time.
But when he learned that the Fire Priest was going to harm Guo Shiyi, his heart suddenly tightened, because this had crossed his bottom line, and he knew that he could no longer continue to be so mediocre.
As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. In this royal court, whether it's the royal guards or the maids, they are all the Golden Priest's people. If they want to do something underhanded, it's impossible to guard against them. And he will not allow Guo Shiyi to suffer any mishap.
He carefully analyzed the situation and concluded that the major powers in Crescent City needed to take back control of the Imperial Guard from the Golden Priest in order to eliminate the risk to Guo Shiyi. This would at least ensure that Guo Shiyi was safe within the Royal Court. With this in mind, a plan slowly formed in his mind.