The funeral hall was reduced to ashes, thick black smoke blanketing the capital’s sky. Perhaps even the heavens grieved—a bitter wind swept in, bringing with it a flurry of snow.
Shen Hong cradled Su Mo in her arms, her chest heaving at the sight of his twisted left arm and unconscious state.
Smith advanced toward them step by step. Behind him, Yang Jie had already been restrained by Elder Liu and his men.
“Young lady, you’re quite remarkable. If it weren’t for my son’s death, I might have taken you as my student. A shame,” Smith said, a flicker of regret in his eyes.
“If you want to harm Qingyi, you’ll have to kill me first!” Shen Hong spat.
Smith smirked. “No need to rush. None of you are getting away.”
“You’re right—none of you are getting away!” A shadowy figure shot out from the flames, his body pitch-black.
Everyone’s attention snapped toward him.
Smith froze momentarily. “Since when was there an A-rank black powerhouse hiding here?”
Elder Han was equally baffled. He didn’t recall inviting anyone like this.
Wait… why did the man look so familiar?
And he’d emerged from the funeral hall…
A chilling realization struck Elder Han and the rest of the Elder Council. The hall should’ve been empty—except for one dead body.
Elder Han’s eyes widened. Now that he thought about it, the voice sounded familiar too, just slightly hoarse.
“Y-you…” Elder Han’s voice trembled, his body shaking uncontrollably. “No… impossible! You’re dead! I confirmed it myself!”
The “black man” coughed and sneered. “If you’d ever read Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
“You faked your death?!”
“Obviously. Did you really think those amateurs could kill me? Not even a sneak attack would work!” The man was none other than Nangong Xuan—Elder Tianxuan.
Elder Han’s face twisted in agony as understanding dawned. “So they were your people all along? This was all a setup to eliminate me.”
Nangong Xuan shook his head. “No, no. You’re not worth that much effort. My target was the entire Elder Council. I wanted you all removed—legitimately—so you’d stop poisoning Beidou and the Xia Kingdom.”
Elder Han fell silent. After a long pause, he asked, “Then why reveal yourself now?”
Nangong Xuan’s expression stiffened. Playing dead wasn’t easy—if not for his A-rank physique and waking up just in time, he might’ve actually burned to death.
With a dignified lift of his chin (though the soot made it hard to tell), he declared, “None of your business!”
Some elders, realizing they’d burned bridges with both sides, tried to flee.
“No need to rush off,” Nangong Xuan said icily. With a wave of his hand, a storm of sword rain materialized, trapping them in place.
“D-don’t act recklessly! We have Yang Jie hostage! You wouldn’t want him to—AHH—” An elder’s threat ended mid-sentence as a flying sword severed his arm.
“Too much chatter.”
The others froze in terror, obediently waiting to be arrested by the loyalist commanders.
Meanwhile, Smith, seeing the “resurrected” soot-covered Nangong Xuan, decided to cut his losses. He lunged for Su Mo—only for a massive sword to block his path.
“Smith, you’ve got some nerve, attacking my Beidou members,” Nangong Xuan said, intercepting him.
“She killed my son. Vengeance is justified,” Smith growled.
Nangong Xuan glanced at Shen Hong. “Did you do it?”
Shen Hong shook her head.
“She didn’t kill him!” Nangong Xuan announced solemnly.
Smith’s jaw clenched. “It was the other one!”
“Ye Qingyi, did you kill his son?” Nangong Xuan asked.
Su Mo lay motionless in Shen Hong’s arms. Just as she was about to say he was unconscious, she caught Nangong Xuan’s meaningful glance—and understood.
So Su Mo’s head “shook” in denial.
“See? She didn’t do it either.” Nangong Xuan spread his hands innocently. “I, Nangong Xuan, am a man of integrity. I wouldn’t lie to you. You may leave now.”
Smith’s face darkened. “Do I look like an idiot to you?”
The air temperature spiked. Nangong Xuan frowned. “If you won’t leave willingly, then stay. I have questions for you anyway.”
Smith eyed the blackened Nangong Xuan and scoffed. “Even at your peak, you might not be my match. Now, weakened, you think you can stop me?”
“This is the capital of the Xia Kingdom. Push me, and I’ll stake my life to keep you here. Are you willing to do the same?”
Nangong Xuan raised an eyebrow (though the soot probably hid it).
“…Fine. You win.” Smith shot Su Mo a venomous glare before vanishing in a streak of light.
Shen Hong carried Su Mo to Nangong Xuan, biting her lip to suppress a laugh. “Elder Nangong, that foreigner wouldn’t retreat so easily, would he? What if—”
Nangong Xuan cut her off. “I know your concern. But he left in a hurry for another reason—if he’s late, he’ll miss the spoils.”
Shen Hong’s eyes widened. “The ancient tomb!”
With commanders gathered in the capital, the tomb’s defenses would be weakened. Many foreign powers had long coveted that extraordinary relic—this was their chance to strike.
“Exactly.”
“Shouldn’t you go after him?” Shen Hong pressed. “He’s an A-rank!”
Nangong Xuan smiled mysteriously. “No need to rush.”
With that, he flew toward Beidou headquarters, ordering Su Mo and Yang Jie to be sent to Elder Tianquan, Qin Xun, for treatment. Shen Hong, however, had a different assignment.
Meanwhile, the capital had become a battleground—Beidou members fighting amongst themselves.
…..
Southern District, Alley 21.
Dozens of civilians—men, women, and children—were confined in a courtyard under the watch of three superhumans.
Suddenly, the smallest guard moved. In a flash, he killed the other two with lethal precision.
“You’ve suffered enough. In thirty minutes, you’ll go home,” he said gently, his earlier brutality gone.
The captives huddled together in fear. An elderly man shouted angrily, “Why drag us into your schemes? Our children are just low-ranking Beidou members! What use are we as hostages?”
“And now you’re letting us go? Is this a trick? Are you taking us somewhere else to kill us?”
“I don’t want to die…”
The room filled with sobs.
The guard sighed. “Words won’t convince you. Let time prove it.” He stepped outside to stand watch.
Similar scenes played out across the city. The hostages included family members of those coerced by Elder Han—and even some loyalists’ relatives.
At every location, one or two of Nangong Xuan’s operatives waited for the signal to act.
But the orders didn’t come from Nangong Xuan.
They came from Nie Yun.
The Sixth Star of Beidou—Elder Kaiyang, Nie Yun.