The Beishan Blood Token

“Yu Wei?” In the highest palace of Crippled Moon Peak, the cold, sinister old man’s expression shifted. His daughter had crushed the signal talisman he had given her, and he could sense clearly that it had shattered right at Yu Tong’s estate.

“What’s going on? With Yu Tong protecting her, what situation could my daughter possibly be in that she needed to crush the talisman? This is my Crippled Moon Peak after all.” The Crippled Moon Realperson could not believe that his own daughter could be in danger on his own turf.

Whoosh!

The Crippled Moon Realperson immediately stepped onto a black beam of light, flying out of his hall and soaring into the sky, transforming into a streak of light as he shot straight toward Yu Tong’s estate.

How fast was a Wanxiang Adept at perfection? By the time Ji Ning and the others had just stepped off the dragon-headed warship, the Crippled Moon Realperson had already arrived.

“What is this?” The Crippled Moon Realperson could see from afar the dragon-headed warship hovering high in the air. When he noticed Ji Ning, Mu Northson, and the others, he felt a secret shock… Even from a distance, his experience told him that these were no ordinary Immortal cultivators. No wonder his daughter had immediately crushed the talisman.

“I wonder which fellow Daoists have honored my Crippled Moon Peak with their presence,” the Crippled Moon Realperson called out with a loud laugh. “And yet you go to my disciple’s place instead of mine.”

His voice was still echoing through the skies when the Crippled Moon Realperson directly landed in the estate, appearing in front of Yu Tong and Yue Wei. The two of them immediately stepped back and stood respectfully to one side.

“Who are they?” the Crippled Moon Realperson sent mentally.

“Father, I have never seen them before,” Yue Wei quickly replied.

“Master, I don’t recognize them either,” Yu Tong added hastily.

“Hmph. If you don’t know them, why would they suddenly come to us, and specifically to your estate instead of mine?” the Crippled Moon Realperson sent back in rebuke. Yu Tong fell silent, not daring to argue.

On the surface, however, the Crippled Moon Realperson maintained a smile as he looked at Ji Ning and the others hovering in the air. “Several fellow Daoists, my disciple here seems not to know you. What is this talk of ‘old acquaintances’?”

“Crippled Moon Realperson.” Ji Ning took a step forward, descending from the air into the courtyard. Mu Northson and the Whitewater Hound followed behind him.

Ji Ning said, “I have matters to discuss with your disciple, Yu Tong. I would ask that the Crippled Moon Realperson and your daughter withdraw for the time being.”

Yu Tong’s face changed color.

The Crippled Moon Realperson was startled. He and his daughter had only been communicating mentally, yet this fur-clad youth actually knew they were father and daughter… This clearly meant he had done his research beforehand.

“Withdraw?” Yue Wei was also growing anxious. Her thoughts had long been with Yu Tong, and she could not help but send mentally, “Father, we don’t know these people at all. We can’t leave Senior Apprentice-Brother to face them alone!”

“A daughter’s heart is always outward.” The Crippled Moon Realperson frowned at his child.

Yu Tong hurriedly sent, “Master, I fear these people have some sinister scheme.”

“Leave this to your master.”

The Crippled Moon Realperson sent back a mental shout, then laughed heartily. “You wish to speak with my disciple alone, but I still don’t even know your identities. Isn’t that a bit rude of you?”

Ji Ning’s divine sense had long since enveloped the entire Crippled Moon Peak. Although the Crippled Moon Realperson had arrived quickly, Ji Ning could have killed Yu Tong in that brief instant… But the blood-debt of his parents had filled his heart with too deep a hatred. Killing the man in a single, quick blow would be far too merciful.

What Ji Ning wanted was to make him regret, suffer, and die in utter despair!

Only then could the hatred in his heart be assuaged!!!

“Crippled Moon Realperson.” Ji Ning’s face darkened. “I respect you as an elder, which is why I asked you to leave. To tell you the truth, the reason I want to speak alone with your disciple Yu Tong is that I suspect he is connected to a criminal I have been ordered to arrest.”

“A criminal to be arrested?” The Crippled Moon Realperson was alarmed.

“Arrested?”

Yue Wei and Yu Tong were both astonished.

Ji Ning flipped his hand, producing a token. On the token was carved a Yinglong.

“The Yinglong Guard!” The Crippled Moon Realperson’s expression turned solemn. He knew they were in trouble. Anyone who could become a member of the Yinglong Guard was an elite among Wanxiang Adepts. Even he was not completely confident he could handle this youth.

Yue Wei’s heart was filled with panic. To her, a mere Zifu Disciple, any Yinglong Guard was an existence of overwhelming power.

Yu Tong was frantic. “I’ve never provoked the Yinglong Guard. I’ve never even seen these people before. What is going on?” He rapidly ran through the list of people he had killed, but no matter how hard he thought, he was convinced he had been flawless. He could not find the cause.

“I came to Crippled Moon Peak to talk with Yu Tong,” Ji Ning said coldly. “Crippled Moon Realperson, are you going to interfere with Yinglong Guard business?”

The Crippled Moon Realperson’s face tightened.

This was a charge he could not afford.

It was at this moment that Yu Tong spoke up, his tone respectful. “May I ask what the Yinglong Guard lord wishes to discuss with me? If there are matters to investigate, why must we send my master away? Please, ask whatever you wish. I, Yu Tong, swear I will speak everything I know without concealing a thing.”

Having climbed from a humble childhood to his current position step by step, Yu Tong’s mind was extremely sharp. This ‘Yinglong Guard’ was so insistent on getting rid of his master, so he absolutely could not let his master leave… Once his master was gone, removing that deterrent, he would be completely at this man’s mercy.

“Yes, if you have questions, ask them here,” the Crippled Moon Realperson quickly added. “I certainly won’t interfere with Yinglong Guard business…”

Yu Tong pressed further, “Lord Yinglong Guard, please rest assured. I, Yu Tong, am willing to swear a Heavenly Oath that I will not lie or deceive you.”

Ji Ning’s face sank.

This Crippled Moon Realperson had been at the Wanxiang perfection stage for over two hundred years. The old fellow was already close to the end of his lifespan and about to die. It was precisely because of this that Ji Ning dared not underestimate him. Even if his talent was below that of figures like Dong Yi, he had cultivated for so long and had experienced much. An old monster like this would have many tricks up his sleeve.

Getting Yu Tong out of here in front of him would be no easy task.

“Crippled Moon!” Mu Northson pointed at the Crippled Moon Realperson and cursed angrily. “The Yinglong Guard is conducting official business, and you’re here yapping away. I advise you to get lost right now! Otherwise… don’t blame us two senior apprentice-brothers for being ruthless!”

“The two of you.” The Crippled Moon Realperson maintained his smile, but at the same time he took out a blood-red token. On the token were the two characters ‘Beishan.’ “This is a token of the Beishan clan of Anchan. You may not care about the face of my Snowdragon Mountain, but surely you will show some face to the Beishan clan of Anchan. If you have questions, ask them here. If you have none, then the four of you should leave quickly.”

“A Beishan token?”

Ji Ning was startled.

A token of the Anchan Beishan clan was not something just anyone could get their hands on. Even the one that Beishan Baiwei had given him back then was his father Beishan Heihu’s personal token, not a true Beishan clan token.

He was good friends with Beishan Baiwei and knew a fair bit. Being able to pull out a ‘Beishan Blood Token’ meant one had a significant connection to the Anchan Beishan clan.

“This is only the second time in all these years that I have taken out my Beishan token.” The Crippled Moon Realperson looked at Ji Ning and the others. “This old man doesn’t have long to live anyway. I didn’t want to trouble the Beishan clan for help.”

He said it lightly.

But it was a very real threat.

This caused Yue Wei and Yu Tong to reveal flickers of joy.

“Senior Apprentice-Brother, what do we do?” Mu Northson sent mentally. “This old bastard can pull out a Beishan token. His background must be deep. Maybe we should withdraw for now… and look for another opportunity.”

“Crippled Moon Realperson.” Ji Ning’s eyes held a hint of fury. “Are you truly going to stick your neck out for him?”

The Crippled Moon Realperson smiled and nodded. He could see that this Yinglong Guard was all bark and no bite. He believed the man would turn and leave soon enough.

“You can protect him for a time, but I don’t believe you can protect him for the rest of his life!” Ji Ning turned his head. “Junior Apprentice-Brother, let’s go.”

“Hmph.” Mu Northson let out an angry snort, then turned to leave.

Right at that moment.

Just as he turned his back to the Crippled Moon Realperson, a ferocious gleam flickered in Ji Ning’s eyes—a gleam born of boundless, suppressed hatred. Neither the Crippled Moon Realperson nor Yu Tong could see it… Indeed, they were still immersed in their own triumph, the Crippled Moon Realperson even allowing a smile to creep onto his face.

Boom!

Ji Ning’s powerful divine sense surged forth like a roaring flood, smashing directly toward the Crippled Moon Realperson, Yu Tong, and the others.

Bang!

A violent collision!

The Soul-Shattering Art!

The Crippled Moon Realperson, nearing the end of his lifespan and having long since given himself over to pleasure, had actually let his Dao-heart backslide considerably. But since he would never face the next Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, a slight regression was a trivial matter. At this moment, however, as Ji Ning’s crushing wave of divine sense slammed into him, the old man felt an instant explosion in his soul.

“Not good! A divine sense secret art!” Countless years of life-and-death combat—the deep Dao-heart foundation he had honed through fighting and bleeding for the Beishan clan—was still too thick. He was instantly shocked awake.

“Wake up! Wake up for me!” The Crippled Moon Realperson struggled fiercely with his soul, a trace of clarity still in his eyes. “Knife formation!”

Just as he was about to unleash his signature technique, the ‘Crippled Moon Knife Formation,’ a sword-light appeared.

A sword-light so dazzlingly beautiful it made the heart tremble, yet it seemed to move with unbearable slowness.

The sword-light was brilliant and blinding!

The sixteen black sabers that had just begun to appear in the air, about to coalesce into a formation to block the attack, were disrupted. The sword-light sent one of the black sabers flying… and then cut directly through the Crippled Moon Realperson’s body. The two curved sabers in his hands tried desperately to block, but were knocked flying as well.

Chi! His body was severed, blood scattering through the air.

Ji Ning appeared behind the Crippled Moon Realperson, the Northsea swords in his hands.

In that single instant.

He had used the Soul-Shattering Art! He had used the divine ability, the Starseizing Hand! He had used the divine ability, the Windwing Evasion! He had used his sword-art, the ‘Thorns Everywhere’ stance of the Three-Foot Sword!

Ji Ning had exploded with his strongest techniques in a single, concentrated moment of fury.

Because facing an old monster of unpredictable background who had lived for so long, Ji Ning had no desire to drag things out. If he delayed, who knew what the outcome might be. A faint, instinctive feeling told him that this old bastard would be very hard to deal with. He had to seize the moment of the old man’s carelessness and kill him in an instant.

“You… you killed…” Yu Tong woke from his stupor, his face utterly changed as he stared at the Crippled Moon Realperson’s bisected body.

Ji Ning held his Northsea sword, staring at him coldly. The chill in his gaze made Yu Tong’s very soul tremble, and his voice was low and icy. “So what if you had a token? Even if a member of the Beishan clan themselves stood here, I would kill them just the same!”