Chapter Ninety-Two: Put in a Difficult Position

“Indeed. I am Chen Ping of the Heaven Sword Sect, and this brother here is Liao Hui of the Preaching Sect. We happened to be nearby when we heard that thunder crystals had appeared in the Wasteland Thunderlands, so we came to have a look. Just now, we heard the sound of fighting from this direction, so we came over and, unexpectedly, witnessed the scene of you killing Wang Hai.”

The older cultivator clasped his hands toward Yang Xiao as he spoke, clearly showing goodwill. It was obvious he had no desire to make an enemy of Yang Xiao.

Even so, when Chen Ping saw Wang Hai’s corpse, a look of something unusual still flashed through his eyes. It was impossible to tell whether he was shocked by Yang Xiao’s methods or lamenting the manner of Wang Hai’s death.

“So the two of you really are cultivators of the Five Great Sects,” Yang Xiao said after hearing Chen Ping’s words, finally confirming his suspicion. At such an age, and already at the late Qi Condensation stage, they were clearly no ordinary people. It was unlikely that an ordinary great clan could produce talents like them; only a superpower like the Five Great Sects could cultivate such exceptional disciples.

“Junior Brother Liao and I happened to meet by chance in the core region of the Wasteland Thunderlands. We only just got acquainted,” Chen Ping said. “Still, I wonder which sect you belong to, brother. To be honest, I really can’t make out your background. Cultivators of the Five Great Sects usually bear the markings of their own sects, so they are easy to identify. Even if they do not, I can at least infer something from their techniques. But your clothing is unlike that of any cultivator from the Five Great Sects, and the technique you practice is also exceedingly strange. That truly leaves me with nothing to guess.”

“I am not a cultivator of the Five Great Sects,” Yang Xiao said. “I come from a small sect on the border of the Yao Kingdom, so there is no need for further suspicion. However, you just said the cultivator I killed was named Wang Hai. Could he be the Wang Hai of the Blood Transforming Sect?”

“Yes, indeed it was Wang Hai of the Blood Transforming Sect. What, during your fight just now, did you not even know the other party’s name?” Chen Ping asked in surprise.

“That Wang Hai came at me intending to kill me. How could I have had the time to ask his name? Still, I have heard of Wang Hai before. They say he ranks among the very best of the younger demonic cultivators. If he had not tried to seize my things out of greed and offended me, I truly would not have wanted to cross blades with him.” Yang Xiao spoke calmly. If he had known at the outset that this man was Wang Hai, he might indeed have chosen to yield a little. But if Wang Hai had persisted in hounding him, then Yang Xiao would certainly have fought with all his might; in the end, it would likely still have come to this result.

“Quite so. Wang Hai’s cultivation is indeed outstanding among young cultivators. But since you were able to kill him, brother, that only proves your own cultivation is equally remarkable,” Chen Ping praised.

“I wouldn’t dare claim as much. It was only luck just now. If the two of you have no other business, then I shall take my leave. We shall meet again someday.” Yang Xiao also clasped his hands and prepared to depart. He did not wish to linger any longer in such a chaotic place. If any further accident were to occur, it would likely become difficult to leave.

“Wait.” The slightly younger cultivator from the Preaching Sect, Liao Hui, finally spoke. The moment he opened his mouth, he blocked Yang Xiao’s departure, and there was unmistakable ill will in his words.

“What further instruction does Brother Liao have?” Yang Xiao halted and asked cautiously.

“Since you killed Wang Hai, you have certainly rendered a great service to the Five Great Sects, and spared Brother Chen and me the trouble of doing it ourselves. However, Wang Hai was a major figure of the demonic path, and the things on his person naturally cannot be taken away by you. They must belong to the Five Great Sects. After all, you are a cultivator outside the Five Great Sects, and you are not qualified to carry off Wang Hai’s possessions.”

Liao Hui’s words were sharp and cutting. The instant he spoke, his stance against Yang Xiao was made clear. Not only that, he also pulled Chen Ping onto the same side. Clearly, by Liao Hui’s logic, if Yang Xiao refused to hand over Wang Hai’s belongings, then he would be opposing the Five Great Sects; in that case, Liao Hui and Chen Ping could join forces against him with perfect justification.

Yang Xiao naturally understood what Liao Hui meant. It seemed he also had designs on the treasures and thunder crystals on Wang Hai’s body. Using the banner of righteousness, he intended to commit robbery in broad daylight. As for whether, after obtaining Wang Hai’s things, he would keep them for himself or hand them over to his sect, only the heavens knew.

“Does Brother Chen share Brother Liao’s view as well?” Yang Xiao turned to Chen Ping and asked. At this moment, he had to determine whether he was facing Liao Hui alone, or Liao Hui and Chen Ping together.

The difference was enormous. If it were only Liao Hui, Yang Xiao was confident he could deal with him easily. But if both Liao Hui and Chen Ping joined forces, then things would become far more troublesome. After all, both of them were at the late Qi Condensation stage. Although they seemed to have only recently broken through and were still far from Wang Hai in cultivation, the two of them together might not be incapable of matching Wang Hai’s strength. They were both cultivators from major sects, and they surely had many formidable means to rely on. In short, if Liao Hui and Chen Ping truly joined hands, it would be no different from placing Yang Xiao before a formidable enemy.

“Well now, what Junior Brother Liao says does seem to make some sense.” Chen Ping’s reply was vague. “However, since it was this brother who killed Wang Hai, then by rights the things on Wang Hai’s person should belong to this brother. Still, when one considers the opposition between the Five Great Sects and the Three Factions, Wang Hai belonged to the demonic path, so the things on him must also carry demonic taint. If they were handed over to the righteous path and utterly destroyed, that would not be unreasonable either, lest such items go on to harm others again.”

Chen Ping’s words were deliberately ambiguous, quite different from the shrewd and capable air he had shown at first.

“So what exactly does Brother Chen mean? Could it be that you also want me to hand over Wang Hai’s things?” Yang Xiao asked again.

By now, he had already made preparations for the worst. Even if Chen Ping and Liao Hui were more troublesome together, since he had already killed Wang Hai, it would not be impossible to kill two more. In other words, even if the two joined forces, Yang Xiao would not fear them. On the contrary, he was already prepared to strike first. He only waited for Chen Ping to make his position clear, and then he would unleash a thunderous attack and kill the two men before him at once.