The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 130 - 126: Captain Xiao, Master of the Dao of Self-Preservation

Chapter 130: Chapter 126: Captain Xiao, Master of the Dao of Self-Preservation

"Gurgle, gurgle..." Jin Mingxuan still didn’t give up, desperately struggling to say something.

This tenacity to cling to life yet again showed Qing Yu a similarity between Jin Mingxuan and himself.

As he watched someone so similar to himself walk towards death, Qing Yu did not feel any sympathy; instead, he felt a peculiar sense of pleasure. After all, the world would be better off with fewer bad people like himself, wouldn’t it?

Qing Yu suddenly felt like saying something, but what? He could mention how Jin Mingxuan always appeared at just the right moments, like on the snow night of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, when he brought the news of intruders.

Or perhaps, he could speak of how he discovered his flaw—from doubting him on the morning after the snowy night to the sudden addition of a person in the Philosophy Department, Jin Mingxuan had come to the rescue, playing a drama similar to his own.

There was nothing worth saying. With time pressing, he had no time to flaunt his prowess in front of this dying man. Moreover, anything he said might be heard by Luo Yan. No need.

Regardless, Jin Mingxuan had to die. This man, who hid in the shadows spying on him for months, could not be tolerated by Qing Yu to live any longer.

Raising his hand, he emitted Sword Qi, striking Jin Mingxuan’s neck to sever his head. He then pulled a sealed vial of liquid from his pocket, uncorked the tightly sealed bottle, and hurled it towards Jin Mingxuan’s corpse.

A disciple of the "Impermanence Divine Capture" might have many unknown tricks. Qing Yu did not get close to try whether the man had a way to take them both down, nor could he be sure if he had left any messages; it was better to directly destroy the body. Jin Mingxuan was very much similar to himself, and Qing Yu dare not underestimate him in any way.

"Goodbye..." Just doing so wasn’t enough; Qing Yu once again employed the best method of erasing traces—setting a fire.

Qing Yu waited momentarily, allowing the fire to grow. After it had burned everything Jin Mingxuan had touched since his arrival, he then used the Xuanbing Force to freeze the air and extinguish the flames.

Then, Qing Yu finally remembered the unfortunate Senior Brother Zhang. He went over, lifted the body of the Senior Brother whose full name he still didn’t know, released the Shiwen Insect, and, harnessing his Qinggong, raced towards Feng Jiu’s location.

"Days of friendship lost in a moment, your friend’s eyes watching you as he died. Host, a toast for stabbing your friend twice, reward 200 Villain Points," the system made its presence felt again at that moment.

"System, stop joking, Jin Mingxuan and I could hardly be considered friends..."

...

For who knows how long, Xiao Lian frantically fled until he could no longer endure, leaning against a big tree and vomiting the fresh blood that had aggravated from all the running.

"Scholars from Northern Zhou are indeed much stronger than those sissies from Daqian, tough indeed!" Even gravely injured, Xiao Lian still wore a satisfied smile.

"The sissies from Daqian can now take your life!" Cold voices said as three men firmly stepped out of the adjacent woods. Though they walked slowly, they appeared next to Xiao Lian almost as if they had teleported.

"Heh," Xiao Lian grinned casually, completely unconcerned by the other’s threat. "If you were capable, there wouldn’t be only three people left entering the Small Secret Realm this time. If you’ve got the guts, kill me; if you’re scared, then stop your pointless babbling..."

"You..." The scholar standing on the left was provoked by Xiao Lian’s words. "You think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?!"

"Then come on!" Killing intent was evident, yet Xiao Lian was utterly fearless, confronting the challenge head-on.

"Shut up," the man in the middle commanded.

"Yes, Senior Brother Lu."

Xiao Lian refrained from provoking further, aware that this young man named Lu Yi was a tough nut to crack—better left unchallenged. Strength determines status, a view firmly upheld by Xiao Lian, who hailed from the Divine Martial Army.

The three arrivals were the students from the Philosophy Department vying for positions on behalf of Daqian in the Literary Arena. The one in the middle was Lu Yi, previously singled out by Luo Yan for mention.

Lu Yi wore a uniquely ink-colored Confucian robe, marking his future role as the head of the Philosophy Department. His dark hair was neatly tied at the crown of his head with a delicate white jade headpiece. He exuded a scholarly elegance coupled with a distinct solemnity and detachment.

This was due to the Taoist elements in the philosophical teachings. The Philosophy Department revered the Heavenly God as the supreme deity. They described the Heavenly God as the incarnation of natural law, infusing their philosophy with theological overtones. Because of this, they were deemed pseudo-Confucians by the orthodox Confucian Mountain River Academy.

Yet, this ideology was highly esteemed by the Imperial Family in Daqian. The term "Muqing" from Daqian Ancestor Ji Muqing suggested not only the Confucian ideal of bringing clarity and fairness to the world but also embodied the concept of "Heaven."

Zhu Xiping, the founder of this school of thought, wrote that Daqian Ancestor Ji Muqing was an avatar of the Heavenly God on earth, with the establishment of Daqian being a divine mandate. Subsequently, all emperors of Daqian were considered descendants of Heaven. This narrative, which deified the Emperor of Daqian and elevated him to the highest status, naturally gained the Emperor’s favor.

Lu Yi’s bearing showed his deep appreciation for the essence of his philosophical culture, making it no surprise that he was appointed the future head of the Philosophy Department.

"Colonel Xiao, on behalf of my junior, I apologize for his disrespect," Lu Yi intervened, addressing Xiao Lian. "We are all subjects of Daqian, here on His Majesty’s orders, and should work together. My junior misspoke, and that was his mistake. However, Colonel Xiao, I do not wish to hear you utter any more obscenities disrespecting our Philosophy Department."

Lu Yi’s eyes firmly fixed on Xiao Lian. While he did not specify the consequences of hearing further insults, Xiao Lian could tell from his gaze that it was not going to be merely a verbal threat, unlike the previous outburst from the man beside them. The soldier savvy in self-preservation, Xiao Lian promptly chuckled dryly, "Of course, not anymore."

"Thank you, Colonel Xiao," Lu Yi said, nodding in satisfaction. "Colonel Xiao, by now, the location of the Emperor Martial Art is quite evident. They surely won’t have us playing a game of find-and-seek for a day and a night; the item must be located at the Academy on the mountain peak. Captain Hai from the Divine Martial Army has ordered you to head to the mountain peak Academy and seize the Emperor Martial Art."

"Are we not pursuing the people from Mountain River Academy anymore?" Xiao Lian asked.

"Of course not," Lu Yi replied. "We will split our forces into two groups; one, including the Divine Martial Army and the men from Six Gates, will head to seize the Emperor Martial Art. The rest of us, including the three of us, will intercept the people from Mountain River Academy."

"Perfect, let’s also show whether our Philosophy Department truly pales in comparison to Mountain River Academy."

"Ha ha, perfect, with Mr. Lu’s martial arts, success is certainly within reach." Xiao Lian recalled the absolute skill Lu Yi demonstrated before heading to the Mountain River Academy, complimenting him enthusiastically. Remembering the chilling sensation from that time, Xiao Lian, always keen on self-preservation, respectfully added, "Mr. Lu."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.