The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"If we go now, the daylilies will be too cold! Besides, have you forgotten what I told you before?"

Lian Fei paused, frowning as he looked at her.

Yao Susu's eyes gleamed with shrewdness as she lowered her voice.

“These powerful clans value face and decorum above all else. To deal with a ‘mere’ cultivator from a humble background, no matter how much trouble he causes, they would never easily use the power of their true core clan members. Think about it, do you need the owner to personally carry a stick into the street to deal with a stray dog?”

Lian Fei seemed to be deep in thought.

Yao Susu continued.

"The ones they sent out were all henchmen! Thugs! Brutal dogs they kept! No matter how many die, it's just a financial loss for them; they can just recruit another batch. The real core force remains calm and collected, and will not take any risks easily. If you go now, your identity is sensitive, and you might get into trouble and give people a reason to say that even our family is involved in this 'despicable' attack."

Lian Fei's excitement faded slightly, but he was still unwilling to give up.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch? What if... what if that kid gets away again?"

"run?"

Yao Susu's lips curled into a cold, calculating smile.

"Brother Fei, you want to watch him die with your own eyes, you want to make sure he disappears without a trace, isn't that simple?"

She leaned close to Lian Fei's ear, her voice seductive.

“All we need to do is… add fuel to the fire! Have Tingyulou send out their top-tier 'Night Rain' assassins! Tell them that no matter how the fighting goes in Yanxia City, no matter who ultimately cripples Jiang Xuan, as long as they can guarantee that it is someone from Tingyulou who will be the one to cut off Jiang Xuan's head or provide conclusive evidence of his killing…”

Yao Susu stretched out her slender finger and made a "one" shape. Her smile became even sweeter, but her words were icy and piercing.

“We’ll pay them…ten thousand gold coins! To buy that little bastard’s worthless life! It’s money well spent!”

Lian Fei's eyes suddenly lit up, and an excited yet cruel smile returned to his face.

"Good! Susu, you're so smart! Let's do it this way! Contact Tingyu Tower immediately! I want that little bastard to never see the sun rise again!"

In the warm pavilion of a heavily guarded, luxurious villa belonging to the Lian family in Yanxia City.

The heater emitted a warm glow, dispelling the chill outside the window, but it couldn't dispel the gloom and impatience on Lian Fei's face.

He paced restlessly, his expensive brocade boots making a dull thud on the soft carpet.

"Susu, ten thousand gold coins! That's a whole ten thousand gold coins!"

Lian Fei abruptly stopped and roared at Yao Susu, who was sitting on the soft couch, leisurely sipping her fragrant tea. His voice was filled with heartache and incomprehension.

"Just to hire those shady characters from Tingyu Tower to kill Jiang Xuan? Is it worth it? Who does he think he is! Haven't those other forces already joined forces to wipe him out? Why should we waste our money on this?"

Yao Susu put down her exquisite white jade teacup, raised her seemingly clear but unfathomable eyes, and glanced at Lian Fei indifferently.

That calm and unwavering gaze inexplicably tightened Lian Fei's heart, and his agitated aura involuntarily weakened.

"Brother Fei, your vision is still a bit narrow."

Yao Susu's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Kill Jiang Xuan? That was just a side effect, a pretext. Do you really think I spent 10,000 gold coins just to buy his worthless life?"

Lian Fei was taken aback.

"Then...what was it for?"

"To gain a foothold!"

Yao Susu stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling night view of Yanxia City outside the window. Her voice carried a hint of ambition that was not easily detected.

"In order to truly gain a foothold in Yanxia City, in the Lian family, and even on a larger stage in the future!"

She turned around and stared intently at Lian Fei.

"What kind of place is Tingyu Tower? One of the Empire's most mysterious and top-tier assassin organizations! Being able to connect with them is a symbol of power in itself! We proactively offered a large order of 10,000 gold coins, and clearly stated that the target was Jiang Xuan, who caused chaos in Yanxia City. What does this mean?"

Yao Susu asked and answered her own question.

"This means that our Lian family is willing to spend a lot of money to establish contact with Tingyu Tower! This means that we are on the same side as the other forces that are besieging Jiang Xuan! This is sending a signal to the major families of Yanxia City. We are also a player in this game! This 10,000 gold coins is not only buying a move by Tingyu Tower, but also buying our 'entry ticket' and 'pledge of allegiance' in the Yanxia City circle! Making friends with all parties and consolidating our foundation is the long-term strategy."

She paused, looking at Lian Fei's still somewhat bewildered and unconvinced face, and her tone turned cold.

"Brother Fei, do you really want to be a spoiled brat who only causes trouble and lives under the protection of the family forever? Don't you want to seize the opportunity to do something real, to impress those old guys in the clan, and to get Father to... entrust you with important responsibilities?"

“I…” Lian Fei opened his mouth, but Yao Susu’s words were like needles pricking his most sensitive spots.

He certainly wanted to prove himself and get rid of the "trash" label, but the price of 10,000 gold coins... He gritted his teeth, but in the end he gave up and muttered to himself.

"...You're right, Susu. It's just...this is a bit too much money..."

“Those who achieve great things do not dwell on small details.”

Yao Susu sat back down on the soft couch, her tone returning to its usual calm, carrying a sense of composure as if she were in control of the situation.

"I have made my decision on this matter, and you need not say anything more. I will take care of everything at Tingyu Tower."

Looking at Yao Susu's unyielding expression, Lian Fei, despite his reluctance, dared not refute her any further.

He knew his fiancée's thoughts and methods better than anyone else, and the consequences of disobeying her would be far beyond what he could bear.

He could only lower his head dejectedly and mutter in a low voice.

"...I'll do whatever you say."

Yao Susu nodded in satisfaction, no longer looking at him, her gaze returning to the window, as if she could already see the assassin from Tingyu Tower, like the most deadly shadow, quietly enveloping the name Jiang Xuan that she loathed.

Meanwhile, deep within an extremely secluded and elegant courtyard in Yanxia City, seemingly isolated from the world.

The pavilion overlooks the lake, where a light drizzle falls like silk, tapping on the verdant lotus leaves and making a soft rustling sound.

A young man dressed in a plain white robe, with an ethereal and otherworldly air, sat upright in a waterside pavilion, his slender fingers gently plucking the strings of a guqin before him. The music flowed like a clear spring, mingling with the sound of rain, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

He was the person in charge of Tingyu Tower in Yanxia City, codenamed Tingyu.

A figure shrouded in a gray cloak, whose presence was almost imperceptible, appeared like a ghost outside the waterside pavilion, kneeling on one knee, his voice low and respectful.

"Sir, new order. Target."

Jiang Xuan.

location.

Yanxia City. Commission.

Ten thousand gold coins. The employer… is connected to Grand Master Yao Tuohai.

"Zheng"

Tingyu's fingers, which were plucking the strings, paused slightly as a somewhat abrupt note broke the previous harmony. He slowly raised his head, revealing a face that was so handsome it was almost otherworldly, yet indifferent and devoid of any human warmth.

Those deep eyes, like an ancient well, reflected the raindrops on the lake's surface.

“Yao Tuohai…” Tingyu’s thin lips parted slightly as she softly uttered the name, a subtle ripple passing through the depths of her usually calm eyes.

"That... important figure in the Forbidden City?"

"Yes."

The figure in gray respectfully replied.

Listening to the rain, she remained silent for a few breaths. Her fingertips unconsciously grazed the cold strings of the instrument.

Ten thousand gold coins is undoubtedly an astronomical price for assassinating a cultivator at the Gang Realm.

But more importantly... is the weight that the name Yao Tuohai represents.

That great cultivator, who held a pivotal position in the empire's power center, wielded enough influence to command respect from anyone.

"That's fine."

Tingyu finally spoke softly, her voice clear and cold like jade striking each other.

"Give Yao Tuohai some face."

"Take this order."

His slender fingers gently brushed across the strings, and the music flowed again, but with a hint of chilling solemnity.

"Let Remnant Snow, Ghost Moon, and Gray Sable... make a trip."

The sound of the rain was calm and even, as if it were just giving instructions on a trivial matter.

"Tell them to be swift and decisive. Yao Tuohai's face cannot be lost."

"As ordered!"

The figure in gray bowed and accepted the order, then vanished silently as if blending into the rain and mist.

In the waterside pavilion, only Tingyu remained, along with the increasingly cold and desolate sound of the zither in the rain.

In Yanxia City, in a highly secluded underground safe house in the west of the city, meticulously prepared by Chu Feng.

The cold stone walls isolated the area from the torrential rain and noise of the outside world, with only a dim oil lamp providing faint light.

The air was filled with a strong smell of medicine and a faint stench of blood.

Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, his face still somewhat pale, but his breathing had become much more stable.

He had just swallowed a pill that was entirely emerald green and emitted a warm glow—the Azure Jade Essence Pill.

The elixir melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a pure and powerful warm current that rapidly flowed to the limbs and bones, nourishing the damaged meridians and replenishing the depleted true energy.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, channeling his inner energy to guide the medicinal power to repair the injuries to his left shoulder, back, and calf.

As the medicine continued to work, a sense of power re-emerged within my body.

Jiang Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his cold gaze flashing with a sharp light in the dim light.

"Hoo..." He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which smelled of medicine.

"The encirclement has been broken."

Jiang Xuan calmly assessed the current situation.

Having killed Lu Zhong, severely damaged Canfeng, and routed Yuan's elite forces and several waves of ambushes, a huge gap has inevitably appeared in the encirclement and suppression network of those allied forces. The time has come no longer to flee for one's life, but... to launch a preemptive strike!
He wants to transform himself from prey into the deadliest hunter!
He stood up and began to carefully check the remaining equipment on his body.

This is a deeply ingrained habit of the Bloodthirsty Camp: to always have a clear understanding of their own combat capabilities.

Three short crossbows, their magazines fully loaded.

This is a powerful tool for mid-to-long-range suppression and creating chaos.

Two black spirit battle blades, their blades cold and undamaged.

This is the essence of close combat.

More than ten bottles of various wound medicines and antidotes are essential for sustained combat.

There were also some miscellaneous hidden weapons, tinder, and a small bag of high-energy marching jerky... The equipment was complete and sufficient to support a high-intensity hunting operation.

He paused slightly as he sorted through the small Sumeru ring.

His fingertips touched the strange bead covered in a dim gray light that had been dug out of Canfeng's left eye.

In the rush before, I only caught a fleeting glimpse of it, but I sensed its sinister nature.

Now that the crisis was temporarily averted, Jiang Xuan felt a strong curiosity and desire to explore the bead that had almost caused him to lose his composure.

He carefully took the gray bead out of the ring and held it in his palm.

The bead remained cold and light, its gray sheen flowing slowly like a living thing, while a dark and violent aura surged within.

"This item... is definitely not ordinary."

Jiang Xuan's expression turned serious.

He took a deep breath, not daring to be negligent, and immediately activated the [Minor Netherworld Divine Art].

This secret alchemy technique passed down by the Bloodthirsty Camp can calm the mind and resist external evil influences.

An invisible and resilient mental barrier was built in his mind.

When the [Minor Netherworld Divine Art] was activated to its limit and Jiang Xuan's mind was as stable as a rock, he once again focused all his attention on the gray bead in his palm.

Buzz!

Just as he was concentrating his mind, a sudden change occurred!
The dim gray light covering the surface of the bead suddenly became bright and active! The light surged like flowing water, quickly enveloping the entire bead! Then, under Jiang Xuan's astonished gaze, the bead, the size of a pigeon egg, began to twist, stretch, and deform as if it were liquid!
Gray light flowed, and bones reorganized! In just a few breaths, that strange bead transformed in Jiang Xuan's palm into a large bow with a peculiar shape and an aura of cold death!
The bow is made of several white skulls that have been fused together, their hollow eye sockets seemingly grinning silently.

The bowstring connecting the bow arm was as red as blood, and under the dim light, it emitted a chilling, bloody sheen.

The bow's overall design is ferocious, exuding a savage aura originating from ancient times, yet it also possesses an indescribable, chillingly precise quality. Holding it... it remains as light as a feather, almost weightless!

Jiang Xuan subconsciously gripped the giant skull bow that had been transformed from beads.

The instant his fingers touched the cold bow and he tried to pull the blood-red bowstring...
boom!
An indescribable, extreme cold and absolute stillness rushed into his mind like a waterfall of ice from the heavens!

In an instant, Jiang Xuan felt the whole world slow down! No, it wasn't that the world slowed down, but rather that his perception was elevated to an unbelievable level! The flickering flame of the oil lamp, the path of dust particles falling in the air, even the subtle sound of his blood flowing through his veins... everything became incredibly clear!
His mind seemed to have been stripped of all emotions and distractions, leaving only an absolute calm that overlooked all things and understood the trajectory of everything! In this state, he even had the illusion that as long as he drew the bow and locked onto the target, no matter who the opponent was or where they were, they would be reduced to ashes under the arrow!

This feeling… is so powerful it's intoxicating! (End of Chapter)