Chapter 88: Loyalty and Filial Piety

There were few comments left in the review section, and if the recommendation votes were also dismal, Xiao Hei would have no way of knowing how effective his transition to a new book had been. This uncertainty was agonizing. With recent assessments at work and the flurry of year-end matters, Xiao Hei had to return to writing three-thousand-word chapters, making life quite tough. He sincerely hoped for more encouragement and support from everyone.

———

From evening until the next morning, the eastern side of Mus City remained tranquil; not a single living corpse was encountered. As the faint light of dawn crept over the horizon, the situation within the city gradually became clearer to the more than two thousand people present as daylight broke.

There was not the slightest sign of movement beneath the eastern city walls...

A dead silence!

Only the charred remains from the previous night’s fierce battle served as a grim reminder to all.

Not long after, from the north and south, seven formidable figures flew through the air. Far behind on the streets and rooftops, the traces of large numbers of humans began to appear.

Sweeping their gazes across the city guards and the hundreds of cultivators still holding their posts with stern vigilance atop the walls, the seven elders nodded in approval before landing on the ramparts, revealing golden badges pinned to their chests.

Seven eight-star powerhouses appeared at once!

No wonder...

Xu Wen was inwardly startled. It was no surprise that nothing had stirred last night; with such a terrifying assembly present, the remaining few necromancers in the city could not possibly have made any move.

“Which one is Xu Wen?”

Just as he was about to have the seven-star expert Zhang Ke step forward to greet them, the elder in the lead, whose chest bore a gold-and-silver crescent moon, took a step forward and called Xu Wen by name.

He moved instinctively, and immediately fourteen pairs of eyes locked onto him!

“You, are you Harman’s disciple?”

The seven elders surrounded him, gazing at him as if he were a rare creature, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Xu Wen felt his mouth go dry and involuntarily took two steps back. Why did all these old monsters look at him this way? Did they have some peculiar hobby... a fondness for young boys?

Just as his hair began to stand on end, the elders started speaking:

“Three-star, third tier—your strength is certainly unusual. No wonder Harman took a fancy to you…”

“Mm, not bad, not bad at all.”

“Xu Wen, would you have any interest in joining the Silver Moon family instead? Harman was an old family friend of mine. Since he is gone, it is only right that I, as his close friend, take some responsibility for you.”

The Silver Moon elder had barely finished before the other six voiced their discontent, either bristling or even trying to pull Xu Wen aside:

“Silver Beard, are you joking? When was Harman ever your family friend? If we’re talking about relationships, I was much closer to him. Boy, don’t hesitate—come join the Purple Thorn family. I guarantee I’ll teach you everything I know and make you the empire’s number one prodigy.”

The two elders from the West City family spoke:

“Prodigy, my foot! Have you ever heard of a prodigy being made, not born? Young Xu is a distinguished guest of our West City family; the rest of you can stop contesting.”

Everyone on the wall stared in astonishment at the scene before them, torn between laughter and envy. Seven eight-star powerhouses, elders of grand families—each one a renowned figure in the imperial capital—were actually vying to be Xu Wen’s master?

But choosing a master among them would be difficult indeed...

Zhang Ke and a group of six- and seven-star high-ranking cultivators watched from the sidelines. Each of the seven had formidable backing; choosing any one of them would likely offend the others. Moreover, a prodigy like Xu Wen, once aligned with any side, would greatly strengthen that faction’s power.

There was, no doubt, much more to this than met the eye!

If Xu Wen failed to handle this properly, he would certainly face trouble in the future.

At that moment, Xu Wen raised his head, looked directly at the seven elders, and bowed respectfully. Sensing that he had something to say, they all fell silent and waited with serious expressions.

But Xu Wen’s first words were:

“Thank you, Elders, for your generous offer. However, since I became Dean Harman’s disciple, I cannot join another master without my teacher’s consent!”

“But Dean Harman has already…” one started, but Xu Wen looked at him and said:

“May I ask, Elder, have you personally seen my teacher’s remains?”

The Silver Moon family elder paused before saying, “No, I have not, but it is widely accepted that Dean Harman was killed.”

“Then nothing is certain,” Xu Wen declared resolutely. “I have been under my teacher for less than half a year, and it is my duty to personally investigate his fate. I cannot betray my master based on mere rumor. Should my teacher truly have been killed, I will, of course, avenge him and slay the culprit, to comfort his spirit in the afterlife! To abandon my master so easily and then care nothing for him is not my way.”

His impassioned declaration left the seven elders speechless and visibly surprised; even the surrounding soldiers and Zhang Ke’s group looked on with newfound respect.

To investigate his master’s fate and refuse to forsake his sect lightly—this was loyalty.

To seek vengeance for his master and bring comfort to his spirit—this was filial piety.

For such a gifted youth, to remain loyal and filial in the face of seven elders’ invitations, unmoved by outside interests—Dean Harman had truly chosen a fine disciple.

“Well said, lad. With your words, if we old fools kept pressing you to change masters, we’d be cast as villains. Still, I must admit I envy Harman’s discernment more and more. He truly found an exceptional pupil. It’s just a pity your path of vengeance will be arduous. In the entire Dark Empire, there are few who could threaten Harman; the perpetrator must be a high-level master, at least a mid-level Archmage…”

Another elder nodded in agreement. “Indeed, necromancers have always been stronger than other magic users. A nine-star Death Guard is formidable... Even if you reach the level of a nine-star high archmage and tame a magical beast of equal power, you would still struggle against a necromancer of that level!”

The surrounding soldiers could not help but gasp.

To become a nine-star archmage?

To tame a nine-star magical beast?

Either feat was beyond their wildest dreams...

And yet the seven elders held Xu Wen in such high regard!

“My mind is made up! Unless you can uncover the truth of the dean’s demise and take vengeance, I will never betray my master.”

Seeing Xu Wen’s unwavering gaze and righteous words, the elders sighed and shook their heads, forced to give up.

To avenge Dean Harman? Impossible. Even if the six great families pooled all their strength, they might not be able to defeat a nine-star necromancer.

“If you ever need help, come to the Silver Moon family’s trading house and give my name—Su Leng.”

The seven elders each expressed that Xu Wen could seek them out at any time, and their high regard for him left everyone on the city wall envious. It was easy to foresee that a new star, surrounded by the attention of many, was about to shine brightly in the Azure Empire!

Xu Wen thanked them and then got to the main point:

“Elders, you seem to have come from the direction of Azure Empire’s capital. How did you break out?”

The seven elders exchanged smiles, their eyes growing even more appreciative of Xu Wen.

“It’s thanks to your Breath Suppression Pills, young man. Otherwise, we old fellows would have become part of the undead by now.” The seven sighed as they recounted how they had gathered together, received a Breath Suppression Pill from Old Lin of the West City family, and—after the eight-star experts took them—rallied hundreds of strong individuals to fight their way out of the weakened area of the capital, finally reaching Mus City.

Xu Wen was stunned.

This powerful reinforcement had, in fact, been created by him, albeit indirectly!