Beastmaster of the Ages

”You’re wrong! They’re a disorganized mob. Anyone that dares to stand out will be hammered down and the rest will follow! As long as Li Tianming dies, all of them will forget what happened today and comply! If we don’t make a strong show of force, more and more fools like them will test us!” Qitian Xiao snapped.

Qitian Muyu grit his teeth. He wanted to say that, while this would cause people to temporarily quiet down, it still planted a seed deep down. If the Three Exalted Houses failed to kill Tianming, the seed of frustration in the masses might explode.

The number of unaffiliated eminents was higher than that of the Three Exalted Houses, after all. They were currently a leaderless pack with their own interests in mind. Many were also servants of the Three Exalted Houses, so it wouldn’t be easy for them to form a unified power block.

However, House Fenglin was one of the houses that had directly served House Suishen, with Eminent Fengying having been in Suishen Ranxing’s circle. Their deaths set the precedent that not even servants of the Three Exalted Houses were safe and were grouped together with the masses, creating a singular group that could potentially work together!

Even so, Qitian Muyu understood that there was no other solution than killing dissenters. Otherwise, more and more people would be encouraged to speak out. They had to deal with that one way or another.

It was all part of Tianming’s plan to get them to dig out the Three Exalted Houses’ dirty deeds. If they had been just rulers, they wouldn’t have to fear something like this. It was a fact that they’d done unforgivable things, hence why they were on the defensive and had to suppress those who spoke out against them. They couldn’t tolerate a small house that dared to talk back at them, or they would risk being mocked more and more. The valley lord’s dignity and authority would be nowhere to be found.

The two million powerful astral gods watched as House Qitian killed one Fenglin after another, gripping their fists in anger. They had served the Three Exalted Houses for far too long, so it was rather difficult for them to overcome the habit of obedience. Even if some dared, what happened to House Fenglin was a stark reminder for them to think twice.

They needed figureheads to rally around, and the august houses were supposed to take up those roles. They were the ones who had the closest relationship to the Three Exalted Houses, with many of their descendants even intermarrying. It wouldn’t be easy to get them to rebel, for it would mean breaking countless families apart!

Either way, it seemed that Qitian Xiao’s punishment had had its intended effect. He chuckled and regained his poise as the Fenglins were exterminated, no longer appearing as helpless as when House Qingchuan had defied him.

Tianming, the former valley lord, and Suishen Jiguang witnessed it all from the ship. When the Three Exalted Houses stood together, they formed a powerful wall that towered over everyone in Myriadpath Valley. Uncle Hei and House Qingchuan’s grudge against House Qitian was something that could no longer be resolved. It was all Qitian Xiao and Suishen Ranxing’s fault! Even now, they still threatened Tianming and the others with the lives of the Qingchuans.

Even if I bombard this place with the Blissful Union, all I can do is damage Myriadpath Valley’s infrastructure. It’s impossible to save a thousand hostages from the grasp of elites like that.... That was the struggle he was facing. Tianming’s rage against Qitian Xiao, Suishen Ranxing, and the rest had reached a boiling point.

Once Qitian Xiao had finished dealing with House Fenglin, he turned to House Qingchuan once more. The deaths of the Fenglins made the Qingchuans accept their fate. They wanted nothing more than to die, and that only infuriated Qitian Xiao more for not being able to vent on them.

”Jian Qingfeng, are you really going to watch your entire family and all of your descendants die before you just for your selfish delusions of grandeur?” Qitian Xiao smiled and looked at the Grand Myriadpath Ruins with his hands behind his back.

The former valley lord’s projection surfaced on the Grand Myriadpath Ruins, gently looking at his kin. ”To us, death is nothing but a release. It’s the cessation of suffering—what’s so scary about that? Death will give meaning to their lives!” He sounded dejected, yet resolute.

”You make it sound nice, but you’re just justifying your own selfishness. You’re really going to bury your entire house, aren’t you?” Qitian Xiao cackled.

”Even at this age, you’re still scheming and snickering like a child. What a joke.” The former valley lord looked at his kin with deep sentimentality. ”Once House Qitian’s exterminated, I’ll go and join them. My people will not embark on the path to the next life alone.

”They know that their lives are being used as a bargaining chip, but they don’t fear you. You look down on House Qingchuan too much! We won’t bend and give up on this heaven-sent chance to rid the astralscape of you three cancerous tumors! A thousand Qingchuan lives for ten thousand Qitian lives is the bargain of an epoch! A withered old man like me in exchange for you, Qitian Xiao, is an even better deal!”

”Yes!” the Qingchuans echoed. All of them understood him, and he understood all of them. Their wills were completely aligned. After all they’d suffered, the day had finally come. They wanted nothing more than the end of House Qitian, even at the cost of their own lives.

They wouldn’t allow themselves to sabotage such a good chance. Their hearts had never changed, especially after Uncle Hei had given them a morale boost. Qitian Xiao’s words had never shaken them in the slightest.

”Jian Qinghe!” the former valley lord yelled.

”Yes!” A veiled girl in the crowd nodded and turned back to face her kind. ”Everyone, we shall pave the way for the three houses with our blood!”

”Aye!” They calmly made the last decision of their lives. Being able to die on such a high note of hope was more than they could ever ask for.

”Let’s embark on a journey together, everyone.” Jian Qinghe smiled with courage.

At first, the crowd was confused by what she meant, but jumped when they realized that they were talking about ending their lives all at once! They had endured all that torture without being able to die, even if they desired it. Today, a chance had presented itself and they wouldn’t be dying in vain. Their expressions showed others that they believed it was worth it.

It was a sight that touched the hearts of many, Tianming included. He had wanted to try to use two fortuna-class ships to bombard Myriadpath Valley, but House Qingchuan had made its choice.

”Go on ahead! I’ll catch up to you! Just don’t walk too quickly—wait for me!” the former valley lord cried.