Wayfarer

Chapter 583: Shaking the Sieve of Heaven

Within the Hall of Martial Aspects in the Sieve of Heaven, Ao Canghai was taking part in a banquet as he dined and conversed with a group of cultivators.

"Martial Aspect Ao, I heard that the Eastern Quadrant was the first to reach the designated target of tithed fortune this year. You're very impressive. The Immortal Emperors of the three quadrants that we oversee are all refusing to tithe their fortune, as if they'd planned it in advance. It's infuriating!"

"The ten-thousand-year calamity draws near, and the legends of the world continue to strive for the apex. We expected this, and the Heavenly Emperor has allowed the various divine empires to rise up—yet we Martial Aspects shoulder a heavier burden," Ao Canghai replied, sighing.

"Eastern Aspect Ao, are the Immortal Emperors of the east more personable than elsewhere? How do you ensure that they submit their tithes on time?" the Martial Aspect asked again.

"Who said they were? The prime counterexample is Dayin. It's been over three years since they last paid their tithe, and they might cause trouble at any moment. That would be particularly devastating news for us," Ao Canghai replied, shaking his head.

"Yin Shenhua, you mean? I heard that you sent a Heaven Immortal Martial Aspect to collect the tithe—60% of Dayin's accumulated fortune, too! How brave you are," one cultivator said.

Ao Canghai could hear the sarcasm from a mile away. He replied calmly, "Didn't you ask about my secret for collecting these tithes? It's to send someone out to collect them, of course."

The cultivators at the banquet gave Ao Canghai strange half-smiles. It was clear that Ao Canghai was trying to kill Xiao Nanfeng; that he was putting such a spin on things was rather shameless.

"It's difficult to reclaim even 20% of an empire's fortune now, let alone 60%—and all you sent was a single Heaven Immortal Martial Aspect! Don't you know that the situation's being discussed all over the Sieve of Heaven? Do you think everyone a fool?" that cultivator mocked.

"Acceptance of this Martial Aspect mission wasn't enforced, and Xiao Nanfeng chose to participate himself. Perhaps he really does have some means of acquiring the fortune. Also, don't be mistaken. Half of the fortune is the reward for the Martial Aspect mission, and such an incredible reward naturally entails commensurate risk. Isn't that so?" Ao Canghai replied, unruffled.

"High reward? The risk is far too high for that. A lone Heaven Immortal in Dayin might as well be dead!"

Everyone nodded, believing in the futility of Xiao Nanfeng's actions.

Just then, the distant tolling of a bell could be heard, surprising all the gathered cultivators.

A dragon's keening reverberated across the sieve of heavens, so loud and so resonant that they gaped in shock.

"What a deep resonance. Was some fortune just tithed to the Imperial Court? Which quadrant was it from?" one cultivator exclaimed.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. The cultivators knew very well the status of their respective quadrants, and none were expecting a tithe at that very moment. They would have been informed in advance if such a tithe were taking place.

"Cardinal Aspects, a tithe of fortune has just been claimed by the Imperial Court. Those responsible for harvesting the tithe are making records at the moment. It came from the Eastern Quadrant," an official rushed over and reported to the gathered Martial Aspects.

"From the Eastern Quadrant? Eastern Aspect Ao's region, then! Who did it?" someone in the banquet asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Cardinal Aspect."

"Investigate!"

"Understood!"

Everyone turned to Ao Canghai. Someone began, "Well done, Eastern Aspect Ao—another tithe of fortune!"

Ao Canghai seemed flummoxed himself. He wasn't aware of the situation, and quickly had his subordinates investigate.

One of his subordinates quickly returned to report to him.

"Whose fortune was it?" Ao Canghai demanded.

"It was the divine empire of Dayin's, Eastern Aspect. The tithe of fortune is estimated to be 60% of Dayin's current reserves, and all the officials responsible for collecting tithes have been mobilized to record and harvest it. It's the largest tithe collected at once over the last thousand years, and it's causing a huge hubbub."

"What? Dayin?"

"60% of Dayin's fortune... What's Yin Shenhua thinking?!"

"A Heaven Immortal managed to reclaim 60% of Dayin's fortune? How could this be?"

"Eastern Aspect Ao, your subordinate's incredible! How did Xiao Nanfeng manage such a feat?"

Everyone at the banquet was staring at Ao Canghai in shock.

Ao Canghai himself was taken aback. He was as shocked as anyone else in the banquet—no, more so. He had sent Xiao Nanfeng to Dayin to die. How had Xiao Nanfeng managed to return with 60% of Dayin's fortune? Dayin's rebellion was drawing near, and that much fortune would have been an incredible boon. Something was clearly wrong!

"Come on, let's go have a look ourselves. I've never seen such a large sum of fortune deposited at once!" someone suggested.

"I'll go too!"

Everyone at the banquet got up to have a look at the situation for themselves.

Ao Canghai got up and joined the crowd, disbelief writ large on his face.

The news that 60% of Dayin's fortune had been tithed as one lump sum quickly spread across the Sieve of Heaven and caused a huge commotion—not just because of the magnitude of the tithe, but also because of what a struggle it had been to retrieve it all. Perhaps because Ao Canghai had been deliberately spreading news of Xiao Nanfeng's trip to Dayin, it had become public knowledge in the Sieve of Heaven.

Furthermore, the fact that Xiao Nanfeng had had countless purple-furred monsters seeking strategies to reclaim Dayin's fortune had caused a fair share of gossip in its own right.

However, no one could have expected that Xiao Nanfeng really would have succeeded. Many were arguing over how he had done it, and as many were praising and congratulating Ao Canghai on his foresight.

Ao Canghai, meanwhile, was completely enraged by Xiao Nanfeng's success. Not only that, he had to pretend to be pleased himself. Deeply upset, he chose to enter secluded cultivation to avoid entertaining any guests.

Above a stretch of the sea, Ao Shuai frowned at a subordinate before him. "What? Repeat what you said."

"Master, my avatar's at the Imperial Court and has confirmed these news multiple times. 60% of Dayin's fortune has been tithed to the Imperial Court."

"How in the world did Xiao Nanfeng manage such a feat?" Ao Shuai fumed.

"Wasn't Xiao Nanfeng caught and brought to the Thunderclap Hall? Isn't he dead?" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost asked.

Another subordinate replied, "My avatar is in Dayin's capital. Everything's currently locked down, and countless forces are out of the city searching for Xiao Nanfeng's whereabouts. Of course, it's more like they're hunting him down, but they can hardly say that publicly."

"What? Xiao Nanfeng managed to escape, too?" Ao Shuai exclaimed.

"He wasn't the only one to do so. The ten thousand purple-furred monsters escaped as well," the subordinate continued.

"Impossible! The fact that Yin Shenhua's trying to hunt him down means that the negotiations must have broken down. Why would he submit such a huge tithe of fortune, then?!" Ao Shuai cried out.

"I don't know, Master!"

"What's the situation in Yongding?" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost asked.

"Right, if Yin Shenhua wants to take down Xiao Nanfeng, he'll surely strike at Xiao Nanfeng's empire. Has Yongding been destroyed?" Ao Shuai asked.

"No, Master. I just received word that everything is well in Yongding. There isn't a Dayin presence there."

"That's impossible..." Ao Shuai frowned.

"Perhaps the Dayin soldiers are on their way?" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost suggested.

"That has to be the case. Yin Shenhua's sending people to hunt down Xiao Nanfeng. Surely Yongding won't remain untouched, either," Ao Shuai replied.

The cultivators waited patiently for two days.

"Why hasn't Dayin struck at Yongding when they seem so set on hunting down Xiao Nanfeng? Are they fools?" Ao Shuai murmured.

"Perhaps Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci's disappearance are stopping Yin Shenhua. He won't do anything so hostile before capturing Xiao Nanfeng," the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost analyzed.

"That has to be the case. But with Xiao Nanfeng currently alive, do our plans have to be scrapped?" Ao Shuai frowned.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost mirrored Ao Shuai's frown as he fell deep in thought himself.

"And 60% of Dayin's fortune—that's ridiculous! If Xiao Nanfeng really can make it back to the Imperial Court, doesn't that mean he'll get half of it as a reward for the mission?" Ao Shuai demanded.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost narrowed his eyes. This outcome was deeply dissatisfying to him as well.

"Master, return to the Imperial Court. I'll head to Dayin and check out the situation there," the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost said.

"Let me go with you," Ao Shuai replied.

"You can't. You're only a True Immortal, and it'll be dangerous," the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost warned.

"Don't worry. I won't make a fuss. I know that Xiao Nanfeng has a black fog cursed effigy around him, so I'll definitely remain by your side. With you around to guard me, I should be safe."

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost frowned in thought.

"And I have a means of luring out Xiao Nanfeng as well," Ao Shuai said confidently.

"Oh?"

By a secluded forest in Dayin, Xiao Nanfeng and his party hid and glanced furtively at the soldiers in the sky. Only when they flew away did the party relax in a collective sigh.

"Demonic Sect Master, you had better leave first. No one knows that you're responsible for helping us, and we can't implicate you," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The demonic sect master shook his head. "That can wait until we're out of Dayin proper. I'll send you on your way."

Xiao Nanfeng found that the demonic sect master was an enigma, quite unlike the Earth Immortal he had been the last time Xiao Nanfeng had witnessed him. Along the way, despite him describing how he had killed Mo Lengxuan, the demonic sect master seemed perfectly unruffled.

The fact that the demonic sect master was even willing to escort them out of Dayin was an unusual kindness as well.

"Demonic Sect Master, is there something you're eyeing from me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The demonic sect master shook his head. "It's nothing like that. I don't seek anything from you, and I'll be leaving once you're out of danger."

Xiao Nanfeng's expression grew more perplexed, but he still thanked the demonic sect master gratefully.

"It's not a problem, but have you considered the potential ramifications to Taiqing Island that might result from Yin Shenhua's displeasure?"

"Don't worry. I have plans in mind in case he tries to pull something."

"Good!" The demonic sect master nodded in relief.