Shadow Hack - Chapter 816

Chapter 816: Great Trouble

Luo Tian, while riding his elephant, entered the residence of the lofty Morrow Clan. The extravagance did not surprise him since he saw it every day at Rahu Clan. While proceeding toward the visitor’s hall though, he was somewhat suspicious as to why Morrow Clan’s Patriarch had asked to see him. The man had even invited Jasmine and Domingle as well.

Could it be because of Ming Xiu?

Luo Tian found it strange, however. After he won the group of children releasing the five-colored light and was returning, Jasmine and Domingle had intercepted him before long to forcibly take the children, but Ming Xiu had never showed up.

This made Luo Tian suspicious as to whether Ming Xiu had changed his character and stopped imitating dogs and stealing chickens.[1]

The more he thought about it, the more Luo Tian felt that something had to have happened to Ming Xiu. Only if some accident had befallen the young master of Morrow Clan that the Patriarch of Morrow Clan would have the courage to take out the patriarch token to order the three young masters to come to their residence.

Although there were four great clans in Asura City and each of them managed their respective territories, when patriarch token was taken out, then regardless of which clan’s member someone was, they had to do as ordered.

Under ordinary circumstances, when nothing had happened, no one would take out the patriarch token.

While thinking of all that, Luo Tian entered the visitor’s hall. Only a few people were seated in the large room. The main seat was taken by a man with relatively handsome appearance and three heads; he was the Patriarch of Morrow Clan, Jiao Xiu. Two people were sitting straight and tall below him, Jasmine and Domingle. When Luo Tian looked at the two of them, a hint of anxiousness appeared on their faces.

“Patriarch Jiao Xiu, why exactly did you ask me to rush over here?” Luo Tian immediately asked.

But Jiao Xiu, who was sitting on the main seat, remained expressionless with his eyes like a black hole which could devour anyone’s soul.

Only after a long time did he open his mouth to speak. “I called all of you over to ask you something. When you were returning with those children, did you encounter my son Ming Xiu on the way?”

Sure enough, it was this matter.

Luo Tian then directly stated the facts. “After coming out of Pipa Clan, I rushed straight for Asura City without stopping for rest. Patriarch Jiao Xiu should know about the competition between the four young masters, so entering Asura City was agreed upon as the endpoint for the mission as always.

“On my way back, I only encountered Jasmine and Domingle. As for Ming Xiu, I never saw him.”

“Yes, Patriarch Jiao Xiu, when I and Domingle left the Pipa Clan, Ming Xiu was still there. After that, we planned how to and ambushed Luo Tian to snatch the children, but lost in the end. Then we all returned to Asura City on our own, and I never saw Min Xiu on the way.”

“I can also swear that I never saw Ming Xiu.”

Jasmine and Domingle, who were sitting on their seats, also hastily added on their share of the story.

Jiao Xiu, sitting on the main seat, looked at the three young masters below when his complexion suddenly turned pale.

“Ming Xiu is dead,” he slowly said. “The jade tile filled with his presence he left behind has already shattered.”

His words were like a stone thrown on the surface of a calm lake, creating great waves. Regardless of whether it was Jasmine or Domingle or the stubborn-minded Luo Tian, a hint of anxiousness appeared on their faces. Ming Xiu had unexpectedly died in the territory of Lakshmi City, so it was quite obvious that the reason Jiao Xiu had called them all over was because he suspected that one or all of them were the killers.

Domingle and Jasmine’s expressions became increasingly more solemn. According to reason, once they were interrogated, they had to be released. The statements of the three of them were identical, which was sufficient proof that the three of them were not lying. But Jiao Xiu had not released them, but stated the news of Ming’s Xiu death, implying that there was another possibility involving the three of them.

He suspected that they had allied to deal with Ming Xiu and thus maintained identical confessions.

The three young masters felt that the visitor’s hall had become somewhat chilly. If they could not get out in time, they might end up unable to leave at all.

Ever since the four great clans were born, the competition between the young masters of each clan was an ordinary matter. But every young master acted within the norms, even when competing with each other. They would not try to axe the other young masters; they would stop after a small battle to test their skills against one another.

But Ming Xiu had died, which was a major event. The matter was a great trouble to them.

Domingle was the first to restrain the panic in his heart and say with fake calmness, “Patriarch Jiao Xiu fears that we three young masters have killed Ming Xiu, but although the four of us compete all the time, we naturally understand our limits. How could we kill him?”

“His words are true. As the young masters of our clans, we have always complied with the rules. Moreover, we aren’t foolish enough to kill one of the other young masters at this time.”

“That’s right!”

The three young masters continued explaining, but Jiao Xiu still did not let them leave. In fact, there was not even the slightest change in his expression.

With a frosty face and a calm voice, he said, “If it had been ordinary times, I would naturally believe that the three of you would comply with the established rules and would not attack another young master. But the situation is special right now. God father has returned to Asura City, and he is prepared to annex Lakshmi City and begin the battle of gods.

“Whichever clan among the four makes the most contributions will become the leader. And our older generations have already become used to the present system, so we would not try to change it casually.

“The only exception are you youngsters. As the young masters of the four great clans, if you make enough contributions, you will naturally be regarded as important by god father.

“That’s why the three of you conspiring to murder Ming Xiu is not completely impossible. After all, one obstruction less will mean extra opportunities for you. Right?”

His words were like an enormous stone being dropped on the heads of the three young masters, causing their expressions to change. It was just as Jiao Xiu had said—the circumstances right then were special, so it was possible for any one of them to break the rules.

And the underlying meaning of Jiao Xiu speech was clear as well. He considered the three of them as the murderers.

Suddenly, Jasmine’s eyes lit up. She had thought of another person and told Jiao Xiao about him. “Patriarch Jiao Xiu, I think you are wrong. If we three young masters had killed Ming Xiu, why would we come here after seeing the patriarch token? Would it not be the same as courting death?

“You yourself said that rules can be broken, so could we not have returned to our respective clan’s territory after seeing your patriarch token? Although your distinguished self is a mighty god, you would not dare to casually enter our clan’s residence, right?

“What’s more, us four young master were not the only ones fighting for those children of Pipa Clan. A descendant of a branch family of your clan was also present. You should call him in for interrogation as well.”

After hearing her words, Domingle suddenly recalled Chen Xiu and said to Jiao Xiu, “Yes, that branch family descendant is called Chen Xiu, and his relationship with Ming Xiu did not look to be good.

“By the time I reached the territory of Pipa Clan, the subordinates of the two of them had already clashed with each other, and one of Ming Xiu’s subordinates had been killed.”

When Jiao Xiu heard those words, vigor filled his eyes, and he mumbled, “Chen Xiu.”

[1] using underhanded tactics