Chapter 222: Shangguan Yunyi and Zhou Ke

Three days later, Shangguan Yunyi came alone to the capital. He went straight to the prince's mansion, where Zhou Ke had set up a banquet to entertain him.

"Yunyi! What you did last time was really not righteous enough!" After three rounds of drinks, Zhou Ke, emboldened by the wine, asked Shangguan Yunyi.

Zhou Ke is about the same age as Shangguan Yunyi, and their relationship is close, so he might be the only person in the martial world who dares to call Shangguan Yunyi by his given name, Yunyi.

Zhou Ke said Shangguan Yunyi lacked righteousness, referring to the incident where Shangguan Yunyi, at the God Sword Mountain Villa, handed over the Heaven's Opportunity Sword to Chen Yi He.

"Old brother Zhou, everything has fate; you and I need not force it." Shangguan Yunyi was drunk, and only when drinking could he shed his immortal bearing and fall back to being mortal. Yet once sober, he would return to his immortal demeanor.

"Hehe, then is this Heavenly Dao also fate?" Zhou Ke asked again.

"Fate."

"If you had intervened earlier and prevented Dongfang Wuji from stirring up waves, would this have happened?" Zhou Ke asked again.

"The time has come; the day when the Heavenly Dao descends to the mortal world is drawing near. You might escape today, but not tomorrow." Shangguan Yunyi drank another cup. He could do anything, except his alcohol tolerance is poor, yet he loves fine wine. He and Zhou Ke are close friends, largely because Zhou Ke always produces his favorite aged brew.

"I really don't know what the prince is thinking; Shangguan Yunyi played him for a fool at the God Sword Mountain Villa!" Situ Qing complained.

Situ Qing and Ye Wuming stood outside the hall waiting; inside the hall only Zhou Ke and Shangguan Yunyi were drinking.

Situ Qing's words were naturally directed at Ye Wuming.

"The prince and the Sword King are on good terms; how could a single sword cause a rift and conflict?" Ye Wuming said to Situ Qing.

"That's not necessarily true." Situ Qing said coldly.

"This time, what are your chances of victory?" Zhou Ke asked Shangguan Yunyi, pouring him a cup of wine. In this world, few people could make him personally rise to pour a drink—probably no more than three.

Shangguan Yunyi downed the drink without hesitation, then smacked his lips, as if savoring the lingering aftertaste of fine wine exploding on his tongue. After a moment, he replied, "Ten out of ten."

Shangguan Yunyi said it so lightly, so steadily, yet so confidently!

"What does 'ten out of ten' mean! Only the two words 'certain victory' are the best explanation!"

Shangguan Yunyi's answer startled the two people standing outside the hall.

"Ten out of ten confidence? That's enough to blast a hole in the heavens with the Heavenly Dao!" Situ Qing lost his composure, thinking Shangguan Yunyi was talking big from drinking too much: "If you've had too much to drink, you might even claim eleven out of ten!"

"He is the Sword King, king among swords, and swords are the king of all weapons; he is the king of kings, a ruler who never exaggerates." Ye Wuming shook his head.

There was not a sound, nothing to be seen. Yet something happened; Situ Qing suddenly noticed that a strand of his sideburn hair had fallen.

It fell silently!

Immediately, a sword qi sliced past before him, then dissipated before his eyes.

Shangguan Yunyi heard Situ Qing's lack of respect; this gesture was merely a minor warning.

"Hahaha! Worthy of the Sword King! This isn't confidence, it's genuine strength!" Zhou Ke laughed, raising his cup to toast Shangguan Yunyi: "Your Highness, I salute you—come, drink!"

"Drink!" Shangguan Yunyi downed it in one gulp, inverted the cup without spilling a drop, and said, "Good wine!"

"Yunyi, do you know you've ruined my grand plan!"

"Old brother Zhou, everything has fate; you need not force it. You should also be grateful that we live in troubled times. If you had obtained the Heaven's Opportunity Sword back then, you might be the one taken by the Heavenly Dao now." Shangguan Yunyi waved his hand; the alcohol blurred his vision, making Zhou Ke's double image swim before his eyes.

"What!? My elder brother was taken by the Heavenly Dao!?" Zhou Ke slammed the table, sprang up, and asked in shock.

"It seems your news isn't as well-informed as mine; the emperor was taken away by the Heavenly Dao's people in Clearwater City."

Zhou Ke plopped back down, muttering, "My elder brother has been taken..."

"So everything is destiny; if fate didn't mean for you to have this sword or this position, then don't contend for it."

"What about his life?" Zhou Ke only cared about that.

"Burp..." Shangguan Yunyi let out a heavy belch, rubbed his stomach, and after a while replied, "The Heavenly Dao probably won't take his life so soon, but taking his life is merely a matter of time."

"What time?"

"The day they truly extend their demonic claws toward the Heaven Peace Continent."

"One month later?"

"Exactly."

Zhou Ke suddenly threw his head back, tossed down his cup, and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Hahaha! Ahahaha!"

The laughter echoed in the hall, deafening, the beams in the ceiling nearly shaking apart.

"It seems we don't have much time left." Zhou Ke held his stomach, finally finishing his laugh, unable to laugh further, then said, "This is a great opportunity!"

Zhou Ke cared nothing for Zhou Kai's life or death; he didn't care at all! He even entertained the evil thought that if Zhou Kai died at the hands of the Heavenly Dao trio, he could naturally step forward! And he wouldn't have to worry about ethics or humanity.

"Are you ready to make your move after this is over?" It was Shangguan Yunyi's turn to ask Zhou Ke.

"Hmm, speed is essential in war." Zhou Ke nodded in confirmation, a definite affirmation.

"You have ideas." Those four words from Shangguan Yunyi—whether praise or mockery for Zhou Ke, who knows.

"By then I'll still need your help."

"I can't provide that strength; in a big battle, though I could win, the cost would be obvious, hard to recover quickly, and you raising troops so fast—I couldn't keep up."

Zhou Ke rose again, gazing into the distance, one hand resting on Shangguan Yunyi's shoulder: "Your Highness, I only need your name. Think—imagine you are the Sword King, arms raised; how many in the martial world would rally to you? Who would dare say 'no'?"

"Hahaha! Is my name just something you use for show?"

"Would sacrificing a little for Your Highness really matter?" Zhou Ke looked at Shangguan Yunyi and asked.

"No effect. Hehe." It seemed Shangguan Yunyi had agreed to Zhou Ke.

The hall reeked of alcohol; two drunk men lay on the table, wine jars rolling everywhere. No one could imagine that these two would soon alter the fate of the Heaven Peace Continent.

Pencil

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