Chapter 257: 257 - The Tang Patriarch

As soon as Tang Biyue had calmed down, the two exchanged caresses for a few more minutes before finally getting up and getting dressed.

Without attracting attention, they set off for the council of elders’ pavilion, entering one of the many secret entrances to the place.

It wasn’t long before they found themselves descending an almost endless staircase.

The steps were made of stone, as were the walls and ceiling, seemingly carved on a gigantic solid rock.

After just over five minutes of walking, Biyue suddenly stopped her steps.

Her beautiful green eyes focused on an elderly man sitting next to an iron door.

"Greetings, divine physician." Biyue bowed respectfully, and Qingyi did the same, raising his gaze slightly.

A serene look, a long, well-kept beard, a small stature.

So that man was the divine doctor of the orthodox alliance, the most prestigious doctor in the entire nine peaks basin.

He was... ordinary.

He didn’t look much different from any other gentle old man.

"Oh... don’t be so polite, little Biyue, I still remember when you used to call me Grandpa... That was, what, 250 years ago? Those were good times..."

The divine doctor shook his head, his eyes lost in melancholy.

"235..." Biyue replied and the doctor’s eyes soon focused on Qingyi.

"I can see you’ve found a good man, your mother would certainly be proud, hahaha." The divine doctor gave an honest laugh as he approached, holding Qingyi’s shoulders firmly.

"Come, the patriarch of the Tang family is waiting for you." The old man led Qingyi to the iron door, opening it immediately and revealing the room inside.

It was little different from the corridors outside: solid stone, no decorations, just a few mana crystals and a bed.

Lying on that bed was a man whose body looked broken in a way that Qingyi had never seen in his life.

His eyes, green and beautiful like Biyue’s, were dull, empty, his skin covered in cracks, as if he was about to collapse in on himself.

Between these cracks, an intense venous aura leaked out unceasingly, illuminating everything around it with a sickly green.

The figure raised his hand slightly, his index finger crumbling into fragments of light before being slowly rebuilt.

’Just... how broken is this man’s body?’ Qingyi wondered.

Biyue’s father was one of the five most powerful transcendents on the continent, even considering the sect guardians.

How terrible did the demon cult leader’s power have to be to be able to do this to him?

"I believe you’re Qingyi, am I right?" A voice reached Qingyi’s ears.

Masculine, serene and soft. Strangely pleasant to the ears.

The handsome young man was sure it came from the man in front of him, but his mouth didn’t open, his eyes didn’t even turn.

"Don’t be alarmed, it’s just a kind of sound transmission, I’d rather not strain my body any further." The voice reached Qingyi once again.

Hesitating for a brief moment, Qingyi bowed. "Junior Long Qingyi greets father-in-law!"

"Father-in-law, huh? I never thought I’d be called anything like that, not by someone so young, least of all because of Biyue... that girl has always been so closed off." The patriarch spoke, his voice trembling softly.

With all the strength he had, he turned his face, horrible cracks echoing as his skin tore, even more of his aura leaking out.

"Come here... let me have a look at you."

Qingyi obeyed, kneeling beside the bed, his eyes fixed on those of the Tang patriarch.

"Biyue is a sweet and sensitive girl... you must have realized that by now... as the father of her, my most beloved child, I have a request to make of you."

"Go ahead, father-in-law, your son-in-law promises he’ll go to the ends of the earth to fulfill it." Qingyi declared.

He had expected many requests, except the one that came next.

"Don’t break her heart, not like I broke her mother’s... she doesn’t deserve that... Don’t die... Don’t disappear..."

An intense cough took hold of the Tang patriarch’s entire body, his eyes shuddering.

"Ah... looks like I won’t make it past today, hahaha." He laughed bitterly.

"I promise, father-in-law... I won’t break her heart." Qingyi declared.

He wasn’t sure if he could keep that promise; a woman’s heart was fragile after all.

But he still forced himself to try, even if it was only to calm the heart of a dying man.

He might have only known the Tang patriarch for a few minutes, but he already respected him as his father-in-law, his wife’s father.

How could Qingyi not feel his heart tremble at seeing him like that?

"I’m glad she chose such a good man..." A bitter smile appeared on the Tang patriarch’s face, his eyes closing briefly.

The steel door opened again, and the divine doctor entered.

"He just needs some time to rest..." The doctor shook his head after checking the patriarch’s pulse.

Qingyi and Biyue thanked the doctor before leaving, their eyes focused on the horizon.

A few hours after that meeting, the Tang patriarch’s soul collapsed completely, taken back to the wheel of reincarnation, where his life of honor, kindness and glory would define his next birth.

Biyue cried like a motherless child, soaking the robes of Qingyi, who just hugged her all night, giving his all to console her.

Despite this, no one knew about the death.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

In the minds of most of the warriors of the orthodox alliance, the patriarch was healing well and would soon be back at his peak, the truth being kept under lock and key by the council of elders.

Nobody needed to know about the death of the Tang family patriarch, not yet.

It could seriously affect the morale of their troops.

They needed to create a scenario of peace and prosperity, using the battle between Qingyi and Tianyu to boost morale even further before giving the order to march.

It was just the way politics worked.