Chapter 712 - Offering the Pearl by Cutting Off Flesh
Chapter 712 of "Red Heart Patrols the Sky" kicks off revealing secrets: Zhuang Gaoxian spoke eloquently, but he didnât believe Song Hengjiang would truly dare to make... Keep reading!
Zhuang Gaoxian spoke eloquently, but he didnât believe Song Hengjiang would truly dare to make a move against him.Admittedly, Song Hengjiang had once been at the pinnacle of the God Descending Realm, just a mere step away from the Dongzhen.
But he had sustained irreversible injuries that year, shattering his Golden Frame and Jade Marrow.
Over the many years, his greatest effort probably lay in how to stabilize his cultivation and prevent his power from declining too rapidly.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Gaoxian had just killed a True being as a True being, at the height of his time.
As he waned and I waxed, the gap was clear.
The Lord of Qing River, could he truly be so recklessly brave?
Several centuries had passed, and his body was already decayed and ailing, the time when he should have accepted his old age and fate.
Could he still not change his reckless courage?
How could Song Hengjiang dare?
Yet he truly dared!
And he really could!
The vast eight hundred li of Qing River seemed to coalesce into his fist at that instant.
In that moment, Zhuang Gaoxian deeply felt it.
Every drop of water here, every inch of space, bore the mark of Song Hengjiang.
Having sheltered these waters for hundreds of years, he was Qing River, and Qing River was he, Song Hengjiang.
The so-called master of the Zhuang Regionâs mountains and rivers had never truly possessed Qing River!
Zhuang Chenggan had not, and he, Zhuang Gaoxian, had not either!
Zhuang Gaoxian had to admit that the decayed old manâs fist, swinging towards him, made even a being like him feel pressure.
But it was only, merely pressure.
Song Hengjiangâs fist swung by, just âswung by.â
It didnât stir the slightest ripple before it had already âswung byâ Zhuang Gaoxian.
Zhuang Gaoxian stood there with his hands behind his back, not even his clothes fluttering.
This punch was over.
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Song Hengjiangâs mouth.
He felt so very real, that he was truly old now.
No longer the domineering, unrivaled Song Hengjiang, who roamed the waterways in the past.
He thought, with his management of Qing River, with the vast eight hundred li of Qing River, he had a chance to shake a True being of today.
But he had forgotten, he was no longer the man he once was.
In the instant of that punch, he actually had a chance to shake Zhuang Gaoxianâs position.
But at most, it would only have made Zhuang Gaoxian step back by one step.
Any more than thatâŚ
within that instant, he couldnât do it.
He was old, truly old.
This decayed and ailing body no longer possessed the vitality it once had.
His vigor, energy, and spirit could not achieve perfection.
And he only had that instant of opportunity.
Because in that instant, it was enough for Zhuang Gaoxian to take in the entire eight hundred li of Qing River.
Song Hengjiang retracted his fist in a daze, standing there, his eyes filled with a profound sense of loss.
To the casual observer, this scene seemed as if he, gritting his teeth and exerting his utmost strength, swung his fist towards Zhuang Gaoxian, only to circle in front of him and put it back down.
The heroâs twilight, the championâs decline.
His tall stature once again bent down, as if he had finally recognized his fate, admitting that he was a decrepit old man.
His silhouette was so desolate.
Standing behind him, the Guards from the Water Race who supported him with their lives, had already, without realizing it, tears streaming down their faces.
Zhuang Gaoxian didnât pay attention to Song Hengjiangâs feelings, or rather, he noticed them but didnât care.
What caught his attention was a mysterious place.
In the realm of Dongzhen, one refines the spirit with spirit, grasping the essence of heaven and earth.
Dongzhen, Dongzhen, piercing through the truth.
In the entire Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs residence, even within the whole eight hundred li of Qing River, there couldnât possibly be any secrets that could be concealed from him.
The Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs residence had already been searched, and he noticed that Song Hengjiangâs son had actually reached the pinnacle of the External Building Environment and was touching the threshold of the God Descending Realm.
He also noted that within the Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs residence, three External Building powerhouses were hidden, signifying considerable depth.
That little girl whom he once intended to connect with through marriage was being led away by an old man carrying a turtle shell, fleeing this water domainâŚ
It seemed Song Hengjiang truly had the resolve to destroy both the jade and the stoneâŚ
At this moment, the secrets of the Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs residence were laid bare before him.
But in the depths of Qing River, there lay a mysterious place that even his Divine Sense couldnât penetrate.
What was that place?
How could Qing River have such a location?
After casting a faint glance at Song Hengjiang, he had already vanished before the residenceâs gate, heading straight for the riverbed!
However, Du Ruhui remained in place, silently observing Song Hengjiang.
In his view, Song Hengjiangâs reaction today was extremely odd.
The search of the Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs residence would understandably be unwillingly accepted by him, even seen as an insult, which would be reasonable.
But was it to the extent that it warranted destruction at any cost?
Or, could this level of âinsultâ compare to the past when they joined forces with the Luo Countryâs Navy to advance into Lan River?
Luo Country was the natural enemy of all Water Races.
If Song Hengjiang was so volatile, such a reckless character, why wait until today?
He could have caused trouble during Zhuang Yong Countryâs time of war, which would have been far more advantageous!
With the wisdom of Du Ruhui, he certainly would not be unaware that there was a problem here.
So after Zhuang Gaoxian noticed the abnormality and left, he chose to stay behind, keeping an eye on Song Hengjiang.
The moment Song Hengjiang moved, he too followed and left.
In the midst of the vast trench on the riverbed, Zhuang Gaoxian stopped before the cliff.
Those water vines could not obstruct his vision at all, but what secret lay hidden in the cave beyond the vines, he could not see through with a single gaze.
He could not see through it with a single gaze!
Song Hengjiang hurried over, riding the currents, and blocked his path to the cave.
The vicious water vines that used to pick their prey now seemed very tame.
âYour Majesty!â
He earnestly said, âThis place is a top-secret location, unknown to anyone besides myself.
There is absolutely no possibility that the culprit who killed the Deputy Minister is hiding here.â
Following behind, Du Ruhui silently observed him, noticing for the first timeâŚ
weakness on the aged ruler of the waters.
Song Hengjiang, who could command fierce battles in the Lan River centuries ago, who dared to strike out against a True Person of his time, was he also capable of moments of weakness?
Zhuang Gaoxian said indifferently, âWhether there is something or not, I will know once I look.â
âThis place truly is the private sanctuary of the Water Mansion, not worthy of your gaze.â Song Hengjiangâs face, wrinkled with age, trembled slightly as he said through gritted teeth, âThe previous matter of seeking a marriage alliance for the Crown Prince, perhaps we could discuss that again!â
To exchange for Zhuang Gaoxian not delving into the underwater Demon Grotto, he was willing to allow his precious daughter, Song Qingzhi, to marry the Crown Prince of Zhuang Country!
Song Qingzhi was his beloved daughter, born in his later years, whom he always treated like a treasure.
When Zhuang Gaoxian initially sought her hand for the Crown Prince, he had unceremoniously rejected the proposal.
Even when Song Qingyue later mobilized the Water Race for military drills to intimidate Zhuang Ting for this reason, it was with his tacit consent.
It was to shatter Zhuang Gaoxianâs illusion.
During this dispute with Du Ruhui, he had also immediately ordered his subordinates to take Song Qingzhi away to avoid potential danger, leaving his son Song Qingyue to confront the situation in the Water Mansion.
Song Qingzhi was the apple of his eye, the pearl in his palm.
Yet at this moment, he offered the pearl, despite the pain it caused him!
Zhuang Gaoxian fell silent for a while, clearly moved by this condition.
His request for the Water Mansionâs princess for the Crown Prince was of course to take full control of the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan, to truly turn the Qingjiang Water Race into Zhuang people.
Now that Song Hengjiang was willing to open a gap, ready to drink poison to quench his thirst, there was no reason for him not to agree.
ButâŚ
He couldnât help but wonder.
What exactly was hidden within this underwater cave that made Song Hengjiang give way, that led him to make such a sacrifice?
Was this unknown secret worth more than the gain within reach?