Chapter 340: Shameless

Dealing with the three children was easier than dealing with the living sage. Song Min let them rant and call him childish names. It was much easier now that the child with gifted Extreme Yang was away from the palace. With Hong Nian Niang pinned and Liu Guiya exhausted, there was nobody left to stop him from brutishly breaking his way into the imperial palace.

Time is of the essence. He had to work quickly before Yan Ping figured out his plans.

"Be good and stay here," he told the fuming children. "This is my inner world. As long as I exist, none of you can escape. It will be over soon enough. Apart from the Emperor’s death, I’m not interested in anyone else."

Inner world? Even Mingshen had never heard of such a thing.

"How can we believe anything you say?" he spat. "Why would anyone with a grudge against the Emperor cause so many deaths and implicate the murim world? You’re nothing but a liar."

Seeing as it was now day again, Song Min hummed. He had some time to kill before dusk fell. The ghost army would strike after the sun fell. Perhaps there was time to entertain his unwilling guests.

As mysteriously as they had entered Song Min’s inner world, the scenery changed. Anji was the least surprised, having experienced it once before. However, her disoriented brothers were immediately by her side, on their guard.

The tea house was empty and appeared humble. It seemed slightly familiar, and Anji immediately knew where they were after looking outside the window. The Crystal Lake Town’s scenery was so striking that it was difficult to forget after seeing it once. Regardless of what happened between Song Min and Pu Jianming, it was evident that the small town meant a great deal to Song Min.

Unhurriedly, Song Min poured them tea.

"You’re not wrong," Song Min smiled at Mingshen. "I did implicate the lives of innocent people to gain what I needed. But can you blame me? The emperor is being guarded by top-tier artefacts. Only cultivators can hope to break through that barrier. Not to mention, didn’t the previous leader of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect throw her lot in with him as well?"

Logically, neither party played fair. Mingshen hadn’t even been born when that happened. It was not something he could judge rashly. Whatever grudge Song Min had existed beyond his understanding. Grudges were always valid. However, the collateral was unjust.

"Why do you want that balding old man to die?" Yihao was the first to ask. "He hasn’t done anything bad."

The teacup in Song Min’s hand shattered, and the boys pulled closer to Anji.

"What does a muscle-headed fool like you understand?" Song Min smiled icily. "If you had reached Radiant Core, you might be able to prove dangerous enough for me to be concerned. But at your current level, you’re nothing more than a child learning to walk."

Yihao had heard many kinds of insults about his lack of brains in his life. However, nothing stung more than Song Min’s factual attack. He had never thought of himself as weak. However, in the face of true strength and the inability to quell his starving world, Song Min had every right to criticise him.

Sensing Yihao’s waver, Anji shot back heatedly to defend him.

"For an adult to be bullying children, you sure have an air of righteousness to be preaching bullshit. If you still can’t distinguish the past from the present, then you’re blinder than my shifu."

Instead of denying, Song Min hummed. In reality, he had already crossed paths with the living sage and confirmed the things he needed. Anji’s reminder only solidified his opinions.

"So what?" he questioned openly. "I’m a mass murderer. Do I need a reason to kill the right person? As long as he is the Emperor, I want to kill him. It doesn’t matter who. All emperors make mistakes and cause suffering. They deserve to die."

Jaw falling open, Anji pointed at Song Min. If it were reality, her face would be red from anger. That level of unreasonableness was something she had never encountered before. Shouldn’t those who knew of their wrong ways seek to repent and avoid future errors?

Swallowing her confusion and anger, Anji stepped past her brothers’ blockade.

"And what will you do after you succeed?" ℯℯ𝑙.

Smiling to himself with hollow eyes, Song Min hummed.

"I wonder," he mused. "Maybe finally burn in hell. But don’t worry. You’ll all be free when it happens. As long as you don’t get in my way of revenge, you’ll live to see your grandchildren."

Nobody believed in his words. After all, Song Min was an overpowered kidnapper with an eccentric temper. Not only did they not gain information from him, but he also toyed with them constantly.

"I’m not interested in marrying or having children," Mingshen shot back sourly. If Song Min was going to be unreasonable, they could play that game.

Quickly adding fuel to the fire, Yihao agreed.

"You’re too arrogant to think we can have grandchildren. I’m impotent."

Almost immediately, Anji and Mingshen turned in his direction at the bold claim. Even Song Min spilt his tea. There had to be a level of shamelessness in every living thing, but this hot-headed child, who previously called him stinky, seemed to have none.

"I-Impotent?" Anji squeaked.

Unabashed, Yihao nodded. "That’s what my shifu said. Extreme Yang bodies cannot make children. No matter how much of a stallion I am, all my shots are empty."

Quickly rushing to cover Anji’s ears, Mingshen had no idea if he wanted to smack the tactless younger brother of his. Song Min frowned in confusion. Was that how Extreme Yang bodies worked?

"Shut up!" Mingshen shrieked. "What kind of things are you saying in front of our sister?!"

Insisting on the facts, Yihao quickly asserted that he was not the only one unable to conceive.

"The Emperor and Empress are the same! So is Sect Leader Hong! What’s so wrong about it? I merely stated a fact. That scoundrel who kidnapped us is just trying to confuse you. There’s no way I can make children, he’s obviously lying!"

Closing his eyes, Song Min covered his face with one hand. Of the many lies that could be exposed, this was what gave him away to the dumbest child of the Celestial Dragon Sect?