novel bin Chapter 209 — The Rumors Beyond the Kingdom
Chapter 209 — The Rumors Beyond the Kingdom
The celebration across the Sanatan Flame Sect continued long after the administrator ships disappeared beyond the clouds.
Disciples still shouted excitedly across the mountain grounds while damaged sections of the training arena were already being repaired under Elder Wu’s direction. Several younger disciples carried broken monument fragments proudly through the sect like trophies won from battle.
One outer disciple had somehow already carved:
"STRUCK DOWN BY MASTER SHAURYA"
onto a large black stone fragment.
Elder Jian Fan confiscated it immediately.
Meanwhile—
The atmosphere near the ruined central platform had gradually become quieter.
The elders remained gathered near Shaurya while the mountain winds swept softly through the drifting evening mist. The orange sect banners above fluttered calmly beneath the fading sunlight.
And standing nearby—
King Tian Long had still not left.
That alone was enough to make the elders attentive.
Because earlier, during the evaluation, the king had laughed freely.
Relaxed.
Amused.
Now—
That ease had disappeared.
His silver eyes carried visible seriousness while he quietly watched the distant horizon beyond the mountain peaks.
Shaurya noticed immediately.
"...Alright."
He folded his arms slowly.
"You definitely stayed for something important."
Nearby, Elder Wan nodded while holding another handful of spirit peanuts.
"Agreed."
He casually offered the bag toward King Tian Long.
"...Peanut?"
King Tian Long stared at him for one long second.
Then sighed.
"...No."
"Your loss."
Elder Liya rubbed the side of her forehead again.
"...Why are you still eating?"
"Stress management."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
Meanwhile—
King Tian Long finally turned toward them fully.
The amusement near his expression was gone now.
Only seriousness remained.
And the moment the elders noticed that—
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Even Wang Tian and Luo Chen gradually stopped arguing in the background.
King Tian Long spoke calmly.
"The main reason I came personally today..."
A brief pause followed.
"...was not the sect evaluation."
Shaurya’s expression sharpened slightly.
King Tian Long continued:
"I came because a threat is moving toward the Azure Dragon Kingdom."
Silence settled across the mountain.
Even the wind itself seemed quieter.
Elder Wu’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"...What kind of threat?"
King Tian Long answered immediately.
"Liu Tong."
The name landed heavily across the platform.
Several elders’ expressions changed instantly.
Elder Liya’s gaze sharpened.
Lin Shu slowly folded her arms.
Even Elder Wan stopped eating.
Meanwhile—
Shaurya blinked once.
"...Who?"
Everyone looked toward him.
King Tian Long stared silently for several seconds.
"...You do not know him?"
Shaurya looked genuinely confused.
"...Should I?"
The king slowly exhaled.
Then shook his head slightly.
"That somehow makes this situation stranger."
Nearby, Xiao Rui whispered quietly toward Sheng Lu:
"That sounds ominous."
"It IS ominous."
King Tian Long stepped closer toward the ruined edge of the training grounds while his voice lowered slightly.
"Liu Tong is not a sect master."
"Nor a kingdom ruler."
"He commands a mercenary force."
A brief pause followed.
"But calling them mercenaries is misleading."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"They are closer to an independent army."
Now the atmosphere truly changed.
Because mercenary groups in cultivation worlds were common.
But armies powerful enough to concern kings personally—
Were not.
King Tian Long continued calmly:
"For years, Liu Tong has moved between border territories gathering rogue cultivators, wandering experts, assassins, war refugees, and fallen sect members."
"He accepts anyone."
"No background restrictions."
"No moral restrictions."
"No loyalty requirements beyond strength."
Elder Wu’s expression became heavier immediately.
"...Dangerous."
"Extremely."
King Tian Long nodded once.
"Normally his forces remain outside kingdom affairs."
"But recently..."
His silver eyes moved toward Shaurya.
"...he began advancing toward this region."
Silence followed.
Shaurya frowned slightly.
"...And that concerns me because?"
King Tian Long looked directly at him.
"Because he is searching for you."
The words landed sharply.
Several disciples immediately stiffened.
Even Wang Tian’s grin faded slightly.
Shaurya blinked once.
"...Me?"
Shaurya’s expression finally shifted slightly.
Not playful.
Not arrogant.
Focused.
He looked directly toward King Tian Long.
"...Why exactly is Liu Tong coming after me?"
The mountain winds moved softly through the silence afterward.
King Tian Long answered immediately.
"Because he belongs to the Righteous Alliance."
The words landed heavily across the platform.
Several disciples frowned instantly.
Even Wang Tian’s expression darkened slightly.
But Shaurya still looked confused.
"...The Righteous Alliance?"
King Tian Long slowly nodded.
"The largest righteous cultivator organization across the Eastern Regions."
His silver eyes narrowed slightly.
"They possess influence stretching across multiple continents."
"Kingdoms."
"Sects."
"Trade routes."
"Mercenary groups."
"Information networks."
A brief pause followed.
"And this continent..."
His gaze swept toward the horizon.
"...is only one of their branch territories."
Now the atmosphere became significantly heavier.
Even Elder Wu’s expression turned serious.
Because organizations at that level were no longer ordinary regional powers.
They were monsters.
King Tian Long continued calmly:
"The Righteous Alliance claims to preserve balance."
"To eliminate demonic cultivators."
"To maintain order across cultivation territories."
Then his tone cooled slightly.
"But in reality..."
"...they eliminate anything they consider dangerous."
His eyes rested directly upon Shaurya.
"And recently..."
"...they declared you one of those dangers."
Silence.
Several disciples immediately reacted.
"WHAT?"
"That’s insane!"
"How are we demons?!"
Xiao Rui pointed toward himself immediately.
"I literally clean the sect every morning!"
Sheng Lu sighed.
"That somehow makes us sound guiltier."
Meanwhile—
Shaurya suddenly froze slightly.
A memory surfaced.
Several years ago.
Right after Ye Xuan’s death.
Back then, City Lord Xu had warned him quietly while discussing the aftermath spreading beyond the Azure Moon Dynasty.
At the time, Xu had mentioned outside rumors.
Stories.
Whispers.
Some people calling him a monster.
Others claiming demonic inheritance.
Some even saying the Sanatan Flame Sect was built through forbidden means.
Shaurya ignored all of it back then.
Because it sounded ridiculous.
He thought the cultivation world simply exaggerated everything.
Then slowly—
Recognition appeared on his face.
"...Ah."
He rubbed the side of his forehead once.
"Oh."
A brief pause followed.
"...Those rumors."
King Tian Long nodded immediately.
"Yes."
His expression remained serious.
"They never disappeared."
"They spread."
The mountain winds swept quietly across the ruined training grounds.
King Tian Long continued:
"The faster your sect grew..."
"The stronger your disciples became..."
"The more attention you attracted."
"People began asking questions."
"How did a nobody rise this quickly?"
"How does a low level sect destroyed royal family?"
"How are disciples advancing beyond normal cultivation laws?"
"How does your sect possess resources even major powers struggle to gather?"
Every question deepened the silence further.
Then King Tian Long spoke the final truth directly.
"The Righteous Alliance decided there were only two possibilities."
His gaze sharpened.
"Either you possess an ancient inheritance beyond imagination..."
"...or you are practicing demonic cultivation."
Wang Tian immediately looked offended.
"That logic is garbage."
"Unfortunately," Elder Wu said quietly, "large organizations often fear what they cannot understand."
King Tian Long nodded once.
"And the moment fear appears..."
"...the Righteous Alliance acts."
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"You need to understand something clearly, Shaurya."
For the first time since arriving—
True warning entered his tone.
"The Righteous Alliance is not some ordinary sect."
"If they truly decide to eliminate someone..."
His silver eyes moved toward the distant kingdom lands below the mountains.
"...they possess enough influence and military power to erase entire kingdoms."
Dead silence followed instantly.
Several younger disciples visibly stiffened.
Even Luo Chen’s grin disappeared completely.
King Tian Long continued calmly:
"And this time..."
"...they are sending Liu Tong."
The name itself felt heavier now.
"He only recently emerged from seclusion after more than a decade."
"During those years, he disappeared completely from public sight."
"No wars."
"No campaigns."
"No appearances."
"But the moment he returned..."
A faint coldness entered the king’s expression.
"...the Alliance immediately pointed him toward the Azure Dragon Kingdom."
Elder Liya folded her arms tightly.
"...Meaning they are taking this seriously."
"Very seriously."
King Tian Long answered immediately.
"Liu Tong is not an investigator."
"He is not a diplomat."
"He is not a negotiator."
A brief pause followed.
"He is a war-hungry predator."
The disciples quietly listened.
King Tian Long’s voice remained calm.
"But what makes him dangerous..."
"...is that he hides behind righteousness."
"He invades under the banner of justice."
"He slaughters under the name of order."
"And once the Righteous Alliance labels someone demonic..."
His eyes rested directly on Shaurya.
"...people stop questioning the bloodshed."
Silence crashed over the mountain again.
The situation had changed completely now.
This was no longer about rumors.
No longer about sect rankings.
This was the beginning of a sanctioned hunt.
Meanwhile—
Shaurya stood quietly for several seconds.
Thinking.
Then slowly—
A grin appeared on his face.
Sharp.
Interested.
Dangerous.
King Tian Long immediately frowned.
"...Why are you smiling?"
Golden spiritual energy flickered faintly around Shaurya’s eyes.
"Because..."
He slowly folded his arms.
"...if they’re coming all the way here to hunt me..."
A brief pause followed.
"...then I should probably prepare a proper welcome."
destroyed a royal family?
They became a heavenly demon.
It happened constantly.
King Tian Long continued staring at Shaurya for several long seconds before finally speaking again.
This time—
His tone carried none of the earlier amusement.
Only seriousness.
"You should take this matter seriously."
The mountain winds swept quietly across the ruined training grounds while the disciples gradually became silent once more.
King Tian Long’s silver eyes remained fixed on Shaurya.
"You are already labeled as a demon."
The words landed heavily.
Not dramatic.
Not exaggerated.
Just truth.
Nearby, several disciples clenched their fists immediately while Elder Liya’s expression darkened slightly.
King Tian Long continued calmly:
"The Azure Dragon Kingdom will not doubt you."
A brief pause followed.
"Because they have seen you."
"They saw what happened under Ye Xuan."
"They saw what your sect became."
"They saw how many lives changed because of you."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the disciples standing proudly behind Shaurya.
"This kingdom knows the Sanatan Flame Sect protects people."
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"But the outside world does not."
Silence spread quietly across the platform.
King Tian Long continued:
"To distant regions..."
"You are simply a young cultivator who appeared from nowhere."
"A man who destroyed an entire royal bloodline."
"A sect master whose power grows beyond reason."
"A dangerous unknown."
Several disciples immediately looked furious again.
But Shaurya himself remained calm.
Then he finally spoke.
"But Ye Xuan was the real demon."
His golden eyes sharpened faintly.
"I was saving people."
King Tian Long nodded immediately.
"We know that."
A brief pause followed.
"But people beyond this kingdom do not."
His voice remained calm.
"And most importantly..."
"...they will not care enough to investigate deeply."
The mountain winds moved softly through the silence afterward.
King Tian Long folded his arms behind his back.
"Fear is easier than truth."
"If people hear the words demonic cultivator..."
"They immediately search for reasons to justify hatred."
"And in your case..."
His gaze settled directly upon Shaurya.
"...they already have reasons."
"The destruction of the previous royal family."
"The rapid rise of your sect."
"Your impossible growth."
"Your overwhelming power."
Every sentence deepened the atmosphere further.
King Tian Long continued quietly:
"To many people..."
"...you already look dangerous."
"Even if you save them."
Dead silence followed.
Then—
Shaurya sighed softly.
Not frustrated.
Just tired.
"...That sounds like their problem."
Several disciples immediately straightened proudly.
Shaurya folded his arms calmly.
"I already understood something long ago."
His gaze moved briefly toward the disciples behind him.
"I am not a hero for people’s appreciation."
The mountain wind brushed softly through his black-and-gold coat.
"My job is simply to save people."
A brief pause followed.
"Even if those same people fear me afterward."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the disciples looked slightly stunned hearing that.
Because unlike his usual dramatic behavior—
This sounded honest.
Simple.
Real.
King Tian Long’s eyes widened faintly.
For several seconds—
He said nothing.
Then slowly—
A smile appeared on his face.
Not amusement.
Not mockery.
Understanding.
"...I see."
The king looked at Shaurya differently now.
Like he had finally understood the person standing before him more clearly.
Then his expression became serious again.
"And that is exactly why I support you."
A brief pause followed.
"But support alone will not stop the Righteous Alliance."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"And Liu Tong..."
The mountain atmosphere suddenly felt colder.
"...is not a normal enemy."
Several disciples unconsciously straightened again.
King Tian Long’s voice lowered.
"That man is closer to a beast wearing human skin."
"He enjoys war."
"He enjoys conquest."
"And after years of seclusion..."
His eyes narrowed faintly.
"...he returned hungry."
Shaurya tilted his head slightly.
Then suddenly asked:
"...You speak like you know him personally."
Silence.
King Tian Long looked at him quietly for several seconds.
Then sighed.
"...I do."
That answer immediately sharpened everyone’s attention.
Even Elder Wu narrowed his eyes slightly now.
Meanwhile, Shaurya’s expression became more focused.
Then he spoke calmly:
"Then tell me about him."
Golden spiritual energy flickered faintly around his eyes once more.
"Because if someone dangerous is marching toward my sect..."
A brief pause followed.
"...I should probably know what kind of enemy I’m about to break."
The mountain winds swept heavily across the ruined training grounds.
And King Tian Long’s expression slowly darkened.
To Be Continued...