“Why isn’t he awake yet?”
“He should be any moment now.”
Inside a quiet room, Zhou Yingxue and Deng Boxuan stood to the side. Zhang Jingfeng held the pulse of a person on the bed, slowly infusing internal energy.
This person was the Mount Tai Sect disciple whom Li Miao had casually captured that day to ascertain Zuo Lishan’s location. He had then been shocked and terrified into unconsciousness by the aftershocks of the battle between several individuals.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he slowly regained consciousness but was momentarily disoriented. He frantically shook off Zhang Jingfeng’s hand and curled up into a ball on the bed.
Tomorrow was the day of the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting. The three Headmasters had been anxious these past few days and could no longer afford to be considerate.
Zhou Yingxue immediately acupunctured the disciple, then meticulously interrogated him.
The disciple answered the questions incoherently, and it took a full half-hour before the three Headmasters finally understood the situation that day.
Zhou Yingxue then pointed a finger, knocking the disciple unconscious again, and looked at the other two.
“Zuo Lishan… it seems it’s not as simple as colluding with the Ming Cult. His appearance already shows abnormalities. Having cut himself off from the righteous path of the martial world and the imperial court, he has nowhere to go but the Ming Cult.”
“He’s not here now. Either he’s dead, or he’s already escaped and joined the Ming Cult.”
“The main culprit has fled, and tomorrow is the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting. Whether it’s the imperial court or the Ming Cult, the day of action should be tomorrow… How should our three sects position ourselves?”
The few people were silent for a while, then Zhang Jingfeng spoke: “Go! Regardless of what the two Headmasters choose, our Hengshan Sect is leaving now.”
Deng Boxuan said, “But Headmaster Liu’s letter…”
Zhang Jingfeng raised a hand to stop Deng Boxuan: “Headmaster Deng, please listen to me.”
“Right now, whether it’s the Mount Hua Sect, the Mount Tai Sect, or the Ming Cult, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), or even the imperial court, none of them are on our side. Only our three families have consistent interests. The more people who can survive, the greater the chance of enduring this calamity. That’s why I’m being clear with you two.”
“Headmaster Liu is trustworthy. But no matter how trustworthy she is, she can only show us a path she can see clearly. And right now, I don’t think things are still within Headmaster Liu’s, or even the imperial court’s, control.”
“I’ve been thinking these past few days. The imperial court must have known about Zuo Lishan’s collusion with the Ming Cult. They must have taken control of the Mount Hua Sect in advance and then planned to use the Mount Tai Sect at the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting to make an example, rounding up all of us sects.”
“This should be why Headmaster Liu said, ‘This matter is already decided; staying here will ensure no danger to your lives.’”
“But we still have to go.”
“Firstly, if staying truly meant no trouble, why did Headmaster Liu herself rush down the mountain, taking all the Mount Hua disciples with her?”
“Secondly, in the battle that day, there were three people: Li Qianhu, Zuo Lishan, and Lan Lechuan. This means that besides Lan Lechuan, no one else from the Ming Cult was present. In the Ming Cult, after the Cult Master, the Left Emissary is revered. Who could make him a pawn and even sacrifice his life?”
“Moreover, you’ve seen the traces left behind. If another such conflict occurs, and we three are caught in it, we will surely die.”
“Thirdly, getting involved in the Mount Tai Sect’s affairs, if the imperial court wants to take us in, I accept it. As long as the sect’s legacy and the disciples’ lives can be preserved. But it cannot be here.”
“This mess of the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting, the Ming Cult has already thrown in a Left Emissary. Who knows what a chaotic mess it will become later? If we stay here, we could accidentally be trampled to death.”
“Let’s return to our sects first. Once the imperial court’s people arrive, we will immediately kneel and accept the decree.”
“We have already delayed for many days. Tomorrow is the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting. It’s likely that people from the Ming Cult and the imperial court have already arrived down the mountain.”
“If we can go, we go. If we can’t… then we leave it to fate.”
The three looked at each other, then turned and walked out the door together, each calling out to their disciples. They didn’t even bother with luggage or dry rations, hurrying down the mountain.
During this time, some Mount Tai Sect disciples tried to stop them, but the three pushed back with a mix of softness and firmness. In this situation, there was no need to save face for the Mount Tai Sect anymore.
The Mount Tai Sect itself had been in a state of panic these past few days. Seeing the three sects hastily leave, there was also chaos within their own gates. Some clever ones secretly took their travel money and followed behind the three sects, hoping to leave together.
The others saw this and followed suit, so the number of people in this group grew larger and larger.
Thus, after a burst of chaos, a large group of people majestically headed down the mountain.
However, they ran head-on into Cheng Yuanzhen, who was leading troops.
Cheng Yuanzhen initially didn’t pay much attention to a few martial artists, but as he saw more and more people coming towards him, his expression grew increasingly grim.
Finally, he shouted, “Surround that group of people for me!”
He had brought over two hundred people from Shuntian Prefecture, plus over two hundred Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), and over a thousand soldiers from Tai'an city. Surrounding the hundred or so people opposite them, he wasn’t worried about anything going wrong.
The people from the three sects were initially a bit nervous, and they all put their hands on their sword hilts, ready to fight.
But upon seeing the uniforms of the soldiers and Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) opposite them, Deng Boxuan’s shoulders first slumped, and then he let out a long sigh, a mix of relief and resignation.
“The two of you… fortunately…”
Although they couldn’t escape, at least they ran into the imperial court’s forces. If it had been the Ming Cult’s people, they would have had to fight to the death.
Joining the imperial court might not sound good in the martial world, but at least it was a choice everyone could understand.
Joining the Ming Cult… when Ji Tianrui previously dominated the martial world, some would say, “The imperial court is the imperial court of Great Shuo, and the martial world is the martial world of the Ming Cult.”
Then Ji Tianrui died.
No matter how strong you are, no matter how high your martial arts, the one who possesses the entire world is the Emperor of Great Shuo.
Offend the Ming Cult, people die. Offend the imperial court, the sect is annihilated. It’s that simple.
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So the three walked together, quickly approaching Cheng Yuanzhen and bowing: “Lord.”
“Zhou Yingxue, Deng Boxuan, Zhang Jingfeng.” Cheng Yuanzhen called out each name.
“Go back.”
Zhang Jingfeng looked up in astonishment: “Lord!”
“This humble one said, go back.”
“This humble one is acting on imperial decree to execute disloyal rebels here.”
“Are you commoners trying to defy an imperial envoy?”
Cheng Yuanzhen’s gaze swept across their faces.
Zhang Jingfeng suddenly realized a problem.
“This humble one?” This person… pale, beardless, with a high-pitched voice, how could he be an eunuch? There were no eunuchs in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)!
Eunuchs had always served the emperor within the imperial palace and never involved themselves in martial world affairs.
Looking at the people around him, who seemed to be his confidants… they all seemed to be eunuchs.
And the two hundred or so Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) had kept their distance from this group, clearly separated, with a faint hostility visible on their faces.
Zhang Jingfeng made one last probe: “Lord, a few days ago, Lord Li Miao of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) sent someone to leave us a message. We already know about the Mount Tai Sect’s collusion with the Ming Cult.”
“We were just about to go down the mountain to report to the authorities and jointly capture the rebels.”
Cheng Yuanzhen sneered: “Who cares about your Lord Zhang or Lord Li. I am in charge here. I said go back, don’t you understand?”
Zhang Jingfeng understood.
He had been too hasty in previously considering the imperial court as one unified entity.
Now, another faction within the imperial court, separate from the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), had appeared. And, unlike Li Miao’s arrogant yet vigilant attitude a few days ago, this was different.
Thus, the forces of the Heng Mountain, Hengshan, and Mount Song sects, along with the Mount Tai Sect disciples who had fled down the mountain, were like fallen leaves caught in a surging tide, washed back onto Mount Tai.
It was already nearing sunset.
Below Mount Tai, Li Miao and Wang Hai rode their horses into Tai'an city.