Cheng Yuanzhen was struck by Yun Zelin. Although it wasn't a killing blow, the difference in their realms was vast, and he had sustained considerable injuries.
As he fled down the mountain, he constantly pondered in his heart how to resolve this matter.
By the time he was about to reach the outskirts of Tai'an City, he already had a rough plan in mind.
However, he faintly heard strange noises echoing from within the city.
The three sect leaders who followed him down the mountain, as well as the disciples from their three sects, all changed color.
These roars and wails... why do they sound so similar to the situation on Mount Tai Sect!?
Everyone used their lightness skill to rush to the city gate.
They saw the tightly shut city gate, the trembling officials and soldiers guarding the entrance, and the constant scraping sounds coming from the gate.
Cheng Yuanzhen quickly stepped forward, grabbed the collar of a gate official, and sternly asked, "What's going on!?
The official, seeing Cheng Yuanzhen's official uniform, thought he had finally seen imperial reinforcements and immediately burst into tears.
"S-sir!!!"
"This humble official, this humble official..." He choked up, unable to speak through his sobs.
Cheng Yuanzhen had no time to listen to his nonsense. He swung his hand and slapped him several times: "What are you wailing for! Answer me! What exactly is going on!"
"Why is the city gate sealed!? What happened inside the city!?"
The official barely managed to stop crying and then recounted the current situation to Cheng Yuanzhen in detail.
He explained how Li Miao had given them orders and what had become of the city's inhabitants.
Finally, he said with tears streaming down his face, "My old wife and young son are still in the city. I tried to open the gate and enter several times, but I forced myself to hold back!"
"I've finally waited for you, sir! Please save the people of this city!"
Cheng Yuanzhen appraised him up and down, then subtly glanced at the three sect leaders behind him, his eyes cold, but he remained silent for a moment.
There's a saying: a sound soul resides in a sound mind and a sound body.
A person's character will, more or less, yield to their environment.
And a character that betrays its environment is truly a rare and valuable quality.
For example, if a person has lived in luxury since childhood, surrounded by upright and kind people, and has only faced open and honest matters, then their kindness is actually a natural outcome. It's equally valuable, but not particularly worthy of praise.
However, if a person has been displaced and hungry since childhood, and grown up facing constant scheming, betrayal, and violence, yet they can still maintain a kind heart to face this terrible world, that is truly precious.
For this reason, the profession of eunuch... rarely produces good people.
Physically incomplete, discriminated against, their lives easily taken, and rarely meeting a good end. The environment they face rarely allows them to be kind.
And Cheng Yuanzhen was a "standard eunuch."
He didn't care about the lives of the city's inhabitants.
What he was thinking now was whether to act and silence these people present.
Because the soldiers in the city were brought by him to Mount Tai, without consulting Li Miao. The city was currently vulnerable, and the Ming Cult's opportunistic entry placed a large part of the responsibility on him.
And now, he didn't want to risk his life on this matter; he didn't want to enter the city to save people.
Everyone who saw him appear outside Tai'an City now was a potential risk who could later testify to his escape.
It's just... he couldn't do it.
Yun Zelin's palm strike had indeed landed on his chest, damaging his heart meridian. Although not life-threatening, it had affected the circulation of his true qi.
The three sect leaders were all seasoned first-rate masters, plus the disciples from their three sects.
Even if Cheng Yuanzhen himself was a top master, with his injuries, if it came down to a life-or-death battle, even if he won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
And the three sect leaders were also experienced veterans of the martial world; they naturally sensed Cheng Yuanzhen's faint murderous intent. Without needing to speak, they had already, by unspoken agreement, placed their hands on their sword hilts.
"Hmph!" After a long hesitation, Cheng Yuanzhen snorted coldly.
He kicked away the official who was clinging to his leg, weeping, and turned to leave.
The official was stunned for a moment, and by the time he came to his senses, Cheng Yuanzhen was already gone.
His eyes first went blank, then he suddenly burst into uncontrollable sobs. The other officials and soldiers were likewise affected.
There was nothing more despairing than finally seeing hope only to watch it crumble before your eyes. At this moment, they were utterly disheartened, even contemplating opening the city gate and going in to die with their families.
Just then, the three sect leaders sighed one after another.
Zhang Jingfeng, the leader of the Hengshan Sect, said with a bitter smile, "What do you two say?"
Zhou Yingxue, the leader of the Songshan Sect, snorted coldly, "What else is there to say? Are you waiting for my Songshan Sect to flee so you can use this matter to suppress my sect later?"
Deng Boxuan, the leader of the Hengshan Sect, had a grim expression, cold sweat trickling down his forehead: "Both of you, we barely escaped with our lives from Mount Tai Sect. Are you not going to reconsider?"
"I know you all are not afraid of death, but don't forget, the matter of colluding with the Ming Cult is still hanging over our heads."
"This city is clearly part of the Ming Cult's scheme. Lan Lechuan has already gone in, and who knows what other masters might be waiting for us inside."
"If we sacrifice our lives here, our sects will be leaderless, and it will be even harder to survive the future machinations and retaliation from the Ming Cult and the imperial court."
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Zhang Jingfeng did not speak, but Zhou Yingxue, being straightforward, said bluntly: "If it were just me, I might really leave."
"Look behind you, the youngsters are watching!"
"If we just leave like this, my Songshan Sect will truly be finished!"
Deng Boxuan turned to look at the disciples behind him, and was momentarily speechless.
The Five Mountains Sword Sect is a righteous sect. No matter how much scheming they do in private, what they teach their disciples is martial chivalry and righting wrongs with a sword.
When Deng Boxuan turned around, he saw more than a dozen pairs of eager eyes, glowing with fire, burning his eyes until they stung.
"Damn it, damn it, what kind of damn situation is this!" Deng Boxuan turned his head and cursed under his breath.
What debt did he owe in his previous life! Are there no more grandmasters in this world! Why does everything have to fall on his shoulders!
He had originally come happily to attend the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting, even bringing some of the best young talents from his sect, wanting them to see the world.
As a result, he was inexplicably dragged into it, several disciples died, and he barely managed to escape with the remaining disciples. Now, was he supposed to lead them to their deaths again!?
This matter, eight hundred miles away from his sect, the Mount Tai Sect doesn't care, the imperial court doesn't care, so is it the Hengshan Sect's turn to sacrifice themselves!?
Looking at Deng Boxuan, who was biting his lip and silent, Zhang Jingfeng slowly spoke.
"Sect Leader Deng, don't think about it too much. The more you think, the less you dare to fight with your life."
"We are not great heroes with boundless righteousness, nor are we geniuses like Zuo Lishan, who reached the top realm at a young age. We are all ordinary people who have struggled to carry our sects forward."
"We can humble ourselves before the imperial court, before the Ming Cult. As long as the youngsters don't see it, then so be it."
Zhang Jingfeng sighed softly, his palm caressing the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"But, no matter how different our inheritances are, what we practice, in the end, is the sword—a sword can bend, but it cannot break."
"If we abandon the people of this city today, our swords will be broken. What 'Sword Sect' would we still be then?"
"Let's go, don't delay. Perhaps we can save a few more lives."
Saying that, Zhang Jingfeng smiled and said, "It's quite a coincidence, all five sect leaders of our Five Mountains Sword Sect have names that are trees."
"Fir, Maple, Cherry, Cypress, Willow."
"A tree with a broken spine cannot bear a heavy load, nor can it yield good fruit. Let alone provide shade for those who come after."
With that, Zhang Jingfeng led the way towards the city gate, with Zhou Yingxue following closely behind.
"Damn it, damn it, only you two are heroes!"
Deng Boxuan gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and ultimately followed them.