As expected.
If Ye Chongguang was coming, it would certainly be a grand spectacle of dog-eat-dog.
Song Yao couldn't help but feel a little excited. With a flick of her wrist, the Bishui Sword swept down to her side in a beautiful arc. “What is Ye Chongguang's current cultivation and realm?” she asked.
Xie Zhou didn't answer. His gaze first landed on the eager sword, his brow arching slightly.
Song Yao paused, silently sheathing the Bishui Sword. “I wasn't planning on fighting them, nor do I want to seek death. Stop looking at me like that.”
It was rare to see her looking so puffed up with anger, speaking to him in a tone that sounded almost like she was acting spoiled. Xie Zhou unconsciously rubbed the talisman in his hand. The demonic energy surged within him, a strange, eerie crimson creeping into his eyes before he forcefully suppressed it.
Song Yao was bold; even if she discovered he had fallen into the demonic path, she wouldn't be afraid.
But she might loathe him.
She must not see it.
He struggled inwardly, only recovering after a long moment. “Come with me,” he said.
...
There were fewer Beiyao Sect cultivators in the Nine Saints Hall than before.
The two of them overheard a conversation as they slipped past a mountain peak to hide.
It seemed Feng Qing had heard about Ye Chongguang's grand attack on Black Cloud Mountain. Suspecting there might be some treasure there, she had dispatched a group of people to keep watch nearby, hoping to snatch a share so that Taiqing Pavilion wouldn't monopolize everything.
Song Yao found it amusing. “Feng Qing really has quite an appetite.”
Occupying the Nine Saints Hall wasn't enough; she even wanted a piece of Black Cloud Mountain.
With these two shrewd sects clashing, it made the Nine Saints Hall look rather slow-witted. No wonder they were being carved up like prey.
Xie Zhou pulled her back from the base of the wall. “Let's go.”
Beneath the discussion hall lay an empty secret chamber. Seeing Xie Zhou cast a spell to open the hidden door, Song Yao was shocked. “How do you know about this place?”
She had originally blasted this secret chamber out to hide her wine. However, she had accidentally overdone it, causing the first floor of the discussion hall to collapse. Fortunately, it had been the middle of the night, so there were no casualties. Only her master, who happened to be reviewing documents on the top floor, had been severely shaken by the blast.
She still remembered how her master had silently walked downstairs and stared at her for a full burn of an incense stick. Finally, he had let out a long sigh, turned, and went outside to turn away the elders and cultivators who had rushed over at the noise.
Upon his return, he had silently cast a spell to restore everything to its original state, leaving only the cellar she had blasted out.
Before leaving, he had asked her helplessly, with very little hope, “Can you let me know in advance next time? So I can prepare myself.”
After taking a turn around the cellar, she had run back in excitement, giving an irrelevant answer: “Can you not tell anyone about this place? I want to use it alone.”
She couldn't remember exactly what her master had said, only that he had agreed and even set up a concealment array for her cellar before walking away with a sorrowful back.
Thus, logically speaking, only she and her master knew of this place.
Had Master told them?
Where was Master?
As the passage revealed itself, Xie Zhou walked inside. “We'll use it temporarily. I'll return a new one to you in the future.”
Song Yao followed him in, waving her hand generously. “It's fine, use it as you like.”
The moment she stepped into the secret chamber, a rich, mellow aroma of wine rushed to greet her.
A massive night-luminescent pearl hung in the center, its clear glow spilling over and illuminating every corner of the secret chamber.
A row of carved dark-wood cabinets stood against the wall, with various sealed jars of aged wine and flasks arranged neatly on the shelves.
The various cups and goblets were carved from gold and jade, exuding luxury everywhere.
Song Yao, of course, had never possessed the elegant taste to decorate a wine cellar; she had originally just piled up the wine she bought from various places here.
Later, her master had come to take a look. Turning around, he had decorated the wine cellar like this for her, even collecting many fine wines and exquisite cups for her, occasionally coming over to have a drink with her.
Except he usually didn't drink wine, only tea.
Having not been here for a long time, Song Yao's hands itched as she reached toward a mutton-fat jade cup.
Before she could touch it, a voice from the depths barked, “Little Wood, don't touch things recklessly.”
Song Yao paused, looking inside.
Deep in the wine cellar, behind the shelves, several elders sat upright and solemn around a long dark-wood table. Maps and scrolls were spread across the table, indicating they were clearly discussing important matters.
Zhu Zhao stood at the very front, dressed in plain robes with a cold expression. Seeing her look over, she merely gave an extremely faint nod.
The one who had just stopped her was the Second Elder. He patted the empty seat beside him and said, “This is your Third Senior Sister's territory. Don't touch her things. Come and sit.”
Song Yao raised her eyebrows.
These people were really quite strange.
She was already dead, yet her things still couldn't be touched.
They were so cautious even when entering a wine cellar.
They had far too much of a sense of boundaries.
She withdrew her hand and slowly walked inside. Instead of sitting, she leaned against the wall and quickly entered the zone, repeating the question she had asked Xie Zhou earlier: “So, do you have any idea what realm Ye Chongguang is at now?”
The four elders present were all startled upon hearing this.
They had brought this child here so she could also listen to the situation and plans of the Nine Saints Hall. That way, if something really happened, she would be prepared and not panic too much.
Looking at her now, she was far too calm, and she seemed to accept the situation remarkably well.
Zhu Zhao answered first. “He was already in the Deity Transformation Realm before. I don't know his current situation.”
Song Yao knitted her brows slightly.
Entering the Deity Transformation Realm meant stepping half a foot over the threshold of the immortal path. The difference between it and the previous cultivation realms was greater than the difference between a human and a pig.
Most importantly, the difference between one Deity Transformation Realm cultivator and another could be incredibly vast.
Because Deity Transformation Realm cultivators in the entire Tianshu Realm could be counted on one's fingers, the divisions within it were not very clear.
And as far as she knew, Feng Qing was also in the Deity Transformation Realm. If the two sides really came to blows, the one likely to suffer the most would be the Nine Saints Hall.
She fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Then do you have a plan of action?”
The Second Elder pointed to the location of Yunxue Valley in the back mountains on the map. “If Ye Chongguang and Feng Qing truly clash, the barrier will inevitably be shaken. All sect disciples will first retreat here to take temporary shelter. The Eleventh Elder and I will break open a gap at the weak point of the barrier on the side of the valley to let the disciples escape first.”
Song Yao leaned against the wall and lazily raised her eyes. “It won't be that easy. Neither Ye Chongguang nor Feng Qing are careless people. They won't leave such a massive loophole for us to exploit without any precautions.”
Zhu Zhao said, “This is only the best-case scenario. If it really doesn't work, then if they make a move, we make a move too.”
Song Yao chuckled, her eyes scanning the tense crowd around the table. “So, we're still just playing it by ear?”
“...”
How could this child still laugh?
Did she really have no fear of death at all?
Or was she already scared out of her wits?
The Eleventh Elder laid out a row of talismans and said gently, “The Great Elder has already gone to deliver the message to all the peaks. In short, once something happens, you just need to flee to Yunxue Valley with any Nine Saints Hall cultivators and disciples you encounter along the way. Regardless of whether we can escape, we will do our best to protect you. As for Feng Qing and Ye Chongguang, you don't need to face them directly, nor do you need to intervene.”
“If there is really no other way and they want to lay hands on you, they will have to step over our corpses first.”
“There is no need to be too afraid.”
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