Chu Jingtang wished he could slap himself for having listened so intently; had he known this man was a demon, had he known his words would chill his spine, why had he asked?

He truly didn't know what to do now. Was this something they were supposed to know?

He even considered silencing Shi Chun and the others permanently, but the problem was, these brothers seemed quite capable of defending themselves. If it came to a fight, he wasn't sure who would silence whom.

To an outsider, the severity of this issue might not be clear because they were uninformed; only those who had experienced it firsthand could understand from brief communication how severe the consequences were.

Yet, Xiang Laner was equally astonished in her heart. The Su Yuan Sect of Xuan State? After going astray, these two ended up mixing with the Su Yuan Sect of Xuan State?

From the conversation, it seemed they had many stories with the people and the Su Yuan Sect of Xuan State.

She glanced subconsciously at her wrist. The two had mentioned they made their claim by borrowing the prestige of Xuan State to bolster their courage.

"Yan Ji also went into the Moon Sea at that time, and I witnessed him being dealt with by a monster. To verify whether I'm telling the truth is easy. Many people followed into the Moon Sea shortly after, some must have escaped back to the shore in time. While I don't know them, someone should know which people were transferred there at that time. By finding those who fortunately escaped and learning the situation, you'd naturally know whether I'm lying or not..."

"Brother Wang," Chu Jingtang finally couldn't help but interrupt, feeling suffocated by listening any further.

He really wanted to ask, why didn't you tell us before, and why are you telling us now?

But the question couldn't be asked. Why do you think they are telling you? It's you who asked, after all.

So, he changed his approach, "Since you're afraid of being silenced, having hidden for so long, why do you now run the risk of coming out?"

Shi Chun sighed, "We initially planned to hide until the great conference ended, but then we thought the matter wasn't trivial. Keeping this secret might still not spare us. The Su Yuan Sect, for the sake of its sect's reputation, might do who knows what. The might of the Su Yuan Sect isn't something we from Youxia Mountain can withstand. I fear it would involve our sect, and honestly, we couldn't swallow this resentment. Brother Chu, you more or less know our temper, better broken than bent. So we thought it's better to resolve the matter here in the West Pole."

Clang! Wu Jinliang pounded his large saber heavily on the ground, his tone tragic, "What of the Su Yuan Sect? A true man would never live unbefittingly!"

Playing a woman left mute and depressed after being abused, Xiang Laner almost could not continue acting, always wanting to look up to see her companions' performances.

"Alright, you two brothers are heroes; Chu recognizes that," Chu Jingtang continued, bowing his hands in a way that could only be described as perfunctory, unable to suppress sounds of sighs, "Brothers, we've no grudges or enmity, right? Don't harm us by telling us this, don't make us informers too. If the Su Yuan Sect knows, they surely won't spare us, and we don't want to implicate our sect either!"

His four sect mates had similarly dismayed expressions.

Shi Chun waved his hand, "Brother Chu, do not panic, I have already thought of a countermeasure that will ensure you're safe."

Chu Jingtang immediately grabbed his arm, "Don't trick me, what countermeasure?"

Shi Chun patted his back, "If the number of those in the know is too many, how could the Su Yuan Sect silence them all?"

With this statement, spirits lifted among the five from Bilan Sect; they understood.

"Good, let's do that. I'll go and spread the word..." Chu Jingtang, clapping his hands in approval, was excited, but his excitement only just began before his face quickly showed panic. He waved his hands hurriedly, "Not suitable, not suitable. It's a crucial moment of competition for the Sky Rain Meteor Conference. If this internal strife breaks out and it leads to Xuan State losing hope for victory, the ones counting with our Bilan Sect wouldn't be the Su Yuan Sect but Domain Master Chi Rang. Brother Wang, find someone else for this matter."

He was getting more frightened the more he thought about it.

Shi Chun, "Brother Chu, don't be alarmed. I already have a plan. I will handle this matter myself, no need to trouble you, Brother Chu. My wish to meet Brother Chu is because we've hidden for so long and do not know the current situation of Xuan State's forces and want to inquire. Among the sects under the Su Yuan Sect, who is most likely to win the championship?"

Chu Jingtang's gaze flickered, seeming to grasp his meaning. After a little thought, and not covering it up, he slowly said, "Who else but Yuanjian Palace? Isn't it always decided based on which sect is the most powerful? It just so happens to be nearby, momentarily leading the two hundred plus sects on our side. What are you planning?"

Shi Chun, "I wish to meet him face to face."

Chu Jingtang spoke meaningfully, "This matter, I'm afraid even Yuanjian Palace wouldn't dare to meddle."

Shi Chun, "I have my own considerations, trouble Brother Chu for the introduction."

Did Chu Jingtang have a choice? Ever since learning of this explosive secret, he had no choice. Otherwise, the secret could end up in his hands, potentially making him a target. Thus, naturally, he cooperated and would rather divert the trouble elsewhere, hoping someone taller would bear the brunt if the sky were to fall.

Of course, he had another plan in mind—to keep his distance from the people of Youxia Mountain in the future.

The temporary residence of the thousand-strong forces led by Yuanjian Palace was just over fifty li away. As a group of monks, they traveled quickly. By the time they arrived, it was already evening.

However, Chu Jingtang and his group didn't bring Shi Chun and the others directly into their base. There was no way around it; secrecy was essential. If the situation was as "Wang Sheng" described, how could they dare let others know these people were still alive? Once the word reached the ears of the Su Yuan Sect, it would inevitably cause trouble.

For this reason, Chu Jingtang went to the hub of their stationed area first.

Due to the long-term covert operation plan formulated by Mulan Qingqing, they couldn't afford to set an open central command office; thus, they chose to dig a cave at the mountainside.

The leader of the Yuanjian Palace was named Hu Yan. Although not as handsome as the people from the Su Yuan Sect, his facial contours were sharp and displayed a tough demeanor. He wore a suit of fine linen.

Upon meeting the leader of the Bilan Sect, although unaware why he had come in the middle of the night, Hu Yan still maintained a smile to greet him and gestured for him to have a seat.

There weren't many good seats, just stone stools and tables. Given these conditions, they had to make do.

If it weren't for the notification, Hu Yan might not even have remembered the other's name. There were too many people from different sects, and the Bilan Sect wasn't high-profile enough to keep on one's radar.

Chu Jingtang, behaving rather sneakily, glanced out of the cave entrance before returning quickly to Hu Yan, not sitting down but leaning in to whisper.

The reason for being so bold and quick was indeed out of necessity—they had to find someone of high status to take responsibility.

Indeed, after understanding the situation, Hu Yan's face seemed to turn green under the purple flame. The two junior monks beside him stood in shock, exchanging glances.

Snap! Hu Yan crushed a stone cup on the table, looked coldly at Chu Jingtang, and said, "What are your intentions by telling me this?"

Chu Jingtang backed away two steps, clasped his hands in an apologetic manner, and said helplessly, "Brother Hu Yan, they found me. I'm helpless; how could I deal with it? I can't let him spread the word. Since he said he had a way, Brother Hu Yan, perhaps you should meet him."

Hu Yan felt like he was dragged into a conspiracy, but Yuanjian Palace's position and power were not something the Bilan Sect could compare to.

Yuanjian Palace was not a sect that the Su Yuan Sect could easily extinguish. Thus, he had some options; at worst, he could directly inform the Su Yuan Sect and let them decide what to do.

However, he was somewhat worried. Such a scandal involved the reputation of the Su Yuan Sect; who could guarantee that Mulan Qingqing and her people wouldn't go all out and attempt to silence them?

Caught in such a situation, it wasn't easy to hide. The only option was to meet and talk first.

He personally arranged for one of his junior monks to accompany Chu Jingtang, mainly to help Shi Chun and the others avoid notice.

With someone to arrange the meeting, everything went smoothly.

Shi Chun and several others covered themselves with cloth sewn into their clothes, and once inside the central cave, they unveiled themselves. The eyes of several men immediately landed on Xiang Laner's face; the beauty of Cloud Building's top courtesan was undeniable.

Setting aside the matter of beauty, Hu Yan, concerned that Chu Jingtang might have distorted the events, asked Shi Chun to recount the incident again.

When the person involved spoke, many more details emerged, and some queries were answered.

After listening, Hu Yan indifferently said, "This is just your side of the story; it doesn't count as truth."

He couldn't just take their word for it.

Shi Chun: "Brother Hu Yan, if you are inclined to verify, finding a witness from when the incident happened will confirm whether what I say is true."

Hu Yan: "If what you say is true, do you think there would be any survivors?"

Shi Chun: "If they really silenced everyone involved, it illustrates the ruthlessness of the Su Yuan Sect, proving they are unworthy of leading Xuan State. The situation for any remain(INVOKE_REVISION_CMD)"If they truly silenced any witnesses, then the malignity of the Su Yuan Sect would be obvious, showing them even less fit to lead Xuan State. The survivors' plight would only grow more perilous. Of course, this would also make it easier to verify the truth of my words. To prove them, I am willing to put myself at risk, only needing to let it slip to the Su Yuan Sect that I am still alive."

ing witnesses becomes even more perilous. Naturally, it also makes proving the truth of my words easier. To demonstrate my claims, I'm willing to use myself as bait; all it takes is letting the Su Yuan Sect know I'm still alive."

Upon hearing this, all present were astonished; it was unexpected that he would risk his life.

Hu Yan kept his composure and said, "Even if your words are true, so what? The priority is seizing the title in Xuan State. Anyone hindering this matter will surely not be spared by the Domain Master afterward. Xuan State coming apart at the seams, losing strength to claim the title, is Yuanjian Palace responsible for this outcome, or can Youxia Mountain bear this responsibility?"

Shi Chun: "Why disrupt the grand event? We keep it secret for now; once Jixuan State aggregates enough power and acquires enough Insect Extreme Crystals, it wouldn't be too late to act when rewards are being distributed. There's no need for Yuanjian Palace to step forward. As for us, whether we can leave West Pole or not, the Su Yuan Sect won't let us go either way, so why should we make it easy for them? It's better to resolve the issue in West Pole and jump in when distributing the Extreme Crystals. Then, Yuanjian Palace wouldn't have to do anything and could still clinch the victory in Xuan State, wouldn't that be ideal?"

Hu Yan: "Doing nothing is also an option. Then why are you seeking me?"

Shi Chun: "Someone in Xuan State needs to cover our actions and provide necessary cooperation. Just relying on Brother Chu and his people might be a bit difficult."

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