Master Yichen smiled and said, "What Lord Zhan just said about 'gathering wisdom from all sides' is indeed very insightful. Although I have discussed with Headmaster Bi for several days and have reached some conclusions, they are not particularly brilliant. We still need to discuss them in detail with everyone present and decide based on your opinions."
Ye Hongyun chuckled and said, "The solution that Master Yichen and Sect Leader Bi came up with must be brilliant. Master, don't keep us in suspense, just tell us the result of your discussion."
Master Yichen smiled and gestured, and Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, said: "The Demonic Sect's power has recently surged, which is nothing more than the sudden alliance between the Nine Venerable Hall and the Snow Leaf and Azure Leaf Halls, which are the strongest among them. Although our righteous sects have also sent experts to besiege and suppress them, they have failed every time. It is because everyone is following different orders and has different opinions, which has given the Demonic Sect an opportunity to take advantage of us."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and someone asked, "I wonder what good idea Sect Leader Bi and Master Yichen have come up with?"
Bi Jianchun said calmly, "Actually, this method is quite ordinary. After discussing it with the master, I think it would be better to elect a martial arts alliance leader. All sects would obey the leader's orders, and their actions would be unified. This would make our efforts twice as effective and help us fight against the demonic sect."
Upon hearing this, each faction had its own agenda, and for a moment no one spoke, and the entire hall fell silent.
Xu Shenyan laughed and said, "This method is good, but my Panlong Gang has always been used to being free and unrestrained. If there is suddenly an alliance leader to restrain us, we will feel a little uncomfortable."
Master Yichen smiled and said, "Chief Xu, there is no need to worry. The leader we have elected is only to lead the various sects to deal with the Demonic Sect. He has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the various sects."
The leaders of each sect were relieved, and they all thought at the same time: even so, becoming the leader of the martial arts alliance would be an unparalleled honor and would bring glory to their sect.
Then someone asked, "How is the leader of the martial arts alliance chosen?"
Some people said, "The position should be held by a virtuous person. Master Yichen is highly respected and virtuous, so he is the most suitable person to take on this important task."
Master Yichen declined, saying, "To eradicate the forces of the Demonic Sect, it would take several years, or even more than ten years. I am too old to undertake this task."
Everyone thought that Master Yichen was already in his seventies and his energy was limited, so he was not the best candidate. Then someone said, "Master Bi of the Jade Sword Sect has superb sword skills and is a steady and low-key person. If we recommend him as the leader of the martial arts alliance, I will be convinced."
Bi Jianchun smiled calmly and said, "I am devoted to swordsmanship and martial arts. When it comes to the way of dealing with people, I am actually quite dull. I can only do my best to help others, but I am definitely not qualified to be the leader of the alliance."
Knowing that he was always indifferent to worldly desires, everyone realized that his words were not a mere pretense of refusal. They began to discuss among themselves, saying, "Besides Master Yichen and Sect Leader Bi, who else is capable of shouldering this important responsibility?"
Suddenly, a man stood up and said loudly, "Gentlemen, the reason we are electing a leader is to lead the heroes against the Demonic Sect. I believe that this person should have a great reputation in the martial arts world, a wide influence among his followers, and high martial arts skills in order to be able to win the support of the masses and be worthy of the position of leader."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Wang Tiezheng, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of Weiyuan镖局 (escort agency). Someone echoed, "What Chief镖头 Wang said makes some sense."
Zhang Datou suddenly chuckled and said, "A great reputation in the martial arts world, a wide influence among disciples, and superb martial arts skills—isn't that exactly what describes our Master?"
Someone had already realized: "That's right, Master Gu Qingyun of Feihua Manor. He is a rare martial arts prodigy in recent years. Feihua Manor is famous far and wide and has countless talented people. It is most suitable for him to serve as the leader of the martial arts alliance."
Wang Tiezheng coughed and hurriedly said, "Although Master Gu is highly skilled in martial arts, he is still too young and inexperienced. I'm afraid he is not capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility..."
Fu Chong asked, "Then who is Chief Escort Wang's choice?"
Wang Tiezheng laughed and said, "It is Zhan Hengye, the lord of Zhan Family Fortress."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in disbelief, finding it utterly absurd. Not to mention that the Zhan Family Fort had recently suffered a great humiliation at the hands of the Demonic Sect, even before that, given Zhan Hengye's reputation, martial arts skills, and popularity, it was unlikely that he could win the hearts and minds of all the sects if he wanted to become the leader of the martial arts alliance.
Xu Shenyan, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "Chief Escort Wang, Lord Zhan has just been captured by the Demonic Sect. We recommended him to be the leader of the martial arts alliance. The Demonic Sect doesn't think that we have decided to submit to them. They only did this strange thing to show our sincerity."
Half of the crowd chuckled softly, while the young man in the corner laughed even more heartily.
With a whoosh, a streak of black light flashed past everyone's eyes and plunged into the young man's mouth. Then, with a muffled thud, the young man collapsed to the ground, blood and foam flying from his face and mouth, and he immediately fell unconscious.
Everyone was startled, then they heard a man behind Zhan Hengye say coldly, "Ignorant brat, how dare you mock Zhan Family Fortress so casually."
This man was none other than Zhan Ziyang, son of Zhan Hengye. It was he who had just released the hidden weapon, injuring the young man. Seeing the astonishing power of the hidden weapons from the Zhan Family Fortress, everyone was secretly surprised. Those who had initially harbored mockery had long since stopped smiling, and the hall fell silent for a moment.
Xu Shenyan saw that the young man was a disciple of the Blackwood Clan, a small gang in the Northern Plains. The Blackwood Clan leader, however, kept his eyes lowered and remained silent. Anger welled up within Xu Shenyan. He strode over to the young man, bent down to examine him, and saw that his mouth was ulcerated, as if injured by gunpowder. He then looked up at Zhan Ziyang and said, “Young Master Zhan, this is your fault. It was I, Xu, who spoke disrespectfully to your Zhan Family Fortress. Why take your anger out on others and implicate the innocent?”
Zhan Ziyang said coldly, "Although Chief Xu was rude to my Zhan Family Fort, you are on good terms with Master Qian. The Zhan Family Fort is a guest from afar, and we should not be disrespectful to our host."
Xu Shenyan was even more furious and shouted, "You little brat, so you didn't attack me because of the Qian family's reputation?"
Zhan Ziyang looked up at the sky, seemingly in agreement.
Xu Shenyan laughed in anger and said, "Boy, your Zhan Family Fort wants the position of martial arts alliance leader, and I, Xu, am the first to object. If you have the guts, come and have a match with me. Don't just bully the weak and fear the strong!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Qian Guansan was about to persuade him when he heard Zhan Hengye chuckle and say, "Master Qian, Chief Xu is your friend. He has repeatedly provoked my Zhan Family Fort. If you want me to tolerate this to the end, I will give you face. Now, take my men and leave Beiyuan to avoid Chief Xu, how about that?"
Qian Guansan was speechless and dared not persuade him any further. Zhan Hengye had already turned around and winked at Zhan Ziyang.
With a wave of his hands, Zhan Ziyang unleashed several beams of dark light, all aimed at Xu Shenyan. Xu Shenyan focused intently on the attack, only to see the hidden weapons suddenly turn mid-flight and collide with each other in mid-air, producing several loud bangs. The hall was instantly filled with smoke and the pungent smell of gunpowder.
Seeing that Zhan Ziyang's hidden weapons were fine, fast, and explosive, Li Feiqing was secretly surprised. Compared to when she fought Zhan Zichen at Zuiyufang, the speed and power were several times greater. She thought to herself: If Zhan Zichen had launched such hidden weapons at me back then, I'm afraid it would have been really difficult to defend against them.
It turns out that after returning from Wuyai Island, Zhan Hengye, mindful of the great humiliation he suffered, knew that Zhan Family Fort would never be able to hold its head high in the martial arts world again. Therefore, he devoted all his efforts to improving the fort's unique hidden weapon, the "Sulfur Fire Pearl," greatly increasing its power. This time, he brought his son to the Northern Plains Martial Arts Conference to demonstrate the power of the Sulfur Fire Pearl and restore the name of Zhan Family Fort.
Zhan Ziyang gave a cold laugh and said, "Chief Xu, if those sulfur fire beads had been aimed at you just now, I wonder if you could have dodged them?"
Xu Shenyan remained silent.
Zhan Ziyang said slowly, "If you apologize to my father now, I will forgive and forget what you said before."
Xu Shenyan suddenly laughed and said, "After your Zhan Family Fort was captured by the Demonic Sect, you've been doing things like apologizing and begging for forgiveness with ease..."
Zhan Ziyang's expression changed, and a dark light flashed in his hand as he headed straight for Xu Shenyan.
Xu Shenyan knew he couldn't dodge it, and thought to himself: I've been quick-witted and foul-mouthed all my life, offending countless people. It's worth it to die now.
As the sulfur fire beads flew closer, he heard a rustling sound of clothes being tossed in the wind, and saw figures flash by. Two people stepped out from the crowd and blocked his way.
Author's Note: Uh, still no words, *crying*. Will try to finish earlier tomorrow.
Extreme strength leads to humiliation
Zhan Ziyang's hidden weapon was launched suddenly, and everyone in the hall was only just beginning to realize what was happening. The sulfur fire bead was already flying towards Xu Shenyan. Yi Feng and Gu Qingyun were sitting closest to the black wooden door, and both of them were extremely intelligent. They had already figured out Zhan Hengye's intentions, so as soon as Xu Shenyan spoke, the two of them flew out at the same time and rushed to Xu Shenyan's side.
In an instant, dozens of sulfur fire beads shot out towards the two of them.
Although everyone in Feihua Manor knew that Gu Qingyun's martial arts had reached a high level, the sulfur fire pearl from Zhanjiabao was so vicious and powerful that they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Mu Linlang's face was deathly pale, her eyes fixed intently on Yi Feng's figure. Li Feiqing's heart pounded in her chest, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword tightly, a single thought flashing through her mind: What if something happened to him…
A flash of blue light appeared, and Gu Qingyun's sword was already drawn, his wrist sweeping directly towards the sulfur fire beads in front of him. Seeing the sulfur fire beads touch the sword, everyone thought they would explode in the next instant, but Gu Qingyun's long sword spun smoothly like a ribbon, drawing several circles to neutralize the incoming force. The sulfur fire beads were actually adhered to the sword with his internal energy. Then, with a turn of his sword and a slight flick of his sleeve, he had already collected all the sulfur fire beads into his sleeve.
Yi Feng's situation was different. He did not draw his Shadow Gathering Sword. Instead, he used his fingers as a sword and pointed at the scattered sulfur fire beads. The strong wind had already reduced most of the incoming force. When his fingers made contact with the sulfur fire beads, there was no force left on his fingertips. He then gently flicked the beads, deflecting them back towards where they came from.
These few moves were swift and decisive, all happening in the blink of an eye. The crowd sitting around Zhanjiabao changed their expressions when they saw the sulfur fire beads fly back. However, Gu Qingyun flicked his sleeve, and sulfur fire beads shot out like a rain of flowers, arriving faster than those that Yi Feng had knocked back. After several loud bangs, the sulfur fire beads exploded halfway through their flight.
The people in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, and after a long pause, they cheered loudly.
Xu Shenyan escaped a calamity and secretly felt lucky. He cupped his hands to thank Gu Yi and the other man repeatedly, then glared hatefully at Zhan Hengye before turning back to his seat.
Zhan Hengye's face was grim. He heard people around him discussing, "In times of crisis, those who step forward are true heroes!" "Indeed, I think only Gu Qingyun and Yi Feng are fit to be the alliance leader." "I used to think that Master Gu's swordsmanship was superb and unmatched, but now it seems that Master Yi of Yingshan is no less skilled than him." "Heh heh, no matter how powerful the Sulfur Fire Pearl of Zhan Family Fortress is, in the hands of these two contemporary masters, it's nothing but useless trash."
Zhan Hengye grew angrier as he listened, but he chuckled at the two of them and said, "Master Gu and Headmaster Yi have both made their moves at the same time, so it seems that you two are both vying for the position of leader of the martial arts alliance?"
Gu Qingyun and Yi Feng exchanged a glance, about to reply, when a gentle voice from outside the hall said with a smile, "It's truly rare to see that our defeated foe, Lord Zhan, has recovered his spirited and arrogant demeanor so quickly."
Zhan Hengye was shocked. He turned around and saw Ruan Ziya, dressed in purple with black hair, her eyes filled with mockery and a smile on her lips, floating into the hall from the entrance.
Everyone in the hall who had participated in the battle of Wuyai Island was shocked: This demoness had narrowly escaped with her life last time, yet she dared to personally attend the martial arts tournament this time!
Kongtong Sect Leader Fu Chong shouted loudly, "Witch! You've come at the right time! Today you'll never leave alive!"
Ruan Ziya's eyes turned cold as she turned to him and said, "Sect Leader Fu, we'll settle our score later. Right now, I have an important matter to discuss with Lord Zhan."
Zhan Ziyang cursed, "Witch, what's there for my father to say to a heretic like you!" With that, he raised his hands and rained down sulfur fire beads at Ruan Ziya.
Ruan Ziya laughed, showing no fear whatsoever. With a slight flick of her sleeves, several pellets flew from her hand, heading straight for the sulfur fire pearl.
Seeing that the sulfur fire beads were densely packed, many times more than those that had been shot at Xu Shenyan, and that Ruan Ziya had only dealt with them with a few hidden weapons, everyone thought: This witch doesn't know how powerful the sulfur fire beads are; she's probably going to fall into Zhan Family Fort's trap.
Unexpectedly, when the bullets struck the sulfur fire beads, they produced a loud bang and instantly burst forth with a large patch of emerald flames, causing the surrounding sulfur fire beads to explode and instantly burn to ashes.
Ruan Ziya laughed, "Again!" He raised his hand and fired several more bullets. This time, his movements were lightning fast. Zhan Ziyang was caught off guard and the bullets were already in front of him. He was terrified.
In a moment of desperation, Zhan Hengye reached out and flipped the table in front of him, throwing it in front of Zhan Ziyang. All the bullets struck the table, and the flames burned a large hole in it, releasing a burnt smell. As Zhan Hengye flipped the table, bowls, chopsticks, and plates smashed to the ground, and food and soup splashed everywhere, leaving the Zhan family members in a mess and chaos.
Ruan Ziya looked at him with a smile and said slowly, "Lord Zhan, my Jade Flame Bullet seems to be the nemesis of your Sulfur Fire Pearl."
Startled, Zhan Hengye asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you targeting my Zhan Family Fortress at every turn?"
Ruan Ziya ignored him and turned to Master Yichen, saying with a smile, "Master Yichen, I presented my visiting card properly to attend your martial arts conference, but no one paid any attention to me. I had no choice but to be impolite and sneak in by myself."
Master Yichen glanced to the side and saw a servant from Qianjiazhuang standing there with his hands at his sides. It turned out that when this servant entered the hall to announce the arrival, Zhan Zichen attacked Xu Shenyan with the Sulfur Fire Pearl. He was so caught up in the atmosphere in the hall that he did not present his visiting card in time, which led to Ruan Ziya barging in by himself.
Ruan Ziya laughed and said, "Master, I also brought a few attendants with me. Do you dare to let them in?"
Master Yichen smiled slightly, and Lü Zhan said from the side, "Today, all the heroes of the world have gathered here, so why should we fear a few of your demonic cult madmen?"
Ruan Ziya nodded and smiled, "Indeed, what a spirit!" He clapped his hands twice, and several men in black entered the hall in response.
Everyone was wondering what she meant by this move, thinking to themselves: Do these few members of the Demonic Cult really think they can cause trouble at the Martial Arts Tournament?
But then Zhan Ziyang exclaimed in surprise, pointing at a black-clad cultist, and said in horror, "Brother?" He then hurriedly turned to Zhan Hengye and called out, "Father, it's Zichen! He's still alive!"
Zhan Hengye had also clearly seen that the black-clad man with the mark of the Demonic Sect on his face was his youngest son, Zhan Zichen, who had been missing for many days. Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, he glared angrily at Ruan Ziya and shouted, "Witch, what do you want to do!"
Ruan Ziya smiled in surprise: "Master Zhan, I am sending your son to reunite with you today, why are you still so angry with me? Do you really want me to kill him?" As she spoke, she turned to the men in black and ordered: "Help Master Zhan over and let him have a good look at his precious son. I have not mistreated his precious son these days."
Li Feiqing was secretly shocked. Last time in the underground palace, Zhan Zichen was seriously injured in the head by Gu Qingyun. He should have been crippled even if he didn't die. How could he have been saved by Ruan Ziya?
She stared intently and saw Zhan Zichen with a blank look in his eyes, being supported by two Xuan Yi Sect members, moving slowly as he walked step by step toward the Zhan Family Fortress crowd.
Zhan Ziyang hesitated for a moment, then rushed forward to support his brother, asking with tears in his eyes, "Brother? What happened to you?"
Zhan Zichen naturally did not know how to answer.
The two black-robed cultists released their grip and stepped back. Ruan Ziya's eyes flashed with cold light as she looked at Zhan Hengye and smiled slightly, "Lord Zhan, although I have now sent your son back, if you want to continue to recognize him as your son, I'm afraid there will still be some trouble."
Zhan Hengye felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly looked up and stared intently at Ruan Ziya, as if he wanted to pounce on her and devour her alive.
Ruan Ziya remained calm and said leisurely, "You prestigious sects seem to place great importance on the distinction between good and evil. Your son has recently submitted to my Xuanyi Sect and has done many things that are detrimental to the righteous path of your martial arts world... Is the Shadow Mountain Sect changing its leader?"
Yi Feng was taken aback when she suddenly called out to him, but then Ruan Ziya continued, "Master Gu of Feihua Manor, you two can testify that the missing villagers in the village that day were all killed by Zhan Zichen himself to practice his poison skills. Am I right?"
Yi Feng cleared his throat and said, "That is true, but..."
Ruan Ziya interrupted him, saying loudly to Zhan Hengye, "Your son has joined my Xuanyi Sect, his hands stained with blood, becoming the most hated heretic by Lord Zhan. I wonder how Lord Zhan will deal with this traitor of your sect in front of all the martial arts practitioners in the world today?"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Hengye's expression changed drastically, his hands trembled slightly, he took two steps back, and slumped into a chair.
Everyone in the hall was secretly amazed by this sudden change, but no one spoke up to dissuade them. Wang Tiezheng, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of Weiyuan Escort Agency, glanced at the expressions of the others and quietly moved a few steps to the side without leaving a trace, standing a little further away from the people from Zhanjiabao.
Panlong Gang leader Xu Shenyan suddenly sneered and said, "Master Zhan has always hated evil and is extremely fair and impartial. He must be willing to put righteousness above family ties this time. Otherwise, how can he explain himself to the heroes of the world? How can Zhan Family Fortress maintain its standing in the martial arts world from now on?"
The leader of the Blackwood Gate chimed in, "What Chief Xu said is true. We've all witnessed how Chief Zhan disciplines people; he's truly decisive and ruthless. I wonder if he could be so decisive with his own son?"
Zhan Hengye's face was ashen as he looked blankly at everyone in the hall. He saw Master Yichen's expression of pity, Bi Jianchun shook his head slightly, Ye Hongyun held a teacup in one hand and covered his mouth to yawn, while most of the others looked gloating. For a moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on him, waiting to see how he would deal with Zhan Zichen.
Standing in the crowd, Li Feiqing felt a sense of déjà vu about the scene. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head: Ruan Ziya's pressure on Zhan Hengye seemed to be a way of venting her anger over what happened at Yingshan that day.