Chapter 2105: Stalling for Time
The geniuses, in the name of Mu Chen, had made their voices heard. Mu Chen, my teacher. Such words caused people to forget them, pushing Mu Chen to the pinnacle of the storm. These exceptionally talented geniuses were all disciples of Mu Chen, and they had come for him. Mu Chen, who had once been looked down upon by the Jing Clan, deemed unworthy of associating with Jing Xiaoyue. But now, his disciples had arrived with overwhelming force, roaring on his behalf in Qingshan City. At this moment, everyone understood—they had come for Mu Chen.
The Jing Clan naturally understood this as well. Their faces were ashen. No wonder a group of unfamiliar experts had completely shattered their plans, forcing them to lose three times in a row and even threatening to seize their array mine. It was all because of Mu Chen. Yet Mu Chen himself was not particularly powerful—how did he have such formidable disciples?
Jing Xiaoyue's heart surged with emotion. Seeing those radiant young men and women, her eyes moistened slightly. So that was it. They were Mu Chen's disciples, here for him. If Mu Chen could see this, he would surely be very happy. Where was he now?
At this moment, the Yu, Wen, and Feng families were all shaken, watching the figures stepping into the void. They couldn't help but envy Mu Chen for having such outstanding disciples. The blind swordsman—one sword, like light, had cleaved half the body of Jing Yan, the Jing Clan's number one genius. That dazzling strike was unforgettable. Were there others among these people even stronger than the blind swordsman? And that young man named Hou—how powerful was he?
Yu Lin's heart trembled. He was a genius of the Yu family, the number one Martial Emperor in his clan, a monstrous talent qualified to enter the Heavenly Array Mysterious Mansion, receiving endless attention within his family. Everyone in Qingshan City knew him. Jing Yan was his equal, even more famous. Yet he had been defeated in a single sword strike. If that sword had been aimed at him, what would his fate have been? Yu Lin dared not think about it. He even closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Where had these people come from? How were they so formidable? That brilliant sword strike had shattered his pride. He had looked down on everyone in Qingshan City except Jing Yan, but one sword had crushed his arrogance. There was always a sky beyond the sky. He had heard of Mu Chen's name before but had never paid it any attention. Now, he desperately wanted to know what kind of person could train such disciples.
Mu Chen, my teacher. Just four simple words, yet they echoed through the void and reverberated in the minds of the crowd, lingering endlessly.
At the back of the Yu family crowd, Yu Xin's beautiful eyes sparkled with brilliance as she stared at Lin Feng. "Are they all your fellow disciples?" she transmitted to him telepathically, recalling the conversation between Lin Feng and Jing Xiaoyue that day. How could she not understand? Lin Feng was one of them.
Lin Feng nodded slightly, but his gaze was fixed on the Jing Clan. Would they release the person?
"Phew..." Yu Xin patted her chest, feeling her heart race. These guys were really monstrous... Ruoxie had cut down Qingshan Quick Sword with one strike, and the blind swordsman had defeated Jing Yan with a single blow. Now, she was extremely curious about Lin Feng's strength.
At this moment, Hou Qinglin and the others stood proudly in the void, their eyes all fixed on the Jing Clan members.
"Five battles, the Yu family won three. The array mine belongs to the Yu family." A voice slowly spread out. The Yu family members wore bright smiles, their hanging hearts finally settling. The Yu family had kept their mine. They had gambled correctly this time. The Jing Clan's hearts, however, sank to freezing point. Not only had they failed to take any of the three families' mines, but now these people clearly had no intention of stopping.
"According to the agreement among the four families of Qingshan City, the Yu, Wen, and Feng families may now challenge the Jing Clan for control of their mine veins," Hou Qinglin said slowly, causing the Jing Clan's expressions to turn extremely ugly. With such momentum, the Jing Clan had no power to resist. If they fought, they would lose the mine. So the Jing Clan remained silent. Could they still fight? Even with Jing Yan and Jing Ran present, they had still lost.
The crowd stared at Hou Qinglin and the others in the void. Were they venting their anger for Mu Chen?
"My teacher, Mu Chen, was in love with Jing Xiaoyue. Not only did you stop them, but you deceived Jing Xiaoyue with a false agreement and imprisoned my teacher in the Black Tower. Such actions are utterly despicable." Another voice rang out, causing the crowd to freeze. Mu Chen was imprisoned in the Black Tower by the Jing Clan?
"What!" Jing Xiaoyue was greatly shocked, her face turning pale instantly. She looked at a middle-aged man and shouted, "Is this the agreement you told me about?"
The Jing Clan experts' faces were grim, unable to respond.
"No wonder, no wonder you were so certain Mu Chen wouldn't appear. How ruthless you are!" Jing Xiaoyue's face was livid with anger and regret. She hadn't expected her own family to deceive her like this.
"Xiaoyue, we did it all for your own good," her father stepped forward and said in a low voice.
"For my own good?" Jing Xiaoyue let out a mocking laugh. "Truly for my own good, huh."
At this moment, the Jing Clan members looked at Hou Qinglin and the others and said coldly, "What do you want?"
"Release my teacher, and do not restrict Jing Xiaoyue's freedom any longer. Then we will let the Jing Clan keep their mine," Hou Qinglin said icily, making the Jing Clan very uncomfortable. They had never expected to be threatened by a group of young men today. Although their talents were formidable, compared to the entire Jing Clan, they were still just juniors.
The Jing Clan fell into collective silence. If they refused, how could they protect their mine? If they agreed, after three defeats and being threatened by juniors, combined with their past treatment of Mu Chen, they would lose all face. They would be thoroughly humiliated. How could the Jing Clan continue to stand in Qingshan City? They were the strongest array Dao family in the city.
The void was silent. Everyone waited for the Jing Clan's answer. Would the Jing Clan, the number one array Dao family in Qingshan City, compromise?
"Give me three days to consider," a Jing Clan expert finally spoke.
Hou Qinglin and the others frowned. "Release him or not—it's a simple decision. Why three days?"
"In that case, the Jing Clan decides that due to the need for reorganization, the mine vein battle will be postponed for three days. If the Yu, Feng, and Wen families are unwilling to grant these three days, then we will have to resort to force. Of course, I hope it doesn't come to that. After all, the Jing Clan is also willing to compromise—we will increase the number of combatants from three to five."
The Jing Clan expert no longer looked at Hou Qinglin but instead approached the matter from the mine vein battle. This way, Hou Qinglin lost his leverage to threaten them. What they truly cared about was still the mine.
The Jing Clan was cunning. They avoided directly answering Hou Qinglin's question, instead asking for three days to observe the situation.
The three families all looked at Hou Qinglin and the others in the void, as they themselves had no strength left to fight. Everything depended on these young men.
"Fine, we'll give you three days. But if anything happens to my teacher during these three days, we will use all available power to wipe out the Jing Clan," Hou Qinglin said coldly. Without such a threat, they feared the Jing Clan might harm Mu Chen. They came from the Qingxiao Continent, and no one knew their background. This would make the Jing Clan hesitate to act recklessly.
"I will give you an answer within three days," the Jing Clan members said icily. Then they all stood up and left with grim faces. Soon, they disappeared from the area. Jing Xiaoyue also followed, heading for the Black Tower.
The Heavenly Terrace members' expressions were not good either, but they would wait three days. After three days, the Jing Clan could not avoid the issue.
"Brother Hou, three days will pass quickly. I believe your teacher Mu Chen will return safely. Come back to the Feng family with me to rest for a few days."
"Master Tian Chi, let's return as well. For these three days, the Wen family would like to fulfill our duties as hosts."
The Feng and Wen families both extended invitations. If these figures could interact well with their younger generation, it would surely promote their growth. Even the elders were moved, let alone the younger generation.
The Yu family experts also stepped forward, coming before Hou Qinglin. Yu Kun spoke, "All you talented young heroes have come to Qingshan City but haven't visited the Yu family. It's truly regrettable. I wonder if you have time to come to the Yu family for a visit? We would like to entertain you and express our gratitude for today's favor."
Hearing the Yu family's words, Hou Qinglin and the others glanced casually at Lin Feng in the distance. Since Lin Feng hadn't revealed himself, it seemed the Yu family didn't value him much. There was no need for them to go to the Yu family. With Lin Feng there, the Yu family side didn't need anyone else. They would keep things as they were.
"No need. We'll return to the Feng and Wen families separately. In three days, we hope the Yu family will help."
"Of course. Today, you helped the Yu family protect our mine. We will naturally do our utmost to rescue Brother Mu Chen. It's just a pity that you won't come to the Yu family as guests," Yu Kun sighed.
"Once we rescue my teacher Mu Chen, we might have a chance to visit," Hou Qinglin said politely. After a few more pleasantries, they each departed.
Everyone left. Among the Yu family crowd, Yu Xin wanted to speak several times but held back. She really wanted to tell the Yu family that Lin Feng was also one of Hou Qinglin's group. But since Lin Feng himself didn't want to reveal it, she held back. He probably had his own reasons.
"Three days," Lin Feng murmured to himself. He could only wait three more days. He hoped the Jing Clan would make the right choice.
Meanwhile, the Yu family was discussing among themselves.
"Yu Lin, there is always a sky beyond the sky. These geniuses today are all exceptionally talented. In the next few days, you can visit the Wen and Feng families. It would be good to spar with them."
"Indeed, those people are incredibly powerful," Yu Ye marveled.
As if thinking of something, Yu Kun looked back and then fixed his gaze on Lin Feng, who was with Yu Xin. He smiled and said, "Lin Feng, coming to watch the battle today, did you gain some insights?"
"En," Lin Feng nodded casually.
"The martial path is endless. Lin Feng, your teacher is a master of array Dao, so you must be proficient in some arrays as well. But don't neglect martial arts. Today, you've broadened your horizons a bit," Yu Kun said with a smile. Beside him, Yu Xin's beautiful eyes flickered as if she wanted to speak, but in the end, she said nothing.
PS: Thanks to Wu Ming 2223, mildkent, 15922336280, and other readers for their tips. But now there are too many numerical usernames—it's a bit annoying to look at. Thanks, everyone.