Chapter 265: At Daggers Drawn
"Ling'er." Seeing Su Ling'er's delicate little face, Yun Che was filled with joy and warmth, and this joy reached the depths of his soul, something no other form of joy could replace. He only needed to quietly look at Ling'er like this and felt that life was already perfect and flawless.
He didn't know that when Su Ling'er looked at him, her mood changes were almost identical. Yun Che was because of his past life bond with Su Ling'er, while little Ling'er simply felt that way, simply liked the feeling of being close to him, unable to find a reason or think of a cause: "Hehe, Yun Che gege, Father told me to let you know that at dusk, many people will come to the sect, and then something bad might happen. When that happens, Yun Che gege should stay inside with the door firmly closed and absolutely not go out."
"Oh?" Yun Che's brow twitched slightly, then he nodded and smiled gently: "Alright, I understand."
"Mm! Then... Yun Che gege, I'm going back now. You and the beautiful big sister should rest well." Su Ling'er said with a beaming smile, then took a small step back, but didn't leave immediately. Her eyes, like water-drilled diamonds, looked at Yun Che for a while with an expression of reluctance to part.
"Ah? Leaving in such a hurry? I still wanted to talk with Ling'er for a while."
Su Ling'er pouted her lips and said: "Father said you must have traveled a long way and must be very tired. Also, the beautiful big sister is sick and needs rest. He told me to pass the message and then leave, so I don't disturb you... Yun Che gege, when the beautiful big sister wakes up, will you play with me? And also... Yun Che gege comes from a very far place, I want to hear Yun Che gege tell many stories about distant places."
Ling'er's innocence, smile, and carefreeness at this moment gave Yun Che a happiness that made him almost dizzy, and it was so luxurious that he felt as if in a dream. He smiled gently, nodded slowly and earnestly: "Alright! At that time, I will definitely play with Ling'er and tell Ling'er many stories... It's a promise!"
"Mm! Hehe..." Su Ling'er tilted her head, then ran off happily like a released oriole.
Closing the door, Yun Che's expression quickly became serious.
This afternoon, a group of people will come here? Something bad will happen? Could it be...
On the bed, Xia Qingyue lay with her eyes lightly closed, in a meditative state, quietly absorbing and guiding the power of the Bodhi Emperor Heart Pill. However, her five senses were not sealed off; she heard Yun Che and Su Ling'er's conversation.
Their time here was only a short twelve hours. He naturally wished to spend every second and minute with Ling'er. But Xia Qingyue needed someone by her side at this moment, and Tai Su Sect was not a safe place for them either, with a scheming Su Haoran. He absolutely could not leave Xia Qingyue's side.
"Yun Che, have you been to this place before?" Mo Li suddenly spoke.
"No."
"Then why are you so special towards that little girl? You only met her today, yet because of her your emotions completely lost control. And when you saw her just now, your soul's reaction was extremely unusual! What exactly is going on?" Mo Li asked in a very serious tone. Although it was a bit strange for her, herself a little girl, to refer to "that little girl"...
"..." Yun Che raised his head and said softly: "This is a secret that can't be spoken."
Mo Li: "..."
The entire afternoon, Yun Che stayed by Xia Qingyue's side. Xia Qingyue lay motionless, the moon-white light on her body never fading. This layer of light also miraculously isolated her profound power aura, preventing Yun Che from sensing her current profound power state. But that was fine. If the effects of the Bodhi Emperor Heart Pill were as astonishing as legend said, Xia Qingyue might break through to the Heavenly Xuan Realm! If the fluctuation of profound power during breakthrough alarmed Tai Su Sect, it would instead invite unnecessary trouble.
The sky gradually darkened, and it was nearly dusk. At that moment, rapid footsteps began to sound from outside, as if many people were rushing towards one place. The footsteps continued for a long time, and then abnormal noises began to come from a relatively far distance. With Yun Che's hearing, he could faintly hear occasional cold laughter and angry rebukes mixed in.
Yun Che glanced at Xia Qingyue's condition, walked to the window, and gently opened the wooden window a crack, looking in the direction of the sound.
In front of Tai Su Sect's ceremonial hall, a crowd had gathered. On one side were the leaders of Tai Su Sect and a group of disciples. Su Hengshan stood at the front, glaring angrily. Opposite them stood about three hundred people dressed in black. Surrounding the black-clad men were a dozen or so middle-aged men in various attire, and an old man sat grandly on a rattan chair that seemed to have been brought from somewhere, eyes half-closed, looking aloof and arrogant, as if he looked down on everyone present.
"Su Hengyue! I have always respected you as my second brother. Even though you once schemed against me during the struggle for sect master, I put that aside and never mentioned it. Over the years, I have given you priority in the sect's resources! I can understand your desire for the ancestral treasure, but you actually colluded with Hei Mu Fort and committed such an act of treachery! Are you worthy of our late father? Are you worthy of the ancestors of Tai Su Sect?"
Su Hengshan's face was full of anger. He then turned his gaze to another person: "And you! Li Yunji, when you encountered a great disaster and were hanging by a thread, who saved you? Who gave you these ten-plus years of peace? Is this how you repay the kindness of my father and Tai Su Sect?"
Pointed at by Su Hengshan, the middle-aged man named Li Yunji stepped back slightly, a trace of discomfort flashing on his face. But then he immediately snorted coldly and said: "I naturally remember the former sect master's kindness! It is precisely because I remember his great kindness that I absolutely cannot watch Tai Su Sect be destroyed in your hands! Step down from the sect master position and hand over the key to the treasure! If it weren't for your stubbornness, Tai Su Sect would have long produced a strong person who could shake Fu Su! Tai Su Sect would then rise to become the number one sect in Jiangdong!"
"You..." Su Hengshan's face turned ashen, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He swept his gaze over the faces of those from Hei Mu Fort, who looked on with mockery, and then looked at the more than a hundred former Tai Su Sect disciples who had turned their backs on him. His voice turned bitter: "I will not yield the sect master position. And I will absolutely not hand over the key to the treasure. If you want to destroy me... then go ahead and kill me! I, Su Hengshan, swear by my life! As long as I live, I will not yield even half a step!"
A rough, arrogant laugh came from the crowd of Hei Mu Fort: "Elder Su, it seems your so-called authority within Tai Su Sect is nothing more than that. Hahahaha..."
"Hmph!" The person named Su Hengyue snorted coldly: "Big brother, don't blame me for not warning you. I have already invited the fortress master of Hei Mu Fort. By the time he arrives, you won't even have a way out!"
"What?! You... you even invited the fortress master of Hei Mu Fort!" Su Hengshan's expression changed dramatically. His eyes then swept past Su Hengyue and fixed on a figure not far away, speaking heavily: "Elder Su, you as a supreme elder of our sect, yet you stand with this traitor today?" "Do not call me supreme elder. Since the last sect head passed away, I have long ceased to be a member of Tai Su Sect." The old man surnamed Su did not even lift his head, saying calmly: "I came today merely to see what kind of change you, as the sect master, can bring. As for the sect's treasure, it is said to be something left by an ancestor. Who can keep it in their hands depends on ability."
Su Hengshan's expression was gloomy, his gaze fixed on Su Hengyue as he asked word by word: "Hengyue, you went to Hei Mu Fort, did you do it just for the treasure?"
"That is only one reason," Su Hengyue said leisurely: "More importantly, I cannot stand your unyielding character. How long can the sect continue under your leadership? Three years? Five years? When we are annexed by Hei Mu Fort, we will be worse than dogs and pigs. I am doing this for the sake of the sect's centuries-old foundation."
"And you!" Su Hengyue suddenly pointed at someone: "Elder Yun Yunzhou once taught his own daughter the complete set of the sect's profound art. According to the sect's rules, this is an unforgivable crime. But you, Su Hengshan, as the sect master, actually shielded him. You are the one who is truly disloyal and unfilial!"
"That matter has long been clearly investigated!" Su Hengshan said angrily: "Yunzhou taught his daughter profound arts only for the sake of her health. Moreover, he himself has admitted his mistake and has been confined for three years. What right do you have to bring this up again!"
"Hehe, long investigated? It has only been a year and a half, not yet full three years," Su Hengyue sneered: "If you want to excuse him, just say so." He then deliberately changed the subject, saying meaningfully: "However, that daughter of Yunzhou's is said to be a rare and peerless beauty. In two months, she will be sixteen, just the right age. The young fortress master of Hei Mu Fort is still unmarried. If this marriage can be arranged..." "Shut up!" Su Hengshan shouted angrily: "Yunzhou's daughter is still young. How can you speak such shameless words! Su Hengyue, I have always regarded you as my brother. Today, I will ask you one last time: are you going to retreat of your own accord, or do you want me to drive you out with force?"
"Ha... hahahaha..." Su Hengyue laughed loudly: "Brother, do you think I would have come here today without being fully prepared? Let me tell you, within this Tai Su Sect, more than half of the elders, including the supreme elder, have sided with me. As for the disciples, almost a third have long been won over by me. You think you can still sit firmly on the sect master seat? I advise you to be sensible."
As his words fell, the black-clad men from Hei Mu Fort also made a slight move, their oppressive aura pressing down on the entire scene.
At this moment, a middle-aged man on Su Hengyue's side suddenly walked out and said to Su Hengshan: "Sect Master, please reconsider. As a disciple, I cannot bear to see the sect fall into internal strife." He was about to say more, but someone behind him suddenly shouted: "Li Yunji! What nonsense are you spouting! Step back!"
Li Yunji's expression changed several times. He gritted his teeth, then actually walked to Su Hengshan's side, knelt down on one knee, and said: "Sect Master, I was blind and foolish just now and spoke recklessly. Please punish me!" "You!" Su Hengyue's face turned green, but he then sneered: "Hmph, a small character. Ignore him."
Su Hengshan was also slightly surprised, but then nodded and said: "Get up. Since you have realized your mistake, that is good."
The old man sitting there opened his eyes and said dismissively: "Hengshan, I don't care who succeeds the sect master position. If you don't want to cooperate with Hei Mu Fort, I won't force you. But the key to the sect's treasure, you must hand it over today!"
The words of the most senior supreme elder of Tai Su Sect naturally carried extraordinary authority. Su Hengshan's face changed several times, but he replied without hesitation: "Absolutely not!"
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Tai Su Sect disciples rushed over one after another, the crowd swelling. If it were just facing Hei Mu Fort, they could unite against an external enemy, but Hei Mu Fort was taking the stance of an onlooker. The two opposing sides were both people from within Tai Su Sect... except the other side had recently left Tai Su Sect and, it was said, had entered Hei Mu Fort!
From the increasingly heated arguments between the two sides, Yun Che finally understood the gist of it.
In the Jiangdong region of this Fu Su Kingdom, Tai Su Sect and Hei Mu Fort were the two most powerful sects. Tai Su Sect, backed by Tai Su Mountain, possessed countless medicinal herbs and crystal resources. Hei Mu Fort, stationed at Hei Mu Ridge, had abundant metals and rare stone resources. The two sects could indeed complement each other in terms of resources. Hei Mu Fort had repeatedly sought cooperation with Tai Su Sect for resource sharing, but Hei Mu Fort's despicable behavior and bad reputation meant that although a large part of Tai Su Sect's elder council agreed to cooperate, successive sect masters had absolutely refused.
By the generation of Su Hengshan, Hei Mu Fort, originally half a level weaker than Tai Su Sect, had developed rapidly to the point of being able to contend with Tai Su Sect. This made more and more people in the elder council support cooperation with Hei Mu Fort to dominate Jiangdong together. Eventually, it nearly exceeded half, putting increasing pressure on Su Hengshan.
But these were not the main cause of today's situation. The real reason was a mysterious sect treasure left by an ancestor of Tai Su Sect!
An ancestor of Tai Su Sect had obtained it from a place called the "Nanjiang Holy Land," said to be a treasure of the "sacred object" level!
...