Chapter 168: Please Leave Taiyue Mountain

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Please Leave Taiyue Mountain

Because the members of the Fiery Fire Sect had been killed, people from the Celestial Sect, the Xuanming Sect, the Wuji Sect, and the Celestial Derivation Sect all gathered outside the courtyard of Celestial Heart Hall.

In addition to these sects, there were also people from five or six second and third-class sects. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

With the members of the Fiery Fire Sect killed at the Cyan Cloud Sect, it was obvious these other sects wanted to blow the incident out of proportion, derail Cheng Shimo’s proposal, and force the discussion back to its original agenda.

During this special period, with all the sects of the Eastern Domain gathered at the Cyan Cloud Sect for the Tengxing Grand Assembly, an entire sect’s delegation to the assembly was wiped out. Shouldn’t an explanation be given to the world for something like this?

If this is allowed to stand, who would dare attend the Tengxing Grand Assembly in the future?

If this is allowed to stand, how could anyone trust that they won’t be backstabbed over the results of our discussions?

Shouldn’t people like those from Celestial Heart Hall, who have such a wanton disregard for human life and ignore all rules, be punished?

Shouldn’t we demand justice for the Fiery Fire Sect?

They shouted and clamored outside the courtyard where the people from Celestial Heart Hall were staying, but they didn’t charge in. Before long, they had attracted a massive crowd.

The people inside the courtyard paid them no mind, simply letting the crowd outside grow larger and larger.

Just as people from nearly every sect had gathered and Li Qingyuan and Wang Zhiheng appeared, ready to reprimand the crowd, the courtyard gate swung open.

"Quite a lively scene," Jing’an remarked.

"Jing’an, you’ve finally come out! I was starting to think you had the guts to kill people but not the guts to admit it!" Sect Leader Yu Haiyuan of the Wuji Sect was the first to shout.

Chu Fan stood right beside Jing’an. Only three people had emerged from the courtyard: Jing’an, Ying Xiao, and Chu Fan.

Jing’an shot Yu Haiyuan a cold smirk. "What’s there not to admit? Wu Guanghai slandered my wife yesterday. For the sake of unity among the Eastern Domain’s Cultivation Sects, I only gave him a warning. Did I press the issue then? But what did Wu Guanghai do? Why don’t you do us all the favor, Sect Leader Yu, and tell everyone here what he did today? Let them all be the judge—did Wu Guanghai deserve to die or not?"

Yu Haiyuan was momentarily struck speechless by Jing’an’s words, but he recovered quickly and shifted the focus of the argument. "What about the others from the Fiery Fire Sect? Did they offend you? Even if Wu Guanghai did offend you, does that give you the right to commit murder here?"

Just as Jing’an was about to retort, Li Qingyuan stepped forward with several other sect leaders and raised a hand to stop him.

"Sect Leader Yu, Sect Leader Hu, Sect Leader Zou, and Sect Leader Shui... you’ve all planned this out quite well, haven’t you?" Li Qingyuan said, pointing to each of them in turn, as well as to the leaders of several second and third-class sects.

"The rest of you, take your sect members and return to your quarters. And be sure to tell your disciples what we sect leaders have been discussing in the side hall these past two days," Li Qingyuan announced.

Hu Lianshan retorted, "What? Is there something that can’t be said in front of everyone?"

Without even glancing at Hu Lianshan, Li Qingyuan addressed the other sect leaders. "All who still wish to unite the Cultivation Sects of the Eastern Domain and destroy the Red Blood Mansion, take your people and return to your residences. Our talks will continue tomorrow. If you remain here to watch the spectacle, you will be excluded from the alliance, should one be formed. Of course, if many sects choose to stay, then I shall take my Purple Gold Sect and leave Taiyue Mountain, never to involve myself in this matter again. And I believe quite a few people here share my sentiment."

Lü Hongshao immediately chimed in, "That’s right. We of the Xuandao Sect feel the same. If everyone starts infighting now, how can we possibly trust an alliance to march against the Red Blood Mansion? I’d be genuinely worried about getting stabbed in the back!"

At that moment, the "Female Tyrannosaurus" Shi Yindi also sneered, "Hu Lianshan, Zou Yuting, don’t think for a second I don’t know what you’re plotting. You’re nothing but selfish little men, willing to sacrifice the future of the Eastern Domain’s Cultivation Sects and its countless people for your own personal gain. And you, Shui Zebo and Yu Haiyuan—what the hell is wrong with you? Have you lost your minds? When it comes to the Red Blood Mansion, besides the Lingyun Sect, who in the entire Eastern Domain has a greater feud with them than you do?"

"Shi Yindi, you’re full of fucking shit!" Hu Lianshan, incensed by her words, exploded with rage on the spot.

The moment he cursed her, Shi Yindi drew her sword, ready to strike.

"Stop!" Li Qingyuan roared. "I will say this one last time: are you going to stand down or not?"

Li Qingyuan, after all, still commanded a great deal of authority. Many sect leaders began instructing their elders to lead their disciples away.

In the end, aside from the Celestial Sect, Xuanming Sect, Wuji Sect, and Celestial Derivation Sect, plus a few wavering minor sects, all the others retreated, leaving only their sect leaders behind.

Li Qingyuan sized up the remaining group, his gaze lingering on Hu Lianshan and his faction.

"Speak," Li Qingyuan said. "What is it you all really want?"

Hu Lianshan said, "Sect Leader Li, it seems you’re determined to openly protect Celestial Heart Hall. Are you going to disregard the millennia of brotherhood between our Six Sects and Eight Gates?"

Wang Zhiheng countered, "Is this really about protecting Celestial Heart Hall? We made many things very clear today. Why were the members of the Fiery Fire Sect killed? From the top of their sect to the bottom, is there a single one of them whose hands aren’t stained with the blood of innocent people? If you believe the Fiery Fire Sect shouldn’t have been killed, then please, leave Taiyue Mountain!"

"What do you mean by that? Wang Zhiheng, are you kicking us out?" Yu Haiyuan demanded, his composure breaking.

"What do I mean? Why did we gather everyone here? And what have you all been doing? If you can’t put aside your selfish motives, what meaning is there in forming an alliance?"

"So you’re completely unwilling to listen to any opinion that contradicts your own?" Hu Lianshan said.

Then again, of the four of them, Hu Lianshan was the most calculating, able to quickly pinpoint the crux of the conflict.

"Then take it as such," Wang Zhiheng said flatly.

Hu Lianshan hadn’t expected Wang Zhiheng to be so blunt. His single sentence left Hu Lianshan utterly speechless.

’Should I really take my people and leave Taiyue Mountain?’

’I just don’t agree with Cheng Shimo’s proposal to support the Great Xia. I just can’t let go of the status and wealth I possess.’

’It’s not like I actually want to create a deep rift with the Six Sects and Eight Gates.’

Standing beside Jing’an, Chu Fan smiled to himself. ’Although there are some minor deviations in the details, overall, events are still unfolding according to my predictions.’

’Lü Hongshao and Shi Yindi are proving to be quite reliable.’

’But the most dependable of all is Li Qingyuan.’ Chu Fan hadn’t known the old man well before, but the past two days had given him a newfound admiration for the man.

’The man is a purist, with a firm moral compass of his own.’

Seeing that everyone was in a difficult position, Lü Hongshao stepped in to play the good cop. "Sect Leader Wang, calm down. It’s not as if we have to make them leave. As long as they agree to stop pressing the issue with the Fiery Fire Sect, we can still discuss everything else!"

"Sect Leader Hu, Sect Leader Shui, what do you say? Let’s not make a laughingstock of ourselves in front of our disciples. Why don’t you take your people back to your courtyards? We can pretend nothing happened tonight."

Yu Haiyuan let out a sigh and was the first to lead his sect’s members away.

After all, the Wuji Sect’s feud with the Red Blood Mansion ran too deep for any reconciliation. If an alliance was truly formed and the Wuji Sect was left out, their current strength was such that their name would likely be struck from the ranks of the Six Sects and Eight Gates within days.