Armipotent - Chapter 2159: Setting Up the Bait (1)

Chapter 2159: Setting Up the Bait (1)
Alliance Leader Zhong motioned his people to retreat as he led Tang Shaoyang to another room. The reception hall had lost part of its roof because of the fire.
Tang Shaoyang let Yan Xueyi talk with her uncles. Just like how she considered her master as a father, she considered the three gods as her uncles.
Despite what she just witnessed, she managed to converse with the Sword God, the Fist God, and the Fire God at ease. She managed to overcome the terrifying sight pretty quickly. That might be because of her travel experience with her master’s.
Yan Xueyi told them not to worry about her because Bing Ruohan had been good to her. She also told them that her master once tried to leave her in the Ice Palace. That was her way of telling them not to worry about her because this was also her master’s will, joining a sect.
In order to assure the three gods, Yan Xueyi mentioned the Divine Oath that she would only teach the Spear God’s technique to her own disciple in the future.
The three old men seemed upset to hear the young girl had to take a Divine Oath. It was less upsetting when they knew the content of the oath. It was for Tang Shaoyang to help her avenge her master, and the addition that Yan Xueyi would only teach the Spear God’s technique to her own disciple.
That cleared the misunderstanding about Tang Shaoyang wanting to take the Spear God’s technique by taking Yan Xueyi in. That put the three gods at ease that Yan Xueyi would be neglected.
They had a short conversation, mostly the three old men gave the little girl advice about cultivation and people, telling her to remain careful against the Thousand Vows Pavilion. They said that in front of Tang Shaoyang’s face, which made the little girl nervous. She was worried those remarks would bring back the clash from earlier. She had enough of witnessing people being killed before her and didn’t want it to happen to her master’s close friend.
Tang Shaoyang turned a deaf ear to their conversation, just listening from the side without interrupting.
After talking with Yan Xueyi, Alliance Leader Zhong shifted his attention toward Bing Ruohan and Bing Lianxin. He could no longer hold back his curiosity anymore. He wanted to know what happened to the Ice Palace, especially about the massive hole where the Ice Palace was.
“I can’t go into details of what happened,” Bing Lianxin answered on behalf of Bing Ruohan. It was she who agreed to the condition, “The Heaven Founder attacked us, and the Thousand Vows Pavilion came to save us with a condition that we join the Thousand Vows Pavilion.”
Zhong Tian Yun could not accept such an answer. He wanted to press further until he remembered what happened to Bing Ruohan earlier. Her hand was plucked off when she tried to tell him something. That was a little bit extreme, even if the Thousand Vows Pavilion had a way to regrow that hand. However, that was enough to tell that there was still a distance in their relationship, meaning the Ice Palace truly didn’t betray the Murim Alliance.
“You should know better than me that I need more than that. I have to explain what happened to the Ice Palace to the others as well. I don’t think they will accept that superficial explanation.”
Bing Lianxin made a bitter smile, shaking her head, “I wish I could tell you more, Alliance Leader Zhong. But as you know, we are no longer the Ice Palace, but the Ice Pavilion. If you want to know more about what happened, you should talk to…”
She stopped and glanced toward Tang Shaoyang. The reason she stopped was that she didn’t know Tang Shaoyang’s actual position in the Thousand Vows Pavilion. He had the codex, which made him the successor of the Thousand Vows Pavilion, but he told her that he was not part of the Thousand Vows Pavilion.
That was when she and Bing Ruohan learned the hard way that the Thousand Vows Pavilion was like a ghost faction. She and Bing Ruohan were the only two Grandmasters as of now, and there was no Supreme Grandmaster yet.
This was the reason why the Thousand Vows Pavilion wanted the Ice Palace, wanting them to help him rebuild the Thousand Vows Pavilion. She learned that after joining the Thousand Vows Pavilion.
“Why can’t you tell us the details? You owe the Murim Alliance an explanation, especially after what you did! If you want to work together with us to fight the Heaven Founder!”
Tang Shaoyang shook his head, “You love to make an assumption, Alliance Leader.”
“First, we don’t owe the Murim Alliance anything. Second, I never said that I wanted to work together with the Murim Alliance. It’s just you, your cooperation, not the whole Murim Alliance. Third, it’s not an alliance that I wanted, just a cooperation, more like a one-time contractual work between you and me. Fourth, I never said to help you destroy the Heaven Founder. I said I would just kill one person because of my promise with Xueyi, no more than that. Let’s get this fact straight before you make more assumptions, Alliance Leader Zhong.”
Zhong Tian Yun didn’t like what he heard. That meant the Thousand Vows Pavilion could become the Murim Alliance’s enemy anytime. The Thousand Vows Pavilion could stab them in the back anytime. That made him reluctant to work together with Tang Shaoyang.
“Ah, there’s one more. You said to trust them just like how I trust you?” Tang Shaoyang pointed at Shaolin and Kunlun with his thumb, “Unfortunately, I don’t trust you or anyone else from the Murim Alliance. Let’s just keep things as a business, Alliance Leader Zhong.”
“It would be hard to cooperate with you if you can’t trust me. How can we cooperate if we don’t trust each other?”
Zhong Tian Yun didn’t actually mean what he said. He just tried to gain an advantage in their cooperation. Since Tang Shaoyang mentioned the cooperation first. He believed they needed him more than he needed Tang Shaoyang. That was what he believed.
“But let’s hear your suggestion first!”
Tang Shaoyang smiled, “Fortunately, the cooperation I want doesn’t require us to trust each other, Alliance Leader Zhong. You just need to do what I tell you.”
Alliance Leader Zhong frowned as the conversation continued; the more he didn’t want to cooperate. He felt like Tang Shaoyang just wanted to use him instead of a mutual cooperation. He didn’t interrupt Tang Shaoyang, waiting to hear the actual proposal.
“I want you to pretend to get injured by me and use your people to spread the news. It’s even more convincing if we add the news of the death of the great four families as well. The Heaven Founder would not want to miss such a chance. They will come for you.”


