Chapter 126: Tribute
Listening to their words, one couldn’t help but feel as though the northern region belonged to the imperial family, while the southern region belonged to... the martial artists?
"This is bad.” Jue Panshi's eyes widened in shock. “They are planning a revolution!”
Choosing a leader, setting rules; if this wasn’t a rebellion, then what was?
What's even more frightening was whether his colleagues knew about their plan beforehand. If they were aware and didn’t intervene, then that meant that they shared the same intentions and wanted to break free from the jurisdiction of the northern region.
Jue Panshi trembled all over.
He would have never thought that he’d one day be caught in such a storm. A single misstep and he might even lose his life!
A bitter smile crept on Jue Panshi’s face, and he indignantly muttered, "Divine General Fang, Duke Fang... you shouldn't have intervened in the southern region's affairs in the first place."
Yuan Yu and company were shocked. They had been completely unprepared for such a curveball, and it left them in shock. It was a little difficult for them to snap out of their reverie.
The martial artists are...rebelling!?
Even though everyone knew that there had been some differences between the northern and southern regions over the years, no one had ever expected that the martial artists of the major sects in the southern region would have thoughts of rebellion.
Weren’t they afraid that the northern region might send it's troops over to suppress them?
The moment they had that thought, they were immediately reminded of the words said by one of the martial artists just now—many soldiers in Grand Xia were originally from the southern region.... And even the soldiers whom the northern region are home to, they wouldn’t be able to adapt quickly to the south region’s hellish climate, resulting in their combat power plummeting by at least seventy percent, which would mean....
"Something huge is about to happen..." muttered Yuan Yu to herself. "I don't know if Big Brother Yuan has met up with Divine General Fang yet. If he were here, perhaps he would’ve been able to delay them....”
The Profound Blade Sect Master stared at the Giant Sword Gate Master, who was standing still. However, the martial artists around him were gradually closing in.
"Son, if you don’t escape now, I'm afraid will be too late." He took a deep breath, then continued, "Even if the Profound Blade Sect is destroyed today, we should at least leave behind someone take revenge for us in the future.”
“Father, Yuan Zhuang has gone to find Divine General Fang. He should be arriving soon,” replied Huangfu Jie in a deep voice.
"Even if he were here, facing thousands of martial artists... I'm afraid he would be outnumbered,” said the Profound Blade Sect Master dispiritedly.
So what if he’s in the Earth Profound Stage? That doesn’t make him a god. Can he really overpower thousands of martial artists? Since the sect master had never seen anyone in the Earth Profound Stage, he could only speculate and judge based on his own experience.
“Are all of you really not afraid of Duke Fang’s retaliation afterward?” Huangfu Jie said each word slowly, his voice resonating with internal qi, echoing for several miles.
The moment they heard that, the approaching martial artists instinctively stopped in their tracks.
"Even if the majority of Grand Xia’s soldiers are from the southern region, with Duke Fang's methods, he can still lead the troops from the northern region and crush all of you here. All of you, including me, are just ordinary martial artists who have never set foot on the battlefield. The level of combat there is completely different from the fights of just martial arts. Why else do you think the northern region would tolerate all of this?" mouthed Huangfu Jie sternly.
The crowd fell silent, their eyes subconsciously falling on the Giant Sword Gate Master.
He chuckled lightly. "Hehe. Fang Chen is no Immortal. He won’t be able to stabilize the situation in the southern region on his own. I’m afraid pinning your hopes on him will be in vain.”
Upon hearing this, the martial artists immediately regained their confidence and continued their march toward the Profound Blade Sect.
Zhong Ying seemed somewhat bewildered as this went down. "Master, are we...really going to rebel?"
The disciples of Azure Point Sword Sect had been motionless since their sect master had yet to make a move. Apart from them, several of the top sects had yet to make a move as well.
"The Giant Sword Gate Master is... is probably thinking of becoming the martial emperor of the southern region." The Azure Point Sword Sect Master smiled bitterly. "I had originally thought that we were truly here to avenge the Heavenly Sword Villa. However, it seems that I was too naive. What happened to the Heavenly Sword Villa might have not truly been orchestrated by Profound Blade Sect."
"Then... which side should we stand on?" faltered Zhong Ying, her expression conflicted.
Some elders of Azure Point Sword Sect were also waiting for the answer.
It was then that they heard the Giant Sword Gate Master address their sect master. "Azure Point Sword Sect Master, will you join us? Or have you decided to side with the northern region?”
"Junior Sister Zhong, don't hesitate anymore. If we succeed today, the southern region won't need to consider the opinion of the northern region anymore in the future!" urged Xian Kun, who stood behind the Giant Sword Gate Master. He was obviously very excited; he knew that if his father were to become the martial emperor, he would become the martial crown prince!
“I’m afraid we have no choice.” The Azure Point Sword Sect Master gripped the hilt of his sword and prepared to stand up. However, a faint laughter sounded from behind. “Actually, you do have a choice.”
Everyone was puzzled, and their eyes fell on Fang Chen.
"Who is this guy?"
"He has fair and tender skin; is he from the northern region?"
Zhong Ying was startled and quickly whispered, "Young Master Li, don't talk nonsense. You can't interfere in this matter!"
The Azure Point Sword Sect Master looked at Fang Chen with a strange expression and then at Zhong Ying. "Who is he?"
Zhong Ying quietly explained Fang Chen's background, and as she did, she briefly mentioned what had happened with the Golden Eyed Demon Ape.
When the others heard that a demon had been scared away by the reputation of Azure Point Sword Sect, they all felt proud.
"You even dare to meddle in this matter as well?” The expression of Xian Kun, who was not far away, darkened when he heard Fang Chen. He turned to the Giant Sword Gate Master. "Father, this young man is from the northern region. Judging by his attire, he may be the son of an official. Why not kill him as well? It might help the martial artists of the southern region make up their minds!"
Zhong Ying's face fell, and he quickly argued, "Senior Brother Xian, absolutely not! This matter has nothing to do with him!"
"Oh? He's from the north?" The Giant Sword Gate Master glanced at Fang Chen, then suddenly smiled over at everyone. "Everyone, hold on a moment," he said.
Everyone immediately stopped dead in their tracks and fixed their gazes at the Giant Sword Gate Master with a hint of confusion
Then, several disciples of Giant Sword Gate came forward and took Fang Chen and Yuan Zhuang away. When Zhong Ying wanted to intervene, she was stopped by her sect master. "We have no other choice, disciple. Don't do anything that might bring destruction to the Azure Point Sword Sect today.”
Zhong Ying watched as Fang Chen was taken away. She felt a pang of guilt, and her eyes turned red-rimmed. "If I hadn't brought him here, he wouldn't have encountered this calamity..."
The two were led out by disciples of Giant Sword Gate.
The group of Azure Point Sword Sect disciples who had traveled all the way here with Fang Chen and Yuan Zhuang had complex expressions.
When Huangfu Jie and Jue Panshi saw Fang Chen and Yuan Zhuang, astonishment flashed in their eyes.
The Giant Sword Gate Master smiled, then announced. "Everyone, these two are from the northern region and have quite a noble status. Let’s kill them today as a tribute to signal the start of the conference.”
"So they are from the northern region."
"Kill them!"
Eyes bloodshot with hostility, many martial artists glared at Fang Chen and Yuan Zhuang.
Huangfu Jie and the others who heard those words had their faces turn even more strange. The other party wanted to use the top expert of Grand Xia, Divine General Fang—Duke Fang—as a tribute. Huangfu Jie gauged the distance between the Giant Sword Gate Master and Fang Chen with his eyes. Less than ten yards, he thought.
Fang Chen could easily kill the Giant Sword Gate Master with one move from that distance....
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