Chapter 2465: Chapter 2465
Ye Liuyun waited until Piaoyu had completely lost consciousness before branding him with the slave mark. He then dragged the limp body into a side courtyard and administered the antidote.
Afterward, he ordered Piaoyu to discard his communication talisman and confined him within his spatial realm, handing him over to Linghai for management.
Meanwhile, Silent Kill’s mission was progressing smoothly. The ten disciples from Divine Sword Manor had proven no match for his assassinations—half of them had already fallen to his blade.
As for Ye Liuyun’s clone, it had caught up with the elder and the two disciples who had succumbed to the poison. Their storage rings were swiftly looted before their bodies dissolved into pools of blackened sludge by the time Divine Sword Manor sent men to retrieve them.
"Outrageous!" roared Zhong Feng upon receiving the news, slamming his fist down with such force that the pearwood table beside him shattered into splinters.
One of the elders had been attempting to contact Piaoyu to assess his condition, only to find all communication severed.
"He must have accomplices!" another elder deduced grimly.
Without delay, he tried reaching the ten dispatched disciples—only four responded. He immediately ordered their retreat.
Silent Kill, poised to strike another target, noticed the disciple suddenly turn tail and bolt back toward Divine Sword Manor at breakneck speed. He promptly reported the development to Ye Liuyun.
"They must have realized I’m not acting alone," Ye Liuyun mused. "Stay and keep watch over Divine Sword Manor. If an opportunity arises, eliminate a few more. Youming and the others are too weak—I fear they’ll be exposed if they linger."
He instructed Silent Kill to remain on surveillance while recalling Youming’s group, directing them to take refuge in an inn.
Back at Divine Sword Manor, Zhong Feng and the four remaining elders reconvened in urgent discussion.
"Divine Sword Manor has suffered a devastating blow today," one elder lamented. "The prestige we’ve built over decades—gone in an instant!"
"Now, every man we send out becomes their prey," another added grimly. "This was clearly a premeditated strike, exploiting the Manor Lord’s seclusion to extort us. That young man may have been nothing more than bait."
"Indeed, even if the Manor Lord were to intervene, he could only eliminate one of their decoys—it’s nearly impossible to wipe them all out in one stroke. The Manor Lord can’t possibly interrogate every martial artist in the city, can he? And if they retaliate, we can’t expect the Manor Lord to stand guard over our safety indefinitely..."
"Moreover, even the Manor Lord must be wary of their poison. Their methods are too insidious. After eliminating their decoy, if they seek revenge, every one of our men stepping outside would be in grave danger."
After some deliberation, the group agreed the situation was thorny. Even involving the Manor Lord carried significant risks.
"So what do we do? Not only have we lost men, but now we’re to be extorted as well?" Zhong Feng asked helplessly, frustration lacing his voice.
The remaining four elders fell into a heavy silence.
After a long pause, one elder spoke up. "I advise against summoning the Manor Lord. A tarnished reputation is temporary—as long as the Manor Lord remains, we can always rebuild our standing."
"As for dealing with that gang, I have two proposals. First, we fully comply with their demands, let them leave, then announce we’ve executed the boy to resolve the crisis."
"Alternatively, during the next negotiation, we eliminate him on the spot and lure his allies into action. Of course, if his allies prove too formidable, the cost may escalate. What do you think?"
Zhong Feng hesitated. "If the Manor Lord emerges and discovers such chaos, won’t he hold us accountable?"
"Undoubtedly. Someone must bear responsibility—and I’ll shoulder that burden," the proposing elder declared firmly.
"But what of our two fallen brothers? Are we to forsake vengeance?" Zhong Feng’s voice hardened. "Since when has the Divine Sword Manor tolerated such humiliation?"
"Do you truly believe you can succeed? Are you certain you can kill that boy?" the elder countered sharply.
"If I fail, I’ll join my brothers in death!" Zhong Feng’s eyes blazed. "To be slaughtered and then pay reparations—this indignity is unbearable. A life lived in shame isn’t worth keeping!"
Deep down, he knew the truth: even if the elders took the blame, escaping their master’s wrath would be impossible should he remain passive.
Better to follow my heart and fight the enemy head-on than to suffer humiliation later. Even if I die in battle, at least my name will remain untarnished.
After some deliberation, the elders finally relented.
"Very well, if you insist on going, then go. But you must understand—whether you win or lose, we may still have to pay a heavier price to negotiate with them. Their appetite will only grow!" the elders warned Zhong Feng.
"I’ve made up my mind," Zhong Feng replied firmly.
With that, an agreement was reached. Shouldering his massive iron sword, Zhong Feng prepared to leave the Divine Sword Manor.
However, word had spread, and over fifty disciples, swords strapped to their backs, were already waiting for him at the manor gates, determined to join him.
"What’s this foolishness? Go back and train! Remember this lesson—if you’re weak, you’ll be trampled upon!" Zhong Feng didn’t want them throwing their lives away.
"Avenging our two senior brothers isn’t just your fight, Elder Brother. We want to do our part too!"
"That’s right! We’ve steeled ourselves for this! If you won’t take us, we’ll go on our own!"
Their resolve was unshakable. Even Zhong Feng’s orders couldn’t sway them now.
Moved by their loyalty, Zhong Feng’s voice thickened with emotion.
"Brothers... If we die, we die together. Let’s go!"
With that, the group marched out of the Divine Sword Manor in a formidable procession, heading straight for Ye Liuyun’s private estate.
Before departing, Zhong Feng had scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense but detected nothing suspicious.
Little did he know, Mo Sha had already spotted their movements from a distance far beyond his detection range—and had swiftly relayed the news to Ye Liuyun.
"It seems their elders couldn’t keep them in check after all!"
Ye Liuyun had already guessed that internal conflicts must have arisen, driving some to seek him out for a deadly confrontation.
Given the sheer number of opponents this time, he had no choice but to rely on his formation for defense. After releasing the Qiong Qi beast and double-checking the array, he calmly waited for their arrival.
When Zhong Feng arrived with his men, he didn’t launch an immediate attack. Instead, he ordered his disciples to clear the area, driving away all the nearby martial artists.
This drew complaints from the onlookers.
"Can’t win a fight, so they just bully us lowly martial artists instead!"
"The Divine Sword Manor really only picks on the weak."
The murmurs spread, but no one dared to openly defy the Divine Sword Manor.
And with Zhong Feng himself leading the charge—his massive iron sword strapped to his back as he stood imposingly—no one was foolish enough to provoke him.
Even if the Divine Sword Manor had seen better days, it was still far beyond what these ordinary martial artists could challenge.
So, though they grumbled under their breath, they had no choice but to obey, retreating far into the distance.
Zhong Feng’s reason for clearing the area was simple—he didn’t want outsiders witnessing their potential defeat.
Left with no other option, the doppelgänger had to don his invisibility cloak and move closer again. His task, however, was merely to observe from the outside—there was no need for him to step into the courtyard to assist.
