Chapter 1017: Chapter 1116: A Storm is Brewing _1
"Retreat?"
Niu Dali’s eyes bulged as he clamored, "How could that be possible? Each of our Nine Profound Mountain’s ten manors have consumed untold financial and material resources. Shi Xiaole put his entire fortune and hopes into it. If we leave, wouldn’t it just be making a wedding dress for others?"
Qu Wuyan said, "If the manor is taken, it can be retaken; if it is destroyed, it can be rebuilt. But we have only one life. We, this group of people, are the biggest support for the Master of the Manor."
Qiu Mingyue also said, "The steward is right, as long as the green mountains remain, there’s no fear of running out of firewood."
Niu Dali was so angry he nearly slammed the table. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the logic, but he couldn’t accept becoming the bullied party, watching years of hard work being snatched away right before his eyes—how could he face Brother Shi!
"Brother Niu, please calm your anger for now. We don’t want to do this either, but as the steward and Sister Qiu said, our Nine Profound Mountain is full of talented people. What we lack is only time. Let those people be complacent for a moment. Soon, we will take our revenge."
The speaker was Hua Yiyun.
Dressed in blue with a matching scholar’s headband, he looked even more elegant and handsome, but there was a deep and intense coldness between his brows.
Gui Nanyan, Gui Zhihang, Duanmu Keren, Mu Ling, and others didn’t speak. None of them were rigid traditionalists; they naturally knew what choice to make.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely oppressive, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as if even people’s heartbeats had become sluggish and strained.
"Steward, you were brought back by Lele, so please make the decision. We’ll all listen to you."
In the end, Su Yanru spoke out. During such a time, she was the only one qualified.
Despite being a woman in red with seductive charm who usually did not exert authority and had low martial arts skills, everyone present had interacted with her and knew she was extremely capable. Not to mention, she was Shi Xiaole’s aunt and had a transcendental status, commanding even Qu Wuyan’s respect.
Hearing this, Qu Wuyan nodded solemnly, her gaze sweeping over everyone’s faces, confident in her judgment, she said word by word, "If that is the case, let’s split up and act. Steward Zhu, please immediately start selecting elites from within the mountain in batches. Master Xin, Protector Niu, and Protector Qiu will be responsible for leading them away..."
"Everyone, restrain your fists, for it’s only to make the next punch even more powerful. The Master of the Manor will understand our decision. Moreover, I believe that with the Master of the Manor’s talents, it may not take many years before he can intimidate those thieves. After this, we should also study hard and train diligently, to avenge today’s grudge!"
Qu Wuyan slapped the table, her pretty face showing a trace of cold resolve.
Others’ faces also bore expressions of anger and cold determination. The situation forced them to bow their heads and give way, but that didn’t mean they would compromise or forget today’s humiliation!
...
Boom boom boom...
Inside Nine Profound Mountain, every two-hour period, thunderous sounds would echo, and occasionally, spies from various martial world forces would scout around, though they dared not approach too close.
As for the most eye-catching location in the Flying Horse Dynasty at the moment, it was none other than Nine Profound Mountain.
Previously, the imperial army of a million had attacked without success, and now some members of the Qingmo Organization have declared that Nine Profound Mountain has deep ties with the Outer Heaven Demons. After a series of publicity and momentum-building, many in the Martial World who were clueless started equating Nine Profound Mountain with Outer Heaven Demons.
Now, the Martial World was buzzing with rumors that various top-tier powers had surrounded Nine Profound Mountain, and it wouldn’t be long before they broke through the Nine Profound Array System and eliminated this biggest cancer in the Martial World.
Some were celebrating with fist bumps, some were sighing, and others remained silent. The one thing in common was that all outsiders were waiting, quietly observing the developments.
Because no one could stop this from happening, no one.
Xuanwu State, Ai Family.
Inside the Ai Family’s main hall, the place was packed with high-ranking members, the atmosphere solemn and tense.
After several elders exchanged glances, one of them finally broke the silence, "Big Brother, our affinity with Kirin is deep indeed, but his actions are improper, having tainted himself by associating with the Outer Heaven Demons. I suggest we clarify our family’s stance to the public, and send people to Nine Profound Mountain to recall Wen Qian and Wen Hong."
The Ai Family head, Ai Renxiong, kept his eyes closed and said nothing.
Seeing this, the elder steeled himself to continue, "It’s not that our Ai Family is disloyal and unjust, but the Outer Heaven Demons are the enemy of everyone on East Victory Continent. We must kill them on sight. How could we overlook the greater good for a bit of sentiment!"
"Yes, Family Head, please give the order," they urged.
"The current situation in the Martial World is unpredictable; everyone knows our Ai Family’s connection to Kirin. These days, many of our family businesses and territories have suffered from pressure from Martial World, with many of our skilled members and children experiencing heavy casualties. Family Head, we can’t keep making mistakes!"
A chorus of voices urgently persuaded, their buzz filling the entire council hall.
Anyone with sense could guess the fate of Nine Profound Mountain. To put it bluntly, whoever gets involved with Kirin would be unlucky.
Of course, there were also messages coming in from the Daxia Dynasty, claiming that Kirin displayed great prowess in a secret realm in Mist Rain Town, inflicting heavy damage on the scions of Daxia and fighting ordinary warriors at the Void Origin Realm to a standstill.
Regardless of the veracity of the news, even if true, what of it? With the attitude of the top powers towards Kirin now, they would not allow him to continue growing.
And even if, a million steps back, Kirin survived, their Ai Family would definitely suffer collateral damage, risking complete destruction.
When the hall quieted down, Ai Renxiong’s son, Ai Yinglong, stood up and sneered, "My uncles, as for these Outer Heaven Demons, any clear-eyed person knows what’s going on."
Everyone’s expression became somewhat uneasy, and the elder who spoke earlier, now resolved, continued, "Yes, Kirin may have been wronged, but the truth is not important. The Martial World is governed by strength, and our Ai Family cannot afford to play this game. Do we want to destroy everyone in our family over two words—’loyalty’ and ’righteousness’?"
Ai Yinglong was originally about to say something, but now he was so blocked up he couldn’t utter a word.
"Patriarch, please consider the Ai Family, think of our ancestors and descendants,"
The old man stood up from his seat, pretending to kneel, while others followed suit. For a moment, even Ai Yinglong, Ai Yinghao, and other direct descendants became so anxious that they didn’t know what to do.
Ai Renxiong slowly opened his eyes, followed by a silence as heavy as death. Soon, the hall echoed with the sounds of chest-beating and foot-stomping, along with wails mixed with phrases like "dooming the Ai Family" and "foolishness."
As the crowd dispersed, the hall became extremely desolate.
In a weary voice, Ai Renxiong asked, "Yinglong, Yinghao, Yingjie, do you also think your father is wrong?"
"We wouldn’t dare."
The three Ai brothers hurriedly denied it.
With years of accumulated authority, Ai Renxiong’s decisions were almost never wrong, and even though the three had countless doubts, they didn’t want to question his decisions at a time when their father was exhausted.
"I know what’s on your minds, loyalty, fellowship? Haha, how many in the Martial World still uphold these? Nothing but empty words. If I were alone, I would tear apart this old body of mine to prove the Kirin’s innocence, but I am the head of the Ai Family.
Upon hearing this, the three brothers grew even more puzzled.
"In the past, an extraordinary soothsayer divined for the Ai Family, prophesying that many years later, our family would encounter a great opportunity. If chosen correctly, we would soar to the heavens, with boundless prestige, but if not, we may decline and never recover."
"Could it be that father believes this matter to be that opportunity?"
Ai Yinghao asked, shocked.
"That’s right, and your father has made a choice."
The faces of the three Ai sons changed dramatically. They thought their father had some serious reason to support the Kirin, but it turned out he was betting on a vague prophecy, and had placed the bet on the side with the slimmest hope.
"Rest assured, just days ago, I have secretly dispatched the promising younger generation of our Ai Family. Our Family’s lineage shall not end," said Ai Renxiong before closing his eyes and saying no more.
The Martial World and life itself are nothing but a giant gamble. Except this time, he was betting everything he had.
Normally, Ai Renxiong wouldn’t have the courage to do this, but recently, powers in Xuanwu State that rivalled the Ai Family had quietly aligned themselves with top forces, encircling and putting the Ai Family in jeopardy.
Even without the Kirin, the Ai Family’s fate wouldn’t be good—it was better to take the gamble!
Disappointed? A figure in a blue robe flashed through his mind, and Ai Renxiong felt lost and uneasy.
In contrast to the Ai Family’s silence, nearly ninety percent of the forces in Xuanwu State had already publicly declared their firm support for the Qingmo Organization, demanding that Nine Heavens Mountain open the Nine Profound Array System to provide an explanation to the world.
When the wall falls, everybody pushes, an eternal truth. The rise of Nine Heavens Mountain was too abrupt, leaving the Martial World of Xuanwu State in despair. Now that there was hope to remove this mountain, who wouldn’t give it their all?
Especially recently, top powers encamped at the base of Nine Heavens Mountain released news that the Moyu Ancestor had found a flaw in the Array System and would soon break through the Nine Profound Array System. The Martial World was in a state of ferment, and all eyes from the Flying Horse Dynasty were on it.
Countless powers from the Martial World sent even more people to remotely monitor the situation on Nine Heavens Mountain. From high above, one could see circles of black rings around the mountain, all made up of people.
"The news is true, I saw it with my own eyes, a crack has appeared in the Nine Profound Array System."
"It’s over, Nine Heavens Mountain’s heritage is too shallow, how can it compare with all the top powers? One wonders what reaction the Kirin will have upon receiving this news."
"The overly rigid is easily broken; this is the end of becoming the enemy of all. We must take this as a warning."
All sorts of news spread, each stirring up a sensation, and it was said that even the imperial court had dispatched an army, which would encircle Nine Heavens Mountain intending to let not a single rebel escape!
The storm clouds gather, and the wind gusts through the building.
This time, everyone was certain that Nine Heavens Mountain was truly on a path to its end.
"Among the many secret passages, only three are a hundred miles away and can evade the scrutiny of the top power’s undercover stakes. I have ordered everything to be taken care of, including important manuscripts, treasures, spirit medicines, and more. We will split into three groups, ready to leave at any time."
Inside Nine Heavens Mountain, the core high-level figures gathered once again. Perhaps this would be their last meeting in Yinfeng Pavilion.
"In that case, we leave today,"
Qu Wuyan made a decisive call upon hearing Zhu Ling speak.
Outside Nine Heavens Mountain, with top powers such as the Oblivion Assembly, Dragon View Ridge, and Blood Emperor’s Lair at the forefront, numerous Martial Emperors from the Void Origin Realm were combining their forces in a desperate attack on the weak point of the Array System. The violent bombardment shook hundreds of thousands of miles around, and the world shifted in color.
"Last time, you hid and wouldn’t come out, but this time, you’re still getting kicked in the door, it’s a pity I can’t capture you myself,"
Among the attacking crowd, Iron Sword Emperor, Dark Lance Emperor, and others who initially had trouble with Shi Xiaole were evidently present, each with a smug smirk on their faces.
But the countless people below did not know that, at the far edge of infinity, a golden Divine Eagle was approaching rapidly, speeding towards this area.
