Yang Ge caressed the Cold Moon Blade, the veins on the back of his hand throbbing with the murderous intent in his heart.
Seeing this, Liu Dongjun hastily covered his mouth, fearing he might provoke him further and truly draw his blade to strike himself... She was also aware; Shen Fa’s face couldn’t save her a third time.
Timely, a deep female voice with a heavy southwestern accent came from the other side of the mountain forest, "Young man, don’t be so hot-tempered; it’s harmful to your health."
"Is it that I did not make myself clear, or did she not relay my words clearly?"
Yang Ge looked towards the direction of the voice and calmly replied, "Or rather, has the White Lotus Sect already prepared to wage war against me?"
Then a figure in black, carrying a tall and striking presence, emerged step by step from the forest.
She was a middle-aged woman whose temples were already graying, though her frame was not particularly robust nor imposing, yet her aura was as rugged and profound as that of a seasoned warrior.
Especially her narrow eyes, firm and deep, with a commanding presence that, even if one did not know who she was, would instill a sense of fear and self-deprecation in the hearts of those not strong-willed at first sight.
The White Lotus Sect’s Peacock Holy Mother, Tang, a figure who, enraged by her fiancé’s death in servitude, joined the White Lotus Sect and during the Jianping era, raised an army sweeping across three provinces in the southwest, undeterred by defeat, still controlling more than half of Xiangxi to this day.
Under Yang Ge’s gaze, she walked indifferently to the middle of the road, bent down over the continuously bleeding actress, quickly sealed several critical points on her body to stop the bleeding, and then took out a pill and fed it into her mouth.
Finally, she turned around, half-smiling with narrowed eyes, gazing at Yang Ge, "Young man, are you threatening me?"
Yang Ge nodded expressionlessly, "You heard right, I am indeed threatening you."
"It’s been many years since I’ve encountered such an interesting young man..."
Tang lightly smiled, "Indeed, seeing is believing."
Yang Ge, "Yet you disappoint me deeply."
Tang, "The highest form of generalship is to thwart the enemy’s plans, and you, Yang Erlang, deserve this much."
Yang Ge, "So, I should feel honored?"
Tang, "Rather, it’s enough to be proud of!"
Yang Ge slowly shook his head, "I don’t find this worth pride, I only find it annoying, so annoying that I just want to draw my blade and slay you, to clear my mind."
Tang smirked, extending her hand, "Then why haven’t you made your move yet?"
Yang Ge continued shaking his head, "Once a move is made, there’s no turning back. Although you are quite annoying, the ones I want to kill the most are not you..."
Tang, "So, should I also feel fortunate?"
Yang Ge, "That depends on whether you leave me any choice."
Tang, "What difference does it make, given or not given?"
Yang Ge raised his left hand, putting up three fingers, "Everyone’s pretty busy, let’s cut through the chase. If we can’t agree within three sentences, one of us will die here today!"
Tang finally changed color, incredulously saying, "Are the young people nowadays so lacking in patience and stability?"
Yang Ge retracted his forefinger with his left hand, tightened his grip on the Cold Moon Blade with his right hand, "Two sentences!"
Tang knit her brows, staring intently at Yang Ge, trying hard to discern whether this young man was merely bluffing or was really so uncompromising... Logically speaking, someone who could almost become a Grandmaster should not lack patience and stability!
But she saw only an irritable wild beast, and she could smell the repressed killing intent, almost driving him mad!
Perplexed, she turned to glance at Liu Dongjun, unsure if her White Lotus Sect was really so hate-provoking.
Meeting her gaze, Liu Dongjun swallowed, his face stiffening as he took another step back.
Noticing his minor reaction, Tang’s heart sank slightly, and then she turned back, her expression becoming serious, "I know you want to travel to Dongying to avenge the massacre at Nansha Bay. You have no people, the White Lotus Sect does; you lack boats, the White Lotus Sect has them too. As long as you agree to join the White Lotus Sect and become our Eastern Heavenly King, both men and ships will be at your beck and call... Even if you really refuse to serve, a nominal position will do."
Yang Ge retracted his ring finger with his left hand, twisted the Cold Moon Blade with his right hand, veins standing out, "One sentence!"
Simultaneously, a cold killing aura surged forth, like a dam-breaking tsunami, rushing towards Tang.
Tang’s eyes gleamed with intensity as a majestic aura, mountainous and imposing, surged skywards, fearlessly blocking the lethal intent that assaulted her.
She took a deep breath and clapped her hands sharply.
Twelve young men and women, clad in blue and armed with swords at their waists, emerged from the woods in response and stood by the side of the road.
Pointing at them, Tang spoke in a stern voice, "You’ve grown too close to the Ming Sect. I cannot trust you. These twelve Zodiac Guardians are skilled fighters personally trained by me. Each of them has achieved great prowess in Qi Sea and possesses unique abilities. Together, they are invincible unless faced by the Seven Mighties. Take them with you to Dongying; they will be your best allies... If you refuse, as you wish, one of us will die here today."
Yang Ge glanced at the twelve Zodiac Guardians she mentioned, then turned back, his gaze passing over Tang and landing on Liu Dongjun behind her.
Feeling his icy stare, Liu Dongjun swallowed hard and forced a strained smile, "If I say I really didn’t divulge anything, would you believe me?"
Yang Ge stared at her expressionlessly until Liu Dongjun’s scalp tingled. He then released his grip on the cold moon saber and pointing at Tang in front of him, he said, "From this moment, you and I are no longer friends. Dare to appear before me again, and even she won’t be able to protect you. Also, tell Shen Fa that he owes me a beating. When I return from Dongying, I will go to the capital to find him; tell him to find a good physician in advance."
Pausing, he lowered his gaze to look at the stern-faced Tang and said earnestly, "Only this once!"
Tang’s eyebrows relaxed slightly as she shook her head lightly, "Your prejudice against our White Lotus Sect runs too deep... Besides, Yang Potian is waiting for you in Hangzhou."
Yang Ge furrowed his brows, "The Ming Sect’s Great Sun Buddha?"
Tang, "Is there a second Yang Potian in Jianghu?"
Yang Ge scratched his head in frustration, "I’ve said it, I don’t want to get involved in any messy affairs, why can’t you just leave me alone?"
Tang chuckled lightly, "Young man, don’t be so naive. Just because you don’t want to rebel, do you think the court won’t suppress you?"
Yang Ge asked incredulously, "I’m going as far as Dongying, and you still don’t trust me?"
Tang replied casually, "The stage is already set for you; how can the play go on if the main character doesn’t appear?"
Yang Ge gritted his teeth and muttered angrily, "I really want to stab all you troublemakers to death!"
Tang simply smiled... summer insects cannot speak of ice!
Yang Ge couldn’t be bothered to engage with her any longer and spurred his horse to move forward slowly.
Tang stepped aside from the road and gestured toward the retreating figure of Yang Ge to the twelve Zodiac Guardians.
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The twelve Zodiac Guardians saluted her with a fist and swiftly followed Yang Ge’s pace.
Only after Yang Ge had moved far away did Liu Dongjun lean towards Tang and complained in a low voice, "Sect Hierarch, this isn’t what we agreed upon."
Tang sighed helplessly at her, "Earlier, I also didn’t know this man was still so recklessly fearless today."
Liu Dongjun whispered her grievances, "But I’ve told you many times... "
"Yes, you have," Tang admitted.
Looking towards Yang Ge’s retreating figure, Tang mused, "But I didn’t believe it."
Before coming here, she had mentally prepared to personally test Young Master Yang Erlang.
Yet, she never expected that young people nowadays would not adhere to warrior ethics; not willing to strike, and once they did, they fought to the death...
Thus, she was forced to skip the process and go straight to presenting the result.
Although this result was also not to her liking.
Liu Dongjun, infuriated by Tang’s stubborn and irrational reasoning, felt her chest pain flaring up again.
What troubled her even more... How was she to explain to Shen Fa that she had taken advantage of his drunken slips of tongue to trick him?
Forget it, better left unsaid!
As long as he does not know I tricked him, then I have not tricked him!