"He's Zhang Danian's disciple? Are you kidding me! His last disciple ended up in a vegetative state, how dare he take another one? Isn't he afraid his Yin Gua lineage will die out?"
"Exactly! He's a menace. He can deduce yin and yang, predict malevolence, but ended up half-dead himself. I think it's best not to get involved this time; it might just be another wipeout."
"Perhaps he's young and capable? The big shots haven't said anything definitive, so what are we to say..."
"That's true..."
I hadn't expected that Wang Defa's introduction of my identity would immediately stir up so much suspicion and doubt. Most people regarded me with skepticism, while some even hurled insults.
If I hadn't restrained the hot-tempered Zhang Dabiao, in just these few steps, there would have been countless more confrontations. This also made me realize that the people present were not limited to Wang Defa's faction.
Because they occupied the central seats and the lighting was bright, I initially thought there were only a few factions. Now, upon entering, I discovered that in this room of several hundred square meters, there were no less than a hundred people, gathered in dozens of groups, large and small.
I muttered to myself, no wonder Longhu Mountain dared to openly oppose Wang Defa. Firstly, they truly looked down on Wang Defa's methods, and secondly, they had the support of so many people behind them.
This is precisely the saying, the law does not punish the masses, and even a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, unless it leads to a fight to the death. However, given the thinking of the big figures in the capital, they would likely not make such a decision.
With a dark expression, I walked unhurriedly to the last seat at the eight-immortal table, ignoring the gazes of those around me, not even exchanging pleasantries, and sat down.
Zhang Dabiao stood behind me, holding his Mountain Splitting Saber, grinning. His tiger-like eyes darted around, ready to find a few "early birds" to offer as a sacrifice to his saber at any moment.
"Oh, not bad, young man. You have courage. You truly are Zhang Danian's disciple," said the Sleeping Daoist from Maoshan, looking at me with a half-smile.
"What's the use of courage? You need real skill. Relying on your master is no skill at all. You're trash," sneered the old Daoist from Longhu Mountain, clearly harboring a strong opinion of me.
"Whether I have skill or not will be known only after entering the mountain. Otherwise, like some people, you talk a better game than you play, and end up being a complete fool. If it weren't for me, this 'disciple relying on his master,' my bones would have turned to dust by now." If others respect me one inch, I'll return the favor ten. If they truly bully me for being young and take me for a fool, then I apologize, but I don't care if you're Longhu Mountain or Cat Mountain, all of you can stand aside. Anyway, with Wang Defa as my 'big leg' to lean on, what's there to be afraid of?
"Kid... you've gone too far." This time, before the old Longhu Mountain Daoist could speak, Fang Niubizi, standing behind him, flushed slightly and interjected.
"Daoist Fang, what are you talking about? I wasn't referring to you, why are you so agitated?" I said apologetically, but my face showed no hint of remorse.
From our first meeting, Fang Niubizi had left a bad impression on me, as had his elders. Their eyes were practically glued to the sky; I wondered if they would fall into pits when walking at night.
"Kid, don't think that just because you've learned Yin Gua for a few days, you can assume nothing can be done without you..."
"Whether it can be done or not isn't up to you. If it's because I'm young and unskilled, that's perfectly fine. I can leave right now. As long as Group Leader Wang agrees, I'll leave immediately. How about that?" I said, looking at him sincerely.
Provoked by my words, the old Daoist also got angry. He snorted and looked at Wang Defa.
Wang Defa felt a headache coming on, wondering what this kid ate to grow up so fearless. He wasn't afraid of offending everyone to death and not knowing how he'd die after entering the mountain?
I looked at Wang Defa with a half-smile, genuinely hoping he would say, "You can go back, kid, you're not needed here, you can go home."
"Old Heavenly Master Fang, I know this kid's mouth is a bit sharp, but you can't let him leave."
"Why? Can't we eat pork without Butcher Zhang?"
"Well... the Tiger Kui Seal was discovered by this kid, and the location was quite hidden. I suspect it's the entrance to the Semi-Yin Realm. Without him to guide us, it will take much longer to find the Semi-Yin Realm. You know, time is the most precious commodity right now. If 'that person' finds out, it will only cause unnecessary trouble. Don't you agree?" Wang Defa spoke politely, but the underlying threat in his tone was evident even to me, let alone the Old Heavenly Master Fang, whose eyelashes were hollow.
Old Heavenly Master Fang's expression flickered. He hadn't expected Wang Defa to step forward and threaten him with the status of a powerful figure from the capital. This was the first time someone had not shown him respect since he became a Grand Heavenly Master.
At this moment, Fang Niubizi, standing behind him, lightly tugged on Old Heavenly Master Fang's sleeve and then whispered a few words in his ear.
"Hmph, this Heavenly Master is magnanimous and will not bicker with this young brat. However, if there is any further disrespect, do not expect this Heavenly Master to discipline you on behalf of your master."
Just as I was about to retort, Wang Defa spoke before me, "Thank you, Old Heavenly Master, for your magnanimity. I thank you on his behalf." He then gave me a meaningful glance.
Although I was unwilling, I knew that if I truly offended the Old Heavenly Master to the point of no return, I would be the one to suffer after entering the mountain. These old fellows who had lived for who knows how many years had hollow eyelashes. If they truly decided to play mind games with me, I might not be able to outmaneuver them.
"Thank you, Old Heavenly Master, for your magnanimity. It was my fault just now, I apologize to you." I said with a smile.
"Hmph..." Old Heavenly Master Fang said nothing more, his face dark, but his gaze towards me always carried a hint of strangeness. I wondered what kind of scheme this old fellow was preparing for me.
"Since it's confirmed that our six factions will enter the mountain, I will outline the route and potential dangers."
Wang Defa took out the prepared map and spread it on the table. He circled all the dangerous places I had marked in red, not concealing anything, and also marked the dangers I had encountered.
"There's a group of Gui Shan Xiao here? And a ghost city? Is the information accurate?" As soon as the serious discussion began, the Sleeping Daoist lost all signs of sleepiness, appearing exceptionally alert. His eyes were fixed on the map, as if afraid of missing even a single marked location.
"The information should be accurate."
"What do you mean 'should be accurate'? The mountains are not like the outside world; people die there," the Sleeping Daoist said in a deep voice, clearly dissatisfied with Wang Defa's answer.
"This was all provided by him. If there's a problem, it means he deceived everyone," Wang Defa said, pushing me forward and clearing himself.
Damn it! I thought he was being righteous just now, but it turns out he was digging a pit for me. How despicable! Seeing my resentful gaze, Wang Defa shrugged, indicating his helplessness. After all, when it came to safety, even the King of Heaven would be powerless.
"Kid, you've traveled this path before? Are you sure about the mountain specters and the ghost city?" the Sleeping Daoist asked, his eyes half-closed, his tone gentle.
"There are mountain specters, and the ghost city exists. I took out the Tiger Kui Seal in the ghost city, and was chased by a group of old ghosts, almost not making it out," I replied, still feeling a lingering fear.
"How large is the group of mountain specters? How many people are in the ghost city?"
"There are about a thousand mountain specters. I'm not sure about the number of ghosts in the ghost city, but based on my estimation, it's no less than ten thousand."
Upon hearing my answer, everyone present gasped. A thousand mountain specters, even a small detachment entering the mountain, might not fare well.
Moreover, with ten thousand ghosts in the ghost city, the hundred or so people present would not even be enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of the mountain specters and the ghosts.
"So many..."