In the tea room, Liu Ruyan paced restlessly, her face etched with worry. She could tell that the four elders from Longhu Mountain and the four mysterious figures in black robes were no ordinary individuals. While she knew her brother Xiao’s skills were exceptional, facing eight Grandmasters, all at the peak of the Three Flowers Gathering realm, simultaneously made the outcome uncertain.
Jun Bufan tried to comfort her, "Sister-in-law, please don't worry. I've been with Big Brother for a long time. He never does anything he isn't sure of. Since he dared to come to the appointment today, it means he’s confident!"
"Yes, sister-in-law, Yunlong will be fine. Please rest assured!" Big Cousin Tang Bowen also offered his reassurance.
Just then, a series of explosive thuds suddenly erupted from the private dining room next door, like thunder from a clear sky. The sounds of collision followed, as incessant as raging storms.
Hearing such a commotion, even Jun Bufan and Tang Bowen fell silent.
The three of them tensed, straining their ears to listen. From the sounds of impact, they could gauge the intensity of the battle raging on the other side.
However, the sounds of fighting came and went as quickly as they had started. Suddenly, they ceased abruptly, coming to a complete halt!
"Is it over already?" Jun Bufan asked, stunned.
"Let's go and see!" Liu Ruyan made the decision immediately.
But just as she was about to step forward, the tea room door creaked open, and Xiao Yunlong appeared at the entrance.
"Yunlong, how are you? Are you alright?" Liu Ruyan rushed over, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, checking his condition.
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly and said, "Those old fellows, with one foot already in the grave, what could happen to me!"
Liu Ruyan nodded heavily, her anxious heart finally at ease.
Jun Bufan stepped forward and asked, "Big Brother, what about those eight Grandmasters at the Three Flowers Gathering realm? Did you take care of them all?"
"What else?" Xiao Yunlong retorted with a smile.
"But... but that was too quick. It hasn't even been two minutes, and you took down eight Grandmasters?"
Jun Bufan and Tang Bowen's faces were filled with utter shock.
Xiao Yunlong shrugged his shoulders, "Not all of them. Zhang Quanche, seeing that the situation was not in his favor, directly jumped out the window and escaped into the Jiangdong River!"
Tang Bowen immediately said, "No wonder I thought I heard a splash during the fight just now. But the fighting was too noisy at the time, and I didn't pay much attention. Otherwise, we could have pursued him."
Xiao Yunlong waved his hand, "Zhang Quanche being the Deputy Commander of the Eastern Domain Army Camp proves he's no mere pushover. He's also a Grandmaster. He can hold his breath underwater for extended periods. This is the flood season, and the Jiangdong River is swift. Forget you, even I might not be able to find him if I pursued."
Jun Bufan said, "It's actually easy to handle. As the saying goes, a fleeing monk can't escape the temple. Zhang Quanche is the second master of the Zhang family. He must have fled back to the Zhang family by now, right? Can't we just go find the Zhang family now!"
"Brother Bufan, you might be mistaken this time," Tang Bowen interjected with a smile before Xiao Yunlong could speak. "I dare bet that Zhang Quanche would never flee back to the Zhang family. He's more likely to have escaped back to the Eastern Domain Army Camp."
"Why?" Jun Bufan couldn't help but ask.
"Because if he fled directly back to the Zhang family, it would implicate the entire clan!" Tang Bowen said, then looked meaningfully at Xiao Yunlong.
It had to be said that Tang Bowen was indeed a scholar in his youth, and he had a particular fondness for books on military strategy and Yin-Yang philosophy. During his period of confinement with a broken leg, he had practically devoured all the relevant classics.
Xiao Yunlong nodded slightly, "Bowen is right. Zhang Quanche should be on his way back to the Eastern Domain Army Camp by now. We don't need to worry about him for the moment. We can deal with him later when there's an opportunity to go to the Eastern Domain!"
"What about the Zhang family, Yunlong? How do you plan to deal with them next?" Tang Bowen asked.
Logically, the Zhang family should have been wiped out for their involvement in the murder. However, the Zhang family was no ordinary clan. The elder patriarch of the Zhang family was one of the ten founding scholars of the Dragon Kingdom.
Moreover, on the surface, the Zhang family did not seem to have directly or fully participated in this matter.
Xiao Yunlong raised his eyebrows and looked at Tang Bowen, saying solemnly, "Bowen, go to the Zhang family. Tell the Zhang family patriarch to come and see me!"
"Yes!" Tang Bowen immediately nodded. Being astute, he understood this was Xiao Yunlong giving the Zhang family one last chance.
If the Zhang family patriarch refused to come after receiving the notification, then only annihilation awaited the Zhang family.
"Bufan, set this place on fire, and let's go!"
After speaking, Xiao Yunlong took Liu Ruyan's delicate hand and walked directly out of the side door.
Liu Ruyan really wanted to turn back and look into the adjacent dining room. She imagined the battle that had just taken place must have been incredibly fierce, and she was curious about the current state of those eight Grandmasters at the Three Flowers Gathering realm.
However, since the two of them had already exited through the side door, it was awkward for her to go back. After all, there was nothing much to see in dead bodies.
Little did Liu Ruyan imagine that as the four of them descended the seven-story wooden tower, it suddenly began to creak and groan. The tower's beams snapped, and finally, the entire structure collapsed with a roar.
It was likely that the powerful residual energy from the fierce battle had already weakened and broken the tower's pillars and beams.
Jun Bufan didn't hesitate and set the place ablaze. The fire quickly spread. Fortunately, this was a small island in the middle of the river, and besides this collapsing tower, there were no other buildings. Therefore, there was no need to worry about the fire spreading elsewhere.
The four of them boarded a boat and left the island. Upon reaching the shore, they drove directly back to Purple Cloud Villa.
Just as the four of them departed, a head suddenly emerged from the turbulent river water. It was none other than Zhang Quanche, who had jumped into the river to escape when the situation turned unfavorable.
"Xiao Yunlong, damn it! I can't believe eight Grandmasters working together couldn't take you down. Have you already reached the legendary Innate Aperture Opening realm?"
Zhang Quanche gritted his teeth, staring in the direction Xiao Yunlong had left, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Zhang family, I absolutely cannot return there now, or I will implicate the family. However, I also cannot return directly to the Eastern Domain Army Camp. As long as this bastard named Xiao is alive, I will never have peace of mind!"
Zhang Quanche's face contorted with rage. After a long period of contemplation, he said, "To Longhu Mountain. It seems I must ask the ancestor of Longhu Mountain to intervene. Oh, and that dog-like fellow named Xiao just now, he seemed to be using the Eight Trigram Swimming Dragon Palm of the Wudang Sect. He actually stole a Wudang sect ultimate skill."
Upon saying this, Zhang Quanche's mind hatched another wicked scheme. He muttered, "Why not persuade Longhu Mountain and Wudang Sect, and also Shaoshi Mountain, to form an alliance and issue a martial arts crusade order to execute this villain Xiao Yunlong!"
"Yes, yes, this plan is feasible!"
With that, Zhang Quanche plunged back into the water and completely disappeared from the area.