Chapter 417: Chapter 416: First Entry into the Hidden Sect
"No, just a show of force will do," the Fatty Taoist hastily shook his head and said.
Qin Yanyang frowned slightly, "Just a show of force will ensure Yang Fei’s safety?"
The Fatty Taoist nodded, "The eight factions of the Hidden Sect are not united as one. Faced with the threat of life and death, they dare not refuse to bow. Moreover, Yang Fei does not pose a threat to them; what they want is merely the inheritance of the Taoist. Once your tough stance is made clear here, the Hidden Sect will not dare to harm him, ensuring Yang Fei’s safety."
"What if the people from the Hidden Sect refuse to bow? Can I really bombard their world? It’s not just the eight major forces of the Hidden Sect that live there, but also countless innocent people. And these people are the Divine Continent People, the most precious wealth and strength of the Divine Continent, which will be of great use in the future," Qin Yanyang said.
The Fatty Taoist shook his head, "It won’t come to that. The Hidden Sect has forgotten its agreements with the Divine Continent Country; they were the first to break the agreement of old, looking to change the rules. Do you think by removing those who have infiltrated the secular world that they will give up the idea of entering the secular world? If the Divine Continent wants peace, it must resolve this significant threat posed by the Hidden Sect."
Qin Yanyang did not refute.
The Hidden Sect exists apart from the world, able to live harmoniously with the Divine Continent because everyone abides by the rules. Even for the previous Divine Continent, the Hidden Sect was the greatest Guardian behind the scenes.
However, the nature of the Hidden Sect has now changed.
Specifically, it changed after the Taoist Sect was attacked and breached.
With the constraints of the Taoist Sect, the Hidden Sect and the Divine Continent Country coexisted peacefully, taking care of each other, living according to their mutually agreed rules.
But now, the Hidden Sect has become a land with no master at all, with the Eight Great Sects and aristocratic families each having their own ideas, showing more and more intention to enter the secular world. This has severely threatened the balance and stability of the Divine Continent.
Therefore, resolving this hidden danger from the Hidden Sect is an urgent issue.
But Qin Yanyang knew that what the higher-ups wanted was a smooth resolution of this danger.
"Girl, go and explain the pros and cons of this matter to the higher-ups, try to get it resolved as soon as possible," Qin Huai’an suddenly said.
Qin Yanyang looked at her grandfather, her gaze filled with questions.
With a sigh, Qin Huai’an said, "He who hesitates is lost. Since this hidden danger from the Hidden Sect must eventually be resolved, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later."
Qin Yanyang slowly shook her head, "Such a significant matter is beyond my decision."
"You are now the Director of the Military Department, and the higher-ups support you so that you can deal with the future troubles from the Hidden Sect; thus, you might as well make your demands and see just how much support they truly offer you," Qin Huai’an said.
Qin Yanyang’s brow furrowed slightly, and she said in a deep voice, "How are we different from the past Zhang Family then?"
Bristling with anger, Qin Huai’an exclaimed, "Nonsense, the Zhang Family was driven by selfish motives, while we are wholeheartedly serving our country. How can you even compare the two?"
Qin Yanyang looked at her grandfather and knew from her understanding of him that he had a heart full of righteousness and wasn’t speaking empty words.
Yet for some reason, she always felt uneasy about the Fatty Taoist whom she had never met.
She knew he was Yang Fei’s teacher and the benefactor who had taught her the Xuanyin Scripture. Moreover, as a Taoist Inheritor, he had always had a good reputation and was trustworthy. However, when it came to national matters, he seemed too eager to intervene, which made her vigilant.
However, Qin Yanyang did not express these thoughts. After all, she was concerned about Yang Fei’s safety, and what her grandfather and the Fatty Taoist had said made sense.
The threat posed by the Hidden Sect would have to be dealt with sooner or later, and proposing a solution now was consistent with her role as the acting director of the Military Department. As for what the higher-ups decided, that was not in her hands.
"I will draft a military strategy report regarding the Hidden Sect’s threat and submit it to the higher-ups, but I can’t guarantee they will approve it," Qin Yanyang said.
The Fatty Taoist and Qin Huai’an both nodded, with the latter saying, "Indeed, fulfill your duty according to your position. You just need to follow your heart and do what you must."
...
Leaving the courtyard, Qin Yanyang drove towards the headquarters of the Military Department, her mind preoccupied with thoughts.
The sudden assignment by the Military Department to apprehend Yang Fei, along with the Hidden Sect master killing Yang Fei’s uncle—these unexpected events disrupted their marriage plans, which frustrated her.
Now Yang Fei had ventured into the Hidden Sect World to avenge his uncle, and she was deeply concerned for him.
Grandpa and the Fatty Taoist’s attitudes today had made her somewhat wary.
She wondered why the Fatty Taoist was so eager to push the country to act against Hidden Sects.
Was it to avenge the destruction of the Taoist sect and thus eliminate the Eight Great Forces, thereafter reorganizing the Taoist’s mission?
Or was it for some other purpose?
Though she was only twenty-four, she had a high understanding of human nature. She knew human nature was the most complicated thing in the world and that most wars in the human world were caused by human greed.
Ultimately, she could not figure out the Fatty Taoist’s intentions, so she repressed the thoughts deep in her heart and stopped pondering over them.
Rescuing Yang Fei, however, was something that had to be done.
If the higher-ups did not agree with her operation plan, then as Yang Fei’s wife, she would also have to visit the Hidden Sect. She had to ensure Yang Fei’s safety at all costs and bring him back.
...
Let’s turn to another matter.
One month ago, after Yang Fei, Wang Lei, and Xu Jian entered the Hidden Sect World, what appeared before their eyes was a vibrant oasis-like scene.
The three of them were high in the air, more than ten meters above the ground, feeling the surge of dense Power Elements around them. Xu Jian couldn’t help but exclaim with joy, "Such rich Spiritual Energy, worthy of the Hidden Sect’s Small World."
Yang Fei was also silently amazed.
Although he had long known that Hidden Sects were worlds centered on cultivation, and everything here was more suitable for martial arts training, he was still greatly surprised after clearly feeling the activity of the Power Elements of heaven and earth, which was very different from the outside world.
Wang Lei, however, wore a look of melancholy. It had been ten years, and he hadn’t expected to return here again.
For those pursuing cultivation, this place was Heaven, but for Wang Lei, who had grown up here, he felt it was a huge cage.
Thanks to Wang Lei’s reminder before coming in, the three were connected together.
Under the influence of gravity, they were plummeting rapidly. Xu Jian extended his Telekinesis, causing winds to howl and clouds to gather. Power Elements invisible to the naked eye gathered around the three men, cushioning their falling bodies and letting them drift slowly downwards.
"Who dares trespass into the Hidden Sect’s forbidden area?"
Just as the three were falling, a robust and powerful voice came from afar.
Wang Lei’s expression changed, and he quietly warned, "This is bad, we’ve alarmed the Lord Guardian. Don’t act rashly; I’ll handle this."
As he spoke, the three had already landed in a clearing in the forest.
Wang Lei discreetly took out two Pass Tokens from his bosom, tokens he had obtained from Duanmu Yun and Duanmu Hai.
In just a moment, a powerful presence approached rapidly.
The three men’s hearts tightened, secretly shocked.
They had just entered the Hidden Sect World and had already encountered such a formidable master.
Judging by the aura emanating from the stranger, Yang Fei and Xu Jian assessed that this person’s strength was at the Innate Realm.
But the Innate Realm here was evidently different from the Innate Realm of the Divine Continent Martial World. This person’s momentum was too strong, with an almost palpable sense of spiritual pressure being exuded.
Soon the three of them discovered that not far behind that person were several other presences rapidly approaching, among which two were nearly at the Innate level and the other two were also masters above the Energy Transformation Seventh Rank.
True to its nature as a land of cultivation, the number of martial arts masters here far exceeded that of the secular world.