Chapter 478: Chapter 477: The Direction to Break the Stalemate
Inside the wooden door that had been shattered by Wang Changchun’s attack, Qin Yanyang sat cross-legged.
The wooden building had long been surrounded by practitioners from the Hidden Sect, but she paid them no mind.
Even the complex gazes of the Hidden Sect practitioners who continuously peered at her through the ruined doorway under the pretext of patrolling went unnoticed by her.
She was fully focused on nourishing her Sea of Consciousness, seizing the time to maintain herself in the best possible state.
More and more people were gathering here, a scenario she had anticipated.
However, with the arrival of Ouyang He, Qin Yanyang found her state of mind unable to remain perfectly calm.
Ouyang He of the Poison Sect was known as the "Old Poison Master," a master of poison whose methods were invisible; if she were careless and got poisoned, she would be in trouble.
Of course, she knew that although she remained vigilant, if these powerful practitioners of the Hidden Sect truly wanted to make a move against her, she would not be able to resist.
The only thing she could hope for was that these people had some apprehension about the outside world.
After all, Chen Liangzhong and Mo Li had already taken the lead in testing for them, and the power of the specially-made weapons from the outside world might inspire some awe in these haughty powerhouses.
"Wang Chunyang is here."
Wang Changchun burst into hearty laughter, welcoming the approaching troop on horseback.
At the forefront of the troop was none other than the sixth son of the Wang Family, Wang Chunyang.
Compared to Wang Changchun and the others, Wang Chunyang was much younger.
Dressed in a long, green robe with a ruddy complexion and pearly teeth, he had the air of a refined scholar; had it not been for the ordinary longsword in his hand, many would have taken him for a student rather than a swordsman.
In contrast to Wang Changchun, Wang Chunyang gave off an amiable and approachable vibe, with no pretense or intimidating aura.
He dismounted and greeted the several Divine Travel Realm powerhouses present with clasped hands and a bow: "You all arrived so quickly. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, and you all still look splendid."
Having said that, he also gave a clasped-hand salute to the other cultivators around, nodding and smiling with a gentle demeanor, as if to greet everyone present.
This gracious behavior made everyone feel at ease, reinforcing the rumor that the "Sword Obsession" of the Wang Family was indeed as good-tempered as rumored.
However, those with discerning eyes noticed that, after Wang Chunyang’s arrival, even though Wang Changchun was the first to greet him, Wang Chunyang responded with a salute to everyone, not addressing Wang Changchun personally.
At this moment, a middle-aged man stepped forward from the crowd and said to Wang Chunyang with clasped hands, "Mr. Wang, I am Duanmu Ming."
Wang Chunyang nodded slightly: "Brother Duanmu."
Duanmu Ming asked: "May I inquire, Mr. Wang, if the young master from the Wang Family who left ten years ago, Wang Lei, has now returned to the family?"
A sharp look flickered deep in Wang Chunyang’s eyes, but he retained his amiable smile and shook his head, "Are you referring to that brat Wang Lei?"
"Precisely," replied Duanmu Ming solemnly.
Wang Chunyang chuckled: "Why do you ask about this? Could it be that you want to ridicule the Wang Family for producing such a rebellious scion?"
Duanmu Ming’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly said: "I wouldn’t dare. It’s just that a recent incident has occurred related to that Wang Lei. It’s a serious matter. My aristocratic family has lost many experts, and even my cousin Duanmu Cheng is missing. Therefore, my Duanmu Family has already issued a warrant for Wang Lei and Qi Hongshao, to ensure that the boy has no lingering ties with the Wang Family. Hence my inquiry."
Before Wang Chunyang could answer, Wang Changchun snorted coldly and interjected: "That Duanmu Cheng brought trouble upon himself. Those who died in my aristocratic family were harmed by Duanmu Cheng himself; what does it have to do with others? Does your aristocratic family have any shame to speak of this matter? I’d like to ask you, why did the aristocratic family send people to steal a secret manual from Giant Sword Manor? Where is the secret manual that was lost from my Giant Sword Manor now? Will your aristocratic family return it or not?"
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Ming’s face reddened with anger and he retorted: "Master Wang, be careful with your words. The matter has not yet been clarified. How can you jump to conclusions and tarnish the reputation of our aristocratic family?"
Wang Changchun sneered: "Humph, does your aristocratic family still have any reputation? If you dare to do such things, you should have the courage to admit it. Otherwise, what kind of men are you?"
Duanmu Ming shot back angrily: "Does Master Wang think he can bully the Duanmu Family just because our elders haven’t arrived yet?"
Suddenly, more than a dozen people stood up behind him, all from the Duanmu Family.
These individuals who roamed the Martial Arts World did not reside in Muyun City. Upon learning of the significant events about to unfold here, they had rushed over much faster than those from the Duanmu Family in Muyun City.
Wang Changchun gave these people a dismissive glance, his face full of scorn.
Just then, Zuo Wenjun hurriedly spoke up in an attempt to smooth things over, saying, "Everyone, please calm your anger. We are gathered here today for a matter of great importance involving the Hidden Sect and the outside world. I hope that you all can temporarily set aside your personal grievances."
Seeing Zuo Wenjun speak up, Mo Li quickly added, "Exactly, I hope everyone can prioritize the bigger picture."
Upon hearing this, Wang Changchun chuckled, nodded, and said, "Alright, let’s first settle the matters at hand before anything else. As for the feud between Giant Sword Manor and the Duanmu Family, it’s not something I should discuss with you youngsters. We’ll wait for your elders to arrive."
Duanmu Ming and the others, though unconvinced in their hearts, did not say anything further.
After all, if a fight truly broke out, it would be they who suffered.
Inside the wooden building, Qin Yanyang heard all the clamor outside.
Just as she understood about the Hidden Sect, the eight great forces of the Hidden Sect acted independently and cautiously. Although they maintained a surface-level balance and harmony, many grievances and enmities had already been buried.
Her mind raced, considering whether she could use this opportunity to find a breakthrough.
Only half the people had arrived, yet there were already six Divine Travel Realm powerhouses outside.
Among them, Ouyang He from the Poison Sect, Wang Chunyang, known as Sword Obsession from the Wang Family, and the manor owner of Giant Sword Manor were top ten combatants within the Hidden Sect World.
By this measure, the representatives from the other forces were likely to be top-level fighters as well.
She and Yang Fei, two young people, had managed to draw out these powerful figures. Did they really hold her in such high regard?
Qin Yanyang didn’t think she had that much clout.
Yet Ouyang He, Wang Chunyang, and Wang Changchun had personally come.
Their goal must be directed at the Military Department outside the passage.
Perhaps the failure of Mo Li and Chen Liangzhong to penetrate the formation had alarmed these top-tier Hidden Sect practitioners. They wanted to see if the outside world truly possessed the power to threaten them.
Qin Yanyang was inwardly very anxious.
It wasn’t that she lacked confidence in the Military Department.
It was because this time, the members of the Military Department guarding the passageway outside numbered only thirty, and they had brought limited specialized weapons.
If all the top-tier practitioners of the Hidden Sect World joined forces to break out, it was highly likely that those outside would not be able to contain everyone.
Even if they inflicted casualties on a few, it would completely inflame the conflict between the two worlds.
What to do?
Although she was determined to face life and death alongside Yang Fei, she would never allow a great war between the two worlds to happen because of them, bringing a calamity upon the people of the Divine Continent.
However, things had reached this point, and worrying was futile.
She concentrated on running her Cultivation Technique, adjusting her mindset to calm herself down.
At the moment, the most important thing was to wait for Yang Fei’s arrival.
As long as Yang Fei was here, she would have help, and together as husband and wife, they might have a chance to escape.
As for whether the Hidden Sect’s powerhouses would band together to break out, Qin Yanyang frowned in thought, pondering her strategy.
Outside, the discussions grew louder as more people arrived at the scene. Several times she heard people arguing about bursting in to capture her to use as leverage, demanding that the outside world withdraw its troops.
However, those who shouted the loudest were all young people.
Young people?
A glint suddenly flashed in Qin Yanyang’s eyes.
It seemed that there might be a direction for breaking the deadlock.