As Xie Wei spoke, everyone present froze, completely bewildered.
Tokens for entering the city were difficult to obtain and exorbitantly expensive, far beyond the reach of ordinary people, let alone those who had the opportunity to acquire them. Now, with the soldiers acting as they were, their chance to enter the city was completely denied.
A wave of discontent instantly rippled through the crowd gathered at the gate. Shouts of protest rose as people demanded to be let into the city. To be barred entry now meant their livelihoods were cut off. Without a means to survive, how could they support their families and ascend to the peak of life?
Seeing the agitated crowd before him, Xie Wei let out a cold laugh. "You now face only one choice: either come out and kill me, or be killed by me."
With that, Xie Wei unleashed the cultivation of his Nascent Soul stage, his power sweeping out towards the surrounding crowd. The pressure, like an immense mountain, descended upon them, and everyone fell silent. They now understood the futility of confronting Xie Wei. Any struggle would be in vain.
Observing the subdued crowd, Xie Wei turned his gaze to Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge. "Do you two have any objections?"
As they stood at the forefront, Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge were the immediate targets of Xie Wei's inquiry. Hearing his perfunctory question, Su Xi quickly played along. "We have no objections." After all, with the menacing figures behind Xie Wei and the oppressive aura of his Nascent Soul cultivation, voicing any dissent would undoubtedly lead to them being severely beaten.
Xie Wei was pleased with this response. Those who could read the room and adapt were often those who lived longer.
Having dealt with the crowd, Xie Wei turned to Wu Peng behind him. "Since everyone has no objections, do you have anything to say?"
Wu Peng was displeased with Xie Wei's high-handedness, but he was powerless to act. Seeing Wu Peng speechless, Xie Wei declared, "Since you have no objections, you can report back now. We will temporarily take charge of guarding the city gate."
Wu Peng shot Xie Wei a resentful glare. Seeing his silent hostility had no effect, he led his men away. As a figure of some standing, being humiliated by Xie Wei today was not something he would let go of easily. More importantly, he needed to reclaim his prestige, lest his men lose morale and his command become untenable.
The troops of the Ministry of War were stationed outside the city. Wu Peng turned and hurried towards their main encampment, seeking assistance.
Xie Wei's subordinates watched Wu Peng depart and expressed their concern. "Are we sure it's okay to let them leave like this?" The Ministry of War, though not as powerful as the Yu family, was still not to be trifled with. The Minister of War himself was a formidable cultivator. If he learned that his men had been harassed, he would surely seek retribution.
Xie Wei chuckled coldly. "Rest assured, there will be no issues." The imperial court was currently in session, and the Minister of War was within the city. No one would discover any problems. For Xie Wei, the more pressing matter was that once Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge were apprehended, they would be allowed to pass. A simple apology would then resolve the entire affair.
Observing the tight control Xie Wei had established over the city gate, Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge knew they couldn't enter for now and had no immediate solution. They would have to postpone their entry and find another way. A direct confrontation was impossible; they would have to rely on cunning.
Looking at Ouyang Chu Ge, Su Xi suddenly said, "Let's go. I think we've found a way to enter the city."
Ouyang Chu Ge was baffled. What way could they possibly have now? Yet, he followed Su Xi without question. His priority was to resolve their immediate problem. They needed to get into the city, and other issues were secondary. Any delay was acceptable.
They pursued Wu Peng's retreating figure for a short distance before spotting him in the distance. Seeing Wu Peng, Ouyang Chu Ge finally understood Su Xi's plan: to leverage the conflict between others to solve their own problem without bloodshed.
"Sir, please wait!" Su Xi called out to Wu Peng as she approached him.
Wu Peng was already seething with anger. Seeing Su Xi appear before him, he felt an urge to lash out. He hadn't forgotten that Su Xi had sided with Xie Wei, causing him to lose face. Although he knew it wasn't entirely Su Xi's fault, he harbored no forgiveness. He hadn't expected Su Xi to seek him out, as if she were courting disaster.
"Are you here to insult me, having chased me all the way here?" Wu Peng stopped, his gaze fixed on Su Xi. He desperately wanted to vent his frustration. Since Su Xi had come to him, she shouldn't blame him. He wouldn't feel at ease until he released his anger.
Hearing the anger in Wu Peng's voice, Su Xi understood his displeasure but remained unfazed. It was precisely this anger she needed. She flashed a wide smile and began to flatter him. "Sir, please don't be angry. I only acted as I did just now out of necessity and not because I truly supported them. I've chased after you to tell you a secret, so please don't misunderstand."
"Hmm?" Wu Peng's interest was piqued by Su Xi's words. He looked at her with curiosity. He had no prior dealings with Su Xi, so he couldn't fathom what secret she might have to share.
Su Xi smiled and continued, "You likely don't know why those people dared to offend you and seize the city gate, do you?"
"What do you know?" Wu Peng's interest grew as he looked at Su Xi. He was genuinely curious about what the Yu family was up to. If today's incident escalated, it would surely attract scrutiny from higher authorities. While the Yu family held some power, they couldn't operate with impunity, and significant trouble would ensue. Therefore, there must be a tremendous benefit driving them to openly occupy the city gate, disregarding any objections.
Su Xi smiled, but didn't elaborate further. The area was too public, and speaking more might lead to unforeseen problems. For her own safety, it was best to be discreet.
Wu Peng noticed Su Xi's reticence and understood her thoughts. Without hesitation, he barked orders, "Disperse and guard the surroundings."
"Yes, sir." The well-trained soldiers responded immediately and fanned out, forming a perimeter around Su Xi. Once the area was clear, Wu Peng cast a protective barrier, enveloping himself and Su Xi. While not a powerful technique, the barrier could block any prying eyes. Any attempt to eavesdrop would be detected, and the conversation could be terminated at any moment.
After this was done, Wu Peng turned to Su Xi. "I've done all this. Are you ready to tell me the Yu family's true intentions?" If he could uncover their objective, he could gain a crucial advantage. He and the Yu family had been rivals for years. The opportunity to thwart their plans would be invaluable, allowing him to resolve the issue while securing his own future.
Su Xi smiled and began her explanation. "They have occupied the teleportation array and are continuously absorbing the Nascent Souls of cultivators, engaging in unspeakable acts..." Su Xi didn't hold back, even exaggerating her account.
Wu Peng initially dismissed it as a minor secret, but as he listened to Su Xi, his expression grew grave. If Su Xi's words were true, then the Yu family deserved a thousand deaths.
"Is what you're saying true or false?" Wu Peng asked Su Xi, uncertainty in his voice. Such critical information required careful consideration.
Su Xi waved her hand, a hint of helplessness in her tone. "Whether it's true or false, you'll know if you see for yourself."
"See for myself?" Wu Peng looked at Su Xi, not understanding her meaning. How could he possibly see what was happening? There was nothing visible, and even if the Yu family committed heinous acts, they would certainly leave no evidence. Finding proof would be incredibly difficult.
Su Xi, aware of Wu Peng's concerns, smiled and produced a spirit-recording talisman, handing it to him. "All the truth has been recorded here. You can see for yourself whether it's real or not." Since she intended to act, Su Xi had come prepared. Regardless of the machinations within the capital of the Great Xuan Empire, such cruel treatment of cultivators was unacceptable. The Yu family's actions had ignited widespread outrage.
Wu Peng, his heart racing with excitement, watched the spirit-recording talisman Su Xi had given him. He quickly tucked it into his chest pocket and cautiously inquired, "How did you obtain something like this?" Su Xi's identity deeply perplexed him. He couldn't fathom how she had acquired such classified information. The Yu family, having engaged in such activities, would surely have taken precautions. Su Xi's cultivation level alone was insufficient to escape the Yu family's elaborate traps. The only plausible explanation was that Su Xi's identity was unusual.
Su Xi, having anticipated Wu Peng's suspicions, replied, "To be honest, I am someone who has just escaped from the Yu family, the very person they are currently searching for." Wu Peng had already entertained this possibility, but hearing Su Xi admit it so readily still filled him with disbelief. She had confessed so openly? Did Su Xi not worry that he might be a villain?