Upon returning to Dongyao City, Cheng Poyue and Xiao Zhantian had long since received the news and were waiting eagerly at the city gates.
Seeing the several hundred elite reinforcements Zhou Yunnan and Pei Xiu had brought, the two were so moved that tears filled their tiger eyes. They strode forward and clasped their fists heavily. "Villa Master Zhou! Hall Master Pei! No words can repay such great kindness!"
"Haha, Poyue! Zhantian! We're brothers in the same boat now. Why say such things?"
Pei Xiu heartily patted their shoulders.
The group returned to the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion and took their seats.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the atmosphere turned heavy once more.
Pei Xiu smashed a fist heavily against the armrest, breaking the silence. His thick brows were tightly furrowed as he said, "Damn it! This is suffocating! That old thief Shen Zhiqin has more and more lackeys, snowballing by the day! With what little we have, no men and no territory, what are we supposed to use to fight him? Just thinking about it makes my blood boil!"
Zhou Yunnan frowned deeply and turned his worried gaze toward Jiang Bei. "Jiang Bei, I heard... your benefactor, Elder Qin Tianhong, along with your fellow disciples... are they still in the Tianyao Alliance, in Shen Zhiqin's hands?"
Jiang Bei's heart tightened, and he slowly nodded. "Yes. Elder Wen had originally asked Qi Yuan to find a way to rescue them, but... Qi Yuan betrayed us. Master and the others... are now in Shen Zhiqin's hands. Whether they are alive or dead remains unknown."
"This..."
Zhou Yunnan's expression immediately darkened further, and even the hand stroking his beard froze. "This truly is a leaking roof meeting a night of endless rain! We were already weak and isolated,