"Tell me, what makes you think you deserve the Sword Hiding Hermitage?"
Li Yumen looked ready to cry. "Still, I know that even if the sect doesn't bestow the Sword Hiding Hermitage upon you, it won't bestow it upon me either. Rather than let the Sword Hiding Hermitage fall into the hands of some other martial artist, I'd much rather see it fall into yours."
Lin Bai shook his head slightly and let out a long sigh. "You think I wanted this hot potato? Senior Brother Li, to be honest, an envoy from the Heng Province Alliance came a few days ago to demand ownership of the Sun Moon Divine Flower and the Ten-Thousand Year Spirit Milk. I refused him flatly, so I figure I've already offended the Heng Province Alliance."
Li Yumen snorted. "So what if you offended them? You offended the Heng Province Alliance the moment you joined the Lian Province Alliance. Barefoot people don't fear those wearing shoes. The Heng Province Alliance has already sentenced every martial artist of the Lian Province Alliance to death. Once they're on the chopping block, it's all the same single stroke. Are you really afraid of adding another charge?"
Lin Bai frowned. "Senior Brother Li, I'm curious. Why has the Lian Province Alliance fallen out so badly with the other twelve provincial alliances within the Eternal Devil Sect? The other twelve provincial alliances don't seem very friendly toward the Lian Province Alliance."
Li Yumen said bleakly, "Because you're weak. That's why they bully you."
"The Lian Province Alliance lies on the outskirts of the Eternal Thirteen Provinces. The land is poor, the population sparse, and resources scarce. It can't compare with the other twelve provinces. On top of that, Lian Province borders Xuan Province, and they've been locked in constant warfare