Lin Heng Had Been Stealing Too Much of the Spotlight—He Had to Be Suppressed

In the central region of Lan Continent, where the territories of the three Righteous Path Martial Arts Holy Lands met, stood a nation known as the Flying Waterfall Dynasty.

Because it lay at the heart of the continent, with the Lan River waterway running through it and connecting all regions, ships, goods, and people flowed through it constantly.

Over the years of transporting goods, its capital, Flying Waterfall City, had gradually developed into the most renowned city of consumption on the entire continent.

In this city known as Heaven on Earth, there were the greatest number of beauties, the most splendid garments, the finest foods, the most thrilling casinos, and the richest array of goods.

Every day, immense sums of money and countless treasures flowed through this city.

They provided vast tax revenues to the Flying Waterfall Dynasty that governed the place, and also brought generous profits to the three great Righteous Path Martial Arts Holy Lands that supported the imperial family of the Flying Waterfall Dynasty.

Because Flying Waterfall City was a city of consumption, it had become one of the fastest places for information to spread across the continent.

Aside from Sect Members and Disciples of the three great Martial Arts Holy Lands stationed here, figures from every walk of life also gathered in this place.

In this city called Flying Waterfall, the appearance of people from any faction or any region was not strange at all.

Thus, a meeting orchestrated by Li Hen Pavilion against Cloud Sword Palace and Lin Heng was held here.

As dusk approached, at a dock in a designated fireworks district outside Flying Waterfall City, painted boats began taking on guests.

Many richly dressed people wearing masks came here. Led aboard by one madam after another, they entered the painted boats, which then raised their sails and set off.

A painted boat named Forget Worry Pavilion blended inconspicuously among them. Once the lanterns began to glow, it had taken on enough guests and carried a host of differently dressed passengers along a tributary of the Lan River waterway.

No one knew that this painted boat belonged to Li Hen Pavilion, and that every attendant working aboard it tonight was a core disciple of Li Hen Pavilion.

Other than Li Hen Pavilion's upper echelon, the guests who boarded this painted boat were all high-ranking members of various Evil Sects and unorthodox factions. Unrestrained in their conduct and slaughtering people like flies, they were targets of suppression by the three great Righteous Path Martial Arts Holy Lands and the officials of many dynasties.

"I won't waste words. That Young Sect Master Lin Heng of Cloud Sword Palace has been stealing too much of the spotlight lately. He has to be suppressed."

Li Hen Pavilion Elder Hao Shuang was a woman who looked to be sixteen, with exquisite features and a capable, refined air.

After seeing the representatives of the many factions exchange greetings and then lapse into silence, she took the initiative to break the stillness.

"Suppress him? How?"

"Lin Heng never leaves home. Are we supposed to join forces, storm the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, and kill him?"

A man seated not far away, quietly drinking tea, heard this and sneered without courtesy.

If these Evil Sects and unorthodox factions had the ability to openly contend with Cloud Sword Palace, a Martial Arts Holy Land, they would not have been suppressed into rats hiding in gutters, too afraid even to gather openly.

To be honest, the reason these Evil Sects had survived beneath the Righteous Path's suppression was that they had no fixed mountain gates.

Their inheritances were also passed on secretly in the shadows. Otherwise, they would have been exterminated long ago.

"Shu Qiu, mind your tone."

"We called your Divine Doctor Sect here this time to solve a problem, not to quarrel."

"Before long, Cloud Sword Palace will hold a Grandmaster Ceremony for Lin Heng. That will be the perfect chance to infiltrate them. Aren't you known as an unparalleled poison doctor? When the time comes, you can poison everyone in Cloud Sword Palace and knock them all flat."

Hao Shuang snapped back without hesitation.

The Divine Doctor Sect was also called the Poison Doctor Sect by the Heroes of the Jianghu. Having often seized people at will to test medicines on them and caused many deaths, they had earned a vile reputation that made people turn pale at its mention.

At her words, Shu Qiu's hand paused as he drank his tea.

A Martial Arts Holy Land like Cloud Sword Palace, with an inheritance spanning many years, guarded its food and water sources with the utmost care. Its Sect Members and Disciples all understood medicine, and identifying and distinguishing poisons was no difficult task for them. How could he possibly poison them so easily?

If it were truly that easy, Cloud Sword Palace, which occupied so many benefits, would have been wiped out long ago by the imperial families of its Vassal States. It would never have been their turn to act.

"Enough, enough. Let's discuss business properly."

"Since Elder Hao called us here, you must already have a complete plan in mind, correct?"

Xue Ming, an Elder from the Mad Blood Gang, stepped in to smooth things over.

The Nether Palace Elder Shi Wuzheng and the Limitless Hall Elder Yu Mo, who had remained silent, also turned their gazes toward Hao Shuang, wishing to hear what brilliant insight she had.

"I do have a plan."

Hao Shuang gave an affirmative answer.

Only after seeing that everyone's attention had settled on her did she continue, "Because our Li Hen Pavilion Great Elder attempted an assassination during Lin Heng's Master Acknowledgment Ceremony, we likely have no chance of sneaking in to assassinate him during this Grandmaster Ceremony."

"I did not gather everyone here to make trouble for Lin Heng at the Grandmaster Ceremony four months from now. It is to deal with him in the future, when he leaves the mountain to roam the Jianghu after completing his training."

"If he wishes to become a Heaven-Human Realm expert, he will inevitably have to leave the mountain and travel. He cannot remain cooped up within his mountain gate and sing all the way to soaring heights. That will be our chance to strike."

Hearing this, the representatives of the other four factions nodded in agreement.

If Li Hen Pavilion had suggested another assassination attempt at the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, they would have been utterly out of their minds.

First, Cloud Sword Palace's security would certainly be even tighter than last time. Second, Lin Heng's martial arts had already reached the Grandmaster Realm, and his Combat Power was formidable. Though he was far from a match for a Great Grandmaster, he would not be utterly incapable of fighting back.

As long as he could withstand a single move, he could receive support from the endless flow of experts around him.

Under such circumstances, swiftly killing Lin Heng within the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, where experts abounded, and then retreating unscathed was utterly impossible unless they sent a Legendary Level Heaven-Human Realm expert.

If they had a Legendary Level Heaven-Human Realm expert, would they still be reduced to their current state?

Did they not want to become Martial Arts Holy Lands renowned throughout the Jianghu and revered by hundreds of millions?

"I hope our five factions can work together in full cooperation, sharing intelligence and methods while keeping constant watch on Lin Heng."

"The moment he leaves the mountain gate, we will find an opportunity to strike in secret and kill him. Otherwise, if we truly wait for him to grow stronger, I fear there will no longer be any place for us to stand."

Hao Shuang spoke as she swept her gaze around the room.

Her words won everyone's approval, and they voiced their agreement one after another.

Afterward, they began discussing how to deal with Lin Heng.

These people committed every evil imaginable; they were wicked to the bone. Asking them to do good might have been difficult, but now that they were plotting evil, inspiration flowed through their minds in an endless stream.

Scheme after scheme was proposed, and the details of many plans were refined.

Everything now awaited Lin Heng's descent from the mountain.