Divine Blade Sect

Ma San had never heard Wang Feng and the other man's names mentioned. He already understood.

Turning to Su Ye, he said, "My lord, I never expected Yan Shan to be so narrow-minded. I was blind."

"It's nothing. Do you regret getting too close to me?"

"Your kindness in saving my life is engraved in my heart, my lord. How could I regret it?"

Su Ye smiled calmly. "Then let's pay the Divine Blade Sect a visit."

At Yunzhou City, the gates stood wide open. Hundreds of Demon Suppression Division officers and commanders, along with most of the Demon Suppression Guards, marched out in a mighty procession.

Countless citizens stopped to watch from both sides of the street, whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Did something terrible happen?"

A middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes quietly said to the person beside him, "I heard the Divine Blade Sect was exposed for colluding with Demonic Beasts."

"What?" someone beside the finely dressed man cried out.

"The Divine Blade Sect? That's a major sect with a Qi Condensation expert in charge. It's a first-rate power in Yunzhou. How could they collude with Demonic Beasts?"

The finely dressed man's expression changed drastically. "Idiot, keep your voice down! This is no small matter. Do you want the Demon Suppression Division to hear you?"

In the crowd, Wang Feng and Xue Ping exchanged a glance. Xue Ping smirked triumphantly. "Su Ye's dead for sure this time. Hah, acting all high and mighty."

"That fool Ma San has no idea what's good for him. Brother Yan made it clear that Su Ye isn't one of us."

"He even dared to question Brother Yan. I say he'd be lucky to survive this."

Wang Feng nodded slightly, a trace of amusement passing through his eyes. "Brother Xue, you shouldn't put it that way. We knew Su Ye, after all. You could say we're half-friends."

"When the time comes, returning their bones to Linshan will be a nice little favor."

"Brother Wang, you mean Su Ye's belongings?" Xue Ping's eyes lit up.

"Exactly. He was born a beggar, and the old beggar who raised him died long ago. That means what happens to his belongings is up to us."

In a pavilion, more than a dozen richly dressed elders stood by the windows. An elder with a square face spoke leisurely. "Patriarch Wu, what do you make of the Divine Blade Sect colluding with Demonic Beasts?"

The elder addressed as Patriarch Wu pondered for a moment, his expression grave. "It's a signal."

He then spoke with firm resolve. "From now on, we must stand together and get through the crisis ahead."

Everyone was taken aback, unable to understand what he meant.

"Patriarch Wu, what makes you say that?" the elder who had spoken earlier asked again.

"It's simple enough. A few days ago, Old Ancestor Qingzhu brought an imperial decree and moved the entire Green Bamboo Sword Sect away with his disciples. That's the first thing."

"Second, the Divine Blade Sect is in the heart of Yunzhou, surrounded by Demonic Beasts outside and watched by the Demon Suppression Division within. How could the entire sect dare to withdraw?"

Patriarch Wu's expression was solemn as he continued, "Those great demons may have retreated, but Howling Moon is still locked in a standoff with Jiang Qingcang."

"Howling Moon Demon King didn't retreat? Is that what you mean, Patriarch Wu?"

An elder ventured a guess. "The Divine Blade Sect may well have been pushed forward for all the forces in Yunzhou to see. Could there be something else behind them?"

At his words, everyone began speculating aloud.

Patriarch Wu cut off their discussion. "Enough. Let's see how the Demon Suppression Division handles this."

The same scene played out at the Qian and Zhou families.

Leaving aside the reactions of the various great clans, Su Ye and Ma San soon left Yunzhou City.

Even the weakest members of the party were Late Body Tempering Martial Artists. The steeds beneath them were all fine horses, and they rode at an impressive speed. The thunder of their hooves shook the heavens, their momentum reaching to the clouds.

In less than three days, the party of several hundred reached the Divine Blade Sect's mountain gate. A towering peak soared into the clouds before them. Dead trees stood all around, weeds spread across the ground, and faint traces of dried blood could still be seen.

Not long after the party stopped, a rider came galloping from afar, clad in dark, black armor. Before he had even drawn near, he called out, "Lord Xiao, the Prefectural Commander has ordered the support force to head to South Mountain Pass immediately and take up defensive positions."

Xiao Zhenbei turned at the sound and looked at the two men beside him. "Jiang Qingyun, Hai Changfeng, I'll leave the task of sealing off the main road at South Mountain Pass to you."

"Yes!" The two answered in unison.

The armored man came closer and cupped his hands. "Lord Xiao."

"Lu Yun, has the Divine Blade Sect made any moves these past few days?" Xiao Zhenbei nodded in acknowledgment.

"This matter requires Lord Xiao to come to the main tent for a detailed discussion."

After Xiao Zhenbei left, the several hundred men were divided into two groups. Each followed one of the two commanders toward the southern side of the towering peak.

The young man leading Su Ye's group looked to be in his twenties. He wore a commander's armor, and his name was Jiang Qingyun. He was a promising young talent whom the Demon Suppression Division had been grooming with special care.

Despite his youth, he had already reached the Aperture Opening Middle Stage. He was also a disciple of Ye Haichuan, the Prefectural Commander in charge of this encirclement and suppression mission.

The group made its way halfway up the mountain.

"Use the rocks to block the road. If you spot anything suspicious, kill it on sight."

Jiang Qingyun swept aside the weeds blocking the way and issued his order.

Everyone answered in unison.

Time passed quickly, and darkness soon fell. The night sky hung low. Trees rustled all around, and bare branches swayed, as if foretelling an imminent battle.

Jiang Qingyun led his personal guards around to inspect the area, his eyes alert. "Stay sharp. Split into groups of ten and take turns keeping watch."

In the crowd, Su Ye stood quietly, his gaze deep, while low murmurs drifted into his ears from time to time.

"Old Huang, do you think Demonic Beasts will sneak up on us tonight?"

"You're always seeing ghosts, kid."

A middle-aged man took a puff of his pipe, then shook his head confidently. "The Divine Blade Sect is at most three days from Yunzhou City. Those Demonic Beasts on the border are a long way off. What, do you think they've grown wings?"

Ma San came over and spoke quietly. "My lord, I brought this roast chicken along when we set out. Have a taste."

"All right." Su Ye took the drumstick, and before he could bring it to his mouth, the aroma of roasted meat filled his nose.

"Why aren't you two on patrol? What are you doing slacking off here?" a young commander shouted.

Su Ye slowly got to his feet. The newcomer had hollow cheeks and deep-set eyes. His steps seemed unsteady, and his narrow eyes were filled with malice.

"We've already finished the task Commander Jiang gave us. What do you want?"

The young man sneered. "I don't want anything. I just want to ask: with a great enemy before us, how can you still have the mind to eat and drink?"

"Your behavior is suspicious. For all we know, you're Demonic Beast spies."

His words immediately drew the attention of those around them.

Facing the gazes of over a hundred people, Su Ye remained composed. "Who are you? You keep calling people Demonic Beast spies."

"Could it be that you're the one with an ulterior motive?"

"Hmph. Stop spouting nonsense." The young man scoffed, about to lash out.

The tranquil night sky was suddenly pierced by a brilliant blade light. A violent surge of true qi swept across a hundred li in every direction. Then a booming, rough voice rang out from the far distance.

"The Great Xia court can barely keep itself alive, and it can't protect its own territory. What's wrong with us seeking a way to survive?"

"Just because the Green Bamboo Sword Sect has an expert backing it, they're allowed to flee to Zhongzhou for refuge."