The City Falls

Lou Ji's words were meaningful:

"So, that's why you made sure beforehand that someone was watching over you?"

"I guess so," Xu Yuan nodded with a smile.

Lou Ji spoke softly and gently:

"Sister, I only came out because I love you. If it were someone like your uncle, no matter how much you call him, he wouldn't come out. If I had hidden myself and not come out, would you have done this?"

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Meeting."

"Aren't you afraid?" Lou Ji asked, frowning.

Xu Yuan smiled, looked at the two people outside, and said:

"There are no absolutely rational beings in this world. There will always be people who make irrational choices under emotional fluctuations, but the probability of that happening to these two old men outside is probably not high."

Lou Ji sat up slightly, crossed her legs slightly to the other side, propped her chin on her hand, and narrowed her eyes into slits.

"So, Changtian, how long are you prepared to wait?"

Xu Yuan slowly got up and walked to the window.

The array isolates the internal space from the outside world, somewhat like one-way glass in my previous life.

He looked down at the magnificent waterfall below.

The location of the Wanxiang Sect is excellent.

The mountain gate is built along the river on one side and along a precipitous cliff with a waterfall on the other.

A direct assault across the river risks being swept off the cliff by the swift current, while those who don't want to cross the river can only fight their way inwards along the outer perimeter of Wanxiang City.

After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan said in a low voice:

"About an hour."

"So long?"

"Long?" Xu Yuan countered.

Lou Ji slowly rose, and with the clatter of her high-heeled Lotus Boots, walked behind Xu Yuan, reminding him in a sweet voice:

"They should already know that someone is hiding in the mountains east of Wanxiang City ~"

Xu Yuan frowned, then chuckled and said:

"Sister, do you mean they might send orders to Wanxiang City around this time to make preparations?"

Lou Ji replied with a smile:

"It's not a possibility, it's a certainty."

"Although these cities named after sects are officially recognized by the imperial court, they are essentially the sects' private territories. If they are well-prepared, the Black Scale Army would suffer considerable losses if they were to launch a full-scale attack on Wanxiang City, which could potentially affect the Prime Minister's evaluation of you, Changtian."

Lou Ji stopped there.

Xu Yuan did not answer the question, but instead asked in return:

"Sister, my father probably only sent you to protect me. Doesn't this count as the examiner giving me special treatment?"

Lou Ji smiled, hooked her arm around his, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Because your older sister dotes on you."

With soft arms, Xu Yuan chuckled and whispered:

"It's alright. I've seen the records of Yuan Hao's previous troop deployments, the preparation of supplies, the arrangement of personnel, the preparation of transportation vehicles, and the collection of intelligence. After my father issued the order, even my Prime Minister's Estate was in chaos for a whole day. Although the situation is different, the Wanxiang Sect, where power is mutually restrained, will go through many procedures when issuing orders."

At this point, Xu Yuan glanced eastward. "Preparations for war cannot be made in a few words, and besides, it will take time for Yuan Hao to lead his army here."

"."

Lou Ji was delighted to hear this answer and reached out to pat his head.

"Not bad, not bad, so Changtian, you've already thought it through!"

As the two were talking,

Footsteps sounded outside the room. Xu Xinyao pushed open the door and entered, saying softly:

"Third Brother, is that the Immortal Brew you wanted? Sister Lou Ji?"

Sunlight streamed in through the window, and seeing the bare back and the faint outline of her hips beneath the Fairy-Retaining Dress, Xu Xinyao immediately recognized the woman standing beside Xu Yuan.

Lou Ji glanced sideways at Xu Xinyao, who had just entered, her gaze rather cold, but she still smiled and said:

"Xin Yao's here~"

Xu Yuan noticed the indifference in Lou Ji's eyes and gently shook his head.

Xu Xinyao stood at the door, hesitated slightly, and asked softly as she walked in:

"Lou Ji, what are you doing here?"

"."

Lou Ji didn't answer, but smiled and patted Xu Yuan on the back:

"I'm going to rest now. Do your best, I'm watching."

Having said that, Lou Ji's slender figure vanished.

"."

Xu Xinyao stood there, holding a jade wine pot, somewhat at a loss.

After a long while, she slowly walked up to Xu Yuan and whispered:

"Third Brother, does Sister Lou Ji not like me very much?"

Xu Yuan smiled, tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, and said softly:

"That's just her personality, and you don't need to try to please everyone. Come on, let's have a drink with your brother."

It was no secret that Lou Ji Xu Xinyao.

Lou Ji, the leader of the Black Scale Guard, had seen too much filth, so she looked down on Xu Xinyao's simple and naive thoughts.

While Xu Yuan and Xu Xinyao sat in the luxurious private room drinking and chatting about interesting things, the two old men in front of Mystic Eagle were still standing there dumbfounded.

They could, of course, tell that the people inside the Mystic Eagle Pavilion were from the Prime Minister's Estate's residence.

But their prolonged silence and lack of response suggest that the visitor intends to intimidate them.

The Great Elder's expression therefore appeared somewhat gloomy.

Of course, this is only what it appears to be on the surface.

The people in the attic wanted to intimidate them, so they accepted it.

Losing face a little is nothing; who hasn't lost face at some point in their life?

Before they arrived, they had already entrusted the Old Five, Xia Wenlin, with the responsibility of overseeing everything in this critical situation.

Xia Wenlin also instructed them that the longer the negotiations dragged on, the better for them, and the less they would have to give up at the negotiating table.

After all, if they really wanted to take action regardless of the consequences, why would the Prime Minister's Estate need to send someone to negotiate?

In the silence of the void, Xia Wenlin, the Old Five, arranged for batches of disciples to enter Wanxiang City through the secret passage in an orderly manner to prepare for defense.

However, to avoid alerting the enemy, the Wanxiang Sect did not immediately activate its City Protection Array.

Above the void,

The two old men, their faces ashen, remained silent on the surface, but were actually exchanging pleasantries telepathically.

The Great Elder asked casually:

"If this matter is over, what are the sect leader's plans?"

The Wanxiang Sect Master remained expressionless, and simply said:

"The sect's internal problems are too great and need to be rectified. If Wen Lin hadn't made a plan before coming to the council hall, we would most likely still be like headless flies right now."

The Great Elder instantly understood what the other party meant, his voice deep and resonant:

"Sect Master, regaining power won't be easy; those powerful Aristocratic Clan within the sect won't relinquish it."

The Wanxiang Sect Master Phenomena rebuked in a deep voice:

"Chu Yansun, Xu Yinhe wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure of. If we're not careful now, it could mean the destruction of our entire sect."

The Great Elder calmly replied:

"Sect Master, I have no objection to reorganizing the sect, but the question is how to implement it?"

The Wanxiang Sect Master sighed:

"No information has come from the imperial court. This must be Xu Yinhe's private army. He dares to do this because he must have some crucial information."

Speaking of this,

The Wanxiang Sect Master sighed softly, "The sect will most likely have to suffer heavy losses. I will resign from my position as sect master to take responsibility, but Wen Lin is a promising talent. He sees further than either of us."

"Sect Master, are you planning to groom him?"

"Otherwise, who else do you think we can train?" The Wanxiang Sect Master glanced at the Great Elder.

"He Jigu is not bad." The Great Elder calmly uttered a name.

The voice of the Wanxiang Sect Master carried a hint of anger:

"What kind of time is this for internal strife? Don't think I don't know that He Jigu is one of your men!"

The Great Elder remained unmoved.

"Sect Master, you flatter me. I was merely recommending talented individuals based on facts."

"."

The Wanxiang Sect Master remained silent.

It's difficult, extremely difficult.

The seeds of internal strife have taken deep root within the Wanxiang Sect, and even facing the possibility of its annihilation, those below remain unchanged.

No further words were spoken, and time ticked by.

I don't know how much time passed,

The two old men in the void suddenly exchanged a glance, saw the astonishment and trembling in each other's eyes, and looked in the direction of Wanxiang East City at the same time.

There, a hammer phantom suddenly materialized.

Moreover, it was inside the city.

To their astonishment, the hammer struck the towering city wall.

one time.

Two times.

Three times.

Boom--

Amidst the horrified cries of the city's inhabitants, the city wall, which had refrained from activating its grand formation to avoid alerting the enemy, suddenly cracked open with a massive fissure two zhang long.

Subsequently,

An excited voice resounded throughout Wanxiang City:

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!

I drank too much last night and just fell asleep.

This chapter makes up for yesterday's.