Confrontation

Luoyang.

After days of fighting and negotiating, the time had finally come to resolve the issue. The Great Ming imperial court still held some deterrent power over the "righteous sects," so the location was chosen outside the city walls.

The Guanzhong Martial Arts Alliance, led by the Mount Hua Sect, and the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance, led by Shaolin Temple, stood in confrontation, divided between the north and south sides. The atmosphere was thick with the threat of a full-scale clash if talks broke down.

Each side had gathered several thousand men—a truly formidable force—yet the leaders of both factions harbored reservations, not daring to make the decision to strike first.

Being a "righteous sect" was not just a title; it came with its own set of rules for the game. Engaging in bloody brawls at the drop of a hat was the style of the Demonic Cult.

Despite the situation nearing an uncontrollable point, the two big bosses, Shaolin and Mount Hua, had not yet directly turned against each other. Nominally, the two sects were merely invited to mediate the conflict between the Iron Sword Sect of Guanzhong and the Long Spear Association of Luoyang.

From this perspective, calling the righteous sects a bunch of hypocrites was not an injustice at all.

Yet, this way of "erecting a memorial archway" was precisely the most suitable method their predecessors had developed after thousands of years of trial and error, combined with their own practical needs.

Starting a fight sounded simple, but the strength of both sides was currently too evenly matched. If they truly clashed, the losers would naturally be finished, but the winners would not have many men left standing either.

Territory also required protection; if one's own strength was insufficient, even if they seized it in the end, they would not be able to hold it.

The snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman reaps the benefit.

Neither Shaolin nor Mount Hua wanted to see such a situation unfold.

Plans could not keep up with changes. First, the other four great mountains could not arrive, then the Demonic Cult attacked, forcing them to split their forces, and the other major martial arts sects they had originally contacted had temporarily backed out. All these factors combined to create the current passive situation for the Mount Hua Sect.

Coupled with the urgent report from the sect that arrived last night, if Ning Qingyu still did not understand that he had been schemed against, then his many years as Sect Leader would have been in vain.

However, he was now riding a tiger and could not get off. The trap laid by his enemies was too vast to allow him to retreat.

If he were to retreat now, how would he answer to the Guanzhong martial arts peers who had come at his invitation?

Previously, at the Mount Hua Sect's call, everyone had followed, contributing money and men, risking their lives to follow their leader. If he suddenly said they were done, rendering all the efforts of these forces futile, he would have to provide an explanation.

Damage to his reputation in the jianghu was only one aspect; it would be even harder to answer to his own sect. Having paid such a high price without gaining anything, he, as Sect Leader, owed his disciples an explanation.

If they could not fight, they could only talk.

Negotiations did not require many people, and even the two ostensible parties involved—the Iron Sword Sect and the Long Spear Association—were not qualified to participate.

Xiaowang Peak, Funiu Mountain.

Ning Qingyu sat opposite three elderly Shaolin monks, accompanied by two Mount Hua elders. They drank tea quietly, showing no signs of conflict, as if they were old friends.

Ultimately worried about his sect, Ning Qingyu was the first to break the silence: "Master, your scheme is truly brilliant. But to think you can make us retreat with just this is to underestimate us."

"The Mount Hua Sect has prepared for so long and paid such a heavy price. If we let go now, how are we to establish ourselves in the jianghu?"

Seeing Ning Qingyu's firm attitude, the old monk also felt a headache. He knew the Mount Hua Sect's predicament all too well; this had been a chess game laid out by Shaolin from the start.

However, to bring this game to a perfect conclusion, they still had to trick the Mount Hua Sect into retreating first. Otherwise, if a real fight broke out, the aftermath would be difficult to manage.

The foundation of Shaolin Temple had been accumulated bit by bit over time; clashing with the Mount Hua Sect was clearly not worth the loss. Even if they won, what use would a devastated Guanzhong be?

Shaolin Temple did not seek to dominate the world; why bother occupying such a strategic location and inviting the suspicion of the imperial court for no reason?

With that energy, it would be better to manage the Jiangnan region. In terms of economic value, any single prefecture in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions could match the entirety of Guanzhong.

"Benefactor Ning, the world is so vast. Why must your sect be so fixated on Luoyang?"

Ning Qingyu gave a cold, mocking smile: "Master, it is excessive for you to play dumb while knowing the truth. If it weren't for your temple stirring up trouble, we would have entered Bashu a hundred years ago."

"At that time, the Emei Sect had invited us voluntarily; we didn't even need to resort to force. Why are we fixated on Luoyang? Isn't it because we were forced into it by your temple?"

"Unlike your temple, Mount Hua has no desire to monopolize Luoyang. We only want to come in and take a share. That is not asking for too much, is it?"

Clearly, the Mount Hua Sect's resentment toward Shaolin had not built up in a single day.

Back when the Emei Sect split and the Shuzhong martial arts world was left leaderless, the Mount Hua Sect had finally reached an agreement with Emei to enter Bashu, only to have Shaolin ruin the plan at the last moment.

Once an opportunity was missed, it would not return. After the Mount Hua Sect's plan to plot for Bashu was exposed, the Shuzhong martial arts world became vigilant.

Under the bridge-building efforts of Shaolin, the major martial arts forces in Shuzhong quickly cast aside their grievances and reached a joint agreement, leaving no room for the Mount Hua Sect to exploit.

Unable to enter Bashu, the choices left for the Mount Hua Sect were few. Either fight to the death with Shaolin over Luoyang, or enter Shanxi from Shangdang and head north to contend with the Sun Moon Divine Cult.

From the perspective of Shaolin Temple, they naturally hoped that Mount Hua and the Sun Moon Divine Cult would fight to the death, and for this reason, they constantly provoked conflicts between the two.

However, the Mount Hua Sect was not stupid. After a few battles with the Demonic Cult, they knew that was a hard bone they could not chew.

Moreover, the north was too close to the capital; the factors of the imperial court had to be considered. Expanding their influence under the nose of the Great Ming imperial court—the Mount Hua Sect was not that reckless.

By comparison, although Shaolin was difficult to deal with, the room for choice for Shaolin Temple was truly vast. Not only did they sit in the Central Plains, but their influence had also expanded to Jiangnan and Bashu.

With a large family came large concerns. As the number one sect in the world, while Shaolin Temple's strength was peerless, they also attracted the most firepower from the Great Ming imperial court.

Almost all actions against Shaolin were supported by the court. This time was no exception; if not for the court secretly pulling their legs, Shaolin Temple's power would have been fully assembled, and the Mount Hua Sect would have had to back down regardless of their pride.

Shaolin Temple's concerns were not limited to the court, but also included the various sects of the jianghu. The larger the territory, the more martial arts forces they bordered, and the more conflicts that arose.

When Shaolin was strong, these martial arts forces naturally had to endure. If Shaolin's strength were greatly diminished, the situation would be very different.

The problem of "birds dying for food" was something Shaolin had to consider.

In fact, Ning Qingyu's plan this time was a gamble—a gamble that Shaolin Temple would not fight to the death with them over a single Luoyang.

Unfortunately, they were one move short. Their intended allies did not arrive, and the Mount Hua Sect's power in Luoyang failed to gain an absolute advantage.

"Benefactor Ning, you are too stubborn. The Mount Hua Sect is already becoming increasingly prosperous, and we have all accepted the Mount Hua Sect as the new hegemon of the martial arts world. Why must you resort to force and stir up turmoil in the jianghu!"