"What do these words mean? Could it be that they truly intend to place us all under their jurisdiction?" Nine Springs Ancestor's expression darkened.
"Not necessarily. It is very possible that they merely wish to lay down three rules with us." Flying Hound Daoist voiced his view. Because he had previously run errands for Qiu Yan, the other sects already saw him as being in league with Qiu Yan. And after Qiu Yan had captured Desert Mohist Venerable and the others who had come to invade, he had spent several days conferring with the Grandmasters of the major sects. He had voluntarily taken on the office, saying he would oversee the various sects' response to invasions.
Later, when the ship carrying the court officials arrived, Qiu Yan found it inconvenient to show himself personally and instead had Flying Hound Daoist serve as his representative. That was what had led to Lin Dingtian's earlier doubts.
Now that Flying Hound spoke again, however, most of the others looked at him in confusion.
"What makes you say that?" Ye Yan directly shot back.
"The crux of our being suppressed this time lies not with the court, but with Marquis of Pacifying the Realm alone, does it not?" Faced with the challenge, Flying Hound answered with another question. Yet no one could refute the implication in his words.
Flying Hound swept his gaze over the crowd. The cultivators before him were all of higher seniority, and though they could not refute him, their faces were displeased. Still, he did not flinch. He had always been proud and ambitious. He had originally intended to use this Pill-Appraisal Assembly to realize some of his ambitions, but he had run into Qiu Yan and could only let the matter go. The pride in his chest, however, would