Though some of the people before him veiled their faces in divine light and others screened themselves with Spirit Light, Chen Cuo saw through them as clearly as fire through glass. One sweep of his gaze laid their true natures bare.
The same could not be said for them.
As Chen Cuo slowly emerged from the Stone Pavilion in his black Daoist Robe, nearly everyone looked as though they faced a formidable enemy.
"Lord Chen," said the figure wreathed in Starlight, "we bear you no grudge..."
Chen Cuo shook his head. "You watched from the sidelines, egged She Bishi on, then used Lu Le as a pawn to plot against me. And you call that no grudge?"
The figure was momentarily speechless. With a sigh, he said, "Lord Chen, only our thoughts have descended here today. If you take this as an opening to make enemies of us, would you not be losing the greater prize for the lesser?"
"Oh? Your thoughts descended, but I came in person?" Chen Cuo laughed. "If you think I'm taking advantage of your weakened thoughts, that's easily settled. I'll stand here and wait for your true selves to arrive."
The Starlight-clad figure had no answer.
"You and I have met before. I recall you suffered a setback when the Lu Clan established its path. Why wade into muddy waters again today? Aren't you afraid your Dao Attainment will all flow east with the river? Never mind. Once I've captured your thoughts, I'll learn the whole story!"
Chen Cuo shook his head. Purple qi surged behind him and howled toward the group like ropes intent on binding every last one of them!
At the sight, they scattered and dodged!
"What a Master of Rise and Fall! What a lord of Southern Chen!"
The Curly-Bearded man