Night Talk (2)

Under the same night sky, in the Council Hall of Yanming Villa, no one was asleep.

In the Council Hall at night, countless tallow candles as thick as a child's arm were lit, making the entire hall as bright as day.

Compared to the liveliness during the day, there were only six people in the Council Hall at this moment.

That's right, six people – the renowned Misty Six Tigers of the martial arts world.

Ou Peng was still sitting in the Gang Leader's chair. To his left were the Eldest Brother Hu Yunyi and the Second Brother Li Jian; to his right were the Fourth Brother Shangguan Fengliu, the Fifth Brother Liu Qingyang, and the Sixth Brother Xu Peihua.

Hu the Eldest was a sturdy middle-aged man, dressed very simply, even appearing somewhat old-fashioned. At first glance, he could easily be mistaken for an old farmer. His appearance was ordinary, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He had been summoned back by the gang's urgent order but showed no haste in asking questions, leisurely sipping the clear tea in his hand.

Li the Second was a tall, thin man with a pale face, dressed in a green robe. He held a sword resting on his knees, his face full of indifference, projecting an aura of "keep out." He truly lived up to his name. At this moment, Li Jian was also lowering his head, narrowing his eyes, lost in thought.

Opposite him, Liu the Fifth was a short, stout, fat man, dressed even more simply, with black hair exposed on his chest. At his feet were two large Xuanhua battle axes, and on the table beside him was not tea, but a small wine pot. This fellow's demeanor was utterly mismatched with his name. He was currently taking sips from the small wine pot, his eyes darting around, looking at Ou Peng, then at the Eldest and Second Brothers, and finally focusing on Shangguan the Fourth and Xu the Sixth, who were conversing in low voices.

Shangguan the Fourth and Xu the Sixth, of course, knew why they were gathered to discuss matters at night, their faces filled with excitement as they exchanged words in hushed tones. Xu the Sixth had originally been seated at the back, but he had insisted on swapping seats with Liu the Fifth to be closer to Shangguan the Fourth. Liu the Fifth, eagerly watching the two chat animatedly but unable to hear anything, was becoming agitated, scratching his head in frustration. However, this was the Council Hall, and loud noises were not permitted. He could only angrily gulp down his wine, patiently waiting for Ou Peng to speak.

Ou Peng also seemed to be contemplating the matter, not paying much attention to his fellow disciples.

When the brothers below the hall began to grow impatient, Ou Peng finally looked up, surveyed the familiar faces of his fellow disciples, and then spoke.

"Senior Disciple Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Fifth Junior Brother, you only returned to the gang this afternoon. You must be tired from your journey, and I haven't had a chance to let you rest. However, there is indeed a major matter to discuss, so please don't blame Fourth and Sixth. I issued a strict order for silence this time. The matter is of great importance, and I must be cautious."

Hu the Eldest slowly put down his teacup and said, "Sect Leader Junior Brother has always been steady in his actions, and we all admire him greatly. There's nothing to blame him for. However, you say it's a matter of great importance, and I am eager to hear about it. The martial arts world has been peaceful lately. Several major sects have been keeping a low profile, and the Demonic Cult has also quieted down, as if they've all gone home to farm. This presents an opportunity for our Misty Sect to expand its influence. Could it be that Junior Brother has some good ideas?"

Li the Second said dismissively, his voice cold, "The martial arts world speaks with strength. Without superior martial arts, any scheme is useless. I think we should focus on practicing swordplay rather than resorting to any conspiracies."

Hu the Eldest knew that this Second Senior Brother was outwardly cold but inwardly warm-hearted and didn't consider others' feelings when he spoke. His words weren't directed at him, and they made sense, so he paid them no mind. Liu the Fifth, however, chimed in, raising his axe and saying, "Third Brother, is there some scoundrel causing trouble? I'll go chop him up right now."

Shangguan the Fourth and Xu the Sixth watched the others with smiles, saying nothing.

Ou Peng chuckled helplessly and waved his hand at Liu the Fifth, saying, "Fifth, sit down and be patient. It's not as serious as you think." He then turned to Hu the Eldest and Li the Second and said, "Senior Disciple Brother, Second Senior Brother, this is not about competing for territory with any other gang, nor does it require any scheming."

He paused deliberately and said, "I've asked all the fellow disciples to come here because there's some good news."

The three of them couldn't help but look confused, their brows furrowed. Liu the Fifth asked, "Third Brother, what good news has fallen upon us?"

Li the Second said, "Could it be that something fell from the sky?"

Hu the Eldest, however, remained silent. After a moment, he asked, "Third Brother, is it about that old beggar you mentioned last time?"

Ou Peng smiled and nodded.

Liu the Fifth rejoiced, "Damn it, that old beggar wasn't lying? I'd completely forgotten about that. It's been over a year, who would still remember?"

Li the Second, still with a stern face, said, "When did you go out? You seem to have been staying in the gang all year. How come I didn't know you went out?"

Ou Peng replied, "I didn't go myself."

Liu the Fifth interjected at this point, pointing at Shangguan the Fourth and Xu the Sixth, "I said these two were whispering to each other as soon as they came in. So it was you two who went? Why didn't you say anything beforehand?"

Xu the Sixth quickly said, "Fifth Brother, you're mistaken. We only found out a few days ago ourselves."

The three became even more confused.

Ou Peng quickly explained, "Fourth and Sixth didn't go either. I sent A Hai and Qing'er."

Upon hearing this, Liu the Fifth immediately jumped up, exclaiming, "You sent two disciples for such an important matter? Aren't you afraid of things going wrong?"

Hu the Eldest glared at him and said, "Must you be so jumpy? Didn't they return safely? Otherwise, would we be sitting here calmly discussing matters?"

Xu the Sixth thought for a moment and said, "That's true."

Ou Peng smiled and explained, "It's like this. To avoid attracting the attention of spies from other gangs and giving them an opportunity to take advantage, neither the Family Head of the Tan Family nor the Sword Master of Ten Thousand Sword Peak went. We only sent second-generation disciples from our own sect to the pre-arranged location, and Hermit Yanming, who is less known in the martial arts world, took them there."

Li the Second spoke, "This Hermit Yanming's martial arts are average, but he is quite resourceful. However, he is also quite cunning. If A Hai and Qing'er go with him, they might suffer."

Hu the Eldest said, "Since Third Brother and the others are confident in letting him lead them, they must have a plan for protection."

Ou Peng rubbed his nose and said, "Senior Disciple Brother is absolutely right. Before they left, all three parties sent trusted individuals to his Yanming Villa, and he also sent people to escort his wife and children to our respective sects. Only after the matter is concluded can we escort his wife and children back and exchange our people."

Hu the Eldest asked, "Who did you send?"

Ou Peng replied, "Naturally, Yan'er."

Hu the Eldest nodded.

Ou Peng continued, "She also returned a few days ago and is currently resting at the villa."

Hu the Eldest also said, "For this kind of matter, she is the most suitable person to go. We've put her to a lot of trouble."

Li the Second said, "She is your sister, so it's only natural for her to help her brother. However, it's strange that this Hermit Yanming didn't play any tricks."

Ou Peng's smile widened, his eyes curving even more, and he said, "Why wouldn't he? He proposed to use Rock Paper Scissors instead of a fight to divide the treasures, and our Qing'er won overwhelmingly."

Liu the Fifth also laughed, "Of course! That girl has never lost at guessing games, and she's even gotten me drunk with it. This Hermit Yanming shot himself in the foot."

Ou Peng added, "The funniest part is that he even issued a false decree, saying that any surplus treasures would be obtained by chance, and whoever got them was theirs. In the end, there were no surplus treasures, only herbs were divided, and he only took a few extra portions for himself. Man proposes, but heaven disposes."

"Herbs???" Liu the Fifth interrupted again, "Didn't you get any divine weapons or sharp blades?"

Xu the Sixth said seriously, "Of course there were! It was the Pangu Axe!"

Liu the Fifth immediately jumped up and rushed to Ou Peng, saying, "Really? Third Brother, the Pangu Axe is a weapon I've dreamed of! This time, you must give it to me. I'll use it to split this martial arts world in half!"

Before Ou Peng could speak, Hu the Eldest quickly reprimanded him, "Sixth, go back to your seat. This is the Council Hall, don't forget the rules."

Liu the Fifth was quite afraid of Hu the Eldest and sheepishly returned to his seat, saying with an innocent look, "Eldest Brother, this is my dream. You can't ruin it. I've decided on this axe."

Li the Second spoke, "You actually believe in something like the Pangu Axe? How about I trade you the Xuanyuan Sword for it?"

Liu the Fifth muttered, "Where would you even get the Xuanyuan Sword?"

Li the Second retorted, "You have even less of a chance of getting the Pangu Axe."

At this, Hu the Eldest spoke, "Don't listen to the Sixth Elder talking nonsense. The Pangu Axe is just a legend, how could it possibly exist?"

Just then, Ou Peng said mysteriously, "Although the Sixth Elder was joking, Senior Disciple Brother, you've really missed the mark this time. There really is something legendary inside!"

This time, Hu the Eldest was also moved. He said, "What is it? Isn't it just herbs?"

Ou Peng was quite pleased that Hu the Eldest was so surprised. He said, "The herbs are just an extra bonus. The real treasure is something else."

Liu the Fifth, however, became unhappy. "If it's not the Pangu Axe, what legendary good thing could it be? Could it be the Xuanyuan Sword? The Heavenly Recommendation Chapter of God Cultivation? The Elixir of Immortality?"

Shangguan the Fourth spoke, "The Fifth Elder is truly amazing, to guess correctly. I couldn't even dream of such a thing."

The remaining three were truly stunned. Hu the Eldest glanced at Li the Second, gave him a look, and Li the Second sprang up. He used his Lightness Skill, and in a flash, he floated out of the Council Hall. He soared onto the roof, quickly circled the Council Hall once, and finally stood on the eaves of the Council Hall. After listening carefully for half a moment, he then flew down, walked quickly back to his seat, and said to Hu the Eldest, "I didn't find any unauthorized personnel around."

Hu the Eldest nodded, then turned his gaze to Ou Peng.

Meanwhile, Liu the Fifth was still in a daze, seemingly not understanding what the two were doing.

Hu the Eldest said to Ou Peng, "Third Brother, tell me in detail about the treasure inside."