A tangled mess

The Four Sects of the Demonic Sect had their grievances about this Southwest Dao Discussion. Inaccurate information had left the Demonic Sect woefully underprepared, and as the nominal leader of the Demonic Sect in the Southwest, the Quanzhen Sect could hardly escape responsibility. That these small demonic sects were far weaker than the Wu Sect was indisputable, but for a handful of Daoists to pin down thirty-odd Demonic Sect disciples until they could not move was a bit much. Had they known, they could have brought in some truly ruthless practitioners of crooked arts, rather than ending up so helpless. If word got out, they would be utterly humiliated. The arrangements throughout the discussion had also been barely satisfactory. They had been used as cannon fodder in the early stages, which sat well with none of them, so they resented the prospect of the Quanzhen Sect reaching shore safely at the end. The present situation was ideal: if everyone muddied the waters together, the failures of their few sects would no longer stand out. Thus, they unanimously supported the young Quanzhen cultivator stirring up trouble, wishing he would make it as big as possible. Such was the very real mindset of the Four Huncheng Families. Whether Marquis Ping, Zhu Jiuling of the Quanzhi Sect, supported Hou Niao's defiance because his own heart inclined toward the demonic path, or because he understood the situation and refused to disappoint his allies, whatever his private thoughts, his stance was perfectly clear: his subordinates had done it, and he could not control them. If they wanted to intervene, they could send their own disciples up; otherwise, they should spare him the nonsense. The Demonic Sect's willingness to smash an already cracked pot left the Buddhist Sect suspended awkwardly in midair, unable to advance or