"What should we do?" Zheng Hong asked gravely. "We only have two options: first, abandon ship and flee; second, pretend we know nothing."
"However, there are risks involved. If that guy never intended to cause us any trouble, our escape might change his mind."
"Moreover, we can't withstand the wrath of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters. If that happens, we'll all be wanted by them."
"If we pretend we know nothing, it's fine if that guy doesn't come, but if he does, we're doomed."
"So now, we're in a difficult situation, caught between a rock and a hard place."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jingshan and the others' expressions instantly turned even more grim.
As Zheng Hong said, they are now truly on the brink of disaster, unable to leave or stay.
Whether you leave or stay, it will be dangerous.
Huang Jingshan remained silent for a long time, but finally could not suppress his anger and shouted:
" Xue Zhaohai is a real scoundrel! That bastard coveted lightning-based divine abilities and ended up harming us. He deserves to die!"
In fact, not only Huang Jingshan thought this way, but even Zheng Hong and the others thought the same way.
They were all furious at Xue Zhaohai's actions.
But now that Xue Zhaohai has disappeared and things have escalated to this point, what can they do?
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Everyone, please give your opinions. Should we stay or leave?"
"Let me start with my suggestion: I suggest everyone stay and work together to deal with the crisis."
"It would be best if that guy didn't come. But if he does, we can just bow our heads, admit our mistakes, and offer him some resources. He might not kill us then."
"But if we choose to run away, that guy is secondary; the most crucial thing is that we'll face the wrath of headquarters."
"I'm sure everyone is well aware of the punishments headquarters imposes on traitors, so I won't go into detail, right?"
Zheng Hong's gaze fell upon everyone, and he was the first to speak.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately felt a chill run down their spines.
That's right, such a big thing happened on the merchant ship, Xue Zhaohai is missing, and most likely he's dead.
Many guests with impressive backgrounds were also extorted by Ye Xuan.
Under these circumstances, if they dare to escape, headquarters will absolutely not let them off the hook.
Unless they have a way to evade headquarters' pursuit and escape to other continents.
That's just too difficult.
Leaving aside whether they can escape the headquarters' pursuit, even if they could, would they truly have the strength to travel to other continents?
Even if they manage to get there, are they truly safe on other continents?
The Thousand Leaves Merchant Association has not expanded to other continents, but it is able to speak with the Caesar Palace, one of the ten major powers.
The ten major powers are all interconnected, and their methods are extremely powerful.
What will they do if Caesar Palace mobilizes its resources and asks the other nine powers to help apprehend them?
In short, this time, it's a real headache.
"Sigh, I agree with Deacon Zheng's opinion. Since it has already happened, we can only face it. I suggest everyone stay and deal with the crisis together. Compared to that ruthless cultivator, headquarters is the real problem."
"I agree with Deacon Zheng Hong's opinion and suggest that everyone stay."
"Yeah, me too. Besides, even if that guy could kill Deacon Xue Wu Yong, who was at the Early Half-Saint, we might not be afraid of him."
"Exactly. When the time comes, if everyone fights desperately or even self-destructs, he'll probably be wary. If we're going to die, we'll all die together."
As Zheng Hong finished speaking, the other deacons followed suit, all expressing their intention to stay.
After all, no matter how strong Ye Xuan is, he is still just one person.
However, the Thousand Leaves Merchant Association has many powerful individuals among its members.
Upon hearing this, Huang Jingshan nodded slightly, indicating that he also agreed with Zheng Hong's suggestion.
Immediately afterwards, everyone dispersed.
Huang Jingshan's expression immediately turned grim after returning to his room.
Stay?
How could that be!
Others might be fine, but Huang Jingshan is definitely going to be in trouble.
You have to understand, it was he who forcefully demanded that Yue Mei go to Ye Xuan's side back then.
Originally, Ye Xuan thought Yue Mei was just a nobody. He had never been interested in Yue Mei before, and he certainly wouldn't be now. He would definitely let Yue Mei come back.
But he never expected that Yue Mei would stay by Ye Xuan's side.
This is not a good thing for Huang Jingshan.
Once Yue Mei wins Ye Xuan's heart or gains his favor, and whispers sweet nothings in Ye Xuan ear, wouldn't Huang Jingshan be doomed?
"What a bunch of bastards! You can stay and be fine, but what about me? Since you want to stay, then stay. I'm not staying."
Huang Jingshan gritted his teeth and snorted, then immediately began to think about how he could escape without attracting anyone's attention.
Lower deck.
Ye Xuan put away the storage rings without investigating them.
Anyway, he had taken all the storage rings from those cultivators, so he had no resources left.
Therefore, he wasn't in a hurry to take inventory.
He looked at Yue Mei and asked, "How far are we from Hundred Leaves Imperial City now, and how much longer? If the Saint Realm experts from there arrive, how long will it take?"
This is a problem that Ye Xuan has to worry about.
Don't be fooled by how easily he kills Half-Saint; that's only because their cultivation levels are suppressed.
If those powerful individuals' cultivation levels hadn't been suppressed, he would at most be able to fight against those in the early to mid-stages of the Venerable Realm.
If we disregard the Nine Heavens Dragon Transformation Art, then he's truly a weakling; his limit is only being able to fight against early to mid-stage Divine Emperor.
It can be said that the Nine Heavens Dragon Transformation Art and the Rule Suppression Disc were of great help to him.
Without these things, he would have died countless times over.
Once Saint descends, his Rule Suppression will lose their effect, and he will truly be waiting to die.
Yue Mei heard Ye Xuan's question, her heart skipped a beat.
She pondered for a full moment before saying in a soft, gentle voice, "It's probably more than a month's journey from here to the capital. If the Saint from the Merchant Guild comes, it will take no more than ten days."
She spoke in a very soft, weak voice, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Strictly speaking, she is also a member of the Thousand Leaves Merchant Association.
Furthermore, given Ye Xuan's decisive and ruthless nature, it would be a terrible injustice if someone were killed by Ye Xuan on a whim.
"Less than ten days?" Ye Xuan felt a headache coming on, and at the same time, he became nervous. "Does that mean I have to leave the merchant ship now?"
Then he looked at Yue Mei and asked, "Do you know the way from here to the capital? If I take you away, can you lead me to the capital?"
Upon hearing this, Yue Mei's heart skipped a beat, and she almost burst into tears.
She quickly nodded and said, "Yes, I know. This isn't my first time traveling between the two cities, and I even have a map, which helps me avoid many dangers."