Three groups gathered on the high mountain, almost forming a circle that surrounded the three martial brothers in the middle.
The situation on the scene was somewhat indescribably strange, somewhat quiet.
While the three groups guarded against each other, almost all of them were quietly sizing up Yu Qing’s trio.
The quiet state lasted for a while. Nan Zhu, whose heart was beating wildly, could not endure it any longer and suddenly let out an almost inaudible voice from his mouth, “Are they here for us?”
Nonsense! Yu Qing glanced at him, did not answer, and let him guess for himself.
Nan Zhu whispered again, “What should we do?”
Yu Qing also wanted to know what to do. After hesitating for a long time, he cupped his hands toward the crowd and said, “Everyone, may I ask what this grand display means?”
Silence. No one from the three factions replied. They either continued staring at them or remained on guard against each other.
Seeing this situation, Yu Qing said to the two martial brothers on his left and right, “They still have business here. This is not a place we should stay. Let us leave and not disturb them.” Having said this, he cupped his hands toward the three factions, then turned and walked down the mountain.
Mu Aotie immediately turned to follow.
“Yes, yes, yes, you are busy, you are busy.”
Nan Zhu’s serious demeanour changed to bowing and scraping. After a round of politeness toward the surroundings, he also quickly followed.
There was still no reaction from the scene. The three men’s hearts thumped wildly as they walked through the gap between the Sinan Manor and Yin Kingdom forces, hoping nothing would happen, repeatedly hoping in their hearts that nothing would happen.
Just as they were about to reach the gap, You Lingluo from the Yin Kingdom side spoke out, “Stop.”
The three immediately stopped and all looked toward him.
You Lingluo could not help but smile, “Do you still remember me?”
Nan Zhu laughed and said, “You do look somewhat familiar.”
You Lingluo: “Not playing the labourer this time?”
Nan Zhu immediately stammered and fell silent.
From the other side, the Third Cave Master of Qianliu Mountain spoke out, “The path over there is not easy to walk. You three should leave from my side instead. I guarantee your safety.”
The three martial brothers suddenly felt their feet weighed down by a thousand jun. They could not continue forward, nor could they turn back toward the demon realm forces. They also could not ask whether the guarantee was genuine.
The former Director of Sinan Manor spoke out. Meng Po said, “You guarantee their safety? Tian Yu, instead of staying properly at Qianliu Mountain, you lead a horde of demons to leave the demon realm without permission and intrude into our human world. What is the meaning of this?”
Tian Yu was precisely the Third Cave Master’s name.
The three martial brothers did not know him, but they had heard some names before. Hearing “Qianliu Mountain” and then the name “Tian Yu,” each one was terrified. He was one of the demon realm great sage’s trusted confidants, a top figure below the half-immortal level. Had such a person actually come in person?
The Third Cave Master Tian Yu sneered upon hearing this, “Meng Po, you still have not given a clear account of the matter when you led Sinan Manor people to trespass into my demon realm’s Jianyuan Mountain last time. Today I have come specially to demand an explanation from you!”
The former Director of Sinan Manor, Meng Po? The three martial brothers’ hearts thumped again.
Yu Qing had met the later Director of Sinan Manor and even played chess with him. He knew that this former Director was on the same level as the later Director, also second only to the Earth Mother level.
Meng Po immediately turned his head to look at the person wrapped in a cloak on the Yin Kingdom side, “Xiang Lanxuan, could it be that you led Great Enterprise Manor people to intrude into my Jin Kingdom, also to demand an explanation from me regarding the Jianyuan Mountain matter?”
The person wrapped in the cloak stretched their hands out from the enveloping cloak to pull it open, revealing a pair of fair, slender hands. They lifted the hood covering their head, revealing a refined woman’s face with flaming red lips and flower-like beauty. The charm between her bright, wandering eyes seemed somewhat frivolous.
Yin Kingdom’s Great Enterprise Manor? The three martial brothers were surprised. They had not expected that the leader on the Yin Kingdom side was actually a woman. She was quite pretty, but she gave off a streetwise, rascally feeling.
The Great Enterprise Manor’s Xiang Lanxuan, this name was unfamiliar to the three martial brothers. They had not heard of it.
However, one could be certain that someone who could be called by name directly by Meng Po and treated as an equal was absolutely not far off in status.
Xiang Lanxuan giggled, her gaze staring straight at Yu Qing, “What Jianyuan Mountain, this old lady has no interest. I am not a demon cultivator either. What, is it not allowed to pass through Jin Kingdom? I came for no other reason, but for him.” She pointed directly at Yu Qing, “Our princess has taken a fancy to him. I have come to propose marriage. Is that not allowed?”
At these words, not to mention the others’ reactions, Yu Qing himself first could not help but roll his eyes. He realised these people’s skin was truly thick enough. They could tell barefaced lies casually. How could he not know that the other party was merely using him as an excuse, while in reality they were after the immortal’s cave dwelling?
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie subconsciously looked at Yu Qing, feeling that if this one sacrificing himself to the Yin Kingdom princess could let everyone escape this calamity, it would not be unacceptable.
Xiang Lanxuan already hooked her chin toward him, “Hey, Tanhua Scholar, I heard you are the world’s greatest talent. If you can write a poem praising me and give it to me now, I guarantee your safety. How about it?”
May you die without descendants and have no men! Yu Qing cursed in his heart, but on the surface he said expressionlessly, “I am not some Tanhua Scholar. I have long abandoned martial arts for literature. In this life I will no longer write poems for anyone. My name now is Yu Qing!”
He now very much disliked others treating him as A Shiheng again. Nowadays he was extremely averse to it.
“Hmph!” Meng Po suddenly let out a cold snort, “Giving up a perfectly good official post, yet insisting on learning to wave swords and blades. A devilish problem. I say your father was fortunate to die early, otherwise he would certainly have been angered to death by you!”
Yu Qing looked at him somewhat unexpectedly. The other party’s tone made him feel that he seemed rather familiar with A Jiezhang.
Indeed, Meng Po had always been at the front line participating in treasure hunting matters, cooperating directly with the Yu Department. Back then he could be considered an old acquaintance of A Jiezhang. Saying a few words in an elder’s tone was not excessive.
Speaking to this point, Meng Po’s tone suddenly followed this direction, “Your father and I were old friends. I can also be considered your elder. I cannot watch you continue to degenerate like this. Come with me. I can still speak a few words in the capital. I will see if I can let you make a comeback. I will do my best to get the court to reinstate you!”
The three martial brothers were speechless. They had thought this one truly stood in an elder’s position to care for a junior, but after all the talk he meant the same thing as the other two families.
Xiang Lanxuan giggled and said, “He already threw down his crown and left in Jin Kingdom’s capital. The Jin Kingdom emperor is a petty man who holds grudges. Otherwise he would not have stripped away his Zhuangyuan title. Demoting him alive to Tanhua Scholar, could that be false? He barely saved his life in Jin Kingdom’s capital. Only a fool would run back. A Shiheng, better come with me. With your talent, if you want to be an official in Yin Kingdom that is fine, or become a prince consort that is also no problem. Why not do it?”
Meng Po: “A Shiheng, this woman is a poisonous wasp. She will sting people at any moment. Her words cannot be trusted.”
Xiang Lanxuan: “Could what I said be false? I heard that after his father was dismissed from office, the A family was almost exterminated. Guess whether this blood case might be related to the Jin Kingdom emperor?”
Meng Po snorted coldly, “Bitch, stop sowing discord here!”
“Have you two finished nagging?” Third Cave Master Tian Yu was somewhat impatient and interjected, “If you are not afraid of a dry mouth, then continue. But there is one point I must remind you both. Today, no matter how flowery your words are, no one should think of taking them away alone!”
Hearing these words, both Meng Po and Xiang Lanxuan fell silent, only because what he said was correct.
That is to say, no matter who obtained these three people, they would face a combined attack from the other two families. Who had confidence to take living people away under the combined force of the other two?
Seeing the words had effect, Tian Yu then stared at the three martial brothers and said indifferently, “Tanhua Scholar, speak. What are you three doing here?”
The three martial brothers’ gazes touched at the corners of their eyes. Yu Qing secretly took a deep breath. Since he was treated as a Tanhua Scholar by others, he did not want to weaken the Tanhua Scholar’s manner, and replied stiffly, “We wish to live in seclusion here.”
Tian Yu immediately let out a cold laugh, “Calling you Tanhua Scholar, do you really think yourself some great talent? I tell you, whether great talent or small talent, to us you are merely a decoration in this world, something pinched away casually.
I finally warn you solemnly. Before us, you do not even have the qualification to lie. If even one sentence does not match what we have found out, for each wrong sentence your bodies will lose one thing. Dare to fool us, and we guarantee there will be no place in this world for you. I ask you once more, what are you three doing here?”
The three martial brothers’ expressions were not very good, because they knew these words were truly not empty threats. With just the three of them, before these three forces they indeed did not even have the qualification to lie. Once these three forces decided to deal with them later, even with heaven and earth so vast there would be no place for them.
After a period of silence, Yu Qing asked, “If I speak, can you guarantee our safety?”
Tian Yu: “As long as what you say is the truth, we guarantee it for you. If I break my word, let me suffer heavenly punishment.”
Meng Po: “Correct. We guarantee you leave safely. From now on as long as you do not invite trouble, we will not make things difficult for you. If I break my word I will certainly suffer heavenly punishment!”
Xiang Lanxuan smiled and said, “It is so. But being a prince consort is a fine post. Our princess is quite beautiful. Of course, we will not force you, but I still hope you will consider it carefully. If I break my word I am willing to suffer heavenly punishment!”
Yu Qing looked around, “You mean, you want us to speak it out in public?”
At these words, the three leaders looked around. Tian Yu was first to shout to the people behind him, “You retreat to the mountainside first.”
Thus the group of demon cultivators behind began to retreat.
“You also withdraw.” Xiang Lanxuan turned her head and ordered.
Meng Po also raised his hand toward those behind to signal.
Soon all three groups withdrew, and the three leaders also walked over to stand before the three martial brothers, waiting.
Yu Qing’s mouth corners were tightly pressed for a long while, but finally he spoke words that shook heaven and earth, “If I am not mistaken, the entrance to Little Cloud Realm is right here on this mountaintop.”
Seeing the truth spoken, both Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie could not help but lower their heads slightly, their expressions showing unwillingness and gloom.
When they had just found this place, Nan Zhu had happily shouted that the three of them were people of heavenly destiny.
Now it seemed, what dogshit people of heavenly destiny, it was purely their own wishful thinking. It was not their turn at all.
Only about half a month remained. The gate to the immortal’s cave dwelling might open soon, yet now they had to hand it over to others. In this scene, the three martial brothers’ hearts were as desolate as could be.
However, the two also knew that Old Fifteen had no other way. Before these people they had no strength to resist at all. By now even if they did not confess, they could forget about obtaining the treasures in the immortal’s cave dwelling, and might even lose their lives.
Of two harms, choose the lighter. Since the treasures in the cave dwelling could no longer be obtained, they could only put preserving their lives first.