Chapter 76

After several rounds of negotiations between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang, a border area called “Luo Sha Slope” was mutually accepted as the negotiation site.

As for the participants, the Wild Wolf Gang insisted firmly that only a top leader from each side could attend, to demonstrate mutual sincerity; otherwise, the talks were pointless.

This condition, when raised, did not cause any stir on the Seven Mysteries Sect’s side, as it was a normal diplomatic requirement.

Of course, the real leader would never risk himself; the Seven Mysteries Sect would send only its deputy sect master, and the other side would send a comparable deputy gang leader to uphold appearances—so this condition posed no issue.

Thus, both sides agreed on the specific date for the negotiations, and each would send a force of over a hundred to attend the meeting.

To prevent ambushes during the talks, the Seven Mysteries Sect made meticulous arrangements for both the negotiators and their backup forces.

Not only was the negotiation team led by Wu, the sect’s second strongest expert, but nearly all hundred members were top-tier experts—mostly protectors, patrons, and core personnel of the sect, accompanied by several elders and hall masters to bolster the ranks, making the lineup truly formidable.

With such a force of experts, even if the entire Wild Wolf Gang deployed its elite, they could hardly stop them; the entire Seven Mysteries Sect felt confident.

Thus, if anything went wrong, the negotiators could rely on their martial prowess to break through the encirclement and retreat to their own territory, where several elite squads from the Blood Blade Hall awaited to secure their escape route.

Li Feiyu volunteered to join as well; for a man whose life was nearly over, the more dangerous the place, the more he longed to go.

Thus, this force, comprising nearly half of the Seven Mysteries Sect’s top experts, finally departed from the mountain just before the negotiation date; their round trip would take at least half a month—truly a long time!

Han Li paid little attention to this; to him, whether the negotiations succeeded or failed made no difference. He was about to leave this place and venture into the wider world—he cared little for the rise or fall of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

As long as it did not involve him, he now had no interest in such matters.

Thus, in the days after the negotiation team’s departure, he calmly cultivated the medicinal herbs he needed and began collecting seeds of rare herbs for future use.

Han Li had decided that as soon as the negotiation team returned, he would formally bid farewell to the sect masters; if the high-ups refused to let him go out of stubbornness, he had no qualms about revealing his true strength before them, to make them finally give up.

Sneaking away unnoticed would be easiest, but Han Li feared that if they could not find him, they might harass his family—so openly bidding farewell and demonstrating a display of power to intimidate them was necessary.

As for his excuse for leaving, he had already thought of one: he would claim he missed Master Mo and wished to seek his master. Whether they believed him or not, Han Li did not care; with absolute strength as his backing, why should he fear their other thoughts?

Whenever Han Li thought of this, a faint cold smile would curl his lips. At this moment, if he wished to take the lives of the sect masters, it would be as easy as flipping his hand.

Of course, he only thought of it—he had no intention of actually doing it.

But Han Li never imagined that on the fourth night after the negotiation team’s departure, a ragged, dusty, disheveled figure suddenly burst into his room, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him, his cracked lips covered in white flakes, and he rasped out one sentence:

“The negotiation team is finished—Deputy Master Wu is dead, the protectors and patrons are dead, the elders are dead—almost everyone is gone.”

Han Li froze at these words, before he could even ask a question,

“Duuu…”

Suddenly, a sharp alarm whistle sounded from somewhere on the mountain.

“Bang, bang…”

Immediately, a muffled drumbeat followed.

“Dang, dang…”

“Ding, ding…”

“Bang, bang…”

…………

All manner of alarm sounds erupted simultaneously, followed by a thunderous roar of battle cries rising and falling across the mountain. Amidst them, faint clashing of weapons could be heard—as if, in an instant, the entire Cai Xia Mountain had turned into a vast battlefield of slaughter.

Han Li’s expression changed; he paid no further heed to the man before him, his body flickered, and he was already outside his room. He glanced around, spotted the tallest building, gave a light stomp, and was atop its roof, gazing toward the valley’s mouth.

His expression was grim, dark. Before him, not far away, flames roared skyward, shadows darted everywhere, blades and swords flashed incessantly, and the air was filled with chaos—shouts of battle, alarms, and curses.

He heard wind behind him and asked without turning: “Li Feiyu—is it the Wild Wolf Gang?”

“Yes. We never expected them to plan so meticulously—they nearly annihilated our negotiation team, then immediately followed the survivors and stormed up the mountain.” The messenger was none other than Li Feiyu, who had left four days ago. His voice brimmed with fury and resentment.

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