Chapter 539: Strategy to Break the Situation

In the dead of night, the Yougu was perfectly silent.

The cold moon drifted between the clouds, now bright, now dim, and the Yougu shifted in light and shadow accordingly.

Lv Qingzhu walked out of the Cave Abode of the Ancestor, Lv Yinlin, her face deathly pale; her delicate brows were knitted together, and her right hand was almost subconsciously gripping the sword at her waist.

The grandfather who had doted on her since she was small was actually this cold-hearted now!

Lv Qingzhu pressed her lips together, a reckless urge to rather be a shattered jade than an intact tile already rising faintly in her heart.

Her mind was in turmoil, and as she walked with her head down, she suddenly saw a figure blocking her path.

Lv Qingzhu raised her head and saw the moonlight reflecting off Duan Rong's face; her pupils flickered slightly.

Duan Rong glanced toward the Ancestor Lv Yinlin's Cave Abode at the far end of the deep valley and said, "Miss Lv, come with me!"

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he turned and walked toward his own Cave Abode.

Lv Qingzhu looked at Duan Rong's back; for some reason, her hand tightly gripping her sword loosened slightly, and her previously agitated and ruthless state of mind seemed to calm down a little.

Lv Qingzhu followed Duan Rong toward his Cave Abode.

The two stepped into the Cave Abode one after the other.

This was the first time Lv Qingzhu had entered Duan Rong's Cave Abode, and she could not help but look around; she saw that items were scattered in disarray, and the blanket on the stone bed was tossed there haphazardly, crumpled into a ball.

Duan Rong was already sitting before the Stone Table, and looking at Lv Qingzhu, he said, "Miss Lv, come over and sit; I have something to tell you."

Lv Qingzhu was grateful that Duan Rong had informed her of the marriage alliance in advance, and seeing that Duan Rong's expression was grave and devoid of any impropriety, she followed his words and sat down.

The two sat facing each other at the Stone Table.

Duan Rong opened his mouth and asked, "Did you go to see the Ancestor just now?"

"Yes." Lv Qingzhu nodded, her expression somewhat ugly. It was clear that things had not gone pleasantly for her inside Lv Yinlin's Cave Abode just now.

Duan Rong said, "Regarding the marriage alliance, seeing the Ancestor is useless."

Lv Qingzhu remained silent.

Duan Rong said, "Miss, please look."

As Duan Rong spoke, he snapped a dead branch in two and placed them at opposite ends of the Stone Table. "These two dead branches represent our sect's Ancestor and the Tianyan Sect's Ancestor, Li Ku, respectively."

"They are the two strongest wills pushing for the marriage alliance between the two sects." Duan Rong pointed at the two branches and said, "At the same time, they are also the two most powerful existences."

"Therefore, they are also the most difficult places to strike when trying to break the situation. For you to go find the Ancestor, Miss, is destined to result in a cold shoulder and be of no use."

Lv Qingzhu was already listening intently; she stared blankly at the two dead branches on the Stone Table.

This logic was very ordinary, yet Duan Rong was able to explain it very thoroughly. More importantly, it was the perspective; Lv Qingzhu could feel that when Duan Rong spoke, he was looking at the problem from a higher vantage point. This was also the reason he could explain ordinary logic so thoroughly.

With Duan Rong explaining it this way, the sense of frustration in Lv Qingzhu's heart dissipated quite a bit. According to what Duan Rong said, her being rebuffed by her grandfather was indeed because she had chosen the wrong place to strike.

Duan Rong could see that Lv Qingzhu had already entered the scenario he was analyzing.

Consequently, he placed more broken dead branches on the Stone Table, positioning them from the two ends toward the middle.

"Below Li Ku is the Tianyan Sect Leader, Li Yunjing, and then the Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou."

"Below our Ancestor on this side, there is also Sect Master Chu, then your father, Senior Lv, and only then you, Miss Lv."

Duan Rong looked at Lv Qingzhu and said, "These are all the important figures on the line of the marriage alliance."

Lv Qingzhu's eyes were clear; with Duan Rong laying it out like this, the entire situation seemed to become clear.

Duan Rong pointed at those branches and said, "These people—from Li Ku downwards on that side, and from the Ancestor downwards on our side, even including your father, Senior Lv—are all connected as one, with identical intentions; they can be called an iron plate. Only you, Miss, are standing to the side among them, surrounded by iron walls on all four sides!"

Lv Qingzhu pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised her head, looked at Duan Rong, and asked abruptly, "You aren't trying to persuade me to agree to this marriage, are you?"

Duan Rong's analysis, with its dead-end conclusion, was already on the verge of being revealed; it was no wonder Lv Qingzhu would be suspicious.

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's face suddenly flushed red, and he said, "This is the situation! Only by seeing it clearly can one break the situation!"

Seeing Lv Qingzhu speak that way, Duan Rong could not help but grow a bit anxious.

Seeing Duan Rong get so anxious that his face turned red, and his tone change, Lv Qingzhu let out a giggle and said, "What are you anxious about? Continue!"

When Lv Qingzhu laughed like that, Duan Rong's gaze instantly brightened; this seemed to be the first time he had seen Lv Qingzhu laugh.

He had never seen a person's smile change so drastically; a moment ago, she was a winter plum standing proudly against the cold, and in an instant, it was full of spring, with bright, rippling water.

"Speak!" Seeing Duan Rong staring blankly, Lv Qingzhu urged him.

Only then did Duan Rong lower his head and look at the dead branches on the Stone Table.

"Miss, please look at these people within this iron plate! The weakest, and the one most capable of changing the situation, is Li Ruozhou! Therefore, this is the best point to break the situation."

Lv Qingzhu pursed her lips and said, "You analyzed for so long, and it's the same as what I was thinking. Isn't it just dealing with this Li Ruozhou?"

Duan Rong shook his head slightly and said, "It is different! You naturally have the intention to deal with Li Ruozhou, Miss, but you also have other thoughts. Your mind is in chaos, Miss, and it is inevitable that you will make many wrong, empty moves. Your going to see the Ancestor is one such example. The significance of this kind of analysis lies in being able to sever distracting thoughts, concentrate all your strength, and attack one point, striving to pierce through!"

Lv Qingzhu's eyes froze; Duan Rong was very right. She indeed had many thoughts in her mind just now, and dealing with Li Ruozhou was only one end of it. Thinking about it now, those thoughts were indeed, as Duan Rong said, nothing more than wrong, empty moves that wasted energy.

Lv Qingzhu said, "You are right. One should concentrate all strength and attack the weakest point; that is the strategy to break the situation!"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Miss is intelligent and has already grasped it! In this situation, those pushing this matter are two great beings of the Nascent Soul Realm; we naturally cannot directly compete with them in strength, but as long as we strike from the weakest point, there is a great chance that we can also leverage the will of these two Nascent Soul Realm great beings. In terms of will, we can go head-to-head with them."

Duan Rong's gaze flickered like stars.

Looking at the dead branches on the Stone Table, he suddenly felt that this was actually very similar to the principle of leverage he had learned on the Blue Star in his past life; whether it was financial leverage or physical leverage, they all spoke of the logic of using the small to overcome the large, and borrowing strength to strike.

Archimedes once said, give me a fulcrum, and I can move the Earth. And what Duan Rong wanted to move at this moment were two Nascent Soul Realm great beings.

Lv Qingzhu looked at Duan Rong; her state of mind had originally been gloomy, but at this moment, Duan Rong's demeanor and gaze gave her great confidence.

Lv Qingzhu asked, "In this situation, how should one strike at the weakest point?"

Duan Rong glanced in a certain direction toward the stone wall and said, "Two stone caves away from mine, Li Ruojian lives there."

Lv Qingzhu knew that Duan Rong was not beating around the bush; she stared at Duan Rong, waiting expectantly for him to continue.

Duan Rong said, "His older brother can not only inherit the position of Sect Leader but can also marry into the Lu Clan bloodline. Yet he could only be sent here as a hostage, no different from a prisoner. With the situation in the world changing, he is in danger of losing his life at any moment."

Lv Qingzhu said, "You mean Li Ruojian will help me deal with Li Ruozhou?!"

"Actually, it is we who are helping him." Duan Rong said, "If I am not mistaken, I fear he is also waiting for an opportunity. Although Li Ruozhou is the weakest point in the situation, we do not know enough about him; if Li Ruojian participates, the chances of winning this situation will climb significantly."

Lv Qingzhu's eyes brightened. "That is true. In this world, among those who understand Li Ruozhou best, Li Ruojian certainly counts as one."

"It's just..." A flash of hesitation crossed Lv Qingzhu's eyes. "Will he really participate in this matter?"

Duan Rong said, "As long as we ask, he will certainly agree."

Lv Qingzhu said, "What if he doesn't agree?"

"Then we beg him to agree!" Duan Rong said, "And once he agrees, he will surely be more ruthless than us. He only needs a stepping stone and an excuse to convince himself."

Lv Qingzhu nodded; she seemed to have understood what Duan Rong meant.

Lv Qingzhu looked at Duan Rong, her heart fluttering slightly.

Thinking of her grandfather's coldness and her father's cowardice, in the midst of this great storm, it seemed that only Duan Rong was silently supporting her...

At dusk three days later, on Cuiwei Peak where the Elder Council was located, Sect Master Chu Qiushan, Zhu He, Yang Sixuan, Lin Youjian, Lv Zhongtang, and a group of Elders were all waiting on a platform halfway up the mountain.

They had been waiting here for nearly half an hour, yet no one on their faces showed any impatience, and many were whispering about something.

The previous evening, Sect Leader Li Yunjing of the Tianyan Sect had already sent a message by flying eagle, stating that he would definitely arrive at the Taiyi Sect by dusk today.

Yang Sixuan had already given orders for the Sect guards on the outer peaks to be on alert.

Just then, a deep, resonant horn sound suddenly rang out from the distance of the Endless Great Mountains.

Yang Sixuan said, "They're here! The horn sound came from the southwest; it seems the outer peaks in the southwest direction have already spotted the traces of the Tianyan Sect members."

Chu Qiushan nodded, merely gazing at the mist-shrouded valley without speaking.

Not long after, the clouds and mist within the valley suddenly churned violently, and then an eagle's cry was heard coming from the depths of the mist.

The eagle's cry was desolate and resonant; that was clearly the call of a Cloud-Feather Mad Eagle!

A few breaths later, three huge black shadows darted out from the valley's mist, charging through the fog like three small mountains, causing the clouds to churn incessantly...

On the backs of the eagles, the great banner of the Tianyan Sect was held by three people together, snapping loudly in the gale!

Still ten-plus zhang away, the rather resonant, hearty laughter of Tianyan Sect Leader Li Yunjing rang out. "Chu Qiushan! Three years unseen, I trust you have been well!"

Chu Qiushan's aura also surged, and his long shout shook the valley. "Welcome! Li Yunjing!"

The voices of the two men shook the clouds and mist between the ten-plus zhang distance until they dissipated, revealing the figures of the three Cloud-Feather Mad Eagles, which arrived with a whistle like mountain-crushing thunder!

On the back of each Cloud-Feather Mad Eagle were a dozen or so figures. Estimating, the Tianyan Sect had brought nearly fifty people this time!

The three Cloud-Feather Mad Eagles landed on the edge of the platform halfway up the mountain, their cloud-like wings flapping down and kicking up a cloud of flying sand! The great eagles folded their wings and stood there like three small mountains.

A dozen or so figures jumped down from the backs of the three eagles. Many were even carrying crates!

Li Yunjing landed at the front and looked toward the crowd coming to greet them, spotting Chu Qiushan walking at the very front at a glance.

The two Sects bordered each other, and he and Chu Qiushan often dealt with one another, but they hadn't had the opportunity to meet in person for three years.

Chu Qiushan was upright by nature; although he was somewhat rigid and did things too much by the book, over these years, Li Yunjing still quite approved of his character.

Li Yunjing cupped his hands and said, "Sect Master Chu, mountains and rivers may meet again; we have met once more!"

Chu Qiushan laughed and said, "Sect Leader Li! Your arrival today can be considered a fortunate event for our two Sects!"

Li Yunjing laughed, "An alliance is naturally a fortunate event! But regarding the treaty, Sect Master Chu, can you concede a little to me?"

Chu Qiushan laughed heartily and said, "For the details of the treaty, Sect Leader Li can talk to Zhu He and Lin Youjian and the others; I can't manage that!"

"Slippery!" Li Yunjing laughed. "Sect Master Chu still has the same old style; whenever you encounter such things, you act as the hands-off Manager!"

Chu Qiushan said, "Sect Leader Li, you have had a tiring journey! A banquet has been prepared in the manor; please take your seats, and we shall drink and chat!"

Li Yunjing said, "That is excellent! Having blown through wind and sand the whole way, I was just wanting to drink a few cups!"

"Please!"

"Please!"

The two groups then headed toward a manor not far from the mountainside.

This manor on Cuiwei Peak was a place only opened to receive the highest-spec guests; the decorations and ornaments inside were the best within the Taiyi Sect.

As they headed toward the manor, two old Attendants walked over, came to a spot not far from the three Cloud-Feather Mad Eagles, and bowed, saying, "Three sirs, the two of us will take you to the Imperial Eagle Courtyard!"

On each of the three Cloud-Feather Mad Eagles, there was a burly man in black sitting at the eagle's neck; they stood up, glanced at the two old Attendants, and said, "Come up!"

The two old Attendants said, "Our legs and feet are not good; we must trouble you sirs to give us a hand."

No sooner had their voices fallen than two black shadows flashed, grabbing them and flying onto the backs of two Cloud-Feather Mad Eagles.

One of them placed the old Attendant on the eagle's back behind him and asked, "Where is the Imperial Eagle Courtyard?"

The old Attendant sat steadily after stumbling, grabbed a feather beside him, and then said, "Head southeast! Thirty miles away at Tianzhu Peak!"

No sooner had his voice fallen than that Cloud-Feather Mad Eagle spread its great wings, like clouds hanging down, flapped them in the air, and its mountain-like figure darted into the valley's mist.

The group arrived in front of the manor, seeing it was towering and magnificent, with an extraordinary atmosphere.

On the gate with flying eaves and flowing cinnabar, there was a couplet; the first line read "Stand from a high place," and the second line was "Walk toward a wide path." It could be called simple in words but deep in meaning, fitting the scene and the time.

The group filed in and took their respective seats in the Main Hall and the side halls.

Divided into three tables: the Sect Leader and Elders of the Tianyan Sect were at one table in the Main Hall.

The various Principals were at another table, and the accompanying servants were at yet another, all in the side hall.

Li Ruozhou followed his father into the main hall and sat beside his father; according to his cultivation realm, he naturally had no qualification to sit here, but he was the Young Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect, and by this status, his seat was indeed above those of the Elders.

(End of this chapter)