Chapter 231: Observing

Hearing that the big black cat was lost, Hu Rui'an was not particularly worried and said:

"Miss Lady Murong, there is no need to worry too much. That big cat is not simple; it likely left on its own and should be fine."

Lady Murong Xiaoya wore a look of contemplation; that big black cat did indeed look extremely shrewd and was very intelligent.

It was quite possible it saw the imminent battle between the Tianjin Guard and the Falling God Peak and slipped away early.

"I will search for a while longer. If I truly cannot find it, I will have to give up for now."

Lady Murong Xiaoya bowed lightly to Hu Rui'an and the other, then walked back toward the woods.

Just then, the distant horizon suddenly lit up, a silver fire rising.

Even though the two places were far apart, that brilliant silver light could still be clearly seen.

Hu Rui'an and the other naturally saw this scene; Fu Qiwen frowned slightly and said:

"If I am not mistaken, that should be the direction of the Hundred Refinement Peak. This fire signal is somewhat special and does not belong to the Tianjin Guard; it was likely sent by the Falling God Peak. Could something have happened to the Hundred Refinement Peak?"

Hearing this, Hu Rui'an wore a look of thought, then his expression shifted as he said:

"My lord, did you forget? The Eighth Imperial Prince went to the Hundred Refinement Peak. Given the current situation, it is obvious the Prince has already begun to act."

Fu Qiwen turned to look at Hu Rui'an, seeing the other's face was calm and appeared extremely tranquil.

Even knowing Li Musheng had acted at the Hundred Refinement Peak, he seemed not worried at all.

"Rui'an, we have been colleagues for many years. Now, how do I feel your confidence in the Eighth Imperial Prince is even a layer higher than your confidence in me?"

Fu Qiwen suddenly spoke, his eyes clearly showing something unusual.

Previously, the other had said Li Musheng's martial arts strength surpassed his own.

But he had not taken it to heart, because Hu Rui'an had never seen him truly act and did not know how strong he, the commander of the Tianjin Guard of the Great Li Imperial Court, truly was.

In his view, ignorance was no fault.

But now, seeing his right-hand man hold such reverence for an Imperial Prince under twenty, even surpassing his own status in this subordinate's heart, he could not help but feel some emotional fluctuation.

At this, Hu Rui'an, hearing Fu Qiwen's question, a man well-versed in officialdom, immediately wore a beaming smile and gave an ambiguous answer to brush it off.

Even if he thought Li Musheng was more reliable, facing his old superior, he could not possibly voice his true inner thoughts; that would indeed be too low in emotional intelligence.

But how could Hu Rui'an's attitude fool Fu Qiwen, who saw into the finest details? However, he did not say much about it, only thinking to himself.

Once he personally captured the Star-Order Peak, his old subordinate would naturally form a judgment in his heart and know his true strength.

"This signal seems not ordinary. If the other peaks of the Falling God Peak see it, they will likely act to support the Hundred Refinement Peak. I only hope the Prince can withdraw safely."

At this, Fu Qiwen turned and looked up toward the Hundred Refinement Peak, speaking softly.

He truly had no manpower to support Li Musheng now; he only hoped what Hu Rui'an said earlier was true, that the other could handle it on his own.

Hearing this, Hu Rui'an likewise looked up at the sky, wearing a look of contemplation as he said:

"It is rumored that Zheng Yunfeng has already mastered the true meaning of martial fist techniques. I wonder, if he faces the Prince, who would be superior on the path of the fist?"

The nine peak seats of the Falling God Peak were all top masters of the martial world; each one's martial cultivation had reached the Heaven-and-Mortal Rank One realm.

A person's name casts a shadow like a tree's. The nine peak seats were famous throughout the martial world. Even though Hu Rui'an's heart stood with Li Musheng, he could not help but feel some unease.

At this, Fu Qiwen, with his hands behind his back, spoke with a calm face:

"Zheng Yunfeng, when young, roamed the martial world with the 'Hundred Mountains Divine Fist.' His talent on the path of the fist was absolute. Since entering Heaven-and-Mortal, he has observed all fist manuals in the world, discarding the dross and taking the essence, fusing and comprehending a fist Dao true meaning belonging to himself."

"It can be said that in the entire martial world of the Five Dynasties, those comparable to him on the path of the fist number no more than two hands. As for those who can defeat him, besides that 'Fist Saint' of Great Xuan, I cannot think of anyone else."

Speaking thus, Fu Qiwen turned to look at Hu Rui'an and said:

"However, if I faced him, I am confident I could defeat him in over one hundred and fifty moves."

Inside a mountain forest cave within the territory of the Falling God Peak.

Two men and two women sat cross-legged before a burning fire. Among them, a woman of extremely plump figure and a woman in a thorn skirt both sat cross-legged with eyes closed.

Beside the fire, an old man with gray hair and a down-and-out scholar of thin build kept watch.

After a while, the plump woman Lin Tang gently opened her eyes. Seeing this, the scholar Sui Zhen immediately asked:

"Have you found Mo Mo?"

Hearing this, Lin Tang frowned and gently shook her head.

Then, Lin Yueru also opened her eyes, but she brought no good news either; they had not found their younger sister.

An old man in coarse brown clothes, his forehead wrinkles as deep as knife carvings, Wu Yong, tapped the wooden staff in his hand and said:

"The sect has already replied, promising to send all divine beings in Lan Province to act while the Great Li Tianjin Guard attacks the Falling God Peak. But now we lack key battle information on the clash between the two sides; how can we guide everyone to infiltrate the Falling God Peak?"

Hearing this, Lin Yueru raised an eyebrow and said:

"Rest assured. With me and my eldest sister here, investigating information will be no problem. Even without Mo Mo, it matters little."

The down-and-out scholar Sui Zhen nodded and said:

"Mo Mo is too mischievous; actually, we did not intend to rely on her to do anything."

"However, she is after all following that Imperial Prince. If we can get her help, it will naturally be more secure."

At this, the old man Wu Yong shook his head, sighed, and said:

"You are still thinking too simply. We are facing the Falling God Peak. Without sufficient certainty, rushing into the Falling God Peak is no different from seeking death."

"Everything depends on how much impact the Great Li Tianjin Guard can cause the Falling God Peak. If it does not reach the level of crippling injury, the old immortals on the main peak will not leave. The others in the sect are not fools; how could they risk their lives entering the Falling God Peak?"

Upon hearing this, none of the three, Lin Yueru and the others, spoke. This time, obtaining the news of the Great Li Tianjin Guard acting against the Falling God Peak was extremely hasty.

The manpower the sect could send was extremely limited. Therefore, this operation against the Falling God Peak was like walking a tightrope; whether it succeeded depended entirely on the Great Li Tianjin Guard.

This also made intelligence information extremely important. They absolutely could not misjudge the situation; otherwise, one wrong step, and they, these people, would very likely be utterly annihilated.

"Let us take one step at a time. Once we continue deeper and reach a certain distance, I will use my ability to possess a disciple of the Falling God Peak and can then grasp all intelligence at any time."

The plump woman Lin Tang spoke in a deep voice, and Lin Yueru also nodded, saying:

"There are many birds and beasts in the forest; it is also my home ground. I too can control them to observe the battle between the Great Li Tianjin Guard and the Falling God Peak."

Hearing this, the old man Wu Yong and the scholar Sui Zhen exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and said:

"For now, this is all we can do. However, if the situation proves impossible, we must withdraw immediately."

Clearly, to be honest, they did not hold much hope for the Great Li Tianjin Guard.

Their intervention was merely an attempt to profit from the chaos, with no intention of fighting the Luo Shen Peak to the death.

Of course, they did not possess the capability to do so anyway.

Just then, a faint rustling of grass and trees suddenly came from outside the cave, followed by a meow sounding beyond the cave entrance.

"It is Little Sister returning."

The plump woman Lin Tang was the first to react, immediately turning her gaze toward the cave entrance.

There, a large black-furred cat with glowing green eyes walked in, striding with feline grace.

Seeing the people inside the cave, the large cat rolled its eyes, then squatted between Lin Tang and Lin Yueru.

Seeing this, all four wore expressions of joy; Lin Tang gazed at the big black cat beside her and hurriedly asked:

"Little Sister, is there any news regarding that Imperial Prince? When and from which directions does the Great Li Tianjin Guard plan to strike?"

The other three also stared intently at the large cat before them, yet the big black cat remained silent.

After sitting by the fire for a while to warm itself, it glanced around at everyone, stood up, and walked out of the cave.

"It is..."

The scholar Sui Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly; Lin Yueru's expression shifted, and she hurriedly stood up, saying:

"Little Sister is telling us to follow her; she intends to lead the way."

At this, the plump woman Lin Tang also stood up immediately; neither she nor Lin Yueru asked any further questions as they walked out of the cave, clearly intending to follow the big black cat.

The old man Wu Yong and the scholar Sui Zhen exchanged a glance, hesitated briefly, but ultimately followed as well.

"Where is it taking us?"

The four moved one after another through the forest in the dead of night; the path taken by the big black cat was extremely remote, filled with thorns and shrubs. Although not a significant obstacle for the four, it did cause some trouble.

However, the big black cat simply pressed on without looking back, showing no intention of responding.

Just then, the old man Wu Yong suddenly looked up toward the horizon ahead, seeing only a brilliantly bright silver fire rising into the night sky.

"Is this a signal sent from Luo Shen Peak?"

The old man Wu Yong frowned; moreover, he realized that the direction they were currently heading was exactly the same as that of the silver fire signal.

At this moment, the other three naturally noticed this situation as well, and all unconsciously showed expressions of shock and doubt on their faces.

"Meow!"

At the same time, the big black cat ahead looked up at the night sky, then turned its head to call out once to the people behind before suddenly accelerating and darting forward.

The plump woman Lin Tang reacted immediately, saying in a deep voice:

"Little Sister wants us to hurry and follow, or we will be too late!"

Outside Bailian City, the deep night was silent and still.

The hemp-clad old man hidden in the dark woods suddenly looked up, gazing toward the end of the main road outside the city.

Immediately, his entire mind suddenly tightened:

"They have arrived!"

(End of this chapter)