Chapter 252: The Way Out

Previously, several peaks of Luoshen Peak had sent personnel to reinforce Bailian City.

However, these dispatched elders and disciples, while en route to Bailian City, witnessed Chi Huo Zunzhe in action.

At the time, everyone assumed that with a Zunzhe involved, there would be no need for them—so they prepared to wait until the Zunzhe dealt with the Dai Li experts in the city, then merely show up at Bailian City for appearances.

Yet later, Chi Huo Zunzhe reportedly suffered defeat, prompting the Luoshen Peak Patriarch and the other Zunzhe to personally intervene.

This terrified those sent to reinforce Bailian City—how could they possibly face a warrior capable of defeating a being as terrifying as Chi Huo Zunzhe? Thus, they remained halfway, waiting to see how events unfolded.

This also caused the already jittery crowd to never reach Bailian City, for no one wished to rush to their death under uncertain circumstances.

Only after the Patriarch and the Zunzhe acted did they spot the distress signal emanating from Bailian City.

At that moment, the group finally made their decision—they immediately turned and fled!

Some disciples, still clinging to a sliver of doubt and hope, returned to their own peaks; others, convinced the Patriarch and Zunzhe had perished and no longer held any faith in Luoshen Peak, outright betrayed the sect and sought to flee Luoshen Peak’s territory.

Meanwhile, the other peak leaders of Luoshen Peak, who had previously been uncertain of the outcome in Bailian City.

Like everyone else elsewhere, upon seeing Bailian City’s signal, they had already realized Luoshen Peak’s fate was sealed.

At once, apart from the deceased Peak Leader of Bailian Peak, Zheng Yunfeng, and the Eighth Peak, Zhan Yue Peak’s leader, who remained sealed in meditation and unaware of what had transpired,

all six remaining Luoshen Peak leaders stared toward Bailian City in the darkness—besides overwhelming shock and disbelief, an uncontrollable wave of deep terror surged forth.

At this moment, the two paths before each peak leader were clear: either die fighting alongside the sect, or flee immediately—though they would be hunted by the Dai Li imperial court, they still had a strong chance of survival.

Above the jade palace perched atop ice on the summit of Yulan Peak.

Yu Mianjiao’s mirror-like illusion shattered violently, and her true body flew out from the palace.

She stepped into the air beside Ouyang Mingqi, her face filled with horror as she gazed toward Bailian City, murmuring:

“Has the Patriarch and the Zunzhe truly been defeated?”

Fifth Peak Leader Ouyang Mingqi said nothing, but his expression of shock was no less intense than Yu Mianjiao’s.

Though the two had previously discussed the possible outcome of the Patriarch and several Zunzhe’s intervention, even considering the possibility of their defeat,

that had merely been a hypothetical scenario spoken aloud—yet now it was reality.

For a moment, even these two high-ranking peak leaders felt their hearts churn like storm-tossed seas.

They stared at the dark, silent Bailian City, their bodies trembling slightly from fear.

Naturally, they understood better than any other Luoshen Peak disciple just how terrifying the Patriarch and the Zunzhe were.

Yet even so, the Patriarch and his companions were no match for the Dai Li expert in Bailian City.

This gave them the same thought as the Three Elders of Xinyin—how could one possibly imagine the terrifying level of power held by the Dai Li court’s warrior?

In the night, the two stood silently gazing into the distance for a long while.

Then, Ouyang Mingqi slowly turned his head toward Yu Mianjiao beside him and suddenly asked:

“Now, Sister, do you still intend to die alongside Luoshen Peak, as you previously stated?”

Hearing this, Yu Mianjiao withdrew her gaze and glanced down at Yulan Peak—but did not answer Ouyang Mingqi’s question, only her expression turned grim.

Seeing this, Ouyang Mingqi did not press further; instead, he gradually calmed his features, forcing himself to remain composed, and said:

“The Dai Li court has concealed such a powerful warrior—one who has defeated even the Patriarch and several Zunzhe—far beyond what we or the entire Dai Li martial world ever anticipated.”

“Luoshen Peak’s defeat is now certain. With that Bailian City warrior holding the Tianjinwei, even if all seven peak leaders united, we would still be no match for a single blow—our end would inevitably be death.”

Hearing this, Yu Mianjiao slowly raised her head, fixing her gaze on Ouyang Mingqi, her eyes flickering, and suddenly asked:

“What then is Brother Ouyang’s plan?”

Ouyang Mingqi shook his head, but instead of answering, he asked:

“Before I answer your question, I ask you honestly—are you willing to survive, or to die for the cause?”

Yu Mianjiao frowned, fell silent for a long while, then sighed and said:

“Who, if they could live, would choose death?”

Ouyang Mingqi stared at her for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and said:

“When I first learned Luoshen Peak was suddenly attacked by the Dai Li court, I had already prepared for defeat—I had already planned my own escape route.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Mianjiao’s expression gave away nothing, yet she asked:

“Does Brother Ouyang already intend to flee Luoshen Peak?”

Yet Ouyang Mingqi slowly shook his head and said:

“People in our position as peak leaders are already on the Dai Li court’s death list—how easily could we escape?”

“Moreover, with that Bailian City warrior now commanding the Tianjinwei, how could you or I possibly evade his grasp?”

Yu Mianjiao fell silent again, but soon bowed to Ouyang Mingqi and said:

“Forgive this sister’s dullness—please, Brother Ouyang, guide me.”

Ouyang Mingqi waved his hand, then turned to gaze toward Yulan City and said:

“I cannot guide you—I intend to surrender.”

……

At these words, Yu Mianjiao visibly froze, then frowned:

“Brother Ouyang, are you joking? If we’re already on the Dai Li court’s death list, surrendering would only mean dying faster!”

Ouyang Mingqi studied her deeply and said:

“Technically, yes—surrender would be tantamount to offering one’s neck for the blade. But the Dai Li court’s situation now is different.”

He fixed his gaze on her and spoke slowly:

“Surely you understand: the living are always more valuable than the dead.”

“The Dai Li court has long regarded the four great sects as thorns in their side, eager to eradicate them. Now, with only the Tianjinwei, they’ve crushed Luoshen Peak—do you think they won’t turn their eyes toward the other three sects?”

“To strike the other three sects, the Dai Li court is now in dire need of personnel—this is our one chance. That Commander will surely realize: keeping us alive is far more useful than killing us.”

Hearing this, Yu Mianjiao’s expression shifted uncertainly and said:

“Brother, are you gambling with your life?”

Ouyang Mingqi gave a slight nod and said:

“Indeed. Sister, you may choose to flee.”

“But I urge you to consider carefully: people climb upward, water flows downward. With such a warrior—equivalent to a Martial God—now in the Dai Li court, what future do you imagine for the entire Dai Li realm?”

At these words, Yu Mianjiao’s expression changed, and she fell silent, clearly pondering Ouyang Mingqi’s words.

Seeing this, Ouyang Mingqi did not interrupt, only gazed toward Yulan City and murmured:

“I hope you decide soon—the time left to us is likely short.”

……

Meanwhile, Sikong Xuan, former Commander of the Dai Li Tianjinwei, had, per the established offensive plan, seized Yulan City with minimal effort.

Winning this victory against Luoshen Peak, his Tianjinwei troops’ morale had noticeably improved.

Yet their emotions had been tortured like a swinging pendulum—constantly rising and falling.

Earlier, witnessing Chi Huo Zunzhe’s terrifying display, even Sikong Xuan and his Tianjinwei had felt a creeping despair.

But then the situation reversed: the Luoshen Peak Patriarch and others intervened, and Commander Fu Qiwén sent word that the Eighth Imperial Prince had single-handedly slain Chi Huo Zunzhe.

Though Sikong Xuan still doubted this, suspecting Fu Qiwén had fabricated it to boost morale,

he still harbored a faint glimmer of hope amid his disbelief over whether the Eighth Prince had truly killed Chi Huo Zunzhe.

Though he deemed this hope slim, Sikong Xuan still relayed Fu Qiwén’s message verbatim to every Tianjinwei soldier.

Later, when the Luoshen Peak Patriarch and Zunzhe revealed their power, the terrifying spectacle once again crushed Tianjinwei morale.

But this low morale did not last long—the distress signal from Bailian City once again ignited hope.

Now, after capturing Yulan City, the Tianjinwei were dazed, unsure whether to feel hopeful or hopeless about annihilating Luoshen Peak.

Their emotions were entirely pulled by events in Bailian City, yet Bailian City’s situation remained chaotic and unpredictable—truly torturing them.

Shortly after capturing Yulan City, Sikong Xuan, who had planned a brief rest before advancing on Yulan Peak, now kept glancing toward Bailian City.

For him, silence was the best sign.

Because it meant the Luoshen Peak Patriarch and others in Bailian City had likely been dealt with—or at the very least, were not attacking the Tianjinwei.

At that moment, a messenger suddenly rushed into the Yulan City governor’s mansion, shouting:

“My lord, a falcon message has arrived!”

Sikong Xuan, his hair snow-white and face gaunt, immediately frowned, his heart sinking.

He silently prayed: please, not bad news—wait until I’ve climbed Yulan Peak and killed one of Luoshen Peak’s leaders.

Receiving bad news now would only ruin his mood, serving no other purpose.

Thinking this, Sikong Xuan spoke without expression:

“Read it.”

Though silence was best for him now,

he could not ignore Fu Qiwén’s message—not under these circumstances.

The messenger immediately unrolled the bamboo tube’s short note, glanced at it, then froze, eyes wide, speechless.

Sikong Xuan frowned and let out a sharp, cold grunt:

“I said—read it!”

The messenger snapped back to himself, drew a deep breath, steadied himself, stared at the note, and spoke slowly, word by word:

“Commander of the Tianjinwei’s order: Eighth Imperial Prince has annihilated the Luoshen Peak Patriarch and four Zunzhe. Order: all four Tianjinwei columns to launch full-scale assaults on the four peaks—capture Luoshen Peak before dawn!”

The note’s words were few, yet the event was monumental.

Sikong Xuan remained stunned for a long while, then ordered the messenger to read it twice more.

The next instant, he leapt to his feet, unable to suppress an expletive.

Inside the City Lord’s mansion, Sikong Xuan stood in place, muttering to himself:

“The Eighth Imperial Prince, the Eighth Imperial Prince—how could the Great Li produce such a heavenly prodigy?”

Earlier, when he saw the signal from Bai Lian City, he had already harbored some suspicions.

But those suspicions were too unbelievable, making him think he was merely imagining things.

Yet now, with confirmation from Fu Qiwén’s messenger, he finally knew: the Sect Master and the Venerables of Luoshen Peak had been defeated.

And all of them had been killed by the Eighth Imperial Prince of Great Li, who was said to have once lived among the common folk.

In Sikong Xuan’s view, such a genius should never have been allowed to drift among the people—yet to be found again? Great Li had simply been blessed with extraordinary fortune.

At this moment, his aged body trembled with excitement.

His agreement to aid Fu Qiwén stemmed not only from his dwindling lifespan, but also from a long-held desire to fulfill before death.

During his tenure as Commander of the Tianjin Guard, Emperor Yuanwu had already plotted to subdue the Four Great Sects of the Jianghu, and the Tianjin Guard was a move aimed squarely at Luoshen Peak.

Yet after all these years, despite pouring immense effort into Luoshen Peak, he had never even touched its borders before retiring from his post as Commandant and returning home in old age.

This had become an obsession in his heart.

He had long believed he would die without ever seeing Great Li strike against Luoshen Peak—until Fu Qiwén suddenly arrived with good news.

Of course, he understood that the Tianjin Guard alone could not possibly destroy Luoshen Peak.

His greatest goal in coming here was to sacrifice his own decaying martial body in exchange for the life of one of Luoshen Peak’s Peak Lords—dying with honor.

But all of this had been rewritten by Li Muxian.

Now, his original goal was no longer enough to satisfy Sikong Xuan’s ambition: since the Sect Master and Venerables of Luoshen Peak were dead, its fall was now certain.

Therefore, he no longer merely intended to kill one of Luoshen Peak’s Peak Lords—he now meant to witness Luoshen Peak’s complete destruction with his own eyes.

Suppressing his rising excitement, Sikong Xuan ordered sternly:

“Issue the order: all troops prepare for immediate departure—to Yulan Peak!”

In an instant, his entire aura surged, and he seemed to have regained years of youth.

Hearing this, the messenger was equally thrilled and immediately bowed, rushing off to deliver the orders.

But at that moment, a Tianjin Guard officer suddenly burst in, face filled with shock and disbelief:

“My lord, Yulan Peak has sent emissaries to surrender!”

At these words, Sikong Xuan froze in stunned silence:

“What?”

(End of Chapter)