Chapter 412: Hearts of Men Aflutter

Apart from the Weapon Register having a bit of authority.

All the various messy rankings in the jianghu are merely idle tea-time chatter, comparatively niche.

But it is the jianghu after all; there are certainly many publicly acknowledged "titles" that exist.

For instance, the current world's number one expert, the Gate Master of Flying Sword Gate of the Four Great Holy Lands, Falling Petal Sword God Ye Bie Li.

The vast majority of jianghu people believe this person is the current world's number one, the strongest since Hen Tian Shen Jun.

There are also the fairly famous "Two Young Masters", Pity Flower Young Master and Sword Young Master.

They sound a bit weak from the nicknames, but in reality both are extraordinary.

Sword Young Master is the sole disciple of that world's number one mentioned earlier, Sword Young Master Ye Yue, age twenty-something, strength tyrannically unmatched.

Battle record extraordinary, once consecutively challenged ten famous long-established jianghu experts.

That specialized "Black Wind Stockade" used for all sorts of young heroes to pad their battle records, even more were destroyed at Sword Young Master's hands, all only counting as icing on the cake.

Even rarer, this person has sword brows and starry eyes, handsome appearance, hence the title "Sword Young Master".

If the looks don't measure up, one cannot be called a Young Master.

As for Pity Flower Young Master, hearing the nickname gives the impression of a lecherous thief; his identity...

Eighty percent of jianghu "male heroes" want to see this person beaten black and blue, the remaining twenty percent want to personally beat him black and blue.

Ninety-nine percent of male heroes yearn to take his place and become Pity Flower Young Master.

Same as Sword Young Master, Pity Flower Young Master's origins are extraordinary; both are orphans to begin with.

Sword Young Master spent a long period of childhood as a beggar, nearly joined the Beggar Gang.

Later was accepted as a disciple by "World's Number One".

Pity Flower Young Master was even luckier; while still an infant, was brought to Moon Palace.

Moon Palace, one of the Four Great Holy Lands; from the name alone you know it's a power similar to Moving Flower Palace.

Composed entirely of women; rumor has it Moon Palace, any man who sets left foot inside has left foot chopped off...

Oh, no, although Moon Palace is composed of women, it does not reject men, merely does not accept male disciples.

The sole exception is that Pity Flower Young Master; he is the current Palace Master's closed-door disciple.

Jianghu rumors say this person is the Palace Master's illegitimate son; also rumors say he is the posthumous son of the Palace Master's sisters.

Pity Flower Young Master lives the "laughing amid myriad flowers" life that jianghu people greatly envy.

Likewise, this person is also the jianghu's number one beautiful man.

However this title, now because of Jade Dragon Young Master's sudden emergence, has been challenged.

Jade Dragon Young Master, male, appears twenty-something, peerlessly handsome.

Identity is Four Degrees Demon Monk's disciple, should count as a monk, but Four Degrees Demon Monk himself doesn't look like a monk either.

So no one treats him as a monk.

Main battle achievements are following his master to annihilate Black Heaven Divine Palace and wielding Black Flame Demon Saber, following his master to annihilate Misty Rain Tower.

Although both times were following his master, just holding Black Flame Demon Saber and going head-to-head without losing ground against a famous long-established jianghu powerful expert, Misty Rain Tower Master wielding Coiling Dragon Staff, is enough to prove his strength, absolutely not below Sword Young Master and Pity Flower Young Master.

Therefore, Jade Dragon Young Master has only "debuted" for a month or so, yet gradually shows a trend of turning the "Two Young Masters" into "Three Young Masters".

As for Four Degrees Demon Monk, that's no longer "Young Hero" tier.

Directly promoted to "Great Hero", seniority risen a notch.

Busybodies directly place him on par with the Four Great Holy Lands' masters, and various first-rate jianghu powerful figures, faction leaders.

After several major events, not only Four Degrees Demon Monk and his disciple.

Even Drunken Sword Immortal (Li Suibian), Red Fairy (Tang Yuhan), Mad Arhat (Nan Taisheng), Seven Kill Star (Zhang Xiuping) under the Demon Monk's command have gained no small fame.

Then, Tang Yuhan and the others always feel something is off.

It shouldn't develop like this!

Isn't this a survival mission?

How to get through a survival mission?

According to everyone's summed-up experience, the most important core concept of a survival mission is a single word — lie low!

Only by lying low can one possibly succeed in completing the mission.

Making a big fuss, rushing ahead blindly, are all like the idiots in horror movies who go to the toilet alone — they die.

Now everyone is heading in the idiots' direction, gone without return.

Don't look at everyone's fame spreading far, reputation blazing, fire cooking oil.

In reality, they have already stepped onto the cliff's edge.

What is everyone famous for? Rather than saying they annihilated Black Heaven Divine Palace and Misty Rain Tower, better to say they seized two Holy Weapons!

Why did they become famous? Rather than saying it was because they destroyed the Black Heaven Divine Palace and the Misty Rain Tower, it would be more accurate to say they seized the two holy weapons!

In the jianghu, who knows how many people are nailing their gazes dead onto them.

All kinds of assassin organizations have received no fewer than a hundred related missions.

It's just that currently no assassin dares truly accept a mission, but as time passes, someone will eventually act.

Once someone finds a flaw on them, tears open a gap.

The rest will be like sharks smelling blood, swarming in.

Tearing them to shreds.

For many years, holders of other Holy Weapons have all met the same end.

The sole exception is the Four Great Holy Lands; it's not that no one has coveted the Holy Weapons in their hands, it's that practice has proven they can't covet that idea.

The Four Great Holy Lands' formidable strength is plain to see.

One can glimpse just how overbearing the Four Great Holy Lands are.

And the "Four Great Holy Lands" have always been only four.

Many thought they could become the fifth, yet a fifth has never appeared.

After Hate Heaven Venerable vanished and died, Hate Heaven Gate also lost its chance to become a fifth Holy Land.

The challenge Tang Luo and the others face can be said to come from the entire jianghu.

Its danger level is self-evident.

Some people couldn't help but harbor other thoughts.

Maeda Wang looked at Nan Taisheng and said: "Lord Nan, if this goes on, we'll die, won't we."

"Hm?" Nan Taisheng lifted his eyelids, glancing at Maeda Wang.

"We're targets of everyone's arrows now," Maeda Wang said. "Master Xuanzang and Young Master Yulong each have a Holy Weapon; we don't."

Nan Taisheng didn't speak, gesturing for him to continue.

"With our strength, at best we count as middling in the jianghu — unworthy of our current reputation, and unable to withstand the danger we face."

"So?" Nan Taisheng said.

Maeda Wang said: "We want to withdraw."

"Withdraw?" Nan Taisheng raised his tone.

"Yesterday I asked Master Xuanzang," Maeda Wang said. "His next target won't change — still the nine Holy Weapons. We can't take it!"

"Can't take it, but at least you won't die," Nan Taisheng said. "You think leaving now means no trouble?"

How many jianghu people meet disaster when washing their hands in the golden basin?

How many assassins bite the dust on their final mission?

"The Master can save us once, twice," Maeda Wang said, slightly agitated. "But can he save us ten times, a hundred times? Continuing to follow him will only get more and more dangerous."

Nan Taisheng looked at the man before him, eyes narrowing.

"Lord Nan, if we don't leave now, we really won't be able to leave," Maeda Wang urged.

"Then go," Nan Taisheng waved his hand. "Master Xuanzang goes with the flow; he won't stop you from leaving."

"Lord Nan, aren't you coming too?" Maeda Wang said.

Nan Taisheng laughed: "Setting your sights on me?"

Without a doubt, those Huaxia gods and demons walking among mortals are definitely following Tang Xuanzang down a single path to the bitter end.

And with Maeda Wang and the others' strength, once they break away, if they're targeted, it's basically a dead end.

The other side might take them hostage to exchange for Holy Weapons.

As someone Tang Luo once embedded into a wall, Maeda Wang knows very well how utterly ruthless Tang Luo is.

They might get a "Mao-style rescue" — that's where the hostage has already been shot dead by me, so hurry up and surrender.

Thinking of that outcome, Maeda Wang and the others shuddered with cold dread.

Not leaving Tang Luo also carries a high chance of being seized.

After all, they have no way to stay under Tang Luo's eyelids twenty-four hours a day.

The Nishio Chisato and Nishio Miyuki sisters did consider it, but were refused.

Settling for second best, they sought out Young Master Yulong, also refused.

From the few words Young Master Yulong let slip, he indicated that accepting would mean he got the short end of the stick.

Well... judging by looks, that's indeed the case.

If Nan Taisheng were willing to break away with them, the safety factor would be much higher.

Everyone finds a place to lie low; if danger comes, they're not completely without resistance.

Nan Taisheng's strength is real.

"Don't even think about it," Nan Taisheng sneered. "You gain as much as you pay; follow the Master and reap benefits, then want to run just because it's dangerous?"

"This is what we earned — we're not his dogs!" Maeda Wang said in a low voice.

They did get some good items, even equipment.

But in the slaughter, didn't they exert themselves? Which time wasn't fraught with peril, only a few steps from death?

"You don't understand," Nan Taisheng said. "Actually you're not needed at all; Master Xuanzang alone could achieve this — we're just icing on the cake."

"Enough." Maeda Wang was about to say more, cut off by Nan Taisheng.

"If you really want to go, go now; if not, deliver the visiting cards to Moon Palace," Nan Taisheng said.

Among the Nine Great Holy Weapons.

The Coiling Dragon Staff and Black Flame Demon Blade are already in Tang Luo's hands; each of the Four Great Holy Lands holds one; the remaining three, whereabouts unknown.

The three-month mission time has already passed by over a month.

Tang Luo wants to collect all nine Holy Weapons, so he must seize the time; that's why he chose Moon Palace.

And chose a relatively gentle method.

Moon Palace only accepts female disciples, yet doesn't forbid them from marrying out; once disciples marry out they form a vast network of connections.

Which also means a vast intelligence network.

And the Four Great Holy Lands standing for so many years without falling surely know a great deal; perhaps they can provide Tang Luo with more intelligence.

Moon Palace definitely must be visited.

"Yes." Maeda Wang took the visiting cards and left.

Nan Taisheng watched his departing figure, thoughtful.

What Maeda Wang said also had some merit.

Wanting Holy Weapons means making enemies of the Four Great Holy Lands; such a collision — never mind them, even Master Xuanzang himself might capsize.

"Can't walk a single path to the bitter end; must find a way out," Nan Taisheng's eyes narrowed again.

Refusing Ma Wangzhi's natural righteousness.

Because even if he found a way out, he wouldn't bring those burdens with him when leaving Tang Luo—going alone was the safest.