Chapter 17

Hong Sihai paused thoughtfully, then bowed and said, “Please, Eight Can Elder, speak quickly—ask the two heroes to lend their aid!”

The three immediately replied, “It is our duty—we obey the Alliance Master’s orders!”

At that moment, a violent explosion erupted in the women’s quarters to the east of the Four Seas Hall; the thunderous roar echoed as a massive Lei Guang shot into the sky. Hong Sihai’s face turned pale: “Si Chen Shen Jun!” The intruder had already silently killed a group of Four Seas Hall experts before their signal could be sent—this alone was terrifying.

But compared to the strange thunderfire of Si Chen Shen Jun’s divine weapon, this level of destruction was negligible.

From the direction of the explosion came a sharp cry of an eagle—a Four Seas Hall disciple using a whistle code to communicate. Soon, several more explosions followed. Hong Sihai remained unmoved; apart from dispatching Eight Can Elder and the Kuai Yan Kuai Yu brothers, he took no other action. The heroes in the main hall began to stir restlessly.

Liang Dou, who swallowed the Qi of Danxia, stepped forward and bowed: “All Twelve Yuan Chen are Grand Masters. If left unchecked, casualties within the hall will be heavy. Sitting here does nothing—we should lead the hall’s disciples in dispersed patrols. When we encounter the Twelve Yuan Chen, we will engage them directly, while your disciples relay information to allied forces to concentrate and annihilate them.”

Hong Sihai waved his hand: “At this moment, obey Yu Han’s command!”

Huang Yuhan bowed slightly and said, “Great Hero Liang, the enemy is merely probing. With the enemy hidden and us exposed, when we know nothing of their identity or intentions, chaos is the greatest danger. The Four Seas Hall has strict discipline—movement between defense zones is forbidden. We have dedicated strike teams for each sector, requiring no support from other areas. No matter how the enemy maneuvers, our lines remain orderly. Every moment, every hour, every force deployed—I hold it all clearly in mind.”

“Once the enemy enters the Four Seas Hall, their position and ours are clear. Do not be fooled by Si Chen Shen Jun’s ferocity—he takes every step under my gaze. Wherever he flees, I know precisely. Within half an hour, I will drive him into a dead end. No matter how much chaos he stirs, he cannot break our formation.”

“Heroes, remain stationed in this main hall. When you move, it will be an overwhelming force—no confusion, no disorder. Crushing the Twelve Yuan Chen will be like a mountain crushing a fragile egg. If you do not know the enemy, know yourself. Wait until the enemy enters our trap, until we uncover their intentions, until both sides are clear—only then can we strike decisively and destroy their main force. Conversely, if we panic at this minor disturbance, disrupt our arrangements, and lose clarity before the enemy is even known, we have already lost before the battle begins.”

“Four Seas Hall disciples are thoroughly trained to coordinate with one another—they know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and habits. Imposters cannot slip through.”

“Far simpler than hastily sending out many heroes, who might be exploited by the enemy through our unfamiliarity with one another, slipping through gaps in our defenses.”

Hong Sihai laughed loudly: “See? This is my chief steward.”

“With him here, no matter how cunning the Twelve Yuan Chen are, they cannot tear through this heavenly net. You all remain here with me at the command center. Any movement will be directed by Yu Han. Within the Four Seas Hall, eyes are everywhere—every motion falls under Yu Han’s control. Once he confirms enemy positions, he will not strike… but when he does, they will die.”

Hong Sihai’s words rang with authority. Combined with Huang Yuhan’s precise, orderly coordination and seamless communication, even those masters who did not grasp the importance of intelligence now felt a sense of complete control.

The two infiltrators’ location, the clues found—they were always pinpointed within no more than a moment. No matter how fierce the explosions and thunderfire outside, the three—Eight Can Elder and the Kuai Yan Kuai Yu brothers—continued to chase the intruders, gradually compressing their operational area until they were nearly fully contained.

At that moment, a faint Jin Guang slipped away into the horizon…

A Four Seas Hall disciple reported: “The intruders were wounded by the Kuai Yan Kuai Yu brothers. They blew open a courtyard wall and escaped with an accomplice, using their divine weapon to flee!”

Huang Yuhan remained calm: “This was merely a probe—to understand our defense system and find weaknesses.”

“They withdrew when they saw no opportunity… pity. Had they stayed longer, I could have forced them into the inner courtyard—then, with two Grand Masters striking, they would have had no chance to escape.”

“They have only retreated for now—tonight, something will change!”

“Reorganize the formation systematically—verify every person’s identity…” Qian Chen watched Huang Yuhan handle everything with flawless order, and was deeply impressed. Indeed, Cheng Wu Shen Jun had not exaggerated—the Four Seas Hall’s vigilance was no empty claim. With Huang Yuhan alone in command, the Twelve Yuan Chen could never stir up chaos.

Of course, this probe should have been carried out jointly by Cheng Wu Shen Jun and Si Chen Shen Jun.

One wielded poison, the other thunderfire—both possessed the most devastating killing and destructive power. Had they acted together instead of sending an unknown Yuan Chen, tonight’s chaos would have been many times worse. Still, even then, it seems they could not have breached Huang Yuhan’s defenses.

Qian Chen thought: “The Twelve Yuan Chen must be puzzled—why didn’t Cheng Wu Shen Jun strike when he had the chance?”

Hong Sihai sighed: “Earlier, the plague spread the ‘Cut the Roots’ poison—no doubt to trigger this very moment. If our patrol disciples had fallen victim to the poison and begun killing randomly, the chaos might have given the Twelve Yuan Chen the opening they needed. Qian Young Master, you’ve done a great service!”

Qian Chen shook his head: “Disciples follow strict protocols for entering and exiting. Even if one area fell into chaos, it wouldn’t spread to others…”

“I mean you saved Yu Han…” Hong Sihai clapped him on the shoulder. Qian Chen grimaced—he finally understood where Huang Yuhan’s habits came from. “If Yu Han had been poisoned, the entire hall would have truly collapsed. Yu Han, you are the linchpin of this hall—your safety must be absolute!”

Hong Sihai turned to Huang Yuhan: “Leave nothing to chance. Do not take risks. Do you understand?”

In the main hall, Hong Sihai declared loudly: “Though the Twelve Yuan Chen failed to strike and have temporarily withdrawn, they may return tonight. Therefore, please remain within the Five Lakes Hall and do not move lightly. If anything occurs, report immediately to Elder Kong Ming of Shaolin and Elder Wan Shi of Wudang. The Twelve Yuan Chen are treacherous and cunning—we must be vigilant. Thank you all for your patience!”

Someone below laughed: “We wanderers of the Jianghu are used to braving wind and dew. With so many companions here and this vast Five Lakes Hall, how could we call it hardship?”

The Kuai Yan Kuai Yu brothers chimed in: “Exactly! The Twelve Yuan Chen’s identities are mysterious—perhaps one of you here is…”

“Mm!”

Kong Ming the Shen Monk had simply tapped a finger, disrupting their Qi. Everyone in the hall felt awkward—they all knew the implication, but you couldn’t just say it out loud!