Chapter 672: Refusing You

Zhu Tian Jiugang, who had been standing silently aside, saw Pan Yun had finished her task and immediately pulled Yi Tian Xintai forward, bowing respectfully before asking: "Master Pan, how is the situation at Shankou Hall?"

Pan Yun pointed to the brightening sky: "Their evil array has been broken."

Zhu Tian Jiugang's eyes flickered, and he quickly asked: "Then can we continue our assault?"

Pan Yun frowned.

Xue Shao said: "Though this battle shattered their evil array, we still haven't uncovered the divine power of the Uesugi clan."

He asked: "The Yamana clan has operated here for years—do you know which divine practitioners they've allied with, and what their abilities are?"

Yi Tian Xintai's smile froze, and he involuntarily glanced at Zhu Tian Jiugang.

Zhu Tian Jiugang paused briefly, then nodded: "We know—Uesugi Jiaohong's sister, Dainai Yazi, was sent since childhood to Izumo Grand Shrine to train; it's said she became a shrine maiden to the mountain deity. Besides her, the Uesugi clan keeps over a dozen divine practitioners, all introduced by Dainai Yazi, summoned from Izumo Grand Shrine to guard their estate…"

Yi Tian Xintai tried to stop him too late—Pan Yun and Xue Shao had already grown cold, demanding: "If you knew they had so many divine practitioners, why didn't you tell us before we set out?"

Zhu Tian Jiugang froze, then remembered: the clan lord had deliberately concealed the divine practitioners' existence, fearing they would abandon the fight against the Uesugi.

Xue Shao sneered: "Fortunately, Master Pan's magic power is profound—otherwise, all of us and our troops, one by one, would've been left in the evil array as fertilizer for these rice stalks!"

Yi Tian Xintai hurriedly apologized: "This is our negligence—truly, the Uesugi never deploy their divine practitioners; their presence is nearly zero, so we forgot."

Xue Shao snorted, bowing to Pan Yun: "Master Pan, our men are severely wounded, just emerged from a great battle, morale is low, and they're exhausted. Let's retreat first, then decide our next move."

Pan Yun nodded slightly.

Zhu Tian Jiugang hurriedly urged: "Young Lady, since you shattered the evil array, we clearly hold the advantage—why not press forward and seize Shankou Hall, exterminate the Uesugi clan, and avenge the people of the Central Kingdom?"

Pan Yun glanced sidelong at him: "Master Zhu's courage is commendable, but I see all our soldiers are wounded—is it wise to attack now?"

Zhu Tian Jiugang: "All minor injuries. Besides, the Uesugi's situation is worse than ours."

He gestured toward the captives bound and dumped together, proudly saying: "They even sent out Lord Waka of the main Uesugi line—clearly, they have no one left.

The thunderclap earlier terrified them—we captured one hundred and eighty prisoners, killed many more, and fewer than two hundred scattered and fled."

Zhu Tian Jiugang couldn't help smiling as he imagined these all counting as his victories: "Young Lady, those scattered men may not return to Shankou Hall—even if they do, they'll detour to avoid us and won't make it back today. The hall is now defenseless—this is the perfect moment to storm in."

Truly, a flurry of wild punches can kill even a master—Zhu Tian Jiugang's mind actually thought of this.

He was right—attacking Shankou Hall now could indeed exterminate the Uesugi clan.

But that would be no fun.

Heaven favors life, and as a cultivator who follows the Dao of Heaven, would she commit such an evil act—destroying a nation, eradicating its bloodline, cutting off its ancestral rites?

That would be absolutely unacceptable!

So Pan Yun said solemnly: "First, we have not uncovered the divine practitioners the Uesugi hold. Second, we know nothing of their defenses within the city—storming in blindly endangers our soldiers' lives."

She shook her head: "I will not risk my soldiers' lives, nor will I let my Central Kingdom heroes fight an unprepared battle. No."

The soldiers nearby heard this, looked at Pan Yun with deep emotion, then quietly, slightly resentfully, glanced at Zhu Tian Jiugang.

Zhu Tian Jiugang: "Opportunities always carry risk—great risk means great opportunity, Young Lady. If you lead us to seize Shankou Hall, you will be honored guest of the Yamana clan. I'm certain our clan lord will fulfill any wish you have."

Pan Yun's face darkened: "So if I fail to take Shankou Hall, I'm no longer your Yamana clan's guest? So all these days of calling me 'esteemed guest' were just empty flattery?"

Yi Tian Xintai hurriedly blocked Zhu Tian Jiugang, pushing forward: "Young Lady, don't be angry—Master Zhu doesn't know how to speak, he didn't mean it…"

Shanming Xiuqi couldn't bear it anymore—he stood up leaning on his sword, clutching his arm, and strode forward, swinging his good arm to strike Zhu Tian Jiugang with his blade: "Do you want us to die? Do you?!"

Zhu Tian Jiugang covered his head and fled: "No, no, Lord Waka, that's not what I meant…"

Pan Yun waited until he was exhausted before lightly intervening: "Xiuqi, Master Zhu may truly not have meant it."

Shanming Xiuqi brightened at her calling him by name—he felt they had grown closer, become bosom friends; otherwise, how could she address him so familiarly?

He scurried up: "Master Pan, don't trust him—he's no good. Earlier, when we couldn't escape the black mist, we said we'd stay and fight with you, but he insisted on leaving!"

"He only sees you shattered the evil array and thinks you're stronger than Dainai Yazi—he wants to use you as a front-line battering ram so he can rush in and seize Shankou Hall, claiming all the victories and glory for himself."

Pan Yun looked astonished: "Really?"

Shanming Xiuqi nodded fiercely: "Yes, believe me—he's my clan's retainer, I've known him over ten years—do you think I don't know him?"

Pan Yun looked wounded at Zhu Tian Jiugang: "I sought the bright moon, yet the moon shines only on the ditch."

Zhu Tian Jiugang: …

He gazed mournfully at Shanming Xiuqi: You remember I'm your clan's retainer, don't you?

Who's really on your side?

Yi Tian Xintai's face was blank, utterly expressionless.

With these two, he was truly the unluckiest.

Fortunately, a decision was reached—they would temporarily retreat and gather intelligence on Shankou Hall first.

But knowing his clan lord as Yi Tian Xintai did, this retreat would likely be permanent.

Yi Tian Xintai ordered his men to clear the battlefield, gather weapons and bodies, and prepare to depart.

Miao He and Tao Yan Bai had also stitched up the torn Zhang Weiliang, sprinkled healing herbs, and applied Revival Needles with Revival Technique—half-dead men could be dragged back from the gates of hell.

In truth, Zhang Weiliang had indeed stepped one foot into the gates of hell—his soul was nearly departing his body.

Once his life was secured, Tao Yan Bai shoved a Qi-restoring, Blood-nourishing Pill into his mouth, and his soul, previously dragged and sealed in the Dantian, fully returned to his body—he flickered his eyes, struggling to lift his eyelids but unable to open them.

Zhang Weiyi noticed, and breathed a deep sigh of relief: "He's alive!"

Whether he heard this or not, he clearly relaxed completely—his finger twitched once, then fell utterly still, his consciousness sinking into endless darkness, slipping into deep unconsciousness.

(End of Chapter)