Chapter 274

The more I thought, the more frightened I became.

This road is too hard to walk.

I dare not think whether Liu Junyan can reach the end of this road.

One day in the future, will he also be trapped at some point…?

"Āyàn."

I could no longer hold back; I flung myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Liu Junyan held me, his large hand gently stroking my back.

He did not immediately answer my question, indicating he was still unsure as well.

He was thinking, feeling.

The Empty Silence Abbott said that if that calamity truly arrives, he will be able to sense it.

After a long while, Liu Junyan gave me a very definite answer: "Xiao Jiu, it's not yet time."

As soon as he said that, I cried even louder.

This reassurance let me breathe a sigh of relief, yet at the same moment it made me even more afraid.

Such a great calamity—could it not be the "calamity number" the Empty Silence Abbott spoke of?

Just how great is Liu Junyan's tribulation supposed to be!

People are always like this; before reaching this point, emotions can still be well controlled.

Only when this moment truly arrives will one realize how fragile one is.

Liu Junyan said nothing more, merely holding me tightly, allowing me to vent my emotions.

I cried my heart out, but not for very long.

Time waits for no one.

There won't be much time left for me to squander at will.

I wiped away my tears, striving to calm my emotions.

Liu Junyan cupped my face and solemnly assured me: "Xiao Jiu, believe me; no matter what situation I find myself in in the future, no matter where I go, I will surely leave a trace so you know I am here. I will always be."

I hooked my pinky with his and made my own promise: "Āyàn, you must also believe me; no matter what trace you leave, no matter where you are or what situation you're in, I will surely find you."

Pinky finger hooked, thumb stamped.

With the most childish gesture, we made the most solemn promise.

·

After a few quick bites of breakfast, we went down the mountain to meet with Fang ChuanZong, Hui Moqiong, and the others.

Fang ChuanZong kept his word, sending off Master Mo and the others overnight, and set up a cordon within a one-li radius down the mountain.

By broad daylight, everyone they had sent out to track the jiangxi had returned.

They came back empty-handed.

Even Hui Moqiong was listless: "It's too strange; the people I sent out to track the jiangxi, whose tracking skills are top-notch and hardly ever fail, this time got lost five li southwest behind the mountain, wandering around and nearly unable to find their way out.

Later I personally went around and found that the yin qi there was extremely strong; ordinary people could not approach it. The feeling was… how to describe it? It was like the boundary between yin and yang—this side is the yang realm, while that side is the yin realm, the eighteen layers of hell!

One must admit, Hui Moqiong's description was spot on.

That ancient battlefield is comparable to the eighteen layers of hell.

We several gathered in Fang ChuanZong's RV; I related the information I had interrogated from Hui Cong's mouth, including the contact with Niuhu Mountain, and Liu Junyan supplemented from the side.

Of course, regarding the matter of traveling the world, we tacitly kept it hidden.

This is a future matter, and also our private affair.

Fang ChuanZong is merely a collaborator, not yet one of us.

After we finished speaking, Fang ChuanZong fell silent for a long while, narrowing his eyes as if recalling something.

We did not disturb him; even Hui Moqiong lowered his voice, trembling: "Putting it this way, my team this morning could still be considered lucky, having snatched back a small life?"

That battle at night ended when it was already past midnight.

They pursued past, mostly after three o'clock in the morning.

If it had been a bit earlier… it would probably have been a near-certain death.

I thought this task of Qiu Fengnian would be easy, but I didn't expect there would be so much more afterward.

This already counts as our third clash with them, yet it keeps getting harder.

Back then, Liu Junyan's decision to forcibly seal the grave pit was truly wise.

Hui Moqiong felt suffocated inside; he glanced at Fang ChuanZong and complained: "We actually had a chance..."

But he also obviously felt a bit guilty.

Saying that last night would have been bold.

But now it seems that if Master Mo and company hadn't caused this snag, the moment we captured the jiangxi would inevitably have led to a fierce battle.

Now we are caught between a rock and a hard place.

After a long while, Fang ChuanZong finally spoke: "We cannot retreat; if we do, it will greatly boost their morale."

"You say it so lightly—why don't you go up there yourself? Don't stand there talking without aching waist." Hui Moqiong burst out with bitterness: "Do you know how many brothers I've lost these days? For the four words 'all under heaven's people,' they've almost all been throwing themselves forward as meat shields! Director Fang, isn't Chang City within your jurisdiction? Matters of the Yin-Yang Dao are your responsibility! You are our parent official! Anyway, I've said my piece—don't think of dragging my brothers to take the fall for you; I refuse to be a big fool again."

Liu Junyan glanced at him and said nothing.

The two of them are so in sync that as soon as Hui Moqiong opens his mouth, Liu Junyan knows what trick he's trying to play.

Hui Moqiong usually has a sharp tongue, but when handling affairs he has a good sense of proportion.

He seems to be making a fuss, but actually he's using words to provoke Fang ChuanZong.

He acts as the clueless brawny guy, firmly protecting Liu Junyan while incidentally putting Fang ChuanZong over the fire.

Fang ChuanZong's eye twitched; he subconsciously reached for a cigarette, stuck his hand in his pocket, then pulled it back out.

It's obvious he's under a lot of pressure.

Hui Moqiong's words "your duty lies" and "parental officials" truly put him on the fire.

If this thunder at the Prosperous City Ancient Battlefield were to explode, he still couldn't contain it; the responsibility he'd have to bear might be beyond our imagination.

He looked at Liu Junyan and asked, "Seventh Lord Liu, what do you think?"

My heart suddenly tightened.

Hui Moqiong kept giving Liu Junyan glances.

Liu Junyan, however, smiled: "Me? I certainly have no problem on my end; the issue is, I've just launched an attack—can Old Fang hold up? If you lack confidence…"

Fang Chuanzong jumped up with a rustle, his voice somewhat excited: "Wait a moment, I'll go make a few calls."

Having said that, he held his phone and walked to the side, beginning to dial numbers one by one.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for us to hear.

It seems they aren't preparing to defend against us.

Hui Moqiong leaned over to Liu Junyan's side and teased, "Seventh Lord, you truly don't know how to fish—you're holding such a big bait, yet you're afraid the fish won't bite?"

Liu Junyan helplessly said: "But he's not a fish; the common folk behind him also can't withstand turmoil. I believe if we show five parts sincerity, he'll repay us ten or a hundredfold. Mo Qiong, let's call it quits when we see success—after all, this operation truly needs Old Fang's help."

Hui Moqiong nodded thoughtfully, then turned his gaze to Fang Chuanzong.

Then we saw Fang Chuanzong, his face solemn, speaking to different people on the other end of the phone, saying almost the same sentence:

"At seven tonight, White Cloud Temple will gather at Prosperous City on time, no matter how many people they can mobilize."

"At seven tonight, Earth Dao Institute will gather at Prosperous City on time, no matter how many people they can mobilize."

"At seven tonight, Heavenly Terrace Sect…"

"At seven tonight, Cloud-Reaching Mountain…"

……