Chapter 603

It was a farce, yet it cleared up our doubts from the side.

As the saying goes, a teacher comes with a reputation; the guise of a 'pure good person' put on by the Hermit of Bamboo Seclusion made us dare not act rashly.

After all, that's the Chénghuáng Miào!

But the situation is different now; the problems facing Mr. and Mrs. Lin Mei are too great, so we don't even need to verify whether they are truly the 'Child Attendant chosen by the City God Lord,' because their methods are too dirty.

Hui Moqiong cracked his knuckles: 'The brothers have been lurking around Jūnzhú Shān for days, on standby. Seventh Lord, when do we strike?'

Liu Junyan glanced at the sun rising slowly in the east and said, 'During the day the incense in the Chénghuáng Miào is too strong; it's not suitable to strike. Let's wait until night, to avoid harming the innocent.'

'All right.' Hui Moqiong readily agreed, 'I'll send people in during the day to scout the Chénghuáng Miào first, so we know what we're dealing with.'

'No need.' Liu Junyan said, 'Mo Qiong, you only need to surround Jūnzhú Shān and the Chénghuáng Miào; don't get involved in what's inside.'

Hui Moqiong puzzled: 'Why?!'

'Because you might not even be able to enter the Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān.' I said, 'Inside, it's me and Āyàn handling things; outside, it's all up to you, and later we may need you to seal the gates of the Chénghuáng Miào so no one gets out.'

Hui Moqiong, as if injected with adrenaline, said, 'I guarantee we'll complete the mission.'

Liu Junyan thought for a moment and said, 'If the Chénghuáng Miào disappears again like last time, Mo Qiong and his crew will be left helpless, so… why not invite A Cheng over?'

Even if A Cheng can't break the situation, witnessing the disappearance of the Chénghuáng Miào firsthand should let him pick up a few clues.

Hui Moqiong nodded: 'I'll send someone to invite him.'

Of course, the troops mobilized by Hui Moqiong included not only their Gray Immortals but also Huang Fan's forces.

Hu Yulin is temporarily away; he's been keeping Hu Sanmei company lately.

The Hu family's forces have dwindled badly; they need to recruit troops and buy horses, to regroup.

Once everything was arranged, I quietly asked Liu Junyan, 'Should we let our senior sister know about our operation?'

'No need.' Liu Junyan said, 'After I took her to identify the Hermit of Bamboo Seclusion last time, she's probably been keeping an eye on that side's movements; she's likely seen every move we make.'

Liu Junyan wanted to hand over the initiative of choice to Yu Nian herself; that's quite good.

Some things can't be shouted openly, but privately, when Liu Junyan and I chat, we become uninhibited: 'Āyàn, are you afraid?'

Liu Junyan chuckled: 'Afraid of what?'

'What we're challenging this time is none other than the City God Lord!' I said, 'Putting it broadly, it's likely the entire Nether Realm system; we, a tiny Yin Dang Hang, simply lack the confidence.'

Liu Junyan hissed: 'Sounds like that's the reasoning, huh.'

She then raised her brows: 'But we haven't really acted yet; calling for Mo Qiong to withdraw the troops is still timely.'

I froze for a moment, then reached out and pinched his arm hard, gritting my teeth: 'You're teasing me!'

Liu Junyan didn't dodge, just smiling: 'Xiao Jiu, I know your worries; this scheme began with the Redeemer, and the Redeemer is very likely Wang Fanchen himself. Now the matter also involves the Hermit of Bamboo Seclusion—are you afraid they'll use this scheme to swallow our Yin Dang Hang whole, master and disciple?'

I nodded: 'Don't forget, Wang Fanchen practices severing love and emotion; he can be the sharpest blade in the hands of those in power.'

'Indeed.' Liu Junyan said, 'But I have confidence in the feelings between him and Yu Nian.'

I gave a wry smile: 'Turns out we're both fools, actually staking the livelihoods and lives of our Dang Pu and all the brothers and sisters of the hall on some illusory romance.'

Liu Junyan shook his head: 'Xiao Jiu, this time we're not gambling; we're contending.'

My heart gave a jolt: 'Contend?'

'Yes, contend.' Liu Junyan finally grew solemn: 'We've walked step by step to today, not easily; since we don't want to keep being controlled by others, even if this is a scheme and the road ahead holds blades and fire, we must press forward—to win a standing for our Yin Dang Hang, and to win a breath of pride for ourselves.'

'So you mean we still have to go it alone?'

'Of course! Xiao Jiu, have you considered that after our battle in the Zàng Qū, our identities have already shifted? Someone wants to use this to suppress us; if we don't contend, what will we lose?'

'Besides the right to speak, what else?'

Liu Junyan belongs to the Dragon Clan; even at his worst, the Linghai Dragon Clan stands behind him. And me?

Although I am nominally the Phoenix Lord, my people have suffered several heavy damages and can basically no longer be considered a true Phoenix Clan.

Little aunt, A Cheng, and even the Snow Phoenix Clan—their situations are not optimistic.

That tract of land borders the Nether Realm over a wide area; if even our Yin Dang Hang were to belong to the Nether Realm… I widened my eyes in shock, my whole spine going rigid.

Little aunt and A Cheng have never put any pressure on me, and I've grown accustomed to life at the Dang Pu; frankly, I've never actually completed the transition of my life role.

The focus of my life lies in the Dang Pu, not the Feng Clan.

Precisely for that reason, I overlooked the Nether Realm's true intention in assigning the Yin Dang Hang to me.

They want to annex the Feng Clan!

No!

Absolutely not!

As the Phoenix Lord, how could I possibly stand by and watch others covet my clan's territory?!

Even worse, feeling foolishly pleased, thinking that someday the Yin Dang Hang will have someone to back us up?

That's not backing us up; that's encroachment!

So this time, whether it's a dragon's pool or a tiger's den, I must go and contend!

'Xiao Jiu, sometimes I wonder if I've held you back.' Liu Junyan sighed, 'If there were no Dang Pu, after you succeeded in Nirvana you'd have stayed directly in the Feng Clan, and as Phoenix Lord your influence would have been enormous—perhaps you yourself have no idea how great.'

'In the Three Realms and Six Paths, almost every corner bears the trace of Feng Clan members—whether as mounts of the Immortal Clan, or as netherworld officials, or even as phantoms occupying a mountain… as long as they are birds, they ought to take you as their leader.'

'But the reality is, your little aunt and A Cheng both know you're exhausted; they say nothing, only wishing you a peaceful life. I also feel our previous pace was too rushed; you need to stop and catch your breath.'

'Alas, the tree wishes for calm, but the wind will not cease.'

Liu Junyan's words plunged me into contemplation.

I returned to my room, took out the Cangwu Nether Seal, and lightly traced its patterns with my fingertips, thinking for a long, long time.

Liu Junyan said just enough, then left me to my own space and went off to attend to his affairs.

He worked until evening, then came back to find me still alone in the room; perhaps he was worried about me, and just as he was about to say something to console me, I spoke first: 'Āyàn, I've figured it out.'

Liu Junyan wondered: 'What?'

'I am a commander, a guide, not just an empty title of Phoenix Lord.' I said earnestly, 'The Feng Clan ought to be opened up by me, personally planting the Fire Seed, protecting it so it grows from a spark into a prairie fire… that is my mission.'