Chapter 63 Leader

Inside the Wanjun faction's meeting hall.

Sect leader Shan Wuya sat at the main seat, his face solemn. Wen Rensu stood a step to his side, his eyes lowered, his posture respectful.

At that time, Shan Wuya privately reprimanded Wen Rensu severely, saying that good and evil are on different paths, and that having too close contacts with people from the evil way would sooner or later bring disaster to the Wanjun Sect.

Now Ling Zheng has come with the might of the Demon Sect. Although there are subtle disagreements between the master and the disciple, they keep silent tacitly in view of the overall situation.

Wen Rensu was quietly reporting to Shan Wuya on the proposed adjustments to the deployment of several border checkpoints, while an elder was also adding something. Although the atmosphere in the hall was solemn, it maintained a superficial calm.

Suddenly, a flurry of panicked, almost crawling footsteps came from afar and suddenly knocked open the heavy door of the meeting hall.

"Report—"

A spy, his face pale, practically fell to his knees on the cold bluestone slabs in the hall, his voice trembling, "Master, Senior Brother, all elders! Something terrible has happened!"

All the noises suddenly stopped. Shan Wuya's gaze shot towards the spy like lightning, and the elders were startled and stopped what they were doing.

The spy seemed to be still immersed in great fear, his voice hoarse: "Xuantian Sect, the Xuantian Sect of Huizhu State Master, was massacred by the Demon Cult overnight. No one survived!"

In an instant, the meeting hall was filled with dead silence, and even the air froze.

"How is this possible! Aren't they still a few days away from arriving in the Central Plains?" Elder Hu, who had the most impatient temper, stood up suddenly, his face pale with astonishment.

The spy stammered, "It was the Demonic Leader who sneaked in with a small number of elite troops ahead of time."

"Catching them off guard, making a feint to the east and attacking in the west—this move is truly ruthless." A sharp-eyed Elder Luo nearby slowly interjected, facing the spy, "Tell me more about the current situation."

"Xuantian Sect has become a charred ruin. The corpses of its disciples are scattered all over the ground. Only the large plaque in the main hall remains. A piece of cloth has been nailed to it, with the signature of the Spirit Demon Head in blood."

"What is written?" Elder Hu asked hurriedly.

The spy swallowed hard, as if every word weighed a thousand pounds. "The revenge for the loss of my power has been avenged. The mastermind will be executed one day."

Dispersing his power? As far as they knew, Ling Zheng and Imperial Master Hui Zhu hadn't had much in common. So when did this feud arise? Everyone present had this question in mind.

In a corner where no one noticed, Wen Rensu moved slightly, and then silently refilled Shan Wuya's cup of tea.

When he heard the news of the Xuantian Sect's annihilation, he understood that Ling Zheng's actions were not without purpose. The words in the blood letter further confirmed his thoughts.

The mastermind, isn't he the one you're talking about?

Wen Rensu was very curious about the other party's current mood. If the time was not immature, he would not be able to wait to meet him immediately. How would he react?

His eyes moved to the spy. Oh... he said he wanted to kill me. Okay.

He continued to remain invisible, listening quietly to their conversation.

Elder Luo pondered this passage, his expression solemn: "The mastermind must be executed... Is there anyone else who can control the Imperial Master? Could it be..."

A single stone stirs up a thousand ripples. After a brief silence, Elder Hu's rough, impatient voice rang out, filled with incredible shock and anger:

"What does Elder Luo mean?" He stopped talking halfway when he felt a little taboo, but the direction was obvious.

Elder Luo took a deep breath and took over the conversation, his tone more straightforward: "There are only a handful of them in the whole world."

Elder Feng, who had been silent the whole time, was worried:

"If that's true, Ling Zheng's bloodbath at Xuantian Sect destroyed the reputation of the Imperial Master, but also undermined the dignity of the Dragon Throne. Acting so violently and without regard for the consequences is simply insane."

Elder Hu could no longer hold back and slammed his palm hard on the armrest:

"Madman, this devil Ling Zheng is a complete madman! He started a war right after ascending to the position of leader. Now he thinks our martial arts world is not chaotic enough and he wants to provoke the royal family.

"Isn't he afraid of an imperial decree coming down, uniting the righteous forces of the world to uproot his evil cult and grind it to dust?"

Watching them getting further and further away from the truth, Wen Rensu stood beside Shan Wuya, his eyes watching his nose, his nose watching his heart.

Shan Wuya looked at Wenren Su deeply, his eyes were complicated and difficult to read, but he finally spoke slowly: "Wenren."

"Disciple is here." Wen Rensu suddenly came to his senses and bowed immediately.

"Pass the order down." Shan Wuya's tone was filled with unquestionable majesty.

"All factions, immediately, are on high alert. Triple the number of personnel at all checkpoints, rotating day and night, with no slacking off. Report any suspicious activity within a fifty-mile radius immediately."

"Yes, Master." Wen Rensu responded, took the order and turned around. Just as he was about to make arrangements, Shan Wuya's deep voice sounded again:

"I'm also sending out a call to heroes, inviting Qi Yang, Luo Yue, Han Gong, Su Lan, Chi Xia... the leaders of the nine major sects in the Central Plains to gather at the Wanjun Sect's headquarters within three days to hold a demon-discussing conference and discuss major plans."

The original ten major sects became nine major sects with the fall of Xuantian Sect.

"Yes!" Everyone in the hall responded in unison, and a solemn atmosphere quickly spread.

The once empty square was now bustling with people, flags fluttering. Elites from various factions gathered together, yet a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.

"In my humble opinion," said Wu Ziming, the head of the Qinlan sect, speaking first, stroking his white beard with a frown on his face.

"The Demon Cult is advancing with great force, and Ling Zheng is a ruthless man. However, our army is not yet united, and a hasty battle is probably not the best strategy. The most urgent task is to firmly defend Qingyuan, and then we can slowly plan our attack."

Before he finished speaking, a rough, angry voice boomed out like thunder: "Take it slow? Sect Leader Wu, you're making it sound so easy!"

"That devil Ling Zheng was able to destroy Xuantian Sect last night, and he will be able to attack our Chixia Mountain tomorrow night. How long can our Chixia Sect hold out with its limited skills?"

Qin Bashan, the leader of the Chixia Sect, had his hair and beard standing on end, and the bronze maces hanging from his waist were humming.

"If you ask me, the Demon Cult has just arrived in the Central Plains and hasn't established a firm foothold yet. This is the perfect time to eradicate them. Immediately elect a leader to lead the heroes and attack the Demon Cult. Fight them to the death!"

Several Chixia elders beside Qin Batian also nodded angrily.

This statement is no accident. Just yesterday, several "secret reports" of unknown origin, but depicting serious matters, quietly circulated, their core messages remarkably consistent:

Ling Zheng declared that the next target would be the Chixia Sect, with the goal of seizing the "Qianren Sword Technique" and many magical weapons that had been passed down for hundreds of years to enrich the treasury of the Demon Sect.

This news was like adding fuel to a raging fire, instantly igniting the already frightened Chixia Sect and successfully pushing Qin Bashan to the forefront of radical speeches.

Who could have guessed that this rumor, spread secretly, was the work of Wen Rensu.

The debate intensified. Many representatives of small and medium-sized sects were even more anxious:

"We are a small family and cannot afford to suffer any hardship."

"The Demon Cult has been harassing our borders for a long time, kidnapping our disciples and stealing our resources. We ask the Wanjun Sect and all the other major sects to help us."

Just as the meeting place was in chaos, Qin Bashan slammed the table, his face flushed and his neck thick as he argued with others, while Wu Ziming tried his best to persuade him:

"Enemy attack—"

"Be careful of the poisonous smoke—"

Several sharp and shrill warnings suddenly rang out from outside the square!

Immediately afterwards, several dark figures suddenly emerged from the surrounding rooftops and treetops like ghosts. With lightning speed and a clear target, they rushed straight towards the high platform where the leaders of the major sects sat.

The mechanism in his hand made a sound, and a large cloud of gray-green smelly smoke exploded instantly, covering the area near the platform.

At the same time, several poisoned sleeve arrows shot towards the stage like a torrential rain, and Qin Bashan, who stood up in anger, was the first to be hit.

"Despicable villain!" Qin Bashan roared wildly, and subconsciously protected his face with the bronze mace, but he was too close, the smoke was choking, and the sleeve arrows were fast and dense, and he was caught off guard and was about to be hit.

This scene happened too suddenly. Most people were either forced back by the poisonous smoke or hurriedly dodged the sudden hidden weapons, using all their best skills, but no one was able to provide additional assistance.

The venue instantly became a mess, with screams, curses, and the sounds of overturned tables and chairs being heard everywhere.

Seeing that Qin Bashan was in imminent danger——

A cold white shadow seemed to appear out of nowhere, intervening between Qin Bashan and those deadly hidden weapons.

It was Wen Rensu. He had already taken action the moment the riot broke out, his face as cold as ice, his eyes as sharp as a hawk. Facing sneak attacks from all sides, he didn't even draw his sword.

His steps were mysterious and unpredictable, his body movements were like changing shapes and shadows, and he rolled up his sleeves with a powerful force, dispersing the poisonous smoke in his face and creating a gap.

The long sword in his hand turned into a blurry band of light, and only a dense and crisp "ding-dang-dang" sound was heard.

The hidden weapons were swept to the ground one by one by the scabbard in his hand, and none of them could get past the target.

At this time, Wen Ren Su drew his sword, leaped forward, and stabbed the sword at the demon cult assassin in front. The man froze in the air, spit out a mouthful of blood, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Now everyone reacted and worked together to take care of the remaining assassins.

Qin Bashan was breathing heavily with lingering fear, looking at the calm profile of Wen Rensu in front of him, and was sincerely grateful with his eyes flashing.

"Young Master Wenren has great kung fu skills. He remains calm in times of danger and always puts chivalry first." Wu Ziming spoke first and complimented Wenren.

"How dare the evil cult be so rampant!"

"Thanks to Young Master Wenren."

“Great job!”

The square erupted in cheers and praises as if they had survived a disaster, and everyone expressed their support.

Wen Rensu remained calm, his eyes sweeping over the remaining assassins who had been quickly taken down by masters from other sects, but what he was thinking was:

What a coincidence, Ling Zheng can finally lend me a hand this time.

If Ling Zheng heard these words in his heart, he would be so angry that he would die.

Wen Rensu followed the situation, looked around, and then spoke. His voice was infused with internal energy and carried the force of a resounding iron and stone:

"My fellow disciples, the demonic cult's surprise attack is solely to disrupt the venue and sow discord! If we continue to squabble among ourselves, wouldn't that be playing into their hands?"

Wen Rensu's words struck a chord in the crowd like a warning bell. The chaos just now, coupled with the current sense of crisis, sent a chill down everyone's spine.

He paused, and his voice suddenly rose, echoing throughout the venue:

"Ling Zheng has challenged the dignity of our righteous path time and again. If the heroes remain disunited, how can we resist their vanguard today, even if we can only manage to repel their vanguard? How can we resist their horde of demonic soldiers tomorrow?"

"That's right." Qin Bashan was the first to respond. He clasped his fists towards Wen Rensu.

"Young Master Wenren not only saved my life, but every word he said was truly precious. Today, the entire Chixia Sect will follow the lead of the Wanjun Sect! Young Master Wenren, please take on the responsibility of being the leader of the righteous path!"

"Young Master Wenren is both wise and brave, and has a sense of righteousness. He is capable of shouldering such an important task." A shrewd look flashed across Wu Ziming's eyes, and he stood up solemnly, saluting with one hand.

Those small sects who were inspired by what Wenren said were even more excited:

"Young Master Wenren, please lead us to slay the demons!"

"Nominate Young Master Wenren as the leader!"

"Young Master Wenren, please take charge of the command flag!"

The wave-like sounds gathered into a torrent, rushing straight into the sky.

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The author has something to say: Transition [Milk Tea] also gave us a high-end identity, a good match ~ (and then even more abuse)