"How do you all see my complexion?"
Upon hearing these words, Xiang Wan shuddered involuntarily: His voice, though as thick as a bucket, was deliberately strained to sound high-pitched, like a cannon trying to be a mosquito's buzz—utterly unsettling. In contrast, the others present seemed completely oblivious, their expressions and actions as calm and collected as ever.
Xiang Wan stole a glance at the person sitting in the main seat, who was comfortably leaning back in their chair, right hand resting on the edge of the table, fingers delicately gesturing with their chin, exuding a seductive charm. She really couldn't tell whether this person was a man or a woman.
"What, no one's saying anything?" The person on the head seat chuckled. "Silence is good. I can just pick whoever speaks well. If they do, they can share the joys of immortality with me. If they don't, tsk tsk tsk, what a pity for that mouth on their head. Born useless, it would be better if they didn't have one, hehehe!"
So casually, as if it were a joke, yet every word was laced with bloodshed. Xiang Wan finally understood where those people with black veils came from. If the leaders were like this, then those below had to follow suit to curry favor. How did such a cruel group manage to survive in this world? Didn't anyone want to get rid of them?
"My Lord, the Rat Tribe has always been under my command. From the first time I saw you, I was astonished by your radiance. Now I am old, but you remain as you were back then, even more so. The brilliance of the moon and stars cannot compare to yours. I wish you eternal youth and a long life!"
The group of sycophants stood up respectfully, clasped their hands in a gesture of flattery, and the others followed suit. This barrage of flattery made the person in the head seat feel completely comfortable, allowing them to settle into their chair. The initial soft chuckles gradually escalated into loud laughter; the sound was no longer strained to hear as before, but once it was unleashed, it was even more unsettling. One could imagine that the sound of a perfectly good gong, perhaps only occasionally, was still somewhat audible, but the sound of this broken gong, still carrying the grinding of grit, was incredibly unpleasant to the ears. Xiang Wan almost felt nauseous listening to it, but the sycophants seemed completely oblivious, their postures unchanged, their voices normal. Perhaps they had simply grown accustomed to it and learned to ignore it.
A few people remained motionless, sitting as still as mountains, completely oblivious to the situation. Even the so-called Eagle Clan member we encountered earlier, who was apparently visiting for the first time, behaved as usual!
The man on the main seat finished laughing, and his aura instantly turned sharp: "Is this all the useless trash that my Holy Sun Sect has recruited? You haven't accomplished much of anything, and you've spent all your energy on talking? Do you really think I have nothing better to do than flatter you?"
"Your Majesty, please spare me! It wasn't that I deliberately delayed; there were other reasons. I was ordered to Suzhou and Hangzhou to collect young boys and girls, but the Su family somehow got wind of this and obstructed me in every way. I didn't have enough manpower, and I was also afraid of attracting the attention of other forces, so I couldn't complete the mission. Please, Your Majesty, consider that I worked hard, even if I haven't achieved anything great, and forgive me this time. Next time, I will definitely do my best to make up for my mistake, doubly so..."
"Hmph, there won't be a next time. From the moment I entered this place, I said that I only have one chance. If you don't seize it, you'll pay with your life. Come on, drag him out!"
The person in the main seat ordered his men to arrest the man who was begging for mercy. Xiang Wan watched silently, thinking to herself: Sure enough, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. This rat-like man, who was trying to curry favor, ended up getting ripped off.
Perhaps harboring deep resentment, the Rat Tribe members suddenly attacked and killed one of the henchmen just as they were about to be captured, then engaged in a fierce fight with another. The members of the other tribes retreated to the sidelines, their intention to watch from the sidelines clearly evident.
"Useless! Can't even catch a single person. Any of the other departments who can kill this person will be considered to have performed a great service, and I will reward them accordingly."
Several masked men made a move to help capture the Rat Clan members, but the latter shouted, "Why aren't you doing anything? If I die, your fate won't be any better!"
Upon hearing this, those who were itching to act hesitated, while the rest stepped back, maintaining a certain distance from the others. The leader of the Holy Sun Church, the one seated at the head of the table, stood up and surveyed the surroundings, as if to determine who else was conspiring with the Rat Clan. His henchmen protected him in the center, watching the crowd warily.
At this moment, a person wearing a rabbit mask and with a white rabbit embroidered on his collar stepped forward, bowed to the leader of the Holy Sun Church, and said, "Holy Lord, please be patient. Allow me to deal with this person and purge those unruly elements from the Holy Sun Church."
"Good, good, when it really matters, you understand me best."
The rabbit-masked fighter leaped into the fray, replacing the henchman. He fought several rounds with the rat tribe members, showing signs of victory, but always narrowly missed at the last moment.
Wherever they fought, the people retreated, many unwilling to get involved. But the Holy Lord, believing he had protection, ignored the battle and instead stared intently at the onlookers.
Xiang Wan followed closely behind Shi Di, occasionally glancing at the two on the battlefield and sometimes at the so-called Holy Master. Her heart remained unmoved: this man could gather everyone here not only through the lure of profit, but also by using some unknown magic to control them. Otherwise, someone about to be dealt with, so unruly, could be killed directly by the leader; why would he need protection from others?
Because of their position, he saw Shi Di's hand stealthily reach into his robes and take out a glass bottle, seemingly about to do something. She immediately stepped aside to block him, and as she raised her hand, she used her sleeve to cover his movement.
Shi Di turned back and smiled at her, then shoved her towards the Holy Lord. They were all standing not far from the Holy Lord, and most of the people's attention was on the battle. The thugs were also focused on the people around them, and for a moment they didn't react, allowing Xiang Wan to slip through the gap between them and smash directly into the Holy Lord.
Using the momentum, Xiang Wan casually groped the Holy Lord's chest, then turned him around, caught the glass bottle Shi Di threw at her, pointed at Shi Di, and whispered in the Holy Lord's ear, "He is a traitor!"
This time, Xiang Wan not only confirmed the Holy Lord's gender but also learned that he wasn't as weak as he appeared, but rather a skilled martial artist. When she touched him, she initially intended to use the opportunity to eliminate him, causing the situation to spiral out of control so she could take advantage of the chaos. However, the situation changed. Although the Holy Lord wasn't a good person either, if Shi Di succeeded this time, the outcome would likely be the same as the original owner's. Therefore, she shifted the blame, prematurely exposing the final winner from the original owner's memories, which was enough to give Shi Di a hard time.
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