Chapter 285: Either Join The Sect Or Get Beaten By You

Chapter 285 Join the Sect, or Get Beaten

Over there, Chi Li finally caught up with Yue Hongling.

However, the pursuit by a crowd of Temple experts had ultimately turned into Chi Li catching up entirely on his own.

Yue Hongling was not polite either, dismounting to meet the challenge, and after just a single clash between the two sides, Chi Li’s expression changed: "The First Secret Realm... you really have broken through as well."

Yue Hongling smiled faintly: "I have just left the secret realm. If I failed to break through, would I not be letting down Brother Chi Li for guarding it for us for so long?"

Have your words learned bad traits from Zhao Changhe?

An old mouthful of blood welled up in Chi Li’s throat, and he took a deep, sharp breath: "The very first thing you do after breaking through is actually to challenge me?"

Yue Hongling was perfectly serious: "Indeed, during the battle of Yangzhou back then, the desire was left unfulfilled."

The more Chi Li thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Where did you get this obsession with me? I am not Zhao Changhe... Wait!

His expression changed abruptly: "Where is Zhao Changhe?"

Yue Hongling blinked her eyes.

In the distance, a fast horse came galloping, and before the rider even arrived, a voice was shouting from far away: "Commander Ubaru has been assassinated! Great chaos has broken out at Yellow Sand Gathering! Return immediately to Yellow Sand Gathering to take charge of the situation!"

Chi Li turned his head abruptly, utterly shocked.

Even though he already had an ominous premonition, it was still very difficult to believe.

How long had it been since they, the people of the Temple, had come out to pursue Yue Hongling? Although Ubaru lacked experts around him at this moment, he commanded ten thousand people, was as cautious as a turtle, and his own strength was not weak. How could he have been killed by someone in this short amount of time? Was this something Zhao Changhe could accomplish?

Could it be that someone from the Heaven Ranking had arrived?

Actually, it was close enough... Xuanwu was at the peak of the Earth Ranking, itself just a threshold away from the Heaven Ranking. She had not had a battle record for a long time, and no one knew her strength at this moment. If someone like Wang Daoning, who was at the tail end of the Heaven Ranking, truly fought with Xuanwu, it was uncertain whether the Rank of the Chaotic World would have to change its standings; at the very least, a victory or defeat would not be easily decided.

Taking advantage of his head turning, Yue Hongling quietly vaulted back onto her Sweat-Blood Steed and sped away like a streak of smoke: "You have people coming to besiege me again, I won't fight you."

Changhe said not to love battle, listen to him.

Watching the silhouette of Yue Hongling running away like a streak of smoke, Chi Li was so angry he was truly about to spit out blood.

How did a perfectly good Yue Hongling become like this... where is your warrior's heart?

Earlier on, Chi Li had actually held a faint inkling of admiration for Yue Hongling in his heart, or to put it from another perspective, only a woman like this was worthy of himself. At this moment, that little bit of admiration had long since flown beyond the highest heavens. Indeed, following a bad man means one will turn bad; the crisp and straightforward heroine was gone.

What was infuriating was that at this moment, pursuing was wrong, and not pursuing was also wrong.

Yue Hongling had already broken through the Secret Realm and was by no means an opponent that could be easily taken down. If time dragged on, what kind of mess would Yellow Sand Gathering turn into?

Chi Li struggled for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "Withdraw!"

Yue Hongling shaded her eyes with her hand, watching Chi Li lead his crowd into the distance. Suddenly she turned and reined her horse, turning southeast and heading straight in the direction of Batu’s grand army.

Over there, Zhao Changhe and San Niang were leading a group of chefs and waiters carrying luggage, likewise heading straight into Batu's army.

Han Wubing had left on his own again, barely leaving any words.

Zhao Changhe also did not know why Han Wubing was now becoming more and more withdrawn, disliked talking, and did not fit in with the crowd. Do swordsmen all become like this when they practice to the end? Yue Hongling and Xia Chichi are also swordsmen, yet they don't look like you...

In reality, Han Wubing had lain in ambush for a month, and obtaining success in one morning, his heart was incredibly gratified; he truly wanted to have a good drink with his brother.

However, once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope. Every single time he saw you, there were women by your side, never the same type each time, each one more beautiful than the last, and even more terrifyingly, each one stronger than the last... This San Niang broke an army alone, possessing proper Earth Ranking strength, and you damn well dare to provoke her!

If one became a target for a woman like this, who could withstand it when she threw a tantrum!

Wait... Earth Ranking... Xuanwu Lake... If this woman is Xuanwu, then Xia Chichi, Yihuoshe, Xuanwu... Zhao Changhe, are you really going to use male charms to unify the Four Symbols Sect?

Having discovered a shocking secret, how could Han Wubing dare to continue staying here? The Four Symbols Sect was a demonic sect, and when they went mad, there was no reason to speak of. What if San Niang wanted to silence him to keep the secret?

Little Han indicated that his small life was important, and left first to show respect.

"This friend of yours possesses an extremely pure sword intent; it is rare to see such a pure swordsman." San Niang looked at Han Wubing's distant silhouette and said leisurely: "I feel that even his master might not necessarily be as pure as him."

Zhao Changhe said: "You know his master?"

"Beaten him before."

"..."

"The Sword Hut is full of sword maniacs, the kind that are infatuated with the sword, but in my view, that kind of infatuation is instead not called purity, it is called paranoia. Someone like Han Wubing is instead more clear, piercing, and cold; his future is limitless."

Zhao Changhe secretly thought that if put this way, the Sword Hut lineage might be pursuing the Ancient Sword Emperor. Next time if the Sword Mausoleum opens again, it feels like he should bring Han Wubing along to take a look...

"Speaking of which." San Niang asked with some confusion: "He wasn't fooled by me into killing Ubaru, was he? Why did he lie in ambush for a month, and didn't even ask me for money when the deed was done."

Zhao Changhe was completely speechless: "What does it have to do with you? Wubing did it purely because he could not stand the various things at the beast pens and believed they should be ended—does this kind of sword with a purpose lack the purity you spoke of?"

San Niang smiled faintly: "This is precisely purity."

"How do you define it?"

"It exists solely in the heart." San Niang seemed somewhat unwilling to teach Zhao Changhe martial arts topics; her eyes darted about, looking at the inn subordinates running along beside them, and began to transmit her voice: "These people are Fifth Master's people. Don't say too much to me, especially don't leak any concepts of the Four Symbols martial arts."

Zhao Changhe also transmitted his voice: "I see your strength isn't necessarily any worse than Fifth Master's. Why do you aggrieve yourself to pretend to be his subordinate?"

San Niang smiled: "Ying Wu’s people may not necessarily be unable to be turned to my use... now is not yet the time."

Zhao Changhe once again recalled what Yihuoshe had said back then, that the latent power of the Four Symbols Sect was very large.

It was indeed large, not only having arrangements in the capital, power in the military, and arrangements in major gangs like the Canal Gang, but even within a secret intelligence group organized by a Heaven Ranking figure like Ying Wu, there was such infiltration. Or was it very likely that San Niang originally came from this organization, but simply believed in the Four Symbols Sect?

If speaking of opportunity... what they lacked might truly be a top-tier Heaven Ranking figure capable of unifying and leading them to act. Their current strength was slightly awkward; to say it was weak, it was actually very strong, to say it was strong, it always lacked a breath of air.

But with the acquisition of the Xuanwu Gem now, he didn't know if it could allow San Niang to go up another level? This thing in his own and Yue Hongling's eyes was merely an introduction for Dao-body modification, but in the eyes of the Four Symbols Sect, it might not be so. They must have a deeper use for it, to the point that San Niang was still grinning and in an extremely good mood up to now.

San Niang transmitted her voice with a beaming smile: "Hey, regarding whether to absorb you into the sect, as well as your star map issue, someone has asked for my opinion. Now my opinion is that regardless of what the star map is like, just going by your affinity with the Xuanwu Secret Realm, it feels like this is also destined by heaven, we believe in fate... I agree to you joining the sect."

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes: "I haven't even agreed, what use is your agreement?"

San Niang's eyes darted about: "What if I give Yihuoshe to you?"

"She is a Noble Consort. Previously I also thought that was a gift from Suzaku to me, but later I found out it was a misunderstanding. It is impossible for Suzaku to give away a Noble Consort casually, and the same goes for you... just stop making fun of me."

"If you refuse to join the sect, it will be very troublesome, oh."

"How is it troublesome?"

"Because I can be certain that your celestial star map is absolutely not a symbol of the Night Emperor. The Night Emperor's star map can only be the Four Symbols and not the stars of the entire sky."

"That makes no sense. Why should only the Four Symbols be called the Night Emperor? The Night Emperor ought to be the stars of the entire sky. Right, especially the moon. Without even a moon, is it fitting to be called the Night Emperor?"

"That is an achievement the Night Emperor wanted to attain, but he did not attain it." San Niang looked at him with deep meaning: "In the last era, absolutely no one attained it. That you have this image is your personal trait, unrelated to anyone in the last era. Little brother, make sure not to fall. I am actually quite looking forward to seeing how far you, who possesses this kind of imagery, can walk."

Zhao Changhe nodded his head: "Understood, but how is this troublesome? I don't fit the meaning of the Four Symbols, so are you guys going to kill me? Is it not good to make friends?"

"I can make friends, I

Having said this, he paid him no further heed and drifted away with his subordinates: "Participating in war is not in my interest, nor does it align with Ying Wu's strategic plans. Therefore, in the Battle of Yanmen, Ying Wu will at most fulfill the agreement by helping you contain Temur; it is impossible for us to go to war together. What happens next is up to you, little brother."