"Worst of all, three days ago, the New Seven Stars Gang intercepted over one hundred and fifty Blood Nourishing Realm disciples that Seven Stars Castle was sending to Dragon Ridge Mountain. Our sect’s Blood Sacrifice Array plan on Dragon Ridge Mountain has been completely ruined!"
"The very ants you looked down upon have silently left our plans in tatters!"
The black-robed man didn’t speak.
No one could see his face, but the hand hanging at his side clenched tighter, so tight that even the black fog seed to recede half an inch from his suppressed rage.
"Because of your impulsiveness, two years of our planning were almost completely ruined!"
Zhang Yunpeng’s words lashed the black-robed man like a whip. The candlelight flickered and dimd, and the chill in the room deepened.
The room was deathly silent. Only the black fog roiled without a sound, occasionally letting out a faint SIZZLE, as if it were devouring sothing.
After a mont, the black-robed man finally spoke, his voice cautious and probing. "My lord, what if I... wipe out the Blood Saber Sect and the Seven Stars Gang?"
"Foolish!" Zhang Yunpeng slamd his hand on the table. The candlestick wobbled, nearly toppling over, and the fla flickered wildly, making their shadows dance as if they were being torn apart.
He said in a heavy voice, "I’ll say it again: finding the ’key’ is the most important task!"
"We should never have moved against the Blood Saber Sect. Things are chaotic enough as it is. Are you trying to add fuel to the fire?"
The black-robed man was scared into silence, his head sinking so low his hood nearly touched his chest.
"I summoned you today not to have you annihilate the Seven Stars Gang and the Blood Saber Sect, but to give you a piece of information..."
Zhang Yunpeng lowered his voice, enunciating each word carefully. "The Demon Suppression Bureau... is already on its way."
"What?" The black-robed man jerked his head up, the red glow beneath his hood flaring. "My master clearly has Yue Mankong trapped in the Grand Array on Dragon Ridge Mountain! How could he have gotten a ssage out?"
"What’s the use of dwelling on that now?" Zhang Yunpeng sighed. "The news that the Demon Suppression Bureau is coming is indisputable. The ssage ca from our sect’s mole inside the Great Yan Court."
The black-robed man leaned back slightly, clearly startled by the news. Even his breathing grew heavy.
The Moon Worship Sect wasn’t afraid of the local powers in Cyan Yang Ancient City. They didn’t even necessarily take the major, prestigious sects seriously.
’But the Demon Suppression Bureau... that’s another matter. We’re deeply wary of them.’
’Hundreds of years ago, the Moon Worship Sect was destroyed at the hands of the Demon Suppression Bureau.’
’That Demon Suppression Bureau has disciples of a Martial Saint in its ranks, and over the years, they’ve made life miserable for the Moon Worship Sect.’
’I don’t mind a confrontation with the Demon Suppression Bureau...’
’...but with the ’key’ still missing, getting tangled up with them now offers no advantage whatsoever.’
’Once we find the ’key’...’
’...so what if it’s the Demon Suppression Bureau?’
’So what if there’s a Martial Saint?’
’The Moon Worship Sect will reign supre over all!’
A sudden gust of wind rattled the window lattice, CLANG, but it couldn’t shake the barrier’s gray light in the slightest. It circled the house a few tis before dispersing with a mournful whimper.
Inside, the black fog continued its silent roiling.
Just then, Zhang Yunpeng added, "If we can’t find the ’key’ and the plan fails, when our superiors co looking for soone to bla... not even a Divine Sacrifice Envoy will be able to protect us!"
The black-robed man broke out in a cold sweat.
’All these years, I’ve been able to run rampant in the sect entirely because my master is a Divine Sacrifice Envoy.’
’If even my master can’t protect ...’
Seeing the black-robed man’s body tremble slightly, Zhang Yunpeng snorted. "Things have co to this. We have no choice but to proceed with the second plan."
The black-robed man was stunned for a mont, then an excited glint appeared in his eyes. "My lord, are you saying... We should have done this from the start! Let’s cause a huge stir in Cyan Yang Ancient City!"
A vicious glint flashed in Zhang Yunpeng’s eyes. "I will use the na of the Rebel Heaven-Flipping Saber to lure the garrison away from the city. A classic ’lure the tiger from the mountain’ stratagem."
"But you will have to deal with the mbers of the Demon Suppression Bureau who are on their way."
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on the black-robed man. His voice cracked. "You want to handle the Demon Suppression Bureau? My lord, but... my master is busy suppressing Yue Mankong in the Grand Array. He can’t spare anyone, and I..."
"Relax. It’s not a Demon Suppression Envoy," Zhang Yunpeng said nonchalantly. "Either Yue Mankong’s ssage was incomplete or soone else leaked the information. Whatever the case, the Demon Suppression Bureau doesn’t seem to grasp the severity of the situation. They’ve only sent one Demon Suppression Captain and two Demon Suppression Guards."
The black-robed man finally breathed a sigh of relief. His voice dropped, becoming low and sinister. "One Demon Suppression Captain and two Demon Suppression Guards? That’s much easier. I have my own thods for handling them!"
"There’s no need for a fight to the death with the Demon Suppression Bureau," Zhang Yunpeng warned gravely. "Rember, our mission is to find the ’key’! Do not use lethal force on them. We are not yet at the stage of all-out war with the Demon Suppression Bureau!"
"You only need to trap them sowhere for a while."
"If you kill them, the Demon Suppression Bureau will know instantly and will definitely send a Demon Suppression Envoy. When that happens, the situation will spiral completely out of control!"
"I understand," the black-robed man replied with a bow.
Zhang Yunpeng stood up. "Go," he said calmly. "Find the whereabouts of the ’key’ as quickly as possible. We need to seize the initiative before the Demon Suppression Bureau arrives."
"I will take my leave!" The black-robed man bowed respectfully, and his figure slowly dissolved into the black fog, vanishing without a trace.
The black fog in the room slowly dissipated, as if it had departed with the black-robed man.
Zhang Yunpeng clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the window.
The blood-red moonlight spilled over him, adding an eerie, sinister cast to his features.
...
「In a field of ruins.」
Withered vines clung to the broken walls. Their leaves had long since shriveled to a dark brown, coiling in the cracks like strangled, dead snakes.
Half a rotting hand peeked out from beneath a broken brick, tattered cloth still clinging to the Finger Bones. A layer of black mold coated the rotting wood. When the wind blew, it carried the tallic reek of blood, an odor that drilled right into one’s nostrils.
The black fog surged up abruptly, enveloping a dark figure like a living thing. As it landed, a black robe swept across the broken bricks, kicking up a cloud of gray dust.
The black-robed man’s figure materialized. His hood was pulled extrely low, and the black gauze hanging from its edge swept the ground, yet he paid no mind as it beca stained with mud.
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