Death… and me

Chapter 1473 Complicated And Complex

To be honest, to these people, the consulting of opinions and whatnot were nothing more than just going through the motion. During this period of time, under Diwu Qingrou’s command, they had carried out several attacks that caught the enemy off-guard and won every single battle. They managed to avoid all the traps set by the Li Clan and didn’t even lose a single person!

These glorious battle results had resulted in them developing an extreme reliance on Diwu Qingrou by now.

They followed whatever Diwu Qingrou instructed and carried out whatever Diwu Qingrou ordered without any objections.

Thus, the moment Diwu Qingrou brought up the matter of bringing forward the attacks and finishing the war as soon as possible, none of them had any objections at all.

Rather than saying that the discussion had lasted an entire afternoon, it was more like Diwu Qingrou had made extremely detailed arrangements for the entire afternoon.

Everyone went back to make their preparations. All of them were highly motivated and in great spirits, ready to launch an attack the moment dawn broke and completely erase the Li Clan from the map of the Nine Heavens Continent.

But what they didn’t expect for the life of them was that the moment the sky turned dark, an eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artist team leader from the Chen Clan, Chen Jianlong, was suddenly assassinated. The assassin came and went like the wind, striking once and then leaving immediately.

Caught completely off-guard, Chen Jianlong suffered a stab to the shoulder. Although the wound wasn’t particularly serious, he was greatly enraged. That very night, he immediately launched an investigation and ordered the arrest of the assassin.

Nothing like this had ever happened before in the span of close to two months before this. This was the very first time. And not just that, the assassin had gone straight for the Chen Clan the moment they appeared.

Half the night passed with no sight of the assassin whatsoever.

Only then did everyone go off for a short rest while keeping their guard up.

During the second half of the night, Lan Mofeng of the Lan Clan and Xiao Zhengyan of the Xiao Clan met with assassination at the same time! This time, however, was a crushing and devastating attack!

Two Xiao Clan Supreme Martial Artist experts were killed while Xiao Zhengyan himself also suffered a slash from a blade. In the case of Lan Mofeng, he was set upon by three assassins and took five to six palm strike hits. His injuries were surprisingly grievous!

In the dead of the night, all the experts went after the assassins. They had pursued them all the way into the snow plains when the assassins suddenly vanished. Upon their return, they were then informed of a piece of news — Ye Xiaoyao of the Ye Clan and his team of Ye Clan experts had been attacked by three assassins!

And suffered terrible losses!

While Ye Xiaoyao himself was unscathed, seven to eight Ye Clan experts were killed!

The assassins escaped far into the distance, vanishing without a trace.

The four assassination attempts in succession gave the Eight Super Clans joint army a severe sense of crisis.

Everyone could feel it clearly, this bunch of assassins were basically all eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists! In addition, the piercing chill underlying their sword techniques made clear their identity — The Li Clan!

Everyone was so infuriated that they were close to exploding. However, they were also secretly alarmed — To think the Li Clan was this formidable!

After a rough calculation, the number of eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artist assassins that the Li Clan dispatched on this night had already teached a total of six!

Six eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists acting as assassins! This discovery caused all the high-ranking personnel of the Eight Super Clans to fall into silence. How many eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists were there in a clan?

This was something that all the Super Clans kept a secret! And a core secret at that.

But all the clans were astonished deep down. With such a robust foundation, the Xiao Clan and the Ye Clan among the Nine Super Clans were probably the only ones who could compare with the current Li Clan?

Who would have thought that the Li Clan’s foundation and power were actually this strong when they had always been so unassuming and unobtrusive!

In addition, it looked like the Li Clan was intending to go all out this time!

This made everyone feel as though they were treading on thin ice — There was still the strongest and most powerful person from the Li Clan who hadn’t taken action yet.

Li Chunbo!

All of them suddenly felt crushing pressure at the same time.

Diwu Qingrou immediately called for an emergency meeting.

The Supreme Martial Artist team leaders from all the clans hurried over to Diwu Qingrou’s tent the first moment they could. Even those who were injured were no exception!

“There’s a change in the situation!” Diwu Qingrou’s countenance was grave. “Thus, our plans must also change in accordance!”

Everyone nodded in silence.

Not only was there a change, it was a huge change no less.

The Li Clan’s strength had completely exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“The experts dispatched by the Li Clan this time consist of six eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists! After communicating with the various elders, I realized that to my astonishment… Those two Li Clan eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists whom all of us know of… are definitely not among them!”

Diwu Qingrou’s tone was very solemn. “Which is to say… There are at least… eight eighth-grade Supreme Martial Artists in the Li Clan!”

Everyone exclaimed collectively!

Eight!

And that’s the minimum!

“The higher-end forces of the Li Clan are showing at its truest right now! It has already reached the point of staking everything in one last attempt. It is very clear that the Li Clan is issuing us a warning.” Rubbing his temples, Diwu Qingrou asked, “Everyone, what do you think our next step should be, considering the current situation?”

All eight team leaders sported deep frowns as they remained silent.

In particular, Lan Mofeng, who had suffered injuries again, pulled an even longer face as he kept his silence. His current presence here was already equivalent to being invisible. When news of the Lan Clan’s annihilation had just reached them, on account of their relationship in the past, everyone had still treated Lan Mofeng as an equal out of habit.

However, during this period of time, everyone had come to understand — The Lan Clan was already finished! Even if Lan Mofeng was still around, the clan was also completely done for. There was no chance of them making a comeback at all!

Therefore, during this period of time, Lan Mofeng could feel it very clearly — He was slowly, slowly… being casted out of the circle originally made up of the Eight Super Clans by the rest of the Eight Super Clans!

He was no longer part of that circle!

If not for Diwu Qingrou giving everyone equal treatment and even taking special care of the Lan Clan, he and his subordinates would probably have already been pushed to the forefront as sacrificial pawns!

“Brother Lan, the damage and losses that all of you have suffered are the biggest. What do you think?” Ye Xiaoyao’s tone was very meaningful. The way he looked at Lan Mofeng held a rather strong sense of mockery.

Even though he was in a dangerous situation, looking at someone who used to be on equal ground with him slowly turning into a loser and behaving in a distressed and alarmed manner was honestly very delightful.

Besides, during this period of time, Diwu Qingrou had obviously been giving them preferential treatment. None of the missions undertaken by the Lan Clan were dangerous; they were typically the easiest… All the other Super Clans had long been resentful over the unfairness of this.

However, Diwu Qingrou’s name and prestige had already been completely established and he even had the Dharma Supreme backing him up, so no one chose to say anything. But now that they encountered a situation like this, wouldn’t he be letting himself down if he didn’t mock and deride him a little?

A person who had lost favor or power was someone whom everyone wished to trample on.

Lan Mofeng flew into a thundering rage!

What do you mean by our losses are the biggest? The Ye Clan has obviously suffered the most fatalities in the attacks this time! This bastard is obviously reminding everyone that our Lan Clan is already gone by saying it like that!

Keeping his temper in check, Lan Mofeng replied coldly, “I have nothing much to say.”

With a chuckle, Xiao Zhengyan said, “Ye Xiaoyao, that’s not right of you. Brother Lan is in the midst of grieving right now, what’s the point of you… Oh, I know what Brother Ye means now. Hurhur, so that’s why. The Nine Tribulations destroyed the Lan Clan in the south while in the northwest, the power of a member of the Nine Tribulations is this powerful… It’s truly understandable that Brother Ye would ask for Brother Lan’s opinion then.”

Lan Mofeng’s chest rose up and down in agitation. Jumping to his feet, he pointed at them in fury. “Xiao Zhengyan! What do you mean by that?”

Laughing, Xiao Zhengyan looked around him. “Sigh, humans are simply so sensitive the moment there’s a crisis. This old man was just stating the truth… Yet Brother Lan has gotten displeased…”

Ye Xiaoyao chuckled. “Brother Lan probably wants to be a solitary hero and lead the great army of the Lan Clan to suppress and quell the Li Clan in one fell swoop… Your words were so unpleasant. Of course Brother Lan would be displeased hearing it…”

Chen Jianlong broke into a grin. “Exactly, exactly. Your words make great sense.”

Shi Qishu of the Shi Clan chuckled. “Since that’s the case, we wish you success, Brother Lan.”

Diwu Qingrou frowned and clapped his hands lightly. Everyone quietened down immediately.

Diwu Qingrou said in resignation, “Dear all, I invited all of you here for a discussion, not to incite internal strife! What are your intentions in doing something like this, everyone?”

All of them quietened.

Diwu Qingrou said rather indignantly, “I know what all of you are thinking. You think that now that the Lan Clan has lost its foundation and all of its accumulated resources, they are no longer worth taking seriously. Is that right?”

“But have all of you ever thought about who the ones that destroyed and wiped out the Lan Clan are? They are the Nine Tribulations! Who are the Nine Tribulations? They’re everyone’s common enemy! To put it bluntly, certainly the Lan Clan was rather unlucky to be the first ones targeted by the Nine Tribulations the moment they came up to the Upper Three Heavens… But in all fairness, if the ones beside the passageway that the Nine Tribulations chose to use to ascend to the Upper Three Heavens had been other clans, how would it have turned out? For example, the Shi Clan or the Chen Clan? The Zhuge Clan?”

“Would they have come out with a different fate?” asked Diwu Qingrou grimly.

Everyone was silent for a while, belated fear welling up within them.

Indeed, it was fortunate that they had gone for the Lan Clan first. Otherwise, with the capabilities that the Nine Tribulations had displayed, if it had been other clans instead, their only option was to end up like the Lan Clan!

Lan Mofeng’s head was lowered. However, there was strong gratitude in his eyes.

It was Diwu Qingrou again! He had stood up for him again!

And also stood up for the remaining bloodline of the Lan Clan!

Situations like this had already occurred several times…

Diwu Qingrou said, “I am aware that I have caused unhappiness to all of you by giving preferential treatment when I was issuing missions previously. I sincerely apologize to all of you.”

All of them were taken aback. Nobody had expected Diwu Qingrou to actually bring it up so directly and openly, and admit that he had shown partiality to a certain party.

“But have all of you ever thought about this? Should Elder Lan Mofeng have a change of mind and leave with his team now, what would happen? Is it not possible for them to retreat deep into the mountains? And wait until the Nine Tribulations have united the Nine Heavens? Or if the Nine Tribulations Sword Master fails in the end… However, by that time, what would be left of the forces behind everyone present here? If Elder Lan Mofeng returns at that point, is it not possible for them to start a new sect and bring glory back to themselves once more?”

The moment he said that, everyone’s expressions changed!

Indeed, what Diwu Qingrou was saying was certainly the best solution. In any case, to the Nine Tribulations Sword Master, the Lan Clan already didn’t exist anymore. He needed only to deal with the other clans… Therefore, should Lan Mofeng really choose to do so, it would indeed be a good plan…

“Yet Elder Lan didn’t. He’d rather bear with everyone’s humiliation and stay here for the sake of the overall situation! To stand against the Nine Tribulations Sword Master! Firstly, this is for the sake of revenge. But secondly, is it not for the sake of standing together with the rest of the Nine Super Clans against the common enemy? Is it not for the sake of these ten thousand years of friendship?”

Diwu Qingrou went on solemnly. “Is such integrity and nobility of character not worth I, Diwu Qingrou, being slightly partial to them? Everyone, the Lan Clan only has this bit of bloodline left… Do you really want them to be wiped out for good? Everyone… Can you live with yourselves if you do that?”

Diwu Qingrou’s plan in winning people over had finally reached the most critical step at this point.