Chapter 368 - 199: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow! The Reactions of All Parties

Chapter 368: Chapter 199: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow! The Reactions of All Parties

"If we add two more wolves to the mix... I’m afraid the Danxia Sect, the Wang Clan, and Qingfeng Temple won’t agree so easily."

"Donor Lu is very thorough."

Monk Xuanbei’s lips curled into a meaningful smile:

"This matter, of course, has another angle. Helping them get a foothold is merely to set up a conspicuous target for the enraged Government Office."

"Oh?" Lu Qingsong raised an eyebrow.

"If Chen Sheng dies at the hands of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance this time, the Government Office will be furious, and their retaliation will be like thunder. Even if we join forces to pressure them into a temporary retreat, that fury will still need an outlet."

Monk Xuanbei spoke slowly, as if preaching a sermon:

"The Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance and the Blood River Sect are the best targets. First, it will appease some of the Government Office’s anger and divert their attention. Second, it will draw the Government’s main forces into a struggle with them, wearing both sides down.

Ever since that Donor Nie took office, the Government Office has grown increasingly assertive, showing a clear intent to re-establish order and suppress us.

This trend cannot be allowed to continue. Ning’an Prefecture is, after all, a place governed jointly by our sects and the Government Office, not a domain where one side reigns supreme. I’m sure Donor Lu understands this deeply..."

"Father!"

Before Monk Xuanbei could finish, he was interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps and a slightly panicked shout from outside the door.

The three men frowned simultaneously, looking at the doorway with displeasure.

Lu Xuanzhou, the Young Master of Luoyun Manor, strode into the main hall. His face was somewhat pale, his forehead was beaded with sweat, his breathing was a little ragged, and his eyes held an undisguised panic.

"What has you so flustered? Have you no decorum?!"

Seeing this, Lu Canghai’s heart inexplicably tightened. He rebuked his son in a low, stern voice.

But a sense of foreboding quietly rose within him.

Lu Xuanzhou glanced at Lu Qingsong and Monk Xuanbei, took a deep breath, and lowered his voice, which still trembled uncontrollably:

"I... I just received an urgent report from Yunze City. The Jingwu Bureau and the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s water bandits fought a major battle at Fulong Creek... The Government Office’s side... won a great victory!"

"What?!"

Lu Canghai shot up from his seat.

His wide sleeve knocked over the teacup beside him, the sound of shattering porcelain sharp and grating.

His face instantly turned ashen, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at Lu Xuanzhou.

Monk Xuanbei’s fingers, which had been fiddling with his Buddhist Beads, abruptly stopped. The feigned, compassionate smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by a grim look of disbelief and suspicion.

Only Lu Qingsong, though his body had also jolted and surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly regained his composure.

"Is the news... reliable?"

Monk Xuanbei’s voice was hoarse, having lost its usual composure.

"Absolutely certain!"

Lu Xuanzhou nodded heavily, speaking very quickly:

"The news has already leaked from inside the Jingwu Bureau and is spreading like wildfire in Yunze City. It probably won’t be long before it’s all over the prefecture!"

"And what about Chen Sheng?!"

Lu Canghai practically forced the words through his clenched teeth, his voice trembling in a way he himself didn’t realize.

Lu Qingsong’s and Monk Xuanbei’s gazes were also fixed on Lu Xuanzhou’s face like steel needles.

Lu Xuanzhou’s throat bobbed. He struggled to get the rest of the words out:

"It’s... it’s said that Jingwu Bureau Captain Chen Sheng has... has Broken Through to the Profound Realm! And on the battlefield... he single-handedly suppressed and killed the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance Leader, Zhou... Zhou Kuohai!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Lu Canghai cried out, his voice sharp and shrill from extreme shock.

He swung his arm forcefully, as if to dispel the absurd news.

The first "impossible" was his inability to accept that Chen Sheng could cross that heavenly chasm and break into the Profound Mastery realm in such a short time.

How many stunningly brilliant talents had been trapped and died at the threshold of True Qi Condensing Essence?

He knew Chen Sheng’s talent was terrifying, which was why he had plotted so carefully to eliminate him early on. But this speed... it was simply inconceivable!

The second "impossible" was that he simply didn’t believe Chen Sheng was capable of killing Zhou Kuohai.

What kind of man was Zhou Kuohai?

He was one of the truly top-tier experts in Ning’an Prefecture. His cultivation had long since reached the mid-stage of Profound Mastery, and his strength was extraordinary. Even if he himself fought Zhou Kuohai, it would be a fifty-fifty match at best.

On what grounds could a junior who had just entered the Profound Mastery realm defeat a peak Thunder Sound expert?

This completely defies common sense!

"Donor Lu, this matter is of great importance. Do not believe in rumors."

Monk Xuanbei struggled to compose himself and said in a low voice.

But the veins on the back of the hand holding his Buddhist Beads were already bulging slightly.

Lu Xuanzhou’s face was pale as he said with a bitter smile:

"Master, this matter... is likely true. The source is confirmed, and there were no fewer than several hundred witnesses at Fulong Creek. It’s said that... Zhou Kuohai’s defeat was utterly devastating. Not even his bones were left.

This junior... I too wish this news were false!"

His last sentence was laced with a deep sense of powerlessness and defeat.

As his voice fell, a dead silence descended upon the vast Council Hall.

The only sounds were heavy breathing and the faint rustle of Lu Canghai’s sleeves, which trembled from his extreme shock and fear.

Lu Canghai collapsed back into his chair, looking utterly lost.

The color drained from his face, shifting from ashen to white, then from white to gray, as if all his spirit had been sucked out of him in an instant.

’Disaster!’

’A complete and utter disaster!’

Chen Sheng not only wasn’t dead, but had announced his meteoric rise in this horrifying manner.

A Profound Mastery expert who could kill someone in a higher realm, like Zhou Kuohai, posed a threat that far exceeded their worst estimates.

And their Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple had not only participated in and led the plot to murder this man, but had also been fanning the flames all over Ning’an a few days ago, actively provoking the Government Office...

’With Chen Sheng’s vengeful and ruthless nature, how could he possibly let this go?’

’Before he died, could Zhou Kuohai have sold them out?’

’A thunderous retaliation, one powerful enough to shake the very foundations of their sects, was probably already brewing.’

’Luoyun Manor, being the weaker of the two, would bear the brunt of it!’

"Manor Master Lu, Master Xuanbei."

Lu Qingsong was the first to break the suffocating silence. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said: