Chapter 369 - 199: Joy Begets Sorrow! Reactions from All Sides

Chapter 369: Chapter 199: Joy Begets Sorrow! Reactions from All Sides

"A pressing matter has suddenly arisen within my sect that requires my immediate attention. I cannot stay any longer and must take my leave."

Lu Qingsong’s tone was calm, but his actions were decisive.

At the same time, a part of him felt fortunate.

’Thankfully, I’ve always been cautious and never got too deeply involved in this scheme.’

’Otherwise, the Iron Sword Sect would be right there with them, on pins and needles and facing imminent disaster.’

Neither Lu Canghai nor Monk Xuanbei said anything to stop Lu Qingsong from leaving; they didn’t even have time to react.

The seemingly solid alliance and tempting scheme from just a moment ago had undoubtedly vanished into thin air in the face of this harsh reality.

"Master Xuanbei..."

Only after Lu Qingsong’s figure had disappeared did Lu Canghai speak, his voice hoarse and strained:

"What... what should we do now?"

A muscle in Monk Xuanbei’s face twitched. He forced a smile that looked uglier than a grimace.

"Amitabha Buddha... This matter is of grave importance. I must return to the temple immediately to discuss it with the abbot and the other First Seats. Donor Lu, you need not worry excessively. My Golden Spring Temple and your Luoyun Manor are bound together. That Chen Sheng... even if he is ferocious, he may not dare to rashly initiate a war.

After all, we have Celestial Dragon Temple and the Vast Sea Upper Sect behind us.

Besides, there might be something strange about this. Chen Sheng killing Zhou Kuohai... perhaps there’s a hidden story."

These last few words were less to comfort Lu Canghai and more to convince himself.

"Master!"

Lu Canghai’s head snapped up, bloodshot veins visible in his eyes. He lowered his voice, which was now laced with a ruthless edge:

"Does your esteemed temple... have a way to eliminate this boy for good? If you do, you must not hesitate. Given the speed of his growth and his vicious nature, if we don’t crush him completely today...

...I fear the day will come when he shows up at our door, blade in hand, to settle old scores!"

"I... understand."

Monk Xuanbei took a deep breath, his expression incredibly grave. He gave a heavy nod, said no more, and turned to leave in a hurry, his steps having lost their usual composure.

"Xuanzhou."

Lu Canghai sat alone in a daze in the vast, empty hall for a long time before calling out hoarsely.

"Father." Lu Xuanzhou hurried forward.

Lu Canghai stared at him and said slowly:

"You... pack your things at once. Go to the Vast Sea Upper Sect as fast as you can. Explain the dire situation here at Luoyun Manor and plead for the Upper Sect’s aid. Also, until this matter is settled, you are absolutely forbidden to return, no matter what happens in Ning’an!"

"Father!"

Lu Xuanzhou shuddered, instantly understanding his father’s intentions.

This was to preserve him, to save the last spark of the Lu Clan’s bloodline for Luoyun Manor.

’As long as I’m under the protection of a behemoth like the Vast Sea Upper Sect, even if Chen Sheng has heaven-defying abilities, he won’t be able to touch me.’

"Is there... really no room for negotiation?"

Lu Xuanzhou’s voice trembled.

"Negotiation?"

Lu Canghai gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"If our only grudge was from the wedding crashing, there might have been a chance to de-escalate. But afterward, I hired assassins from the White Tiger Hall, and now I’ve conspired with Golden Spring Temple to set this trap... Every single one of these acts is a feud to the death.

Given that boy’s temperament, there’s no possibility of compromise."

"Father!"

Lu Xuanzhou said urgently:

"Chen Sheng may hold a grudge over the smallest slight, but he’s not an inflexible brute who only knows how to act recklessly. His actions are often driven by self-interest! If our Luoyun Manor is willing to pay a painful enough price, we might be able to buy a chance at survival.

Even if our manor lacks the strength, if we can persuade the Vast Sea Upper Sect to apply pressure, would he really dare to act so recklessly?

Besides, Luoyun Manor was founded two hundred years ago. Our foundations are still deep. Our Mountain Protection Array is no small matter. It’s not something a newly ascended Profound Mastery expert like Chen Sheng can shake just because he wants to!"

Lu Xuanzhou’s words were like a shot of adrenaline, stirring a ripple in the sea of despair that had nearly drowned Lu Canghai’s mind.

He immediately narrowed his eyes, his fingers once again tapping unconsciously on the armrest as he fell into deep thought.

’That’s right. The news was so shocking it threw me into chaos.

Thinking it over, the situation is perilous, but it’s not necessarily a dead end.

The Vast Sea Upper Sect has received tribute from Luoyun Manor for years; they won’t just stand by and watch.

And there’s no way Golden Spring Temple will do nothing either.

After all, they were the ones who initiated this whole affair!

Besides, I’ve operated in the Ning’an Martial World for many years and have extensive connections. At a critical moment, with the promise of great reward, I might be able to hire some experts to help.

More importantly, there’s a long-standing private understanding among the six major sects.

Infighting is one thing, but when facing pressure from the Government Office, we must stand together.

As for the Government Office, that Lord Xie Jingze probably doesn’t want to see Ning’an Prefecture descend into utter chaos and its people suffer.’

At this thought, a ruthless glint returned to Lu Canghai’s eyes. He said in a low voice:

"First, do as I said and go to the Vast Sea Upper Sect immediately. As for me... I will figure out a way to handle things here. Luoyun Manor is not yet at a point where we can be slaughtered at will!"

"Yes! I’ll go prepare right away!"

Seeing his father’s fighting spirit rekindled, Lu Xuanzhou felt a surge of energy. He bowed and then hastily withdrew.

In the great hall, Lu Canghai was once again left alone.

Gazing in the direction his son had left, the forced composure on his face slowly faded, replaced by a trace of regret and helplessness.

To think that the great Luoyun Manor would be thrown into such a state of panic, acting as if facing a great enemy, even needing to arrange an escape route... Anyone who didn’t know the situation would probably assume a Pill Realm Grandmaster was at their gates.

But who could have imagined that the cause of all this was just a young man in his early twenties who had just entered the Profound Mastery realm?

’If I had known it would come to this... I should have done whatever it took to obliterate him back then!’

The regret vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by an even deeper, more sinister look on Lu Canghai’s face.

His fingertips drummed on the tabletop, producing a muffled, rhythmic tapping.

’There’s still a chance. It would be best if I could pay some price to resolve the grudge with Chen Sheng.

If not, then... the only option left is to fight to the death!’

’If I risk my life in a desperate battle, I might just be able to eliminate him.’

——————

First day of the new year, asking for your guaranteed monthly votes.

A long Chapter, for you.

Happy New Year