Chapter 613 - 555: Valley Master Chen, Long Time No See

Chapter 613: Chapter 555: Valley Master Chen, Long Time No See

Chen Che gestured for Meng Qianxun to relax and followed the Star-Picking Sect cultivators away.

Since the Star-Picking Sect had requested him by name, it meant they were fully prepared. The various factions within the two Major Sects had complex, tangled relationships, and what’s more, they were still in an alliance with their Sect Leaders watching over them.

Jiang Shaotian would never dare to act recklessly.

Even so, Meng Qianxun summoned all the Golden Core Cultivators and followed along to the camp in a great, imposing procession.

...

"Chief Chen, welcome, welcome."

The camp was set up on neutral ground between the two sects. When Chen Che arrived, the Chiefs from both sects were already gathered, just as before. Most of them gave a slight nod upon seeing him, a silent greeting.

Qiu Tianshui was seated off to one side, a faint smile on his face as he cupped his hands in greeting.

Duobao arched an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Jiang Shaotian, however, was exceptionally courteous, stepping forward to greet him.

’All this fawning... He’s either a conman or a thief.’

Chen Che returned the gesture with a lukewarm cupping of his hands and was shown to his seat.

After everyone was seated, Jiang Shaotian, who was presiding, began to explain the current situation, just as he had before. He droned on for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, and naturally, it was all the same old platitudes.

It was the same story: the allied forces of the two sects were facing difficulties, first getting ambushed in Chu State, and now being held up before the Celestial River Mountain Range.

This time, however, he added a new twist: the Star-Picking Sect had supposedly been deceived. He pinned all the blame on Mist Rain Tower, painting his own sect as innocent as a white lotus. His "righteously indignant" speech drew scornful chuckles from many of the Primordial Sect’s cultivators.

Despite the open ridicule, the cultivators from the Star-Picking Sect remained perfectly composed, as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

"His talent for twisting the truth is something else. It was clearly the Star-Picking Sect that attacked first, but to hear him tell it, they were just pawns used by Mist Rain Tower, completely absolving themselves of any blame."

Xiao Chan sneered.

Chen Xi, on the other hand, was used to such things and sent a voice transmission, "They’re trying to claim the moral high ground. Otherwise, how could they justify their actions?"

Chen Che simply smiled.

’Seizing the moral high ground, of course.’

"Chief Chen, Mist Rain Tower refuses to come out of its fortress. Do you have any ideas on how to crack them out of that turtle shell of theirs?" After his long-winded nonsense, Jiang Shaotian’s gaze fell directly on him.

"Every Golden Core Cultivator here is my senior. In terms of experience, connections, and background, you all far surpass me. It’s hardly the place for a junior like myself to speak."

Chen Che was being evasive, refusing to take the bait.

"Chief Chen, if you consider yourself a junior, then all of us Golden Core Cultivators here might as well die of shame on the spot. There aren’t many among us who would dare to face someone of Wen Yangxi’s caliber, let alone force him to flee in disgrace."

Jiang Shaotian flicked his sleeves, his words dripping with flattery.

"A cultivator of Wen Yangxi’s power would be second only to our Sect Leader in the Star-Picking Sect."

"Everyone here witnessed him fleeing from you in utter defeat. Who would dare question your strength?"

"Indeed, indeed!"

At a subtle glance from him, all the other Chiefs of the Star-Picking Sect chimed in.

Hearing the Star-Picking Sect’s chorus of praise, the cultivators from Jinyun Valley grew even more wary. The fact that they had specifically requested Chen Che’s presence had already put them on alert. Now, the meeting had been going on for some time without getting to the point, and was instead filled with this excessive flattery toward Chen Che.

As the saying goes, when something is this unusual, there must be something sinister afoot.

It wasn’t just the members of Jinyun Valley who saw that something was wrong; the other members of the Primordial Sect were also baffled.

Everyone present was sharp; they had all vaguely guessed what the other side was planning. The cultivators from Jinyun Valley immediately began sending voice transmissions, subtly and overtly warning Chen Che not to fall for their trap of "praise-killing" and to be on his guard.

Several warnings entered his mind via Divine Sense, but Chen Che remained completely unmoved, looking at Jiang Shaotian:

"Protector Jiang, just say what you mean. Stop beating around the bush. What is it you want me to do?"

"Excellent! A straightforward man speaks his mind!"

Jiang Shaotian gave him a thumbs-up, a broad smile on his face.

"Mist Rain Tower has clearly decided to hold out against us indefinitely. Our previous estimates suggest that we won’t be able to break through this Heroic Pass without three to five years, maybe even decades. Our only option is to force them to make the first move..."

Chen Che cut him off, shaking his head. "The Star-Picking Sect thinks too highly of me. What means or ability do I have to change the will of Mist Rain Tower?"

"But you do! Mist Rain Tower is not a monolith. We can use Wen Yangxi as a weak point to force their Azure Dragon Hall out of the pass to fight us. To that end, we hope Chief Chen will step forward and issue a challenge."

Jiang Shaotian made a chopping motion with his hand, swinging it forward decisively.

"You share a feud with him for killing his son, his grandson, and ending his lineage. Within our two sects, no one is more suitable for this task! If he becomes dead set on fighting, no one in Mist Rain Tower will be able to stop him."

"If you can successfully lure him out, we can all combine our strength to help you eliminate this menace and remove this threat for good! Once the Azure Dragon Hall falls, the overall strength at the Celestial River Mountain Range will plummet. Then, whether we use a direct assault or other tactics, the difficulty of taking the Heroic Pass will decrease by at least seventy percent!"

Chen Che stared at him, his expression turning icy.

He had expected something like this the moment the Star-Picking Sect requested his presence at the meeting.

It was true.

Mist Rain Tower was unwilling to fight, so forcing them out was indeed the only option. But to prop him up as cannon fodder, to have him clash with Mist Rain Tower and force Wen Yangxi into the fray... that was pure fantasy.

"Absolutely not."

Before Chen Che could even voice his scorn, Qiu Tianshui cut in sharply:

"That plan is far too dangerous! Chen Che is the Chief of our Pill Hall. His life is invaluable; how can we let him walk into such peril? Protector Jiang, you had best find another way! Do not mention this plan again. I will not agree to it."

The other Chiefs of the Primordial Sect remained silent, but they all gave slight nods, showing their agreement.