Chapter 74: Negotiation and Fire Break Out

After several rounds of negotiation between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Savage Wolf Gang, a border area named "Falling Sand Ridge" was mutually agreed upon as the negotiation site.

Regarding the participants, the Savage Wolf Gang firmly insisted that a principal leader from each side must attend to demonstrate sincerity; otherwise, there would be no need for the discussions.

This condition, once proposed, did not cause any stir within the Seven Mysteries Sect, as it was a standard term for such negotiations.

Naturally, the true head of the sect would never personally venture into danger. The Seven Mysteries Sect would at most send a Deputy Sect Master, and the opposing side would also dispatch a comparable Deputy Gang Leader to maintain appearances. Thus, this condition posed no issues.

Consequently, both parties agreed upon a specific date for the negotiations, with each side sending a team of over a hundred people to attend the meeting.

Fearing potential ambushes during the negotiations, the Seven Mysteries Sect made extremely meticulous arrangements for both the negotiation team and their backup plans.

Not only was the negotiation team led by Deputy Sect Master Wu, the sect's second most skilled practitioner, but almost all one hundred members of the team were top-tier experts within the sect. Most of these individuals were core members like protectors and venerable masters, with several elders and hall masters also present to reinforce the formation, making it a truly formidable lineup.

With such a team of experts, even if the entire elite force of the Savage Wolf Gang were deployed, they would likely be unable to stop their advance. The Seven Mysteries Sect was brimming with confidence about this.

In this way, should anything go awry, the negotiators could rely on their superior martial arts to quickly break through any encirclement and return to their own territory, where several elite teams of Bloodblade Hall disciples would be waiting to provide support and ensure their safe retreat.

Li Feiyu also volunteered to join. For him, a man with not long left to live, the more perilous the place, the more he yearned to go.

Thus, this contingent, comprising nearly half of the Seven Mysteries Sect's experts, finally departed from the mountain as the negotiation day drew near. Their round trip would take at least half a month, a truly long duration!

Han Li wasn't particularly concerned about this. For him, it didn't matter whether the peace talks succeeded or failed. He was about to leave this place and explore the outside world; the rise or fall of the Seven Mysteries Sect had little to do with him!

As long as it didn't concern him personally, he was too lazy to bother with such matters now.

Therefore, in the days following the negotiation team's departure, he unhurriedly cultivated the medicinal herbs he needed and began collecting seeds of valuable herbs for future use.

Han Li had already decided that once the negotiation team returned to the mountain, he would formally bid farewell to the sect masters. If the higher-ups were unreasonable and refused to let him leave, he wouldn't mind demonstrating his true strength in front of them to make them completely give up their ideas.

In fact, secretly leaving without anyone knowing would have been the simplest option. However, Han Li worried that if they couldn't find him, they might trouble his family. Therefore, openly resigning to the higher-ups and showcasing his power to deter them was quite necessary.

As for the excuse for leaving, Han Li had already thought of it: he would say he missed Doctor Mo and was going to find his master. Whether they believed him or not, Han Li didn't care in the slightest. With absolute power as his backing, why would he fear any other thoughts they might have?

Whenever Han Li thought of this, a faint cold smile would involuntarily appear at the corner of his mouth. At this moment, taking the lives of the sect masters would be as easy as flipping his palm.

Of course, he merely entertained the thought; he had no intention of actually doing it.

However, what Han Li never expected was that on the fourth night after the negotiation team departed, a tattered, dust-covered, disheveled individual suddenly burst into his room. Staring with bloodshot eyes and dry, peeling lips, he hoarsely uttered a sentence to Han Li:

"The negotiation team is finished. Deputy Sect Master Wu is dead, the protectors and venerable masters are dead, several elders are also dead. Almost everyone is gone."

Han Li was stunned by these words. Before he could even ask for clarification,

"Toot..."

A shrill alarm whistle suddenly echoed from somewhere on the mountain.

"Thump, thump..."

Immediately afterward, a dull clatter of wooden clappers also rang out.

"Clang, clang..."

"Clink, clink..."

"Bang, bang..."

Various alarm sounds rang out in unison, followed by a thunderous clamor of battle cries, rising and falling across the mountain. The faint clash of weapons could also be heard, as if in that instant, the entire Colorful Clouds Mountain had transformed into a vast battlefield.

Han Li's expression changed. Ignoring the person in front of him, he flickered out of the room, surveyed his surroundings, found the tallest building, and with a slight stomp of his foot, landed on its roof. From there, he gazed towards the valley entrance.

His expression was grim, appearing somewhat dark. Not far from where he looked, flames shot into the sky, shadows flickered, and flashes of blades and swords continuously gleamed. Everywhere, there was a chaotic cacophony of battle cries, alarms, and angry shouts.

Hearing a rush of wind behind him, he asked without turning his head, "Li Feiyu, is it the Savage Wolf Gang?"

"Yes, I didn't expect their plan to be so thorough. They practically annihilated our negotiation team, then immediately followed us survivors and attacked the mountain." The bearer of this news was indeed Li Feiyu, who had departed four days earlier. His voice was now filled with anger and indignation.