Chapter 266: Sword Drawn and Bow Bent

"Ling'er." Seeing Su Ling'er's delicate little face, Yun Che was filled with joy and warmth, a happiness that reached deep into his soul and could not be replaced by any other form of joy. He felt life was perfect just by quietly watching Ling'er.

What he didn't know was that Su Ling'er's feelings when looking at him were almost identical. Yun Che felt this way because of his past life connection with Su Ling'er, while for little Ling'er, it was simply an inexplicable feeling, a pure enjoyment of his closeness, without any reason or cause. "Hehe, Brother Yun Che, Daddy asked me to tell you that many people will come to the sect around dusk, and some not-so-good things might happen. When that happens, Brother Yun Che must keep the door tightly shut here and absolutely not go out."

"Oh?" Yun Che's eyebrow twitched slightly. He then nodded and smiled, "Okay, I understand."

"Okay! Well... Brother Yun Che, I'm going back now. You and the beautiful sister should rest well." Su Ling'er said with a beaming smile. She took a small step back but didn't leave immediately, her eyes, like sparkling diamonds, gazed at Yun Che for a moment, clearly reluctant to depart.

"Ah? Leaving so soon? I still wanted to talk to Ling'er."

Su Ling'er pouted her lips and said, "Daddy said you must have traveled a long way and are exhausted. And the beautiful sister is sick and needs rest, so he told me to leave as soon as I delivered the message and not disturb you... Brother Yun Che, once the beautiful sister wakes up, will you play with me? And also... Brother Yun Che comes from a very far place, I want to hear many stories about distant lands from Brother Yun Che."

Ling'er's innocence, smile, and carefree nature at this moment brought Yun Che a near-dizzying sense of happiness, making him feel as though he were in a luxurious dream. He smiled gently, nodding slowly and earnestly. "Alright! When the time comes, I'll definitely play with you, Ling'er, and tell you many stories... It's a promise!"

"Mm! Hehe..." Su Ling'er tilted her head, then happily ran off like a released oriole.

After closing the door, Yun Che's expression quickly turned serious.

A group of people coming here this afternoon? And bad things might happen? Could it be...

On the bed, Xia Qingyue's eyes were gently closed. She was in meditation, quietly absorbing and guiding the power from the Bodhi Emperor's Heart Pill. However, her five senses were not completely shut off, and she had heard Yun Che and Su Ling'er's conversation.

They only had a brief twelve hours to stay here, and he naturally wished he could spend every single moment with Ling'er. However, Xia Qingyue needed someone by her side at that moment. The Tai Su Sect was not a secure place for them, and with the suspicious Su Haoran also present, he absolutely could not leave Xia Qingyue's side.

"Yun Che, have you been to this place before?" Jasmine suddenly asked.

"No."

"Then why are you so special to that little girl? You just met her today, yet you completely lost control of your emotions because of her. Your soul's reaction when you saw her earlier was extremely unusual! What exactly is going on?" Jasmine asked in a very serious tone. (Although it was a bit strange for her, also a young girl, to refer to "that little girl"...)

"..." Yun Che looked up and said softly, "It's a secret that I simply cannot speak of."

Jasmine: "..."

Yun Che stayed by Xia Qingyue's side all afternoon. Xia Qingyue lay motionless, a moon-white glow constantly emanating from her body. This light miraculously concealed her profound energy aura, preventing Yun Che from discerning her current profound energy state. This was actually a good thing; if the Bodhi Emperor's Heart Pill's effects were truly as astonishing as legends claimed, Xia Qingyue might break through to the Sky Profound Realm! Any turbulent profound energy aura during a breakthrough could alarm the Tai Su Sect, potentially inviting unnecessary trouble.

The sky gradually darkened, nearing dusk. Suddenly, hurried footsteps began to echo from outside, as if many people were rushing towards a certain spot. The footsteps continued for a long time, and intermittent, abnormal noises began to drift from a relatively distant location. With Yun Che's sharp hearing, he could faintly distinguish occasional sneers and angry shouts among them.

Yun Che glanced at Xia Qingyue's condition, then walked to the window. He gently pulled open a small crack in the wooden window and looked in the direction of the sounds.

In front of the Tai Su Sect's Assembly Hall, a crowd had already gathered. On one side were the leaders and disciples of the Tai Su Sect, with Su Hengshan standing at the very front, his eyes blazing with fury. Opposite them stood around three hundred people dressed in black. Amidst the black-clad figures were a dozen or so middle-aged men in various attire, and an old man was sprawled comfortably in a rattan chair, seemingly brought from nowhere. His eyes half-closed, he exuded an arrogant air, as if he didn't care for anyone present.

"Su Hengyue! I have always respected you as my second brother. Even though you once plotted against me during the sect master's succession, I put it behind me and never mentioned it! Over the years, sect resources have always been prioritized for you! I can understand your desire for the ancestral treasure, but how could you collude with Blackwood Fortress and commit such a treacherous act?! Are you worthy of our late father? Are you worthy of the Tai Su Sect's ancestors?!"

Su Hengshan's face was flushed with anger as he turned his gaze to another person: "And you! Li Yunji, when you faced disaster and were on the brink of death, who saved you? Who granted you these past ten-plus years of peace? Is this how you repay my father and the Tai Su Sect's kindness?"

The middle-aged man named Li Yunji, pointed at by Su Hengshan, subtly shifted his feet back, a flicker of unnaturalness crossing his face. But he immediately snorted coldly, "I naturally keep the former sect master's kindness in my heart! And precisely because I remember the former sect master's great benevolence, I absolutely cannot watch the Tai Su Sect be destroyed in your hands! Relinquish the position of sect master and hand over the key to the ultimate treasure! If not for your stubbornness, the Tai Su Sect would have long produced a powerhouse that would shock Fusuo! The Tai Su Sect would have risen to become a top-tier sect! Instead of remaining stagnant as it is now!"

"Heh heh, Yunji is absolutely right," Su Hengyue said with a chuckle. "Our late father handing the sect master position to you was truly his biggest mistake! If you had handed over the key to the ultimate treasure sooner and cooperated with Blackwood Fortress, this entire Jiangdong region would already be ours! Your obstinacy will only drag the entire Tai Su Sect down!" He glanced at the old man sitting there and sneered, "Even the Grand Elder, who usually doesn't interfere in sect matters, can no longer tolerate it! You should obediently relinquish the sect master position and content yourself with being an elder instructor! The position of sect master simply isn't suitable for you!"

"Nonsense!" Su Hengshan retorted, laughing in his fury. "Blackwood Fortress has always acted despicably, with an extremely bad reputation outside, and they have always coveted the resources of my Tai Su Mountain. Cooperating with Blackwood Fortress would be akin to asking a tiger for its skin, and it would ruin the Tai Su Sect's centuries-old reputation! As for the sect's ultimate treasure, our ancestors clearly instructed that it should only be brought forth when a disciple of astonishing talent, capable of shaking the world, appears within our sect. Otherwise, it would be a waste, destroying the greatest opportunity for the sect's prosperity! If I were to take it out now, I would be betraying our ancestors."

"Sect Master Su, I don't appreciate those words," a middle-aged man in black slowly stepped forward. "Our Blackwood Fortress genuinely wishes to cooperate with the Tai Su Sect. You provide us with medicinal herbs and profound crystals, and we provide you with divine weapons and sharp tools—a solid win-win. In comparison, Brother Hengyue's insight and vision are far superior to yours, which is why your Tai Su Sect has been stagnant and lifeless all these years."

"Heimu Qingya!" Su Hengshan glared at the black-clad man speaking. "You despicable scoundrel! I haven't even settled accounts with you for attempting to abduct my daughter this morning, yet you have the audacity to show up in person! You, the esteemed Fortress Master of Blackwood Fortress, allowing your disciples to lay hands on a mere ten-year-old girl—does that truly live up to your title as Fortress Master of Blackwood Fortress?!"

"Heh heh!" Despite being publicly berated by Su Hengshan, Heimu Qingya showed no annoyance whatsoever. "Sect Master Su misunderstands. This Fortress Master merely had someone invite your esteemed daughter to be a guest at our humble sect. The word 'abduct' is quite inappropriate here."

"Is that so?" Su Hengshan clenched his fists. He wasn't easily angered, but Blackwood Fortress's attempt on Su Ling'er had thoroughly crossed his line. He said coldly, "Heimu Qingya, I know what you're thinking. After our internal sect matters are resolved, if you don't give me an explanation, don't even think about leaving here alive today!"

Heimu Qingya grinned, but said no more, taking two steps back and crossing his arms, adopting a relaxed posture as if watching a play. Indeed, he was there to watch a show today—a grand drama of internal sect conflict. Regardless of the outcome, it would only benefit Blackwood Fortress and cause no harm.

The old man, who had been sitting upright, opened his eyes and said indifferently, "Hengshan, I don't care who succeeds to the position of sect master. If you're unwilling to cooperate with Blackwood Fortress, I won't force you. But the key to the sect's ultimate treasure—you must hand it over today!"

The Grand Elder of the Tai Su Sect, the most senior and authoritative figure, had spoken, and his power was naturally extraordinary. Su Hengshan's expression shifted, yet he replied without hesitation, "Absolutely not!"

The tension in the air intensified. More and more Tai Su Sect disciples arrived. If they were simply facing Blackwood Fortress, they could unite against a common enemy, but Blackwood Fortress adopted the stance of an observer. The two fiercely opposed sides were both members of the Tai Su Sect… though one side had recently left the Tai Su Sect and reportedly joined Blackwood Fortress!

From the increasingly heated arguments between the two sides, Yun Che finally understood the general situation.

In the Jiangdong region of Fusuo Kingdom, the Tai Su Sect and Blackwood Fortress were the two most powerful sects. The Tai Su Sect, situated against Tai Su Mountain, possessed countless medicinal herbs and profound crystal resources, while Blackwood Fortress, located in Blackwood Ridge, had abundant metal and rare stone resources. The two sects could indeed complement each other in terms of resources. Blackwood Fortress had repeatedly sought to cooperate with the Tai Su Sect to share resources, but Blackwood Fortress's despicable conduct and bad reputation had always been an issue. Although a significant portion of the Tai Su Sect's Elder Council agreed to cooperation, successive sect masters had adamantly refused.

By Su Hengshan's generation, Blackwood Fortress, which had previously been half a tier weaker than the Tai Su Sect, had developed rapidly, subtly reaching a point where it could contend with the Tai Su Sect. This led to a growing number of supporters in the Elder Council advocating cooperation with Blackwood Fortress to dominate Jiangdong. Eventually, nearly half had come to agree, increasing the pressure on Su Hengshan daily.

However, these factors were not the main cause of the current situation. The true reason was a mysterious ultimate sect treasure left behind by an ancestor of the Tai Su Sect!

An ancestor of the Tai Su Sect had obtained it from a place called "Southern Frontier Holy Land," and it was said to be a "sacred artifact"-level ultimate treasure!