Chapter 540: I Surrender

Chǔ Jìngtáng and the other two certainly couldn't understand Wú Jìnliǎng's action of prying up a floor tile.

Láo Chángtài asked, "What are you doing?"

Wú Jìnliǎng didn't reply, too lazy to explain. This was no time for detailed explanations; a few words wouldn't suffice. He was an astute person—perhaps "astute" wasn't quite the right word, but he possessed a keen ability to sense danger. Even before fully understanding the situation, he immediately perceived an approaching threat. He hadn't been this nervous even when detained by Granny Qǐ.

He also realized that his chance to escape would be fleeting. So he acted quickly.

He swiftly pried open an opening the size of a jar's mouth. Then, he pressed his palm onto the exposed earth. With a surge of magic, a hole instantly appeared beneath the ground.

Chǔ Jìngtáng and the other two were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. They wondered when "Wu Hehe" had learned this spell. They only sensed that something was amiss but hadn't fully realized the danger's imminence. One could say their understanding of the situation wasn't as comprehensive as Wú Jìnliǎng's. After all, in their view, being in Granny Qǐ's hands was probably no different from being in the hands of Shenshan.

Wú Jìnliǎng, having withdrawn his hand, quickly tilted his head, motioning to them, "Go down quickly, or it'll be too late to escape."

Knowing he wouldn't harm them, the three immediately jumped into the hole below, one by one. Wú Jìnliǎng, the last to descend, leaned out of the pit and cast a spell, reassembling the floor tiles to seal the hole's opening. He then filled it with soil for support, continuously backfilling as he burrowed deeper underground to escape.

Outside, the standoff continued. The leading member of the Bai clan knew exactly who was hidden there and dared not let them go. Instead, he questioned Shenshan's forces, staunchly invoking Granny Qǐ's name. The forces surrounding the area belonged to Feng Jué, the Commander of the Central Region, and were led by another mountain patrol leader.

Feng Jué had given prior instructions not to make things too unsightly unless necessary, primarily out of consideration for Granny Qǐ's reputation. Consequently, the siege fell into a stalemate, lacking the decisive action seen elsewhere. With their commander being hesitant, the subordinates dared not offend Granny Qǐ to the extreme, especially since everyone knew of her relationship with the Feng clan and were unaware of the situation's inner workings. No one wanted to act rashly.

The atmosphere inside the divine hall was somewhat strange. Granny Qǐ initially found the Divine Maiden's attitude ambiguously unclear and clearly abnormal. When the message arrived from her subordinates, she pulled out a mother-child talisman. Upon seeing it, she realized she had been lured away and her people were surrounded, which greatly surprised her. She had never imagined the Divine Maiden would do such a thing to her.

Just then, Feng Jué, having received the news outside, flashed into the hall, appearing beside Fèng Qīngpíng. He whispered a few words, explaining that Granny Qǐ's clan members were caught in a defiant stalemate, unwilling to surrender. Forcible apprehension, he warned, could lead to casualties. In short, he sought Fèng Qīngpíng's decision on whether to resort to force.

Qiú Bēn's cold gaze swept from side to side, discerning a hint of the situation.

Granny Qǐ, raising her eyes, let out a dry laugh tinged with sadness. "Divine Maiden," she asked, "what is the meaning of sending people to surround my clan members? Was calling me here merely to lure me into a trap?" As she spoke, she also glanced at Qiú Bēn.

Fèng Qīngpíng's apology was evident on her face. She replied, "Granny, this is not my wish; it's the Feng clan's intention, and I am merely following orders. Granny, the Feng clan certainly bears no ill will towards the Bai clan, especially not towards you. As long as you cooperate to clarify the matter, it will naturally pass. Please tell your accompanying personnel to abandon the standoff. Don't escalate the situation; casualties would be bad for everyone."

Granny Qǐ's expression of sorrow became even more pronounced. She firmly tapped her staff twice on the ground and loudly exclaimed, "Why? Why exactly is this happening?" She truly hadn't expected the Feng clan to turn against her without any warning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Wú Jìnliǎng and the others up the mountain to hide them. Even her informants on Shenshan hadn't had time to warn her, indicating a premeditated ambush specifically targeting her.

She had initially believed that the goodwill she had accumulated with the Feng clan would be enough to earn her a certain degree of protection. Who knew they would turn on her so abruptly? Now, she felt she finally understood: "feelings" were worthless. Ultimately, it was the Bai clan's lack of power; emotions without sufficient strength were too cheap. This only strengthened her resolve to obtain the Demon Tome.

"Why?" Fèng Qīngpíng was in a dilemma. She couldn't very well say to her face that the Blazing Fire Sect had offered a considerable sum.

Qiú Bēn, however, had no such reservations and didn't want the situation to drag on. He immediately spoke up, "Old hag, you know perfectly well why this is happening. Save your feigned ignorance for later. My original intention was to be more direct, but the Divine Maiden considered the friendship between your two families, which is why we're being so amenable. I advise you not to push your luck. If it comes to blows, you won't escape this ancient grand formation. Resolve this peacefully, and everything can be discussed. A large force has already gone to the Bai clan's ancestral grounds. I advise you not to bring about the destruction of your clan!"

Feng Jué immediately called out, "Granny, tell them to put down their weapons. Once this is resolved, it will all be over."

"Heheheh..." Granny Qǐ gave a bitter laugh, then shook her head. Holding the mother-child talisman, she sent out a message. It wasn't a command for her subordinates to drop their weapons, but an instruction for her trusted clan members to quietly eliminate Gāo Hé and the other three, and destroy any evidence. She knew clearly that trapped within this ancient grand formation, her strength wouldn't allow her to escape. Force simply wouldn't work. Only by making those four disappear, ensuring no incriminating evidence could be found, could she firmly deny everything.

Neither Fèng Qīngpíng nor Qiú Bēn had anticipated that this old hag would pull off such a 'lamp-under-the-darkness' trick, managing to hide Chǔ Jìngtáng and the two others sent by Bai Clan's Rice Shop right under their noses on Shenshan.

"Old Chǔ, is this Earth Evasion?" As they slowly burrowed underground, Xiāo Shěng asked Chǔ Jìngtáng.

Chǔ Jìngtáng was also bewildered and asked Wú Jìnliǎng, "Boss Wu, when did you learn this spell?"

Wú Jìnliǎng snorted, "You're too superficial; you can't discern my extensive knowledge."

The other three twitched their lips simultaneously.

Láo Chángtài said, "Alright, stop with the glib talk. If you're going to run, run fast. This slow, inching movement of yours is just waiting to die, isn't it?"

Wú Jìnliǎng, holding the Sandalwood Gold Flame Energy in one hand and pushing the earth forward with the other, spat, "What do you know? This Shenshan is crucial to the Feng clan. Don't just look at this small area; there are loads of Earth Immortal experts stationed here. Didn't you see the siege formation earlier? How could they easily let someone escape from underground? Too much movement, and we might be discovered. To be safe, we have to go slowly."

He had a point, but reality was harsh. Chǔ Jìngtáng, observing the slow progress, gave a wry smile, "Then can we actually escape like this?"

Wú Jìnliǎng replied, "It depends on who Shenshan's forces are after. If they're after us, we definitely can't escape. Once they realize we're gone, they'll search thoroughly and quickly drag us out from underground. If they're after the Bai clan, and they know the number of Bai clan members here, then it might actually give us a chance to escape from among the Bai clan. The Bai clan wouldn't dare make a fuss if they found us missing. Just now, Boss received news that the city guards are also apprehending Bai clan members."

Hearing this, the three's eyes instantly lit up; they largely understood his meaning.

Xiāo Shěng quickly advised, "Boss Wu, slower, even slower."

Chǔ Jìngtáng also urged, "That's right, Boss Wu, you are wise and mighty. Make even less noise."

Wú Jìnliǎng chuckled, then handed the Sandalwood Gold Flame Energy to Chǔ Jìngtáng. He then pulled out his mother-child talisman, needing to inform Shī Chūn of the current situation. If they were caught, Shī Chūn would be the only one who could bail them out.

While they were chattering away underground, among the Bai clan members in the standoff, the trusted clan member Granny Qǐ had contacted quietly retreated. After evading the surrounding forces' gaze, he opened a side window and entered the hiding place of Wú Jìnliǎng and the three others. He found no one inside. After a fruitless magical search, he immediately rushed into the cultivation chamber, only to find it empty as well.

The empty cultivation chamber couldn't hide anyone. He hastily cast a spell to scan it; no one was found hiding in the walls or underground. Things went even more smoothly than Wú Jìnliǎng had imagined. The Bai clan's searchers weren't afraid to announce their findings; rather, in the urgent situation, they simply didn't have time to conduct a detailed search. Nor did it occur to them that tunnels might have been dug. Those four individuals were normally closely monitored, so any tunneling activity should have been detectable.

He quickly rushed out again, immediately and quietly moving through adjacent houses, searching, thinking Wú Jìnliǎng and the others had escaped to other rooms. The result was predictable: they were gone, vanished into thin air, nowhere to be found. There was no time for him to search slowly now. The pressure from Shenshan's forces in the standoff was increasing, and he couldn't possibly summon a large number of people to conduct a thorough comb-through; that would expose the problem to Shenshan. This matter definitely had to be reported to Granny Qǐ for her decision.

Granny Qǐ was also a bit baffled upon receiving the news. They had been constantly monitored by her clan members, and just because of the Shenshan forces' encirclement, they had momentarily lost track, and the people had vanished into thin air. How was this possible? After all, Shenshan's forces were still surrounding the exterior; they couldn't have escaped.

Under Qiú Bēn's pressure, Fèng Qīngpíng couldn't let her stall indefinitely. She tilted her head and gave a signal, sending Feng Jué to handle the situation personally at the scene. Ultimately, Granny Qǐ still issued the order to her clan members to lay down their weapons and surrender. Of course, she would surely feign that she had painstakingly convinced her clan members. Now, she truly hoped Wú Jìnliǎng and the others had escaped. She prayed Shenshan's forces wouldn't search again and find them later; if they did, she wouldn't be able to explain herself, even with a thousand tongues.

Feng Jué, who had personally arrived at the scene, looked at the Bai clan members gathered there, disarmed and restrained. A myriad of emotions surged within him. Some of them were quite familiar to him; he hadn't expected things to come to this. A subordinate reported to him, "Thirty-five people, not one less, all accounted for." The order from above was to apprehend everyone, without a single one missing.

Feng Jué hummed in acknowledgment and then added, "Collect and seal all their belongings. If everything turns out fine later, return them intact."

The subordinate replied, "The houses, inside and out, top to bottom, have all been searched. Their belongings have been gathered, not a single item missing."

"Take them away," Feng Jué said, then departed.

Underground, the slow and quiet group led by Wú Jìnliǎng continued to sneak for a long time without any disturbance. They all realized they might have temporarily escaped. They then continued to move slowly forward. After much effort, they managed to create a small opening in the cave wall where light could be seen, but they still didn't dare to exit.

Wú Jìnliǎng first poked his head out and surveyed the surroundings. Although it was surrounded by thorns and vegetation, he realized they were still on the mountainside not far from the detention area. He withdrew, then cast a spell to further reduce the head-sized opening. He then pulled out his mother-child talisman again to contact Shī Chūn, informing him of their temporary escape.

Shī Chūn instructed them to stay put unless absolutely necessary, saying he would find a way to meet them at night. There was no other choice. The token for entering and exiting the grand formation was with Shī Chūn, and Wú Jìnliǎng didn't possess Shī Chūn's special right eye ability to detect hidden sentries. At such a tense moment, he dared not run around randomly.

After the contact, Wú Jìnliǎng put away the mother-child talisman and chuckled softly, "Alright, we just need to wait for Boss to pick us up." He estimated that it wouldn't be easy for Shī Chūn, who didn't know Earth Evasion, to get in, probably requiring some effort.

Chǔ Jìngtáng whispered, "Didn't they say Shenshan has a grand formation protecting it? Can Boss get in?"

Wú Jìnliǎng chuckled, "That's why he's the Boss, isn't it? Don't worry, with Boss's abilities, if he wants to get in, this broken formation won't stop him." The specific method of entry wasn't revealed, and it wasn't good to disclose it beforehand, which actually lent Shī Chūn an air of mysterious glory.

He relaxed, lying in the small hole, hands behind his head, legs crossed. He feigned ease, but in reality, he was somewhat worried. Given his past experience of being hunted while burrowing underground, he was still concerned that someone might follow their traces. However, he dared not emerge and run around haphazardly now, nor could he burrow aimlessly everywhere. For now, all he could do was wait.

Little did he know that Chǔ Jìngtáng and the other two looked at him with a different kind of gaze; this guy had actually led them out of the jaws of crisis. Some events seemed simple in their unfolding, but they clearly understood that decisions and judgments at critical moments were crucial. This big fellow had seized that fleeting opportunity with remarkable precision—a capability not everyone possessed. Those who thought deeply realized that, short of absolute, direct suppression, this guy wasn't someone easily killed. The three gained a new understanding of Wú Jìnliǎng.

Meanwhile, Shī Chūn was rapidly moving through the heartgrass forest, quickly approaching Shenshan, striving to gain time for the rescue. From Wú Jìnliǎng's account, he clearly understood that Wú Jìnliǎng's escape was temporary. Once their burrowing route was discovered, it would be easy to catch them, and the situation was full of various possibilities. It was even possible that the Bai clan might confess, and once Shenshan knew, they would immediately conduct another thorough search. Since Wú Jìnliǎng had already created a chance to escape, Shī Chūn had to quickly seize this opportunity for the rescue.

After an urgent rush, still in broad daylight, he found a temporarily available area near the grand formation's boundary, obscured by trees. He carefully cast a spell to dig a pit, trying his best not to make any noise, and constantly observing his surroundings. He dared not discard the excavated soil carelessly; he collected it all into a storage bag. Whether it was day or night, he dared not openly use a golden light to enter or exit the grand formation. Digging a tunnel and concealing the light was the safest method. Fortunately, with his cultivation, this task wasn't difficult...

Inside the city's main prison, Dōng Wénshū, tied spreadeagled, had only endured one whip lash, and as soon as blood traces appeared on his body, he loudly cried out, "I'll confess, I'll confess!"

The jailers exchanged glances, surprised that this person actually had hidden information about Wáng Píng and Gāo Hé to confess. One of them sighed, "Mr. Dōng, wouldn't it have saved you this suffering if you had just spoken earlier?"

Dōng Wénshū panted, "Being tied up like this is too uncomfortable. Untie me, and I'll tell you everything I know."

As Dōng Wénshū was a familiar face in the city, someone they often encountered, and knowing he posed little threat, the interrogator waved his hand, signaling, "Untie him." So Dōng Wénshū was noisily untied again, and someone even brought him a stool to sit on. The interrogator smiled, "Mr. Dōng, please speak clearly and in detail. We all know you're a good person, and once this matter is clear, we won't trouble you further."

Dōng Wénshū seemed unmoved. He reached inside his collar and pulled out a necklace with a jade pendant. After removing it from his neck, he gazed at the ancient-patterned jade plaque. This was an heirloom passed down from his ancestors, not to be used lightly, but said to be usable in moments of extreme crisis. At this moment, he knew nothing about Wáng Píng or Gāo Hé's affairs. At first, he thought he could reason with them, but who knew they were serious and utterly unreasonable, actually torturing him?

His own suffering from torture was nothing; the crucial point was his three daughters. As a learned man, he naturally knew how unbearable the tortures inflicted on women in a torture chamber could be, which would strip them of their purity. How could he let his three daughters endure such suffering?

"Mr. Dōng..." the interrogator prompted, unsure what he was doing staring at the jade plaque.

Dōng Wénshū looked up at him, his eyes filled with resolve. He suddenly smacked the necklace in his hand. With a crisp "crack," it shattered directly on the wooden stool he was sitting on. The indoor lights flickered momentarily, and a gentle breeze appeared out of nowhere, then dissipated.