Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 379: 195. Bloody Massacre (Part 5)_3

Gui Zhaoqi was different; he was the Deputy Hall Master of Fengbo Hall, the only second-rate force in Yangping County. Although he was usually treated with great respect as a Sword Executor, under the current circumstances, he clearly didn't dare to blindly follow orders and had his own little schemes in mind.

Mu Qingwu wanted to return to Yangping County but had concerns; for now, he was just buying time. Even if he was blamed afterward, he would still have room to maneuver. But if he headed straight back home, and the Holy Sect found out, the charges against him would be serious.

Lin Dongzhao was one of their own, so there were no problems there, the main issue was Gui Zhaoqi, as well as the more than three thousand people from Fengbo Hall who had come along this time.

Mu Qingwu looked down at the foot of the mountain at the thirty-thousand-strong army marching in an orderly manner toward the west and, no longer able to restrain himself, finally addressed Gui Zhaoqi.

"With the Demon Sect army attacking this time, what are your thoughts, Hall Master Gui?"

"The Demon Sect is in a precarious state, our Holy Sect is now powerful, and under its command, there are numerous strong individuals. Moreover, with Sword Chief Xizhao personally overseeing, in my opinion, the Demon Sect army will surely come but not return!"

Mu Qingwu's brows furrowed sharply, unsure whether Gui Zhaoqi was sincere or feigning support, and asked in a deep tone, "Hall Master Gui, do you think Guangling Prefecture will send a large army, crossing the Tongtian River to support our three western counties?"

Gui Zhaoqi obviously understood the implications and his expression changed.

"Xuzhou and Yongzhou have always been separated by the Tongtian River. Guangling Prefecture has had only six counties. In those days, Heaven-sealing Sword Honorific forcibly wrested Wanyang, Longxiang, and Yangping Counties from the hands of the Demon Sect.

Now that the Demon Sect has officially torn the Jin Capital pact, both Holy Lands will have to fight for real. Do you think our Wanjian Holy Sect will be foolish enough to send a large army across the river to die defending this doomed land?"

Lin Dongzhao also spoke up at this time. As a military man, he had a deeper understanding of warfare and said in a low voice, "The Demon Sect breached the pact that evening, and their army crossed the former provincial border swiftly. Such speed must have caught the Sacred Dynasty off guard. The best plan for now would be to abandon these three western counties and continue to use the Tongtian River as the boundary, waiting for the Demon Sect to encounter problems on the other three fronts before launching a counterattack."

The Demon Sect has the Great Jin Dynasty to the north, Miaojiang causing trouble to the south, and the Blood Spirit Demon Sect to the west. All three fronts are unstable. To force a battle with the Wanjian Holy Sect on the eastern front as well would be folly. The other three fronts would soon catch the scent and join in to bite the Demon Sect.

This simple logic was naturally clear to Gui Zhaoqi, but being inherently cautious, he became indecisive, unable to commit to a position immediately with both men.

Mu Qingwu and Lin Dongzhao locked eyes quietly on their right, both faces simultaneously revealing a sinister expression, and they subtly adjusted their positions to surround Gui Zhaoqi in the middle.

If he couldn't be persuaded, then they would just kill him; after all, dealing with a Second Realm Master wasn't too troublesome, and the more than three thousand martial artists from Fengbo Hall who had followed were even easier to handle...

"Junior Brother Mu, I'm so glad you're here; your Senior Brother has been waiting for a long time!"

However, just as they had calculated and were about to make their move, a familiar voice suddenly came from the official road to the west. Mu Qingwu's expression darkened instantly.

Mu Qingwu was from Guangling Prefecture. He didn't come from a noble background, but his talents were high. From a young age, he was chosen to enter the branch of the Wanjian Holy Sect in Guangling Prefecture for cultivation.

Although he was eliminated in the fierce competition and failed to enter the much-desired Holy Land, his diligence allowed him to breakthrough and become a Grandmaster early. He loyally served the Holy Sect for many years, and thirty years ago, he broke through to the Master Third Realm. With a bit of bribery and some humbling requests for help, he finally managed to become the Sword Executor of Yangping County.

In contrast, Ren Feixing was different. He was born into the higher ranks of the Holy Sect. With just the cultivation of a Second Realm Grandmaster, he took on the role of Sword Executor of Longxiang County, surpassing Mu Qingwu's cultivation in just over a decade.

Mu Qingwu, who disliked such favored descendants, was particularly offended by Ren Feixing, who, relying on the strength of Longxiang County, had given him orders and shown no respect for the past ten years. His grievance against this fellow sect Senior Brother had been long-standing.

The main reason for delaying his reinforcement to Wanyang County was self-preservation, but part of him also harbored the wish to trap Ren Feixing, only to be unexpectedly ambushed by him along the way.

Seeing Ren Feixing flying in with Li Wenxuan toward him, Mu Qingwu hurriedly hid the disgust in his eyes, put on a fake smile, and, feigning surprise, cupped his hands saying, "I was delayed by important affairs within the county and was worried I would not make it in time. To my surprise, I run into Senior Brother Ren here. Could it be that the siege at Wanyang County is lifted, and the Demon Sect army has retreated?"

Ren Feixing only shook his head and chuckled arrogantly when he reached him, "With Sword Leader Gu present, isn't the retreat of the Demon Sect army just a matter of time? I originally wanted to rush over there too, but when I thought about Junior Brother Mu's reinforcements still on the way, I decided to wait and join up – it's always good to support each other!"

Mu Qingwu's expression immediately turned unpleasant upon hearing this.

"I see that Junior Brother's army should be about thirty thousand, and my Longxiang County reinforcements are forty thousand. Since we are both supporting Wanyang County, why don't we join forces here and let me take unified command? That way, we avoid fighting separately, giving the Demon Sect an opportunity to exploit. Junior Brother, what do you think?"

At these words, Mu Qingwu's face turned red with rage, his eyes seemed to spit fire.

"Ren Feixing, you're going too far!"