"Sect Master, this poison is truly insidious. We have exhausted all methods, yet we still cannot cure the poison," Lu Yuan said with a weak voice. Their Five Poisons Sect was considered the ancestor of poison arts, yet they were unable to resolve the poison concocted by Xiao Man.
"Useless!" Zang Xu roared, "I will go and see what is happening. Do what I have commanded you to do as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Sect Master."
"Also, capture more people and bring them to the barrier of the Land of No Return. I want to see whether Yan Ze or Yan Yu cares more about the lives of the people of Wuji City." Zang Xu's expression was cold, as if the lives of the entire city's populace were but blades of grass in his eyes.
"Your subordinate obeys."
After Lu Yuan left, a sense of unease lingered in his heart. He looked at the gray-robed man, "Elder Ren, you..."
"I will go to the Roland Mountains," Elder Ren glanced at Lu Yuan. "The Yan father and daughter are secondary. Qi Hong is the crucial one."
Lu Yuan frowned. He had intended to capture Qi Hong earlier, but Qi Hong, influenced by someone, had escaped into the Roland Mountains with that group. "I left a mark on Qi Hong. Elder Ren can use this map to find his whereabouts."
Elder Ren took the map. "The matter of capturing people will be entrusted to you."
"Alright." Lu Yuan, along with two Golden Core cultivators, captured twenty people and escorted them separately to the Roland Mountains and the Land of No Return.
"Sect Master, something bad has happened!" A panicked disciple rushed in. Shao Yao frowned with displeasure.
"How many times have I told you to be calm, to be steady? Why do you never listen?"
The disciple scratched his head sheepishly and looked at Xiao Man beside him. "Sect Master, someone has captured the civilians of Wuji City and is outside the barrier, demanding the Old City Master open it. Otherwise, they will kill one person every hour until everyone in Wuji City is dead."
Xiao Man glanced at him. "Why are you smiling so happily?"
The disciple who spoke rubbed his head. "We were imprisoned in the Land of No Return. Before, we had to fight desperately to enter Wuji City. Now, the people of Wuji City have become meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of others. I merely feel that fortune has turned, and even a barren land like the Land of No Return can become a refuge."
"Alright, go and continue watching," Xiao Man instructed gently. After a moment of contemplation, she finally decided to inform the Old City Master of this news.
The Old City Master was cultivating when he saw Xiao Man enter. He immediately ceased his practice. "Little friend, have you found a solution?"
Xiao Man shook her head. Their opponent was a Nascent Soul expert. Even if she had a thousand plans, she was no match. In the face of absolute strength, her schemes were useless. At this moment, Xiao Man felt a pang of anger at her own weakness.
"Then why have you come to see me..."
"The Five Poisons Sect has captured the city's civilians outside the barrier and is demanding that you open it. Otherwise, they will kill one person every hour until everyone in Wuji City is dead."
"What?" The Old City Master panicked and immediately moved to leave. "How can this be? I must go out quickly."
"Old City Master, Zang Xu wants you to open the barrier of the Land of No Return," Xiao Man calmly analyzed. "Have you considered the consequences of opening the barrier of Wuji City?"
The Old City Master froze. If the barrier of the Land of No Return was opened, Zang Xu and his group might be able to rescue Yu Ju. Once Yu Ju was out, the consequences would be beyond his ability to bear.
"Do you think that by opening the barrier of the Land of No Return, the Five Poisons Sect will spare the civilians of Wuji City?" Xiao Man's voice was neither fast nor slow. "No. If the Five Poisons Sect wants to open the formation that suppresses Yu Ju, they will inevitably need lives to fill it. Old City Master, where do you think those lives will come from?"
"Must I just watch as the people of Wuji City die?"
Xiao Man sighed. "Naturally, you cannot just watch them die. Therefore, I have devised a plan, but this plan is also very risky."
"What plan?"
"To lure Zang Xu into the Land of No Return. However, there are many people in the Land of No Return. Once Zang Xu enters, these people will also become his targets. I hope to send the people inside first..."
The Old City Master instantly understood Xiao Man's intention and refused without hesitation. "Impossible! The people in the Land of No Return are all wicked and desperate criminals. Releasing so many people at once is impossible to control..."
Xiao Man looked at the Old City Master calmly. Her composed expression made him unable to continue speaking. In his opinion, the people of the Land of No Return were all wicked criminals who deserved to die. If Zang Xu were to enter, their deaths would be their just deserts. However, looking at Xiao Man, he could not bring himself to say such words. Sudannovel.com
"Most of the people in the Land of No Return are exiled villains..."
"Most of the people here came up from the Eight Divisions, not exiles. Exiles are only a very small minority. Old City Master, do you know how people from the Eight Divisions came to the Land of No Return?" Xiao Man's tone was unhurried.
"They had to endure countless hardships, climb sheer cliffs, to reach the Land of No Return. They were not villains; they merely wanted a better life. In the Eight Divisions, they lacked food and clothing and were often attacked. They thought that life beyond the cliffs was a good one, but after climbing with great difficulty, they discovered that waiting for them was chaos."
"The people of the Eight Divisions are also descendants of sinners," the Old City Master said dryly. In the Land of No Return, there was not a single innocent person.
"I also came out of the Land of No Return," Xiao Man said softly.
The Old City Master's expression changed, and he did not know how to respond. Xiao Man had indeed come from the Land of No Return, and she also bore the label of a villain. However, because Xiao Man had cured his poison and helped the City Lord's Mansion overcome difficulties, the Old City Master, who respected strength, treated Xiao Man with exceptional respect.
"You are different from them," the Old City Master explained. "You are unlike anyone who has entered the Land of No Return before. You do not kill innocents, nor do you bully the weak. Even though you came from the Land of No Return, you are different from them."
"Old City Master, are the people I brought out those who kill innocents or bully the weak?"
"This... of course not."
"Then does the Old City Master think that the people of the Eight Directions Sword Sect are bullies?"
"This... also does not seem like it."
"Or does the Old City Master think that my Eight Directions Sword Sect people are more terrifying than the Five Poisons Sect people?" Xiao Man asked softly.
"This... of course not." The Old City Master was in a difficult position.
"Old City Master, I know you are worried that the people of the Eight Directions Sword Sect will enter Wuji City and harm its people. Therefore, I can promise the Old City Master that any person who dares to kill innocents or bully the weak, I, Xiao Qin, will personally kill them." Xiao Man raised three fingers. "On this, I can swear to the heavens. Old City Master, can you agree to let them in?"