The entire council hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant. Cold sweat trickled down the old city lord's forehead; he had completely overlooked this matter!
"Long Ling Bamboo was retrieved by Xiao Qin?" Elder Xia asked with a grave expression. Yangming Valley was not a place anyone could enter. Even with profound cultivation, one could not withstand the myriad poisons of Yangming Valley!
"I suppose so," Yan Yu replied somewhat uncertainly. "Or, should we call someone to ask?"
"Call whom?"
When Chu Xing was summoned, he was filled with apprehension. Upon discovering that the people following Xiao Man had all experienced a surge in cultivation and their statuses had consequently risen, he felt a pang of regret. If only he had persisted and not revealed anything related to the sect leader, would he now be one of the sect leader's trusted individuals?
"Chu Xing, I ask you, who retrieved the Long Ling Bamboo?" Yan Yu asked, looking at Chu Xing kneeling on the ground, his tone calm. Su Dan Novel Network
Chu Xing looked up at Yan Yu, his heart filled with confusion. Hadn't the city lord already asked this question before? Why was he asking it again now?
"Reporting to the City Lord, the Long Ling Bamboo was retrieved by the sect leader."
"Did you see her retrieve it with your own eyes?" Elder Xia asked calmly. Based on his understanding of Xiao Man, she lacked the capability to venture into Yangming Valley alone.
"No, this subordinate was not by the sect leader's side at the time. I was assisting Miss Shaoyao in managing sect affairs. However, the Long Ling Bamboo was indeed brought back by the sect leader."
"Did you personally see her enter Yangming Valley?"
Chu Xing thought carefully and then shook his head. "When this subordinate delivered something to the sect leader on one occasion, I saw the sect leader sitting outside the entrance of Yangming Valley, cooking something to eat."
"Outside Yangming Valley?"
"Yes, the sect leader and her companions set up camp outside Yangming Valley."
The few individuals exchanged glances. Xiao Man and her group camping outside Yangming Valley implied they themselves dared not enter. If so, who exactly retrieved the Long Ling Bamboo?
"So, you don't know who retrieved the Long Ling Bamboo?" Yan Yu asked coldly. This fellow kept insisting Xiao Man retrieved it, yet he had never witnessed it firsthand.
"Aside from the sect leader, no one else," Chu Xing quickly replied. "The sect leader's abilities are heaven-defying. Even the Poison Mistress, who is so adept at using poison, is no match for her. And the sect leader… the sect leader… in short, the sect leader is incredibly powerful."
"Since Xiao Qin is so formidable, why did you betray her and join the City Lord's Mansion?" Fan Ting suddenly posed a lethal question.
Chu Xing was instantly stumped, unsure how to answer. Could he say that he thought Xiao Man had abandoned them, and that he joined the City Lord's Mansion to seek a way to survive by betraying her? Absolutely not. If he said that, the City Lord's Mansion would likely not tolerate him either!
"Why aren't you answering?"
"At the time, this subordinate thought that one cannot rely on the sect leader indefinitely and must find one's own way out. Therefore, I chose the master of Wuji City as my master," Chu Xing said cautiously. It wasn't that he betrayed Xiao Man, but rather that he chose the City Lord's Mansion for better growth.
"So, the only ones who know how the Long Ling Bamboo was retrieved are the few individuals who were by Xiao Qin's side?"
"Yes, Xiang Jian, Zhou Yan, Xi Wen, the Poison Mistress, Shan Yun, and Qi Hong. These six know precisely how the Long Ling Bamboo was retrieved," Chu Xing said quickly. He, Yu Da, and Li Kun did not know how it was retrieved; they only knew that Xiao Man and the others brought it back.
"At this moment, we should not be investigating who retrieved the Long Ling Bamboo, but rather worrying about the enemies outside," Elder Xia said slowly after a moment of contemplation. If it was Xiao Man, he was not worried. After all, Ze Fang had been by her side all along. If she truly had any issues, Ze Fang would not have failed to mention them.
Moreover, Ze Fang currently appeared as a child. No matter how many schemes Xiao Man might have, she would not suspect or guard against a child. Xiao Man's affairs could be set aside for now, but the enemies outside could not be ignored.
"Xiao Qin once gave Yan'er a box of poison," the City Lord said, taking it out and handing it to the old City Lord. "Yan'er said this poison can incapacitate all cultivators below the Golden Core stage within a radius of five hundred meters."
Fan Ting immediately gasped. Incapacitating all cultivators below the Golden Core stage within five hundred meters! The reason the Five Poisons Sect was able to quickly seize control of Wuji City was not due to the number of Golden Core cultivators they had, but rather the numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators they had hidden within Wuji City. And the Golden Core cultivators from the Seven Sects had already been incapacitated by Lü Yuan and his group. If they could incapacitate all cultivators below the Golden Core stage in the city, then they would have a chance of victory.
"The key is, how do we deploy this medicine?" Elder Xia's brow furrowed. If they could incapacitate the Five Poisons Sect members in the city, they would have a chance. But with many people guarding the perimeter outside, how could they deploy it?
Elder Xia felt everyone's gaze turn towards the old City Lord, and he followed suit. That was right; the old City Lord was a Golden Core stage cultivator, so this poison would not affect him. However, the prerequisite was that the old City Lord could break through the encirclement.
"I go to administer the poison?" The old City Lord understood the implication in everyone's eyes and pointed at himself, asking.
Everyone nodded in unison: "Yes, Old City Lord, only you can administer the poison. If we go, we will all be poisoned."
"I go alone?" The old City Lord asked incredulously. He, alone, would have to face the entire Five Poisons Sect. He did not possess such great ability. Nor did he have Xiao Man's arrogant, unyielding spirit, the courage to fight first and ask questions later!
Everyone nodded again. Besides the old City Lord, no one else could go!
"Old City Lord, the capable shoulder more burdens," Elder Xia said, feigning sympathy.
"Have you forgotten that you are also a Golden Core stage cultivator!" the old City Lord roared. "Are you planning to shamelessly hide behind a group of juniors?"
The City Lord looked at the hunched Elder Xia in surprise, disbelief on his face. Their old steward was actually a Golden Core stage cultivator? He had never known!
Elder Xia stroked his beard and said unhurriedly, "The City Lord's Mansion still needs someone to guard it, doesn't it? Don't forget, Lü Yuan is still guarding outside. If you were to flee, wouldn't he lead his men in? I naturally have to remain to guard the City Lord's Mansion. If both of us leave, wouldn't these juniors be devoured by the wolves outside?"
The old City Lord found this logical. "In that case, I will go to administer the poison, and you will guard the City Lord's Mansion!"
"Alright," Elder Xia said lazily. "By the way, didn't Xiang Jian also advance to the Golden Core stage? He doesn't seem to have participated in the Seven Sects' selection competition this time. Where is he?"
"I don't know. He's not in his room. That brat has high cultivation; Xiao Qin might not be able to restrain him. Perhaps he saw the City Lord's Mansion in distress and ran away himself," the City Lord said indifferently. He held no great hope for others. His only hope now was that Xiao Man could protect his daughter!