The old city lord looked at Xiao Man with helplessness.
"Little friend, it's not that I'm unwilling, but that I cannot," the old city lord said with shame. "At most, I can open the barrier for ten breaths. That's the limit of my endurance. And with so many people from the Ba Fang Sword Sect, I cannot possibly let them all in."
"Only ten breaths of time…" Xiao Man frowned slightly. Was this why Wuji City only let ten people in at a time? Once the number of people increased, this weakness would be exposed.
"Ten people at a time, then…"
"Little friend, it's impossible. I can only open it three times a day at most." The old city lord understood Xiao Man's thoughts, but unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to support opening the barrier more than three times, ten breaths each time being his limit.
"Can you open the barrier elsewhere?"
"No, I can only open the barrier at the city gate. I cannot open it anywhere else. Now that the people from the Five Poisons Sect are guarding the city gate, we have no way to let people in. As soon as the barrier is opened, Zang Xu will take the opportunity to enter, and then… no one will escape."
Xiao Man naturally understood this. She had originally intended to lure Zang Xu into the land of the lawless and relocate the people there, but now, since Wuji City was inaccessible, there was only one retreat: Ba Bu.
However, these people had climbed up from Ba Bu through countless hardships. To make them go down again would be more despairing than killing them, as Ba Bu was synonymous with despair.
Seeing Xiao Man's silence, the old city lord felt uneasy. But the people inside Wuji City were his citizens, while the people in the land of the lawless were equivalent to Xiao Man's citizens. He did not want the people of Wuji City to suffer, and Xiao Man did not want the people in the land of the lawless to suffer.
If he were to open the barrier to let Zang Xu in, Xiao Man would surely stop him. But he could not stand by and watch the citizens of Wuji City be slaughtered.
"Little friend, I cannot wait any longer," the old city lord said apologetically. "I cannot watch the citizens of Wuji City perish before my eyes."
Xiao Man remained silent, her chin in her hand as she pondered. The old city lord glanced at her, then resolutely turned and left. As the old city lord of Wuji City, he had a responsibility to the city. As for what would happen next, he could no longer imagine.
As soon as the old city lord left, Xiao Man's expression shifted. She immediately summoned Shao Yao and instructed her to activate the formation of the Ba Fang Sword Sect, hiding the entire sect. She did not know if the Ba Fang Sword Sect could be spared, but it was better than facing Zang Xu head-on.
"Sect Master, has something happened?"
"Nothing has happened yet, but it will soon. Prepare everyone in the sect. Everyone return to the Ba Fang Sword Sect and do not go out." Xiao Man's expression was grave. "Also, no matter what happens outside, do not step out."
Shao Yao looked at Xiao Man anxiously. "Sect Master, what exactly has happened?"
"There is an evil person who wants to enter the land of the lawless, and all the people there will become targets of attack. This person is extremely powerful, and I am no match for him," Xiao Man said calmly. "Shao Yao, my orders must be strictly followed, otherwise, there might no longer be a Ba Fang Sword Sect in this world."
Shao Yao quickly nodded and ordered the formation to be activated. Xiao Man had never used this formation since it was established, and she had not expected it to be used so soon.
Xiao Man stood outside the Ba Fang Sword Sect, watching as the sect was gradually enveloped by thick fog. Worry filled her eyes. Although she did not know if this would be effective, it was better than doing nothing and waiting for death. In the land of the lawless, even a Golden Core realm expert could not exert their full strength.
At the city gate, Zang Xu looked at the returning old city lord and a cold smile curved his lips. "Yan Ze, I thought you were going to stand by and watch the people of Wuji City die."
"Zang Xu, as the sect leader of the Five Poisons Sect, you have violated the rules. Not only have you attacked Wuji City, but you also intend to break into the land of the lawless. Do you know the consequences?" the old city lord roared angrily. "The Seven Sects will launch a joint attack on the Five Poisons Sect!"
"The Seven Sects, I do not fear them yet," Zang Xu sneered. As long as they could rescue their lord, let alone the Seven Sects, even the Four Great Sects would be nothing to them. Therefore, he had to enter the land of the lawless and extract their lord, who was sealed there.
"You… are you not afraid of being pursued by the aristocratic families and sects?"
"Aristocratic families? Sects?" Zang Xu grabbed a civilian and pressed him against the barrier. "Enough nonsense. Open the barrier, or else…"
The person pressed against the barrier immediately bled from all seven orifices and died before the old city lord's eyes.
The old city lord stepped forward agitatedly. "Zang Xu, do not go too far!"
"Open the barrier." Zang Xu threw the corpse in his hand aside, then grabbed another person. The person trembled violently, their face turning pale. "Old City Lord, save me! I have an aging mother and a hungry child. I cannot die, Old City Lord, save me!"
The old city lord felt a pang of sympathy. He did not know if opening the barrier would save the people inside, but once the barrier was opened, the people in the land of the lawless would perish.
Two figures appeared in the old city lord's mind. One urged him to open the barrier, arguing that the people of Wuji City were his citizens, while the people in the land of the lawless were all wicked and deserved to die. The other urged him not to open the barrier, stating that whether it was the people of Wuji City or the people in the land of the lawless, they were all living beings. Moreover, the Five Poisons Sect acted ruthlessly, and even if he opened the barrier, they would not spare them.
But seeing one civilian after another die before his eyes, his tolerance reached its limit. "Don't kill them, don't kill them! I'll open it, I'll open it!"
A triumphant smile curved Zang Xu's lips as he waited for the old city lord to open the barrier. At that moment, a figure appeared behind the old city lord, and a sword was placed at his throat.
"Old City Lord, the people of Wuji City are human, and the people in the land of the lawless are also human. I cannot let you open the barrier," Xiao Man said with a cold expression. "Furthermore, I do not trust Zang Xu at all. This person is extremely vicious. If he enters the land of the lawless, he will not only spare the people of Wuji City but also the people within the land of the lawless!"
"You want me to watch them go to their deaths!"
"Old City Lord, between two evils, choose the lesser one. Please forgive me." Xiao Man looked at Zang Xu within the city. "People inside the city, listen! Standing beside you is a great demon. If he enters the land of the lawless, the demon race will be resurrected. Your aging mothers and your hungry children will become food for the demon race, and you will be accomplices in their deaths!"
Zang Xu narrowed his eyes. "Yan Ze, I can guarantee you this: as long as you open the barrier, I will not kill the people of Wuji City. How about it?"