Shangguan Laoye nodded with satisfaction. The thought of them being besieged by numerous martial artists without him having to lift a finger filled him with glee.
Shangguan Ke and Wu Caiwei enjoyed a period of peace, and they were somewhat puzzled, unable to fathom why the Shangguan family had been so patient this time.
One day, while they were out for a spring outing in the countryside, they passed through a patch of woods on their way back. Suddenly, a group of people burst out from the bushes. They were all dressed in white and carried identical swords, clearly disciples of the same sect.
Surrounding them, a man wearing a jade crown emerged from behind them. He was likely the leader. The man looked at them sternly and said emotionlessly, "Hand over the 'Ping Bu Qing Yun' immediately."
"I don't understand what you mean. We've never heard of what you're talking about," Shangguan Ke said, shielding Wu Caiwei, his brow furrowed.
"I advise you not to feign ignorance. It is already rumored throughout the martial arts world that the highest martial arts manual is in your possession. If you hand over the item obediently, your lives can be spared. Otherwise, you two will face the entire martial arts world and have no peace from this day forward."
Listening to the other party's words, although they didn't understand what was happening, they knew there was definitely a trick involved. Let alone that they hadn't even seen the martial arts manual, even if they had, they wouldn't have paid it any mind. They were confident that no martial arts in this world were more formidable than what they had mastered.
"Whether you believe us or not, we genuinely have never heard of this martial arts manual. As for the rumors you mentioned, it's likely our rivals deliberately trying to kill us," Shangguan Ke said sincerely, seeing that the other party was relatively polite.
The other party scrutinized them with a suspicious gaze. With his vast experience in reading people, he surmised that these two might truly not understand what was happening. Otherwise, they wouldn't have remained so unfazed when he mentioned they would face the entire martial arts world.
However, there were also contradictions. For instance, there was no sign of panic on their faces from beginning to end. This shouldn't be the case.
A woman behind him, arrogantly stepped forward, her face etched with impatience. "Senior Brother, why waste your breath with them? That is a martial arts treasure. Whoever possesses it will never admit it. I think they won't shed tears until they see their coffin."
Hearing her words, the leader knew the situation was dire and wanted to stop her, but it was too late. The woman had already drawn her sword and lunged forward, pointing directly at Wu Caiwei.
Wu Caiwei was somewhat speechless. Shangguan Ke was clearly blocking her, yet the attacker targeted her. Was it because she was a woman, and they assumed she was the weaker one?
Wu Caiwei quickly grasped Shangguan Ke's hand as he moved to block, then flicked out her soft whip from her waist, entangling it with the attacker's sword.
An expert's move immediately revealed their skill. The moment Wu Caiwei made her move, the woman's smug smile vanished from her face, replaced by a look of serious caution.
The other disciples involuntarily drew their swords and prepared for battle. As the whip wrapped around the sword, they expected the sword, sharp enough to cut through iron, to slice through the whip. To their surprise, the whip was as if forged from iron. Not only was it undamaged, but it also snapped the sword.
Furthermore, the white-clothed woman felt as if she were facing tons of immense weight, crushing her, making it difficult to breathe. She wanted to escape but found herself paralyzed, unable to move. In her long life, having fought countless battles, this was the first time she had encountered such a situation. Fear involuntarily flickered in her eyes.
Soon, she was violently flung away. By the time she managed to stabilize herself with all her strength, she was already ten feet away. She knelt on one knee, one hand covering her chest, the other holding the broken sword for support. After a moment, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
The disciples of the Lianshan Sect looked at her nervously and rushed forward to check on her. It was at this moment that her vulnerability was completely exposed. She was almost entirely reliant on others, utterly drained of strength.
A look of surprise involuntarily appeared on the leader's face. He truly hadn't expected the woman hiding behind others to possess such formidable martial arts. His junior sister was the Sect Master's daughter. She had been taught by the elders without reservation, inheriting the strengths of various martial arts. Even with his diligent daily practice, he was only slightly better than her. To think that she couldn't even last a single round against the woman before them.
Seeing that the group was intimidated, Wu Caiwei was pleased with the effect she had created. She looked down at them and said, "To tell you the truth, let alone the martial arts manual not being in our possession, even if it were, we wouldn't care. Know that there are always greater experts, and though we don't involve ourselves in the martial arts world, we are no less capable than you. Furthermore, our enemy is the Shangguan family. It is likely they spread this news, intending to use you against us."
The white-clothed woman, realizing her social standing was not low and she wasn't one to suffer such indignities, thought, since the Shangguan family dared to send them to deal with her, why couldn't she shift the blame? Su Dan Novel Network.
After saying these words, the two of them, without bothering to observe their reactions, swaggered away.
"Senior Brother, what should we do?" the third junior brother asked cautiously, approaching him from behind.
The leader sighed. He could imagine the Sect Master's furious expression upon learning of his daughter's injury. However, the opponents were unfathomably powerful, beyond their capabilities. After a moment of hesitation, he calmly said, "Let's return and seek Master's counsel."
The Sect Master of Lianshan Sect looked at his daughter's frail state, his heart aching beyond words. After hearing the account from everyone, although he knew they were not entirely to blame, he couldn't help but vent his anger. Why hadn't they stopped his daughter when a formidable enemy was before them?
Facing his master's angry gaze, the Senior Brother quickly lowered his head, displaying a good attitude of admitting his mistake. He knew that no matter what he said, it would be considered an excuse in his master's eyes.
Amidst his anger, the Sect Master of Lianshan Sect was also somewhat astonished. He hadn't expected two such individuals to exist outside the martial arts world. He was well aware of his daughter's martial arts prowess; she was a leading figure among the younger generation. Even he took over ten rounds to defeat her. The martial arts of the opponents were clearly superior to his own.
When he vied for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader, he had narrowly lost. He could be considered among the top three in the martial arts world. It was possible that the woman's martial arts were even higher than the Martial Arts Alliance Leader's. He wondered if the man was protecting his beloved woman, or if his martial arts were even higher than hers. If it were the latter, then it was truly terrifying. Perhaps what they said wasn't false, and they were indeed framed.
However, he felt that even if he didn't provoke these two, he could still make significant use of the situation.
If he could make them fight, he would stand to benefit the most. To this day, he still felt that the other party had won the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader through unscrupulous means and trickery, and he had harbored resentment for many years. Perhaps this was a good opportunity.