Chapter 86 - 85: Let the Conspiracy Come More Fiercely

Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Let the Conspiracy Come More Fiercely

Whether Meng Mingzhe was willing or not, the Cyan Sun Sect and Li Ye were now in the same boat.

Without Li Ye, the Cyan Sun Sect would likely be truly finished.

He didn’t even dare to hand Li Ye over in exchange for the Cyan Sun Sect’s safety.

Who would believe that a young man in his twenties was the mastermind behind it all?

’In the end, they would probably just vent their anger on the Cyan Sun Sect...’

’A mastermind?’

’Li Ye’s actions really did fit the Wenda Alliance’s style!’

Besides, Li Ye’s words had ignited a spark in Meng Mingzhe’s once-dead heart. Perhaps he really did have a chance to fly up to the heavens and take a look!

Shaking his head to dispel those unrealistic thoughts, Meng Mingzhe asked, "Li Hao, the second step is chaos. After the chaos, what do you plan to do?"

"Master, I can’t say," Li Ye said. "It’s not that I don’t trust you. A plan that no one knows is the best kind of plan. Besides, the coming chaos will last a long time. Even I don’t know where the future will lead. Even if I told you the subsequent plans, they might not be of any use."

"Alright, what should I do next?" Meng Mingzhe smiled, not pressing the issue.

"Wait. Wait for people to come knocking," Li Ye said. "Pretend you know nothing. Whoever they come for, push them out. Then, feign outrage and search for members of the Wenda Alliance within the Cyan Sun Sect."

"What if people from the Demon Sects come attacking?" Meng Mingzhe asked. "The Cyan Sun Sect is a renowned and righteous sect, after all."

"Naturally, we’ll draw our battle lines and face them head-on. We’ll resolutely deny any connection to the Wenda Alliance and insist that the Demon Sects are framing us. Then, we’ll request aid from the Upper Three Sects.

You just need to adapt to the situation, Master. Fight when you need to fight, make a scene when you need to make one. I will assist you from the sidelines. If anyone makes a move, just remember to protect me. After all, your disciple’s cultivation is still very weak..."

’His cultivation was weak, but his nerve was anything but!’

Meng Mingzhe nodded with a complicated expression. "I understand. I’ll take you to the Treasure Pavilion later to pick out a few Protective Treasures for you..."

...

Over the next two days, Elder Sun went out to recall the disciples of the Cyan Sun Sect.

Meng Mingzhe nervously inspected the Cyan Sun Sect’s Defense Array and counted the returning disciples, terrified of hearing any bad news from them.

But bad news wasn’t something he could avoid just by wishing it away.

From the returning Elders, he learned that Wenda Alliance disciples had been captured in every town.

The investigators included members from the Upper Three Sects and the Three Evil Sects. Some Elders even got into conflicts with people from other sects.

Fortunately, the Elders’ cultivation levels were high enough that none of them were captured on the spot...

The Elders hadn’t been caught.

However, many Wenda Alliance members from other sects could no longer be contacted. The list of those known to be unreachable so far included Pan Yun from the Celestial Pine Sect, Cao Boyan from the Wuji Sect...

There was also no word from Ge Rui of Changding Peak, and it was unknown if he had been captured.

Every piece of news made Meng Mingzhe’s heart sink a little deeper. The others were one thing, but Ge Rui knew everything about Li Ye. If he were captured and forced to reveal the truth, who could possibly protect the Cyan Sun Sect?

"Master, please be calm. Everything is under control."

Li Ye was calm and composed, showing no hint of panic.

As the situation erupted, the amount of Demon Qi inside him surged once more. Although his cultivation was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the cooldown time for his watch had shortened again, dropping from five minutes to three, and its range had expanded to a one-kilometer radius.

It could already be considered a lethal weapon.

Moreover, to ensure his safety, Meng Mingzhe had found him several powerful magical treasures usable at the Foundation Establishment Stage: a Cyan Wood Shield, a Substitute Wood, a Snow Silkworm Robe, Divine Boots, Teleportation Talismans, and so on.

With these Protective Treasures, he could withstand at least ten attacks from a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator without suffering any damage...

Meng Mingzhe had truly gone all out to protect Li Ye.

"..." Meng Mingzhe wanted to say something else.

Xiao Yuan, the head disciple of the Main Peak, walked in from outside. He glanced at Li Ye and said, "Master, Qu Hao, the Direct Disciple of the Dao Sect’s Sect Leader, and Sect Leader Zou of the Celestial Pine Sect are outside seeking an audience."

"A disciple from the Dao Sect?" Meng Mingzhe’s eyes flickered, and he subconsciously looked at Li Ye.

Li Ye nodded at him.

Meng Mingzhe’s heart settled slightly. He comforted himself with the thought that what was coming would come eventually. Forcing himself to calm down, he said, "Show them in."

Xiao Yuan turned and left.

Although the Wenda Alliance had caused a huge commotion, information about it had only circulated among those on Changding Peak and the Elders.

Many people in the Cyan Sun Sect, including Meng Mingzhe’s head disciple Xiao Yuan, had never even heard of the Wenda Alliance.

He didn’t even know that this junior brother from Changding Peak, who was always running to the Main Peak, was from an Otherworld. He just thought he was some distant relative of his master!

Therefore, Xiao Yuan didn’t think there was anything wrong with a disciple from the Dao Sect coming to visit their mountain.

It was perfectly normal for disciples of the Righteous Dao, while traveling, to pay a visit to a nearby sect’s Mountain Gate. It was a good opportunity to make friends and build relationships.

"Master, stick to the plan." Li Ye gave Meng Mingzhe a reassuring look. "The fact that they haven’t come here to attack us is a good thing."

...

"Fellow Daoist Qu, your visit brings splendor to our humble Cyan Sun Sect! Please, come in, come in..."

Meng Mingzhe was, after all, the leader of a sect. He quickly regained his composure and warmly greeted Qu Hao. "I recall, years ago, when the Dao Sect hosted the grand competition for disciples of the Righteous Dao sects, this old man also brought his disciples to participate. If I calculate the time, it’s been thirty years. Thinking back on it now, I still miss the grand occasion! Fellow Daoist Qu, has your esteemed master been well lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader. My master is doing very well," Qu Hao said with a smile.

"Sect Leader Meng..." Sect Leader Zou Kun of the Celestial Pine Sect opened his mouth to speak, but after a sharp glance from Qu Hao, he awkwardly swallowed his words.

Meng Mingzhe noticed their subtle interaction. He paused for a moment before asking, "Sect Leader Zou, Fellow Daoist Qu, is there a reason you have come to the Cyan Sun Sect together? If there is anything the Cyan Sun Sect can assist with, Fellow Daoist Qu, please don’t hesitate to speak."

"Sect Leader Meng, there is indeed a matter," Qu Hao said. "I must ask you to find us a private place."

"Of course. Fellow Daoist Qu, Sect Leader Zou, this way, please." Meng Mingzhe didn’t waste words. He nodded and led them directly to a side hall.

「In the side hall.」

The three of them sat down, with host and guests taking their respective seats. A servant brought them tea.

"Fellow Daoist Qu, if you need anything, just give the word," Meng Mingzhe said. "The entire Cyan Sun Sect is at your disposal."

"Sect Leader Meng, this matter is of great importance. Please dismiss your attendants," Qu Hao said seriously, unable to detect anything unusual from Meng Mingzhe’s expression.

"You are all dismissed," Meng Mingzhe said with a wave of his hand.

The servants withdrew.

Li Ye didn’t move, merely standing behind Meng Mingzhe.

Qu Hao frowned at Li Ye.

Meng Mingzhe smiled. "To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist Qu, Li Hao is the future Sect Leader of the Cyan Sun Sect, whom I am personally grooming. He has been following me recently to learn about sect affairs. This child is clever and intelligent, and he often has his own insights on important sect matters. There’s no need to hide certain things from him."

"Li Hao pays his respects to Junior Martial Uncle Qu and Sect Leader Zou," Li Ye said, quickly bowing to the two of them.

"Sect Leader Meng, isn’t Xiao Yuan your future Sect Leader? Why the change?" Zou Kun said with a frown, looking Li Ye up and down.

"This child is a cut above Xiao Yuan." Meng Mingzhe stroked his beard, his gaze toward Li Ye full of affection. "To be perfectly honest, Hao’er achieved a Perfect Foundation Establishment. Barring any accidents, he is certain to enter the Divinity Transformation Realm in the future."

"..." Zou Kun was taken aback. He reassessed Li Ye and said with a laugh, "Sect Leader Meng, you are truly fortunate."

Qu Hao glanced at Li Ye but didn’t think much of him.

’Which of the Direct Disciples from the Upper Three Sects hadn’t achieved a Perfect Foundation Establishment? Only these lower-tier sects would treat it like some precious treasure.’

’Besides, achieving Perfect Foundation Establishment in one’s twenties was already late. With that level of aptitude, he wouldn’t even qualify to be a Direct Disciple in the Upper Three Sects.’

"Fellow Daoist Qu, please feel free to speak your mind," Meng Mingzhe said, bringing the topic back on track.

Since Meng Mingzhe was determined not to send Li Ye away, Qu Hao couldn’t push the matter too hard. After all, this was the Cyan Sun Sect’s territory.

After a brief pause, he asked, "Sect Leader Meng, have you ever heard of the Wenda Alliance?"

"The Wenda Alliance?" Meng Mingzhe frowned. "I’ve never heard of it. Has this sect provoked you, Fellow Daoist Qu?"

"Not exactly." Seeing that Meng Mingzhe’s reaction didn’t seem feigned, Qu Hao shook his head and said, "According to my information, your disciple, Ji Tianwen, is a member of the Wenda Alliance."

"Ji Tianwen is a disciple of the Wenda Alliance?" Meng Mingzhe froze for a second, his expression changing drastically. "Fellow Daoist Qu, could this so-called Wenda Alliance be an evil sect?"

"Worse than an evil sect," Qu Hao said. "Sect Leader Meng, why don’t you bring Ji Tianwen here for a thorough interrogation? Then you’ll know what the Wenda Alliance is all about!"

"Ji Tianwen left the mountain a month ago to travel and has not yet returned," Meng Mingzhe said. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Qu, I will immediately send people down the mountain to find him."

"Sect Leader Meng, since Ji Tianwen isn’t in the sect, there’s no hurry. Capturing him rashly might alert the enemy," Qu Hao said, observing Meng Mingzhe’s expression. "Allow me to tell you about this Wenda Alliance, and then it won’t be too late to make a decision."

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist Qu," Meng Mingzhe said seriously.

"The Wenda Alliance lurks in the shadows..." Qu Hao looked at Meng Mingzhe and recounted everything he knew about the organization. "...There’s no telling how many Wenda Alliance disciples have infiltrated the various sects. I suspect that besides Ji Tianwen, there are other Wenda Alliance spies in the Cyan Sun Sect..."

"Is this true?" Meng Mingzhe asked.

"Of course," Zou Kun snorted. "My worthless disciple, Pan Yun, was led into the Wenda Alliance by none other than Ji Tianwen, and was subsequently captured by Fellow Daoist Qu."

Meng Mingzhe shot to his feet. "I’ll send people to apprehend Ji Tianwen at once and conduct a thorough investigation of the Cyan Sun Sect..."

"Senior Martial Uncle, wait," Li Ye suddenly spoke.

’Oh, for heaven’s sake, you finally spoke up,’ Meng Mingzhe thought, letting out a sigh of relief. He feigned composure and asked, "What is it?"

Li Ye took a step forward and bowed to the group. "Senior Martial Uncle, Junior Martial Uncle Qu, Sect Leader Zou, I believe there may be a trap here. It’s highly likely that even if we capture Senior Brother Ji, we won’t find anything in the end."

"Oh?" Qu Hao raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"If, as Junior Martial Uncle Qu says, the Wenda Alliance has existed for thousands of years without anyone ever discovering it, why would such a cautious sect suddenly expose itself to the world?" Li Ye said. "And to even have some kind of token... it doesn’t make sense."

"..." Qu Hao’s expression changed.

"When things deviate from the norm, there’s bound to be something amiss," Li Ye said. "For an organization that has hidden for a thousand years to be so careless as to reveal itself, and to only expose minor figures at that... it can only mean they’re doing it on purpose to attract attention. There must be a greater scheme at play..."