Chapter 222: Undercurrent - Plan to attack Baiyun City
Far from Baiyun City, inside a luxurious hall, a group of people sat down with serious expressions on their faces.
"We must never accept that tyrant in our city," Lingtian City Lord said with a grave tone.
"I agree. Whatever magical abilities their city has, we must not be tempted by it and lose our city," another city lord added.
Everyone in the hall was the nearest city lord to Baiyun City, and they had long heard of the mysterious expert that owned a store. The expert came to Baiyun City and took over in just a couple of months, rendering all the clans and city lords useless.
Now, such a dangerous expert was seemingly reaching out his deadly influence to their cities, and they would not allow it.
The strongest person among the city lords was a middle-aged woman. She sat at the center of the hall with a grave expression on her face.
She was the City Lord of Qianlong City.
She was a woman at the Early Stage of Core Refining realm. Even though she was a woman, no one dared to look down on her. She held control of her city with an iron hand.
Her word was the law, and no one dared to go against it.
With the threat to her reign being jeopardized, such a woman wouldn't sit still. That was the reason she gathered all the nearest city lords for an impromptu meeting.
"What do you think of the warning from the new city lord?" She asked.
"What warning?" A fat man asked, his voice dripping with scorn. "I don't believe what some nobody says. What is the Xiao clan in front of us? Besides, he's not the city lord, not until the Prefecture Lord appointed him."
Listening to this, all the city lords nodded, agreeing with his statement. She looked at the city lord, and a light smile appeared on her face.
"If that was the case, how are we going to deal with him? You know even the Prefecture Envoy was helpless against him."
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"That's because the Envoy sent by the Prefecture Lord was weaker, and besides, he was alone. What do you think if we rally all our men and ask for an Early Stage Core Refining Expert from the Prefecture Lord? Do you think he will stand a chance?" Lingtian City Lord said confidently.
His city was the closest city to Baiyun City. He was helpless as he watched the Celestial Heavenly Store appearing in his city. He wanted to stop them but didn't have the courage and strength to do so.
Now, the Qianlong City Lord called for an emergency meeting. He didn't hesitate and rushed down to Qianlong City. Today, he must make sure they stop the Celestial Heavenly Store from spreading any further.
"I agree. If we gather our men and, with the support of both the Crimson Jade Pavilion, Death Shadow Organization, and the Prefecture Lord, I don't think they will stand a chance," the fat city lord added.
Everyone nodded, and they looked at the Qianlong City Lord for her decision. She was the most powerful of their group; thus, the decision lay with her.
Looking at their determination, the Qianlong City Lord smiled and said. "Since we all agree, let us all gather our men. I will write to the Prefecture Lord for more support. Also, each of you should contact the Crimson Jade Pavilion and Death Shadow Organization in your city for more support." She paused for a second before she continued.
"In a month's time, we must gather and attack Baiyun City once and for all to get rid of this vermin."
...
In Baiyun City, everything was going calmly, unknown to the incoming danger. On the You Connect, the people were discussing when the next competition would start.
Apart from that, those employed by the various clans were surprised by the sudden halt in their jobs. They tried to find out why they were not working, but no matter how they tried, they couldn't find the reason.
Inside the City Lord Mansion, Xiao Bai was moving back and forth with a worried expression on his face.
The room, lavishly decorated with intricate carvings and opulent furniture, reflected the wealth and status of its owner.
Large windows adorned with richly embroidered curtains allowed sunlight to filter through, casting a warm glow on the polished marble floors.
The walls were adorned with paintings depicting the city's history and the Xiao family's lineage.
'I hope those fools would not throw their lives away because of their foolishness and greediness,' he thought, looking at the balcony frequently as if waiting for something or someone.
The room was adorned with artifacts from distant lands, and the air was filled with the scent of exotic incense.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the air inside the room swirled, and a man appeared out of the darkness. His arrival was accompanied by a subtle distortion in the air, revealing his mastery over stealth techniques.
The man was dressed in a dark cloak, and his features were obscured by shadows.
"Master…" he called and gave a deep bow, acknowledging Xiao Bai's presence.
"Quickly tell me…" Xiao Bai asked impatiently, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"Not good. All the ten cities around us have agreed to attack us in a month."
"What!" Xiao Bai widened his eyes, finding it hard to believe what he just heard. He blinked, his mind struggling to process the shocking news.
The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension.
"What in the world are those fools thinking?!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the intricately decorated chamber.
The room, once a haven of tranquility, now felt charged with an impending storm.
"Master, what should we do?" The shadow man's voice, tinged with urgency, broke through Xiao Bai's reverie.
Xiao Bai was lost in thought, his face contorted with shock and anger. He warned those fools, but they failed to heed his caution.
Did they think he was fabricating tales for his amusement? The very thought irked him to the core.
Apart from that, what fueled his frustration was the audacity of those who sought to attack his city.
What in the hell were they thinking?
The more he dwelled on it, the hotter his blood boiled. He had offered a warning out of goodwill, and in return, what did he get from those fools? An impending assault on his city.
The Celestial Heavenly Sect didn't harbor any intentions of attacking other cities.
Their sole objective was to establish their stores across various cities, fostering growth and cooperation.
Xiao Bai couldn't fathom why it was so challenging for those greed-driven individuals to set aside their avarice and recognize the monumental advantages that would come with possessing the Spirit Comms.
"Master…" The shadow man called once again, sensing the turmoil within Xiao Bai's mind.
Xiao Bai snapped back to the present, his eyes glinting with determination. "Prepare the guards. Mobilize the defensive measures. We won't be caught off guard by their folly."
The shadow man nodded and quickly disappeared into the shadows, ready to carry out Xiao Bai's orders.
The room, once a sanctuary of opulence and calm, now buzzed with an undercurrent of urgency. Xiao Bai, fueled by a mix of anger and resolve, walked toward the balcony.
"I must tell him immediately." He mused and left the balcony.
Inside the Cao Clan, Cao Meng was having a meeting with the elders when she received a call from her Spirit Comms. Instantly, her expression changed.
She looked at the elders and asked them to excuse her. All the elders looked at each other and wondered what the hell just happened; still, they bowed their heads and departed.
Shortly, the door to the hall opened, and Xiao Bai walked in a large step.
"Welcome, City Lord." Cao Meng stood from her seat and gave a light bow.
"Stop with all these pleasantries." Xiao Bai waved his hand and asked with a serious expression.
"I want to meet the Sect Master." He went straight to the point.
Hmm!
She creased her brow. "Why would you want to meet His Majesty?" She tried to find out the reason for such a visit.
"Nothing much. I need to meet the Sect Master now. It's urgent." His expression devoid of any expression but the graveness in his voice tells it all.
Just as Cao Meng wanted to respond, a voice echoed in the room.
"Lead him to my courtyard."
Cao Meng widened her eyes slightly but quickly recovered and nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Shortly, they arrived in front of Su Yen's courtyard. Xiao Bai had a curious and nervous expression on his face.
Even though he came bearing urgent news, the thought of facing such a powerful expert made his heart skip a beat.
Taking a deep breath, he followed Cao Meng into the courtyard. His eyes roamed the courtyard, and he found it was not anything spectacular.
It was not even the most grand courtyard he had ever seen. However, when he remembered whose courtyard it was, it threw all the unnecessary thoughts out of his mind.
He raised his head and saw Su Yen in his ethereal white robe looking at him. Though he couldn't see his face, he felt his gaze had unraveled all his secrets.
With his back drenched in cold sweats, he bowed deeply and said respectfully. "Sect Master…"
"Are you going to tell me about the plan of those fools trying to attack us?" Su Yen said casually.
Xiao Bai's jaw dropped to the ground. He looked at the mysterious man, and his heart skipped a beat. How did he know?! He screamed in his heart.
His spies only reported the news a couple of minutes ago, but this mysterious man had already known. How was that even possible?
As for Cao Meng, she was stupefied. She was lost and confused. The only question in her mind was who in his right senses would attack the Celestial Heavenly Sect.
Looking at Xiao Bai's stunned expression, a chuckled escaped from Su Yen's mouth.
"You don't need to be surprised. I have my ways. As for their plan, let them try." His voice was calm as if he was not talking about some serious matter.
"I didn't ask you to come because of that. I want to show you something and to put your mind at rest." With that, he whistled.
Cao Meng and Xiao Bai were both confused and looked at each other. However, before they could ask what he was trying to show them, a massive beast appeared in the sky with thunder crackling around its body.
Even though the beast had withdrawn its aura, its mere presence made Cao Meng and Xiao Bai's legs turn jelly.
Bang!
The Thunderbird landed beside Su Yen and looked at Cao Meng and Xiao Bai with disdain. "Master, you called me."
"This is my new mount. A grade-4 beast." Su Yen turned to look at the duo and asked.
"What do you think if she attacks their city?"