The Righteous Coalition Returns

Just as Gang Yeshan was wondering what she should do next, the black layer that covered the open doorway shrank away like a living membrane, allowing Zhao Yunxiao to step out of the temple. But once he was out, the black layer quickly closed up behind him, once again leaving the temple in a sealed state.

But before the black layer could fully seal up once more, Gang Yeshan took the chance to peek in past Zhao Yunxiao and was relieved to see that the statue was still intact in the temple. Even now, she still could not get past the fact that many cultivators coveted the Hei Clan's arhat idol statue.

At the same time, Zhao Yunxiao similarly looked back at the statue, albeit for a different reason.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see that with the temporary opening of the black seal, blood had once again started to flow from the Untethered Sage's eyes. That gave him all the confirmation that he had needed.

"How is it, Young Hero?" Gang Yeshan asked.

"Unlike our initial suspicions, the cause of the statue's strange behaviour seems more likely to be external," Zhao Yunxiao confirmed. "I will keep the temple sealed away for now while trying to figure out the actual cause."

"External..." Gang Yeshan contemplated for a moment. "Is there anything that Young Hero is suspicious of?"

"I can't be sure right now. But if you are asking about pure speculation, then I do have something in mind," Zhao Yunxiao answered. "Judging from the strain on the rope bindings, the statue seems to be moving towards the East. That is where Blueflag Mountain lies."

"Blueflag Mountain?" Gang Yeshan pondered for a moment before realising what he was trying to say. "Young Hero means to say that the Scarlet Leaf Sect's ritual might have caused the strange behaviours of the arhat idol statue? Come to think of it, the timings do coincide. The Scarlet Leaf Sect has been active in the region for around a year, and that is also around the time when the arhat idol statue started to show these ominous signs..."

"The good thing is that the Righteous Coalition has already departed this morning. Let's wait for their good news before deciding on our next steps," Zhao Yunxiao suggested. "If things turn out well, this issue might just resolve itself."

"That would be for the best," Gang Yeshan agreed. "Blueflag Mountain is around half a day's journey away from Thousand Autumn City. They should have already arrived by now, and we would probably hear from them by tomorrow if they choose to return immediately."

"Mm," Zhao Yunxiao nodded. "Let's wait for news of the Righteous Coalition before deciding on our next steps."

With that decided, Zhao Yunxiao did not stay any longer at the Hei Residence. He quickly returned to his inn, where he spent the entire night cultivating and practising his techniques.

***

The next morning came with a sky that was overcast with dark clouds. Heavy rain poured down upon the entire Thousand Autumn City, accompanied by flashes of lightning and claps of thunder. In such bad weather, the streets were naturally empty, with everyone opting to stay dry indoors.

However, a tavern that was strategically located near the city gate remained fully packed since early morning.

And there was no lack of prominent figures among its customers.

Perhaps the most eye-catching of them all was General Tie Huaheng, who donned his signature heavy armour while having snacks with several of his soldiers. From time to time, his gaze would wander off towards the city gate, clearly looking out for anyone entering the city.

As Gang Yeshan had said, Blueflag Mountain was not far from Thousand Autumn City. Since the Righteous Coalition left early the previous morning, they should be returning sometime today as long as nothing unexpected came up. That was the reason why General Tie Huaheng was here – to receive first-hand information at the moment of their return.

Apart from him, the tavern's customers comprised members of other influential factions of Thousand Autumn City, as well as Zhao Yunxiao Two who had started queuing before the tavern even opened for business.

Superfluous conversations could be heard at most tables, as many tried to pretend that they were not here on official business.

Thankfully, everyone did not have to wait for long.

It was still early morning when a few figures appeared from the city gate, cutting a sorry sight as they trudged in through the heavy downpour.

Zhao Yunxiao frowned.

General Tie Huaheng narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

Other customers revealed similar expressions.

Even through the blurring curtain of rain, their faces were unmistakable. They were definitely members of the Righteous Coalition.

Yet what was this?

Out of 176 members, only six returned? Were the rest of them still busy splitting the loot?

No one thought that to be true, especially after seeing the state that the returnees were in.

Injuries, torn clothes, and despondent expressions – these were common traits shared by all six returning members of the Righteous Coalition.

But at the very least, they had returned to the city.

General Tie Huaheng was the first to move, calmly standing up from his seat and walking out to greet the returning six. A layer of energy isolated him from the rain that was pouring down from above, almost as though he was protected by an invisible bell.

Following his lead were his soldiers, as well as the various representatives of the different factions within the city. All of them had been waiting for this exact moment. With someone taking the lead, there was no longer a need to act nonchalant. Zhao Yunxiao Two naturally joined in as well, though he remained at the back of the group to avoid drawing any attention.

Upon seeing the welcome party, the six returning members of the Righteous Coalition involuntarily revealed a look of surprise, though that was quickly replaced by a sense of shame.

"Welcome back, gentlemen," General Tie Huaheng greeted. "Looks like things did not go as smoothly as we had hoped?"

The six returning members exchanged glances hesitantly, and one of them eventually stepped forward to answer. This was a middle-aged-looking man whom Zhao Yunxiao recalled to be brimming with confidence when he left with the coalition yesterday. Yet at this moment, that sky-high confidence was no longer anywhere to be seen.

"The intelligence was lacking! They were far stronger than we were told!" the middle-aged man said with a tinge of anger. "Especially their leader! That woman is a complete monster!"

"I see, perhaps the two fellow cultivators who scouted things out earlier did not do a good job," General Tie Huaheng rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Where are the rest? Or are you the only ones remaining?"

"The rest? Hah! They are gone! All of them are gone!" the middle-aged man got more visibly agitated as he continued to speak. "Even we have only managed to escape because we happened to be at the back of the group and reacted fast enough!"

"What do you mean by gone? Are they dead?" General Tie Huaheng tried to clarify.

"How would I know for sure? If I stayed around long enough to find out, I wouldn't be here either!" the middle-aged man retorted. "All I know is that they never made it out after us!"

The welcome party exchanged glances.

Everyone had come here expecting to hear about how the coalition had split the loot after claiming victory over the Scarlet Leaf Sect. Never had they expected the outcome to be like this.

From the sound of it, the coalition never stood a chance to begin with. That was indeed a far cry from the intelligence that they had received initially. That explained why the middle-aged man was so furious!

"I see. Don't worry, you are safe now," General Tie Huaheng assured in a composed manner. "Let us look deeper into this and see what we can do. Come, the city hall will make sure that your injuries are well taken care of."

Under the gazes of the other members of the welcoming party, the returning group left with General Tie Huaheng for the city hall. Only after they had left did a commotion start breaking out among the welcoming party.

After all, this was huge news that had serious implications for all factions within Thousand Autumn City.

It would appear that the strength of the Scarlet Leaf Sect members acting in the vicinity was far stronger than expected. This meant that they could no longer afford to take this lightly and would have to step up on their safety measures, especially since most factions could not afford to hole up within the city since it would impact their business activities.

Zhao Yunxiao, on the other hand, felt frustrated for a different reason.

He had hoped that the Righteous Coalition would be able to get rid of the Scarlet Leaf Sect in the area and, in turn, help him resolve the issue with the Untethered Sage's statue. Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way he had wished.

Now then, how should he approach this matter moving forward?

Going to personally deal with the Scarlet Leaf Sect was definitely out of the question.

He might belong to the powerful Black Tortoise Sect, but he knew his limits very well. If even the Righteous Coalition that comprised so many cultivators had failed to obtain victory, there was no way that he would ever stand a chance alone.

That was when he started picking up on conversations among the other members of the welcome party.

"What should we do? If the threat of the Scarlet Leaf Sect is not dealt with soon, our businesses will definitely be greatly affected."

"It's not just about business! I have been losing guards as well – either directly falling to those bastards or just quitting out of fear!"

"My supply of slaves is dropping too!"

"Speaking of slaves, doesn't Sir Ke have ties to many people in influential positions? Your family is close to him. Any chances of getting him to help?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't say that we are close, but we did have a few interactions in the past. I can definitely try sounding him out. However, he seems to be a bit of a pacifist, so I'm not too confident about this."

"It would be best if he is willing to help. Otherwise, we can just beseech City Lord Qiu to do something about the situation. If enough of us put pressure on him, coupled with a few promises of rewards, perhaps he could be moved to act."

"All right, let's all see what we can do. If needed, we can all chip in a little."

The welcoming party gradually dispersed after exchanging their thoughts, and Zhao Yunxiao Two naturally returned to the inn before being unsummoned as well.

Sir Ke... Ke Huofen, eh?

Zhao Yunxiao mused as he thought about the friendly-looking middle-aged man whom he had seen back at the slave market.

It would indeed be best if this Ke Huofen was able to help resolve this matter.

To Zhao Yunxiao, it did not matter who managed to do it in the end, just as long as someone got rid of the Scarlet Leaf Sect presence at Blueflag Mountain. That was necessary not just if he wanted to clear his sect mission, but also if he wanted to explore Blueflag Mountain in a safe manner.

But for now, there was no need for him to rush into taking any actions. From the looks of it, he was not the only one concerned about the matter. Be it the city hall or the various factions within the city, all of them had a stake in this and would probably be formulating their own plans right this moment.

It would be best to wait for their updates before deciding on his next steps.

Thankfully, he did not have to wait for long. Before noon, a loud voice suddenly boomed across the entire Thousand Autumn City, originating from the city hall.

"City Lord Qiu, Lord of Thousand Autumn City, calls upon all experts in the city to visit the city hall for a discussion on the threat of the Scarlet Leaf Sect. The city hall is willing to provide hefty rewards for the successful removal of the Scarlet Leaf Sect presence!"

This voice belonged to none other than General Tie Huaheng.

Seated in his bed, Zhao Yunxiao raised an eyebrow upon hearing that.

This again?

Hadn't they already tried garnering help from the cultivators in the city? Why were they trying the same thing again?

The answer to his question came almost immediately as another loud voice reverberated across the city.

"I, Ren Xiexing, am willing to answer City Lord Qiu's call. However, and I believe I speak for others as well, I would request that the discussion be held in public. That is the only way to ensure that no information has been withheld from us, especially any that could jeopardise the success of the mission. If this request is not agreed to, I shall humbly excuse myself from this matter!"

"I support the request for a public discussion as well!"

"Requesting for a public discussion as well!"

Voices imbued with essence energy boomed across the city one after another, coming from various locations in the city as they answered the city lord's call.

Zhao Yunxiao widened his eyes in shock as he felt the subtle essence energy that accompanied these voices. These individuals were probably at the Origin Core realm or above!

He had already thought that there was a surprisingly large number of cultivators joining the Righteous Coalition yesterday. But from the looks of it, there had still been many powerful cultivators who had chosen to sit out, only appearing now that the first group had failed!

Perfect.

With how things were going, both the success of his sect mission and the clearing of Blueflag Mountain for his exploration later should be well taken care of!

There was only one issue he had with the current situation.

To discuss publicly about a strike on the Scarlet Leaf Sect outfit at Blueflag Mountain... wouldn't that also allow the other side to know of their plans?

Would the city lord really agree to something like this?