"Save them! Why aren't we saving them!"
Li Xiu leaned back on the armchair and pondered for a long time before speaking, when everyone's attention was focused on him.
"In the past, the Six Great Sects were only concerned with competing for power in the martial arts world and had no desire to save the common people. But now that disaster has struck them, they should have come to their senses."
"Even if they don't care about the common people, they should act for their own sake and for their feud with the Yuan Mongols. I believe they will not remain inactive. The Six Great Sects could potentially be a great help in our fight against the Mongols!"
As he spoke, Li Xiu stood up, his voice becoming more confident and inspiring.
"In the past, the Six Great Sects and my Ming Cult have always had a difficult relationship. They even regarded the countless virtuous followers of my Ming Cult as evil demons. Now let them see whether it is their incompetent sects or the virtuous followers of my Ming Cult who can save them from the Mongols."
"Let them see how the so-called competition for power in the martial arts world is just a small matter. Let them see how we, the Ming Cult, played the Mongol Yuan court like a fiddle!"
Li Xiu secretly looked at everyone in the hall and saw that their emotions had been stirred up enough. He spoke seriously and issued orders.
"All banner masters of the Five Elements Flag, listen to my orders. The Five Elements Flag suffered heavy casualties and has not yet recovered. Each banner should return and mobilize one hundred people."
"All local leaders in the northwest, listen to my orders. Within one month, return and secretly mobilize two thousand followers to gather in the area around the central altar. Remember, we don't need many people, but we must be discreet and not allow the Mongol Yuan court to suspect anything."
"Yes!"
The banner masters of the Five Elements Flag and the local leaders received their orders and left to mobilize their followers. Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao approached Li Xiu.
"Master, I dare to ask, does the Master have a clever plan to know where the Six Great Sects are being imprisoned?" Wei Yixiao asked tentatively, bowing his fist.
Li Xiu naturally knew where the Six Great Sects were being imprisoned, but the mountain was high and the road was far, and he was not going to risk going to the capital. He wanted the Mongol Yuan soldiers to bring the Six Great Sects back.
"Of course I don't know, but while I was still in the forbidden territory of my cult, I heard Cheng Kun mention a place called Green Willow Manor. It's a small town at the foot of the mountain of Bright Summit."
"Cheng Kun has defected to Princess Zhao Min, the daughter of Prince of Ruyang, the Grand General of the Mongol Yuan army. She would not personally oversee the important task of capturing the Six Great Sects, so Green Willow Manor must be her temporary residence."
Upon hearing this news, Wei Yixiao was overjoyed and coldly smiled as he volunteered: "Master, please order me to take people to capture this Princess Zhao Min!"
Li Xiu waved his hand and said,
"Not yet. It is not likely to be easy to capture her with the two masters, Xuanming Elders, under her command. I will personally go and meet her when I have time."
"You and the Eagle King should take some people and investigate where Green Willow Manor is located. As for the rest, don't startle the snakes in the grass."
"Yes!"
Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao bowed and left, leaving Li Xiu alone to sit on the chair and carefully consider the possible consequences.
The next day, Li Xiu took Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao to descend from Bright Summit.
They rushed to the location that had already been investigated by the cult's followers and, as Li Xiu had expected, when they arrived at the small town at the foot of the mountain, they received an invitation.
"Master Li, my master admires your heroic and valiant martial arts, which are unparalleled in the world. She had specially prepared a banquet to invite you to attend."
A group of slave servants dressed in grey stopped Li Xiu and his entourage from continuing on their way.
Wei Yixiao glanced at Yin Tianzheng and both of them gave faint smiles. Their strong footsteps and controlled hand movements revealed that they were both military personnel.
Wei Yixiao nodded to Li Xiu, chuckled and said, "Lead the way."
Several gray-clad slave servants walked ahead with their heads bowed, and soon led Li Xiu and the others to a small river surrounded by a mountain villa with lush green willows.
The several gatekeepers standing in front of the Green Willow Villa saluted in unison: "We welcome Master Li, our master has been waiting for a long time."
Wei Yixiao stepped forward with a smile on his face that seemed both amused and not: "Our master has arrived, I don't understand why your master is not coming out to greet us. Isn't this a lack of etiquette?"
"Our master is of high status, Master Li and the two Guardian Kings can go into the villa to meet her."
The gatekeeper's words were arrogant and rude, and although they had already learned the identities of the people in the villa, this lack of manners still angered Wei Yixiao so much that he could not help but want to teach these rude servants a lesson. However, before he could act, Li Xiu stopped him.
"Wait, Bat King, we are guests here, how can we start a fight with the host family? It's just a few steps, no trouble, no trouble."
Li Xiu had an appearance of a kind and generous old man, and waved his hand to stop Wei Yixiao.
The gatekeepers opened the villa doors, and Li Xiu and the others walked in.
After a few steps, the sound of a beautiful courtyard and a spirited female voice came through.
"I am Zhao Min, a nameless junior in the martial arts world, but I am able to invite the best master of the world, Master Li, to come visit my humble home. It is truly a shining moment."
Following the sound, in a green willow pavilion, a beautiful young woman gently plucked a white jade guqin towards this side.
Li Xiu and the others approached, pretending to pay their respects with a greeting and implying something with their words: "If this Green Willow Manor is still a humble home, then how many places in the world can be called ordinary palaces? Is it the palace of the Great Yuan Prince of Ruyang?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Min suddenly slowed down the sound of the guqin and looked up to find Li Xiu staring at her with a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
Zhao Min's heart trembled and thought to herself, this Li Xiu seems to know something, he must have come prepared today!
"Xuanming Elders!"
But before Zhao Min could cry for help, Li Xiu had already appeared in front of her like a phantom.
Zhao Min's delicate face showed a hint of panic, and she grabbed a few strings on the guqin and shot them towards Li Xiu with enough force to pierce stone!
Li Xiu waved his sleeve and released nine yang true energy, instantly eliminating the attack and easily blocking Zhao Min's attempt to pull out the fake Yitian sword.
Li Xiu's movement was extraordinary, fast enough to surpass the heavens, and he quickly took the sword from her and grabbed her neck, ruthlessly pressing her against the pavilion pillar.
At this time, Xuanming Elders also jumped out from the window of a nearby palace and, upon seeing Zhao Min captured, tried to rescue her.
"Ah!"
Zhao Min couldn't help but let out a cry of pain as Li Xiu's hand, like a pair of iron claws, tightly grabbed her neck and applied more force, almost suffocating her.
"I beg you two not to move, if I get scared and lose control of my grip, your precious princess will be crushed to death. How will you explain this to the old king?"
"You!..."
Xuanming Elders, being threatened, had their veins bulge and looked at Li Xiu with a furious and sinister expression.
Wei Yixiao and Yin Tianzheng quickly rushed to secure the Green Willow Manor and prevent
Xuanming Elders from moving any further.
At this moment, Zhao Min, being held hostage, did not seem panicked at all, but rather seductively smiled at Li Xiu with her eyebrows and eyes.
"Master Li, I beg you to let me go, you should know that I was the one who ambushed the six major sects, and now I have hundreds of people in my hands. Without much effort, if I don't receive news within three hours, those hundreds of people will immediately be killed!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiu's eyebrows twitched and his face changed repeatedly. Just when Zhao Min's expression gradually turned joyful, thinking that she was going to succeed, Li Xiu coldly chuckled.