Share the Hatred? . . .
Following Long Tianyun's remarks, a few of them began to cough, as if they had silently assented to his proposal. Only the old man remained composed and questioned in a deep, thoughtful voice, "I want to believe you, Clan Master Long. But ask yourself, do you think your words remain trustworthy? You might assert that you would never contemplate such a scheme as that man described, but would you trust yourself if you were in our shoes?"
The old man's words appeared aimless, yet they carried weight. Even Long Tianyun found himself pondering, "That's a valid point. Just because I didn't think of that plan doesn't mean I wouldn't consider it if it occurred to me. Denying it vehemently would be a form of self-deception."
After a moment of reflection, Long Tianyun spoke with a heavy heart, "Believe me or not, it doesn't make much difference. Our immediate concern is the crisis before us. If we cannot overcome this, none of our schemes matter. Agreed? Whether you trust me or not, I believe in the truth."
"Clan Master Long is correct. What's our next move?" They responded with smiles, outwardly acquiescing to him but harboring their reservations. Evidently, they remained wary of him.
Long Tianyun, although disheartened, regained his composure and continued, "Perhaps misfortune always accompanies good fortune. Situ Yu has inadvertently reminded us of something..."
"If he can manipulate the Cyan Cloud Sect and reap benefits from it, why can't we seek support from outside?" Long Tianyun suggested, "If we approach the Reaching Cloud Sect and negotiate with their headmaster, Xiao Moyan, perhaps we can form an alliance? After all, we're facing a shared predicament, and we'd also be a valuable reinforcement to them."
Their eyes lit up at the notion.
"Nevertheless, Reaching Cloud Sect may not be the best ally. When we successfully navigate this crisis, we might be in a weakened state. If Reaching Cloud Sect harbors any malevolent intentions against us, we'd be ill-prepared to defend ourselves." The old man offered a different perspective.
The others concurred with his concerns, recognizing the likelihood of such an outcome and the necessity of addressing it.
"Hmm. That's a valid point... Hmm. Trusting Cyan Cloud Sect is out of the question. Depending on them would be nothing short of suicide. Green Mountain Sect has clearly shown their malicious intent, and Reaching Cloud Sect, being the most powerful among the three, can't be overlooked either. It's evident that none of them are suitable allies. So, with all these bad choices in front of us, there's only one option remaining," Long Tianyun mused.
His eyes suddenly brightened as he exclaimed, "The final choice!"
Perplexed, his companions inquired, "What option are you referring to? What's this final choice?"
Long Tianyun enunciated each word deliberately, "Our last resort is... Ling-Bao Hall! Feng Zhiling!"
His revelation left the group initially taken aback, but soon enlightenment dawned, and they chorused in agreement, "That's it! Brilliant!"
Of all the factions, Ling-Bao Hall was in the gravest peril. Their wealth attracted relentless avarice, and they constituted a universal target for the world at large. Yet paradoxically, their plight rendered them the eight noble clans' most suitable ally.
Unlike other entities, Ling-Bao Hall had no vested interest in coveting their supreme dan beads; after all, they were the ones who had been selling these very dan beads. The likelihood was high that the supreme dan beads were Feng Zhiling's creations, and, consequently, Ling-Bao Hall had no incentive to snatch them back.
There was another factor that played in favor of the eight noble clans seeking an alliance with Ling-Bao Hall. The latter was more in need of allies than the noble clans themselves. If the noble clans joined forces with Ling-Bao Hall, they would be accorded the status of esteemed guests. Aligning with Ling-Bao Hall held additional advantages since it was not as potent as the two great sects, despite being affluent.
The noble clans, in this alliance, would not need to worry about any retaliatory actions from Ling-Bao Hall, which, in reality, wouldn't mind if they tried. An alliance with Ling-Bao Hall offered numerous benefits, be it leveraging them to navigate the crisis, exploiting their wealth, or, quite possibly, a mutually beneficial collaboration. As allies, it would be easy to negotiate for more supreme dan beads from Ling-Bao Hall during the ongoing crisis to counter their common adversaries. It was a strategic advantage that Ling-Bao Hall was highly likely to entertain, making it an enticing proposition for the noble clans.
Given the plethora of advantages, forming an alliance with Ling-Bao Hall seemed like the only rational choice—their ideal ally.
"We must make our way to Ling-Bao Hall! Our shared enmity with the great sects binds us in this fight!" With this proclamation, they stood united, shoulder to shoulder.
...
The man in black, identified as the Heartless Sword, Situ Yu, distanced himself considerably from the group to ensure he wasn't being followed. He deftly turned a corner and vanished behind a wall.
Pulling down his mask and swiping the sweat from his brow, the man's eyes reflected both composure and keenness. Behind the mask, his visage was anything but soft and delicate; it was the face of Ning Biluo, the top assassin in the Land of Han-Yang.
Exhaling with a hint of exhaustion, Ning Biluo muttered to himself, "Setting someone up is truly draining. It's not my usual style, but the mission is complete." He casually tossed a bag of blood against the wall, splattering it in a vivid display.
Gazing at the splattered blood, he lost himself in contemplation. "Feigning injury is quite the clever ruse. I should incorporate it into my tactics for real battles. It would lull my adversaries into underestimating me, which could prove invaluable. A truly clever stratagem... I wonder where Lord Cha picked it up. He possesses an array of unorthodox yet effective methods."
Nonetheless, he brushed off these musings. "In any case, it's not my concern. I must check on Liu Changjun. What a messy job..."
Recovering his masked disguise, Ning Biluo swiftly melted into the shadows, a phantom vanishing into the night.
...
Meanwhile, Liu Changjun sprinted madly, his frenzied pace driven by the desperate need for self-preservation..