nycdaug Chapter 148 Alliance
Chapter 148 Alliance
Chen An walked with light steps, as if the person behind her had nothing to do with her anymore.
The shoes with auspicious cloud patterns swayed under the hem of her skirt, each step without causing a ripple.
Fu Gui didn't know what to say. He felt that he shouldn't leave Meng Huan alone here, but that somewhat lonely figure only grew further and further away.
A gentle breeze, carrying the warmth of the sun, fell on Chen An's face. She stared straight ahead, her gaze unwavering.
What lies ahead?
She didn't know, but if she didn't look towards that vague and uncertain future, where else could she look?
Three years have passed in the days.
More than three years had passed since Chen An last visited the Xu Hua Sect, yet he often thought of Daoist Mingyuan, the Qilin who had transcended millennia, who had not found peace even in death.
"Chen'an, Chen'an, Chen'an, Chen'an."
Following the sound, Fugui pushed open the door and rushed in, his furrowed brows standing out starkly against his bright face.
Chen An smiled calmly, beckoned with his finger, and handed over a glass of water.
"What's wrong."
Fu Gui took the water and slammed it on the table: "Those old guys are here."
"old man?"
"Oh dear, they are the elders of various sects and families. You forgot, you said before that they would recommend you as the leader of the demon-slaying alliance."
Fu Gui slammed his fist on the table several times, causing the water in the teacup to overflow.
Chen An stared at the water droplets flowing slowly, pausing for a moment when they reached the edge of the table before dripping down again imperceptibly. He curled his lips into a smile and said softly, "Oh, really?"
"Ugh, so annoying. What are you pretending to be, some venerable sect leader?" Fu Gui said with a look of disgust, grabbing Chen An's wrist and heading towards the council hall.
Chen An let Fu Gui pull him along, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Representatives from the five major sects, the seven great families, and the two newly formed alliances were all present in the council hall.
The door was wide open, and the room was eerily silent except for the sounds of sect disciples moving around and pouring water.
The presence of so many powerful figures, coupled with the clashing of their auras, was truly awe-inspiring.
The bright red dress stood out against the gray-blue background.
Chen An concealed his aura, which was recognized by the powerful figures from afar.
"Hahahaha, Sect Leader Chen'an has arrived! Seeing him today, he truly lives up to his reputation and is indeed quite dashing..."
“This is Yihe Sect, I should be the one offering flattery.” Chen An interrupted Su Huo, a smile in his eyes, staring at him for a long time before saying, “Elder Su, you have the air of a hero, please sit down.”
The smile that had been frozen on his face instantly melted away. He chuckled, stroked the less than an inch of beard on his chin, sat down on the golden nanmu stool, nodded slightly, and then gave a wink to Qu Simu, who had a cold expression on his face.
Qu Simu is Qu Ze's elder brother, and logically he should be at odds with Chen An to the death.
The fact that he came in person shows that Chen An underestimated his cold-heartedness.
"Sect Leader Chen, I have offended you in the past regarding my younger sister and brother-in-law's affairs. It was my fault."
There's a saying that you can't hit a smiling face, but this person... well, this one can hardly be considered a person.
"Your mistake? Fine, Elder Qu, please tell me what you did wrong?" Her half-closed eyes were fixed on the man in front of her, as if waiting for an answer.
Qu Simu coughed twice, trying to justify himself: "Sect Leader Chen is still young, unlike us old folks, he likes to joke around."
You're too ashamed to insist, aren't you?
Chen An felt nauseous just thinking about Qu Ze, but she just couldn't stand Qu Simu. What kind of good person could someone be who would disregard the names of their own family in order to achieve their goals?
Upon hearing Qu Simu's words, the expressions of the people on the field varied. Chen An carefully noted who was smiling along and who was mocking.
Those who mocked him, though not exactly good people themselves, at least had some conscience.
When the laughter stopped, Chen An turned around and sat down in the main seat, straightened her skirt, and looked up to ask.
"You all gathered here, do you just want to see Elder Qu apologize to me?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Simu's lips twitched a few times, and the glance she gave Chen An seemed to want to tear her to pieces.
Qu Simu looked around and, seeing that no one would stand up for him, had no choice but to step forward again.
"Sect Leader Chen'an, you killed Shen Ya with a single move a few days ago. He is one of the four leading figures of the current demonic cultivators. We admire him greatly."
“Chen An, what we mean is that you take the lead and we will work together to fight against the demonic cultivators.” A woman of similar age to Chen An stepped forward from the Du Shi Sect and spoke without any pretense, “To be honest, the Qu family led the way and sent us here. I’m not here to make things difficult for you. If you’re not willing, that’s fine. But if you are, I, Hua Mengying, will definitely do my best.”
Chen An had a cryptic smile on her lips. She turned her head slightly and stared at Qu Simu, wanting to hear what Qu Simu had to say.
Qu Simu said calmly, "In just three years, the leader of the Dushi Sect has changed again and again. If I remember correctly, Mengying was the eighth one."
Indeed, communicating with these hypocritical old guys is the most tiring thing.
Regardless of the grudges between the Qu family and the Dushi Sect, it has nothing to do with Chen An.
"Everyone, please follow my gaze and look ahead. The Sect Leader of Tianyuan Sect, Xu Wuhen, has come in person. He must truly want to do something for the sake of all living beings."
"It is true that I eliminated Shenya a few days ago, but don't forget, Master Xu's methods of eliminating demons are more powerful than mine."
Xu Wuhen was clearly not expected that Chen An would shift the blame to him, but he was only stunned for a moment before returning to his usual demeanor.
“I didn’t approve of this alliance in the first place. It was only because the Qu family asserted that you would agree to be the leader that I came.”
When the scene fell silent again, Hua Mengying suddenly stood up, glanced at Qu Simu, and then left the main hall with her three disciples, her face gloomy.
Chen An didn't care about Hua Mengying's attitude; all he wanted to do now was crumple Xu Wuhen into a ball and throw him into the mass grave.
Over the years, whenever the idea of forming an alliance to eliminate demons was proposed, he was always the first to step forward. But when it really comes down to it, he says these kinds of things now. Who would believe him?
Being a leader isn't an easy job.
If they win, it's all thanks to everyone, and they only gain empty fame; if they lose, not only will the leader die, but the entire sect will be razed to the ground.
However, if no one takes the lead and the demonic cultivators are allowed to grow stronger, the entire cultivation continent will fall within half a year.
Pshaw, the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is.
"Well then, everyone, since that's the case, we should all disperse now."
Chen An was too lazy to watch them pretend to be ignorant. She got up with a polite smile and walked out step by step.
The group, each harboring their own ulterior motives, exchanged bewildered glances. Once again, Qu Simu stepped forward first.
"Sect Master Chen'an, please wait. My Qu family is willing to send six thousand people."
"The Xue family produced five thousand men."
"The Su family will send five thousand men."
"The Shen family has six thousand people."
……
"Ten thousand disciples of the Tianyuan Sect are willing to go."
"The Zhaoning Sect has eight thousand disciples."
Chen An had been waiting for this. She slowed down, stopped, and said, "Yihe Sect has been established for less than a hundred years, so it is naturally not as powerful as the major sects and families. This time, we have only sent eight hundred disciples. In three days, at Qingxu Swamp, I will be waiting for you all."