Chapter 251 A lot of worries
"Palace Master Qin is wrong!"

Tang Ren stood up and cursed bluntly, "The Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects are in cahoots with each other. They not only helped Shaolin and the Pan family to deceive the Qin Mansion Master, but also colluded with Ye Tong in secret to set up a heinous killing trap in Chenzhou to lure us into the trap. Such despicable villains should be hated by both humans and gods, and everyone should be punished. At this point, what else can be discussed? Since Xijing Mansion is the Qin family's territory, I suggest that we set up ambushes in various places in Xijing tonight, and wait for them to arrive, so as to strike first and kill them by surprise."

"Master Tang is right." Lu Yao nodded indignantly, "During the trip to Chenzhou, our Lu Mansion suffered heavy casualties, and several disciples died tragically. I will not be a human being if I don't avenge this!"

"Don't act on impulse!"

Teng Cang is older, so he is more tactful than young people. He frowned and looked worried. He said in deep thought, "Since the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects dared to step into the Hexi territory, it is enough to show that they have made full preparations and expected that we would set an ambush in secret, so they took precautions early. If I act rashly, I am afraid that it will backfire and I will lose more than I gain."

"That's right!" Song Yu nodded. "As far as I know, Luo Tianjin and the leaders of the six major sects will come in person, so they will not take it lightly. These old foxes have been in the martial arts world for decades, and what kind of battles have they not seen? We want to set an ambush in secret... I'm afraid it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"May I ask Palace Master Qin, is there any news about Prince Xian's Palace and the six major sects recently?" Tang Yuan asked gloomily.

Qin Ming smiled calmly and said, "From the moment they set foot in Hexi, every move they made was under my surveillance. You may not know that the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects have already reached a secret consensus that no one would dare to step into Xijing Mansion before the second day of August, just to prevent us from setting an ambush along the way."

"Where are they now?" Lu Tingxiang asked.

"Thirty miles outside Xijing Prefecture, there is a Duanjiabao. The owner of the fort, Duan Tianhong, specializes in raising military horses for the Mongolian court and is considered half a court official. Therefore, although Duanjiabao is under my nose, I cannot touch it due to the threat from the Mongolian court. Duan Tianhong and Luo Tianjin have always had a friendship. Now, people from the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects have arrived at Duanjiabao one after another, and they plan to enter the capital together tomorrow." Qin Ming replied.

Hearing this, everyone's faces changed.

Teng Sanshi's eyes widened and he asked loudly, "Master Qin, do you know how many people are coming with them?"

"According to the spies' report, the disciples from Prince Xian's Palace and the six major sects together number more than a thousand people." Qin Ming said what he meant without any ambiguity.

"More than a thousand people?" Jin Fuyu said calmly, "Not many. They must be the elite disciples from various sects."

"That's right!" Qin Ming replied, "If they are good-for-nothings, what's there to fear even if there are ten thousand of them? Just my Qin Mansion has more than a thousand disciples. Add in the troops you all brought, and we are far superior to the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects."

"That being said, who is stronger and who is weaker cannot be determined by the number of people." Teng Sanshi said in a deep voice, "Hexi is the Qin family's territory. If you want to fight with more people, you can just wave your arms. I believe that all the outlaws in the Hexi area will come to help you to strengthen your prestige. By then, let alone more than a thousand people, even more than ten thousand people will not be a problem. But what can really determine our life and death is not the number of people, but the masters. In terms of numbers, we are far better than the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects. But in terms of masters... I'm afraid we will be a little inferior."

Jin Fuyu smiled and replied, "Patriarch Teng's words are heartbreaking! Let's not talk about other sects. Just talking about Shaolin, there are more than a dozen top masters in the Dharma Academy. In addition to the monks who are quiet and inactive, and who eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, there are also seven or eight who can fight. If you count the 'Four Elephants' elders of Wudang, and the masters of Kunlun, Emei, Kongtong, and Qingcheng, there will be no less than thirty people in total, not to mention the masters of the Xianwang Mansion. If you count the heads of various sects, I'm afraid it's not an exaggeration to say that there are forty or fifty people."

When everyone heard this, they all looked solemn.

Forty or fifty people may not sound like a lot at first, but these forty or fifty people are all top-notch masters who can fight one against a hundred, and some are even top-notch masters who are feared by the world. The power they can unleash together is enough to easily crush any force in the martial arts world in a moment.

At this moment, Lu Tingxiang's eyes flashed with worry, and he pondered: "Although we have a large number of people, there are only a few masters who can match them..."

Lu Yao suddenly realized: "No wonder they dare to be so arrogant, it turns out they have nothing to fear."

"So what?" Tang Ren said disdainfully, "If we really want to deal with them, my Tang Sect has a thousand ways to defeat the majority with the minority and the strong with the weak."

"Do we really have to fight?" Tang Ji hesitated and reminded, "Everyone, once the war starts, there will be no regrets. Regardless of who wins or loses, I dare to assert here that once we fight with the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects, the Central Plains martial arts world will be devastated and blood will flow like a river. As the saying goes, if you hurt the enemy a thousand, you will lose eight hundred of your own. In this fight, there will be no real winner. Even if we can hold on to the end, we will definitely pay a very painful price. And for this price... we may not be able to afford it."

"Has the Tang Room Master forgotten Tang Qian's death?" Teng Qin'er joked, "I saw it with my own eyes. Tang Qian was tragically killed by the Emei Sect at Chenfu Inn in Chenzhou. Regarding his death...does the Tang Sect intend to keep quiet?"

"The revenge of Tang Sect disciples is the revenge of the entire Tang Sect." Without waiting for Tang Ji to explain, Tang Yuan slowly shook his head and said, "If it is found out that Tang Qian really died at the hands of Emei Sect, Tang Sect will definitely avenge him."

"From what Manager Tang said..." Qin Ming raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "Does he seem to have doubts about Chenzhou's affairs?"

"It is rumored that someone is secretly behind the incident in Chenzhou." Tang Yuan said with a smile, "But what you hear is not as good as what you see. Therefore, before everything is investigated, the Tang Sect does not want to be anyone's puppet."

"The same is true for my Xiangxi Teng Clan!" Teng Sanshi nodded and said, "This matter not only concerns our survival, but also concerns the good and evil of the Central Plains martial arts world, so we must not act rashly and must think twice before acting."

Jin Fuyu turned his meaningful gaze towards Lu Tingxiang and asked with a smile, "May I ask what you think, Mr. Lu?" "I agree with Chief Steward Tang and Chief Teng," Lu Tingxiang replied, "The Jiangnan Lu Mansion will never be bullied, but we will also not be manipulated by others, and we will not kill innocent people."

Looking around at the people who had their own ulterior motives, Qin Ming couldn't help but feel bitter in his heart, thinking to himself: "Golden Sword Dock and the four great martial arts families seem to be united and share weal and woe, but in fact, they are not in harmony with each other and are wary of each other. Who do they mean by 'being used'? Could it be that they are referring to my Qin family and deliberately using them to make enemies with the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects? Or... they learned that the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects came prepared, so they are afraid of fighting and want to retreat at the last minute?"

Lu Tingxiang looked calm and relaxed. He raised his glass to Jin Fuyu, and then the two smiled at each other.

Seeing this, Tang Yuan slowly picked up a cup of tea and took a sip while looking back and forth between Lu Tingxiang and Jin Fuyu with a sinister look. He secretly speculated, "Last year, the 'Wind and Rain Map' was taken away from the Lu Mansion. Later, rumors spread that it was a joint effort between Jin Jianwu and Yulong Palace. So, didn't Lu Tingxiang get stabbed in the back by Jin Fuyu? Today, they all avoided talking about this matter. Did they let bygones be bygones? Or did they still hold grudges against each other and fight openly and secretly?"

Teng Sanshi's temperament is neither as treacherous and changeable as Jin Fuyu and Lu Tingxiang, nor as cruel and vicious as Qin Ming and Tang Yuan.

Compared to the others, Teng Sanshi is not only the oldest, most experienced, and most senior, but also has the most upright character and acts in the most upright manner.

Therefore, Teng Sanshi was not as cunning as others. He had only two purposes in going to Hexi: one was to help the Qin family deal with Shaolin out of chivalry, and the other was to investigate the truth of the incident in Chenzhou and find out the real murderer who killed the Teng clan disciples.

"Cough cough..."

The strange silence lasted for a moment, and Qin Ming took the lead in breaking the deadlock, saying in a gloomy tone: "Since everyone is hesitant, why don't we admit defeat to the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects."

After that, Qin Ming pretended to be sad and self-deprecating, "Shaolin wanted to make things difficult for the Qin family, so the Xianwang Mansion and the other five major sects did not ask the reason and went straight to Xijing to kill us. On the other hand, my Qin family is in trouble, but you all have many concerns. It's really... Alas!"

"Palace Master Qin, don't be angry!" Teng Sanshi waved his hand and said bluntly, "The grudge between Shaolin and the Qin family and the affairs of Chenzhou are two completely unrelated matters. How can they be mixed up? Palace Master Qin can rest assured. Tomorrow, when Shaolin launches an attack, I, Teng Sanshi, will live and die with you, and share honor and disgrace with you."

Hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but show gratitude on his face, and said with a cupped hand: "The old hero is still loyal and righteous, brave and knowledgeable. He is not afraid of Luo Tianjin, nor is he frightened by others. Qin admires him! I admire him!"

Qin Ming's sarcasm made Lu Tingxiang and Tang Yuan look unhappy. On the other hand, Jin Fuyu was calm and composed, still sipping tea.

"Master Qin, you and I are old acquaintances. Why do you have to use such a crude method to provoke me?" Tang Yuan complained, "If Shaolin attacks, you don't have to worry. My Tang Sect will definitely help you. As for the matter of Chenzhou..."

At this point, Tang Yuan's tone became a little hesitant. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, "There is something, Lord Qin, please tell me the truth."

"What's the matter?"

"Eleven Shaolin monks died tragically, but was it your Qin family who did it?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone showed curiosity. Even Jin Fuyu, who was always calm and composed, couldn't help but cast a suspicious look at Qin Ming.

"Of course not!" Qin Mingyi denied righteously, "I get angry whenever this matter is mentioned. I don't know which bastard deliberately framed and put the blame on my Qin family. It's so abominable. If I find out the truth, I will skin him alive and grind his bones to dust."

Lu Tingxiang frowned, thought again and again, and said quietly: "Originally, it was Shaolin that lost the 'Xuan Shui Xia Juan', so they were in the wrong first. Now, eleven disciples have been killed for no reason, and all the evidence points to you, the Hexi Qin family, making you wrong. Now, no one mentions the Shaolin losing the sword manual. Think about it carefully, is it possible that this matter... is a self-torture trick of Shaolin?"

"Using eleven lives to escape the guilt of losing the sword manual?" Teng Sanshi pondered, "Is it worth it?"

"If it's just to avoid responsibility, it may not be worth it." Si Kongzhu argued, "But if it's to restore Shaolin's hundred-year reputation and fame, let alone eleven disciples dying, even a hundred deaths is not impossible."

"Don't speculate. Whether this is true or not, it has already become a foregone conclusion and no one can change it." Jin Fuyu said quietly, "We can have doubts, but now that the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects have officially joined forces, we must not lose our composure and let the world laugh at us."

"Master Jinwu means..."

"If you want to advance, you must retreat first; if you want to make peace, you must fight first!"

……

(End of this chapter)