Chapter 406: Sudden Change (I)

Liu Xunyi was full of doubts. He opened the secret letter and read it carefully. The expression on his face gradually froze, and soon, his eyes were filled with shock.

"This..." Liu Xunyi suddenly raised his head, looked at Luo Tianjin and Xie Xuan in disbelief, and asked in surprise, "Is this true?"

"I have sent people to investigate secretly, and every word in the letter is true." Xie Xuan said solemnly, "The heads of the six major sects and the heads of the four major families have all given up the fight for the leader of the martial arts world on September 9th. In other words, among the twelve heroes of the Central Plains martial arts world, except for the mansion master and Jin Fuyu, the other ten will not take action at the martial arts conference. This time, their attitudes are surprisingly consistent."

"How could this be?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure this is not a coincidence. They are probably influenced by the same thing, the same person... or the same reason." Xie Xuan pondered, "In fact, these heads and family heads had no intention of competing for the position of leader. Even if they took action, it was to help the Palace Master or Jin Fuyu. Now, they choose to stand by and watch. In fact, the impact on the Palace Master and Jin Fuyu is not that big. In a sense, it may be more beneficial to the Palace Master if these people do not take action. According to the current situation, Zhong of Kongtong Sect Li Mu will definitely not help the mansion master. Shaolin Abbot Xuanming and Wudang Taoist Qingfeng have always been known for their "fairness". If it is not necessary, they will not rashly favor the mansion master. In this way, the mansion master's only helper is Yin Baimei, the head of Kunlun Sect. On the other hand, Jin Fuyu has the help of the heads of the four major families, as well as the head of Qingcheng Sect Zuo Hongxuan and the head of Emei Sect Master Miao'an. Once they take turns to fight, the situation will be extremely unfavorable to the mansion master. A blessing in disguise. Whether this matter is good or bad for us, it is too early to draw a conclusion. "

"Don't forget Ren Wuya from Tianshan Yulong Palace. He has promised to help the Palace Master at the martial arts conference." Liu Xunyi reminded, "In this way, the Palace Master may be able to surpass Jin Fuyu."

"These are not important." Luo Tianjin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "What makes me most uneasy is the reason why they gave up. If these leaders and family heads no longer take action, will the forces behind them continue to support me or support Jin Fuyu? Or... the six major sects and the four great families have all wavered in their hearts and don't want to help me or Jin Fuyu... Who is influencing their choices? The Dragon Boat Festival incident has greatly damaged the reputation of the Xianwang Mansion, so it is understandable that Kongtong, Shaolin and other sects are estranged from me. But the relationship between Jinjianwu and the four great families has always been as solid as a rock. Qingcheng and Emei did not hesitate to betray me and wanted to be with Jin Fuyu, which shows that their relationship is extraordinary. But now, they have actually abandoned Jin Fuyu, which is really incredible... Who is so capable that he can change the martial arts pattern that has almost become a foregone conclusion?"

Xie Xuan said: "What's more troublesome is that if this mysterious force is coming for the leader of the martial arts world, I'm afraid neither us nor Jin Jianwu will benefit."

"If they were aiming for the position of alliance leader, it would be impossible to just ask these heads of clans and families to give up, but they should be asked to change their ways and switch sides at the last minute." Luo Tianjin shook his head thoughtfully, "But that's not the case. It really puzzles me."

"Could it be the Mongols?" Liu Xunyi boldly speculated, "The Three Northern Sects... or even the Mongolian court..."

"Unlikely." Luo Tianjin denied, "The purpose of reopening the martial arts conference is to resist the invasion of the Central Plains martial arts world by the Tartars. The six major sects and the four great families are famous and upright sects after all. How could they be influenced by the Mongols?"

"Then... could it be Longxiang Mountain?" Liu Xunyi said again, "The Mongols used Longxiang Mountain to threaten the six major sects and the four major families..." Before he finished speaking, Liu Xunyi's voice had become very weak. Even he himself did not believe this speculation.

If the six major sects and the four great families were afraid of Longxiang Mountain, the struggle between good and evil in the martial arts world would not have lasted for decades. Therefore, the claim that they were threatened by Longxiang Mountain was simply untenable.

"They just gave up helping but refused to change their flags..." Luo Tianjin frowned and thought, "This means that this power can only make them afraid, but not enough to make them retreat..."

"The Palace Master means..."

"The fact that the head of the sect and the head of the family no longer take action is not actually a betrayal." Luo Tianjin said dimly, "If there really is a mysterious force coveting the throne of the leader of the martial arts world, then it will definitely try every means to win over the six major sects and the four major families. If it can get their unanimous support, it will have at least a 50% chance of seizing the position of the leader of the martial arts world. However, the martial arts sects have not been won over by it..."

"Palace Master, Second Master Xie, we might as well make a bold guess." Liu Xunyi hesitated, "If there is really someone behind this, then he must have extraordinary capital. His capital may be more than that of the Xianwang Mansion and Jinjianwu, but it is far from enough to subvert the entire martial arts world. The six major sects and the four major families do not want to be enemies with him, but they are also unwilling to associate with him, so they choose to give in. It seems that they are maintaining a moderate balance between the Xianwang Mansion and Jinjianwu, but in fact they are maintaining a balance between the Xianwang Mansion, Jinjianwu and the mysterious man."

"What a great saying, 'I don't want to be their enemy, but I don't want to be their friend'!" Xie Xuan agreed. "This statement hits the nail on the head. It's the key point. In fact, there is another important reason why these heads of sects and families dare to change their minds at the last minute."

"What is it?"

"The law does not punish everyone!" Xie Xuan explained, "If they refuse to take action, they will certainly offend the Northern Sage King and Jin Fuyu. But they know better that no matter who is elected as the leader of the martial arts world, it is impossible for them to be enemies with everyone. That is why they dared to change their minds at the last minute. As for releasing this news publicly, it is probably to reassure each other to prevent someone from being sneaky and pretending to obey but secretly disobeying. This time, the Lord of the Palace and Jin Fuyu both suffered a loss, and they were annoyed but helpless."

"Who is it?" Luo Tianjin looked at Liu Xunyi with a serious expression, "What do you think?"

"Those who come with bad intentions will not come." Liu Xunyi murmured, "Everything is just as Second Master said. This incident must not be a coincidence. There must be something strange going on."

"Xun Yi, you should actually be thankful for this incident." Xie Xuan said with a wry smile, "If this news hadn't come so suddenly, the Palace Master wouldn't have ended the purge so quickly."

"This……"

"Forget it!" Luo Tianjin interrupted, "There's no need to talk about the past. The most urgent thing is to solve the trouble at hand. This matter cannot be underestimated. It seems calm and peaceful at the moment, but once the hidden danger breaks out, we will be unprepared and will die without a burial place."

"The mansion master wants to find out who is behind this?" "Even if we die, we must die clearly and not be fooled by others." Luo Tianjin said in a deep voice, "I believe that we are not the only ones who feel like we have something stuck in our throats. Jin Fuyu also feels like a thorn in his side."

When Jin Fu Yu was mentioned, Luo Tianjin's eyes couldn't help but burst out with a fierce murderous intent.

Di Mo's betrayal and Luo Hongxuan's misfortune made him hate Jin Fuyu so much that he wanted to eat his flesh and skin and grind his bones to ashes.

"There are only two months left before the martial arts conference. We thought everything was ready, but unexpectedly someone showed up and ruined everyone's plans." Xie Xuan sighed, "The most difficult thing is that we know nothing about the person behind the scenes. These leaders and family heads only said that they would not take action anymore, but they avoided talking about the reasons behind it. It's really annoying."

"It's not that simple. Who knows if they really want to give up, or if they are just pretending to give up?" Luo Tianjin sneered, "Maybe they are colluding to put on a good show!"

"No way?" Liu Xunyi and Xie Xuan were shocked and said in unison.

"The clouds are rising from the stream and the sun is sinking into the pavilion. The storm is coming." Luo Tianjin said softly, "The closer we get to the martial arts conference, the easier it is to suppress the hidden crisis. During the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, I wanted to take the opportunity to attack Jin Jianwu, but unexpectedly, Jin Fuyu took the lead. The heavy blow has already seriously damaged my vitality, and I don't want it to happen again. Therefore, you must be careful in your actions."

"Yes."

Liu Xunyi changed the subject and asked curiously, "Jinjianwu has hurt us so badly, when does the Palace Master plan to retaliate?"

Luo Tianjin's eyes were cold, and he said coldly: "A little impatience will ruin a big plan. Now is not the best time to take revenge."

"Right now, it is extremely important to find out the mastermind behind this. I don't want a huge force lurking in the martial arts world, and we know nothing about it." Luo Tianjin held his breath and concentrated, saying lightly, "Is it a conspiracy between the six major sects and the four major families? Or is there really a mysterious force behind them? We must be alert and be careful."

"Recently, the Mongols have been unusually quiet, which is not like their style." Xie Xuan interrupted, "We should also be more cautious."

"Xun Yi, when will Ren Wuya arrive?"

"I made an appointment with him to meet at Mount Hua on the eve of the martial arts conference."

"Why so late?" Luo Tianjin frowned, seeming quite dissatisfied.

Liu Xunyi explained, "You don't know, Master. Ren Wuya has gone too far in his training and has to soak in a pool of mercury for nine hours every day to keep his body from rotting. He rushed from the Western Regions to the Central Plains, and he had to have a large bucket of mercury along the way for him to soak day and night, so the time he spent on the road... was also much longer than that of an ordinary person."

"Is there such a thing?" Xie Xuan was surprised. "He can only leave the mercury pool for three hours every day. How can he help the Palace Master?"

"Don't worry, I have discussed it with Master Shen. While Master Shen is rebuilding the Discourse Arena, he will also repair the mountain villas and wing rooms of the former Huashan Sect." Liu Xunyi replied, "By then, in addition to the residences of the Xianwang Mansion, the Golden Sword Dock, the six major sects, and the four major families, there will still be many more guest rooms. I have already reserved a Langyuan for the Jade Dragon Palace in advance, which is adjacent to the Discourse Arena. The journey is only an incense stick's time, and three hours is enough for the Palace Master to come and go freely."

"You are prepared for a rainy day and act in a thorough manner. Very good!" Luo Tianjin nodded with satisfaction, and then reminded, "Don't mention what happened tonight to others, so as not to cause unnecessary panic."

"Yes! I just don't know...what should we do now?"

"Wait!" Luo Tianjin uttered a word lightly, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he was dozing off.

"Wait?" Hearing this, Liu Xunyi and Xie Xuan looked at each other and asked at the same time, "Wait for what?"

"Wait until the fox reveals its tail!"

……

(End of this chapter)