Chapter 885: Mutual Fear
"Escape in one piece?" Qingfeng seemed to have heard a huge joke, and looked at Yun Zhuiyue with contempt and mockery. "Did I hear you right? Back then in the Xianwang Mansion, I promised to let Zhao Yuan go, which was already a favor to you. Now, not only are you ungrateful, but you are going even further and threatening me to let Liu Xunyi go? Yun Zhuiyue, you made such a greedy and insatiable request. Do you really think that I am a soft persimmon and you can let me get ahead of you? What's more, I have already issued a 'Jianghu Killing Order' to all heroes in the world. If it ends in failure, do you think I still have a chance to escape in one piece?"

"The leader of the Qingfeng Alliance is a smart man. He should understand that this is a different time..."

"Impossible!" Facing the eloquent Yun Zhuiyue, Qingfeng could no longer suppress his anger. He waved his hand and shouted, "Although your high-handed talk just now makes some sense, I am definitely not a coward, nor a person who curries favor with the powerful. On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month last year, I solemnly warned you. If you dare to go back on your word, I will destroy Longxiang Mountain to the ground even if I have to sacrifice the century-old reputation of Wudang Sect! Yun Zhuiyue, you'd better not challenge my bottom line, otherwise I will make you regret it."

Qingfeng's words were sonorous and powerful, his eyes were as firm as a rock, and his attitude was unquestionable, as if he had already made plans for the worst.

"Are you scaring me?" Yun Zhuiyue's eyes turned cold and his tone became increasingly unfriendly.

"No, I'm just reminding you!" Qingfeng used his own method to fight back, "Don't forget that it wasn't just me who put Luo Tianjin to death. You also contributed."

"hiss!"

When Qingfeng said this, Yun Zhuiyue, who was feeling the chill, was stunned for a moment. The energy that had quietly gathered in his palms instantly dissipated, and his eyes gradually changed from the initial fierceness to confusion.

Seeing this, Qingfeng understood what he meant, raised a sly smile at the corner of his mouth, and teased: "From your appearance... you probably haven't told Teng Sanshi and Xiao Zhirou about this. They have been kept in the dark by you, and still don't know that Luo Tianjin's death... has a lot to do with you. It's not surprising, the Teng clan leader is upright, hates evil, and never tolerates any sand in his eyes. Xiao Zhirou and Luo Tianjin are even more entangled in love and hate... If they knew that you also appeared in the Xianwang Mansion on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month last year... I wonder if they are willing to continue to be tied to the same rope with you?"

Yun Zhuiyue's mood gradually became complicated and heavy after Qingfeng hit the nail on the head.

Yun Zhuiyue kept silent because he was worried that Teng Sanshi and Xiao Zhirou would not be able to accept the real cause of Luo Tianjin's death. Especially Xiao Zhirou, after Luo Tianjin's death, Yun Zhuiyue tried his best to ease the relationship between the two. He really didn't want to destroy his hard-earned "happiness" because of a dead person.

"You are so cruel, old fox!" Yun Zhuiyue stared at Qingfeng coldly and said in a deep voice, "Stop talking nonsense! How about we both make concessions on this matter?"

"Let's each give in a little?" Qing Feng frowned, not quite understanding, "How do we give in?"

"No one needs to mention Luo Tianjin's matter anymore. From today on, I will no longer threaten you to let Liu Xunyi go, and you... don't stop us from protecting him." Yun Zhuiyue said quietly, "You do your thing, I do mine, we don't interfere with each other, and we win or lose based on our own abilities. Of course, we will only protect you in secret and won't openly oppose you, so as to give some face to the 'Master of the Martial World'. You also shouldn't exaggerate that we are birds of a feather with Liu Xunyi, and you can't demote Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley to 'Public Enemies of the Martial World'. At least... before the dust settles on Liu Xunyi's life and death, everyone should go their own way and not bother each other."

Qingfeng pondered the conditions proposed by Yun Zhuiyue while cautiously testing: "If I don't agree, what can you do?"

"If you don't agree, you won't give us a chance to live." Yun Zhuiyue's eyes narrowed as she spoke word by word, "If you don't let us live, we won't let you have an easy life either. At worst... we'll die together."

Feeling the strong killing intent emanating from Yun Zhuiyue, Qingfeng couldn't help but feel nervous. He knew that being able to force Yun Zhuiyue to this point and make him say the words "die together" showed that he had already tested his bottom line. If he insisted on his own opinion, he was afraid that the fight would really end in a loss for both sides.

To Qingfeng, the status and honor of being a martial arts master and the supreme ruler of the world made him disdain to fight to the death with Yun Zhuiyue.

“Even if I agree to your request, I am afraid that I cannot protect Liu Xunyi with only Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley. After all, there are so many heroes in the world, and there are countless people who want to kill him. You can’t defend yourself.”

"You don't have to worry about this section. If we are not as skilled as our opponents, we will accept our defeat with all our heart."

"For a little Liu Xunyi, you are willing to take such a big risk. Is it really worth it?" At this point, Qingfeng's eyes quietly flashed with a cunning look, "Are you protecting Liu Xunyi for your own protection? Or... is there another hidden reason?"

Hearing this, Yun Zhuiyue's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface, he remained calm and said calmly, "We are not willing to take risks, but we must be on guard against others. After all, the world is treacherous and people's hearts are unpredictable. There are some things we cannot help but think about, and some people... we must also be on guard against them."

"Saint Lord Yun should understand that facing the tight net of the martial arts world and the imperial court, it is only a matter of time before Liu Xunyi dies." Qingfeng said in a secretive manner, "I am not exaggerating, I am just reminding you kindly. With the conditions you proposed today, you will be safe for a short period of time, but once Liu Xunyi dies, your fate... may not be very good."

"Even if we keep to ourselves and hide in a corner, can we have a good ending?" Yun Zhuiyue asked instead, "Qingfeng Alliance Leader, ask yourself, can you and your daughter really tolerate Yun and Xiaogu Master living in the world safely?" Yun Zhuiyue's shrewdness and decisiveness were far more powerful than Qingfeng expected. Seeing that he was determined and unwilling to fall into the trap, Qingfeng gradually gave up the idea of ​​"persuading surrender" and pondered, "Since you and I are afraid of each other, no one needs to be hypocritical. I... can agree to your conditions, as long as Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley no longer openly oppose me, I can not pursue the crime of protecting Liu Xunyi, and I will not use the power of "Wulin Alliance Leader" to suppress and exclude Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley. But you can only protect in secret, you cannot interfere with others' punishment of evil and evil, and you cannot retaliate and threaten. For example, what happened today... I don't want it to happen again."

"I can only promise you that I will not cause any more bloodshed in the future. But if Liu Xunyi is imprisoned, we will not stand idly by, and we will not show mercy."

"Let's stop for now. If other sects find out that you and Liu Xunyi are having an affair, I, as the leader of the martial arts world, will not turn a blind eye, let alone protect them. By then, all the conditions we have agreed on... will be wiped out and no longer exist."

"No problem!" Yun Zhuiyue agreed happily.

"In fact, I still have some confusion about what happened today." Qingfeng weighed the pros and cons again and again, and finally expressed his confusion, "Even if you protect Liu Xunyi for your own protection, assassinating the Deputy Privy Envoy... is a bit too much. Xiao Zhirou's action... seems to have exceeded the scope of 'protection'?"

"This……"

Seeing Qingfeng's relentless pursuit of Xiao Zhirou and Liu Xunyi's "relationship", Yun Zhuiyue couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After all, today's events happened suddenly. The appearance of Xiao Zhirou, Teng Sanshi, Yun Zhuiyue and even Qingfeng were all coincidences. No one had thought it through or made full preparations. Everyone was acting according to the circumstances and responding to each move as it came.

Therefore, when faced with some unexpected inquiries, one may be exposed if one is not careful. One has to be extremely cautious and careful to avoid a disaster caused by a slip of the tongue.

Today, the relationship between Xiao Zhirou and Liu Xunyi was about to be exposed several times, and each time it was saved at a critical moment. It is no exaggeration to say that there is only a thin layer of window paper between lies and the truth. As long as Yun Zhuiyue makes a mistake, all the previous efforts will be wasted and the fog will clear.

Only then will there be no end to the problem.

Yun Zhuiyue knew this very well, but Qingfeng...did he really have no idea?
“Since the leader of Qingfeng has revealed everything, I…will simply stop lying.” At this moment, Yun Zhuiyue was in a state of confusion. His mind was racing, but his words were slow and measured. “In fact, we not only want to protect Liu Xunyi, but also…want to win him over and use him for our own benefit.”

"To win over?" Qingfeng raised his eyebrows, half believing and half doubting Yun Zhuiyue's explanation. "This boy has a lot of blood debts and is now the target of public criticism. To recruit him for your own use would be to invite trouble."

"Qingfeng leader should know a thing or two about the rules of our sect. Longxiang Mountain will not refuse anyone who has reached the end of his rope and nowhere else to go." Yun Zhuiyue said calmly, "From the Holy Lord and the Four Dharma Protectors on Longxiang Mountain to the Ten Impermanences and the Hundred Dragon Elephant Envoys, which one of them has not killed many people? Which one of them has not been the target of public criticism? Which one of them has not owed a lot of blood debts? In my opinion, Liu Xunyi is both civil and martial, brave and resourceful, and is undoubtedly a rare talent. Since I am far away in Dali, I cannot do many things myself, so I beg Master Xiao to come out and show favor to Liu Xunyi on my behalf. If you want to subdue a person, you must first subdue his heart. Assassinating the Deputy Privy Envoy is to complete Liu Xunyi's unfinished business and make him grateful to us."

“So that’s how it is!” Qingfeng’s old eyes narrowed slightly, quietly examining Yun Zhuiyue who was trying to justify himself. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he surprisingly did not ask any further questions, pretending to be nonchalant and said, “I advise Saint Yun to never recruit Liu Xunyi into Longxiang Mountain. Once he becomes a disciple of Longxiang Mountain, Patriarch Teng and I… will not be able to explain to the heroes of the world.”

"I understand!" Yun Zhuiyue breathed a sigh of relief, "I won't be greedy and make things difficult for Chief Teng and Leader Qingfeng."

"That's great!" Qingfeng's expression relaxed and he nodded gently, "Then what about today..."

"What happened today was just a misunderstanding. I'd like to trouble the Qingfeng League to keep the Wudang and Xianwang Mansion disciples quiet and not let them spread rumors. As for Patriarch Teng and Valley Master Xiao... I'll explain myself."

Qingfeng looked at the two groups of people who were confronting each other, and then cast a meaningful look at Yun Zhuiyue who was confident. He was silent for a long time before he said meaningfully: "Liu Xunyi is a star of misfortune. No one who gets involved with him will have a good ending. You... take care of yourselves."

……

(End of this chapter)