"You're really planning to surrender?" Jia Tianlong sounded somewhat surprised.
"We're surrendering, alright, but as for which side surrenders to which — that's still up in the air!" Sect Master Wang narrowed his eyes slightly, resting his hand casually on his sword hilt as he spoke slowly.
"What do you mean by that?" Jia Tianlong's face darkened. He then waved his hand in an encircling gesture, and the iron guards behind him immediately surged forward in a semicircular formation, surrounding Wang Juechu. At the same time, they drew heavy crossbows from their backs, leveling the cold, greenish gleaming bolt tips squarely at the man.
It was clear that one order from Jia Tianlong, and they would unleash a hail of bolts without hesitation, cutting down Wang Juechu on the spot.
"Did you really think that after our sect moved its headquarters to Sunset Peak, we never once considered the possibility of an outside invasion we couldn't repel?" Sect Master Wang regarded the crossbows as though they didn't exist, his tone carrying a sinister edge of menace.
Hearing this, Jia Tianlong felt his heart sink slightly, a vague sense of foreboding stirring in his mind. He didn't interrupt, merely maintaining his grim expression, wanting to hear what the other had to say.
"The sect master who relocated our sect here was the seventh generation sect master, Li. He was not only a man of great vision and ambition, but also a master of engineering and mechanical arts — a true prodigy of his era." At this point, Sect Master Wang paused briefly, a look of genuine admiration crossing his face.
Then he continued:
"Master Li chose Sunset Peak as our headquarters for two reasons. First, the peak's terrain is treacherous — easy to defend and hard to attack, making it a perfect stronghold. Second, deep within the peak lies a naturally formed giant limestone cavern of enormous proportions. This cavern is staggeringly vast, occupying nearly two-thirds of the entire interior of Sunset Peak. Upon discovering this marvel, Master Li conceived a plan. Using his expertise in engineering and construction, combined with the cavern's natural layout, he transformed the entire peak into a massive natural trap. Now, if someone activates the mechanisms set in advance, the entire peak will immediately collapse, burying everyone on it right here."
After finishing, Sect Master Wang fell silent, sweeping his cold, deathly gaze across the dense crowd before him.
Jia Tianlong was momentarily stunned after hearing this. He naturally didn't believe the other's claims, but in that instant, he couldn't think of how to counter this threat.
The other people on the peak who had heard these words clearly couldn't help but stir restlessly. They whispered among themselves, and the more quick-witted ones had already begun edging toward the sole path down the mountain, ready to sprint down at the first sign of trouble.
"Silence! Anyone who moves or causes a commotion will be killed without mercy!"
Jia Tianlong quickly recovered his composure. Seeing that his own people were actually growing agitated based on nothing more than the enemy's word, he felt a surge of anger. He knew that if he didn't put a stop to it immediately, the situation would spiral out of control. Without hesitation, he barked out a ruthless order.
Jia Tianlong's command was efficiently carried out by his trusted subordinates. After several people who had tried to flee in cowardice were cut down on the spot, the rest were thoroughly cowed, and the unrest subsided.
But Jia Tianlong understood well that this calm was merely superficial and temporary. If he couldn't quickly prove the other's words to be lies, then whether it was members of his own gang or those from allied factions, none would stay put willingly. At the slightest hint of danger, they would all bolt.
"You don't seriously expect us to believe you based on nothing but your word!" Jia Tianlong suppressed his fury, preparing to personally expose the other's bluff.
"Of course not. I have plenty of evidence for you to see with your own eyes. But listen carefully — if anyone, after witnessing my proof, attempts to flee or continue the attack, I will have the mechanisms activated and we'll all go down together!" Wang Juechu's words were drenched in killing intent, his threat unmistakable.
Jia Tianlong studied the other's expression closely, searching for any sign of a crack. Unfortunately, the man across from him maintained the same icy face throughout — not a single tell, not the slightest hint of guilt.
This made Jia Tianlong wonder: could it be that the other wasn't bluffing? Was there really such a devastating trap?
"Activate Mechanism Two!" Wang Juechu suddenly turned toward the main hall and shouted the order.
Then he turned his head away and began staring fixedly at a smaller stone hall, completely ignoring Jia Tianlong.
Jia Tianlong, seeing himself so openly disregarded, was furious. He forced down his rage and silently made a resolve: if the other's evidence failed to satisfy him, he would immediately order this Wang sect master riddled with bolts until he resembled a human-shaped pincushion.
However, Wang Juechu's strange fixation on that stone hall also drew the attention of the Wild Wolf Gang's people. They couldn't help but direct their gazes there as well, wondering what could possibly happen.
While the members of the Wild Wolf Gang were growing increasingly uneasy, no one noticed that at the outer edge of the dense crowd, two figures wearing Duanshui Gate's attire had their heads bowed, whispering quietly to each other.
"Han Li, do you think what our sect master said is true or false? Could this massive Fallen Phoenix Peak really be hollow inside? I've been here several times before and never noticed anything unusual!"
"Could it be that Sect Master Wang is just trying to deceive them, to buy time?"
"Or maybe..."
One young man bombarded the silent youth beside him with a stream of words, clearly desperate for his companion to shed some light on the mystery.
These two were none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, who had originally been heading toward Elder Li's quarters.
(Readers, if you're enjoying this story, don't forget to add it to your collection)
(End of Chapter)