Chapter 169: Knowing There Are Tigers in the Mountains

It was truly unexpected that the first person we laid eyes on upon returning to Yangcheng would be Lingzhu.

This Heavenly Mystery Maiden had previously stayed at Huaping Manor to guard her mother-in-law's tomb, practically never leaving the place. Now, her appearance in this alleyway was undoubtedly tied to the Martial Alliance.

Lingzhu was evidently overjoyed. She even removed her mask and said, "Suye, Liuying, you really are here. I caught your scent and tracked you down! Yangcheng is far too dangerous right now, I can't believe you came back like this. Sister Liuying, don't worry, Family Head Jiang is completely safe."

Hearing her words, Jiang Liuying immediately stepped forward to grab Lingzhu's small hand, saying with gratitude, "Thank you so much! Do you know where my dad is? Take me to see him quickly—you don't need to be so polite with me anymore, stop calling me Sister Liuying, just call me Liuying."

Lingzhu nodded. Possessing only half-human blood, though she appeared to be a young girl of thirteen or fourteen, she had actually lived for over a century. Calling Jiang Liuying her elder sister was indeed rather inappropriate. She said in a deep voice:

"Don't be anxious, let me tell you what happened."

Suppressing the tumultuous emotions in his heart, Suye said to the two of them, "Let's not talk here. Let's find a safe place!"

Before long, they found a small inn and rented a room directly.

The front desk receptionist glanced at Suye—standing on his left was the delicate and stunning Jiang Liuying, while on his right stood... well, wasn't that some kind of monster straight out of mythology? This pairing of extreme beauty and beast was quite an eccentric taste.

Enduring these strange looks, Suye led the two of them up to the room.

Without waiting for questions, Lingzhu quickly explained: "Two weeks ago, I heard servants at the Jiang residence say that Family Head Jiang had gotten into trouble. Not long after, he brought some people back, but he was severely injured. The people from the Martial Alliance had originally come as well, but they left shortly after. Once Family Head Jiang woke up, he gathered all the martial artists that very night and marched straight to the headquarters of the Martial Alliance to launch an attack..."

At this point, Lingzhu seemed to recall the brutal tragedy of that night and smoothly skipped past the details, continuing, "The Jiang family paid a heavy price. While organizing an expedition to the legendary Thunder City to rescue you two, Family Head Jiang was simultaneously seeking revenge against Alliance Leader Ouyang!

I cast a divination for you and knew you were still alive, and that a 'heaven-defying opportunity' would appear... Oh, this 'defying heaven' refers to what we usually call 'man can conquer nature.' I figured you would break out of your predicament very soon.

However, Family Head Jiang was heavily injured in the battles of a few days ago. Having no other choice, he left Yangcheng along with the steward, a group of martial artists, and some of Ouyang Yunfeng's subordinates. They transferred out and arrived in Mordu three days ago. By now, both the Jiang residence and Huaping Manor are completely empty."

"They all went to Mordu?" Suye furrowed his brows deeply. He hadn't expected the situation to be so dire that even Jiang Ziyang had to personally evacuate everyone to Mordu. Just how gruesome and bloody had things been back then?

If that was the case, they would need to head to Mordu immediately as well.

"Yes! They are all in Mordu! But Young Alliance Leader Ouyang Yunfeng didn't manage to escape. He was apparently gravely injured, and he completely broke ties with the Martial Alliance. Because of this uproar kicked up by the young alliance leader, the Martial Alliance itself has fallen into chaos! I hear he is currently imprisoned within the Martial Alliance, and over the next two days, the alliance will hold a grand assembly to publicly strip Ouyang Yunfeng of all his titles and rights."

Seeing the two silent listeners, Lingzhu lowered her voice and added, "We were all hunted down by martial artists of the Martial Alliance. I managed to escape, and recognizing your scent, I realized you were here, which is why I tracked you down."

Hearing this, both Suye and Jiang Liuying felt an oppressive weight settling in their chests, making it hard to breathe. They never imagined such horrifying events could transpire in just these short days. How had Ouyang Yunfeng, previously radiating boundless glory, suddenly plummeted into the status of a prisoner?

Indeed, human calculations can never match the turns of fate! Who could have ever foreseen such an ending?

Simultaneously, Suye and Jiang Liuying felt a lingering sense of shock. Thank goodness the Heavenly Mystery Maiden Lingzhu had informed Jiang Ziyang that the two of them were still alive; otherwise, Jiang Ziyang might well have gone completely mad, even attempting to perish together with Ouyang Yi.

Perhaps this could be considered a tiny spark of fortune amidst a sea of misfortune!

***

"Thank you for your hard work..." Jiang Liuying said gratefully. Noticing that Suye's mood seemed somewhat despondent, she added, "Lingzhu, your nose is truly sharp; you could even sniff out our scents."

Lingzhu smiled shyly, touching her rather flattened nose, and replied, "Actually, it's not much of a skill. As long as I've crossed paths with someone once, I can almost always distinguish their aura. As long as they aren't too far away, I can track their exact location by their scent."

Suddenly clenching his fist, Suye declared in a resolute tone, "I'm going to rescue him!"

This declaration startled both Jiang Liuying and Lingzhu. After a brief moment of shock, Jiang Liuying wore a faint, bittersweet smile as if she had expected it, and whispered, "Suye, Lingzhu, there's nothing left for us in Yangcheng. We're heading to Mordu right away to find my dad! We leave now, immediately!"

Unmoved, Suye raised his voice a notch and said firmly, "I am going to save Ouyang Yunfeng!"

Jiang Liuying's composure instantly shattered. Tears streamed down her face as she practically roared at Suye, "Are you out of your mind? That's the Martial Alliance! How do you plan to save him? If you go there, you're just throwing your life away! No matter what, Ouyang Yunfeng is Ouyang Yi's son—he will absolutely not be killed! What on earth are you going to save him from?"

Suye's entire body trembled. He knew his own strength was far too insignificant. With his current cultivation at the sixth tier of the Qi Gathering realm, he was confident he could fight martial artists at the peak of the ninth tier of the Qi Gathering realm without losing. He could defeat one, perhaps even ten, but what about a hundred? The entire Martial Alliance unquestionably possessed far more than just that many people!

When pitted against the entirety of the Martial Alliance, an individual's power appeared utterly negligible.

Moreover, Jiang Liuying's concerns were entirely valid. If someone of Ouyang Yunfeng's stature was incapable of extricating himself, Suye rushing over alone would accomplish precisely nothing.

Yet, in the end, Suye shook his head and uttered each word with absolute finality: "He saved my life before, and we have shared life-and-death trials together! Now that he has fallen into misfortune, how could I possibly stand idly by? I must go save him!"

Jiang Liuying stared blankly at him for a moment before wiping away her tears. She spoke in an equally resolute voice, "Fine! If you go, I go too! The young alliance leader's current predicament is inextricably tied to our Jiang family; I cannot simply sit by and do nothing. I managed to break out of Thunder City—why should I fear some petty Martial Alliance assembly?"

With those words spoken, neither of them said anything more.

As the saying goes: Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, one insists on walking the tiger's path! This time, even if the road ahead was fraught with mortal peril, they would forge ahead with unwavering resolve.

However, Suye and Jiang Liuying were not merely relying on hot-headed impulse. They knew they needed to rendezvous with others; otherwise, relying solely on the two of them, they wouldn't even manage to step through the gates of the Martial Alliance assembly.

Upon further inquiry with Lingzhu, they learned that a faction of Jiang family martial artists had indeed been left behind. The cleanup operation was being handled by Uncle Zhong along with several martial artists who usually kept a low profile—numbering over thirty people in total.

Additionally, some of Ouyang Yunfeng's loyal friends were devising ways to rescue him, the most steadfast among them being "Steel Bar," who had formerly served in the Martial Troops.

Jiang Liuying suggested joining forces with them, which would significantly increase their chances of success.

First, they used their cell phones to contact Uncle Zhong and Steel Bar. Afterward, they filled their stomachs, washed up at the inn, and changed into clean clothes.

Just as they were about to head out, Suye suddenly remembered something. He picked up his newly charged phone, scrolled down his contact list, and found a name labeled: "Guide Yu Tianhua."

Suye still held a deep impression of Yu Tianhua. Back when he visited Jiu Yanyue's home, he had encountered Guide Yu Tianhua for the first time, and Yu Tianhua had even offered to take him on as a disciple back then!

If not for the "Spirit Cultivation Hall" guide membership card Yu Tianhua had given him, he never could have become a guide within the Spirit Cultivation Hall itself. Right now, Yu Tianhua was probably the only person who could offer him genuine assistance.

The moment the call connected, Suye lowered his voice slightly and said, "Hello, Master Yu. I am Suye. Do you remember me?"

***

"Suye? Haha, of course I remember! I heard about the trouble the Jiang family ran into these past few days. Are you holding up alright?" Yu Tianhua's aged voice came through the phone.

Never expecting Yu Tianhua to be aware of the incident, Suye did not hesitate and spoke in a low voice, "Thank you for your concern! I am now earnestly asking for Master Yu's help. I, Suye, will never forget this immense kindness."

"There is no need for such formalities. I had a feeling you would call me. However, I am currently in Mordu, attending the guide qualification evaluations these past few days, and I simply cannot break away! How about this: I will recommend someone to you. If you can persuade him to help, dealing with all the troubles in Yangcheng will be as easy as turning over a hand. I'll text you the address. Whether you can secure his assistance depends entirely on your own capability." Yu Tianhua sounded genuinely occupied, as many voices could be heard calling out to him in the background.

"Alright! Thank you very much!"

After exchanging a couple more polite remarks, Suye hung up the phone. Within a minute, an address arrived in his text messages. A wave of emotion washed over him—back then, he had turned down Yu Tianhua's invitation to become a disciple, yet now he was proactively seeking his favor and help.

It seemed his own strength remained far, far too weak. If the opportunity presented itself, he would undoubtedly have to build a truly formidable faction of his own.

After ending the call, Suye said gravely to Jiang Liuying:

"You guys go ahead and rendezvous with Uncle Zhong. I need to go try and find someone—perhaps they can be of use."

Without offering further explanation, he simply told the two young women not to worry and hurriedly stepped out the door.

"Hey, Suye! Where are you going? Come back!"

Jiang Liuying stamped her foot in sheer exasperation. How could Suye just walk off alone at a time like this? Whether he was going to seek out some mysterious person or blindly court danger at the Martial Alliance assembly all by himself, neither choice was wise.

Lingzhu offered words of comfort: "You don't need to worry about him; he won't act recklessly."

"Hah! Forget it, you actually expect him not to be reckless?" Jiang Liuying puffed out her cheeks in anger. She never imagined that after enduring so much together with Suye, he still had secrets he kept from her.

"Let's go! We're meeting up with Uncle Zhong! Then we're heading straight to the Martial Alliance assembly! I refuse to believe Ouyang Yi can cover the sky with just one hand!"