"How did it go?" Yun waited outside, grinning as Su Luo emerged.
"It's doable. They're all talent."
"I took a quick glance from afar, and none of them seem to be better than you."
"Flattery doesn’t work on me."
"I'm telling the truth."
"Then keep it coming."
"Our Su Luo is wise and mighty, with an extraordinary aura and unfathomable power..."
Although it was all flattery, Su Luo, who initially dismissed it, gradually began to feel it wasn't so bad after all.
It seems everyone loves a good compliment.
As Su Luo took a few steps forward, Cui Baiquan caught up with him.
"Su Luo, please wait."
"What is it?"
"Of course, there’s something. Let’s talk in private."
Certain matters require a more discreet conversation.
Su Luo understood Cui Baiquan’s intentions but saw no need for it.
"No need. She is my most trusted subordinate. Just say it here."
Truth be told, Su Luo didn’t care much. He didn’t know what Cui Baiquan wanted from him, as it hadn’t happened before, but it likely wasn’t anything significant.
Seeing that Su Luo had made his stance clear, Cui Baiquan got straight to the point: "Let’s join forces."
"Join forces?"
"With our combined strength, there’s no doubt we can rise to prominence in the Heavenly Demon Sect."
"Oh, why choose me to partner with?"
"To be honest, I’ve had enough of my current status. Qing Bukuang has always looked down on me. I feel like being one of the Seven Sons has made my life worse than before."
The "worse" here isn’t about resources but about dignity.
Being one of the Seven Sons improves one’s treatment in every aspect, but unfortunately, Qing Bukuang is the leader of the Seven Sons, and Cui Baiquan has been constantly bullied and oppressed since his promotion. It’s frustrating, but he has no choice but to endure, as he’s no match for Qing Bukuang.
However, Su Luo’s arrival has given him hope. Su Luo exudes confidence from within, implying he possesses extraordinary strength.
In fact, Su Luo had shown a glimpse of his power, which immediately sparked Cui Baiquan’s desire to collaborate.
The opportunity is fleeting, so Cui Baiquan seized it right away.
With eager eyes, Cui Baiquan looked at Su Luo, hoping that with Su Luo on his side, along with Shan Guai, they could rival the other Seven Sons and no longer have to endure Qing Bukuang’s intimidation.
"The offer is tempting, but I decline."
"Why? It’s beneficial for you too. Don’t you think Qing Bukuang will let you off the hook after what you did today?"
"Hmph, enough said. I’ll handle my own affairs. As for you? To be honest, you’re not even as good as my subordinate."
With that, Su Luo walked away, not wasting any more time.
"You’ll regret this!" Cui Baiquan persisted, for this was indeed a good opportunity.
Even if they failed, he could just surrender and betray Su Luo, which would cost him his position but still leave him better off than before. If they succeeded, however, the stakes were higher.
Su Luo ignored him and left.
Yun asked, "Su Luo, is Qing Bukuang going to come after you?"
"Not necessarily, but it’s about eighty percent likely."
"Do you need me to do anything?" Yun suddenly asked.
"What can you do?"
"Just say the word, and I’ll kill Qing Bukuang for you, once and for all."
"You’re being a bit extreme, aren’t you? And with that serious face of yours, I almost believed it. You’re talking about killing Qing Bukuang? Why not aim higher and try to take out the Demon Lord?"
"Taking care of your worries is my duty, Su Luo. The Demon Lord might be a bit difficult, but Qing Bukuang is within reach."
"Alright, alright. With a subordinate like you, I feel at ease. Don’t worry, I trust you, but it’s not necessary."
Well, ever since learning that Yun was sent by the Seven Stars Sword Sect, Su Luo could barely trust them a little.
After all, in Su Luo’s eyes, the people from the Seven Stars Sword Sect were far better than those from the Heavenly Demon Sect.
To Su Luo, Yun’s actions seemed like an attempt to gain his trust by overperforming.
"Su Luo, thank you." Yun suddenly spoke with a serious tone.
"For what?"
"It’s another matter."
"What?"
"A secret." Yun winked at Su Luo seductively.
"Stop flirting. It doesn’t suit you."
Though Yun didn’t understand what "flirting" meant, she understood Su Luo’s intention from his tone.
Even with her excellent self-control, Nangong Xiyun couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. What do you mean it doesn’t suit me? Just wait until I show my true face, and you’ll be treating me differently!
But in the end, she managed to hold her composure.
...
At the Seven Stars Sword Sect, after reading through her diary, Li Siyi felt the gravity of the situation.
Changes needed to be made.
She was beginning to understand that Su Luo’s plot only required a general framework, and other minor characters were indeed insignificant.
So she decided to save the Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect.
And so, she directly approached the Sect Master.
"You say a beast army is attacking the Cloud Smoke Sect? That’s normal, though it’s just a minor skirmish." The Sect Master dismissed it as usual.
It wasn’t the first time the Cloud Smoke Sect had encountered a beast army.
Li Siyi might not know, but the Sect Master was well aware that the South Continent wouldn’t have a particularly strong beast army.
In the South Continent of the cultivation world, there are three major sects, while the North Continent has only one, the universally acknowledged strongest Emperor Heaven Sect.
In fact, the origin of the Emperor Heaven Sect is closely tied to the beast army.
A long time ago, the North Continent was home to many sects, each vying for dominance.
However, during a certain period, the beast army suddenly rose to prominence, with a super-powerful leader emerging, driving the human race to the brink of extinction.
Eventually, out of sheer necessity, all the sects were forced to unite to fight against the beast army.
Over time, this union formed the present-day Emperor Heaven Sect.
As for the beast army, they were blocked in the North by the Emperor Heaven Sect.
Therefore, there’s no entity in the South Continent capable of killing the Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect.
Seeing the Sect Master’s disbelief, Li Siyi grew anxious: "No, this time it’s serious. If nothing is done, the Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect will definitely die."
"Where did you get this information?" Taking Li Siyi’s seriousness into account, the Sect Master paid a bit more attention.
"From Su Luo."
"If you’re talking about things related to the Heavenly Demon Sect, I might believe you, but what does the beast army have to do with Su Luo?"
"Su Luo obtained this information from the intelligence network of the Heavenly Demon Sect, which is far stronger than ours."
"Hmm, I’ll look into it."
While saying that, the Sect Master remained skeptical.
Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely dismissive, but the idea was just too far-fetched. The beast army in the South Continent hasn’t produced a formidable leader in a long time, let alone someone capable of killing the Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect.
At that moment, someone entered to report.
"Sect Master, the Cloud Smoke Sect is under attack from a beast army. They are requesting support."
Wait, the beast army attacking the Cloud Smoke Sect is actually true, but it shouldn’t be enough to kill the Sect Master, right? After all, that’s the Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect.
Then, in the next second, he received a message from Nangong Xiyun.
The message was roughly the same as what Li Siyi had said.
The Sect Master of the Cloud Smoke Sect is in danger!
Nangong Xiyun had a similar thought to Li Siyi, wanting to preserve the Cloud Smoke Sect during the unfolding of the plot.
Otherwise, if they didn’t intervene, Nangong Xiyun alone could obliterate the beast army.
After reading the message, the Sect Master had no choice but to believe it.
"Notify everyone, all elders and above, to gather immediately."