Chapter 92 — Dead End
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 7
Jin Pingyue smiled faintly. "You are truly forgetful, Uncle. Some days ago, when you learned that I had come to the Dead Marsh, you feared our Enchantress Sect would contend with you for the treasure. So you had disciples of the Wan Du Sect killed and seized their secret poison, 'Black Toad Powder,' and with that poison you murdered four of my Enchantress Sect disciples north of Dawang Village. Is that not so?"
Yuyang Zi's face changed. He blurted, "How did you..." He caught himself halfway and fell silent.
Jin Pingyue said blandly, "Uncle, you are farsighted indeed. To set our Enchantress Sect and the Wan Du Sect at each other's throats—clever, truly clever. Fortunately Senior Brother Qin Wujiu is a reasonable man and investigated carefully, and the truth finally came out. Otherwise we really would have been made your victims!"
Qin Wujiu smiled from the side. "What is the fairy saying? To be of service to you is my honor."
Yuyang Zi's thoughts raced. The situation now was fraught with peril on every side. These two were young, but in recent years their names had thundered across the world—they were no easy opponents. And behind them the shadows were thick; though none had yet shown themselves, it was likely that the main forces of the Wan Du Sect and the Enchantress Sect lay hidden in ambush. If so, his prospects tonight were truly dire.
As Yuyang Zi's thoughts churned, he suddenly heard a stir among the disciples behind him, as if they had glimpsed something dreadful. He spun around—and at the sight, the blood drained from his face. There on their only path of retreat, out of the darkness, the expressionless Ming Li came slowly walking.
In that instant, as his thoughts turned over, Yuyang Zi understood. Despair finally took him. He laughed bitterly. "So the three of you had an agreement all along—to join hands against my Changsheng Hall. And I, fool that I am, thought to set you against one another. The mantis stalks the cicada, but you were the oriole behind!"
Qin Wujiu smiled faintly, then suddenly raised his voice. "Disciples of the Changsheng Hall, you have seen for yourselves. Tonight the Changsheng Hall's time is done. Those of you with sense, come over to our side now, and you may yet keep your lives."
At his words, behind Qin Wujiu, Jin Pingyue, and Ming Li, shadows stirred. Out of the darkness poured countless figures armed with magic treasures and blades, encircling Yuyang Zi and all his people in a tight ring.
The night wind blew softly. A hero at the end of his road!
The Changsheng Hall disciples looked at one another. By now everyone could see that to fight on was to walk the road to death. Surrounded by the three great factions of the demonic cult, at the end of their resources, what hope of survival could there be?
Yuyang Zi's heart sank. Sure enough, within moments someone shouted, "I surrender! I surrender!" and came running out, dashing toward Qin Wujiu.
Once one man led the way, the crowd was swayed. In moments almost all of them had run out—after all, no one willingly waits to die. Yuyang Zi was both shocked and furious, shouting again and again for them to stop, but at this pass between life and death, who still had regard for him? More and more Changsheng Hall disciples fled. The situation had spun beyond control and could no longer be halted.
Fury filled Yuyang Zi's chest, and a savage light came into his eyes. With a great roar he leaped into the crowd, seized a Changsheng Hall disciple by the collar, and would have made an example of him by killing him on the spot. At the sight, the crowd let out a shout and only ran the faster—save the unlucky wretch in his grip, whose legs had gone weak with terror.