Chapter 26

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Chapter 26: The Night Talk (2)

     

Under the same night sky, within the Piaomiao Sect, the Assembly Hall was also devoid of sleep.

     

Inside the Assembly Hall at night, numerous thick candles, the size of children’s arms, were lit, illuminating the chamber as brightly as day.

     

Compared to the bustling atmosphere during the day, there were only six people in the Assembly Hall at this moment.

     

Indeed, there were six, the Piaomiao Six Tigers, who were renowned in the Jianghu.

     

Ou Peng still sat in the seat of the Sect Master, with First Elder Hu Yunyi and Second Elder Li Jian to his left and Fourth Elder Shangguan Feng, Fifth Elder Liu Qingyang, and Sixth Elder Xu Peihua to his right.

     

First Elder Hu was a sturdy middle-aged man, dressed very simply, even a bit old-fashioned. At first glance, he often gave people the impression of being a seasoned farmer. His appearance was also ordinary, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Summoned back by the urgent call of the sect, he showed no signs of anxious inquiry, calmly sipping the clear tea in his hand.

     

The Second Elder Li Jian was a tall, thin-faced man, dressed in a green robe, holding a sword in his hand, resting it on his knee. His face was full of indifference, giving off an aura of aloofness, living up to his name. At this moment, Li Jian had also lowered his head and squinted his eyes, lost in thought.

     

On the opposite side, Liu Qingyang, the fifth elder, was a short, fat man, dressed even more shabbily, even showing black chest hair on his chest. Two large broadaxes were placed at his feet, and on the table beside him was not tea, but a small jug of wine. His demeanor was truly mismatched with his name.

     

At this moment, he lifted the small jug and took a sip, occasionally rolling his eyes around, glancing at Ou Peng, then at the first and second elders, before finally focusing his attention on the quietly conversing Shangguan Feng, the fourth elder, and Xu Peihua, the sixth elder.

     

Of course, Fourth Elder Shangguan and Sixth Elder Xu knew why they were meeting at night, their faces full of excitement as they exchanged whispers. Originally, Xu Peihua’s seat was at the end, but he insisted on swapping positions with Liu Qingyang to be closer to Shangguan Feng.

     

Liu Qingyang anxiously watched the lively exchange between the two, unable to hear what they were saying, feeling a bit frustrated. However, being in the council chamber, he couldn’t make a loud commotion. He could only angrily pour himself more wine and wait quietly for Ou Peng to speak.

     

Ou Peng seemed to be pondering a matter and didn’t pay much attention to the senior brothers.

     

When the martial brothers below the hall became a little impatient, Ou Peng finally raised his head, glancing at the familiar faces of his martial brothers before speaking.

     

“Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Fifth Junior Brother, you just rushed back to the sect this afternoon, weary from your journey, without even a chance to rest. However, there is indeed an important matter to discuss with you. Don’t blame Fourth and Sixth Junior Brothers. This time, I’ve issued a death order for secrecy. It’s a matter of great significance, so I have to be cautious.”

     

Eldest Senior Brother Hu calmly set down his teacup and said: “The Sect Master has always been prudent in his actions, and we all admire him. There’s no reason for blame. However, if you say it’s of great significance, I’d like to listen carefully. Recently, the martial world has been calm, with major sects keeping a low profile, and even the demonic cults have been quiet, as if they’ve all returned home to farm. It seems like an opportunity for our Piaomiao Sect to expand its influence. Could it be that Junior Brother has a plan?”

     

Li Jian, on the other hand, seemed to disapprove and said coldly: “In the Jianghu, strength speaks louder than anything. Without top-notch martial arts skills, all schemes are futile. I suggest we focus more on honing our swordsmanship and less on plots and tricks.”

     

First Elder Hu knew that the Second Junior Brother was typically blunt and didn’t consider others’ thoughts when speaking. His remark wasn’t directed at him, and besides, it made sense, so he ignored it. Fifth Elder Liu, chimed in, lifting his axe and saying, “Third Brother, if anyone dares to cause trouble, I’ll chop them down right away.”

     

Fourth Elder Shangguan and Sixth Elder Xu looked at them with a smile and did not speak.

     

Ou Peng couldn’t help but smile wryly, gesturing to Fifth Elder Liu to sit down. He said, “Fifth Brother, you sit down and calm down for a moment. It’s not as serious as you think.” Then, he turned to Eldest Senior Brother Hu, and Second Senior Brother Li, and said: “Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, this time it’s not about fighting over territory with other sects, let alone for any schemes or tricks.”

     

Deliberately pausing for a moment, Ou Peng said: “I’ve called you here this time because there’s a good thing.”

     

The three of them couldn’t help but look puzzled, furrowing their brows. Liu Qingyang asked: “Third Brother, what good thing could involve us?”

     

Li Jian quipped: “Could it be a pie fell from the skies?”

     

First Elder Hu remained silent for a moment, then said: “Third Brother, is it about that old beggar you mentioned last time?”

     

Ou Peng smiled and nodded in confirmation.

     

Liu Qingyang chuckled: “Damn, turns out that old beggar wasn’t lying? I completely forgot about that matter. It’s been a year already, who can remember?”

     

Li Jian, still wearing a stern expression, retorted: “When did you go out? You’ve been here at the sect all year. How come I didn’t know you went out?”

     

Ou Peng said: “I didn’t go myself.”

     

At this point, Fifth Elder Liu interrupted, pointing at Fourth Elder Shangguan and Sixth Elder Xu: “I saw these two have been whispering since they arrived. So it was you two who went, huh? Why didn’t you inform us beforehand?”

     

Xu Peihua quickly replied: “You’ve got it wrong, Fifth Brother. We only found out a few days ago ourselves.”

     

The confusion among the three grew even more.

     

Ou Peng hurriedly explained: “Indeed, Fourth and Sixth Brothers didn’t go. I sent Little Hai and Qing’er.”

     

Upon hearing this, Fifth Elder Liu immediately jumped up: “You actually sent two disciples for such an important matter? Aren’t you worried about things going wrong?”

     

First Elder Hu, gave him a stern look, saying: “Stop being so jumpy, will you? Aren’t they back safely? Otherwise, how could we sit here calmly discussing matters?”

     

Sixth Elder Xu nodded after a moment’s thought: “That’s true.”

     

Ou Peng smiled as he explained: “It’s like this, to avoid attracting attention from other sects and giving them a chance to take advantage of the situation, neither I nor the patriarch of the Tan family, nor the Sword Master of the Thousand Swords Peak went. Instead, we sent our sect’s second-generation disciples to the prearranged location. They were escorted there by the Yanming Hermit, who is not well-known in the Jianghu, to minimize attention.”

     

Second Elder Li spoke up: “This Yanming Hermit may not have exceptional martial arts skills, but he’s witty. However, he’s quite shrewd, so sending Little Hai and Qing’er with him might put them at a disadvantage.”

     

First Elder replied: “Since Third Brother and the others trust him to lead, they must have a way to handle any potential risks.”

     

Ou Peng rubbed his nose and said: “Eldest Senior Brother, you’re absolutely right. Before they set off, representatives from our three factions were sent to Yanming Mountain. He also sent escorts to accompany his wife and children to our respective factions. Once the task is completed, we’ll escort his family back, while exchanging our own representatives.”

     

First Elder Hu, asked: “Who did you send from our sect?”

     

Ou Peng replied: “Naturally, it’s Yan’er.”

     

First Elder Hu nodded in understanding.

     

Ou Peng continued: “She just returned a few days ago and is currently resting at the estate.”

     

First Elder Hu nodded again, saying: “Indeed, only she is suitable for such a task. Thank her for her hard work.”

     

Second Elder Li remarked: “She’s your sister, so naturally, she should share the burdens of her brother. However, it’s surprising that this Yanming Hermit didn’t play any tricks.”

     

Ou Peng chuckled, his eyes crinkling even more, and said: “Who said he didn’t? He suggested using rock-paper-scissors instead of a martial arts competition to decide the distribution of treasures, but our Qing’er ended up winning hands down.”

     

Fifth Elder Liu chuckled as well: “Exactly, this girl never loses at that game. She even managed to get me drunk with it once. That Yanming Hermit really shot himself in the foot.”

     

Ou Peng added, “The funniest part is, he even falsely claimed to have received our agreement, saying that any extra treasures would be obtained by chance and belonged to whoever got them. But there weren’t many treasures inside. He just divided the herbs, and he ended up taking a few more portions for himself. People’s plans are not as good as heaven’s calculations.”

     

“Herbs???” Fifth Elder Liu interjected again. “Didn’t they get any divine weapons?”

     

Sixth Elder Xu solemnly said: “Of course they did, the Pan Gu Axe!”

     

Fifth Elder Liu immediately jumped up and rushed to Ou Peng, saying: “Really? Third Brother, the Pan Gu Axe is the weapon I’ve always dreamed of. This time, you must give it to me. I’ll use it to cleave this Jianghu in two!”

     

Before Ou Peng could speak, First Elder Hu preemptively scolded him, saying: “Sixth Brother, go back and sit down. This is the council chamber, don’t forget the rules.”

     

Fifth Elder Liu was quite afraid of First Elder Hu, so he slinked back to his seat, wearing a look of innocence, and said: “Eldest Brother, this is my dream. You can’t ruin it. I’ve set my heart on this axe.”

     

Second Elder Li spoke up: “You really believe in the Pan Gu Axe? How about I trade you for the Xuanyuan Sword?”

     

Fifth Elder Liu muttered: “You don’t even have the Xuanyuan Sword.”

     

Second Elder Li retorted: “And you don’t have the Pan Gu Axe.”

     

At this point, First Elder Hu intervened: “Don’t listen to Sixth Brother’s nonsense. The Pan Gu Axe is just a legend. How could it possibly exist?”

     

At this moment, Ou Peng spoke mysteriously: “While Sixth Brother’s words may have been in jest, Eldest Senior Brother, this time you’ve really missed something. There truly is something legendary inside!”

     

Now, even First Elder Hu was intrigued: “What is it? Isn’t it just herbs?”

     

Ou Peng was pleased to see First Elder Hu’s surprise and said: “The herbs were just an extra gain. The real treasure is something else.”

     

Fifth Elder Liu, however, was not pleased. “If it’s not the Pan Gu Axe, what legendary treasure could it be? Could it be the Xuanyuan Sword? The Divine Cultivation Heavenly Mandate Scripture? The Immortality Pill?”

     

Fourth Elder Shangguan spoke: “Fifth Brother is quite sharp. He actually guessed it right. It’s something I couldn’t even dream of.”

     

The remaining three fell into a daze. First Elder Hu glanced at Second Elder Li and signaled to him with his eyes. Fourth Elder Li stood up, utilized his lightness skill, and swiftly drifted out of the council chamber. He darted onto the rooftops, circled around the council chamber at high speed, and finally stood on the eaves, carefully listening for a moment. Then, he flew back down, hurried back to his seat, and said to First Elder Hu: “There are no unauthorized individuals around.”

     

First Elder Hu nodded, then turned his gaze to Ou Peng.

     

Meanwhile, Fifth Elder Liu was still lost in thought, seemingly unaware of what the two were doing.

     

First Elder Hu said to Ou Peng: “Third Brother, tell us more about the treasure inside.”