All Heavens: A Role-Playing System Starting from Tianlong

Chapter 123 Strange Sounds from Beyond the Heavens

Duan Yanqing pointed to the disciples of the Nine Divisions who were standing guard in the distance: "On this side of the mountain, the disciples of the Nine Divisions are guarding together. Even if we encounter a surprise attack from the Murong family experts, they can send a signal flare to call for our reinforcements in time."

The old woman's eyes lit up as she understood his meaning: "If we're lucky enough to get a time difference, we might be able to drive these wandering thugs away before the Song army gets close."

That's exactly what I meant.

Once they made up their minds, the two of them didn't delay any longer. With a swift movement, they sped away like two wisps of smoke towards the outside of Leigu Mountain.

Outside Leigu Mountain, on an open field, thousands of people gathered in a dark mass, with colorful flags waving in the wind.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that these flags were a motley collection, some bearing gang names, others embroidered with surname totems, clustered together in twos and threes, far apart from each other, none touching one another.

The Shaolin sect and government forces, who were originally scheduled to lead this demon-slaying assembly, have yet to appear. Everyone waited and waited, but there was still no sign of them.

As the sun rose higher, a sense of restlessness spread among the crowd.

Some people started stomping their feet and cursing, some whispered in groups of three or five, and some factions with long-standing grudges glared at each other, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

"Are the Shaolin monks coming or not?" a burly man shouted at the top of his lungs. "We've come all this way just to stand here and sunbathe?"

"Exactly! What kind of heroes' gathering is this? There's not even anyone in charge!" someone chimed in.

Amidst the commotion, someone shouted from the crowd, "Where's the Beggars' Sect? The Beggars' Sect is the largest sect in the world. Now that it's leaderless, it's time for them to step up and take charge!"

Upon hearing this, many people echoed his sentiments, and their eyes all turned to the group of ragged people in the crowd.

The members of the Beggars' Sect looked at each other, their faces showing difficulty.

Not long ago, the Beggars' Clan lost its leader, two elders, and a branch leader, along with several brothers, due to the Xingzi Forest incident.

The remaining people were also demoralized, and even the elders began to subtly divide into two factions:

One faction advocated welcoming Xiao Feng back to continue as the leader of the Beggars' Clan, arguing that although his Khitan identity was an eyesore, Xiao Feng acted with integrity and made great contributions to the Beggars' Clan.

The other faction insisted on the idea that "those who are not of our race are bound to have different hearts," arguing that even if Xiao Feng had not committed any evil deeds, a Khitan was ultimately unsuitable to be the leader of the Beggars' Sect.

In addition, there was an existing dispute within the gang over whether the clothes were dirty or clean. Previously, with the invincible gang leader Xiao Feng suppressing it, all sorts of hidden problems could be kept quiet.

With the position of gang leader still undecided, these beggars will likely split up soon, leaving them with no energy to take charge of things for others.

The four elders looked at each other, and for a moment no one stepped forward to respond.

Finally, Elder Wu reluctantly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Heroes, our sect has recently encountered unforeseen circumstances and is truly unable to host such a grand event. Please be patient and wait for news from the Shaolin monks and the government."

Although his words were polite, they sounded somewhat unconvincing. Instead of quieting down, the crowd of heroes began to murmur even more fiercely.

Just as things were getting chaotic, Tong Lao and Duan Yanqing arrived gracefully, standing confidently about three zhang away from the assembled heroes.

The two arrived silently, and it wasn't until they stood still that people noticed the presence of two unfamiliar faces.

The crowd stared at the two who had suddenly appeared, whispering amongst themselves, but no one knew who they were or where they came from.

"Who are those two?" "Did they come down from the mountain? Could they be one of those demons?" "Just two people? Are they coming out to their deaths?"

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Tong Lao silently transmitted her voice to Duan Yanqing: "It seems that I haven't set foot in the martial world for a long time, and my reputation has disappeared from the martial arts world."

Duan Yanqing remained calm and replied telepathically, "It's alright. Perhaps today your name will resound throughout the martial world once again."

He stepped forward and spoke softly, his voice carrying clearly to everyone present: "May I ask what brings you all here today?"

This skill of "condensing sound into a line and spreading it in all directions" already demonstrates the depth of his inner strength.

Among the assembled heroes were many discerning individuals, and their expressions immediately changed. Now, without a leader, no one was willing to be the first to step forward and speak with him.

Duan Yanqing waited for a moment, and seeing that no one answered, he said again: "Since you all can't give a reason, why don't you leave now?"

Gathering here is a waste of time.

These words were tantamount to an order to leave. The assembled heroes were all taken aback. But they were, after all, people of the martial world; if they were to be frightened into scattering like birds and beasts by a few words, where would they put their faces in the future?

A burly man with a bushy beard stepped forward from the crowd, carrying a large, ghost-headed sword, and shouted sternly, "Hey! You two, are you the alien demons from Western Xia?"

We received this invitation to fight, and we have come to punish you demons who committed bloodshed in Xijing!

His voice boomed like thunder, deliberately channeling his inner strength to make the eardrums of those around him tingle: "You have captured the Deaf-Mute Sect's stronghold, and countless innocent people have perished in Luoyang. Today, heroes from all over the world have gathered here; this is your doom!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd of heroes echoed his sentiments, and a cacophony of shouts and cries arose. Many drew their weapons, pointing them at Tong Lao and Duan Yanqing, the air thick with the glint of cold steel and the palpable tension of killing intent.

The old woman glanced at the burly man with the bushy beard and sneered, "You? You dare call yourself a hero?"

Though the sound was soft, it was like an ice pick piercing the ear. The burly man with the bushy beard felt a chill rush straight to his head, his whole body trembled, and he involuntarily took two steps back, his ghost-headed broadsword crashing to the ground with a clang.

The assembled heroes, bewildered, were in uproar.

This burly man with a bushy beard, nicknamed "Mountain-Splitting Knife" Liu Meng, was a well-known figure in western Henan. He was quite skilled in martial arts, so how could he be intimidated by a single sentence?

The old woman was too lazy to bother with these troublemakers. At this moment, she had only one thought in her mind: to kill all these noisy flies before the real trouble arrived.

Her inner strength began to gather, and the powerful inner force brought with it a strong wind, causing her clothes to flutter loudly.

Those among the heroes with slightly more sensitive spiritual senses felt a sense of unease welling up inside them, as if they were being watched by some ferocious beast, sending chills down their spines.

Duan Yanqing sensed her rising murderous intent and advised her telepathically, "Many of them have a reputation for chivalry in the martial arts world. Killing them would damage your reputation."

The old woman sneered, "They can't distinguish right from wrong and they frame innocent people. Even if they all die here today, they deserve it."

Duan Yanqing was silent for a moment, then said, "If you kill them, Senior, Zhang Cheng will definitely be displeased. Please think it over."

Upon hearing the name "Zhang Cheng," the old woman's aura faltered slightly. She bit her lip, about to say something more, when she suddenly turned her head and looked at the sky.

Duan Yanqing followed closely behind and also noticed the abnormality.

The two simultaneously gazed at the sky, seemingly oblivious to the people around them. Just as someone among the opposing group was about to retaliate, a "whoosh" was heard.