Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"Now that I've disappeared without a trace, my sect is being besieged by the righteous forces. I was just enjoying my retirement at home, but now I have to clean up this mess!"

"Alright, alright, old friend, don't get angry and hurt your liver." The old man in white smiled and placed his right hand on his shoulder, patting it lightly a few times.

"Old Demon Yu's previous message was very clear: the other side is determined to fight to the death and wants the corpses of Wugensheng and Li Muxuan."

"Not only that, they might not even spare the other disciples."

"It just so happens that Brother Han's only son was killed. I think it's the perfect time to go and see him. The four of us old friends can get together and think of a way to get through this disaster."

Upon hearing this, the red-robed elder stopped in his tracks, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Alright, let's go to the gambling den first, and use Han Laogui's connections to contact our disciples in various places and make preparations."

"And what about Granny Liu?"

The short old man frowned. He had dealt with this old vile woman before, and even though they had a grudge, he had to admit that her strength was indeed unfathomable. If he could help her, things might go much more smoothly.

"she?"

"She's just a giant rat from the southern frontier. She came to the Central Plains only to feast. How much can we expect from her?"

The old man in red robes spoke sharply and harshly, revealing the undeniable truth, which immediately caused the two men to frown and fall silent.

.....

As evening fell, the setting sun, like blood, dipped below the horizon.

In the backyard of the gambling den, artificial hills stand tall, and beside a fish pond, an elderly man in a Tang suit, his back hunched, lies on a wooden chair, basking in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"Plop! Plop!"

The servants fed the koi with fish bait, and countless fish leaped up, creating ripples on the shimmering water.

"Have they returned?" Han Suxiao asked the shopkeeper beside him.

More than a day has passed since he gave the order. Logically speaking, those seven experts should be enough to deal with a crippled Sanyi Sect.

But no news came for a long time, which made him irritable and unhappy.

Manager Wang's heart skipped a beat, clearly sensing the anger. He lowered his head and whispered:

"No, Elder Han, the young man and those seniors must have been delayed on the road. Perhaps they'll be back tomorrow?"

"never mind..."

Han Suxiao held the pipe in his left hand, brought it to his lips, took a deep drag, and let white smoke billow from his mouth and nose, feeling relaxed and comfortable. He slowly said:

"I doubt they'll be coming back. Manager Wang, if they don't show up by tomorrow, settle all the accounts. Give those with families to their families, and keep the rest for public use."

"Understood, Elder Han. Rest assured, I won't be careless about this matter," Manager Wang nodded in response.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from behind, and a thug from the gambling den came to report: "Old Han, someone outside wants to see you. They say it's an old friend."

"What does he look like?" Han Suxiao puffed on his pipe, gazing at the sunset, his mind weary.

"They were all old men, one of them wearing a white long gown, like a schoolteacher..."

Before the thugs could finish their description, Han Suxiao instructed, "Let them in. Manager Wang, go and prepare tea and snacks."

"Okay, please wait a moment." The shopkeeper and the henchman went to make the arrangements one after the other.

A moment later, three old men who had come from afar from Dawang Mountain were greeted by thugs and led into the backyard to meet the owner of the gambling den.

"Well done, old friend. It's been years. You're still got the style."

The old man in white waved to Han Suxiao with a kind smile.

"I knew it was you guys. Please take a seat."

"Why are you here instead of going to Dawang Mountain?"

Han Suxiao tapped the mahogany round table beside him with his pipe, inviting the old man in white to sit down next to him.

"Dawang Mountain?" The short old man sneered first, then said frankly, "I just came back from there. I have good news for you: Old Ghost Cui and the Mad Monk are both dead."

The brief words made Han Suxiao's eyes light up, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Good riddance. They were lucky they weren't skinned alive or had their bones pulled out."

Then he asked, "How did you die?"

"It's highly likely they're surrounded by the Sanyi Sect, Longhu Mountain, Shangqing, and Wudang?"

The old man in red picked up a cup of tea to moisten his throat and said unhurriedly, "We have traveled a long way and are late."

"When we got there, there wasn't a single survivor. Everyone in the entire village was dead, including those who had helped Wugensheng rise to power."

"Is that so?" Han Suxiao raised an eyebrow, showing little emotion, but sincerely commented, "That's good. It's rare good news for me, something that might only happen once every few decades."

"Then what brings you old codgers here?"

Having said that, the three elders decided to get straight to the point:

"The bloody battle between Sanyi and Quanxing will not stop until one side is destroyed. The situation is dire. Do you think... we should step in and take charge?"

"Just the four of us?"

Han Suxiao's expression shifted, and he hesitated.

The attackers he sent out have not returned yet. Sanyi is indeed not easy to deal with. Now that Quanxing has delivered such a handy weapon to his door, he doesn't mind taking advantage of the situation.

"Not only that, your disciples in various places are waiting for your response."

The short old man made his stance clear: "It's a simple choice. If you're willing to come out of retirement, we can work together to take on this tough nut of Sany. If you don't have that intention, I'll leave in advance to avoid disaster."

Han Suxiao looked at the other two and asked in a low voice, "You too?"

"Yes, without your help, my old friend, I would be all alone."

The old man in white smiled wryly, rubbing his forehead. Unlike the other three, he was not only polite and proper in his speech and actions, but also refined and gentle in his manner.

At the invitation of the others, Han Suxiao put down his pipe, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.

He made his decision and said firmly, "Okay."

"Thank you all for your hospitality. Let's wipe it out together."

Chapter 67 Riding the Wave

Nighttime, the Lu family residence.

The sound of hooves came to a sudden halt. Guard Qiao jumped down, led his two brothers across the threshold, and hurried toward the hall.

Since learning about Longhu Mountain on his way back, he dared not stop and rushed back immediately.

"Where is the head of the family?"

With no one in sight in the hall, Guard Qiao asked the gardener who was watering the flowers in the courtyard.

"He's in Old Master Lu's study."

"Okay, thanks."

After navigating three corridors, Guard Qiao stopped in front of an old-fashioned study. He gently knocked on the door and said in a respectful and cheerful voice, "Lord Lu, Qiao Yue requests an audience!"

"Come in--"

The elderly voice was full of energy. With permission, the guard Qiao pushed the door open and greeted the two men with clasped hands.

After Lu Xuan finished pouring tea for the old man and put down the teapot, he asked, "Old Qiao, you've worked hard. Have you gotten in touch with Jin'er?"

"Yes, I delivered the letter to the young master and that Daoist Sanyi the night before last. The young master did not allow me to follow, but only told me to return quickly to report to you two."

Qiao Yueping calmed his excitement and told him all the information he had gathered: "On my way back today, I received a message from several informants that the fighting at Longhu Mountain has ended."

"The Quanxing Sect Leader Wugensheng and the wicked Li Muxuan were both killed on the mountain. This is the result."

"As for the process... well, that's unknown. According to the informant, it seems that the Celestial Master and the leaders of various sects ordered a gag order. The disciples who witnessed the scene dared not reveal anything and could only give a rough account."

Upon hearing this, and knowing that the two who killed the Left Sect Leader were now accepting bribes, a hint of pleasure appeared on Old Master Lu's face, and he said with a faint smile:

"It's good that it's resolved... Is Jin'er alright?"

"Reporting to Lord Lu, the young master is perfectly safe. After personally killing the wicked child, he left with his martial uncle," Qiao Yue said calmly.

Lu Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been restless and sweaty for the past few days, and only now could he finally relax.

He seized the opportunity to look at his uncle and suggested, "You see, your birthday is coming soon, isn't it? In a while, I'll ask someone to go to the Sanyi Sect and invite Jin'er and his martial uncle home as guests, what do you think?"

"You can arrange it as you see fit, I have no objections."

Grandpa Lu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked on with a hint of nostalgia: "It's been a long time since I've seen the little guy. I miss him terribly."

"Alright, I'll urge Jin'er to come back later."

Lu Xuan smiled gently. As a father, he was always worried about his child's safety.

Moreover, these are turbulent times, and nowhere is safe. If it weren't for respecting the child's wishes, he would have preferred to keep Lu Jin at home and keep her safe and sound.

.......

ancient city.

Jiang Mo and Lu Jin arrived at the street where Jianghu Inn was located. They saw few people around. Due to the impact of the war, the vendors who had set up their stalls closed early and returned home as night fell.

"Uncle-Master, you mean those two aren't dead?!"

Upon hearing Jiang Mo mention the unusual situation, an expression of disbelief appeared on Lu Jinqing's handsome face.

He had clearly smashed Li Muxuan's head and heart to dust with his own hands, yet the man was still alive; his mysterious methods were far beyond his comprehension.

"Yes, after I killed them, I found a secluded place to meditate. My Qi, which was without roots, quickly dissipated and could not be traced."

"When I first sensed that he had a backup plan, I was blocked by an unknown secret technique, and the same was true for Li Muxuan."

"Even if a cunning rabbit has three burrows, so what?" Lu Jin did not lose his composure, but instead calmly said, "Since we can kill him once, we can kill him a second time."

Jiang Mo smiled calmly and shared his inner thoughts: "The kind of life-swapping method they use probably takes away half of one's lifespan. There will definitely be aftereffects, and it won't be easy to recover from them."

"Moreover, Wugensheng has been hit by my Soul-Breaking Curse."

"Based on the rate at which the body dissolves, he was trapped in the illusion and tortured for at least a week. His consciousness couldn't last that long. He's probably a living dead now, and it will take him at least a year and a half to recover."

Lu Jin nodded slightly and reflexively said, "Then the next time we meet will be their death day!"

"It is likely that Granny Liu from the Southern Frontier is protecting these two. Unlike the other Quanxing members, her methods are indeed complex and powerful, even stronger than those demons from Dawang Mountain."

From the moment he first entered the cave, Jiang Mo realized that this demon was no ordinary person; compared to him, the others from Da Wang Mountain were slightly inferior.

During their conversation, Jiang Mo and Lu Jin arrived at the inn. As soon as they entered, a waiter greeted them, "Gentlemen, please have a private room upstairs."

"Oh? Young man, you recognize us?"

Jiang Mo had a smile on his lips. Before he could explain his purpose, the other party seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

"Hey, the shopkeeper told me that judging from your attire, I know you are the Taoist priest of the Sanyi Sect, Young Master Lu."

The waiter scratched his head sheepishly and said with a smile, "The manager is upstairs. He told me beforehand that if I saw you two, I should invite you upstairs."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, young man."

Led by the waiter, the two walked up the stairs, across the corridor with red lanterns hanging, and stopped in front of a corner room.

"Please—" the waiter gently pushed open the wooden door.

Liu Wei, who was checking the accounts, heard the noise, looked up, and couldn't help but smile knowingly: "Young Master Lu, Master Jiang, how have you been? Please have a seat."

"Xiao Ling, go and prepare tea for our distinguished guest."

"Mr. Liu, no need, we'll just chat for a few minutes and then leave," Jiang Mo politely declined.

Liu Wei smiled in relief: "Alright... Xiao Ling, you go ahead and get busy, and close the door behind you."

"Alright." The waiter wisely left, quickly and gently closing the door behind him.

"Congratulations to you both for eradicating the root of this evil." Liu Wei put down the account book and bowed.

Jiang Mo carefully examined the slightly颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it conveys a sense of listlessness, apathy, and a casual demeanor) yet casual middle-aged man in front of him, and teased, "It's only been an afternoon, but Boss Liu's information network is really impressive."

"I'm ashamed, but this is just how I make a living. You flatter me."

Liu Wei humbly replied that ever since he learned that Wu Gensheng had invited the two of them, he had been contacting an old friend who was going to Longhu Mountain to help spread the word, and he learned the result two hours later.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let me tell you some good news."

Jiang Mo stated bluntly: "The remaining two of the Six Evils are both dead."

"I killed the succubus with my own hands. As for Chi Yan, he was killed by others before I arrived."