Chapter 1070 Attempting Reconciliation
He stopped talking at this point, a hint of anger appearing on his face.
Someone nearby couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Do they have some other improper ideas?"
"Hmph! They say that the Shushan Sword Sect is dominated by males and weak by females, with many male disciples and few female disciples. Since Shushan doesn't prohibit marriage, and our Zhaixing Tower has many female disciples, we can send them all over there."
"What are you talking about? This way, we can not only protect our female disciples from disaster, but also help the Shushan Sword Sect solve its problems. It's a win-win solution!"
"They even want us to send our young lady, Sikong Mingyue, over as well, saying she can be married to their young sect leader. Of course, if that's the case, they hope we'll provide some dowry. The Star-Picking Tower's years of heritage and the Star-Picking Hand's magical manual are the best dowry!"
"Don't you think they're even more despicable than the Taiyi Sect?!"
"Damn it! Incredibly greedy!"
"These beasts!"
"They deserve to die a horrible death!"
As soon as these words were spoken, someone shouted out, his face full of anger, as if he had been greatly insulted.
This incident truly insulted them. Did the Star-Picking Pavilion forbid marriage? Did the Star-Picking Pavilion have no male disciples?
We want to give all the female disciples to them, so that they can bully and humiliate us at will?
We will also present Situ Mingyue, the Moon-Gazing Fairy who has now become a saintess in the Moon-Gazing Pavilion and is known as one of the ten great fairies in the cultivation world.
That's bad enough, but what's even more shameless is that they demanded some kind of dowry? They actually wanted the Star-Picking Tower's treasured collection of many years, as well as the Star-Picking Hand's secret manual?
Isn't this just swallowing up the entire Zhaixing Tower? It's even worse than the Taiyi Sect, except they don't accept male disciples.
What are the male disciples doing? Stay here and let Jiang Bai and the others kill them, otherwise, wouldn't the Shu Mountain Sword Sect be inviting trouble by swallowing up the Star-Picking Tower in one gulp?
The elders present all understood this, which is why they were all furious.
Jade Void Palace is treacherous and Taiyi Sect is incredibly greedy, but they are still, after all, ranked second and fourth respectively, both prestigious sects.
What is your Shushan Sword Sect? Your combined strength is not even as good as our Zhaixing Tower. If it weren't for this incident, Zhaixing Tower would have crushed your Shushan Sword Sect!
"You bunch of bastards ranked ninth, you dare to do this to me?" The people from Zhaixinglou felt greatly insulted.
This is absolutely unacceptable.
Therefore, they all reacted quite strongly, and it took a long time for them to calm down after being soothed by Sikong Zhaixing. However, they still couldn't help but feel indignant on their faces.
Finally, Sikong Zhaixing looked at Elder Yan without asking any questions. He seemed disheartened, knowing that this might not be an isolated incident.
Those bastards had already made their plans. As soon as they received news of Jiang Bai's actions, they quickly reached an agreement and broke their alliance.
Therefore, the other sects have not achieved much, and the Kongtong Immortal Sect probably doesn't have much hope either.
As expected, Elder Yan shook his head, sighed, and said nothing, but his meaning was clear: don't count on the Kongtong Immortal Sect; they are unreliable.
This caused the atmosphere in the Star-Picking Tower to plummet. The people present looked at each other, and no one spoke. A sense of dejection arose spontaneously.
Those of you present, look at me... I look at you... you've all risked the despair hidden between your brows.
The same applies to Sikong Zhaixing.
Deep down, they didn't have a high opinion of Zhaixinglou's chances in the face of the difficulties it was about to encounter.
The Supreme Daoist alone was enough to overwhelm the Star-Picking Tower and bring about its destruction. If we add Jiang Bai, Xu Changsheng, the Myriad Saints Sect, and the Myriad Saints Emperor to the mix, it would be even worse.
The Star-Picking Tower was virtually defenseless and could only wait to be wiped out.
"Everyone, what's going on here? What do you mean by this? Are you just going to give up like this?" A young elder stepped forward and shouted sternly, his voice aimed directly at the elders present, and even the sect leader, Sikong Zhaixing.
"Elder Wang, then tell me, what can we do now? Those bastards have betrayed us. We have no outside help now. With only the strength of our Star-Picking Tower, we can't even handle the Supreme Dao, let alone the others."
"What can we do?" Elder Sun stood up and roared in grief and indignation, sounding somewhat desperate.
"What should we do? We only have two paths before us now. One is to fight to the death and resist to the death. Whether it is the Taiyi Sect, the Wansheng Sect, or Xu Changsheng, as long as they dare to touch our Zhaixing Tower, we will fight them to the death. Even if we are no match for them, we will make them break a few teeth, so as not to betray the illustrious reputation of our Zhaixing Tower!"
"The other way is to compromise! To admit defeat! After all, our Star-Picking Tower is a great sect with thousands of years of history and profound foundation. Jiang Bai and his group cannot destroy us without suffering losses!"
"The root of this problem lies with Jiang Bai. We sent people to kill him, but we failed. Since that's the case, why not try to reconcile with him, offer him some compensation, and get him to compromise? As long as he's willing to reconcile, the other side's alliance will collapse on its own!"
Fight to the death? Isn't that nonsense? Even if they fight to the death, they can't win. They'll just tragically perish together with their sect. No smart person would choose that. Who would want to die if they could live?
As for reconciliation... it seems like a good path. Everyone present looked at Sikong Zhaixing with bright eyes.
We await his words as the sect leader.
"Elder Wang, you're right. Reconciliation is indeed a way out, but we have a deep grudge against Jiang Bai. He Junfu almost killed Jiang Bai before. If it weren't for the Heavenly Punishment Talisman protecting him, he would be dead now."
"This is also why Jiang Bai is so determined to fight us to the death."
"It won't be easy to reconcile with him; he won't agree easily."
Sikong Zhaixing couldn't help but whisper, "A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. Now is not the time to act rashly. Reconciling with Jiang Bai will certainly make Zhaixing Tower lose face, but it's still much better than destroying the sect and annihilating the clan, right?"
When a person dies, they have nothing left.
"Of course it's not easy, but it's not without hope. We should all know a little about Jiang Bai. He's domineering, greedy, and lecherous! These are his weaknesses."
"If we want to reconcile with him, we can't do it without giving him some benefits, otherwise he will definitely not agree."
"If the host decides to reconcile, we might as well give him some benefits, or rather, give him whatever he wants. It's better than having his entire family wiped out!"
"Isn't Jiang Bai greedy? He's lost interest in money and magic weapons. Why not give him the secret manual? Countless people in our Star-Picking Tower are envious of the Star-Picking Hand."
"It's a top-tier divine power. At its highest level, it can even grasp stars. Countless people covet it; I refuse to believe Jiang Bai wouldn't be tempted!"
Chapter 1071 Don't Give Them Too Much Face
"Isn't he a womanizer? Let's send him some absolutely stunning beauties!"
"There are many beautiful female disciples in the Star-Picking Tower. The sect usually takes care of them and gives them many benefits. Now it's time for them to sacrifice themselves. For the sake of the sect, they have no choice but to feed the tiger with their own bodies."
"If one isn't enough, then two will do. If two aren't enough, then ten will do. If ten aren't enough, don't we still have Miss Sikong Mingyue? She's known as Fairy Mingyue and is a renowned beauty in the entire cultivation world."
"I refuse to believe that Jiang Bai, that lecherous scoundrel, could remain unmoved!"
"If we can meet his demands and compensate him, what reason would he have to fight us to the death?"
Elder Wang stood there, speaking eloquently, unaware that the faces of those around him were practically dripping with rage.
In particular, Sikong Zhaixing's face was gloomy.
The Star-Picking Hand technique is a closely guarded secret, not even everyone in the Star-Picking Pavilion can master it; it is the unparalleled skill of the Star-Picking Pavilion.
Handing it over to Jiang Bai now? How can that be?
It wouldn't be a big deal for some female disciples to sacrifice themselves, but his own daughter, Sikong Mingyue... had to sacrifice herself too? This... was hard for Sikong Zhaixing to accept.
So he remained silent, and so did everyone around him. No one dared to utter a sound, after all, this matter was far too complicated.
"Gentlemen... are you still unwilling to set aside your pride and sacrifice something?"
"Remember, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken! If the Star-Picking Tower is gone, won't our Star-Picking Hands fall into their hands again?"
"If the Star-Picking Tower is gone, do you think they'll let the young lady go?"
"What 'Fairy of the Bright Moon'? She'll probably end up as a prisoner, and might even fall into Jiang Bai's hands. She won't have the same status as she has now."
"If, by some unfortunate twist of fate, I were to fall into the hands of some scoundrels, hmph... to put it bluntly, that would truly be worse than death."
"Lan Yue Pavilion will not protect Miss Sikong Mingyue!"
A few words pierced the hearts of those around them, including Sikong Zhaixing. Their expressions changed drastically. Gritting her teeth, Sikong Zhaixing defied the objections of the crowd, stood up, and said, "In that case, this matter will be left to you!"
"Elder Wang, this time you take the Star-Picking Hand manual and your four most beautiful female disciples to find Jiang Bai. Tell him that this time our Star-Picking Tower was blind and we admit defeat. The Star-Picking Hand and the four female disciples are all his!"
"If he still doesn't agree, you can decide what he needs: treasures, materials, magic weapons, secret manuals, beautiful women—we can give you anything. If all else fails, we can even send my daughter over, as long as he agrees to stop being hostile to us."
"Tell the Supreme Daoist to give up attacking the Star-Picking Tower, reach an agreement with Xu Changsheng, and help us through this crisis. We'll agree to anything he says!"
"You're right. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the Star-Picking Tower is gone, we'll really have nothing left. What use are all our savings then? They'll just end up belonging to someone else."
"My daughter also perished in the tragedy."
"Since that's the case, she might as well make some sacrifices for the sect. I've raised her for so long, it's time for her to step forward."
With Sikong Zhaixing's order, the people around finally felt at ease. They stood up one by one and said things to Sikong Zhaixing, praising his great understanding and righteousness. Elder Wang had already taken the order and left.
This matter is urgent and cannot be delayed in the slightest.
An hour later, the ten most beautiful female disciples of the Star-Picking Pavilion were summoned together, and then Elder Wang, accompanied by the Star-Picking Hands, headed to Tiandu.
Although Sikong Zhaixing said to bring four people, Elder Wang felt that each of the ten people had their own strengths, and there were two beautiful twins among them, making it difficult to choose.
Jiang Bai is a lecherous and greedy man, so it's better to take him all with us. Fortunately, we satisfied his cravings, and perhaps the other party will agree to a settlement.
In the afternoon, Elder Wang arrived in Tiandu with ten beautiful and elegant female disciples, and did a lot of ideological work with them along the way.
Tell them that the Star-Picking Tower is facing a life-or-death crisis, and ask them to make sacrifices for the sect, abandoning all propriety and shame, and offering themselves to the demon.
At first, some people were reluctant, but they could not resist Elder Wang's authority and his persuasive words. In the end, they were filled with sorrow and decided to agree to dedicate themselves to the sect.
After settling them in, Elder Wang used many connections to find Li Qingdi.
Then Jiang Bai's phone rang. It was Li Qingdi calling: "Jiang Bai, I heard you're planning something big lately? It's attracted a lot of attention. Is your target the Star-Picking Tower?"
Jiang Bai, who was eating fruit with his legs crossed, raised an eyebrow at Li Qingdi's words and said noncommittally, "That's right. Those bastards sent people to attack me. If I hadn't been lucky and had treasures protecting me, I would be dead by now."
"So I'm thinking of using the Supreme Dao Token to deal with them. What, are these people related to you too?"
"How come your claws, Li Qingdi, are so long?"
"It's nothing. It's just that a senior has some connection with them. They've found that senior, and through him, they found me. That's why I had to come to you. They want me to act as an intermediary and arrange for you to meet with them."
Having grown accustomed to Jiang Bai's sarcastic remarks, Li Qingdi chuckled, paying no heed, and made a noncommittal comment.
"Meet? What for? To have them ambush me again? Haven't these bastards had enough fun yet? They think not many people have died, and they want to try again?" Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow and said unconsciously.
"No, it seems they want to reconcile, so they brought people with them this time. Hmm... I heard they brought some good things, as well as several beautiful women in ancient costumes, hoping to reconcile with you and get you to stop targeting them."
"How could it be an ambush? I can vouch for that. Besides, the other side is right here on your turf. With your influence in Tiandu, finding out their true intentions shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"Wouldn't everything become clear if we investigated?"
Li Qingdi chuckled and said these words.
In fact, Jiang Bai was talking nonsense. He knew exactly what the other party was up to. He had already received the news when the other party arrived in Tiandu. However, since the other party did not come to him, he could not go there on his own initiative.
Otherwise, he would be bluffing. This time, he was just bluffing to scare the other party, waiting for Zhaixinglou to reconcile with him.
He was more than happy to have the other party come, but he couldn't appear too eager. There were smart people in the Star-Picking Tower, and if Jiang Bai appeared too eager, the other party might see through him.
That would truly be a loss, so Jiang Bai had to remain calm. Even if Li Qingdi came to his door to discuss this matter, he couldn't give him too much face.
Chapter 1072 Going Down the Slope
That's why Jiang Bai got angry on the spot when he heard Li Qingdi say that: "They think they can fight and make peace as they please? Do they think the Star-Picking Tower is the emperor?"
"Why didn't you send this guy when you were trying to kill me? Now that you know it's dangerous, you're chickening out?"
"You want me to reconcile with them? Dream on!"
"This time, I won't give face to anyone; I'll fight them to the death."
Jiang Bai's attitude was firm, and Li Qingdi on the other end fell silent, which made Jiang Bai uneasy.
He silently prayed to himself, "Brother, please don't hang up! I'm just showing off a little. Say a few more words, and I promise I'll give you face."
He's genuinely afraid that if Li Qingdi hangs up the phone, the whole thing will fall apart.
Fortunately, Li Qingdi was not a person who acted impulsively. After hearing Jiang Bai's words, he remained silent for a while before saying in a low voice, "Jiang Bai, listen to me. After all, Zhaixing Tower is a great sect with a history of thousands of years, one of the ten sects of immortality, with a profound foundation."
"I know you're well-prepared this time and very angry, and you're determined to fight them to the death, but that's not a wise move."
"You've used up so many favors to deal with them, and you're even going to use the Supreme Dao Token you just got. You'll lose your means of survival, and then you'll be in real trouble."
"You have many enemies. Even if you deal with Zhaixinglou, there are still so many people who have grudges against you. What will you do when you have no one to rely on?"
"Listen to me, don't act rashly. Meet the people from Zhaixinglou; they've come with sincerity this time."
"If their terms meet your expectations, you might as well agree. If not, you can discuss it further. If it really doesn't work out, it's not too late to talk about it later, don't you think?"
With Li Qingdi's words, Jiang Bai readily agreed, nodding and saying, "Since that's the case, I'll give you, Li Qingdi, face. Where are they? Let them come find me. I'll wait for them at home."
Jiang Bai's words finally relieved Li Qingdi. He had truly turned Jiang Bai into a stubborn mule who refused to give in, and he would have really let down the old senior who had solemnly entrusted him with this task.
You should know that years ago, Li Qingdi owed them a huge favor.
When this senior came to him this time, he said that the matter was of great importance and asked him to help. He really couldn't refuse, otherwise, given Jiang Bai's attitude, Li Qingdi would have turned against him long ago.
So now that Jiang Bai has agreed to this, Li Qingdi breathed a sigh of relief and felt very relaxed. At least this hothead didn't get carried away this time, otherwise, he really wouldn't know what to do.
After hanging up the phone, Li Qingdi said to an old man sitting next to him, "Senior Chen, this matter has finally come to a conclusion. Jiang Bai agreed to meet with me, and I think that since he has agreed to meet, there should be room for discussion."
"Let them discuss everything first. Try to negotiate the price with Jiang Bai. If the final price difference isn't significant, I can step in and ask Jiang Bai to give me some face. I think he'll give me a little face."
The words were clear, and the subtext was also clear: he would step in to ask Jiang Bai for face, and Jiang Bai would give him face, but it certainly wouldn't be much, just a small amount. The difference in terms of the amount he offered wouldn't be significant. He would step in to resolve the matter.
If the price difference is too great, and the people from Zhaixinglou are too tactless, then they shouldn't bother coming to Li Qingdi; he doesn't have that much influence.
Upon hearing this, the elderly man surnamed Chen sitting there nodded indifferently, then smiled and said, "No matter what, the Azure Emperor's matter this time depends entirely on you. Otherwise, we really wouldn't know how to communicate with Jiang Bai. You know... I can't ignore the matter of the Star-Picking Tower."
"Sikong Zhaixing was kind to me in my early years."
Li Qingdi nodded silently in response.
Although the old man bid farewell to Li Qingdi and left, half an hour later, Elder Wang of Zhaixing Tower received the news and was overjoyed.
After finding out Jiang Bai's address, he found several cars, and then, accompanied by ten beautiful female disciples and the secret manual of the Star-Picking Pavilion, "Star-Picking Hand," he went directly to find Jiang Bai.
Upon reaching the entrance, the two bodyguards conducted a brief check of their identities before allowing them to pass, as they had already received orders from Jiang Bai.
So no one made things difficult for them, and they soon arrived at the house. Jiang Bai had been waiting there for a long time. He was clearly taken aback when the other party entered, not because Elder Wang was particularly handsome.
In fact, this Elder Wang was over fifty years old, slightly overweight, and his flabby flesh jiggled as he walked, so he was not particularly attractive. However, the ten beautiful and somewhat shy young women in ancient costumes who entered with him were a sight to behold.
Unconsciously, Jiang Bai's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. If his guess was correct, the other party was preparing to bribe or buy him off. The ten carefully selected beauties in front of him were the gifts they had brought.
I reckon my reputation isn't very good right now; in some people's eyes, I'm already synonymous with a lecher.
Zhaixinglou probably heard about this news, which is why they made these preparations.
Admittedly, beautiful women are indeed tempting, and Jiang Bai was pleased to receive ten at once. However, this alone was not enough to change his mind.
To win over Jiang Bai, Zhaixinglou needs to put in more effort.
"Greetings, Mr. Jiang. I am Wang Anquan, the Supreme Elder of Zhaixing Tower. I have come here on the orders of Master Sikong Zhaixing Tower." Before Jiang Bai could greet him, Elder Wang approached him with a smile, clasped his hands in a fist and said this.
As a cultivator at the Great Celestial Realm, his posture was extremely reserved, even somewhat restrained. It seems that what Jiang Bai did this time has brought considerable pressure to their Star-Picking Tower.
Of course. The "Heavenly Punishment Talisman" in Jiang Bai's possession might also play a role in this.
"Hmph, Elder Wang, you at Zhaixing Tower have been very good to me. Last time, He Junfu, if it weren't for the Heavenly Punishment Talisman I had, would probably have turned me to ashes by now." Jiang Bai snorted twice, even standing up slightly, and sneered sarcastically.
This indicates that he still remembers this incident; Jiang Bai is very vengeful.
Wang Anquan's smile remained unchanged. He knew before he came that Jiang Bai would definitely bring this up, and he also knew that Jiang Bai wouldn't give him a pleasant look. He was fully prepared for this.
So, instead of getting angry after hearing this, he smiled and explained, "Mr. Jiang must have misunderstood. Yes... He Junfu is a member of our Zhaixing Tower, and even a Supreme Elder of Zhaixing Tower... However..."
Chapter 1073 Greed Never Ends
"But what?" Before the other party could speak, Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask.
What? At this point, do the people from Zhaixinglou still want to make excuses?
"However, He Junfu's matter was entirely due to the instigation of treacherous people, and has little to do with our Zhaixinglou. In order to give Mr. Jiang an explanation, Zhaixinglou has already dealt with those people."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai immediately wanted to lose his temper. What kind of joke is this?
Are you kidding me? Have you dealt with it? Is this some kind of malicious manipulation? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?
Before Jiang Bai could even open his mouth and turn hostile, Elder Wang wisely stepped forward and said, "Of course, our Star-Picking Pavilion also bears an unshirkable responsibility for this matter. We are willing to compensate Mr. Jiang."
This put Jiang Bai's mind at ease. He squinted at Wang Anquan in front of him and said noncommittally, "How will you compensate me?"
"Come here, all of you!"
He beckoned to the people behind him, and ten beautiful disciples carefully selected by the Star-Picking Tower walked in. Each of them had a slightly flushed face, some with their heads down, and some looking at Jiang Bai with curiosity, their expressions varying.
There weren't many of them who were flamboyant or daring; they were all respectable people, the most outstanding disciples of the Star-Picking Tower, and wherever they went, they were the center of attention, each one a proud little peacock.
But now they're being given to Jiang Bai as a gift. To say they're willing is a lie!
Nobody was willing.
However, for the sake of the sect's greater good, we have no choice but to step forward now. In Elder Wang's words, it is like offering ourselves to the tiger to ensure the temporary safety of the Star-Picking Tower.
They had already learned of the seriousness of the situation on their way here, and understood that this was a life-or-death moment for the Star-Picking Tower, so although some people were resistant to it.
But they had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.
Then Wang Anquan said with a smile, "These are the most beautiful young disciples in Zhaixing Tower. Zhaixing Tower made a mistake this time, so after discussion, Zhaixing Tower is willing to give these ten disciples to Mr. Jiang as compensation. From now on, they will be your people, and you can ask them to do whatever you want."
The meaning is clear: all these people in front of him have become Jiang Bai's possessions, playthings given to Jiang Bai.
Although Wang Anquan had a smile on his face, there was a hint of embarrassment in it. As the Supreme Elder of Zhaixing Tower, it was really hard for him to do something like giving his disciples to Jiang Bai to become playthings.
He looked embarrassed.
However, for the sake of the bigger picture, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it. To make Wang Anquan show a genuine and bright smile, Jiang Bai felt that it was a bit too much to ask.
Unless this guy is a naturally shameless person, otherwise...
I really couldn't do something like that.
"Looks like my reputation isn't so good outside, I've been called a lecherous old man~"
"However, this matter cannot be settled with ten beauties. I, Jiang Bai, am indeed a womanizer. If you want to kill me, do you think you can get rid of me with a few women? You are underestimating me too much." Jiang Bai said with a sneer.
The ten beauties were indeed carefully selected. They were all cultivators, possessing a unique aura. They had fair skin and beautiful features, far surpassing ordinary people. Even women who were comparable in appearance could not match their temperament.
But that's clearly not enough to get rid of Jiang Bai.
Wang Anquan was not surprised by this, as he had already prepared for it. So when Jiang Bai spoke, he immediately said, "Of course, this is not enough. We are willing to give Mr. Jiang one hundred bottles of elixirs, one hundred treasures, and ten magic weapons on top of that!"
Wang Anquan didn't mention anything about Situ Mingyue and the Star-Picking Hand. Those were the most precious treasures of the Star-Picking Tower, and he wouldn't take them out unless absolutely necessary.
He's saying all this just to test Jiang Bai, to see how much Jiang Bai's appetite is.
It must be said that Wang Anquan, the Supreme Elder of the Star-Picking Tower, is a very intelligent and skilled negotiator.
"Not enough..." Jiang Bai said calmly without even thinking. These things were definitely good, but they were still not enough. What Jiang Bai wanted was not this, but the Star-Picking Hand, a divine power from the Star-Picking Tower.
Hearing Jiang Bai's decisive refusal, Wang Anquan gritted his teeth and said, "Before coming here, the sect leader asked me to bring our sect's ultimate technique, the Star-Picking Hand. If Mr. Jiang is willing to withdraw the Supreme Dao Token and give up pursuing this matter, our Star-Picking Pavilion is willing to give Mr. Jiang the secret manual of the Star-Picking Hand!"
"Star-Picking Hand?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai's eyes lit up immediately; this was exactly what he wanted.
At first, he made a big fuss to scare off Zhaixinglou and give others a warning, letting them know that Jiang Bai was not someone to be trifled with and that they should not provoke him easily.
To be honest, Jiang Bai didn't really intend to get anything from the Star-Picking Tower. After all, it was a huge sect ranked seventh in the immortal path, with a profound foundation. If he angered them, Jiang Bai would really be no match for them.
However, according to the news Ye Qingguo received, those sects that had come to join forces with Zhaixinglou had all backed down, fought their own battles, betrayed the alliance, and some even took advantage of the situation.
The Star-Picking Tower rushed over again, bringing beautiful women and treasures to apologize, and also brought Li Qingdi as an intermediary.
Jiang Bai knew that his deception had successfully frightened the opponent, thus increasing their appetite and making them covet the opponent's supernatural power, the Star-Picking Hand.
I thought it would be a waste of time and effort to coax and deceive them, and even to turn on them a little and scare them, since the Star-Picking Hand is a closely guarded secret of the Star-Picking Tower.
Jiang Bai was surprised that Zhaixinglou was so helpful and delivered the items directly.
Jiang Bai was already quite satisfied with this, but human greed is insatiable. Seeing how cowardly the other party was, Jiang Bai was not so easily persuaded to compromise. Besides, compromising too quickly could easily lead to speculation.
So, after thinking for a moment, Jiang Bai pondered and said, "The Star-Picking Hand is good, but... I don't think it's enough."
One sentence made Wang Anquan's face turn very ugly. He said to Jiang Bai in a deep voice, "Mr. Jiang, I have even brought the Star-Picking Pavilion's secret technique, the Star-Picking Hand, with me. This is the foundation of our Star-Picking Pavilion. You know how powerful this thing is. We are sincere. But if you do this, we really cannot accept it!"
He said he couldn't accept it, but he didn't say anything about fighting to the death. Jiang Bai knew that this time, Zhaixinglou was really scared out of his wits.
So he just sneered at it and remained noncommittal.
This caused Wang Anquan's face to flush red on the spot. Looking at Jiang Bai in front of him, the two stared at each other, neither willing to give in.
Finally, after more than ten minutes of struggle, Wang Anquan gave up and said dejectedly, "We can send Miss Sikong Mingyue over as well."
Chapter 1074 Completely baffled
There's nothing we can do; he was just a coward.
Who told Zhaixinglou to be so cowardly?
If he doesn't back down on this matter, does he expect Jiang Bai to back down as well?
What he didn't know was that Jiang Bai was even more cowardly than him. All those lies about attacking and destroying the Star-Picking Tower were just that—lies.
Jiang Bai neither had the ability nor the confidence.
If he stared at Jiang Bai for a little longer, Jiang Bai would probably back down and agree first.
Jiang Bai was afraid that if he really turned his back on him and refused to talk to him, then who would he turn to?
However, Wang Anquan was destined to never know about this, so he chickened out first.
Wang Anquan then added, "Miss Sikong Mingyue is the apple of the eye of the sect leader, Sikong Zhaixing. The sect leader had her when he was six hundred years old and named her Mingyue. She is currently one of the four holy maidens of Lanyue Pavilion."
"She is a very famous woman in the cultivation world, known as one of the ten great fairies of the cultivation world. Compared to Ye Qingguo who is currently by your side, she is only slightly inferior. Moreover, in my opinion, they are each the best in their own way. The so-called slight inferiority is just a matter of personal opinion."
This surprised Jiang Bai, who was speechless. Why was another woman being sent over? Did these people really think he was a lecherous devil?
Admittedly, everyone has a love for beauty, but Jiang Bai is a bit... well, a bit too philanthropic.
But surely, no one is that desperate for such things?
Why does it seem like outsiders don't think that way?
Prior to this, Jiang Bai had received a gift: a female slave... um... a concubine... Nangong Xueyu.
Now another one has been sent, and one with an unusually powerful background... Situ Mingyue? The daughter of Sikong Zhaixing, the master of Zhaixing Tower?
You should know that Sikong Zhaixing is one of the top experts in the immortal sect. The Lord of Zhaixing Tower is famous throughout the world. His Zhaixing Hand is truly divine. Capturing stars is a bit of an exaggeration.
It could be done in a matter of days.
According to Ye Qingguo, Sikong Zhaixing is among the most outstanding figures in the immortal sects, ranking thirteenth among all the masters in the world.
A genuine peak Grand Celestial Realm expert, with rumors even suggesting he has one foot already in the Supreme Celestial Realm.
He was almost able to condense his primordial spirit and roam freely between heaven and earth. In ancient times, he would have been a true immortal.
Now, even Sikong Zhaixing's woman is being given away by Zhaixing Tower, so it's probably reached its limit.
Jiang Bai naturally couldn't press the matter further, as he feared that if he continued, he might scare the person away. So, Jiang Bai wisely shut his mouth, pondered for a moment, and said, "Sikong Zhaixing is even willing to part with his daughter, so it seems that your Zhaixing Tower is quite sincere. In that case, let's drop this matter."
Upon hearing this, Wang Anquan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "Although we suffered heavy losses and paid a huge price this time, at least we didn't fail in our mission and managed to appease this scourge."
"The Star-Picking Tower has finally been saved."
However, he dared not say this, for fear that Jiang Bai would try to extort him again. When he heard Jiang Bai's words, he quickly said, "Since that's the case, then it's settled. These disciples will stay and serve Mr. Jiang."
After saying that, he took out an iron box from his pocket, placed it on the table, and continued, "This is the secret manual of the Star-Picking Hand. We made a copy and gave it to Mr. Jiang. It is definitely the real deal. You can have someone authenticate it."
"As for the young lady, she is far away in Lan Yue Pavilion, and she is one of the four holy maidens of Lan Yue Pavilion. Even if we want to find her and send her here, it will take some time, at least one to two months. I hope Mr. Jiang can wait patiently."
Jiang Bai nodded in agreement, and Wang Anquan, relieved, added, "But regarding the Supreme Dao and Xu Changsheng... Mr. Jiang, you... are you...?"
He was afraid that Jiang Bai would take all the money and then deny it, which is why he asked that question.
"Don't worry, we'll call it even from now on. I'll talk to them about it." Jiang Bai replied lazily, but there was no such thing at all, so what was the point of talking about it?
I wonder if Wang Anquan and the people from Zhaixinglou will vomit blood on the spot if they find out about this.
Actually, the reason this matter was able to achieve such an effect is entirely due to Ye Qingguo's efforts; Jiang Bai really wouldn't have been able to do it.
Ye Qingguo wielded immense influence within the Supreme Dao, and it was only after she had spoken to the Supreme Dao Master that he agreed to help with the charade.
And because she was there, even though he knew it was her side that spread false information, Xu Changsheng pretended to be stupid and refused to say more. Otherwise, the Star-Picking Tower would have been in much worse shape.
Of course, the Emperor of Ten Thousand Saints may have also received the news, but that old guy is definitely happy to watch the show. He would be happy to see any of the ten immortal sects suffer a loss.
Why can't the old man get along with these people?
Wang Anquan received his guarantee and left behind his belongings, while Jiang Bai received his benefits and acquired his own things. The two parted ways happily.
As for the ten beauties that Wang Anquan sent, Jiang Bai was not in a hurry to enjoy them. Who knew what Zhaixinglou was up to? He wasn't a real lecherous devil, so there was no need to be in such a hurry.
He summoned Hisumura and told her that she wouldn't have to follow him for the time being. He told her to stay here and train these women. Sakura Meinin was best at this, much better than assassinations.
While we're at it, let's take a look. If everything's really fine, then Jiang Bai can enjoy a few more.
To be honest, some of them are quite youthful and fresh-faced.
Having dealt with the Star-Picking Tower matter, Jiang Bai felt relieved and much happier. This was not only because he had gained a lot of benefits, but also because his successful display of power had earned him nearly a million prestige points.
Jiang Bai was quite surprised that simply scaring the Star-Picking Tower had yielded such a huge benefit.
What he didn't know was that his actions this time, this fake news, scared not only the Zhaixinglou family, but the entire cultivation world, and countless people avoided Jiang Bai like the plague.
This is the fundamental reason why he gained so much prestige at once.
"Hmph, Jiang Bai gained quite a bit of benefit? I heard that Zhaixing Tower sent you ten beauties, why didn't you stay, and instead came back alone?" As soon as he returned to the hotel, he saw Ye Qingguo already waiting there. After seeing Jiang Bai, she snorted and said this.
Jiang Bai was a little embarrassed at the time. He scratched his head and said, "Others may not know, but you don't? This news is fake. The people from Zhaixing Tower are scared, so they sent someone over. I can't refuse to accept it, otherwise I'll be exposed."
"I'll just accept it for now."
"As for the benefits, don't worry, I, Jiang Bai, am an honest man. They give me a hundred bottles of spiritual medicine and a hundred kinds of treasures, and I'll share half with you!"
"Hmph, Situ Mingyue is quite good-looking. I congratulate you in advance." Ye Qingguo said with a cold snort, then turned and left, returning to her room and closing the door behind her.
Jiang Bai was completely baffled, not understanding what was wrong with Ye Qingguo.
Chapter 1075 An Xiaoyu
Jiang Bai's greatest characteristic is that he doesn't dwell on things he can't understand.
Jiang Bai couldn't quite understand Ye Qingguo's problem, so he eventually stopped thinking about it.
He shook his head with a wry smile, turned and left, returning to his room to sing love songs alone in his loneliness.
But as soon as Jiang Bai entered his room, he found a young man sitting cross-legged on the sofa, watching the television in front of him with great interest, as if he were enjoying a currently popular entertainment program.
On the table in front of the sofa were some snacks provided by the hotel, as well as a bottle of quite expensive red wine.
Jiang Bai's face immediately darkened.
Who exactly is this guy?
How could they brazenly appear in my room? What does that mean?
And how come no one noticed?
Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes immediately.
Upon closer inspection, one couldn't help but gasp in astonishment; this was a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Realm.
He's definitely a master, but I don't know where he comes from, and he's sitting in his own room.
As for why no one noticed or reported his presence here, Jiang Bai didn't want to investigate further, because it was pointless. It would be very difficult for his subordinates to guard against a Heavenly Realm expert.
Especially for a master of the Great Celestial Realm, if the opponent hides their true intentions and sneaks in, let alone Jiang Bai's subordinates, even Ye Qingguo probably wouldn't be able to detect it.
It's really asking too much of him to rely on his subordinates.
The young man had long black hair hanging down his back. He didn't look very old, but it's really hard to judge a cultivator's age by his appearance. Based on Jiang Bai's experience, this person looked young, but since he had reached the Great Heavenly Realm, he must be at least a hundred years old.
After all, geniuses are really rare.
Counting on his fingers, Jiang Bai knew that among those who had reached the Heavenly Rank before the age of forty, there were only four people in modern society: himself, Ye Qingguo, Xu Changsheng, and Ye Jingshen.
Besides the four of them, even Xuan Yuanpo, who was known as a genius of the Human Emperor family, is now 150 years old. It is said that he entered the Heavenly Realm at the age of 88, which caused quite a stir at the time.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Jiang Bai asked warily. The Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag appeared out of thin air and surrounded him. He held the Flaming Sun Heaven-Burning Halberd in his hand, and the "Heavenly Punishment Talisman" also appeared.
Facing an opponent who was a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Heaven Realm, Jiang Bai had to be careful, because such a person had the ability to kill him.
The sudden appearance of such a figure in his room made Jiang Bai nervous. Not long ago, he had dealt with He Junfu, a master from the Star-Picking Tower, and knew the terror of people at this level.
Therefore, the "Heavenly Punishment Talisman" is indispensable.
Upon hearing Jiang Bai's shout, the young man immediately stood up, then turned to look at Jiang Bai with a bright smile: "Don't be so nervous, I mean no harm. Besides, even with all that stuff, you might not be able to beat me... I am..."
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly noticed the "Heavenly Punishment Talisman" flashing with light on Jiang Bai's face. His expression immediately changed, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "I mean no harm, put that thing away."
"Keep it away from me."
"I hate it!"
"Uh..." Jiang Bai was taken aback. He felt that the other party really didn't mean any harm. However, since he didn't know the person in front of him, Jiang Bai naturally couldn't listen to him. The Heavenly Punishment Talisman was his greatest reliance, so how could he easily put it away?
If Jiang Bai actually does as the other party says, and this person suddenly attacks, he'll be in trouble.
Although he now possesses an "immortal body," the pain of being reduced to ashes is something outsiders cannot understand, and Jiang Bai would absolutely not want to experience it unless absolutely necessary.
"Who exactly are you! Speak up, or I won't be polite with the Heavenly Punishment Talisman in my hand. I know you are a Grand Heaven Realm expert, but this thing has killed a Grand Heaven Realm expert before."
"Moreover, I know that it might not be able to be destroyed even by a Great Celestial Realm cultivator, let alone a Supreme Celestial Realm cultivator!"
"If you'd like, I wouldn't mind if you gave it a try."
Jiang Bai coldly questioned.
Uninvited guests are either up to no good or thieves.
"I'm An Xiaoyu from the Taiyi Sect. You don't know me, but I know you... You can call me Xiao An... or you can call me Brother An... um... if all else fails, you can call me this old guy, I look young and I'm not that old~"
"But he is indeed much older than you, over two hundred years old, he is definitely an old man."
The other party chuckled and said this to Jiang Bai.
This instantly put Jiang Bai's relaxed mood on edge. Damn it... the Taiyi Sect!
This sect has a deep grudge against Jiang Bai. Back then, Jiang Bai even hung their disciples naked on flagpoles and paraded them around.
He had offended the Taiyi Sect quite a bit, and I heard that it caused quite a stir at the time. Fortunately, the elder from the Taiyi Sect was a clever man and quickly reached an agreement with him, which brought the matter to an end.
However, I heard that the poor elder has recently run into trouble because his agreement with himself has been exposed and the rumors are spreading like wildfire, as if his disciple betrayed him.
In any case, he was extremely unlucky in this matter, and the Taiyi Sect also felt deeply insulted.
They are very hostile towards themselves.
Because of the incident at Lishan Mausoleum, the disciples of Taiyi Sect did not come out, and the other party also blamed him and Ye Qingguo for it. They dared not cause trouble for Ye Qingguo, so naturally they would come after him.
So when He Junfu attacked us some time ago, Taiyi Sect actually put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.
According to Wang Anquan, this was not something that Zhaixinglou alone did; Taiyi Sect, Yuxu Palace, Shushan Sword Sect, Kongtong Immortal Sect, and even the opportunistic Kunlun were all involved.
In return, the Taiyi Sect offered the Star-Picking Tower numerous benefits and promises.
Of course, I heard that they turned against us these past two days and even seemed to be taking advantage of our misfortune.
However, their hatred for Jiang Bai was real and almost impossible to resolve. Now, suddenly, a high-ranking figure from the Taiyi Sect's Supreme Elder level came to their room.
He appeared silently, squatted there watching TV. Damn it, Jiang Bai would be lucky to feel at ease!
So the moment the other party introduced himself, Jiang Bai picked up the "Heavenly Punishment Talisman".
If An Xiaoyu hadn't reacted quickly enough and added, "I really didn't mean any harm, don't do anything rash,"...
It's possible that Jiang Bai has already bestowed this last chance to use the Heavenly Punishment Talisman upon this seemingly young old fellow in front of him.
Chapter 1076 A Huge Deal
"I have nothing to say to you Taiyi Sect people. You know our relationship better than I do. Some time ago, you came to this Zhaixing Tower to deal with me. If it weren't for my Heavenly Punishment Talisman, I would be a pile of ashes somewhere by now."
"I've remembered this matter. You've also remembered the things I did to offend you before. The grudge between our two families is there, there's nothing more to say."
"If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave here right now, or I won't be so polite with the Heavenly Punishment Talisman in my hand."
Jiang Bai responded coldly.
These words made An Xiaoyu give a wry smile, and she shouted loudly, "No! Jiang Bai, don't do anything rash! I really don't mean any harm. I'm here to do business with you!"
"A huge deal!"
"That's ridiculous!" Jiang Bai exclaimed, refusing to believe it.
What business could he possibly have with the Taiyi Sect?
Isn't this just a scam?
However, judging from the other person's appearance, it didn't seem like they were faking it; the person in front of them didn't seem to have any malicious intent.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have introduced himself in the first place, but instead launched a surprise attack.
However, the other party's background...
Jiang Bai was instructed to demonstrate the other party's sincerity.
In Jiang Bai's mind, the Taiyi Sect was too unreliable.
"What kind of huge business deal could I possibly have with you? We've never even met before! And I have nothing to say to the people of the Taiyi Sect," Jiang Bai said in a deep voice, deciding it was best not to waste time arguing with them.
"This is a fantastic deal!" the other party repeated.
This made Jiang Bai frown, but he didn't drive the person away again. He just frowned and looked at An Xiaoyu in front of him, wondering what this old guy who looked young and was only in his twenties but was actually over two hundred years old meant.
So, after a moment's consideration, he looked at An Xiaoyu in front of him and said in a deep voice, "What kind of business do you have?"
Hearing this, the other person visibly relaxed, regaining their previous nonchalant demeanor, and said with a smile, "What's the rush? Come sit down and let's talk."
"I haven't been out for a long time. The last time I came out was more than ten years ago. Back then, the world wasn't as prosperous as it is now, and there weren't as many fun programs. Hmm, of course, there wasn't such delicious wine as yours either."
"Speaking of which, your life is truly extravagant; you actually live in..."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Jiang Bai's expression changed immediately upon hearing the other party's incessant chatter, and he reprimanded him with displeasure.
After saying that, he added, "Don't you have business dealings? If you have something to say, just say it. I want to see what kind of huge deal you have to do with me."
"Don't mess with me, or I can't beat you, but the Heavenly Punishment Talisman will definitely be enough to deal with you!"
"Destroy the Taiyi Sect! How about this deal? Wouldn't you call it a huge deal?" Seeing Jiang Bai's expression, the other party stopped joking with him, chuckled, and said this in a very low voice.
After saying this, he seemed to have a guilty conscience, glancing around as if afraid that others would overhear him.
Are you kidding me?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai immediately flew into a rage. "Aren't you from the Taiyi Sect? Now you come to me saying you want to destroy the Taiyi Sect? This is like an ordinary person suddenly coming to an enemy and saying, 'I'm going to burn down my house.'"
That's completely unreliable; only a fool would believe that!
"I'm telling the truth, I'll destroy the Taiyi Sect! I know you have a grudge against the Taiyi Sect, and coincidentally, I do too. I've long been fed up with those bastards, but my abilities are limited, and I haven't been confident in carrying out this plan for a long time."
"So, I came to find you because you're so strong, brother."
"You have a grudge against the Taiyi Sect, and so do I. Don't let my background in the Taiyi Sect fool you; I hate them to the core. If we join forces, there's definitely hope."
An Xiaoyu hurriedly and excitedly responded to Jiang Bai's words, but Jiang Bai did not respond. He let the other party talk, but he did not say a word more. He just squinted at the other party.
Seeing Jiang Bai's look, An Xiaoyu knew that Jiang Bai doubted her identity, so she stopped talking and looked at Jiang Bai silently for a long time before saying, "Jiang Bai, I'm telling the truth."
"You only know one side of my identity and not the other. While I am indeed from the Taiyi Sect, all my skills were taught by the Taiyi Sect."
"But I hate the Taiyi Sect to the core!"
"Why?" Seeing that the other party didn't seem to be faking it, Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask this question.
"Have you heard of the Boundless Demon Sect?" An Xiaoyu suddenly asked out of the blue.
Jiang Bai was stumped by the question, because the name was completely unfamiliar. It took him a while to remember that Ye Qingguo had mentioned it briefly when they were chatting before.
There is also a distinction between good and evil among cultivators. The Ten Great Immortal Sects are naturally the representatives of the righteous path. Although Jiang Bai thinks they are all hypocrites who claim to be righteous but have never done a good thing.
They were adept at bullying men and women, acting arrogantly and recklessly, and treating human life like dirt.
But they are indeed righteous, and even leaders of the righteous path.
Where there is good, there is evil. The Wuji Demon Sect is a demonic sect and is the villain.
After years of struggle and natural selection, almost all the demonic sects were either wiped out or had fled to the underworld.
This is why it became a gathering place for demons and monsters, and the cultivation world was dominated by the ten great immortal sects.
The Wuji Demonic Sect was one of the ten great demonic sects of that time.
The top three sects in the demonic path, ranking third only after the Primordial Demonic Sect and the Heavenly Demonic Sect, ahead of the Primordial Heart Demonic Sect.
It was extremely popular in a distant era.
Moreover, they were the last demonic sect to be driven into the underworld.
I heard that they paid a considerable price to drive away and eliminate the righteous sects back then. It seems that the Taiyi Sect was the main force at the time.
However, these were just a few words that Ye Qingguo said unintentionally. Jiang Bai did not inquire about the specifics, but even if he did, he probably wouldn't know much, since those were things from hundreds of years ago.
Even Ye Qingguo couldn't possibly know the full extent of it.
Only the old monsters and those involved know about this.
But what does it mean that An Xiaoyu is suddenly bringing this up now?
Weren't you talking about a big deal? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?
However, Jiang Bai's mind worked quickly, and he reacted almost in the blink of an eye. He looked at An Xiaoyu in front of him with a look of horror and asked in a deep voice, "Are you from the Wuji Demon Sect?"
"That's right, I am a member of the Wuji Demon Sect. My father was the former sect leader of the Wuji Demon Sect. He died in a treacherous ambush by the Taiyi Sect, so I hate the Taiyi Sect to the bone!" Hearing Jiang Bai's question, An Xiaoyu did not deny it. Instead, she said this with a ferocious expression.
Then he said viciously, "With my status, do you think I hate them as much as you do? Can't we join forces and do a big business deal?"
Chapter 1077 Feelings for This
Jiang Bai didn't speak. He just stood there, tilting his head, quietly looking at An Xiaoyu, who was at least two hundred years old, too old to be his great-grandfather, yet addressed him as a brother, and had a rather young-sounding name.
Watching him there, freely expressing the pent-up anger in his heart.
After a long pause, he said in a deep voice, "As far as I know, the last sect leader of the Wuji Demon Sect should have had the surname Liu, right?"
This was information he purchased from the system with a small amount of prestige, mainly about the Boundless Demon Sect. Jiang Bai did not spend any prestige points to verify the truthfulness of the person in front of him.
No other reason than the high price.
These words made An Xiaoyu raise an eyebrow and couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect you to know so much. Before the sect was destroyed, the last sect leader was indeed surnamed Liu. My father was a disciple of that ancestor. Back then, he passed on the position to my father at the critical moment of life and death. Not many people know about this."
"In fact, after the Taiyi Sect killed my father, they didn't even know his name. Otherwise... I wouldn't have had the opportunity to join the Taiyi Sect."
The last sect leader? We don't even know his name?
Is there really such a strange thing?
Jiang Bai expressed his doubts.
As if sensing Jiang Bai's strange look, An Xiaoyu remained silent for a long time before explaining, "Since you know the name of the last sect leader of the Wuji Demon Sect, you must also know about what happened back then."
"Demonic cultivators are attacked by the whole world, and the Wuji Demonic Sect is among them."
"We suffered heavy losses. In fact, many demonic sects had already been attacked before this, and many people were either completely wiped out or went underground and entered that terrifying underground world."
"To associate with demons."
"To be honest, our Wuji Demon Sect didn't really do anything bad back then."
"I do not deny that there are some scoundrels among the demonic cultivators, who complement each other's yin and yang, kill and steal souls, and divulge evil from all living beings, committing all kinds of evil deeds, but they are only a minority after all."
"Since you know the truth, you should know that the struggle between good and evil back then was not only due to these scoundrels, but more importantly, it was due to sectarianism."
"They fight each other because their paths are different. In fact, among the top demonic sects, apart from the Primordial Heart Demon Sect, which is truly terrifying, the others, such as the Primordial Demon Sect, the Heavenly Demon Sect, and so on, are not necessarily that evil."
"But all of these people were eliminated one by one. At that time, our Wuji Demon Sect could be said to be the most benevolent sect in the demonic path, and we usually did not make things difficult for others."
"We thought we would be safe and sound, but we never expected that those people would besiege our Wuji Demon Sect, causing us heavy losses."
"My father was appointed as the last sect leader in a time of crisis. However, he was deceived by the Taiyi Sect and actually thought that the Taiyi Sect would give up hunting us down. He took the initiative to ask everyone to give up resistance, but..."
The result is self-evident: the Taiyi Sect wiped out the entire group.
As for this matter, Jiang Bai really couldn't say who was right and who was wrong. As far as he knew, although the Wuji Demon Sect wasn't too bad, it was far from being as clean as he described.
The reason why the Demonic Sect is called the Demonic Sect is not only because they took extreme shortcuts, but more importantly because of their style of doing things. They have no regard for the world, enslaving and plundering the world, disregarding the law, and acting recklessly.
To be honest, Jiang Bai thought these people were a menace.
To be honest, the Taiyi Sect's annihilation of the Wuji Demon Sect might not have been a mistake.
Therefore, Jiang Bai naturally had no sympathy for them. However, looking at An Xiaoyu's ferocious face in front of him, he unconsciously began to ponder the matter.
Perhaps... this matter can be used to our advantage; if done well, we might actually gain some benefit.
As for the idea of destroying the Taiyi Sect, that's complete nonsense.
Perhaps one day in the future, Jiang Bai will be able to do this, but definitely not now.
Taiyi Sect is said to be the fourth among the ten immortal sects, and it is rumored to be the lineage of the Eastern Emperor of the ancient Heavenly Court.
Whether it's true or not, it's unclear, but it has been passed down for countless millennia, seemingly existing since the beginning of time. In terms of historical origins, it may even be comparable to the top three sects.
The depth of such a sect's foundation is obvious even to a child.
They are much more difficult to deal with than those from the Star-Picking Tower.
It should be noted that at one time, the power of the Taiyi Sect surpassed that of the Taishang Dao, and it enjoyed the honor of being the number one immortal sect for many years.
However, after some unforeseen events, it gradually declined, and now it still firmly holds the fourth position, even... There are rumors that the Taiyi Sect has always coveted Jin'ao Island and Yuxu Palace from years ago.
Such sects are much more difficult to deal with than the Star-Picking Tower.
It's not a big problem to let them suffer a loss occasionally.
But to think you can destroy someone else is nothing short of a pipe dream.
"I already know what happened, and I'm willing to believe you. But if I may be frank, I'm a mid-level Celestial and you're a high-level Celestial. We could easily dominate the outside world, but dealing with the Taiyi Sect..."
"Hehe, don't you think this is child's play?"
"You've reached your current position, so you must be highly trusted within the Taiyi Sect. You know the Taiyi Sect's strength much better than I do. Let alone the two of us, even if we added a few more Tai Tian Rank experts, would we have any hope?"
With a cold laugh, Jiang Bai shook his head and rejected An Xiaoyu's suggestion. Destroying the Taiyi Sect was indeed tempting, as it would not only bring huge benefits but also allow him to complete that troublesome side quest.
But the prerequisite is that he also needs to have the ability.
Greed knows no bounds; like a snake trying to swallow an elephant, it will only choke and kill itself!
"You have the Heavenly Punishment Talisman, the Supreme Dao Token, and the support of Xu Changsheng and the Emperor of Ten Thousand Saints. Moreover… I've heard that you have a very good relationship with Ye Jingshen's daughter. Given his personality, he wouldn't refuse if his daughter asked him for help."
"With these four giants around, not to mention Taiyi Sect, even Yuxu Palace can be shaken!" Hearing Jiang Bai's refusal, An Xiaoyu became anxious and hurriedly said these words to Jiang Bai.
After saying that, his expression suddenly changed, realizing that he might have said something wrong.
Jiang Bai smiled at this and said noncommittally, "I was wondering why a Grand Celestial Realm expert would suddenly come to cooperate with me, wanting to overthrow the Taiyi Sect together. It turns out it wasn't for me, but for these things."
His expression quickly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "It's true that I have conflicts with the Taiyi Sect, but these things are favors I owe to save my life. I won't use these things unless absolutely necessary."
"After the Star-Picking Tower incident, I think they will all behave themselves for the time being, including the Taiyi Sect."
Chapter 1078 Why are you back again?
"If that's the case, why should I cooperate with you?"
Hearing this, An Xiaoyu seemed to have expected it all along, and was not angry. She smiled and said, "I know you have no reason to cooperate with me, and I also know that you, Jiang Bai, are known for never taking a loss."
"Therefore, I came here with sincerity."
This surprised Jiang Bai. What kind of sincerity could make An Xiaoyu, a cultivator at the Great Heaven Realm, so confident that he could convince him?
You have to understand, I had already made it clear before that the methods I used were all for my own survival. How could he still be so confident? Don't you think he's overconfident?
Without saying a word, he simply stared silently at the person in front of him.
An Xiaoyu, on the other hand, said noncommittally, "Do you know what's inside the Taiyi Sect?"
Still without speaking, the other party continued, "There is a world-shaking secret in the Taiyi Sect. It is said that whoever obtains it will be able to live forever. This secret has existed since the very beginning of the Taiyi Sect."
"Legend has it that there is a portal inside, known as the Gate of Taiyi. If one can comprehend it, one will attain the Way of Eternity."
"Even though the three major immortal sects coveted it, and the First Emperor once wanted to obtain it, the Taiyi Sect protected it extremely well. During the First Emperor's reign, they went into hiding and sent out all their forces, even abandoning the cave that originally belonged to them."
"That's why I was so proud to save it."
"If you agree to join forces with me to destroy the Taiyi Sect, I can help you obtain the Gate of the Taiyi Sect. I am the Supreme Elder of the Taiyi Sect. This thing can be kept secret from others, but not from me."
"I know its approximate location. Once the Taiyi Sect is destroyed, I can take you there to retrieve it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai sneered repeatedly. Wasn't this utter nonsense?
This so-called Taiyi Gate sounds so mysterious. Regardless of whether it's true or not, even if it is, with so many people watching, how could such a benefit possibly fall into one's hands?
Even if it fell into my hands, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy it.
Besides, you, An Xiaoyu, are a master of the Great Heaven Realm, while I, Jiang Bai, am only at the Middle Heaven Realm. If you cooperate with me and we find this thing, won't you devour me?
Overall, this whole thing is utter nonsense, and Jiang Bai feels there's absolutely no basis for cooperation.
"I feel like there's no basis for cooperation between us," Jiang Bai said noncommittally, his eyes flickering.
The other party paused for a moment, frowned, and said in a deep voice, "Why? You have such ability. You were able to deal with the Star-Picking Tower this time, so you can deal with the Taiyi Sect as well."
"Admittedly, Taiyi Sect is far more powerful than Zhaixing Tower, but with the support of these people, you have the ability to do this."
"Destroying the Taiyi Sect will bring you benefits, isn't that a good thing?"
Jiang Bai chuckled at this, went into the room by himself, sat down casually, and looked at An Xiaoyu in front of him without saying a word, but his meaning was very clear.
That is, he rejected the collaboration.
An Xiaoyu narrowed her eyes and remained silent for a long time before chuckling, "Alright, if you're unwilling, then forget it. But the matter of the Taiyi Gate is true. If you ever come to your senses, you can come find me. Of course... I'll come find you again when the time is right."
"I know what you're worried about right now, but I can wait. I've waited all these years, so I'm not in a hurry for a day or two."
After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Jiang Bai alone, squinting as he watched the direction he left in, seemingly lost in thought.
To be honest, Jiang Bai really wasn't interested in dealing with the Taiyi Sect or anything like that.
It's true there's a grudge, but not a deep one, not enough to warrant the destruction of a sect or the extermination of an entire family. Of course... most importantly, Jiang Bai doesn't have the ability to destroy a sect or exterminate an entire family.
Paying a huge price for something that is neither here nor there is a wise move.
However, if the opportunity arises in the future, Jiang Bai would not mind giving it a try. This is why Jiang Bai did not refute An Xiaoyu's final words.
After An Xiaoyu left, Jiang Bai slept soundly. The next morning, Jiang Bai set off for Europe.
Things are different now, so Jiang Bai naturally wants to go there and settle some old scores.
Jiang Bai left in a hurry last time and didn't have time to settle accounts with those bastards. Now that he's back, he's naturally going to have a good talk with them.
Moreover... well, Jiang Bai had this mission to complete.
Jiang Bai landed near Rome on his private jet. He didn't go into the city because he was a high-profile target. The incident hadn't been long ago, and Jiang Bai was still under close surveillance here.
As soon as he landed, Jiang Bai called his old friend Andrei. Cardinal Andrei, who was currently having an affair with a beautiful nun, suddenly received a phone call. When he saw the name flashing on the screen, he shuddered.
He then hurriedly got off the bed, grabbed his phone, and went to a secluded corner, where he said in a trembling voice, "You... what do you need me for?"
"I'm back..." These words sent a shiver down Bishop Andrei's spine.
I almost cried. Why are you back again? Why the hell did you come back? How long has it been since this happened? Why are you back already?
Andrei was filled with resentment and grievances, but even more so with panic. He had thought that Jiang Bai would not return for at least a year or two after leaving, so that he could live a peaceful life.
But now... it's only been a few days, how come this guy is back already?
But he dared not say these words to Jiang Bai under any circumstances, and could only ask tremblingly, "You... what do you want?"
An ominous premonition crept into my heart.
"Last time, a few bastards tried to get back at me. I was in such a hurry that I only managed to take care of one of them. But I'm the kind of person who believes in revenge. So naturally, I'm back to settle scores with them."
Andrei's face turned pale at those words. "Settle things down? Damn it... You're going to kill someone?"
Wait a minute... I think I was one of the people who attacked you last time?
Are you going to settle scores with me too?
Andrei's heart pounded.
"Of course, you're not included in this purge. We're good friends, aren't we? Hmm... But I'll need your help to deal with them this time. How about we meet?"
When Jiang Bai's voice came, Andrei trembled all over, on the verge of tears. He regretted that he had been so unlucky to have this despicable guy catch him red-handed.
After that, he conspired with him to kill a cardinal. Now, he's been caught red-handed and can't turn things around.
He wanted to refuse, but dared not, and could only manage a wry smile and reply, "Okay."
Chapter 1079 My Heart Is Piercing
A few hours later, Jiang Bai met Andrei at a café outside Rome. When they met, Andrei was cautious and looked around.
Judging from his appearance, he was quite frightened, afraid that others would recognize him.
Not only was he wearing a mask, but he was also wearing large-framed sunglasses.
Jiang Bai recognized him from afar just by his appearance; he looked like a pig.
It's actually quite difficult to make yourself unrecognizable.
And another thing... Dude, since you're out here and want to disguise yourself, why don't you take off that gold ring that represents the cardinal?
And... what's that cross around your neck? The diamonds on it are blinding for blocks.
Are you really sure you're not here to be a fool?
Jiang Bai was speechless.
"Please sit down."
After the other party arrived, he bowed to Jiang Bai and Jiang Bai asked him to sit down.
Then, in this secluded corner, he said to Andrei, "If you finish this task for me, I will return the video from last time to you."
"Leaving aside the people inside the Holy See for now, I want Marcus's position. I don't think that'll be too difficult for you, will it?"
Those people from the Holy See are too conspicuous; killing them would easily cause a sensation.
In comparison, Markuz and others have smaller goals. They hold prestigious positions, but they develop their careers in secret and do not attract much attention from the outside world.
Therefore, Jiang Bai focused his primary attention on them. After dealing with these bastards, with an inside man like Andrei, dealing with the Holy See would be much simpler.
Otherwise, if these people are dealt with first, it will be much more difficult for Andrei to operate in the future.
Hearing Jiang Bai say this, Andrei visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Jiang Bai would hold onto the people from the Holy See and force him to use the same trick to lure them out, which would have truly ruined Andrei.
As for people like Markuz, Andrei felt no psychological pressure in dealing with them; on the contrary, he was eager to try, since they were enemies to begin with.
If they are dealt with, it would be a good thing for the Holy See. If handled properly, he might even be credited with a victory, and in the future... the papacy might very well be his.
"I know where they are. In fact… Lor and his group have already started hunting down Markuz. It's said that he's hiding in a mountain range somewhere in the Caucasus, where there's an ancient castle that used to be a necromancer's stronghold."
"After Markuz's house was breached, he hid there. Recently, the Inquisition discovered the location and even led a team led by Lor to rush there, ready to take care of this evil necromancer leader."
"In fact, you have come at a very opportune time. In addition to Lor, the people sent this time also include a cardinal who attacked you before."
"Their operations are extremely secretive, and not many people know about them, but I happen to be one of them. They invited me, but I declined."
Andrei was prepared. When he received Jiang Bai's call, he already knew what he was going to tell Jiang Bai. Even if Jiang Bai didn't say these things, he would try to steer the matter towards Markuz.
Now that Jiang Bai had said it before, Andrei naturally went along with it.
"So, I can take on three at once?" Jiang Bai's eyes lit up; this was good news.
I was initially worried that taking them out one by one would take too long and might ruin things, but now it seems that my worries were unnecessary.
A perfect opportunity has presented itself. If we head straight for the Caucasus and wipe them all out, we'll have completed half the mission.
"It is indeed a good opportunity, but these people are not easy to deal with..."
He wanted to tell Jiang Bai that these people were all at the Heavenly Rank, and he knew Jiang Bai's strength. While Jiang Bai was indeed stronger and could almost crush his opponents in a one-on-one fight, he might not be able to succeed if the three of them joined forces.
Moreover, the Vatican brought a large number of people with them this time, and it's possible that Markuz might also have some powerful figures assisting him.
They fought for many years, with victories and defeats, but giants like members of parliament and bishops rarely fell from power. Ultimately, this was because the land was too insignificant.
The two companies have become more powerful.
It's really hard to hide anything from the other party, no matter what the slightest thing is going on.
It seems that the last surprise attack was something that took a lot of mental effort to execute, but it still ended in failure.
This operation may not be any better than the last one. If Markuz gets wind of it and makes preparations, Jiang Bai may not benefit from going.
He had intended to give a reminder, but soon, Andrei's eyes lit up and he had a plan in mind.
"Why did he have to warn him? If Jiang Bai recklessly rushed over and died there, wouldn't that be the best option?"
Thinking of this, he wisely shut up.
The two chatted for a bit more, and Jiang Bai asked him to keep an eye on the natural mage councilor whose fate was unknown, as well as the werewolf councilor, before leaving Rome on his own.
The matter is urgent. According to Andrei, Lor and his group set off yesterday. If they don't hurry, they might not make it in time.
However, in order to keep their itinerary secret, they would take a roundabout route and conceal their whereabouts, which bought Jiang Bai some time. Otherwise, if Jiang Bai rushed there now, it would be too late.
A day later, on the plains of the Caucasus, Jiang Bai stood on a low mound, squinting, looking at a weathered ancient castle in the distance, and quietly watching a group of people slowly approach.
A dozen vehicles sped across the plains towards the ancient castle, stopping at the entrance. The next second... dozens of people jumped out of the vehicles.
There were holy priests dressed in ceremonial robes, Templar knights in armor, and religious inquisitors in chains.
The group was small, but they were all elites, and when they arrived, they blocked the entrance.
The next second, a commotion broke out inside the castle. Markuz appeared at the castle gate, along with a werewolf and a nature mage.
This made Jiang Bai restless.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that all the people who had attacked him last time, except for Andrei, were present.
Is there really such a coincidence in this world?
It's like my wish came true!
Jiang Bai was originally worried about how to defeat these people one by one without causing a commotion, so that he would have no way to deal with the remaining people. Now, all the people who attacked him last time and those who betrayed him have appeared all at once.
This is absolutely incredible luck.
However... despite such a fortunate turn of events, Jiang Bai felt a sense of unease.