However, they became much more cautious during that period of time when hostility was everywhere. They tried their best not to step on the two large sects' tails and only worked on developing the coastal areas.
Countless players began analyzing the matter.
Even though Class One Hall was still as strong as ever while they had Dream Clouds, Zhou Yu, and Barren Murderer, who were top-tier players, not only had they failed to set up Chivalry Sect, they had instead caused Chivalry Sect and Mu Clan to become even closer than before.
They also received news from Baokang.
After the battle at Eternal Peace Temple, the three leaders of Chivalry Sect held a feast and invited Happy as well as All-powerful Medicinal Stone as thanks for their help. Then, after Wind Void discussed matters with her vice sect masters, Chivalry Sect took the initiative to give up on their share of the ore mines in Baokang. They gave their one-fifth of resources in the alliance of the five sects to Mu Clan without asking for payment so that they could help Mu Clan develop swiftly.
On top of that, Chivalry Sect helped Mu Clan set up branches in Jiangnan. They gave Mu Clan some of the great resource points that Class One Hall and Chivalry Sect had previously fought over.
As thanks, Mu Clan revealed the fact that they had seven pieces of fourth-echelon equipment on Divine Weapon Rank. That shocked the game, but Mu Clan was not done with that. They stated that they were willing to let their great Forgemaster Heartless Iron help Chivalry Sect get fourth-echelon equipment without asking for payment. They also promised that they would work with Chivalry Sect to fight against Class One Hall together.
Both sides set up an information exchange network to monitor the areas near Baokang and Changjiang River Basin to prevent Class One Hall from crossing over their borders again and invading Changjiang!
*****
After the intense period led by Chivalry Sect's actions passed, the nervous atmosphere when everyone was scared out of their wits gradually faded away. Chivalry Sect and Class One Hall treated Changjiang and Baokang as their border, and a few days passed quietly.
On that day, while Happy and Red Dust chattered together, they suddenly heard a commotion and screams of pain from the entrance of Eternal Peace Temple.
"You traitors! This is an important place that the imperial court soldiers have decided to temporarily take over, and you dare to come here as you please to kill our soldiers?! How dare you?!
"Guards!" A clear, feminine shout rose into the air, and the killing intent within it could be heard clearly. "Kill all the traitors in the temple!"
The two men were shocked.
The door to the tall tower was suddenly opened, and a group of heavy-armored Yuan Dynasty soldiers rushed out. They were led by A'da, A'er, and A'san.
"This is bad!"
Happy recognized A'san, and he could tell that the situation was bad at first glance. He shouted and jumped up the wall with Red Dust to swiftly retreat from the area near the tall tower.
The Chivalry Sect members reacted rather quickly. They swiftly retreated and avoided the disaster.
The people of the other sects were in a more sorry state. They did not notice the situation at the door and were caught off guard. By the time they noticed that something was wrong, the three Inaction Realm fighters had already charged out of the tower!
"Kill them!"
Happy and Red Dust left rather quickly, but they still came face to face with an old man who was dressed in a wide black robe and who had black eye rims and many tiny braids in his hair. He had the air of a West Regioner.
The old man had a gloomy face, and his eyes were as sharp as lightning when he fixed his gaze on them. He tapped against the stone tower beneath him, and with a loud whoosh, he pounced on them like a huge bird.
Red Dust did not recognize Lu Zhangke of the Xuanming Elders, but there was no way Happy could not recognize him.
"It's Lu Zhangke! Brother Red Dust, I'll handle him for a while! You have to leave!"
Happy was afraid that Red Dust would go up against Lu Zhangke because he thought that he could deal with him. But this man practiced Profound Abyss Divine Palm, and it was not any normal freezing palm technique. Those whose qi was low would not be able to withstand the freezing poison in his palms when fighting against him. If they got off from it lightly, they would be poisoned, but if they did not, they would die from the cold.
Red Dust heard the urgent tone in Happy's voice, and he quickly understood Happy's intentions. He did not say anything else, but led his brothers from Chivalry Sect to flee in another direction.
However, Lu Zhangke had already received orders from Zhao Min, and he was incredibly interested in large groups of people. He jumped, prepared to fly over Happy's head.
Clang!
Lu Zhangke was blocked by a sword force that came charging at his face with a sword w.h.i.n.e. He focused and spat out a few words coldly.
"You sure are reckless…"
Chapter 447 - Master Yuan Hui
Zhao Min came back!
This news spread through Eternal Peace County.
When the players in Eternal Peace County learned that piece of news, they also came to know that the Xuanming Elders came back to Eternal Peace County as well.
The three elites from Ruyang mansion and Bitter Hall rained down slaughter at the sacred land of Buddhists. They aided Divine Arrow Eight Heroes, whom Zhao Min led, and hundreds of Yuan Dynasty soldiers to kill hundreds of players.
Eternal Peace Temple instantly changed from a sacred land to train and farm items into a forbidden land in countless players' hearts.
….
"Zhao Min is here, and the Inaction Realm fighters all appeared. Brother Happy, looks like the quest at Eternal Peace Temple is about to start."
Red Dust had returned to Eternal Peace County and waited for Happy in a restaurant within the city. He stayed there until Happy managed to escape.
"I followed the great fighters from Shaolin Temple here. Brother Happy, you can order the Emei Sect disciples, but I do wonder what's the situation of the other great sects."
"It's a pity that you can't order the NPCs in the sects, or else, once we've gathered together the great fighters from the two sects, we would be able to do something." Happy poured some wine for himself.
The elites from the six sects had actually gathered outside Eternal Peace City.
Happy keenly sensed that the quest was different from the original plot!
Within it, Zhang Wuji was the one who led the people from Ming Cult to save the elites from the six great system-allocated sects, but it seemed like Happy's interference and Mistress Annihilation's action of entrusting Emei Sect to him had caused unexpected changes in the plot.
The elites from the six great system-allocated sects became involved with the quest, and they reached Eternal Peace Temple before Zhang Wuji and the others!
"Happy, now that the situation has changed, if we visit Eternal Peace Temple tonight and search for the elites from the six sects, do you think we will get something unexpected?" Red Dust suddenly suggested with sparkling eyes.
"You're right." Happy thought about it for a while, then s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath and nodded.
"But Zhao Min is personally guarding Eternal Peace Temple right now, so defense over there is incredibly tight. If we go to scout out the situation, it'll be very difficult for us to avoid the six elites' eyes and ears. Even I will have trouble surviving in the hands of two Inaction Realm fighters. I'll go and search for Mistress Hui Xin and see whether there is a quest."
After saying that, Happy stood up, and Red Dust understood what he meant. He nodded solemnly.
It was indeed too risky!
Provoking six elites for a quest that might not exist was just suicide.
Once Happy bade farewell to Red Dust, he rushed back to Intelligent Heart Temple while the sky was still bright.
Before he got close to it though, Happy noticed that the atmosphere was strange.
; There were many horse tracks along the way, and once he entered the forest, he saw, from the distance, Yuan Dynasty soldiers surrounding the entrance of Intelligent Heart Temple so tightly not a fly could escape. Leader Hui Xin of Intelligent Heart Temple had two nuns with her while she anxiously spoke with the Yuan Dynasty soldiers.
Happy stopped outside the Yuan Dynasty soldiers' sight. He surveyed the area from afar, and when he found a familiar face in the crowd, his heart instantly trembled with shock!
The leader of the Yuan Dynasty soldiers was coincidentally the one among the two Xuanming Elders who had fought against Happy before—Lu Zhangke!
*****
"Hmph, you old nun, you'd best accept our grace while we're still offering it. Be a good girl and hand over those people from Emei Sect, or else, don't blame me for burning down your temple!"
Lu Zhangke had a ghastly look on his eyes. It was clear that he had searched through the temple, but did not manage to find the Emei Sect disciples, and he was now threatening Hui Xin.
Leader Hui Xin would naturally not betray the Emei Sect disciples. She called out the name of Buddha and explained slowly and obediently, "Patron, this is a quiet land belonging to Buddha, and we have never taken part in the conflicts of the world of martial artists. We have also never provoked the imperial court's soldiers.
"I simply cannot understand your words. Besides, you have already searched through the temple. My disciples and I are the only ones here. There is no one else around."
"You aren't telling?" When Lu Zhangke heard her words, he cackled coldly and seized one of the young nuns beside Hui Xin. He then looked at her with a perverted expression. "I've wandered about Western Region freely for decades, and I have countless maids-in-waiting. I have never rejected any form of the female body.
"Heh heh, your disciples look lovely and beautiful. Old nun, surely you can't bear to see anything happen to them, do you?"
"You shameless pervert, let go of me!"
"Mistress!"
When the nuns saw that their companion had been dragged into the evil old man's embrace, they instantly turned pale.
For the first time ever, anxiety and anger appeared on Hui Xin's face.
"Amitabha, this is a quiet ground for Buddhists. We will not allow such an evil person like you to act as you please here!"
"Hmph, old nun, stop trying to lecture me. Tell me where the Emei Sect disciples are, and I will release your precious disciple, or else… Heh, I will take all of your disciples back to Eternal Peace Temple to warm my bed!"
Lu Zhangke was infamous for being a lecher. His semi-serious threat terrified Hui Xin and the young nuns so much that their faces turned completely pale.
"Amitabha!" The Yuan Dynasty soldiers had surrounded the temple and Leader Hui Xin knew that her disciples could not hope to break free, so she called out the name of Buddha, ready to destroy everything.
But her disciples were under the control of the Yuan Dynasty soldiers. Even though Hui Xin had the ability to kill herself and bring the others down, she could not bring herself to kill the disciples she had brought up herself. She gritted her teeth in exasperation while trembling.
"Amitabha."
At that moment, an unexpected voice calling out the name of Buddha was heard!
An old monk dressed in a yellow kasaya walked out from the forest. He seemed to be moving slowly, but he actually traveled very quickly and stopped behind the Yuan Dynasty soldiers. "You refuse to even spare votarists? Lu Zhangke, you are truly a person with no morals. Aren't you afraid of being struck by karma? Aren't you afraid of having your tongue ripped out and heart dug out when you die and go to hell?"
"Where did you come from, old monk?"
Lu Zhangke released the young nun in his hands and snorted coldly. There was a hostile look on his face when he turned toward the old monk.
"Are you a disciple of the Shaolin Temple?"
"Indeed." The old man with a white beard nodded slowly. "Shaolin Temple was nearly destroyed by you lapdogs of the imperial court, but unfortunately for you, I survived. This time, I brought along a group of people with the same goals to seek justice from you. I also want to obtain something from you!"
When Lu Zhangke heard the monk acknowledging his identity, his expression changed, but he calmly delivered a palm strike.
Whoosh!
The old monk's expression did not change. His robes fluttered as if they were blown by a violent gust of wind, but his legs remained like pillars, and he did not move while calmly looking at his opponent.
Lu Zhangke s.u.c.k.e.d in a sharp breath, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. "I never asked for your Dharma name, master!"
"I do not have a Dharma name. I am but a humble warrior monk from Shaolin Temple…" Once the old monk said that, he continued on by saying, "I came here to advise you to not do something so perverse, and I am also here to ask you to give me something."
Lu Zhangke already knew that the monk in front of him had unfathomable strength, which was why he asked in a dark voice, "What do you want?"
"The antidote for Ten Fragrant Tendon Weakening Powder," the old monk answered.
When Lu Zhangke heard that, he chuckled coldly. "I see, so you want to save the people from the six great sects? Unfortunately for you, I don't have the antidote with me."
"Looks like I will have to defeat you before you are willing to tell me the truth, patron…"
Right after he finished speaking, the old monk opened his eyes, and his presence instantly changed drastically.
Chapter 448 - Shaolin’s Nine Yang Skill VS Profound Abyss Divine Palm
Lu Zhangke's gaze was fierce. Even though he noticed that the old Shaolin monk seemed to be strange and had unfathomable strength, but he did not change his domineering mannerisms.
When he heard the monk's words, he cackled darkly. "Defeat me? Haha! Pay attention to your words and don't say something so unrealistic, got it?!"
As he spoke, his qi surged up, and his robes fluttered with no wind. Within a short period of time, cold wind blew in a circular area around him, and it chilled the Yuan Dynasty soldiers so much that they retreated.
The old monk's robes fluttered, but he was not forced to take even half a step back. A barely visible red ripple could be seen around him as Lu Zhangke became serious.
"Shaolin's Nine Yang Skill." Lu Zhangke recognized it straight away.
It was a technique that could suppress his Freezing Palm. However, Profound Abyss Divine Palm was not any ordinary freezing palm technique.
He smiled coldly.
"Keep watch over those nuns," he ordered the Yuan Dynasty soldiers around him before pushing forward. Two cold waves of qi immediately rushed toward the old monk who had his palms pressed together.
The old monk might have withstood Lu Zhangke's qi force through the air, but he did not have the courage to exchange palm strikes with Lu Zhangke. He drew a circle with one hand, and a vast amount of qi instantly pushed the palm wind from Lu Zhangke to the side. The powerful qi pushed a group of Yuan Dynasty soldiers around so much that they could not stand straight!
The next moment, Hui Xin suddenly moved. She appeared like a phantom among the Yuan Dynasty soldiers. She struck with her palms, and the Yuan Dynasty soldiers around her crashed into those behind them like cannonballs.
"Go!"
"Damn it, you old nun, so you actually have such abilities?"
When Lu Zhangke saw that Hui Xin was actually a powerful martial artist as well, he shouted in anger.
The next moment, a fire arrow shot into the sky!
*****
"Ding!"
When Happy saw the NPCs engaging in a chaotic battle, no matter how slow-witted he was, he knew that he had triggered an unknown main quest. When the system notification rose, he instantly paid attention to it, not daring to miss even a single word.
"Noticed Lu Zhangke leading Yuan Dynasty soldiers to encircle Emei Sect disciples. Since you have the jade ring symbolizing Emei Sec
t's sect teacher, you are duty bound to help Leader Hui Xin. Escort the nuns of Intelligent Heart Temple to gather with Emei Sect disciples and the disciples of the six great sects!
"If you fail in your mission, you will lose the trust of the Emei Sect disciples. Your quest in aiding the six great sects will come to an end as well!"
When the system was halfway through its notification, Happy could already tell just how important and compulsory the quest was from the words "duty bound". Almost at the same moment as the fire arrow shot into the sky and exploded, he charged out of the forest at an astonishing speed to enter the group of Yuan Dynasty soldiers.
"Young Swordsman Happy!" Hui Xin was busy stalling for time for her disciples, but there were still many Yuan Dynasty soldiers who jumped inside from the sides of the temple, and she was surrounded by trouble. When she saw Happy arrive, a hint of surprised delight appeared on her face. "You came at the perfect time! Please help me take care of my disciples, Young Swordsman Happy! Hurry!"
While listening to her words, Happy rammed into the Jin Dynasty crowd with a slash and defeated a whole group of people. He then jumped into the air, rushed straight into the temple without stopping for a moment, and hurried into the training field.
"Young Swordsman Happy…"
A group of Yuan Dynasty soldiers chased after a few nuns like fierce fiends. The air around them was incredibly murderous.
Happy had stayed in Intelligent Heart Temple for more than twenty days, so he had a certain degree of affection toward everything within it. When he saw a group of frenzied Yuan Dynasty soldiers rushing into the temple to commit crimes and capture the nuns, a chilling killing intent swiftly covered his face.
He caught up to them like a phantom.
Before the Yuan Dynasty soldiers could register what happened, they noticed that another person had appeared before them. An astonishing force came charging at them.
Bang! Bang, bang…
The dozens of Yuan Dynasty soldiers fell on the ground like rolling gourds when Happy spread open his arms and knocked them over while they were caught off guard.
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