Chapter 94: A Lone Venture to Blackwood Cliff

"It seems you have already made your choice," Yunzhong He said, fixing his gaze on Lin Pingzhi.

Lin Pingzhi tightened his grip on the sheepskin scroll that recorded the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual and slowly rose from the ground. "Yes."

When Xie Xun heard this, he immediately wanted to act, but before he could move, Yunzhong He lifted a hand and stopped him.

"No need to hurry. I'd like to see what else Lin Pingzhi is capable of."

Xie Xun frowned, but in the end he did not defy Yunzhong He's words.

He cast Lin Pingzhi a hostile glance. From the beginning, he had never liked him.

The man was like a venomous snake hidden in the dark, biting without warning at some unknown moment, impossible to guard against.

More than once, he had urged Yunzhong He to eliminate him at the earliest opportunity and cut off future trouble.

Yet each time, Yunzhong He had merely smiled it aside and said, "Now is not the best time to kill Lin Pingzhi."

Xie Xun did not know what Yunzhong He was plotting. He only felt that Lin Pingzhi was far too dangerous.

If he were allowed to leave this time, finding him again later would be like searching for a needle in the boundless sea.

Yunzhong He's confidence also took Lin Pingzhi completely by surprise.

In this vast world of wandering martial heroes, if he truly meant to hide, Yunzhong He would need more than a decade to find him.

By then, his Evil-Repelling Sword Manual would already have reached mastery.

He might not be able to sweep the entire martial world, but dealing with Yunzhong He would be more than enough.

Could it be that Yunzhong He still held some means of controlling me, and that was why he was so unconcerned?

"Leopard-Embryo Tendon-Transformation Pills!"

After a long silence, Lin Pingzhi's face darkened as he spoke.

Yunzhong He gave a faint smile. "I know you plan to break free of my control and seek out a divine physician to cure the poison in your body. But let me tell you the truth: only I can remove the poison of the Leopard-Embryo Tendon-Transformation Pills."

Seeing how confident Yunzhong He was, Lin Pingzhi could not help snorting. "To say such a thing is far too arrogant. The world is vast, and there are many extraordinary people and marvels in it."

"If you do not believe me, by all means, try."

Yunzhong He could not be bothered to argue uselessly with him. "In any case, the price will be your life. What does that have to do with me?"

As soon as he said that, the resolve in Lin Pingzhi's heart wavered once more.

The stakes were too high this time, far beyond what he could bear.

Watching this scene from the side, Xie Xun was utterly astonished.

Everything that had happened before had been nothing but his own wishful thinking.

All things had been firmly within Yunzhong He's grasp.

Lao Denuo's fear of Yunzhong He deepened even further.

Lin Pingzhi stood rooted to the spot, staring at the open door, yet no matter what, he could not force his feet to move.

As time went on, the atmosphere grew heavier and heavier.

"Enough. Stop thinking about it. You will never escape my control."

In the end, it was Yunzhong He who broke the silence.

Those words became the final straw that crushed Lin Pingzhi.

His already upright body bent once more, and he knelt before Yunzhong He.

"Once you kneel, you will never be able to stand up again in this lifetime!"

Yunzhong He raised his foot again and forcefully pressed Lin Pingzhi's head beneath it, grinding it against the ground.

With despair filling his eyes, Lin Pingzhi closed them. At this moment, he was finally willing to become Yunzhong He's dog.

Sensing the change in Lin Pingzhi's attitude, Yunzhong He felt quite pleased with himself.

What use was pride? In my presence, if you are a dragon, you must coil; if you are a tiger, you must lie down.

With that thought, Yunzhong He turned his eyes to the two men still standing in the room.

The two of them met his gaze and immediately fell to their knees, pledging their loyalty to him.

"Very well. Get up."

Yunzhong He removed his foot, allowing Lin Pingzhi to rise.

"Lao Denuo, return to Mount Hua at once. Once you have secured power, lead the disciples to Blackwood Cliff and rendezvous with the alliance of the seven sects." Yunzhong He's expression turned stern as he ordered sharply, "If you fail to complete the task, you will have no further value to me."

Lao Denuo felt a chill in his heart. Yunzhong He had already given him the Purple Cloud Divine Skill, and with the years of groundwork he himself had laid at Mount Hua, taking control of the sect was only a matter of time.

"Yes!"

After giving his instructions, Yunzhong He sent everyone away, leaving only Xie Xun behind.

"Xie Xun, you are familiar with the mechanisms and routes of Blackwood Cliff. Draw me a map."

Xie Xun did not think much of it; this was simple enough.

Yunzhong He continued, "During my absence, you will coordinate the seven great sects, gathering their most elite forces to prepare for the assault on Blackwood Cliff."

"If anyone refuses to obey during this period, kill them without mercy!"

"You intend to break into Blackwood Cliff alone?"

Xie Xun immediately caught the key point in Yunzhong He's words.

Yunzhong He did not explain further. "For this period, I am counting on you."

Since Yunzhong He was unwilling to say more, Xie Xun asked no further questions. He walked to the desk and began drawing out a map of Blackwood Cliff.

Before long, Yunzhong He took the freshly drawn map and, using his lightness skill, vanished into the boundless darkness of the night.

...

Yunzhong He's figure moved swiftly through the night, like a ghost.

The reason he was determined to go to Blackwood Cliff alone was to capture Dongfang Bubai alive.

Otherwise, when the many sects attacked Blackwood Cliff, the scene would surely be in utter chaos. If Dongfang Bubai slipped away in the confusion, the mission would be impossible to complete.

He did not know what madness the system was on, to demand the capture of that androgynous demon.

Just thinking of it sent a faint chill through him.

With that in mind, Yunzhong He's speed increased even further.

Whatever the reason, the most important thing was to complete the mission first.

With Yunzhong He's current martial skill, by the time he reached Blackwood Cliff, dawn was already breaking on the horizon.

He looked up at the mountain peak before him. It towered into the clouds, its summit beyond sight.

The cliff face was smooth and steep. Even for a master of exceptional lightness skill, there was a great chance of failing to find footing on the way up and tumbling from the thousand-foot precipice, leaving nothing behind but shattered bones.

Fortunately, Xie Xun's map contained a safe route to the summit of Blackwood Cliff.

Thus, Yunzhong He reached the top without much difficulty.

Blackwood Cliff was full of traps and mechanisms. Even with the map in hand, Yunzhong He could not help but slow his pace.

If everything were triggered at once, even he would not come to a good end.

More importantly, if he alerted the enemy, completing the mission would become even more difficult.

After more than half an hour of effort, Yunzhong He passed through all the trap zones without incident.

"Hu."

He let out a long breath and wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Yunzhong He took out the map, confirmed the route ahead, and continued onward.

He had only taken a few steps when a powerful voice rang out behind him. "Who are you, daring to intrude upon Blackwood Cliff!"

Yunzhong He's advancing steps came to an abrupt halt, and the expression on his face turned exceedingly strange.

He had already been careful enough. How could he still be so unlucky as to be discovered?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when every hair on his body stood on end, and a sense of danger surged through him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that man glide behind him like a phantom, gathering fierce internal energy in his palm and striking toward his back.