A Sudden Betrayal

Even as Han Li’s mind raced, the one who had struck was Wang Tian Gu, his robes fluttering gently in the aftermath.

“Brother Yun, why the haste? I simply wished to confirm something. Would Daoist Yun be willing to accept only the contents of that box, forfeiting the right to select anything else?” Wang Tian Gu’s tone was unhurried, his expression unreadable.

“I will have to see what is inside the box before I decide. If it proves utterly useless to me, am I still expected to choose it?” The old man in white, Yun, had regained his composure, but his eyes were fixed on Wang Tian Gu with undisguised hostility.

“If my memory serves me correctly, our agreement was that the two of you would select two treasures first, and the rest would be divided equally among us. But if you take all three jade boxes here, do you believe there will be anything left for the rest of us to split?” Wang Tian Gu showed no sign of fear. Instead, he cast a calm glance at the three lonely jade boxes on the bed.

“Say what you mean, Daoist Wang. Or are you planning to go back on your word?” Nan Long Hou stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with the old man. His gaze swept across the three from the Ghost Spirit Sect, and his expression turned distinctly grim.

“I have no intention of reneging on my promise. But the usable treasures on this floor are truly limited. These jade boxes cannot be probed with divine sense, which all but guarantees they contain the most valuable items in the tower. It is entirely possible that the Cang Kun Elder’s unfathomable techniques and the secrets of the Fallen Devil Valley lie within them. Under these circumstances, do the two of you not think it excessive to insist on inspecting the contents before deciding?” Wang Tian Gu gave a faint smile, his demeanor entirely composed.

“Excessive? I only know that you all personally agreed to let us have priority in selecting treasures. As for whether there is enough left over—that is hardly our concern!” Yun’s face hardened as he spoke coldly.

“That is not how it should be put. You are still free to choose anything on this floor. But the boxes do not need to be opened and carefully appraised. If you are uncertain, you are welcome to select something else. This jade bed before you, for instance, is a rare treasure in its own right. For a cultivator who practices Yin-attributed techniques, it would be exceedingly valuable.” The old woman unexpectedly spoke up in support.

At these words, Nan Long Hou’s expression grew even darker. He took a sudden step forward, releasing the full pressure of his cultivation. The oppressive aura forced Wang Tian Gu and the old woman back half a step, their faces flickering with alarm.

At the Nascent Soul stage, the gap between early and mid-stage was not trivial.

“Is there anyone else who believes Daoist Wang’s reasoning has merit? Step forward. I imagine Brother Wang would not be so bold without more backing than just Madam Tai’s support.” Nan Long’s eyes narrowed, shooting forth a blade-like coldness as he swept his gaze over the others.

“There is no need for anger, Daoist Nan Long! Brother Wang’s words are not without reason. You cannot possibly leave the rest of us with nothing but the dregs.” The dark-faced cultivator, after a moment of silence, spoke up unexpectedly with a calm expression.

The You surname cultivator frowned almost imperceptibly, hesitated, then quietly moved to stand behind Wang Tian Gu, as if he had forgotten whatever past friction they had shared.

In an instant, aside from Han Li, the cultivators in the pavilion had split into two camps, facing off against each other.

Seeing this, Nan Long Hou and the old man Yun both had their expressions shift dramatically.

“It seems you have already formed an alliance. I wonder when you managed to coordinate this. You should not have had the opportunity on the journey here.” Nan Long Hou recovered his composure quickly and asked.

“Far from forming an alliance. I merely gathered with a few fellow Daoists in a small meeting before we set out. We discussed several contingency plans for self-preservation and unexpected situations. The current circumstances happen to be one of the scenarios we anticipated. That is all. We are left with no choice but to contend with Daoist Nan Long over this matter.” Wang Tian Gu spoke slowly and unhurriedly, as if it were of no great consequence.

Nan Long Hou’s face was covered in frost. He fell silent for a moment before letting his gaze fall on Han Li.

“Daoist Han, do you share this sentiment?” he asked, his tone heavy.

Now there were two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators on one side, facing four early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and two late Core Formation cultivators on the other. The scales seemed balanced. Han Li, who had yet to take a stance, naturally became the deciding factor.

Han Li did not respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and calmly observed Wang Tian Gu and the others for a few moments, committing their expressions to memory.

Wang Tian Gu remained entirely composed, even offering Han Li a gentle, unperturbed smile, as if he harbored no worry at all.

Behind him, Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan looked bewildered, apparently unaware that Wang Tian Gu had conspired with the others. But then, Wang Chan’s eyes gleamed with excitement, while Yan Ruyan seemed at a loss.

The old woman Tai and the You surname cultivator showed no trace of panic, but their gazes, fixed on Han Li, were cold and utterly devoid of warmth.

Han Li’s heart gave a lurch. He sensed something was wrong, and his wariness surged. He took a few seemingly casual steps, putting a bit more distance between himself and both factions, before letting out a light laugh.

“I have no particular opinion. Whatever conclusion Brother Wang and Brother Nan Long reach, I will not oppose it.”

Nan Long Hou was not overly surprised by Han Li’s words. Han Li’s inclination to stay neutral had been evident from the start. He had only asked to confirm it.

Thus, Nan Long Hou’s expression softened. He nodded at Han Li, then shifted his gaze away and let out a cold laugh as he looked back at Wang Tian Gu, about to speak.

But at that moment, the old man in white suddenly stepped forward and said in an icy tone:

“Brother Nan Long, why waste so many words with them? Do these people truly believe that banding together will force us to yield? Utter delusion!” As he finished speaking, the old man opened his mouth, and a flash of white light appeared, as if he were about to spit out his magic treasure.

“Brother Yun, wait. Let me first… Ah! You!”

Nan Long Hou frowned, intending to stop the old man’s rash action. After all, if it came to a real fight, they were not confident of victory.

But to his astonishment, the old man suddenly spun around. A silver wheel shot out from the opening, striking Nan Long Hou, who was standing right beside him, like a bolt of lightning.

A dull thud rang out.

Before Nan Long Hou’s disbelieving eyes, the silver wheel sliced through his protective golden light and struck his chest directly. It knocked him back several steps, and his chest caved in, a large dent forming.

A mouthful of blood sprayed out. A flash of golden light.

Nan Long reacted with shock and fury in an instant. With a flick of his sleeve, a small golden sword shot from his palm, stabbing fiercely at the old man in white.

But the old man had already flickered over to stand beside Wang Tian Gu and the others. He raised a hand and recalled the silver wheel, which blocked the golden sword. Then he coldly stared at Nan Long Hou’s chest.

Through the tattered, ruined clothes, a piece of cyan-glowing leather armor was visible. It was deeply dented but had not been cut through.

“Green Rhino Armor! So you were wearing this treasure all along.” The old man in white’s eyes flickered, and he muttered expressionlessly.

“Good. Very good. I never expected you to have been bought off as well.” A flush of red rose to Nan Long Hou’s cheeks. One hand pressed against his chest, and his eyes blazed with fury as he stared at the old man, spitting out each word.

The small golden sword hovered before him, shining brilliantly. But anyone could see that Nan Long Hou had sustained severe internal injuries.

“Be careful, fellow Daoists. We must not let this scoundrel escape from here. Otherwise, with his cultivation, we will all be in tremendous trouble.” The old man in white did not even glance at Nan Long Hou. Instead, he spoke indifferently to Wang Tian Gu and the others, as if Nan Long Hou had become a complete stranger to him.

“Rest assured. With so many of us here, and him heavily wounded, there is no way he can fly out of here this time.” The You surname cultivator let out a sinister laugh, then released a misty white flying blade treasure.

At this moment, Wang Tian Gu turned his head and spoke to Han Li with an enthusiastic tone:

“Daoist Han, if you are willing to join forces with us now to deal with this man, we can include you in the share of his treasures. What do you say?” His words were sincere, as if he did not care about past grudges between himself, Han Li, and Wang Chan.

“Join forces?” Han Li’s expression shifted several times at the scene he had just witnessed. Now, he let out a long breath. But his gaze wandered and landed on the staircase entrance.

In the moment the old man in white had ambushed Nan Long Hou, the old woman had silently taken up a guard position there. Otherwise, Han Li would have already flown over and fled first.

The walls of the jade pavilion were all flickering with white light, clearly sealed with some powerful restriction that made it impossible to break through and escape.

Han Li did not believe Wang Tian Gu’s offer of an alliance for a second.

Once Nan Long Hou was dealt with, this elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect would not hesitate to eliminate him as well. Otherwise, they would have included him in their earlier plans.

He had likely been marked from the very beginning as a sacrifice to be buried alongside Nan Long Hou.

Thinking this, Han Li’s expression did not change. He was about to say something to stall for time when Nan Long Hou let out a cold laugh and spoke first.

“Daoist Han, you cannot possibly believe such a shallow trick. I do not know what methods Brother Wang used to win over so many, including a friend of over a hundred years who has now turned against me. But if you join forces with me, we still have a chance to survive. If we are defeated one by one, we will surely be wiped out, body and soul.”

(Note from the Author: I am trying to adjust my sleep schedule, so there will only be one chapter tonight. I wish everyone a good night and sweet dreams.)