69novels Chapter 97 Battle of Rotten Peach Peak 1
Chapter 97 Battle of Rotten Peach Peak 1
As Chu Huihui watched, the Foundation Establishment cultivators on both sides stepped forward to confront each other. The cultivator from the east hovered in the air, and the four cultivators surrounded them from a distance, forming a large encirclement.
After exchanging a few words, two Foundation Establishment cultivators flew towards Chu Huihui, landing three zhang away and standing suspended in the air. They were Bao Xingqian from the Thirteen Families and Steward Zhang from the Heavenly Court.
"You promised to give an answer at 5 PM, but now that time is almost here, what decision will your family make?" Bao Xingqian asked impatiently.
"It's not time yet, what, Elder Bao, can't wait?" Chu Huihui sneered. "Besides, there's a whole hour left until 5 PM. I'll give you my answer at the last minute, and it will still be 5 PM."
"Of course I can wait. Your Chu clan has tens of thousands of men; do you think you'll run away?" Bao Xingqian retorted with a sneer. "Once the hour of You (5-7 PM) has passed, if you don't raise the white flag, expect bloodshed across the mountains!"
After saying this, Bao Xingqian drove away on his flying sword. The old steward did not dare to stay any longer and only told Chu Huihui that he and Kong Fande had originally organized 26 people to rescue the common people of Wujialing. Unexpectedly, after the Yimu Shuttle from Huaguo Mountain arrived, more than 40 cultivators in the shuttle insisted on coming together, so it became more than 70 people.
"Most of them are young people. They witnessed Cai Fei's miraculous escape on Huaguo Mountain and are full of vigor, wanting to fight for the son of Aolai. Unfortunately, most of them are at the initial stage of cultivation. They can pull a few ordinary people, but they definitely can't risk their lives. We can only try our best to rescue the ordinary people," the old steward said.
"As long as we can get all the mortals out of here, Master Xu can rest in peace." Chu Huihui bowed deeply and gave a grand salute to the old steward.
"Sigh, Huihui, you go up. We'll wait until Elder Zhengshan arrives before we leave. We'll try to take as many people as we can." There were four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators on the other side. The old steward was worried that Kong Fande wouldn't be able to handle it alone, so he waved his hand and rode his sword back to the standoff point.
Chu Huihui knew that everyone was waiting for Chu Zhengshan to make a decision, and that his safety was definitely not in danger, so she turned around with peace of mind and flew straight to the top of the mountain on her paper kite.
Waiting for the sunrise on the mountaintop is a favorite pastime for cultivators, so most mountain strongholds will place their most valuable spiritual plants on the mountaintop, and then have the most powerful cultivators take turns guarding them.
The bamboo planted on the mountaintop in Chu Family Village is a naturally mutated phoenix-tail bamboo. It has been planted for a long time and has long since formed a forest from a single bamboo. This bamboo does not flower or bear fruit, but the newly grown branches can be cut down to make spirit bamboo kites. The area on the mountaintop of Chu Family Village can generate an annual income of 60,000 to 70,000 spirit stones, which is quite valuable.
The wind was strong on the mountaintop, and the bamboo forest rustled and swayed gracefully, but Chu Huihui had no heart to appreciate it today. She flew straight down to a clearing in the center of the forest, walked into a bamboo house made entirely of spirit bamboo, found a futon and sat cross-legged to meditate.
Knowing the importance of today, the elders and stewards arrived one after another. They all remained silent and went to find a meditation cushion to sit down.
However, this wait lasted a long time, until night fell and the hour of You (5-7 PM) had passed, but Chu Zhengshan still had not arrived.
As the night wind swept across the mountains, countless bamboo leaves rustled. The elders and stewards of the Chu family sat there staring at each other, and the once peaceful and leisurely atmosphere of surrender in the bamboo house suddenly took on a sense of impending doom.
Outside the south gate of Chu Family Village, the archway was brightly lit with Dharma lamps. Hundreds of cultivators landed here, dividing into two distinct sides, facing each other across a dozen feet.
The four forces besieging the Chu family firmly guarded the entrance. The more than seventy cultivators who came to their aid spread out in a semi-circle and stood in front of them. Among them, the Kong family's group was relatively quiet, but the young men who returned from Haixing were all very restless.
The boys stood there pointing and cursing, accusing them of betraying Aolai and the Great Sage, of bullying the weak and shameless, of siding with Xingyue and lacking backbone, and of being too cowardly to talk back...
The four families, including Blood Hand, gathered here, numbering around sixty or seventy people. Each of them was a seasoned expert who had been through many battles. Facing a group of inexperienced teenagers, no matter how much they were insulted to their faces, they remained silent and indifferent.
There was no other way. This group of teenagers involved more than a dozen markets in Aolai, and many of them were from big strongholds. If a fight broke out and a few were accidentally killed, it would be one thing for Blood Hand and Ghost Sail, but the Wind and Rain Pavilion and the Thirteen Families would definitely be out of business. So they could only endure it.
The old steward had returned to the standoff point and sat on a small stool in the middle with Bloodhand and Ghost Sail, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Two other officers stood on either side, barely managing to control the situation.
Fortunately, Elder Chu Zhengshan finally arrived, riding his Ironwood Eagle back to the main mountain of the Chu clan alone.
With disheveled white hair, a hunched back, and a face full of exhaustion, Chu Zhengshan, who had traveled all over Aolai in two days, looked bitter.
Faced with Bao Xingqian's continuous questioning from the thirteen families, he just kept shaking his head: "Let me go up the mountain first. I'm old and frail, what use am I? Everything is up to everyone to decide."
"Can't this old man just tell the truth!" Bao Xingqian couldn't take it anymore.
"When will this drag on? I'll give you another incense stick's time to discuss a result, is that enough?" the third manager of Fengyulou said.
Seeing Chu Zhengshan nod, the third manager let him go, and then said to Kong Fande, "Second brother, let's release those who need to be released first. You take these people and leave first. This place is chaotic, and the young people have short tempers. If a fight breaks out, it will be difficult for everyone."
"Okay." Kong Fande nodded.
So Chu Zhengshan drove the Ironwood Eagle up the mountain, while Kong Fande led his men straight down to Rotten Peach Peak. The common people of Wujia Ridge had already lined up in a queue. Old Madam Xu clung to the bamboo couch and refused to leave. She was knocked unconscious by Xu Ping'an's finger and handed over to her father-in-law.
Rotten Peach Peak is very close to the South Gate, only about a mile away.
At Kong Fande's command, more than 180 people lined up and walked to the vicinity of the South Gate Archway, waiting for the Chu family's signal. They would descend the mountain once the surrender symbol was hung on the summit of the main peak.
On the other side, atop the main peak of the Chu clan, the Dharma lamps were already lit in the bamboo house.
In the silence, the sound of the wind outside and the breathing of everyone inside could be clearly heard. Chu Huihui was feeling uneasy when there was a sound of something falling outside the bamboo house. Chu Zhengshan had already pushed open the door and entered, taking a few steps to stand next to Chu Huihui.
Everyone was startled – when the door opened, they saw the familiar elder before them – a 117-year-old man in a drab gray Taoist robe, with drooping white eyebrows, white hair reaching his neck, a face full of wrinkles, hunched over, carrying a cane, and often needing others to help him walk.
But just a few steps later, the old elder straightened his back and casually took out a black battle robe with gold trim and wind and cloud tiger patterns, and magically put it on.
"Nothing much to say, let's prepare for battle!"
The oldest elder, whose eyes were practically glowing, stared intently at everyone in the room. The words "Prepare for war" resonated like a sword drawn from its sheath, striking the eardrums of every single person.
"With the Great Sage pointing the way, there's no need to hesitate! I'll personally guard Wujia Ridge. Hmph, thank God! I, Chu Zhengshan, am old and about to die, but I never thought I could still do something for the Great Sage!"
The old man's hoarse but powerful voice echoed throughout the council hall, leaving everyone except Chu Huihui utterly shocked.
What happened?
The old elder actually wants to fight?
This could lead to the extermination of the entire clan!