bookbashuk Chapter 333 No Way Out
Chapter 333 No Way Out
"Benefits?" Qi Lan withdrew her gaze, looked back at Lingdang, and shrugged. "Who knows? Lust for power? Personal grudges? Or... is he colluding with certain stubborn factions within the Crimson Spirit Sect who don't want to 'reform'? Zhang Tianshi's plan has touched the interests of too many people, including those within Longhu Mountain and your Crimson Spirit Sect. He Qingyun... may just be the knife that's been pushed out, or perhaps he himself wanted to be the one wielding the knife."
Chen Anran finally shifted her gaze from the greenery and looked at Qi Lan.
"Why He Qingyun is acting this way is not the most important thing right now. The key thing is that he will definitely use the opportunity of public discussion tomorrow to make a big fuss. The direction of the 'Soul-Chasing and Spirit-Fixing Plate' is under everyone's watchful eye. Even if we question the absolute accuracy of the magic artifact, even with the protection of Master Tianbao and Maoshan, the pressure will still be unprecedented. He may very well demand a thorough search of 'Meow Immortal Abode' on the spot and in public."
Qi Lan's animal ears twitched under the brim of her hat, and her eyes sharpened: "He dares!"
"He dares," Chen Anran affirmed. "His image as a grief-stricken avenger, coupled with 'ironclad evidence,' is enough to sway a considerable number of uninformed followers and create a powerful force. At that time, Maoshan and a few rational voices will likely find it difficult to resist."
There's one more thing I haven't mentioned: it's estimated that many of these righteous people, after hearing the cult say that Su Wan had an extremely yin constitution, also had some wicked thoughts.
Therefore, by tomorrow, it is estimated that many righteous people will stand on He Qingyun's side.
Lingdang put down her cup, leaned on the armrest of the chair, and stood up with some difficulty. Her oversized nightgown slipped off her shoulders, which she then hastily pulled back up.
"I've dragged you all down, dragged Qi Lan down, dragged the Cloud Hidden Sect down." Her voice was hoarse, but with a resolute air. "Shi Tou and I will leave tonight. Leave Cloud Hidden Mountain, leave this place. Once I'm gone, their 'evidence' will have no basis, and you'll all have peace and quiet."
"Leave?" Chen Anran looked up at her calmly. "Where to? Do you think He Qingyun's commotion tonight was really just to force you to show yourself, or to force us to hand you over?"
The bell paused, startled.
Chen Anran stood up and walked to the hidden door leading to the underground chamber, gently knocking on the heavy door. "From the moment he pointed here with the 'Soul-Chasing and Spirit-Fixing Disc,' 'Meow Immortal Abode,' and even the entire area surrounding the Cloud Hidden Sect, have likely been under his, or someone behind him's, surveillance. There are far more eyes in the shadows than in the open. I can sneak in under the cover of darkness and familiarity with the terrain, but you…" He turned to Lingdang and shook his head, "Right now, I'm afraid the moment you step out of the door of 'Meow Immortal Abode,' or even just leave this room, they'll know immediately."
Lingdang's face paled even more, her lips moved slightly, but she couldn't utter a word. It wasn't that she didn't understand, but she had been blinded by anger and guilt, clinging to a sliver of hope.
Qi Lan walked to the window, pulled back the heavy curtains a crack, and peered outside. The night was deep; most of the resort's lights were off, with only a few streetlights and the neon lights of the main street in the distance still flickering. The streets were deserted, without a soul in sight. But she knew Chen Anran was right. A cultivator's surveillance didn't necessarily need to be visible to the naked eye.
"An Ran is right." Qi Lan lowered the curtains and walked back, her usual languid expression replaced by seriousness. "If you go out now, it's like walking into a trap. He Qingyun is more than happy to see you do that, so it can confirm your 'fleeing from justice,' and conveniently pin the 'assisting in the escape' label on us."
She scratched her head, pulled off her baseball cap, and fiddled with it in her hand, saying irritably, "Damn it, I got outmaneuvered. That bastard, he's really cunning."
Lingdang swayed, but was caught by the armrest of the chair next to her. She lowered her head, her long hair obscuring her face.
Stone, who had been guarding the entrance to the secret chamber, heard the commotion and squeezed his massive body out, saying in a gruff voice, "We're not afraid of them! We'll fight them to the death!"
"Fight?" Qi Lan glanced at him. "What do we have to fight with? With your cultivation level, plus the way Lingdang looks like she could be blown away by a gust of wind, plus me? There are already several elders from Longhu Mountain outside, and representatives from various sects are eyeing us covetously. How are we supposed to fight?"
Shi Tou choked, his face turned red, and his fists clenched so tightly that they cracked, but he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.
Chen Anran walked back to his original seat and sat down again. He clasped his hands together on his knees, straightened his back, and calmly swept his gaze over the three people in the room.
He said slowly, "He Qingyun set up this scheme, and his target is probably not just you, Lingdang. Or rather, you are just a key pawn he uses to disrupt the situation and achieve other goals."
He paused briefly, seemingly considering his words, but ultimately refrained from mentioning He Qingyun's possible designs on Su Wan and the others. He simply said, "Tomorrow's public meeting is crucial. We must find a way to break this deadlock."
"What do we do?" Qi Lan sat down on the table next to him, swinging her legs. "Exposing his murder of the master in public? We have no evidence. Saying his compass is fake? You saw that thing just now, the red light is dazzling, it can't be faked, at least the 'pointing here' can't be faked. Should we stubbornly refuse to let them investigate? That's not legitimate, it would just make us look like we have something to hide."
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by Shi Tou's heavy breathing and the faint sound of a shop closing and locking in the distance.
Under the dim light, Chen Anran's clasped fingers moved gently, her eyes swirling with thoughts.
Qi Lan stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Do you already have something in mind?"
Bell and Stone looked over at the same time, their eyes filled with a faint glimmer of hope.
Chen Anran's gaze slowly swept across Qi Lan, Lingdang, and Shitou's faces, finally settling on the tightly closed shop door, as if he could see through it the still-lingering darkness of the night and countless prying eyes.
"I wouldn't call it an idea, but some things can't be stopped by force. The more you try to stop the demons in people's hearts, the more they'll jump out and cause trouble."
Chen Anran stood up, walked to the window where Qi Lan had been peeking, and lifted a small gap in the curtains to look at the seemingly peaceful street scene outside.
"Tomorrow at the public meeting, they will definitely put on a show of 'righteous indignation' and 'grief and indignation,' and then, in full view of everyone, demand to search this place. If we firmly refuse, it will be seen as 'a guilty conscience,' giving them a perfect excuse to cause trouble. Those who were originally observing or even leaning towards us will also waver because of this. After all, Zhang Tianshi's prestige and that 'ironclad evidence' compass carry too much weight."
Qi Lan scratched her hair in frustration: "Then what do you suggest we do? Are we really going to let them in and search? The bell is in the basement."