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墨書 Inktalez
Old Master and Gongye Long brought Wei Chen back to the battlefield above the Snow Dragon Mountain Range.
Some time had passed, but the onlooking disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts showed no signs of dwindling; in fact, their numbers had increased.
Wei Chen's Formation Assignment had been magnified infinitely, becoming a hot topic among the many disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts.
On the other hand, Qian Youshi was in a dire situation. He had been imprisoned and, after trying for a long time, still found no way to escape. By the time Wei Chen, Old Master, and Gongye Long arrived, Qian Youshi had already given up resisting.
Wei Chen saw that Qian Youshi was sitting cross-legged in a meditative posture within the formation, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he were in the midst of cultivation.
It was truly pitiful to see such a high-ranking official of the Temple of Martial Arts suffering like this.
When the Hall Master and the Grand Elder arrived, the disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts instantly fell silent, casting respectful glances toward Old Master and Gongye Long. Within the Temple of Martial Arts, Old Master held absolute authority; even Yue Songyang, the Deputy Hall Master from another faction, treated Old Master with great respect. After all, Old Master was a symbol of the Temple of Martial Arts, and even those who disliked him had to show respect outwardly.
"Are you all so idle? Disperse and focus on your cultivation; don't cause trouble here," Old Master said in a calm tone that carried an undeniable authority. His voice reached every ear present.
The disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts quickly dispersed, leaving not a single one behind.
With Old Master's direct order, no one dared linger for even a second longer.
In the air above the Snow Ridge Mountains, only Wei Chen, Old Master, Gongye Long, and Qian Youshi remained.
"Master of the Hall, Grand Elder, have you come to see my humiliation?" Qian Youshi's gaze turned extremely haughty upon seeing Wei Chen, Old Master, and Gongye Long.
Even a defeated rooster has its pride, doesn't it?
"Qian Youshi, no one wants to see your humiliation. You know about the situation in Eastern Forest; it's about to unfold. We should work together to retrieve the Treasure first. As for your grievances with Wei Chen, you two can settle them slowly later; we will not interfere," Gongye Long said lightly as he looked at Qian Youshi.
"I don't need your pity. As for the matters in the Eastern Forest, you can handle it yourselves. I have no time to exert myself, and I won't be sharing in any benefits. With such a powerful Formation Master around, what do you have to fear?" Qian Youshi sneered as he looked at Old Master and Gongye Long, his gaze eventually shifting to Wei Chen's face, filled with an inexplicable flavor.
He had indeed lost. Although he felt no acceptance of that defeat, it was undeniable.
Qian Youshi deeply understood that his failure stemmed from his own arrogance, which had given Wei Chen an opportunity. If it hadn't been for that moment when he allowed Wei Chen to set up the formation without interference, would Wei Chen have had even the slightest chance?
It wasn't that Qian Youshi was unwilling to accept defeat; rather, he began to genuinely reflect on his own hubris. In the history of his dominance in the Southern Ming Divine Domain, there had only been one instance where he faced such a stark disparity in strength and still ended up losing.
"Qian Youshi, regarding the interests of the Temple of Martial Arts, we must set aside our personal grievances and not let them lead to greater losses!" Old Master urged earnestly.
Qian Youshi scoffed, "Interests of the Temple of Martial Arts? You two have never regarded me or the Vice Hall Master with any respect."
"You can't turn this around; it's you who wants to replace me and the Master of the Hall, isn't it?" Gongye Long retorted.
"Replace? Ha! If it weren't for your underhanded tactics back then, the position of Hall Master would belong to Yue Songyang, and the position of Grand Elder would be mine," Qian Youshi replied.
"Have you forgotten how despicably you snatched away my position and Yue Songyang's?"
Qian Youshi's face was cold as he cast a meaningful glance at Wei Chen.
Wei Chen thought to himself, "What? There's this backstory too? Old Master and Gongye Long obtained their high positions through underhanded means? No wonder the Temple of Martial Arts is so chaotic; if that's true, it all makes sense now."
Seeing Wei Chen's expression turn strange, Old Master and Gongye Long's faces grew uncomfortable. They angrily rebuked Qian Youshi, "Qian Youshi, don't slander us!"
"Whether I'm slandering or not, you both know in your hearts. I won't explain myself a second time," Qian Youshi said calmly.
His words were actually meant for Wei Chen, and both Old Master and Gongye Long were well aware of this, as was Wei Chen himself.
However, Wei Chen thought to himself, what does this have to do with me? It's just a bunch of old fellows who have lived for hundreds of thousands of years, all fighting amongst themselves—none of them are clean.
To reach the upper echelons of the Temple of Martial Arts, one must have blood on their hands; who would believe otherwise?
They were all seasoned players; their own interests were far more important than the grievances of others. Why should he care about someone else's troubles?
Wei Chen quickly adjusted his emotions and chose to ignore Qian Youshi's words.
Seeing the expression on Wei Chen's face, Old Master and Gongye Long felt somewhat reassured.
“Qian Youshi, we are not here to discuss past grievances. That contest was simply us winning and Yue Songyang losing; it’s as simple as that. Were our methods despicable? Ha! Who among us is truly a saint? At this point, if you still hold that attitude, I can only say you are quite naive,” Gongye Long said, looking at Qian Youshi with a hint of mockery.
A cold smile—or perhaps indifference—appeared on Qian Youshi's face. He scanned the faces of Old Master, Gongye Long, and Wei Chen before finally fixing his gaze on Wei Chen. “Wei Chen, your formation skills are indeed impressive; I must admit that. But you’d best not meddle in the affairs of the Temple of Martial Arts. The waters there run deep. It would be much better for you to return to Duke Sui's Residence and play your role as Fifth Young Master.”
Wei Chen's lips curled into a smile. “In fact, I am already considered a member of the Temple of Martial Arts. Once the initiation ceremony is held tonight, I will officially be a part of it. The affairs of the Temple of Martial Arts are my affairs; I cannot stand by idly.”
“What?”
Qian Youshi's face showed shock as he immediately turned to Old Master and Gongye Long, seeking confirmation of Wei Chen's statement.
Gongye Long and Old Master nodded in unison. “Wei Chen is correct; from now on, he is a member of our Temple of Martial Arts.”
“People from Duke Sui's Residence can join the Temple of Martial Arts? You had Gongye Hong bring Wei Chen here just so he could become a member? Master of the Hall, Great Elder, you must not play with fire; Wei Jian is not someone to be trifled with,” Qian Youshi said nervously.
"Wei Chen's joining the Temple of Martial Arts is already a done deal. It has nothing to do with Duke Sui's Residence, nor does it have anything to do with Wei Jian," Gongye Long explained.
"Just wait and see. I want to know what consequences you will face for playing with fire like this," Qian Youshi said.
Then, Qian Youshi turned to Wei Chen and said, "Wei Chen, although I don't know what mindset you have in leaving Duke Sui's Residence for the Temple of Martial Arts, if your intention is to overthrow the Temple of Martial Arts, let me tell you in advance that you will meet a terrible end."
"You are overthinking it. I have my own ideas, but it is definitely not to overthrow the Temple of Martial Arts. I'm not foolish enough for that," Wei Chen replied.
Wei Chen could tell that Qian Youshi genuinely cared for the Temple of Martial Arts. Qian Youshi was unaware of Wei Chen's background, and with such concerns, Wei Chen could understand. Of course, he would never reveal his true situation to Qian Youshi; he wasn't foolish enough to do so.
"Then why are you here?" Qian Youshi asked after a moment of silence.
Wei Chen responded, "Of course, it's to get you out. I took advantage and won against you; it was not a fair fight. In terms of combat power, I am far behind you."
"No need for that. A man must know when to act and when not to. Losing is losing; if you have ten, I will stay here for ten as well. It's just right for me to comprehend some things," Qian Youshi waved his hand in refusal. For him, allowing Wei Chen to withdraw the formation would be an insult. Winning or losing is part of the game; why bother? Since he lost, he should pay the price. The ten restraints were not a big deal. However, if he allowed Wei Chen to dismantle the formation, it would be too embarrassing for him.
"Qian Youshi, just like you said, a man must be flexible. I am withdrawing the formation for the benefit of the Temple of Martial Arts, so that we can take the initiative in competing for resources in the Eastern Forest. With Deputy Hall Master Yue unable to return, we can only rely on our remaining strength to compete for the Treasure. We don't know how much strength other factions will mobilize, but it won't be small. Without you, we lose a trump card, and our chances of competing for the Treasure decrease significantly."
With that, Wei Chen began to dismantle the formation.
Unexpectedly, Qian Youshi immediately shouted angrily, "Stop!"
The loud shout halted Wei Chen's actions.
"I'm telling you, if you want me to help in the Eastern Forest, that's fine, but it must be after this formation disperses on its own—no one can interfere. I never do things where I lose both the match and the formation," Qian Youshi said with a face full of anger. It seemed that Wei Chen's actions in dismantling the formation were extremely embarrassing for him; it felt like a mighty insult.
Gongye Long smiled bitterly and said, "Qian Youshi, why bother?"
"If it were you, would you be willing? Don't just stand there and talk nonsense. Losing is losing; I don't want any charity. That would be the greatest insult to me. If you are still men and understand the meaning of dignity, then keep your distance. The Eastern Forest Treasure has been unearthed. If I can make it in time, I will naturally go; if not, then it's just not meant to be."
"But no matter what, I can afford to lose. A man's dignity must be upheld."
Qian Youshi's attitude was extremely firm, showing no signs of backing down, which made Wei Chen hesitate to act.
He had already put his dignity on the line; what could he do? Wei Chen knew that if he continued to make a move now, Qian Youshi would truly hate him to the core.
This was a man who could take a loss.
Deep down, Wei Chen suddenly felt a sense of respect for Qian Youshi.
Such a person was worthy of respect.
Old Master and Gongye Long exchanged glances, both at a loss for what to do. They had anticipated Qian Youshi's attitude, but when it actually appeared, Old Master and Gongye Long found themselves speechless and unable to persuade him.
Qian Youshi's temperament was indeed fierce.
It was precisely because of this that Old Master and Gongye Long had always held a degree of respect for Qian Youshi, rather than completely opposing him like Yue Songyang did.
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