Chapter 2068 - 54: The Arena
These people didn’t enter the Li Mansion from outside; they emerged directly from within the mansion.
As soon as they appeared, they gathered in the martial arts arena of the Li Mansion.
The moon was black and the wind was high. Furthermore, these people wore black clothing, and some even wore masks, making them resemble ghosts of the black night from afar.
These individuals swiftly gathered in various courtyards of the Li Mansion, appearing one after another in the arena.
When no one else continued to enter the arena, it had already amassed over 300 people.
The three hundred people didn’t utter a single word. They all silently came to the arena.
Once everyone arrived, their gazes all turned toward the stage.
The night wind was bleak, brushing against people’s clothes. At this moment, a sense of desolation lingered.
Shortly thereafter, several individuals finally appeared on the stage. The first wore a black glimmer, but his silver hair indicated that he was no longer young.
This person was none other than Yu Chang, the most powerful figure in the Li Mansion.
The dim night light reflected a face colder than the night sky on Yu Chang’s visage.
As he walked to the edge of the stage, he glanced at all the people and said, "My Li Family has been in Qianye City for a hundred years, but now they all must perish. As the grandson of the next generation, I feel ashamed."
"But now disaster has befallen us. If we don’t act, the Li Family faces the risk of extinction."
"Thus, although this action sullies the ancestors’ honor, it is a helpless necessity."
"Otherwise, not only I, but you will become eternal sinners of the Li Family."
Upon hearing Elder Yu’s words of remorse, everyone on stage either sighed or harbored hatred.
If Ao Cangsheng didn’t intend to harm them, they wouldn’t have to leave their homeland and live such a life.
"Alright! There’s no need for additional words."
"Time is limited. Now we need to check the numbers of each household."
"If there are no shortages, we prepare to leave Qianye City."
Sighing, Elder Yu shifted the topic to business.
The urgency was whether they could safely slip out of Qianye City.
As for the shame of their ancestors, it no longer seemed as significant.
Soon, the heads of all households below the platform swiftly counted and verified their family members.
After confirmation, they reported to Elder Yu one by one.
"Since we all have our people, we shall commence now."
Following this, Elder Yu left the stage and began coordinating the crowd’s efforts.
"Clang"
A muffled clang echoed as a door directly leading to the ground suddenly opened on the left side of the stage.
Then, under the surprised gazes of the crowd, Elder Yu and several leaders of the Li Family entered the secret passage together.
Subsequently, the rest of the Li Family quietly followed into the secret passage without uttering a word.
When everyone was enveloped in darkness, the door slowly closed again.
The stage once again fell silent, save for the night wind.
Aside from the Li lineage, the Li family was unaware of this matter.
Therefore, this escape from the martial arts arena was known only to the Li Family.
The secret path of the Li Mansion was long, and its end lay within the dense forest west of Qianye City.
From the dense forest, traveling west for seven or eight hundred miles allowed direct exit outside the city.
According to Elder Yu, as long as they left Qianye City, even if Ao Cangsheng knew about it, they could safely escape.
Due to the time constraints, the Li family’s pace was fast.
Traversing the secret path at speed, it took them two hours to finally reach its end.
Leading the group, Elder Yu, the most powerful figure in the Li family, finally relaxed his tense nerves slightly.
When they reached the end of the dark path, they didn’t immediately exit but stood in the darkness, listening for a long time.
Once confirming no movement outside, Elder Yu ordered everyone to open the exit mechanism.
"Click, click, click"
In the silent night, a machine’s roar suddenly erupted, startling a wild bird from its sleep.
Once the exit was entirely opened, mottled shadows appeared before the crowd.
"Go!"
Elder Yu waved his hand. He first led several people out of the secret path, then continued bringing more.
Although they had confirmed no one was outside the secret path, everyone remained secretly vigilant as they emerged.
The forest was peaceful. Apart from the night wind rustling the leaves and small animals searching for food, no other sounds were heard.
People glanced around. Despite the dark night, they couldn’t elude the monks’ sight and hearing.
"Keep moving west."
After quickly surveying the surroundings, Elder Yu issued another command.
"It’s late. Elder Yu Chang, where are you heading?"
However, at this moment, a voice suddenly emerged from the darkness.
"What do you want? Can you draw a line?"
"As long as you let us go, I can accept any conditions."
Elder Yu Chang, worthy of being of the old generation of the Li Mansion, quickly calmed down despite the crisis.
"Elder Yu Chang, do you think I need to negotiate conditions with you?"
"If I desired the treasures of the Li Mansion, all I would need is to kill you."
The faint voice spoke, filled with arrogance.
Hearing these arrogant words, the people in the Li Mansion, though furious, dared not defy this individual.
"What do you want?"
Elder Yu couldn’t discern the other’s demeanor, so he patiently continued to ask.
The person sneered and said, "I don’t want to do it myself, because you are a smart man."
"As long as the elders and deacons of the Li Mansion decide themselves, I won’t trouble others."
These words left the people in the Li Mansion in shock.
This person was not only arrogant but also ruthless.
Having the Li Mansion’s elders and deacons self-determine would be exceedingly presumptuous.
However, hearing this, Elder Yu was not angered but became even more fearful.
Because he suddenly realized where the mysterious enemy might come from.
"You’re an arrogant man, aren’t you?"
Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, Elder Yu Chang asked again.
This time, Elder Yu Chang did not remain as composed.
"Elder Yu Chang, you’re not a fool!"
"Since you’ve guessed my origin, let’s cut to the chase."
"Will you decide for yourselves, or shall I make the decision for you?"
The voice chuckled, leisurely, and unhurriedly.
Knowing the other’s origin, the irate family suddenly fell into an endless abyss of fear.
But they knew why they needed to flee Qianye City, why they had to leave their hometown to live in seclusion.
Yet, what they didn’t expect was Ao Cangsheng didn’t even offer them a chance to survive.
"Elders, Old Cangsheng is too aggressive. We should fight him!"
"Yes! He killed our two young masters. We haven’t accounted for that. Now he provokes us. Let’s fight him!"
"We have over 300 people. Even if this person is a true dragon, we have enough strength to fight. Elders, let us fight them."
"Rather than waiting, let’s fight! Elders!"
In the words of the dark, the people were both alarmed and their blood roused.
It’s said that a rabbit may bite when rushed. Moreover, the Li family are not weak monks.
Even if compelled by a true dragon, they wouldn’t back down.
"Elder Yu Chang, let’s fight!"
Among all the elders, only a few spoke out.
They had spent their lives in excitement, and at this moment, if someone wanted them to self-determine, how could they?
Elder Yu Chang frowned, his eyes almost squinting into a line.
As the crowd murmured complaints, he too was weighing his options.
If he were to concede, the Li Mansion would utterly decline but the bloodline wouldn’t end.
If driven to desperation, although there might be a hope of escape, once they failed, not a single family member would endure.
"My patience is limited. After three breaths, if you still can’t decide, I’ll choose for you!"
As he hesitated, the voice echoed once more.