Chapter 813 - 674: The Solution
With these words, the dense mist fell silent, none of the Defenders spoke.
It was clear that Qin An’s words carried immense weight, so heavy that none dared to bear them.
Suddenly, one of the Defenders expressed his opinion, loudly saying: "Why don’t we let him in, and then discuss it further, let’s see what he thinks first."
As soon as this voice was heard, it immediately met with opposition.
"Absurd, how can we? If we let him in, what would all our prior efforts mean? Where would it leave us?"
Another person spoke up, refuting: "But if we don’t let him in, and it truly is as he says, we would all be the sinners of this world."
As soon as this statement was made, those who had opposed fell into silence, no longer speaking.
No one could guarantee whether the prophecy was true or false, and no one wanted to be a sinner in history, to be scorned by others.
After all, they were able to become Defenders because they had braved hardships to combat the Heavenly Demons.
If a small issue were to cause huge changes leading to a failure against the Heavenly Demons, they couldn’t even forgive themselves.
Qin An heard the gloomy sounds from within but couldn’t help but smile slightly.
He knew his approach had succeeded; these Defenders were not inherently the same as those in the Yellow Sand Forbidden Land.
They still stood on the side of resisting the Heavenly Demons.
And since they stood on this line, they must value matters related to this greatly.
To put it simply, given the current situation where the battle had reached this stage, no one wanted their mistakes to bring hatred and contempt from all Defenders.
They also didn’t want their own minor misstep to turn them into sinners among all Defenders.
Qin An held tight to this psychology of his adversaries, winning without a fight.
He knew his method was correct, thus the result should be favorable, and the difficulty of this journey would be reduced to a very low level.
Sure enough, as Qin An thought about it, the mist echoed with murmurs of negotiation.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the mist gradually parted, revealing a secluded path.
"Since Mr. Qin has spoken to this extent, we invite you in for a discussion, but don’t harbor too many expectations, as we have our own thoughts and will not be swayed by you."
Qin An nodded slightly without saying more, then stepped onto the quiet path.
As Qin An entered, the way back was blocked.
Without pausing, he walked straight along the quiet path, eventually reaching the end.
At the end was a lush green area, full of grass, brimming with unimaginable vitality.
Compared to the desolate silence outside, it appeared exceedingly lively.
And ahead stood a large number of Defenders from the Barren Forbidden Land.
They all focused on Qin An, each with a different expression.
Some appeared confused, some showed displeasure, others exhibited warmth.
They represented the three factions of the Barren Forbidden Land.
Some believed Qin An, others did not, and some were wavering.
Leading them was an elderly man in a black robe.
The old man leaned on a cane, seemingly frail, but his eyes were sharp.
Seeing Qin An’s gaze, he waved his hand, conjuring a table and two chairs out of thin air.
The old man, without fuss, sat on one chair, pointed to the other, and said: "Mr. Qin, please sit. All matters discussed here, they have the right to know. I trust Mr. Qin won’t mind."
They are entitled to know because despite the distinct ranks among Defenders, they are united as a whole.
As the leader of the Barren Forbidden Land, the old man didn’t want any internal conflict arising from this matter, especially as it was significant enough.
Qin An walked over slowly and sat opposite the old man, asking: "May I know how to address you, elder?"
Instead of getting straight to the point, he exchanged pleasantries first, since unfamiliarity with the other’s temperament makes it the least error-prone approach.
The old man nodded slightly: "I am Liu Yebai, leader of the Barren Forbidden Land, Mr. Qin, no need for such courtesy."
"Now, please directly convey your intentions for coming here. Although we might have guessed, if you don’t speak it yourself, you probably won’t give up."
"We intend for you to abandon this idea completely."
Among intelligent people, words need not be extremely explicit to convey their meaning.
Qin An didn’t mind Liu Yebai’s frankness.
Being straightforward himself, he directly voiced his intentions.
"I am here hoping for the Barren Forbidden Land to side with me, as its prestige among Defenders is exceedingly high, and their support would influence hesitant Defenders to decide and join me."
"As for those Defenders opposing me, they are welcome to submit; if not, they will only face suppression."