Volume Two: The Bandit's Life Chapter Thirty-Five: The Battle Begins

God King Yan Ming glared hatefully at the grim-faced Gu Tai, then turned to Lu Qingtian, his eyes burning with resentment. "I do not agree with the Alliance Leader's arrangements."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he gritted his teeth and said, "It was by everyone's collective vote that Leader Lu became our Alliance Leader. Although our sixty-three factions may engage in petty squabbles in our daily affairs, those are internal matters. We have endured through countless epochs fighting like this, and none of us has ever harbored suspicions toward the others. However..."

He cast a glance at the expressionless Lu Qingtian and the icy-cold Gu Tai. "However, now, just after the election, a chorus of discordant voices has emerged. Even that might be tolerable—the Purple Profound Alliance is vast and possesses many divine artifacts, and it is true they could bribe some Heavenly Gods to act as their lackeys. But even so, I believe that after excluding the Profound Mystery Valley, the remaining four largest factions among the sixty-three should not be casting baseless suspicions on others."

Gu Tai let out a cold snort. "Baseless? Hmph, our own subordinates have come forward claiming support for Lu Qingtian. How do you explain that?"

Lu Qingtian gave an awkward cough and glanced at the few individuals standing beside Wan Peng. "Brother Gu, let God King Yan Ming finish his piece."

Gu Tai turned his head away. While he did not acknowledge Lu Qingtian’s words, he fell silent and stood quietly beside Shui Ruojun.

"Wan Peng, you are also at fault for this. I recall that when you swore your oath, you did not specifically state that you pledged loyalty to Alliance Leader Lu. Yet, why is it that when it comes to others, you demand that the clause 'loyalty to Alliance Leader Lu' be included?" God King Yan Ming, with his back to Lu Qingtian and the others, shot a meaningful look at Wan Peng.

Wan Peng’s face flushed as he stammered, "My loyalty to Alliance Leader Lu is as clear as the sun and moon; it has always been..."

"Enough!" God King Yan Ming waved his hand to cut him off and turned to face Gu Tai. "Brother Gu, although my Twin Swallow Valley is not a large faction, I believe everyone here knows exactly how my brother and I conduct ourselves. If the two of us have defected, I swear that I shall never attain the rank of Heavenly Venerate."

God King Yan Ming raised his right hand and spoke with great solemnity. The surrounding crowd was struck with awe; this was already the second God King today to swear an oath by the title of "Heavenly Venerate." While they were shocked, their resentment toward Gu Tai grew even stronger.

Seeing Gu Tai’s embarrassed expression, God King Yan Ming chuckled inwardly. *We did not defect; it was the leader of the Purple Profound Alliance who forced us to join them. For the sake of my future and my brothers who depend on me for a living, naturally, I must align with the stronger power. Besides, Twin Swallow Valley is not under the command of Lu Qingtian and his peers, so how can my shifting allegiance be considered treason?*

Lu Qingtian looked at the righteous-looking God King Yan Ming with a complex expression. At this moment, the clauses Wan Peng had just proposed were no longer important. Lu Qingtian had sufficient reason to believe that Wan Peng was acting entirely in his best interest, and thus, he harbored no suspicion toward him.

"Then how can you prove that Twin Swallow Valley has not been conquered by the Purple Profound Alliance?" Fang Tao had never believed that Twin Swallow Valley could have halted the Purple Profound Alliance’s offensive on its own. He remained skeptical of God King Yan Ming’s words.

Shui Ruojun offered a faint, gentle smile. "Indeed, Brother Yan Ming. Since you are acting whole-heartedly for the sake of the Alliance, you must first prove your own innocence. After all, this is a matter of great importance, and even a grave oath cannot prove anything."

Yan Ming sneered and retorted, "And according to your logic, what should I do?"

Lu Qingtian exchanged a look with Shui Ruojun, Gu Tai, and Fang Tao. Suddenly, he moved, launching a direct assault toward God King Yan Ming. "Naturally, we must first capture you. Once it is proven that Twin Swallow Valley has not defected to the Purple Profound Alliance, the four of us will personally bring you tea and offer our apologies. How about that?"

Before the words had faded, the other three—Shui Ruojun, Gu Tai, and Fang Tao—had already lunged at the men standing beside Wan Peng. In an instant, they subdued their respective targets and stood aside, watching God King Yan Ming struggle to fend off Lu Qingtian.

"Alliance Leader Lu, I, Yan Ming, have been loyal to you, yet I am met with such treatment! These tactics are truly chilling. Since that is the case, my Twin Swallow Valley withdraws from the Alliance to fight the Purple Profound Alliance alone!" God King Yan Ming had not expected that Lu Qingtian, who had just been moved by his righteous declaration, would turn hostile so abruptly. Caught completely off guard, he was taken by surprise.

In terms of cultivation, God King Yan Ming was already inferior to Lu Qingtian, and having just staged a "bitter flesh" ruse, he had been severely wounded by Gu Tai. Now, facing Lu Qingtian, he was utterly outmatched and was subdued within moments.

The Heavenly Gods below were in an uproar. It seemed as though the four of them had planned this in advance; their simultaneous strike shocked everyone. Many Heavenly Gods shouted, "Alliance Leader Lu, stop at once!"

However, Lu Qingtian had already captured God King Yan Ming. The crowd, stunned, began to seethe with indignation.

"Hmph! Just because the four of you have deeper cultivation than us, does that give you the right to act like this?" A cold snort rang out from the crowd. A large man turned and began walking out of Tongmu Stronghold, shouting as he went, "I came here to fight the Purple Profound Alliance, not to fight my own people. The way you four are acting is truly heartless. I cannot afford to stay here with my own followers. Farewell."

This man was none other than God King Wu Mian of Wuliang Mountain, who had just spoken out for justice. Once he took a stand, dozens of Heavenly Gods followed him toward the exit. With him leading the way, the crowd descended into chaos. Many Heavenly Gods snorted in disdain and began to file out as well.

"Everyone, stop!" Lu Qingtian was furious. Did these people still respect him as their Alliance Leader? This was a blatant provocation!

By now, no one paid any heed to his words. The treatment of God King Yan Ming had chilled the hearts of many. These were individuals who had cultivated for countless years and were no fools; seeing how Yan Ming was treated, they realized what fate awaited them if they offended the four leaders. Only a fool would not seize this opportunity to leave. After all, the law could not punish the masses; even if Lu Qingtian wanted to penalize them, he had no way to start.

Still, many Heavenly Gods remained in place. After all, the sudden emergence of the Purple Profound Alliance had placed immense psychological pressure on the Heavenly Gods of Tiehua City, and their only hope for survival lay in sticking together.

Wan Peng’s eyes flashed with a cold light as he appeared before the large man, his voice chilling. "Wu Mian, the Alliance Leader ordered you to stop. Did you not hear him?"

God King Wu Mian laughed loudly. "I do not recognize him as my leader, so why should I stop?"

Wan Peng’s killing intent surged, and just as he was about to strike, he heard Lu Qingtian intervene. "Wan Peng, stop! Wu Mian, do you really intend to withdraw from the Alliance?"

God King Wu Mian turned around, fuming with rage. "With you treating the other factions this way, how can you expect me to believe you can lead us against the Purple Profound Alliance?"

A flash of sword light erupted from Wan Peng. The caught-off-guard God King Wu Mian was instantly decapitated. Wan Peng gave a sinister smile and, with a wave of his hand, ensured that God King Wu Mian—whose cultivation was slightly inferior to his own—would have his soul scattered into nothingness.

...Everyone watched Wan Peng in horror. No one had expected him to kill God King Wu Mian. This act immediately ignited public outrage. Those who were already angry over the unfair treatment of God King Yan Ming flew into a rage and attacked Wan Peng.

The Heavenly Gods who supported Lu Qingtian had initially been hesitant, but seeing Wan Peng being swarmed and having already sustained dozens of wounds in a short time, they let out a roar and rushed to his aid.

Lu Qingtian shouted repeatedly to stop them, but it was in vain. Amidst the flash of blades and blood, dozens of Heavenly Gods on both sides were killed. Blinded by rage, the combatants no longer cared for anything else and clashed in a chaotic melee.

Tongmu Stronghold descended into complete disorder. Lu Qingtian, Shui Ruojun, Gu Tai, and Fang Tao stared at one another, stunned. None of them had anticipated such a situation. Watching the number of Heavenly Gods dwindle, the four felt a deep sense of pain.

By now, no one cared what the four leaders thought. The maddened Heavenly Gods sought out opponents to fight, and with Wan Peng and his cohorts constantly stirring the pot, the grievances between the factions only deepened.

Seeing this, God King Yan Ming knew the time had come. Using a telepathic link, he sent a message to his brother, God King Yan Liang.

Outside Tongmu Stronghold, thousands of troops were prepared for battle. Qin Si and Qin Shuang were drinking wine, bored, waiting for news from God King Yan Ming.

"Alliance Leader, my brother has sent word. Tongmu Stronghold is in utter chaos. Should we move now?" God King Yan Liang stood cautiously behind Qin Si, reporting in a low voice.

Qin Si’s hand, holding the wine bottle, paused. He looked at God King Yan Liang in disbelief. "They... they started an internal feud just like that? Isn't it a bit too easy?"

Qin Shuang also curiously released his divine sense, only to find that Tongmu Stronghold was indeed in complete disarray. He couldn't help but wonder, "Could Wan Peng and Yan Ming alone trigger an internal conflict among these people?"

The two brothers did not know that while the conflict was indeed fueled by the efforts of Wan Peng and Yan Ming, they also owed a debt to the late God King Wu Mian, whom Wan Peng had killed. Although God King Wu Mian was usually rough around the edges, he was a man of great integrity and was well-liked among the sixty-three factions. He never put on airs with Heavenly Gods or lesser beings, so his death immediately ignited the indignation of many, providing Wan Peng with the perfect opportunity.

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled. They finished their wine in one gulp and laughed heartily. "In that case, what are we waiting for? Everyone, heed my command: charge into Tongmu Stronghold! From this day forth, I want the entire Tiehua City to be under the influence of our Purple Profound Alliance."

The troops’ morale soared. They gave a thunderous roar of agreement and transformed into streaks of light, charging into Tongmu Stronghold.

(To be continued)