Chapter 108: Turning Back the Tiger Gate

In the mountainous region of Jianglin, dark shadows flitted through the woods from time to time, startling countless birds into flight. These figures moved with incredible speed, akin to wild wolves, their agility so blinding that the human eye could barely track them. Eventually, all these shadows converged within a mountain hollow.

The area was surrounded by towering peaks, shaped like an inverted dou, with a pool of stagnant, deathly still water at the bottom—a silence so profound it was unsettling. Yet, if one looked closely, a faint, fluorescent green light seemed to emanate from the depths of the pool. Beside this glow, flickers of crimson light lingered, as if peering at something hidden within.

...

Before long, as more figures gathered above, conversation began to stir.

"Heh heh heh, I never expected the Tiger Gate of Jiangzhou to show up. You certainly have well-informed sources."

"Likewise, the information gathering of your Southwest Gu God Sect is not so bad either."

"With Spirit Crystals appearing in Jiangzhou, and in such vast quantities, none of our sects could hope to swallow them whole. There is no need for us to be suspicious or guarded against one another. It would be best if we all work together, take the crystals, and divide them equally. Let us not damage our camaraderie."

"A sensible suggestion! After all, splitting them among seven sects is still a generous share."

"Heh heh heh..."

A group of old foxes exchanged glances, chuckling. Each of the seven sects present had brought at least a hundred men, totaling seven hundred in all. Should a conflict arise, losses would be inevitable; bloodless cooperation was clearly the superior path.

However, after a short while, someone remarked:

"Jiangzhou is now the territory of Ling Xiao, the Young Master of Ghost Valley. What shall we do if he comes to stir up trouble?"

"Are we to fear him? There are seven of us here; what could he possibly do to change that?"

"Indeed. If he dares to show his face, we won't mind giving him a taste of our sects' true power!"

But just then, a voice resounded through the green woods.

"Is that so? Such bold words! It seems Ghost Valley has been too low-key, leading to so many misunderstandings on your part!"

"Ghost Valley!"

Upon hearing the name, the expressions of the crowd turned frigid. The members of the Tiger Gate, in particular, could not stop themselves from shivering.

...

A moment later, the crowd saw Ling Xiao arrive, his arm wrapped around the waist of Mu Yiren. Following behind them were Gu Mingyan and a group of female disciples from the Shadow Hall, all carrying themselves with an aura of haughty pride.

The instant they saw Ling Xiao, even those who did not want to admit it were forced to acknowledge his extraordinary bearing.

In Ling Xiao’s arms, Mu Yiren quietly surveyed her surroundings. The people here were dressed as if they had walked out of a period drama; it was a bizarre sensation. Their methods, however, were anything but ordinary—hardly anyone stood on the ground; instead, they perched atop the treetops like a row of candied hawthorns on a skewer.

Soon, an elder from one of the sects stepped forward and cupped his hands.

"Heh, so this is the Young Master of Ghost Valley? Hearing of you is not as good as seeing you; you truly are as dashing and talented as they say."

Ling Xiao gave a cold snort.

"Save the flattery! You lot have brought so many disciples into the territory of Jiangzhou—what is your intent? Are you unaware that Jiangzhou now belongs to Ghost Valley?"

The crowd’s expressions darkened, yet none were willing to retreat. After all, a massive fortune lay beneath them.

"Why the anger, Young Master Ling? We are naturally aware! But you have only just taken control of Jiangzhou recently. Surely you wouldn't just drive us away with a stick, would you?"

Ling Xiao cast a sidelong glance at the man, his expression icy.

"The Tiger Gate? I didn't finish you off before, having left that to the Iron Fist Sect, but those idiots failed to follow orders. Does the Tiger Gate really think this matter is over?"

The members of the Tiger Gate turned pale, exchanging grim looks. But with so many other sects present, they were unwilling to abandon this windfall, so they remained silent, playing deaf and dumb.

Ling Xiao was not so polite. A vast, crushing pressure descended upon them, giving the Tiger Gate members absolutely no face at all.

"I will count to three. Get out of my sight, or... I won't mind sending you on your way right now."

The Tiger Gate elder trembled with rage, shouting, "Ling Xiao, you... how dare you! To be so arrogant in front of so many sects—beware of retribution!"

"Feel free to test whether I dare or not!"

Ling Xiao glanced at him, and the murderous intent in his eyes was enough to cause the elder’s legs to go weak. He shivered and collapsed to the ground. The remaining elders and disciples of the Tiger Gate shuddered, looking left and right, swallowing hard.

Although everyone had spoken politely earlier, when it came down to it, no one would actually step in to help the Tiger Gate. After all, while they had wanted to avoid a fight earlier, now that someone else was targeting the Tiger Gate, they were more than happy to watch.

In fact, they were secretly hoping that the Tiger Gate and Ghost Valley would engage in a bloody battle, resulting in mutual casualties, which would conveniently eliminate two sects at once!

Seeing this, the elders of the Tiger Gate sighed.

"Fine, fine. It seems the Tiger Gate is not destined to enjoy these Spirit Crystals. Farewell, brothers of the martial arts world."

With that, the Tiger Gate members turned and fled without looking back. This left the other sects feeling somewhat speechless. Were the people of the Tiger Gate really that cowardly? They hadn't even started fighting yet!

After driving away the Tiger Gate, Ling Xiao turned his gaze back to the crowd.

"Since you have traveled so far, the journey must have been exhausting. Ghost Valley has nothing prepared to entertain you. But it matters not; I shall not charge you a toll for passing through."

"Pfft!"

The crowd nearly spat blood!

This Ling Xiao was speaking so openly, as if their very presence here meant they owed him a debt.

After a moment, one of the elders stepped forward and said testily:

"Young Master Ling, you are certainly overbearing. With a few words, you chased away the Tiger Gate—very impressive! But let us keep things separate. You have a grudge with the Tiger Gate, so do not go looking for trouble with us! It is best if we all remain in peace."

Ling Xiao nodded.

"Well said. This is Jiangzhou, after all—my own territory. I do not wish to make things too bloody!"

Hearing this, the corners of their mouths lifted slightly. It seemed Ling Xiao wasn't entirely unreasonable. He still had his hesitations!

Relieved, the crowd let out a sigh.

"Heh heh heh... Young Master Ling is right; I completely agree. Now, since your Ghost Valley has driven away the Tiger Gate, then... the share of Spirit Crystals originally allocated to them shall be transferred to Ghost Valley!"

They spoke as casually as if they were playing a children's game.