"I have to admit," Xiang Xie said, "despite being a woman, your combat prowess is top notch. I don't think I've met many Rank 4 Gu Masters who could fight at your level. Despite being Rank 4 Upper Stage, I think you could even give many at Rank 4 Peak Stage a run for their money."
The two clan heads were also shocked, not just by Bai Ning Bing's combat prowess and use of so many synergistic, powerful gu worms, but also her ferocity. She did not hold back while fighting. She was aiming to kill. It was kind of odd with her fragile ice doll-like appearance; like that of an ice sculpture which would shatter at the slightest touch.
"Indeed. To think that a woman would somehow put me on the ropes like this!"
"To think that a woman would be one of the strongest fighters I've ever faced. I've fought multiple myriad beast kings during my life, but I think that she alone could put most of them to shame. Even without the support of other elders she could probably take one on."
Every time they said 'woman', Bai Ning Bing wanted to scratch their eyes out. However, she did realize that this entire conflict was ultimately pointless and also unlikely to go significantly in her favor if it continued.
"So I think we can agree that we are at a stalemate then," Bai Ning Bing said. "In such a case, given the fact that you cannot defeat me, just allow me to leave."
"But that is something that we absolutely cannot allow," Xiang Xie said.
Bai Ning Bing tried a different approach this time.
"In such a case, why don't I join up with you?"
The clan heads seemed more accepting of this new line of thought. They had seemed to also reluctantly agree with Xiang Xie that they couldn't just let Bai Ning Bing go.
This new proposal, however, was something that they could consider.
"This is a difficult-to-obtain demonic inheritance, no?" Bai Ning Bing pointed out. "That's why you require the help of a mercenary in order to aid you in finding it. I doubt your villages would even bother working together unless it was something neither could overcome on their own. While I don't know when you've managed to stumble upon it, it's clear that you're not having very good luck with it. until now."
"Being clan heads, the two of you must have duties at your own villages. No, the idea of there being an inheritance will not keep the wild beasts or the threats of nature at bay, will it? But how often can you depart from your mountain in order to explore this inheritance? If it is the three of you who have gone to explore it on your own, I'm guessing it is quite dangerous, something that perhaps not even a Rank 3 Gu Master could do. And therefore you have to continue trying to explore it yourselves."
Their expressions told Bai Ning Bing all that she needed to know. She was on the right track here.
"So, wouldn't it be easier with four Rank 4 Gu Masters rather than just three? Of course, you'll have to give me a share of the inheritance if you happen to find it," Bai Ning Bing said. "Whatever agreement you have, I can certainly come under it as well. This will solve your problem, won't it? I won't rat you all out regarding the inheritance; not if I can get a slice of it for myself."
The clan heads seemed to be seriously considering her proposal right now. It was true that they couldn't sit around for too long trying to contain Bai Ning Bing. That was risky. Who knew what kinds of trump cards she held up her sleeve? They too had their own aces hidden up their sleeves, but Bai Ning Bing likely did as well. And Bai Ning Bing didn't necessarily have to fight them, only escape.
Whatever treasure it was that the Thought Ruler Demon Lord had kept would have been vast enough to share between the four of them, and the inheritance would be easier to explore.
"Both of you, snap out of it," Xiang Xie said. "Can't you see that she's manipulating you? The more people we let in, the higher the chances that we will lose a significant portion of the inheritance, isn't it? And without a method like Poison Vow Gu to bind her, how can you be sure that she won't end up stabbing the two of you in the back? She has ties to both the Shang Clan as well as Fang Yuan, after all."
Both of the clan heads changed their minds upon hearing Xiang Xie's words.
"What are we going to do about it then?"
"Isn't it simple? She can't possibly leave," Xiang Xie said. "That's all we need to do. That's what our true victory condition is. We don't even need to defeat her. So long as she can't leave, we can continue exploring the inheritance at our leisure."
"What if Fang Yuan comes to find her?"
"But can Fang Yuan find her?" Xiang Xie asked, a smirk on his face. "Like I said earlier, I'm not scared of Fang Yuan given his nature; a gentle giant is easier to deal with than a ferocious dwarf. But in order for Fang Yuan to come here, he would have to find her first. Now, Ling Ding Ching - our lady here - was only sent this way because of the thunderstorm. In other words, she is here entirely by accident. She is here quite a bit off the beaten path. Since neither of you have ever seen her around this area, that means she's new here, which also means that Fang Yuan would not be expecting her to be here. With the Southern Border being so large, would he be able to find her?"
The clan heads nodded, realizing the truth of this statement.
"Yes, but what if she has a way to contact Fang Yuan?" the Zhu clan head said.
"If she did, she would have tried to already, or told us that she would have done so," Xiang Xie said. "And yet, she hasn't. Take a look at what her position is. She might be ferocious, but she's also cornered." There's a steep cliff behind Bai Ning Bing, and there's only a narrow way to exit up the mountain. She was trying to fight these three uphill, which naturally put her in a disadvantageous position. The most obvious thing was to take the White Form Immortal Snake and fly, but that would leave her vulnerable to attacks from these three, and she couldn't defend from them and maneuver the snake at the same time.
Bai Ning Bing now regretted not trying to advance to Rank 4 Peak Stage before coming here. She wasn't in a hurry to advance simply because it would make the Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique's danger all the greater. But being at that stage would have made maneuvering the White Form Immortal Snake twice as easy, and it could have also easily changed the tide of battle against these three.
"All we need to do is set up a group in order to contain her," Xiang Xie said. "Cut her off from the rest of the world, besiege her, and just like that, we can continue exploring the inheritance. It only requires two of us here in order to subdue her and prevent her from getting away. Call your elders. Numbers can certainly take down someone even at a single higher realm."
"All of you are making a massive mistake," Bai Ning Bing said, glaring at them coldly.
"Perhaps, Fairy. But you know what they say: birds die for food and humans die for wealth," Xiang Xie said.
The meaning was clear. Whatever they were intending to find within the Thought Ruler Demon Lord's inheritance was far greater than the threat or the effort they had to put in trying to restrain Bai Ning Bing.