Luo Jiayin hurried back to Emei Palace overnight, her heart in turmoil. As she flew on her sword, her mind was preoccupied with Lin Che's mischievous grin and his words, "The Kill-God Pavilion is for our own sake." The night wind blew, but it couldn't cool the heat on her cheeks.
"This scoundrel..." she muttered, biting her lip as a faint blush tinged her cheeks. "Though shameless, his words seem to hold some truth."
[System Alert (visible only to readers): Heart rate spiked by 50%, emotional turbulence +80%. Initial assessment: 55% compromised.]
At Emei Palace, in the forbidden area at the back of the mountain.
"Grandmother! Jiayin has urgent matters to report!" Luo Jiayin knelt outside the meditation room, her voice urgent.
The door slowly opened, revealing an elderly woman with white hair yet an ethereal demeanor, seated cross-legged. She was none other than Guo Xiang, the palace head of Emei Palace. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp as a torch, but when it swept over her granddaughter, it carried a hint of tenderness that was barely noticeable: "What matter brings such urgency?"
Luo Jiayin took a deep breath and recounted Lin Che's plan in detail—from the oppression of the Xuanjian Sect, to the concept of the Kill-God Pavilion, and the old Tianxuan Sect site as their base, leaving out no details.
After listening, Guo Xiang fell silent for a long while. Her mind was in turmoil: Cooperate with Lin Che? The very man who annihilated the Tianxuan Sect? But then again, the oppression from the Xuanjian Sect had already left Emei Palace gasping for breath, with monthly tributes almost draining the sect's resources. At this rate, Emei Palace would be in name only within a century.
Suddenly, she slammed her hand on the table: "Excellent! What a splendid Kill-God Pavilion!"
"Pass the order: Gather all the elders for an emergency assembly in the main hall!"
At Emei Palace · Deliberation Hall.
The atmosphere in the hall was heavy. Eighteen elders at the Nascent Soul stage sat on either side, their faces etched with anxiety.
The First Elder flicked his dust brush and took the lead in objecting: "Out of the question! Absolutely not! To ally with the man who destroyed the Tianxuan Sect? Isn't that like bargaining with a tiger! Lin Che is ruthless. What if he turns on us Emei Palace next?"
He thought to himself: I've cultivated for eight hundred years to reach the late Nascent Soul stage. I can't afford such a commotion. Should the cooperation fail and the Xuanjian Sect holds us accountable, I'll be the first to die!
The Second Elder chimed in: "Precisely! With Lin Che's obscure background, how can we trust him? Moreover, how do we explain ourselves to the Xuanjian Sect? If they discover our alliance with the man who obliterated the Xuantian Sect, the entire Emei Palace will be doomed!"
While his words sounded righteous, his mind was calculating: I have no desire to lose my life due to someone else's ambition. Better to play it safe.
The Third Elder hesitated: "But... the oppression from the Xuanjian Sect has indeed become intolerable. Last month, they demanded thirty female disciples of exceptional talent as tribute. The palace is already in an uproar..."
He was torn: The Xuanjian Sect is detestable, but is Lin Che truly reliable? Is taking this risk worth it?
Luo Jiayin let out a cold laugh, stood up, and scanned the room. She felt both disappointment in the elders' cowardice and trust in Lin Che. She knew this was Emei Palace's only way out.
"Elders, do you truly believe Emei Palace has any other choice?" she enunciated each word, her voice strong and resolute. "How long have we endured the Xuanjian Sect's oppression? How much resources have they drained from innocent cultivators each month? Can you genuinely turn a blind eye to the persecuted female disciples?"
The First Elder's face turned ashen: "Even so, we cannot risk the entire sect!"