Walking by the Abyss on Thin Ice

Chapter 140 – Even more rare is this humility

"The trait I admire the most in the envoy is humility."

Master Tu Ming surveyed the current situation, his spirits high as he praised, "The best thing the envoy did this time was not to bring out the seven old immortals and expose the foundations of the seven major families all at once, but to lure out the Marquis of Shuofang!"

In Su Yun's spiritual realm, the book spirit Ying Ying asked in confusion, "Su Scholar, didn't we come here to find the best spiritual technique and size for ourselves, not to fight? How did it turn into your plan? And from what the monk said, this plan seems amazing..."

Su Yun's spirit grunted, "I don't know why it turned out like this."

Master Tu Ming was ecstatic, praising endlessly as he whispered, "The seven major families were planning to rebel, but they were not prepared! The envoy's plan is brilliant because of the Marquis of Shuofang! The Marquis represents the Emperor of the East, and if the old immortals of the seven major families dare to act, it would be rebellion! But they are not ready, and if they rebel now, they will only have a dead end!"

He suddenly punched his palm and exclaimed, "Therefore, the seven old immortals can only swallow their anger! It is said that a stroke of genius comes without intention, and this move is truly ingenious and beyond words!"

Master Tu Ming's praise made Su Yun blush and stammer, "Master, you overpraise me, overpraise me. Actually, I didn't think so much..."

"What's even more rare is your humility!" Master Tu Ming exclaimed.

Su Yun had to shut up and listen to him continue to praise himself, thinking to himself, "The title of 'Duo Xin Zen Master' is not just a reputation."

At this time, the Jiu Yuan Academy became even more lively. Many old families from Shuofang, such as Ye Luo's Ye family, the Fang family in charge of the Shuobei Military Department (Military Affairs), and the Liu family in charge of the Shuobei Treasury, also stationed troops outside the Jiu Yuan Academy, with killing intent in the air.

These families each had a carriage with a black iron coffin on it, and beside the black coffin were spirit weapons used in the military, such as long spears and military knives.

The reason why these old families such as the Ye, Fang, and Liu families came was because their ancestors followed the ancestors of the Marquis of Shuofang of the Li family.

Back then, the ancestor of the Li family fought against the invasion from outside the Great Wall, guarding Shuofang for thirty years, and his soldiers died in large numbers. Among those who survived were the ancestors of the Ye, Fang, Liu, and other families.

Later, as a reward for their merits, these families also rose to prominence and became the old families of the Shuofang region.They were different from the seven great families that rose during the snow disaster. Their glory was earned with the sacrifice of their ancestors, and even after becoming a great family, they remained humble and not as prominent as the seven great families.

Young Master Ye Luo stood beside the head of the Ye family, looking towards the commotion in the Jiuyuan Academy and thought to himself, "Su Yun, I finally understand your plan. It's a pity that I only figured it out after you've done everything. I'm still inferior to you..."

He felt bitter in his heart and silently thought, "Both sides are in a difficult position, and no one can find a way out. How can we avoid a situation where both sides suffer and perish together? You must be thinking about this too, right?"

The current situation made Young Master Ye Luo feel extremely tricky.

The seven great families were not prepared yet and were forced by Su Yun to expose themselves, losing the element of surprise.

However, the Shuofang Marquis, the city defense army, and other great families like the Ye family were also not ready to break away from the seven great families!

Moreover, although the seven great families had intentions of rebellion, they had no practical plan. As the Shuofang Marquis, they could not directly take action, otherwise, even if they annihilated the seven great families, they would still face retaliation in the future.

In addition, as a royal envoy sent by Emperor Di Ping to Shuofang, Young Master Ye Luo was not investigating the seven great families, but rather, he was investigating Xue Shengren, Qiu Shuijing, and the Green Forest Old Gourd's subordinates!

He even received an order to supervise the Shuofang Marquis!

He did not have enough time to prepare to deal with the seven great families. The reason why he investigated the Grey Ash Factory and the Tong family was actually because the capable monk Tu Ming under the command of Old Gourd's subordinate Zuo Songyan was investigating the Grey Ash Factory, which piqued his interest.

This investigation revealed something significant.

However, he had no time to investigate the seven great families thoroughly, let alone make proper arrangements.

"What would you do, Su Yun?"

Young Master Ye Luo looked towards the Jiuyuan Academy and silently thought, "As long as you can resolve this crisis, I will acknowledge you in my heart, though I will still not admit it verbally."

In the Jiuyuan Academy, everyone was in a difficult position, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense. If this deadlock was not resolved and continued, something bad would happen!

The longer it dragged on, the more anxious the people of the seven great families became, and they might attack the city defense army stationed outside at any moment.

Attacking the city defense army would mean rebellion, and it would be irreparable!

Similarly, the border defense army in the north would likely be mobilized. If the border defense army entered Shuofang, it would be even more dangerous!Both sides were unprepared and there were no steps to take!

The Marquis of Shuofang and several old immortals laughed heartily, but their foreheads were covered in cold sweat, forcing a smile.

Suddenly, Su Yun loudly declared, "I am Su Yun, a scholar who has come to exchange knowledge with the scholars of Jiuyuan Academy. I am fortunate to have met the seniors of the Seven Great Families. I heard that the Seven Great Families obtained the True Dragon Technique 150 years ago. Therefore, I dare to ask the Seven Great Families to teach me their divine skills."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's gaze fell on him.

Master Tu Ming, who was standing beside him, felt his scalp go numb and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He felt an overwhelming pressure and took a few steps back to avoid the gaze of everyone.

"Among these strong people, I'm afraid their cultivation is at the level of the Zhen Sheng realm!"

Master Tu Ming breathed heavily and looked at Su Yun with great admiration in his heart. "Su Scholar is truly worthy of being an existence who has seen the Great Emperor and is a monster of the Tian Dao Academy. He is not inferior at all when facing these old monsters!"

Su Yun's eyes were blank, as if he didn't feel the gaze of everyone. He continued, "The True Dragon Technique has sixteen chapters. In 150 years, the Seven Great Families should have comprehended it thoroughly, right?"

"Sixteen chapters?"

As soon as he spoke, the seven old immortals of the Seven Great Families each had a drastic change in their expressions. The old immortal of the Tong family exclaimed, "Isn't it fourteen chapters?"

His gaze turned to Tong Qingyun, showing a puzzled expression.

At this time, the old immortal of the Wen family exclaimed, "No, it's clearly thirteen chapters!"

"Wrong, it's fourteen chapters!"

"Why is my Zhou family only twelve chapters?"

...

The seven old immortals argued endlessly, full of distrust in each other. The Marquis of Shuofang's eyes lit up, thinking, "This Su Scholar is indeed extraordinary. With just one sentence, he made them suspect and doubt each other!"

Zuo Songyan also secretly praised, "Di Ping's vision is really good. He doesn't seem like a foolish ruler. He actually chose such an outstanding envoy!"

Xue Qingfu's gaze flickered, thinking, "His scheming is unfathomable..."

Su Yun frowned and suddenly raised his hand to shake the big yellow bell. The sound of the bell echoed throughout the Jiuyuan Academy, and the argument of the seven old immortals finally stopped.

"It turns out that you seniors didn't know that the True Dragon Technique has sixteen chapters. I spoke out of turn."Su Yun's voice was loud like a bell, and he said, "I, Su Yun, challenge all the spirit masters of the seven major families in the Ling realm! We will exchange skills regardless of life or death. Starting tomorrow, I will visit the immortals of the seven major families one by one, to pay my respects to the seniors and challenge the Ling realm disciples of each major family. May I ask if the seven seniors welcome me?"

As soon as he spoke, the tense situation between the two sides suddenly eased. They both needed time, and Su Yun's challenge to the Ling masters of the seven major families gave them time and a way to save face.

Tong Qingyun said, "Old immortals, if you lose something, you must find it where you lost it. We must avenge the grudges of the Wen family and restore the face of the seven major families."

Tong Laoxian nodded in agreement and said to everyone, "Qingyun is right. Brothers, if they want to see our true dragon skills, then let's train a few disciples while we still have time, so we won't be laughed at."

Zhou Guanxiang, Wu Yuandou, Lu Zhongliu, and others all nodded in agreement, saying, "We rise and fall together with the seven major families. We cannot let others bully us."

Wen Zhengqing, the old immortal of the Wen family, smiled and asked Su Yun, "Su Shizi, what do you mean by regardless of life or death?"

Su Yun solemnly replied, "It means that in the competition, if I kill the Ling disciples of the seven major families or if I am killed by them, there will be no consequences."

Lin Gaoyi, the old immortal of the Lin family, had a deep meaning in his words, "Su Shizi has had various incidents since coming from the Eastern Capital to Shuofang. Perhaps now is an opportunity to return Shuofang to peace."

Su Yun smiled and said, "Seniors, I have given you this opportunity. Don't miss it."

The seven old immortals felt a chill in their hearts, hearing the threat in his words.

"He has not yet revealed his identity as an envoy, so he can be killed by accident during a fair fight, and responsibility can be avoided. But if he reveals himself as a high-ranking envoy of the Eastern Capital, who dares to kill him will be rebelling! This competition is indeed the best opportunity to kill him!"

Tong Laoxian and others chatted with the Shuofang Marquis for a while, then took their leave. The Shuofang Marquis, Xue Qingfu, and Qiu Shuijing also bid farewell to Wen Lifang. Everyone was polite and bowed to each other as they left the Jiuyuan Academy.

Wen Lifang and Wen Zhengqing warmly invited Su Yun and Zuo Songyan to stay, and they walked with them, waving goodbye from a high place after everyone repeatedly asked them to leave.

Suddenly, Wen Zhengqing smiled and said to Su Yun, "Su Shizi, please stay."Su Yun stopped his steps. Wen Zhengqing glanced at Zuo Songyan and smiled, "Songyan, we were once teacher and student. Don't worry, I won't attack you now. Su Shizi, how much money do I need to pay for you to come to my Wen family last?"

Su Yun slightly stunned, understanding his meaning.

Tomorrow was the first day Su Yun challenged the seven major families. No matter which family he went to on the first day, the students of that family would be somewhat unprepared. After all, one day was too short, and the things that could be learned from the True Dragon Technique were limited.

The family that Su Yun challenged last had the longest time to learn the True Dragon Technique, which was most advantageous for the children of that family!

Therefore, it was a great opportunity for a lion to open its mouth!

Su Yun looked at Zuo Songyan and said seriously, "I have always been taken care of by Lao Piao Ba Zi. No matter how much money, it will be given to Lao Piao Ba Zi."

Zuo Songyan's eyes suddenly brightened, and he laughed heartily.

Wen Zhengqing's face turned pale, and he smirked, "As expected of the person favored by the emperor. Hehe, he is indeed an old river and lake."

Su Yun let Zuo Songyan, an old fox, do the bargaining, clearly wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to make a big profit from the Wen family!

But Su Yun didn't think so much. He just felt guilty for bothering Zuo Songyan to protect him and wanted to compensate him.

Although he learned from the Wild Fox Master and was surrounded by fox spirits, he had a simple side to him.

He was like a mirror. Smart people standing in front of him would see themselves in the mirror.

Therefore, Tu Ming thought he was cunning, Zuo Songyan thought he was scheming, Xue Qingfu said he was very cunning, and Wen Zhengqing said he was an old river and lake.

Su Yun walked out of the Jiuyuan Academy and looked up to see that it was already late. So he planned to stop a Fat Mountain Cart to return to the Wenchang Academy first.

At this moment, a fat Jiaolong Cart came, and the giant python turned into a Jiaolong, fat and huge, carrying a small building on its back.

Ye Luo stood on the small building, holding the car window with both hands, looking up at the sky, crying and chanting, "If there is falling, why is there cloud? If there is falling, why is there cloud..."

He wiped away his tears, choked twice, and waved, "Big Brother, let me give you a ride."