Chapter Forty-Seven: The Platform

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Although he had already sensed it earlier, Li Ju now realized that the relationship between the Seven-Three Sect and Hai Yuanyi was even worse than he had imagined.

“Factional struggles within the orthodox martial world, is it…” The thought occurred to Li Ju suddenly.

“Enough!” Hai Yuanyi’s voice rang out sharply.

With his words came a powerful and overwhelming pressure.

Bang.

Liu Wu and Bai Jiu collapsed to their knees, clenching their fists so tightly that veins bulged on their foreheads, as if they were struggling against some invisible force suppressing them.

“As for whether Li Ju is a disciple of the demonic sect, as the leader of the orthodox martial world, I will explain this matter to each sect personally. It is not your Seven-Three Sect’s place to interfere.”

“The conflict between your sect and Li Ju has already been deemed a personal vendetta—it shall not be mentioned again!”

“If your Seven-Three Sect has any objections, I will come to your sect myself to offer an explanation!”

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, Hai Yuanyi turned and strode away.

Only after Hai Yuanyi had left did Liu Wu and Bai Jiu manage to stand up. They exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, lifted Yuan Hao’s corpse, and without sparing Li Ju another look, led their people out of the Pine Forest Sect.

Standing behind the departing Seven-Three Sect members, Li Ju stroked his chin.

He could see the unwillingness festering in their hearts, and he knew that the enmity between him and the Seven-Three Sect would not end simply because Hai Yuanyi had intervened. At most, with Hai Yuanyi’s support, their conflict would be postponed for a time.

“Still, for Hai Yuanyi to say those words right in front of me… It seems he’s trying to recruit me.”

Li Ju fell into thought.

Although all his martial skills came from the demonic sect, his former sect, the Flying Sword Sect, had been exterminated by that very demonic sect. In the eyes of the martial world, such a blood feud was irreconcilable, making it impossible for him to ever join the demonic sect.

Yet, because his martial arts originated from the demonic sect and he had never roamed the martial world, he had no ties to any of the orthodox sects. His background was impeccably clean, with not even Wang Lu—whose sect had also been destroyed—able to compare. After all, Wang Lu grew up within the orthodox martial order and inevitably had connections, unlike Li Ju, who had never even interacted with them.

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In Li Ju’s eyes, someone like him—exceptionally skilled, with a spotless background, and embroiled in enmity with both the demonic sect and the Seven-Three Sect—was the perfect target for recruitment by those unafraid of either power.

What’s more, Li Ju was Wang Lu’s junior fellow disciple, and Wang Lu was Hai Yuanyi’s son-in-law. This connection put Hai Yuanyi even more at ease regarding Li Ju.

“Being recruited by Hai Yuanyi isn’t so bad. At least I’ll have a place to settle for now.”

“And it’ll give me the chance to observe Hai Yuanyi up close and see if he has any weaknesses.”

Li Ju certainly wasn’t about to get distracted—after all, in his task window, he still had a mission to kill Hai Yuanyi. Other entanglements, like those with the Seven-Three Sect, were irrelevant; completing his mission took priority.

After all, the rewards from the mission would directly affect his strength in the real world.

“Junior Brother Li.”

While Li Ju was lost in thought, Wang Lu approached with Hai Yuan’er.

“I’ll be leaving here soon with Master Hai. He asked me to tell you that he’ll handle things between you and the Seven-Three Sect—you don’t need to worry.”

“And one more thing…”

Wang Lu’s voice trailed off, lowering as he glanced at Hai Yuan’er, whose cheeks flushed pink.

“Our wedding date is set—on the third day of next month. We’ll be holding a banquet at Emerald Pine Mountain and inviting all our friends from the martial world. You must come!”

Wang Lu, with his arm around Hai Yuan’er, spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

“Hahaha!”

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Wang. For such an occasion, I will be there on time with generous gifts,” Li Ju replied, laughing heartily.

Before leaving, Wang Lu handed over all the Flying Sword Sect’s martial arts manuals he possessed to Li Ju, promising that if he obtained the Flying Sword Technique from Di Yuan, he would deliver it at once.

“Flying Sword Sect techniques…”

Li Ju glanced at the martial arts manuals in his hands and tucked them away before turning to look at the disciple of Chai Sen, who was cowering and trembling in fear nearby.

Unfortunately, when the Seven-Three Sect left, they did not take this traitor with them.

“So, you’re the one who led the Seven-Three Sect here.”

Looking at the terrified figure huddled in the corner, Li Ju’s fingers tightened into a fist, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

“Brother Li, can you spare my disciple?”

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At that moment, Chai Sen stepped forward, standing in front of Li Ju.

“What, you really want to keep a disciple who acts without informing you?”

“Are you disappointed that your disciple didn’t finish destroying the Pine Forest Sect this time, and you’re hoping he’ll get another chance?”

Li Ju looked with contempt at the disciple who gazed at Chai Sen as if he were a lifeline.

“Master Chai, let me be frank—even if you save him now, when you’re gone and he takes your place as head, someone like him will only drag the Pine Forest Sect you worked so hard to build straight into the abyss.”

“My advice: while you still have time, you should…”

Before Chai Sen could react, Li Ju appeared in front of his disciple in a flash.

“Take on one more.”

Bang!

A head burst apart, white and red matter splattering everywhere.

“This time, make sure you don’t raise another disciple like that.”

Wiping the unknown liquid from his fist, Li Ju took the Flying Sword Sect manuals and strode away into the distance.

“Sigh…”

Chai Sen turned to look at his disciple’s mutilated corpse and let out a deep sigh.

Did he hate Li Ju?

Of course he did. Who wouldn’t hate a man who forced his way into your sect’s library and killed your disciple before your very eyes?

But the harsh reality of the Pine Forest Sect’s weakness meant Chai Sen could not take revenge or even show his hatred openly; a single rash move could mean the end of the sect’s hundred-year legacy and its erasure from the martial world.

Moreover, he had just witnessed Hai Yuanyi standing by Li Ju’s side. With the leader of the orthodox martial world backing Li Ju, it was clear that no other orthodox sect would dare intervene on their behalf.

In this world, those with neither strength nor powerful allies can only be at the mercy of the strong.