Seeing that the other party was from the Mei and Cui families, they turned in a different direction.
Mei Tingzhu suddenly spoke up, “You originally planned to go this way. Why deliberately change direction?”
The group halted, and their leader asked, “How do you know?”
“Heh,” Mei Tingzhu chuckled lightly, switching to a contemptuous tone, “Cowards! Let’s go.”
As he turned, he released his internal energy, walking firmly on the ground like An Jiu.
The group suspected it was a provocation and surely a trap, but then they noticed two members with very low internal energy and several others who seemed ordinary. Observing their bedraggled state, they guessed that the Mei and Cui families had suffered heavy losses.
“Follow them,” the young leader said.
“Big brother, could it be a trap?” someone asked.
The young man replied, “What’s there to fear? We outnumber them. Do you want that woman to look down on us?”
Lone wolves either wanted to preserve their lives, were uninterested in the Celestial Book fragments, or were extremely skilled and feared competing with their family members in the end. This group had already come this far, clearly after the Celestial Book fragments, so their martial arts must be formidable.
Even if they fought with the two great families, they weren’t afraid.
The first level of the giant pagoda was very spacious. The tower body was covered with reliefs, and niches lined the flat stone path, housing statues An Jiu couldn’t identify as bodhisattvas or Buddhas.
Nineteen people walking together boosted their courage. The lone wolves who hadn’t been ambushed by the mysterious attackers immediately relaxed. Someone even dared to tease Mei Tingzhu, “Little miss, didn’t you say we were cowards? Come closer and take a good look, don’t mistake us.”
Mei Tingzhu remained silent. Those people found it boring when she didn’t react, but didn’t dare to harass her, so they just laughed it off and stopped causing trouble.
After walking a short distance, Lou Mingyue stopped in front of a cave. She probed with her spiritual energy, sensed no one inside, and then led the way in.
An Jiu walked at the back. She paused to look at the statue in a nearby niche. The Buddha statues here were life-sized, creating the illusion of people everywhere. If a skilled person were holding their breath and hiding among them, it would be hard to detect.
Entering the cave, they found a narrow passage with no visible end in either direction. The further they went, the darker it became. Even An Jiu’s vision could barely make out shadows, while the others were essentially blind.
The people behind, who had been relaxed before entering, were no longer in the mood for mischief.
“One of the Celestial Book fragments is at the very center of the first-level pagoda,” Lou Mingyue said slowly.
After discovering that someone was targeting the Four Great Families, the Celestial Book fragments held little allure for the Mei and Lou families. All Four Great Families had treasures that could enhance power, and while perhaps not as potent as the Celestial Book fragments, they were certainly not inferior. They were fighting desperately only for family honor. Right now, survival was paramount.
Mei Tingjun asked the people behind, “Have you seen the other two families elsewhere?”
He was referring to the Four Great Families, and everyone understood.
After a moment of silence, someone said, “I saw the Cui family when I first entered the temple and avoided them. I haven’t encountered anyone since.”
The Mei and Lou family members all speculated: Could the other two families have also been ambushed?
“Who would dare to attack you?” the young lone wolf suddenly asked.
“We don’t know. It wasn’t any family,” Lou Mingyue replied.
The young man suddenly laughed, “You deliberately provoked us to follow you, wanting us to help resist those people?”
“That’s right,” Mei Tingzhu took over. “Those people seem to be looking for lone wolves who have privately teamed up to attack. You all registered for independent action like us, right?”
Her reasoning was so thorough and confident that even those who knew the inside story almost believed her, let alone those who were unaware of the situation.
The young man, partly joking and partly serious, said, “I am Qiu Yunran. We’ll have to rely on all of you.”
“The Qiu family specializes in poisons. It’s we who should rely on you,” Lou Mingyue calmly exposed him, with a hint of warning.
Qiu Yunran was slightly shocked. Decades ago, the Qiu family was unknown in the Crane-Controlling Army. Years later, they had declined further, unable to even gather five eligible people. With no choice, they had brought him, a man over twenty-five and approaching thirty, to make up the numbers. He hadn’t expected someone to see through this so easily. It seemed the Four Great Families’ influence in the Crane-Controlling Army was indeed formidable, even knowing details from the “Secret Register.”
“There’s light ahead,” Lou Xiaowu said excitedly.
Everyone eagerly looked forward, indeed seeing a faint yellowish light not far away.