**Chapter 1: Double Trouble (2)**
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By all rights, with the revelation that “Woman in Red” is the true identity of the Demon Sect’s Demoness, Ao Hongtu and Mu Zhi from the Demon-Subduing Alliance should have whisked Liao Chen away in an instant.
Yet for some inexplicable reason, it seemed like their feet were glued to the ground behind Lin Nan, refusing to budge an inch.
There was no doubt that Lin Nan’s incredible strength and dominating presence had left a deep imprint on their hearts. A gnawing feeling hinted that betraying her now would lead to unimaginable repercussions, making it awkward for them to do anything treacherous.
However, the onlookers and the other members of the Demon-Subduing Alliance were stirred into a frenzy upon learning the truth.
“You rascal! Who would’ve thought the Demoness would be so deceitful and shameless? All previous competition results should be null and void!”
“Absolutely, she’s playing us like puppets! We refuse to acknowledge the results of the competition!”
“Deception is still deception! How could a Demoness rise to power through such shameless means?”
Fearing they might lose the money they had placed on the mountain stronghold’s betting games, the crowd momentarily forgot Lin Nan’s previous showcase of extraordinary martial skills. They raised their voices in unison, hoping for a leader to step up and challenge the Demoness together.
They believed that if they could take her down, the tide would undoubtedly turn in their favor.
“Great King, these noisy people really are a pain! How about I take a team and deal with these shouting nuisances?”
Fatty volunteered eagerly.
But Lin Nan merely shook her head.
Seeing the increasingly agitated crowd inching closer, it looked like if she didn’t agree to their demands, they’d swarm her like bees to honey.
She couldn’t deny that the Demon-Subduing Alliance had many skilled fighters. If they were pushed too far, they could unleash some serious power, easily taking down the likes of Fatty and Morris without breaking a sweat.
After all, they took pride in their numbers and skills, which were already superior to those of the stronghold soldiers. At this moment, the stronghold’s gates were wide open, making it almost impossible to shut them quickly. Not to mention, there were numerous martial artists skilled in lightness skills who could rush in before the gates closed and take control.
Thus, the Demon-Subduing Alliance was confident that even if Lin Nan dared to start a war, brandishing her sword left and right, as long as a few experts from the alliance could hold her off for a moment, the stronghold would quickly be overwhelmed by the martial artists’ onslaught.
Lin Nan was certainly aware of the looming danger of the stronghold’s demise. Negotiating with them seemed like the smartest move.
“Demoness! The Demon-Subduing Alliance is here! How could we allow you to be so brazen?”
An old man with white hair leaped from the crowd, boldly pointing at Lin Nan. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll surrender at once! Otherwise, we won’t let this go easily!”
“Who are you?” Lin Nan’s expression was cool, as if she didn’t even see him as a threat.
“I am an elder of the Kongtong Sect…”
“Alright, I get that you’re from some sect, but your name? Not interested!”
Lin Nan’s dismissal was a flagrant violation of martial arts etiquette, practically a slap to the old man’s face, showing him zero respect.
The crowd gasped in shock and was ready to pounce.
Someone shouted, “Ao Hongtu, Mu Zhi, which side are you on? Hurry up and draw your swords to prove your innocence!”
“Yeah, from the moment the Demoness revealed her identity, you two have been as still as statues, almost like you knew her secret all along.”
“Bunch of scoundrels! What’s this ‘Burning Moon Sword Manor’? Clearly a remnant of the Demon Sect!
If you repent now, the Demon-Subduing Alliance won’t hold it against you!”
“Mu Zhi, what are you doing? Hurry and apologize to your comrades and declare war on the Demoness!” yelled an elder from the Qingcheng Sect.
Liao Chen was sitting cross-legged on the ground, remaining calm amidst the noisy crowd.
Meanwhile, Ao Hongtu and Mu Zhi were undoubtedly in a tough spot; they hadn’t known anything before, but in this situation, it seemed everyone assumed they were part of the Demoness’s scheme, which made them both anxious and frustrated, while feeling utterly powerless to defend themselves.
Fortunately, the next words from Lin Nan allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.
“I poisoned these two. If they don’t behave, they might just drop dead. Why don’t you all give it a shot too?” Lin Nan glanced at the crowd, intrigued.
Upon hearing this, the crowd decided to ease off on the pressure.
After all, nobody was a saint here; when it came to preserving life, sometimes you had to make temporary sacrifices.
Lin Nan observed with cold eyes.
These guys might hold impressive yapping skills, but nobody dared to step up first. They were all hoping to score a deal when someone else wore her out. Just wait until she was tired, and then they’d pounce—max profit, minimal risk.
Everyone wanted to be the smart one, hoping someone else would be the fool.
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough fools to go around.
“Clap, clap, clap!”
Lin Nan clapped her hands. “I’m getting a bit bored. How about this: you all from the Demon-Subduing Alliance just stick around here! You’ve traveled all the way to Lehua Town, after all.
You can pledge allegiance to me as your Great King, and I’ll pay you your salaries. It’s a win-win situation, what do you say?”
The crowd, “…”
After a brief moment of stunned silence, laughter erupted.
“Hahaha! She really thinks she’s a big deal!”
“Right? It’s downright hilarious! A tiny little mountain stronghold trying to rally all the heroes of the world, what’s she thinking?”
“Stop wasting breath on her; she’s just a madwoman! Let’s break into the stronghold and grab some loot!”
“Exactly! Let’s charge in together! Whoever tries to play tricks is an enemy of the Demon-Subduing Alliance!”
Lin Nan’s words landed like a mockery punch, temporarily uniting the members of the Demon-Subduing Alliance, trying to form a force that the stronghold couldn’t possibly withstand.
“Great King, we should retreat for now. Once the gates are shut, no matter how many they are, it won’t matter.”
“Yes, Great King, it’s not too late to leave now!”
Fatty, leading the generals, noticed the killing intent in the martial artists’ eyes and cautioned Lin Nan.
Fearing those guys might really unite and rush them, the stronghold lacked the power to resist unless they engaged in a ground war, a defensive struggle.
Then most of these martial artists wouldn’t be of use, but at least they could buy some time.
Lin Nan, however, seemed to have deaf ears, slowly lifting her head to look at the sky.
The sun had already dropped below the horizon, and only a faint glow remained on the skyline.
Darkness was creeping in, steadily swallowing the last bits of light.
At that moment, just as the Demon-Subduing Alliance charged toward Lin Nan with plans to capture the leader first,
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of arrows whistling through space.
Veteran martial artists immediately shrieked, “It’s arrows; we’re being ambushed!”
Everyone looked up, only to see countless dark dots raining down from the sky, quickly descending upon them!
