Chapter 8: It’s Evil Shiyuan’s Turn (3)
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【Side Mission: Capture the Mountain Stronghold! Deadline: 3 days. No penalties for overdue.】
Lin Nan stared blankly at the side mission issued by the System.
Hey, hey, system, did you just have a glitch?
You know I’m the Great King of this mountain stronghold, and you’re sending me this weird task?
Am I supposed to take myself out? Isn’t that basically stealing from myself?
But it is a side mission, so no harm done if I don’t finish it.
If I just ignore it, that’s also an option.
But… as a system, why would it issue such a strange task for no reason?
Could it be… that the reward is another piece of that treasure map like the last side mission?
Though up to now, I have no clue what a treasure map means to me, as an RPG completionist, how could I resist a collection task right in front of me?
With that thought in mind, Lin Nan decided to give it a try.
After all, she was currently in the identity of “Woman in Red,” and it was only natural to follow the Burning Moon Sword Manor to attack the stronghold.
“Lady Hero, the Demon-Subduing Alliance will hold its first meeting tonight. Your presence is requested,” Ao Hongtu sincerely invited.
Lin Nan was initially indifferent, but since the system set the task, she needed to know what this so-called Demon-Subduing Alliance was really up to.
With a hint of conflict in her heart, Lin Nan followed Ao Hongtu into a brightly lit conference hall.
There were two neat rows of Eight Immortals tables and chairs set up right in front of the entrance, with representatives from various sects seated in order of arrival.
Lin Nan and Ao Hongtu got there fairly early, so they sat in a prime spot upfront.
To her surprise, those seated at the front seemed quite distinguished, including a bald monk who was cross-legged in his chair, chanting while twisting his prayer beads.
However, the monk faced sideways, and Lin Nan merely glanced over before quickly averting her gaze.
Ao Hongtu whispered, “That’s Master Liao Chen from the Shaolin Sect. Don’t be fooled by his age; he’s one of the rare martial arts prodigies of Shaolin in the past century.”
Lin Nan nodded.
Besides the Shaolin monk, it seemed every one of the Seven Sects had a representative in this luxurious meeting hall.
“Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn” Mu Zhi entered and spotted that familiar red figure right away.
He approached Lin Nan and cupped his hands, saying, “Didn’t expect to see you here, Lady Hero.”
Lin Nan returned the gesture, “Thanks to Lord Ao’s invitation, I’m fortunate to attend.”
Mu Zhi glanced at Ao Hongtu and chuckled, “Lord Ao’s quick action means your sect now has a formidable ally, it seems.”
Ao Hongtu replied, “You jest, Sir Mu. The Qingcheng Sect is one of the Seven Sects; our humble sword manor could never compare. You eat meat, while we’re just grateful for the soup we’re offered.”
“Ha ha ha, Lord Ao is far too modest.”
The two of them exchanged pleasantries, all the while secretly keeping a close watch on each other.
Lin Nan rolled her eyes at the men’s hypocritical banter and felt utterly bored.
If this meeting turned out to be meaningless banter like this, she’d rather leave early, find an opportunity to return to the stronghold, and figure out how to handle that strange side mission.
Before long, the conference hall was filled to the brim.
The newcomers had to sit on the small stools provided by the Kongtong Sect, which certainly diminished their prestige compared to those at the front.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Pei Penghai, chief disciple of the Kongtong Sect. It’s my honor to host this meeting and invite all the heroes and legends to discuss how we can quickly capture the mountain stronghold.”
Instantly, someone shouted, “With an alliance, we can’t be without a spokesperson!”
“Yeah, if we’re just here bickering back and forth with no one to make the final decision, what difference does this meeting have from a farce?”
……
Ao Hongtu whispered to Lin Nan, “The show is about to begin.”
Lin Nan nodded and said, “With an alliance, how can there be no alliance leader… sigh, people really never forget to fight for power and gain.”
“Human nature is like that. If the Burning Moon Sword Manor were a bit stronger, I might want that power too.”
Lin Nan sighed, “Let’s just see how the situation unfolds.”
As soon as someone mentioned appointing an alliance leader, everyone from the various sects seemed to perk up.
A loose organization without a strong leader is just like a pile of sand and can barely function cohesively.
Choosing a leader would naturally allow the Demon-Subduing Alliance to act swiftly and effectively.
Everyone recognized this, but there were ulterior motives at play.
After all, once the alliance successfully captured the mountain stronghold, the sect of the appointed leader would undoubtedly reap the most rewards.
With interests at stake, everyone at this moment was eager to recommend their own notable figures.
Pei Penghai began, “Since everyone has suggested the need for a spokesperson, please nominate candidates from each sect.”
The Kongtong Sect seemed to have predicted this would become the focal point of everyone’s attention, quickly rolling out some election rules.
Lin Nan observed coolly as the conference hall became as chaotic as a market, filled with shouting and arguing.
Many self-professed humble martial artists, once tempted by the title of alliance leader, turned into ravenous dogs at a feast, displaying quite the ungracious attitude.
An hour passed.
The uproar had yet to yield results, with no one backing down; two rounds of voting ended in a deadlock, and the front-runners had almost identical vote counts, revealing that the sects were evenly matched, making it evident that there was no quick resolution in sight.
As time ticked away, Lin Nan growing increasingly annoyed and wishing these guys would just disappear suddenly slammed her hand on the table, the loud noise reverberating like thunder, shocking everyone into silence.
In that moment, almost all eyes were glued to her.
It was Ao Hongtu’s first time witnessing such a collection of astonished, curious, disdainful, and shocked expressions from his fellow martial artists,
He never anticipated that this “Woman in Red” would be so bold as to disrupt their interest right at such a critical moment.
“Uh… this lady hero seems a bit agitated, ha ha… please don’t take offense…”
Ao Hongtu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, trying to explain her actions.
Little did he know, Lin Nan wasn’t about to take any pity on him. She declared, “All of you are prominent figures in the martial world, yet here you are squabbling over the position of a temporary alliance leader, refusing to yield to one another, almost ready to brawl.
In my opinion, to be an alliance leader, one must be impartial and fair to all sects, especially when it comes to arranging rewards; it should be a matter of justice rather than personal gain.
Thus, after some deliberation, it seems there’s only one person in this entire conference hall who meets that standard.”
At this point, the conference hall erupted into chaos.
