Jia Tianlong was caught off guard by Wang Juechu's words. "You really plan to surrender?" he asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.
Wang Juechu's eyes narrowed slightly as his hand casually rested on the hilt of his sword. "I will surrender," he replied, "but which of us surrenders to whom, that's yet to be decided."
Jia Tianlong's expression darkened immediately. He waved his hand, signaling his men to encircle Wang Juechu. In an instant, the Iron Guards closed in, forming a half-circle and drawing their crossbows, the deadly bolts gleaming with a cold light, aimed directly at the Seven Celestial Sect leader. If Jia Tianlong gave the order, they would unleash a barrage of crossbow bolts and end Wang Juechu's life in an instant.
"Do you think that after relocating our main hall to Sunset Peak, we never anticipated an enemy attack, one that we might not be able to fend off?" Wang Juechu spoke coolly, his gaze unfazed by the crossbows aimed at him. His voice took on a chilling tone, carrying an implicit threat.
Jia Tianlong's heart sank slightly, sensing an ominous premonition. He did not interrupt Wang Juechu, instead, he waited, his face darkening as he listened intently to the leader's ominous words.
"The seventh-generation sect master, Li, the founder of our main hall here, was not only a man of great talent but also an expert in the arts of construction and mechanisms. He was a true genius," Wang Juechu continued, pausing for a moment as if reflecting with admiration. "When he chose Sunset Peak as the site for our main hall, there were two reasons: one, the terrain here is treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack—an ideal location for defense. The second, and more important reason, is the cavern inside the mountain. It is a massive, naturally formed stone cave, so large it occupies nearly two-thirds of the entire mountain's interior. Upon seeing this, Sect Master Li devised a plan. Using his expertise in construction and the natural geography of the cave, he transformed the entire mountain into a massive trap. Now, if someone activates the pre-set mechanism, the entire mountain will collapse, burying everyone on top of it."
Wang Juechu fell silent after these words, his eyes sweeping over the crowd with a look colder than death itself. He gazed at them as though they were already dead, the implication of his words sinking in.
Jia Tianlong was momentarily stunned. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, but at the same time, he had no idea how to refute the grave threat. His mind raced, trying to come up with a way to dismiss these claims.
The crowd around them also began to stir. Whispers spread quickly, and some of the more cautious members began to inch toward the only route leading down the mountain, seemingly preparing to flee at the slightest sign of danger.
"Silence!" Jia Tianlong snapped, his face darkening with anger. He couldn't believe that his own men were already reacting so hastily to Wang Juechu's words. If he didn't regain control quickly, the situation would spiral out of hand. He gave the order: "Anyone who makes a sound or moves, kill them without mercy!"
The command was executed swiftly. Several people who had tried to flee were cut down by the Iron Guards. Their deaths sent a shockwave through the crowd, and the rest of the group fell into an uneasy silence.
But Jia Tianlong knew that this calm was only temporary. If he didn't find a way to prove Wang Juechu's claims were false, everyone—his own men and the other gangs—would lose faith and scatter the moment any unusual occurrence happened. He had to act fast.
"You can't expect us to believe your words just because you say them!" Jia Tianlong restrained his anger, but the tension in his voice was palpable. "You must have some evidence to back it up, or else..."
"Of course I do," Wang Juechu replied, his tone dark and filled with menace. "But hear me clearly: if anyone tries to flee or continue the attack after seeing my evidence, I'll trigger the mechanism, and we'll all die together."
Jia Tianlong observed Wang Juechu carefully, scrutinizing his expression for any sign of deceit. But the sect master's face remained cold and unreadable, showing no hint of nervousness or a change in demeanor. This made Jia Tianlong uneasy—there was something about Wang Juechu's unflinching composure that gave his words an unnerving weight.
"Activate the secondary mechanism!" Wang Juechu suddenly turned toward the main hall and called out loudly.
He then turned his gaze to one of the smaller stone halls, focusing intently on it without looking back at Jia Tianlong.
Jia Tianlong, his temper reaching a boiling point, glared at Wang Juechu's back. The disrespect from the Seven Celestial Sect leader only further infuriated him. He was resolved: if Wang Juechu couldn't provide convincing evidence, he would order his men to strike him down right here.
But Wang Juechu's attention to the small stone hall drew the attention of the Wild Wolf Gang and their allies. Everyone's gaze followed the sect master, eagerly awaiting some kind of abnormal event.
Amid the tension, no one noticed two figures at the edge of the crowd, dressed in the attire of the Broken Water Flow sect. They were speaking quietly to each other.
"Han Li," one of the young men whispered, "do you think what Sect Master Wang said is true? Could Sunset Peak really be hollow inside? I've been here a few times before, and I never noticed anything unusual. Could Wang Juechu be deceiving them, trying to buy time? Or...?"
The other young man, Han Li, remained silent, but his expression revealed that he was thinking deeply. The two of them were none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, who had originally been on their way to visit Elder Li's residence but found themselves caught up in this strange turn of events.
Their conversation continued quietly, as both of them tried to make sense of the unfolding situation.