“Why not attack Bleak Town and seize the Bleak Abyss Gorge? That would be the most logical approach from their side, and we had expected as such, too.”

“I would say it is way too predictable. Not to mention, I don’t see them attacking Bleak Town given there aren’t any major routes to that town. They would be spotted if they tried.” Zhang Jun said.

“What are they doing launching an all-out attack on the outer sects then? Wouldn’t we crush them easily?”

“That’s what I ponder, Elder Wu.” Wei Rui said, coming out of deep thoughts as he caressed his bear a bit. “I doubt they are idiots.”

“Then, what could their reasoning be?” I asked.

Wei Rui stared at me, and opened his mouth to speak, “Simple, really,” Wei Rui said. “They want to have a direct conflict with us, and then use that as a distraction to attack either Bleak Town or one of the major cities—housing supplies, resources, or anything valuable; women, too, perhaps.” He waved his hand, and a big map flickered in front of us all. The map had the Demonic Lands and its borders. The outer sects, in particular, had been marked by Wei Rui, it seemed to me that he had been thinking about all this quite a lot. It was understandable given his standing in the sect, of course. I would gladly let him take the seat of the Sect Leader. That is, of course, if I didn’t have the plans I do.

“Huh,” I said. “Why would they assume we wouldn’t notice?”

My question was met with silence from all the Elders but Zhang Jun—which had to be surprising, if nothing else. He pondered a little from what I could gather from his face and then shook his head. “The righteous sects,” he said with a sigh. “They think of us as mindless, evil, and bloodthirsty creatures who would rush into battle without a second thought. They expect us to attack with full force. Why? Likely because they have a route to sneak inside. They would not attack the Capital, though. Not only is it heavily guarded, but our most powerful cultivators are here. It would be suicide. What I don’t understand is how they intend on sneaking in—”

“A mole, perhaps?” Li Mei said with a hum, interrupting Zhang Jun. He grumbled and tapped on the armrest as she continued, “I don’t think there is a way to sneak in. Our lands are pretty tight in regards to security—no one wants the past repeating. Guards patrol every minute of the day. Not to mention us.” She sighed. “I don’t see them winning.”

“Unless they have someone backing them,” I said. “Which they apparently do.”

A silence fell on the room as I brought that up.

I leaned back. “What of the possible routes?” I asked.

“I have already mobilized my men to potential routes,” Zhang Jun said with a gruff. “They wouldn’t be able to sneak in no matter what.”

Shen Yue said, “An all-out attack it is, then.” Shen Yue rubbed her eyes. “I don’t suppose they would be stupid enough to do that if they are, in fact, backed by the righteous sects.”

“Indeed,” Wei Rui said. “The Holy Land sects are not stupid. Righteous—overly so, I must say—but not stupid. I have been in wars, they are cunning, very much so, when needed. They view us as nothing but a bunch of Demons.”

“Demons?” Zhang Jun asked with a raised brow. “I say a myth.”

“Perhaps,” Wei Rui said, “it is a myth. No one knows.” He closed his eyes.

He’s hiding something, I thought. I knew he hid something from us. Demonic Lands, and nothing even remotely demonic about it? There had to be more than what met the eyes.

“So, what now?” I asked. “What do we do? Wait here and let them kill? Or charge in ourselves—”

“Don’t be stupid,” Zhang Jun said with a grunt. “Don’t misunderstand, I would love nothing more than rushing right in and smashing some righteous skulls in, but we are at times of war. It does not matter with who, or how powerful. Right protocol is in order. We must not rush right in. We must wait, and see for ourselves what they plan. We strike when they do not expect, and we crush them. Leave none alive but women and children who cannot fight. That is what we always do. If they can fight, we kill. No mercy.”

Everyone nodded at that aside from Li Mei.

“So, what will our course of action be?” I asked. “What about me? What can I do, even?”

Everyone stared at me aside from Wei Rui. He appeared to be thinking about something from what I could get from his face—which was as impassive as always.

“As I said, we wait, and we crush them.” Zhang Jun said. “For you, though…I don’t know what use you can even be on the battlefield if it came down to it. So it’s better for you to return to Bleak Town.”

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We all looked at him in surprise, aside from Wei Rui. I couldn’t believe it—Zhang Jun, did he really say that about me? I had fully expected him to go all “you go and die a warrior in battle” or something. But he was surprisingly making sense here.

“What Elder Zhang says,” Shen Yue agreed with a nod.

“Yeah, I think that is best for you, brother Wu.” Li Mei smiled gently. “I mean, Elder Wu.”

I nodded and then looked over at Wei Rui, my heart in my throat.

“Hmm.” Wei Rui nodded.

I refrained from cheering, and leaned back into my seat, a deep breath I didn’t know I was holding leaving my lips. My life was spared, I wouldn’t be dying a dog’s death in war. That was way too good to hear.

“Anyways,” Li Mei said, “why don’t we just poison them?”

“Aren't they Lytharians?” Shen Yue snorted. "What makes you say they'll die with Poison?”

At her question, there were a multitude of reactions between the Elders. Wei Rui, as always, sat in silence. Zhang Jun roared in laughter. I stifled a sigh, and Li Mei simply smiled gently.

Zhang Jun asked, his tone rather ridiculing. “Did you seriously ask that to Elder Li?”

“Yes, and?” Shen Yue asked with a raised brow, daring him to continue down that path he was so keen on.

“I mean,” Zhang Jun said with a cough. “Elder Li is the best when it comes to poisons. No one—and I do mean no one in the Demonic and Holy Lands—be able to withstand her poison. Lytharian or not, doesn’t matter.”

“I see,” she said and squinted her eyes at him.

Zhang Jun shrugged, cowering at her gaze a little, leaving me slightly baffled at their reaction. Was I missing something? He appeared almost afraid of her. There could be something, honestly. I had never seen Shen Yue fight. I had no clue how strong she was. [Identify] was honestly useless until I regained my cultivation—which didn’t seem so far off now that I thought about it. Hopefully, Renji and Kai would breakthrough quickly.

“We could,” I said with a shrug, “use poison, I think. Elder Li would appreciate it. Of being of use to the Sect, I mean. I would, too, really. Though I wonder If I could even have any task—”

“You may help prepare for the war, Elder Wu.” Wei Rui looked at me, raising his hand. “Li Mei is to go with you to Bleak Town.”

Ah, fair. It was a perfect place for her in a sense. She would be good stationed there, too—given I could use some help if need be. Say, if the Obsidian Shadow Clan did, in fact, launch an attack. I would easily be able to defend if she were there to help me. Defend was a strong word, I’d be safe if she were to go with me.

Wei Rui continued, “It is the perfect place for her to make poison. It is covered from all sides. She will be able to make her poison efficiently there.”

“With all due respect,” Li Mei said with a small bow. “I have all my equipment in my city, First Elder. My servants, resources, everything—is in my city. I must not go anywhere.” Then she looked at me sadly. “I hope you do not mind, Elder Wu. It has nothing to do with you, or Bleak Town, for that matter.”

“Huh, oh, yeah, sure.” I shrugged off my thoughts. I didn’t mind. It was a bummer, to say the least, though. I could have very well been safe behind that jade woman. Oh well, luck, never really my bitch ever.

“I see,” Wei Rui said. “As you wish, then.”

Li Mei nodded.

“Let’s move on to allocating responsibilities, then.” Wei Rui looked at every one of us.

“Li Mei—poison. It would be one tactic if it is to come of use.”

Li Mei nodded yet again, reaffirming what she would be doing regardless.

“Zhang Jun—soldiers, and war. Make sure they don’t get in.”

“Hmm.” Zhang Jun nodded.

“Shen Yue—you, hmm, you shall remain on standby, for the moment.”

She nodded sleepily. Now that her part in all this was over, Shen Yue took no more than a second to drift off to sleep, leaving me baffled once more at her behavior. How was she this tired, even? I had so many questions.

“Wu Ryujin,” Wei Rui said, looking at me.

“Yes, First Elder.”

“Prepare for the Months of the Mists.”

“Huh?”

“I will be dispatching Disciples as soon as possible.”

“Isn’t there still time for the Month of the Mists?” I asked.

“Yes,” he nodded calmly, “yes there is. But we must hurry this year. We do it in the Month of the Mists for one reason only. The beasts increase in number, so our Disciples have way more beasts to kill—or be killed to. Experience. It is better learned when it involves a real situation. So, although the Month of the Mists is due, we must send out Disciples in order to gather as many resources as possible—so that on the off chance Obsidian Shadow Clan does, in fact, get a hand on the town, they don’t get any major benefit.”

My heart chilled. Wei Rui even considering the Obsidian Shadow Clan, by extension righteous sects, being able to invade Bleak Town was more than enough indication for me to know that there was a high chance that they would.

“Meanwhile, I will be working on gathering information.” Wei Rui finished, standing up from his seat.

We followed after, standing up. Wei Rui walked in front of us and then turned around with his hands behind his back. “In times of war, information can turn tables. If Lytharians are best at one thing, that would be gathering intelligence. Elder Wu had put quite a show of one of their members. Even that, sadly, should not have repelled them. They’re roaming our lands, and it falls on my shoulders to not only gather information but pull these assassins—these spies—from their roots. I cannot let them roam any longer.

“Know that Obsidian Shadow Clan’s accusations matter not to the impending war. I ask of you to put aside any disagreements among the Elders—if you had any, put them aside, for now. We must win this, and we must win overwhelmingly! The righteous cannot use ‘evil’ as an excuse, I refuse to bow to them. I refuse to let them have their way!”

My eyes widened, he had never shown this much emotion. I had goosebumps all over my body as he let a wisp of his aura seep out, eyes crackling with thunder.

“I refuse to lose this war!”