Chapter 92

Hunting Marquis Chang traced his finger along the military map, following a red line and a blue line that advanced in parallel, pointing towards the green area representing the Tianyao Clan, and finally stopping at the Western Border. He then said:

"The Ghost Shadow Clan is advancing on two fronts: one through regular warfare, the other through the wild and ruthless bandits. Our Tianyao Clan will be caught between two enemies. Most importantly, we are blind to the wilderness, and we don't even know from where in the wilderness the Ghost Shadow Clan will attack."

"This battle, our Tianyao Clan is at a disadvantage."

Hunting Marquis Chang looked worried.

The elders nodded silently.

After understanding the strength of the Ghost Shadow Clan, the elders had already guessed that the Ghost Shadow Clan's aggressive and step-by-step approach was clearly a test of the Tianyao Clan's attitude.

If the Tianyao Clan wanted to avoid conflict and hand over the culprit, the Ghost Shadow Clan would see it as a sign of weakness and become even more aggressive.

The Ghost Shadow Clan's proposal for a joint competition between the two clans' young warriors was also a way to test the strength of the Tianyao Clan. If the Ghost Shadow Clan won, they would likely think that the Tianyao Clan's hunting prowess was nothing special, and they would be emboldened to launch a full-scale attack.

However, is the powerful Tianyao Clan just a name?

A strong counterattack was already the established strategy of the elders.

Privately, the elders had already formulated a set of strategies to deal with the wilderness.

The various military falcons were quietly gathering in the Western Border, ready to face a catastrophic war at any time.

At the same time, the elders had selected the most suitable person to lead a team of the most elite hunters deep into the wilderness, to urgently build a few lines of informants, and to light a few beacons in the dark and evil sea of the wilderness, even if it was just to illuminate the "coastline" around the Western Border, so that they would not be completely blind.

As long as it was an open fight, no matter how many bandits there were in the wilderness, they would just be a mob, and for the powerful Tianyao hunters, they would be nothing.

The elders had already agreed on this without any objections. However, regarding the Ghost Shadow Clan's proposal for a joint competition between the two clans' young warriors, the other elders were hesitant to express their opinions.

Everyone could see that this year's Tianyao List was for Tie Mitao. The Great Elder wanted his grandson to shine and take a position, to take over part of the military power with the top position on the Tianyao List. This was also related to Tie Mitao's future prestige in the entire clan's hunting force, so the Great Elder would not allow any interference.

The Ghost Shadow Clan was a mysterious tribe, and their Ghost Shadow Ninjutsu had a terrifying reputation in the wilderness. The Ghost Shadow hunters with ninja blood were not much worse than the Tianyao Clan's soul hunters, and might even be more mysterious.

If they accepted the Ghost Shadow Clan's challenge and let the two clans' young warriors compete on the Tianyao List, what if the other side had a stronger one? What if Tie Mitao was defeated by the Ghost Shadow Clan?

That would be worse than Tie Mitao losing to his own clan members. If he lost to the Ghost Shadow Clan, it would be a loss of honor for the entire clan, and Tie Mitao would probably never be able to hold his head up again.

This was a serious matter.

Tie Mitao's long, slender eyebrows showed a hint of firmness. He saw the elders' concerns, smiled faintly, and walked to the side of Hunting Marquis Chang. Under the gaze of the seven elders, he raised his head proudly and said:

"Elders, the Ghost Shadow Clan's challenge letter has been here for two days. Make a decision quickly and accept their challenge. Our Tianyao Clan has many talented young hunters, and we have nothing to fear from their small group. Besides, I will return as soon as I pacify Blackbeard Mountain and personally take action to show them what a great clan is like."

Tie Mitao raised his head, and his voice carried a hint of uncontainable pride.

Tie Mitao's talent had amazed the entire clan since he was young. What others needed to struggle for years to achieve, he could do as easily as drinking water. Now, Tie Mitao's strength was just a step away from the top-tier hunter level, and one step forward would allow him to凝聚蛮元，成就威猛无涛的顶阶强者。

而且他从小志向远大，修行从不畏艰苦，勇于接受真正的铁血洗礼，他的实力是在真正的厮杀中磨练出来的，每一招每一式都凝练到极致，绝不是其他天才那般的花架子。

对于一切挑战，铁幂涛都有着常人无法企及的强大自信。

铁幂涛的信心让众长老眼神发亮，齐齐暗赞，欧冶·铁幂涛之名果然不是白叫的。大长老一脉竟然都是如此意气风发的强横人物。欧冶氏执掌天妖族这么多年岂是偶然。

众长老的目光慢慢全都向坐在最中央的大长老欧冶图机看去。

大长老看着锋芒毕露的孙子苦笑了笑，皱紧了眉，手敲着桌子沉吟着，一时举棋不定。

“报！”

一个传令战猎的喊声在帐外传了进来。

大长老一愣，从沉吟中回过神，向那个猎侯长点了点头，猎侯长快步走过去挑起帐帘。

传令战猎一进帐单膝跪地，语速急快，带着一丝愤怒报道：

“大长老，鬼影特使队长真原渡边又掀桌子骂人了，他找到外事侯那里堵着门大叫大嚷地吵闹，问两族的擂台天妖族到底敢不敢打，他要长老阁必须马上给他回话。现在已经有不少咱们的族人闻声汇聚过去了，族人们愤怒的情绪快有些压抑不住，外事侯怕闹出大事，让我速来请大长老指示。”

众长老的脸色同时变了。

明知那个真原渡边的佯狂是一种试探策略，是一种手段，但是如此咄咄逼人的态度，还是让众长老怒火难抑，脾气暴躁的五长老乌木刚险些又差一点拍了桌子。

“好，你去叫真原渡边过来吧，我在这里给他回话。”

大长老一脸冷肃地发话了。

……

如海的毡帐如翻滚的云铺阵到天边。

纵横的沙石路将毡帐群划成几片区域，沙石路上牛车往来，骑乘络绎，族人摩肩接踵，路的两侧，敞着帐帘的帐篷里做买做卖的热闹非凡。

天妖族处处显得繁华富庶。

从外事侯的馆帐通往中军大帐的那条沙石路稍显僻静，真原渡边一身宽大的鬼服，洋洋得意几乎是在横着走，看着路边天妖族族人愤怒的眼色，这位鬼使毫不在意地露出一脸讥笑的表情，不时地向跟在后边的外事侯问着一些近乎于侮辱的问题。

真原渡边的身后，一个脸色苍白，棱角分明的少年，半低着头，怀中抱着一口冷浸浸的血刀，少年细长的眼眸中偶尔闪过阴寒的杀气，紧接着又半闭上眼，仿佛对眼前一切都毫不在意的模样，紧紧跟在真原渡边的身后。

再在后边，跟着七、八个鬼使，那些鬼使对那个苍白脸色的少年显得颇为敬畏，紧随其后亦步亦驱。鬼使们知道谁才是真正的强者。

真原渡边纵是这次特使的队长，职位最高，但是其可怕程度还要照那少年远逊。

少年正是这次鬼影族特使副队长，鬼影族中盛名最著的鬼影忍术传人——血影蚀二。在同辈族人中，血影蚀二的血刀下几无敌手。

而他，也正是鬼影族敢向天妖族挑战同打天妖榜的最大依仗。

血影蚀二在鬼影族中有着崇高的声望，这次他主动随特使队伍来天妖族，是想亲自摸摸天妖族的底。

在两人身后，天妖族外事侯满脸苦笑跟着，回答着真原渡边的无聊问题。

这些特使纵使讨厌之极，但这毕竟是两族间的大事，长老阁态度未明朗之前，他这个外事侯就不敢明里开罪鬼影族特使。不过在暗中，外事侯却早就将这帮鬼影特使的祖宗十八代骂了个遍。

“狗日的特使，爷爷不发飙，你们这群孙子就登鼻子上脸了是不。看这个逼让你们装的，横着走？也不知你老子是和哪个妖兽苟合把你们造出来的……”

这些天应付这帮嚣张的鬼影特使，外事侯脾气再好也快压抑不住愤怒了。

前边，一群孩童笑闹着玩耍，在路边跑来跑去的追逐。

外事侯强忍着心中的火气，看着眼前这群童真欢乐、无忧无虑的孩子，他的情绪方才好了一点。

孩子们冲到了路上，打闹着就要冲到那群鬼使的队伍中了。

外事侯苦笑着摇了摇头，刚要过去将孩童们劝离让路，真原渡边阴笑着，顺手从怀中掏出一把牛刀向路边洒去，还高声喊道：“崽子们，抢啊，快抢啊，哈哈，还不快抢，哈哈哈……”

那群孩童还都不懂事呢，看到牛刀了兴奋地欢叫着扑过去蹲在地上抢了起来。

真原渡边疯狂地捧腹大笑，他身后的那群鬼使也一脸讥色指指点点嘲笑着。

外事侯脸上的肌肉一下子抽搐着，额头青筋暴跳，脸色瞬间变得铁青，他气得差一点七窍生烟。

“操你狗日的，你侮辱谁呢？你一个小族特使牛逼什么，信不信我们族的牛刀多到能将你们鬼影族全族砸死。”

“扔牛刀让孩子们去抢，你当我们天妖族都是要饭的吗？”

这一刻外事侯气得真想一把将外事侯的胸牌摘下来扔到地上，骂一声老子不干了，然后走到真原渡边的面前狠狠扇他一记耳光。

看着孩子们抢得欢实，外事侯脸上滚烫滚烫的。孩子们还小，哪里懂得嗟来之食的羞辱。

真原渡边狂笑着带着队伍从孩子们让开的路上大步前行，外事侯脸色铁青，在后边忍了再忍，无论如何，先将他们带到中军大帐再说。