Chapter 26: Night Talk (Part 2)

Under the same night sky, in the Ethereal Manor, the council hall was bustling with activity. Countless thick candles, as big as a child's arm, were lit, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.

Compared to the lively atmosphere during the day, there were only six people in the council hall at this moment.

Indeed, just six—the famous Ethereal Six Tigers of the martial world.

Ou Peng was seated in the chair of the leader, with Hu Yunyi, the eldest, and Li Jian, the second, on his left. On his right were Shangguan Fengliu, the fourth, Liu Qingyang, the fifth, and Xu Peihua, the sixth.

Hu Yunyi was a robust middle-aged man, dressed simply and even a bit old-fashioned. At first glance, he looked more like an old farmer. His face was ordinary, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He had been summoned back by the urgent call of the sect, but he did not show any signs of urgency, calmly sipping his tea.

Li Jian, the second, was a tall man with a thin face, dressed in a blue robe. He held a sword on his lap, his face cold and distant, as if warning others to stay away. He was indeed as his name suggested. At this moment, Li Jian was looking down, his eyes half-closed, lost in thought.

Liu Qingyang, the fifth, was a short, fat man, dressed in even simpler clothing, with his chest hair exposed. Two large axes were placed at his feet, and on the table beside him was not tea, but a small wine jug. His demeanor was completely at odds with his name. He would occasionally take a sip from the wine jug and glance around, looking at Ou Peng, the eldest, and the second, before finally focusing on Shangguan Fengliu and Xu Peihua, who were whispering to each other.

Shangguan Fengliu and Xu Peihua knew why they were called to the meeting at night. They were excited and whispered to each other. Xu Peihua, who was originally seated at the end, had insisted on switching places with Liu Qingyang to be closer to Shangguan Fengliu. Liu Qingyang, eager to hear their conversation but unable to, was fidgeting and impatient. However, this was the council hall, and he could not make a loud noise. He could only drink his wine and wait for Ou Peng to speak.

Ou Peng seemed to be deep in thought and did not pay much attention to his fellow disciples.

When the others in the hall began to grow impatient, Ou Peng finally looked up, glanced at the familiar faces of his fellow disciples, and spoke.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Fifth Brother, you only returned to the sect this afternoon after a long journey. I didn't give you time to rest, but there is indeed a major matter to discuss. Don't blame Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother; I gave strict orders to keep this secret. It's a serious matter, and I had to be cautious."

Hu Yunyi slowly put down his teacup and said, "Younger Brother, you have always been steady and reliable, and we all admire you. There's no reason to blame anyone. However, you mentioned a major matter. I'm curious to hear more. Recently, the martial world has been calm, with the major sects lying low and the demonic sects dormant, as if they've all gone back to farming. This could be an opportunity for our Ethereal Sect to grow. Do you have a good plan?"

Li Jian, the second, was unimpressed and said coldly, "The martial world is about strength. Without superior martial arts, any strategy is useless. I think we should focus on practicing our sword skills rather than plotting."

Hu Yunyi knew that the second brother, though cold, had a warm heart and did not consider others' feelings when speaking. His words were not directed at anyone, and they made sense, so he ignored them. Liu Qingyang, however, chimed in, raising his axe and saying, "Third Brother, if someone is causing trouble, I'll go and cut them down."

Shangguan Fengliu and Xu Peihua smiled but said nothing.

Ou Peng, both amused and exasperated, waved at Liu Qingyang and said, "Fifth Brother, sit down and calm down. It's not as serious as you think." He then turned to Hu Yunyi and Li Jian and said, "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, this isn't about a territorial dispute with another sect, and we don't need to resort to underhanded tactics."

He paused deliberately and said, "I called you all here because there's a good opportunity."

The three of them were puzzled and frowned. Liu Qingyang said, "Third Brother, what good opportunity has fallen into our laps?"

Li Jian said, "Is it like a pie falling from the sky?"

Hu Yunyi, however, remained silent for a moment and then said, "Third Brother, is it about the old beggar you mentioned last time?"

Ou Peng smiled and nodded.

Liu Qingyang was delighted: "Damn, the old beggar didn't lie? I had forgotten about that. It's been a year, who would remember?"

Li Jian, still frowning, said, "When did you go out? You've been in the sect all year, how could I not know you went out?"

Ou Peng said, "I didn't go myself."

Liu Qingyang interrupted, pointing at Shangguan Fengliu and Xu Peihua, "I thought these two were whispering when they came in. Did you go, then? Why didn't you say anything?"

Xu Peihua quickly said, "Fifth Brother, you're mistaken. We only found out a few days ago."

The three of them were even more confused.

Ou Peng hurried to explain, "Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother didn't go either. I sent Hai and Qing."

Liu Qingyang immediately jumped up, "For such an important matter, you sent two apprentices? Aren't you afraid something might go wrong?"

Hu Yunyi glared at him, "Don't be so dramatic. They returned safely, didn't they? Otherwise, would we be sitting here calmly discussing things?"

Xu Peihua thought for a moment and said, "That's true."

Ou Peng smiled and explained, "To avoid drawing attention from other sects, the head of the Tan family and the sword master of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak didn't go either. We sent second-generation disciples to a predetermined location, and the hermit Yan Ming led them there, someone who is less noticed in the martial world."

Li Jian said, "Yan Ming's martial arts are average, but he is clever, though somewhat devious. Sending Hai and Qing might put them at a disadvantage."

Hu Yunyi said, "Since Third Brother trusts him, they must have precautions in place."

Ou Peng rubbed his nose and said, "Eldest Brother is right. Before they left, we sent trusted people to Yan Ming's residence, and he sent his family to our sects. Once the matter is resolved, we will exchange our people and return his family."

Hu Yunyi asked, "Who did you send?"

Ou Peng said, "Naturally, Yan."

Hu Yunyi nodded.

Ou Peng continued, "She returned a few days ago and is resting at the manor."

Hu Yunyi said, "This kind of task is suitable for her. She has worked hard."

Li Jian said, "She is your sister, so it's natural for her to help you. But, did Yan Ming not try to trick you? That's strange."

Ou Peng's eyes curved into a smile, "Of course he did. He proposed a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the treasure, but our Qing won easily."

Liu Qingyang laughed, "That's right. She never loses at that game. She even got me drunk with it once. Yan Ming has only hurt himself."

Ou Peng added, "The funniest part is that he falsely claimed that any extra treasure would be distributed by fate, whoever got it would keep it. In the end, there were no extra treasures, just herbs. He only got a few extra portions, but his plans backfired."

"Herbs???" Liu Qingyang interrupted again, "Didn't you get any divine weapons or tools?"

Xu Peihua said seriously, "Of course, we got the Pangu Axe!"

Liu Qingyang immediately jumped up, rushing to Ou Peng and saying, "Really? Third Brother, the Pangu Axe is the weapon I've always dreamed of. You must give it to me. I'll split this martial world in two with it!"

Before Ou Peng could respond, Hu Yunyi scolded him, "Sixth Brother, sit down. This is the council hall; don't forget the rules."

Liu Qingyang, who was afraid of Hu Yunyi, slunk back to his seat, looking innocent and saying, "Eldest Brother, this is my dream. You can't ruin it. I'm determined to have that axe."

Li Jian said, "Do you really believe in the Pangu Axe? How about I trade you my Xuanyuan Sword?"

Liu Qingyang muttered, "You don't have the Xuanyuan Sword."

Li Jian replied, "And you don't have the Pangu Axe."

Hu Yunyi then said, "Don't listen to Sixth Brother's nonsense. The Pangu Axe is just a legend. How could it exist?"

Ou Peng then said mysteriously, "Sixth Brother was joking, but Eldest Brother, you're wrong this time. There is indeed something legendary inside!"

This time, Hu Yunyi was also surprised and said, "What is it? Not herbs?"

Ou Peng was pleased to see Hu Yunyi's surprise and said, "The herbs were just a bonus. The real treasure is something else."

Liu Qingyang was unhappy, "If it's not the Pangu Axe, what legendary treasure is it? Could it be the Xuanyuan Sword? The Divine Heaven Recommendation Scroll? The Elixir of Immortality?"

Shangguan Fengliu said, "Fifth Brother is really sharp. You guessed it, something I could never dream of."

The other three were truly stunned. Hu Yunyi glanced at Li Jian and gave him a signal. Li Jian stood up, used his lightness skill, and quickly circled the council hall, finally landing on the eaves to listen carefully. After a moment, he flew back down, walked quickly to his seat, and said to Hu Yunyi, "No one else is around."

Hu Yunyi nodded and then looked at Ou Peng.

Liu Qingyang was still in a daze, not understanding what the two were doing.

Hu Yunyi said to Ou Peng, "Third Brother, tell us about the treasure inside."