Chapter 295

Chapter 295: Not Impossible

Wang Jie gave a short laugh, then his expression hardened. “That was only the Nine Swords Club. If the other Clubs move, Elder… can you hold them off?”

Wu Yuan answered without hesitation. “No.”

Wang Jie’s smile turned bitter. “Then we can only seek peace. The good news is, the other Clubs can’t possibly be of one mind. We’ll survive in the chaos.”

“Someone will come knocking soon,” Wu Yuan said.

They did—on the very next day.

Last night’s clash had proved Black-White Heaven wasn’t weak, and that alone made people cautious. More importantly, Wang Jie had shown he truly possessed Six-Path Roamer combat power. Capturing him wouldn’t be easy.

If they couldn’t seize him, they would bargain.

The visitor was a one-armed man. His face was young, but his eyes carried a weary, timeworn depth. He was the same man who’d arrived with the purple-eyed woman, and five Roaming-Star Realm cultivators stood behind him.

“Ke Mu Sheng,” he introduced himself. “From the Nan Dou Bridge-Pillar Alliance Club.”

A Hundred-Star Realm expert.

Wu Yuan raised a brow. “You’re from the Nan Dou Bridge-Pillar alliance?”

Ke Mu Sheng nodded, studying Wu Yuan. “To the Bei Dou Bridge-Pillar, Nan Dou probably looks like nothing but Cheng Yi Dao.”

His voice remained even. “Cheng Yi Dao is overbearing beyond measure. They occupy most of Nan Dou’s territory. But Nan Dou isn’t only Cheng Yi Dao.”

“We know about the Nan Dou alliance,” Wu Yuan said. “What brings Your Excellency here?”

Ke Mu Sheng’s gaze shifted to Wang Jie. “We want to join forces. With Brother Wang Jie’s ability, we can find Red Moon and enter the Nan family.”

Wang Jie met his eyes, silent.

Wu Yuan spoke instead. “Just us and you?”

“Of course not. There’s also the Xu Huang Club of your Bei Dou Bridge-Pillar. I’ve already spoken with them. Three sides working together should be enough.”

“Not even close,” Wu Yuan said flatly. “People from all four Bridge-Pillars are here. Leaving everything else aside, Third Zen Heaven Club alone is troublesome. Then there’s Bu Zou Guan from the Dong Dou Bridge-Pillar, Reverse-Delusion Mountain, and even your own Dao Yi Club in Nan Dou. Three sides can’t hold.”

“Then we add more,” Ke Mu Sheng said. “But I have one condition—Dao Yi Club must be excluded.”

So that was the real point. Everything else had been bait.

As long as Dao Yi Club was shut out, they didn’t care who they worked with. They could even cooperate with everyone.

Wu Yuan hadn’t answered when another visitor announced themselves outside the Lakeside Residence.

As if summoned by the conversation itself.

Young Ling Er.

Dao Yi Club.

Ke Mu Sheng’s mouth tightened as he looked toward the entrance.

Young Ling Er strolled in with a smile, spotted Ke Mu Sheng, and rolled her eyes. “Why are there stinkbugs everywhere?”

Ke Mu Sheng didn’t rise to it. “Young Ling Er. You’re here to seek cooperation?”

“Yeah.” She dropped into a seat—directly across from him—without the slightest courtesy. “What about it? Not allowed?”

Ke Mu Sheng looked back to Wu Yuan. “Cheng Yi Dao is domineering. They don’t even take Jia Yi Sect seriously. Cooperating with them does Black-White Heaven no good. We’re different. I hope Brother Wu considers it.”

Young Ling Er snorted. “So being strong is a crime now? Ridiculous.

“If you want to cooperate, you choose the strong. Who cooperates with the weak?”

“Here,” Ke Mu Sheng said evenly, “you’re the weak one.”

Young Ling Er arched a brow. “Oh? Try me.”

Ke Mu Sheng rose. “Has Cheng Yi Dao never considered you might not make it back alive?”

Young Ling Er’s disdain was almost bored. “With you? You can’t manage it.”

Then, as if the argument amused her, she turned toward Wang Jie and beamed. “Little young man bro—what do you think?”

Wang Jie hadn’t expected the fire to reach him. Ke Mu Sheng looked over too.

Deep down, Wang Jie had no desire to cooperate with Cheng Yi Dao. His target was Shu Mu Ye. He wanted that man beaten into the dirt.

But no one here knew his grudge.

“I’ll follow the elder’s decision,” Wang Jie said.

Young Ling Er’s smile brightened. “Fine. Fair competition, then.”

She glanced at Wu Yuan. “Brother Wu—what do you say?”

Wu Yuan’s temple throbbed. He’d joined plenty of Club gatherings, but he’d never seen something like this. Black-White Heaven kept a low profile. How had they ended up at the center of a storm?

“Nine Swords Club, Yuan Qiao Qiao,” a crisp voice announced. “I request an audience.”

Wu Yuan and Wang Jie frowned together. Nine Swords Club?

They’d fought last night. And now they had the nerve to stroll in?

Young Ling Er stared. “That’s some thick skin. Are all the Ancient Sword Bridge-Pillar people this shameless? You just fought them, and now you’re here again?”

Yuan Qiao Qiao’s voice floated in from outside, calm and cool. “We of the Ancient Sword Bridge-Pillar act openly. If we fight, we fight. If we make peace, we make peace. What’s wrong with that?”

Her tone sharpened. “Unlike you—Cheng Yi Dao. Shu Mu Ye, as the top disciple and a guarding Star Realm expert, disguised himself and went to Jia Yi Sect to steal their bridge-building. That kind of shamelessness is beneath us.”

Wang Jie lifted his brows. Why bring that up now?

Young Ling Er laughed. “Oh? Then which shameless person ran to Cheng Yi Dao back then begging for Tai Su Scripture? Wasn’t it one of you Ancient Sword Bridge-Pillar people?”

The Nine Swords representatives entered. The greeting had been courtesy; stopping them was never an option.

Yuan Qiao Qiao ignored Young Ling Er entirely. Her gaze swept over Wang Jie for the briefest moment before settling on Wu Yuan. “Brother Wu. We meet again.”

Only two had come this time: Yuan Qiao Qiao and Shen Yan.

Shen Yan, however, didn’t look at Wu Yuan. He stared at Wang Jie, unblinking.

Last night should have been certain victory. Instead, Wang Jie had fought Pei Lin to a standstill and ruined everything. A lockforce cultivator with that kind of strength was simply absurd.

Wu Yuan didn’t seem bothered. Clubs fought. They also cooperated. Interest was the true foundation.

“Please sit,” he said.

Yuan Qiao Qiao took a seat and looked at Wang Jie again, her expression cool. “Your swordsmanship is familiar.”

Wang Jie’s eyes flickered. Zhong Yi’s Yi Sword Art—Feng Men understood it, and Sword Court certainly understood it. This woman had her sights on him.

“It’s passable,” he said. “Some of it came from Feng Men. I fought in the Cloudstream Region and the Dual-Wind Line War.”

Surprise softened her face for the first time. “You were there?”

Wang Jie smiled. “I crossed the Dual-Wind Line to warn the Bei Dou Bridge-Pillar and coordinate with the three Star-Refining Realm experts in the Cloudstream Region.”

Even if he didn’t say it, they would uncover it. He was certain every Club here was already digging into his background.

Yuan Qiao Qiao studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. “So that’s how it was. The result of the Dual-Wind Line War hinged largely on you, Wang Jie. I’ll remember you.”

Young Ling Er cut in with a grin. “Remember little young man bro for what? Planning to marry him?”

Yuan Qiao Qiao’s gaze didn’t waver. “Not impossible.”

Four words. The room went silent.

Even Young Ling Er was left without a retort.

Ke Mu Sheng cleared his throat. “Since everyone is here, our purpose must be the same. I’ll make my stance clear: Alliance Club refuses to cooperate with Dao Yi Club. We can cooperate with anyone else.”

Young Ling Er rolled her eyes. “Dao Yi Club doesn’t mind cooperating with anyone.”

She let out a playful laugh. “Including Alliance Club.”

Wu Yuan looked to Yuan Qiao Qiao.

“Either is fine,” Yuan Qiao Qiao said.

Wang Jie watched the three-way standoff and felt a dull pressure in his chest. Even if these people reached an agreement, what about the others? The truly powerful Clubs weren’t limited to this room.

As if to prove his point, a cold gaze swept over the Lakeside Residence—a Hundred-Star Realm presence, though its owner didn’t show their face. Then another. And another.

Invisible attention piled up until it felt like the air itself had weight. The Lakeside Residence was surrounded so tightly it might as well have been sealed.

Next door, the Imperial Palace also received guests: Guan Shan Club.

Only three.

And that was the entire Guan Shan presence—three people: two Hundred-Star Realm experts, and one Full-Star Realm youth.

If Wang Jie had been there, he would have recognized the Full-Star Realm bald youth. Si Yao had shown him images of exceptional talents, and this one had been among them—one of the two bald youths within the Silver Radiance Empire’s territory that Wang Jie knew by reputation.

Xu Huang Club went out to greet them, faces tense with wariness.

Qing Xiao stepped forward and bowed slowly. “Disciple Qing Xiao greets Senior Brother.”

One of the three walked up, studying Qing Xiao with a frank gaze. “Lan Tui.”

“Greetings, Senior Brother Lan Tui.”

“The Void Mountain Range originated from my Bu Zou Guan,” Lan Tui said. “Calling me Senior Brother is appropriate.”

Qing Xiao lifted his head. “Senior Brother Lan Tui, are you here for the Nan family?”

Lan Tui shook his head. “The Nan family is incidental. I came to see the Void Mountain Range.”

His eyes moved past Qing Xiao, lingering on Singing Phoenix Hall. He met Su Ji Kong’s gaze, then returned to Qing Xiao. “Have you been well in the Bei Dou Bridge-Pillar?”

“We’re well,” Qing Xiao said. “Thank you for remembering us, Senior Brother.”

“If you run into difficulties, you can come to me,” Lan Tui said. “Old grudges shouldn’t drag us down.”

With that, he turned and left.

After they were gone, Su Su stepped up beside Qing Xiao, frowning. “Did you notice the bald youth?”

Qing Xiao blinked. “I was speaking with Senior Brother. What bald youth?”

“The Full-Star Realm one behind them.” Su Su’s brows drew tight. “Something about him feels wrong. I can’t explain it—just… wrong.”

She looked to Su Ji Kong. “Clan Brother, what do you think?”

Su Ji Kong’s expression darkened. “That youth makes me uneasy.”

The words sent a ripple through everyone nearby.

Su Ji Kong was Hundred-Star Realm, and not a weak one. Uneasy… because of a Full-Star Realm?

It sounded even more unbelievable than Wang Jie, a Full-Star Realm lockforce cultivator, reaching Six-Path Roamer combat power.

Su Su’s unease hardened into certainty. That youth was no ordinary talent.

Back at the Lakeside Residence, the visiting representatives drifted away—but not truly. Their bodies might have left the room, but their attention hadn’t. The unseen gazes still pinned the place like nails.

Wu Yuan had no experience with this kind of pressure. Clubs fought all the time. Cooperation happened too, but usually in secret, between one or two parties. Black-White Heaven Club had never been watched by every faction at once.

There were two reasons.

First: the Nan family.

Their hidden cache mattered, yes, but the greater obsession was the same for everyone—who had wiped them out? If someone could erase the Nan family, then they could erase every force in the Bei Dou Bridge-Pillar except Jia Yi Sect, Third Zen Heaven, and Phantom World Sect. That was terrifying.

Second: Red Moon.

Wang Jie was the only person who seemed truly capable of finding it.

Those two facts had made them the center of the storm.

Wang Jie finally spoke, voice calm. “It doesn’t matter who we cooperate with. Once Red Moon is found, the Nan family can be found. It’s not like I can stand there and decide who’s allowed to enter.”

“Their ‘cooperation’ is just taking the initiative.”

He lifted his eyes, meeting Wu Yuan’s gaze.

“And from the beginning, we’ve been holding the initiative.”