Hearing all of this, the little girl in pink in the darkness went somewhat blank, her mouth falling open wide enough to fit a whole egg inside.
Yet the hemp-robed elderly man was clearly far from finished, and continued, "Moreover, according to what that person just told me, he witnessed with his own eyes the First Wife of Hundred Refinements Peak and the two Enforcement Hall elders all killed by young Master Li with a single finger each. Not one of them lasted a single move against him."
At those words, Lin Xunner turned her head stiffly, came back to herself slightly, swallowed, and said, "Is there any possibility that everything that person just told you was a lie?"
Hearing this, the hemp-robed elderly man shook his head, saying, "I confirmed it several times over, and threatened him with his life. It was clear he was not lying, and he also had no reason to lie at the cost of his own life."
Lin Xunner opened her mouth, then fell silent, clearly still trying to absorb what her grandfather had told her.
All of it was simply too difficult to believe, to the point where she found herself struggling to accept it even for a moment.
At that point the hemp-robed elderly man's expression suddenly began to shift, and he turned to look at his granddaughter beside him, then said suddenly, "Xunner, can you guess what those nine people who just left the city are going to do?"
Hearing this, Lin Xunner turned belatedly to look at the hemp-robed elderly man, her dark eyes moving slightly as though turning his question over.
But very quickly she shook her head.
At that moment she was genuinely struggling to connect the insufferable person she knew to a martial artist of such terrifying strength, and naturally had little focus to spare for the hemp-robed elderly man's question.
At that point the hemp-robed elderly man suddenly turned and looked toward Hundred Refinements City in the night.
His aged face was dim and unreadable as he said slowly, "Those nine were actually sent out by young Master Li, and his purpose... you may not believe this when I say it, but he actively sent word to all nine peaks of Falling God Peak, inviting the Peak Masters and senior martial artists of Falling God Peak to come to Hundred Refinements City and seek revenge against him personally..."
At those words, Lin Xunner, who had still been struggling to accept the news of Li Musheng's actions, felt as though she had been struck by a bolt from a clear sky. Her small body went completely rigid where she stood.
After quite a long pause, she cried out, "Has he lost his mind? How does he dare? One person, provoking the entire Falling God Peak?"
The hemp-robed elderly man said nothing, and only shook his head, saying, "I have no idea what he is thinking. But the fact is, he has done exactly that."
"I cannot make sense of it, just as I equally cannot make sense of why someone so absurdly young could possess such formidable strength. None of it is normal at all."
The hemp-robed elderly man could not find words for the state he was in. He had been shocked past the point of having words for it, and in all his long years he had never encountered a night as completely incomprehensible as this one.
For a time, both the hemp-robed elderly man and Lin Xunner fell silent. In the darkness of the mountain woodland, the only sound was the occasional chirp of an insect, and not much else at all.
After a long while, Lin Xunner finally looked up at the hemp-robed elderly man with a blank expression, asking, "What do we do now?"
Hearing this, the hemp-robed elderly man remained silent, the expression on his face shifting with unreadable thoughts.
At that point Lin Xunner pressed a hand hard to her own brow, let out a long breath, and said quietly, "I never imagined that person was so formidable. I almost wish that what the Hundred Refinements Peak disciple said was all lies."
As she spoke, she glanced at the hemp-robed elderly man, then made a strong effort to press down the tangle of thoughts in her heart, and said with a change of tone, "Given how powerful that person is, and given that he has clearly gone up against Falling God Peak, this may actually be an opportunity for us."
"But before anything else, there is one thing we must do, which is to confirm for ourselves that all of this is real."
Hearing this, the hemp-robed elderly man's expression stirred, and he finally said slowly, "You are right. His approach is genuinely too reckless and arrogant, barely distinguishable from throwing his life away. But I have been thinking it over just now, and perhaps he is doing this deliberately."
"This may actually be a Great Li court strategy, designed to draw the tiger from the mountain and draw Falling God Peak's attention, while something else is being arranged in secret."
Lin Xunner gave a slight nod, saying, "This is actually what concerns me as well. Falling God Peak's power and foundation are too vast. Anyone with even a trace of sense would not stand alone in Hundred Refinements City and challenge an entire sect like this."
"And unless I see it with my own eyes, it is truly impossible for me to believe that person has such formidable martial strength. In the same way, only by confirming all of this can we know what our next step should be."
The hemp-robed elderly man gave a slight nod and looked toward Hundred Refinements City, which was still lit with light in the night ahead, saying quietly, "It seems we do need to go back into the city one more time."
As he spoke, he turned to Lin Xunner beside him, and with a suddenly very serious expression cautioned her, "If we are discovered by him, remember not to treat him the way you did before. Otherwise I am worried that before we have settled our great debt of blood, we may be finished off by him with a single finger."
Hearing this, Lin Xunner pressed her fingers hard to her brow, and said in a quiet, resigned murmur, "He is truly insufferable. But if his martial strength really is that formidable, then I suppose I have no choice but to forgive him."
The hemp-robed elderly man gave a slight nod, and then began preparing to slip with Lin Xunner back into Hundred Refinements City under cover of darkness.
But right at that moment, he suddenly felt something at the edge of his hearing, and immediately seized Lin Xunner and leaped into the trees, concealing both of them instantly, saying in a low voice, "Someone is coming."
Very shortly, an elderly man in black robes came galloping on a white horse from the direction of Hundred Refinements Peak.
The elderly man in black robes swept a deliberate look over the surroundings as he rode past the small hill, but without making any stop, he drove straight toward Hundred Refinements City.
Only after the elderly man in black robes had entered the city did the hemp-robed elderly man and Lin Xunner emerge from the trees.
The hemp-robed elderly man looked toward Hundred Refinements City with a deeply furrowed brow, saying gravely, "The aura on this person was staggering. He should be the Chief Elder of Hundred Refinements Peak. They say his martial cultivation is second only to Zheng Yunfeng himself. I never expected him to come to Hundred Refinements City as well."
Lin Xunner's expression was somewhat grim. When the Chief Elder had passed just now, he had made no effort to conceal his aura, and the martial pressure and killing intent he gave off had made even her struggle to breathe.
His martial cultivation was well above the First Wife from before, and above the Hundred Refinements Peak Enforcement Hall elders as well.
"He should have come because of Zheng Zi's death. He likely found out about Zheng Shangzong and the First Wife and the others during the journey here, and is now in a hurry to go and kill that person."
Lin Xunner voiced her guess, and before long, events seemed to bear her out.
In the distance, from within Hundred Refinements City, a wave of overwhelmingly terrifying martial killing intent suddenly shot skyward.