Sword Among Us

Panda Novel

When Happy reentered Beijing, the atmosphere there was extremely grave.

He can see Class One Hall members with hostile gazes all around him, along with the avoidant, fearful gazes of the members from the sects who were on good terms with Class One Hall.

Class One Hall had already lost the right to control more than fifty cities to the north of Changjiang, including Xuancheng. More than one hundred thousand people were under Mu Clan, Chivalry Sect, and their allied sects’ surveillance, and they did not dare to take even half a step out of the city gates. Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect were still sending an endless wave of people to advance north and expand their war achievements, and they brought the flames of war even deeper into the north.

At the same time, many of the cities within Class One Hall’s territory, including Beijing, were under the threat of the large group of fighting men sent by Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect.

And since Happy entered Beijing at this moment, he already gave off the feeling that he wanted to establish a base in Beijing and force Class One Hall into a corner.

Forget about Class One Hall being nervous, even the various forces of power in Beijing were in a constant state of fear and alarm as they wondered whether Mu Clan will completely replace Class One Hall.

*****

At the first floor of Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant, which was near Class One Hall’s headquarters, were Clear Music and Musical Note. They sat across each other in a private room near the window.

The curtains around them isolated them from the gazes and voices from the outside world.

“In the past, I thought that the person with the greatest ambition was Dream Clouds, and only she had the highest possibility in ruling over the game…”

Clear Music’s voice was much calmer and gentler than before. Her cool gaze seemed to hide many secrets.

Musical Note cast a glance at her older sister, but she did not say anything.

“Three months ago, I thought that Lady Luck decided to smile on us and that Towering Palace might have the chance to expand using the advantage from the coastal area to become the strongest sect in the Chinese server.

“But it’s only now that I realized that the people who are truly ambitious are usually the ones who do not show their intentions,” Clear Music said with a mocking tone.

Musical Note lowered her head quietly.

Who would have thought that Mu Clan, who only had a few territories in Changjiang River Basin, had most of its territories mixed with Chivalry Sect, and who worked together with multiple sects to excavate resource spots will mobilize a large army in one go, move through Changjiang, and deliver a fatal blow on Class One Hall, who had a large bedrock of strength?

They made arrangements quietly and discreetly, and in the end, the entire northern part of the game was under war.

In just two days, Class One Hall was battered.

The bedrock of strength they built over the year was completely crushed.

“My dear Note, how much of a chance do you think Class One Hall will have in blocking Happy’s act of moving in Beijing and stopping Mu Clan’s offense?”

“Don’t you already have an idea, sister?” Musical Note retorted.

“I want to hear your opinion. Last time, because of my dictatorial behavior, I refused to listen to your opinions, and look what happened to Towering Palace.”

When she heard Clear Music talk about their past in a self-deprecating manner, Musical Note cannot help but look dejected.

“Class One Hall should have a hard time escaping from the disaster this time!”

“Should have a hard time escaping from disaster, huh?”

Clear Music was already prepared for Musical Note’s evaluation.

But no matter what, Class One Hall was still their ally in name, and after Towering Palace fell into ruin, they acted as Towering Palace’s shield, and right now, their shield cannot even take care of themselves, and she could not help but feel a little dispirited.

“Wind Assault Tower has been eyeing our territory for a long time. When Class One Hall falls, we will definitely be sheep ready for slaughter. At that time, we might not have a place to call our own in the Chinese server.”

Musical Note said, “That’s not necessarily true. There are plenty of sects in Beijing who have a good relationship with Class One Hall. Aside from our palace, there are also Langye’s Sky Penetrating Tower and other sects serving as Class One Hall’s allies. When they work together, the power they will form is very terrifying. If they gather together, even Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect will not really dare to fight against them, and they will not dare to state that they want to destroy Class One Hall again.”

Clear Music’s eyes lit up.

There were nearly fifty thousand people in Sky Penetrating Tower, and the other large sects numbered to more than twenty thousand people. If all of them gathered together, they will have at least three hundred thousand people with them.

“You make it sound easy. If they want to intimidate Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect, someone has to destroy Happy’s unbeatable legend or take the initiative to deliver a fatal blow to Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect, or else, most sects will not have the continue to be enemies against the powerful Mu Clan and Chivalry Sect. They will also not take the risk of total destruction to help Class One Hall.”

Clear Music instantly fell silent.

‘She’s right.

‘Even Towering Palace and we do not dare to risk staking all Towering Palace members in a gamble where the results are already clear. We don’t want to be swept into a war that involves the entire northern side of the Chinese server.

‘With our strength, we won’t be able cause much of a stir in this war that the world has never seen. In fact, we might even be crushed immediately.’

At that moment, the two women suddenly heard a rather large commotion at the street beneath them.

Rumble!

Dozens of cavaliers charged through the street in a mad dash.

“Wandering Know-it-all will open his mansion for a banquet! He invites all the famous players in Beijing to his banquet!

“The strongest player in the Chinese server, Happy will attend the banquet!

“Clan master of Sky Penetrating Tower, Langye will attend the banquet!

“Clan master of White Horse Sect, Luo Baima will attend the banquet!

“Ximen Chuixue’s ace disciple, Responsible Hero will attend the banquet!

“Quick Saber, Young Master Li will attend the banquet!

“Vice hall master of Class One Hall, Barren Murderer will attend the banquet!”

*****

Rumble!

Those dozens of cavaliers raced down the street of the restaurant, leaving behind a group of people who shouted in so much excitement that they actually infused qi into their voices. Their voices clearly entered the restaurants and shops nearby, attracting countless players to come over and check.

Some were rendered speechless.

“Wandering Know-it-all is throwing a banquet?”

“What does that mean?”

Clear Music and Musical Note saw the solemn look in each other’s eyes.

Wandering Know-it-all had a transcendent status in the Chinese server, but the doors to his mansion had always been shut tightly. There was a limit to the number of people he received per day, and the price for them to enter was incredibly high. Yet this time, he chose to open his doors and set up a feast when Happy entered Beijing to decide the victor between him and Class One Hall, and Wandering Know-it-all even invited all the famous people in Beijing to the feast. His action was indeed a little thought provoking.

At that moment, the discussions and theories from quite a number of players came from outside.

The people’s voices were loud.

“Class One Hall us really finished this time.”

“Wandering Know-it-all is already making a clamor for Mu Clan.”

“How would you know whether Wandering Know-it-all is not trying to mediate the conflict between them?”

“Mediate, my foot. Dream Clouds has personally admitted that she has connections with the Prophet at Mount Song, which is why she managed to break the concealment effect on Happy. Wandering Know-it-all is definitely livid because of it, so why should he help mediate the conflict between Class One Hall and Happy for Class One Hall?”

“The Prophet recklessly extended his reach into the Chinese server like a suicidal maniac and destroyed the Prophet’s dignity. Do you think that Wandering Know-it-all is a hermit and doesn’t have a shred of a temper in him?”

“Just watch. In simple and clear terms, this banquet is for Happy when he enters Beijing. Beijing has many forces of power here, and it’s not just Class One Hall alone who is powerful. If Mu Clan wants to completely take over this place, it’ll still be rather hard for them to do so. Holding this banquet is a chance Wandering Know-it-all created for Happy.”

*****

There was a saying that was highly accurate: the onlookers will sometimes see a situation better than those involved in the situation.

The Music sisters might not be able to guess Wandering Know-it-all’s goal for the time being, but those not involved were able to tell with just one glance.

Wandering Know-it-all sent invitations to practically all of Beijing for his banquet, and he might have the thought of breaking his rule of shutting his door to others so that he can work together with Happy to destroy Class One Hall.

When they thought about this in depth, the Music sisters had their expressions change.

Musical Note said, “Looks like we’ll need to go to Wandering Know-it-all’s mansion now. What say you, sister?”

“Why?”

“If Wandering Know-it-all is really laying out the path for Mu Clan and Happy, if we go, we can see just what Wandering Know-it-all is thinking, and we can also show that we are indirectly submitting to Happy and Mu Clan. I think that this might be our last chance in protecting Towering Palace.”

Clear Music said nothing, but her eyes shone for a while before she finally sighed and nodded. “We’ll do as you said.”

After she finished speaking, both ladies packed up their things, sent a messenger pigeon to have someone prepare gifts for them, got up, and left the restaurant to head to Wandering Know-it-all’s mansion.

*****

“Hehe, Brother Dragon, you’re here as well?”

“This is the first time you held a banquet, Master Wandering Know-it-all. How can I not show respect by not turning up?”

“Haha! I’m different from you. I came for that person. My daughter says that she really likes the thing Happy is serving as a spokesperson for. When she heard that Happy is coming to Beijing, she asked me that I was to film the entire process of the banquet no matter what. Haha!”

“Brother Ji!”

“Master Inksword.”

“I’ve heard of your name for a long time. Please, come in.”

Wandering Know-it-all’s thirty-six disciples were dressed in simple clothes while they stood outside Wandering Know-it-all’s mansion. They lined themselves neatly along the stairs while they wrapped their fists in their palms and greeted the famous people from Beijing. Then, someone from among them will send them into the front hall or the living room in the mansion, and the mansion bustled with life.

“Sect Master Luo, this way, please.”

“Sect Master Fei, it has been a while since we met. Your good friend, White Friend has been waiting for a long time for you inside.”

“Alright.”

“Haha! Everyone, I’ll take my leave first.”

The players watching all the hustle and bustle inside occupied all the roofs. They surrounded the mansion to the point that not even a single drop of water can pass. They gasped in astonishment when they saw the people.

“Barren Murderer is also here? Look at that, he brought two bodyguards with him.”

“That youngster… Is he Responsible Hero? I thought Ximen Chuixue’s ace disciple always shuts himself up to train. Why is he out here?”

“I heard that he gained some achievements with his sword technique, and he came out here this time to specifically challenge Happy.”

“With the likes of him?”

“Happy is someone who defeated Great Person Wei Zhentian, Bright Sword Sect Disciple Do Jin, and the disciple of the sorcerer clan’s Gu poison user, Jade Vine, and he did it all in succession. And Responsible Hero can’t even get a rank on the International Influential Rank of the Strong.”

The entrance bustled with activity, and soon, more than three hundred people entered, though they came in a scattered fashion.

“By the looks of it, all the sect masters in Beijing are here.”

“It’s going to be even livelier now. Even the sect masters who support Class One Hall as well as those who usually make a show of force in Beijing have arrived.”

“Huh? Look.”

Countless pairs of eyes on the roofs around the mansion were fixed on a pair of sisters.

“Clear Music and Musical Note!”

“Those sisters are also in Beijing?”

“I didn’t expect that Towering Palace will also join the banquet.”

“We’ll have something fun to watch now.”

“Happy was real ruthless last time, and they nearly destroyed Towering Palace. This time, do the sisters want to regain their dignity or something?”

*****

“Palace Master Music, how kind of you to show up! We thank you for coming, and we apologize for not receiving you while you were still far away.”

Two disciples had their eyes light up and took two steps forward to wrap their fists in their palms to salute Clear Music and Musical Note while they were before them.

The two women nodded.

“We heard about Master Wandering Know-it-all setting up a banquet in his mansion, and we came without an invitation. I hope that we aren’t bothering him.”

“Of course not. Our master has long since told us that if both of you came, you can enter the hall straight away. That place where the important guests are to be seated.”

The answer from Wandering Know-it-all’s disciples caught the Music sisters by surprise.

Wandering Know-it-all had actually predicted their arrival.