I Shall Steal the Heavens 210 Chapter 209: Schemes and Leadership

Remember, the bastard tried to backstab me and kill me after I freed him. Basically he repaid a good deed with attempted murder. He tried to take over my body and use me as his host right after I removed the seals restraining him. If I hadn't revealed the Golden Dragon Medallion, albeit inadvertently, he would even have succeeded despite my extensive preparations and Spirit Formation. I was literally seconds away from being obliterated like Blood Shadow.

That said, it wasn't as if I wasn't sympathetic to what he had been through. Tian Yu Di had been betrayed by others as well, with Xue Jian leaving him in the lurch and abandoning him after he taught the former Heaven and Earth Absorption. He had been ganged up by a bunch of so-called honorable orthodox martial artists, who upon being unable to kill him, sealed him in an abysmal Spirit World under the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.

After all he had been through, and being locked away in near-eternal solitary confinement for almost a thousand years, deprived of his freedom and subject to other lying backstabbers and traitors, it was only natural that Tian Yu Di would become desperate enough to resort to treachery. If it would get him free after nearly a millennium of imprisonment, he would do it. To be honest, if I was in his shoes, I would most likely do the same.

In fact, I was impressed that he was still sane. I would have thought the utter loneliness and centuries of captivity would drive him mad. Honestly, if I were the one imprisoned inside an alternative space for almost a millennium, kept away from all human contact and restrained by chains, I would have gone insane. My mind would have broken from the sheer…tedium and solace, the total lack of freedom. I couldn't even imagine what it was like to be in Tian Yu Di's situation.

Despite sympathizing with Tian Yu Di, I remained wary of him. Feeling sorry for him didn't change the fact that he had broken my trust and tried to kill me. Even with the double Spirit Seals binding him securely to my command, he would have to work hard to regain my trust. He might be putting on a façade of submissiveness for now, but I was sure it was only because he was looking forward to the prospect of freedom, and also because he didn't want the spirit seals of enforced loyalty to kill him. After being trapped for almost a thousand years and being so close to freedom, he wouldn't risk throwing all that away and committing suicide.

Over nine hundred years ago, Tian Yu Di was known as the most ruthless and merciless of killers in Heaven and Earth Sect. admittedly, I hadn't read anything about him being scheming, cunning and treacherous, but a near millennium of confinement had undoubtedly changed his character, and if anything, magnified those terrifying traits. Furthermore, even though he acknowledged me as a grand disciple of his sect, he was more than prepared to sacrifice me so that he could obtain a host body for himself. Resorting to lying in order to achieve that, no less.

That was why I kept my guard up around him. I wasn't gullible enough to think everything was resolved and that Tian Yu Di would obey me unconditionally. He would definitely find a way to attain his freedom. The question was whether I would be able to grow strong enough to fight off any betrayal he might attempt before he succeeded.

Tian Yu Di probably noticed my wariness, but he said nothing. He knew that he would have to earn my trust the hard way, or that I was entirely justified in believing so because he really was scheming something. But for now, he decided to go along with whatever I wanted, though I suspected it was solely because our present goals aligned.

The Ancestral Master of Heaven and Earth Sect no doubt was eager to get his revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance who placed him in such a situation of despair and isolation in the first place. I could see his eagerness and bloodlust as he gazed in the direction of the ten invading sects.

Aware of this, I didn't hesitate to make use of Tian Yu Di. If he really wanted to kill me, he would have done so long ago, without pretending about the Golden Dragon Medallion having any Spirit Seals and simply snatched it away from me. I knew he was telling the truth.

"This probably won't change anything, and you are justified in keeping your guard up around me." Tian Yu Di's voice spoke in my head, seeming to emanate from the Golden Dragon Medallion in my left breast pocket. "But the status of the sect leader is completely different from that of a mere disciple. Disciples are just pawns – I'll admit that I'll callously discard their lives to achieve a goal for the sect. But you've already ordered me not to do that, so you don't have to worry. I will definitely obey. However, my loyalty to the sect itself is absolute, and thus I will happily carry out any orders you issue." he hesitated for a moment. "I do realize that talk is cheap, and I have already committed a grave error earlier. You have shown me great mercy in not asking me to take my life, or taking a huge portion of my soul as punishment. Not only that, you are my benefactor, the person who saved me. Disciple or sect leader, this is a debt that I will definitely repay. Thus I will endeavor to earn back your trust…with actions."

He reared up, rising to his feet, and this time he spoke out loud.

"Who do you want to kill?"

At first I didn't reply, scoffing at his words. The guy should know I wasn't stupid enough to fall for them. Being over a thousand years old, he would know that the reason why I didn't kill him or take a portion of his soul was because I needed him. I needed his strength to overcome the current crisis facing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Surely someone as old, wise and experienced as him would have realized that. Furthermore, he was ready to kill me after I freed him, so how the fuck did he intend to repay the debt when I am dead?

"You might not believe me – and you certainly have no obligation to – but even if I intended to take over your body and use it as my host, I was willing to spare you." Tian Yu Di's voice spoke from the Golden Dragon Medallion again. He must have noticed the derisive disbelief on my face, and sought to explain himself. Not that it was of any use. "Unlike this fool, I would have left your consciousness untouched and imprisoned it in one corner of your mind until I can find a more suitable host. I swear on that, but I understand if you don't believe me. After all…all these are just words."

He seemed to sigh, but I didn't say a word. I only stared at hm indifferently, and then nodded once.

While we were having our personal conversation, Sect Leader Zi Shou De coughed and spoke up again.

"So how exactly do you plan on saving Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, or killing some people, Fei Wu?" he glanced at Tian Yu Di and bowed his head deferentially. "I recognize this senior's immense strength, and have no doubt that he can single-handedly turn the tide, but how are you going about the task? Do you plan to just unleash him on them now?"

As expected of the man who had taken charge of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Unlike him, the Great Elders, the inner sect elders and everyone else were all frozen in fear, unable to move a single muscle. Never mind utter a word, they didn't even dare to breathe!

All of them could sense the terrifying power emanating from Tian Yu Di, and were aware that he could kill them with nothing more than a glance. They knew that as long as he didn't allow it, none of them would be able to escape.

Only Zi Shou De was unaffected. I bowed to him respectfully.

"Sect Leader Zi, with your permission, I would like to invite all the invaders here. Especially their commanders and leaders." A smile spread across my face as I relished the prospect of setting a trap for the triumphant idiots. "This Elder will assist us in negotiations."

Zi Shou De frowned. "Negotiations? For what?"

"For their surrender, of course."

Sect Leader Zi actually burst out laughing at that. "You don't need my permission if that's the case."

"Thank you for understanding." I then turned toward the outer sect district. "I'll go contact Sect Lady Da Ji and inform her of our change in plans."

"No, let me do it." Tong Xue broke free from his spellbound terror and stepped forward. He cast a fearful glance at Tian Yu Di, but took a deep breath and composed himself. "You showing up there will be like adding oil to fire. You'll only provoke the invaders to fight harder. I'll sneak in, locate Sect Lady Da Ji, and tell her." he smiled confidently. "I'm better than you at that sort of thing, after all."

I nodded. "Thanks. I'll be relying on you then."

Tong Xue flashed a grin before disappearing into the shadows. If you were wondering why we didn't just call her on her cellphone, it was because she obviously couldn't answer at the moment. Sect Lady Zi Da Ji was presently engagng the enemy in battle, and as such was in no condition to check her smartphone for emails or messages, or answer a call. Most likely she would just not answer, assuming she didn't turn off her phone prior to combat.

At the same time, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji and Elder Zhao Shi were embroiled in a desperate battle in the outer sect courtyard.

Scores of enemies lay around them and the Blood Blades, mowed down by the heavy firepower of the battle-automata the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect controlled. In fact, it was only because of the presence of the battle-automata that the Blood Blades hadn't been routed. They were vastly outnumbered, more than ten to one, and it was only because of the battle-automata that they were able to stem the flow of invaders temporarily and hold out for so long.

However, they were clearly fighting a losing battle. A sizeable number of Blood Blades had fallen, their battle-automata smashed apart by sheer numbers and concentrated strikes from coordinated martial artists. Despite making the enemy pay dearly in blood for every millimeter of ground they seized, the Bood Blades were clearly and inexorably being forced to fall back, their lines and numbers shrinking drastically with every exchange.

The current commanders of all ten sects, Yuan Tian Ya, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo, Liang Yang Zu, and Su Bai Xue, were leading their subordinates and closing the noose around Blood Blades' necks. They smashed apart a column of unfortunate Thallax battle puppets, Wu Tuo pulverizing them with sheer strength while Yuan Tian Ya ruthlessly beheaded their luckless controller before he even knew what was happening.

Liang Yang Zu cut down a determined Blood Blades, cleaving her and her Thallax cohort in half with a crimson blade and knocking their remains aside. He strode arrogantly toward the retreating Blood Blades, approaching Zi Da Ji in particular.

"Sect Lady Zi, there is no need for such violence. Just surrender, and you might just be able to save more of your subordinates' lives."

"What are you talking about?" Yuan Tian Ya frowned when he heard Liang Yang Zu's imploration. This wasn't part of the plan. "Aren't we supposed to kill all Blood Blades martial artists, to ensure that they won't become a threat to the Martial Arts Alliance? They have inflicted heavy casualties on us, but given our superior numbers, surely it shouldn't take us much longer to exterminate everyone in the outer sect of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."

Zi Da Ji met his gaze evenly, and snorted. Raising her hand, flames crackled threateningly, its temperature matching that of the plasma bolts the Castellax battle-automata were firing into screaming and dying enemy martial artists.

"Try it if you can," she sneered. "We'll see who gets exterminated first. Your sects, or my Blood Blades."

She wasa aware that the Martial Arts Alliance had ordered that none of the Blood Blades had been left alive, so she wasn't going to place much worth in the scheming and conniving Liang Yang Zuu's words in the first place.

However, Liang Yang Zu shook his head and threw up a hand to stay the furious and provoked Yuan Tian Ya.

"Don't you think it's a waste to wipe Blood Blades out? They have cultivated powerful, secret martial arts that earned them their terrifying reputation. Only the outer sect disciples would be familiar with these secret techniques. If we kill everyone in Blood Blades, then we will not be able to learn their martial arts. We also need to obtain Blood Blades' training methods, as well as their infamous Will'o Wisp Forest that is said to enhance one's constitution and qi, and boost one's cultivation. That's why we must leave at least a few of them alive."

At his reasoning, everyone's eyes lit up greedily.

"That's right," Shi Jing Yun hastily put in. "Sect Leader Yuan, please reconsider. Don't be too hasty and kill all of Blood Blades."

"There is no need for such bloodshed," Wu Tuo agreed, hypocritically unaware of the irony. "We are civilized, after all."

If I were there, I would have smashed his pudgy face in, but…oh, well. Never mind. I would get a chance to get back at him later.

Anyway, the reason why they were hurriedly persuading Yuan Tian Ya, wasn't because they were truly merciful, but because of their sheer greed. Everyone knew about the strength of Blood Blades, and many of them had even experienced it personally. Just too bad that most of those many had lost their lives.

In any case, the various sects naturally coveted Blood Blades' training methods and martial arts techniques, as well as the legendary Will'o Wisp Forest that served as an optimum training ground. They wanted to increase their own power using such knowledge. That was why they so readily agreed to Liang Yang Zu's suggestion, even though it wasn't part of the orders issued by the higher-ups.

They could always convince the Martial Arts Alliance later, and knowing the council who lead them, they were aware that they would approve of their decision.

Unfortunately for them, they had all been fooled. While Liang Yang Zu did indeed crave the martial arts techniques of Blood Blades, he didn't make the suggestion for that reason. He only did it to stall for time, so that Blood Shadow could achieve his objectives and acquire the Heaven and Earth techniques he was looking for.

The greedy, corrupted fool had no idea that Blood Shadow had already died, killed by the very Heaven and Earth Master they sought to meet. Well, I couldn't blame him. Fools will forever be fools.

"All right!" it was only too easy to persuade Yuan Tian Ya, and he nodded, desire burning in his eyes. "I'll admit that I'm also interested in the secret martial arts techniques of Blood Blades, and have been wanting to learn them for a long while now."

The fucker was practically drooling.

Zi Da Ji laughed coldly. "You really think you can just waltz in and take our martial arts techniques? I can guarantee you that each and every Blood Blades martial artist under my command will fight to the death. We will not hand anything over to you!"

"Now, now…there is no need for such extremism, is there?" Su Bai Xue asked, holding up her hand, as if trying to express her wish for peace. What a joke.

However, Sect Lady Da Ji was as good as her word, and the Blood Blades fought harder then before, turning the war into a grinding stalemate. More members from the ten invading sects were ruthlessly sacrificed into the meatgrinder, and while the Blood Blades were achieving an impressive kill ratio – killing at least five for every single loss they took – they knew they would eventually lose this battle of attrition.

They just didn't have the numbers to keep this up.

Even so, they succeeded in halting the conquest of the Martial Arts Alliance, keeping them out in the outer sect grounds for an impressively long time. Reinforcements continued to flood in from Tushan City, the reserves of the ten invading sects pouring in to replace the soldiers they had lost in the opening exchanges.

By now, even the normal disciples had caught up and threw themselves into the war. Most of them, anyway. Unlike the battle-hardened, elite core disciples or veteran martial artists, many of the common martial artists did not possess the courage or strength to hurl themselves into the guns and attacks of the Blood Blades.

There were also many who didn't possess the stomach for such violence and bloodshed, as for them, this was the first time they had participated in such a bloody war.

Then there were those who were reluctant to actively participate in the demise of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, having one form of a link or another to the sect.

Lu Li, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan had arrived from the districts in Tushan City and joined Shi Jing Yun's group along with the reinforcements as they harried a group of Blood Blades and their cybernetica cohort.

Unlike them, Yin Jing Jing did not have the guts to come. She had returned to the Snow Valley Sect long ago, unable to witness the doom of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. She had grown affectionate for the sect over the year or so she had spent her, and it pained her to see the sect in such a state. She couldn't bear to see the home she had lived in for over a year destroyed like this.

In contrast, Pang Feng had boldly joined Wu Tuo and the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect disciples. He had steeled himself to witness Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's fate, ready to accompany it to the very end. A lot of good his sentiment would do us, though.

His sister, Pang Yun, did not have the courage to come. Like Yin Jing Jing, she couldn't bear to see the destruction of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and had elected to stay at the Great Nature's Heart shop while her former fellow sect members were being slaughtered.

"Pang Feng?" Elder Zhao exclaimed when he spotted the heavyset fellow. His expression turned furious. "What are you doing here?"

"How bold of you…to still have the guts to show your face in the sect after returning to Cloud Sky Mountain and joining them in attacking us." Sect Lady Da Ji was a lot more spiteful, her expression as cold as ice as she glared at Pang Feng.

The former Blood Blades member shook his head, his expression calm and steady. He scanned the familiar faces of the outer sect disciples, his eyes pained and complicated. However, his voice was incredibly level as he spoke.

"Sect Lady Zi, Elder Zhao. I did not expect the sect to experience such a crisis either. I truly do not wish to see the sect get destroyed, but I do not have the power to halt its destruction. The reason why I'm here is so that I can witness the sect's fate to the end. If there is anything I can do to change this fate, I will do my best to accomplish it."

Pang Feng swallowed, his eyes slightly moistening from helplessness.

"You are only here to watch," Wu Tuo ordered him with a sharp look. "Remember that you are not allowed to interfere!"

Pang Feng snorted and scowled, but did not protest.

"That boy has courage, at least." Su Bai Xue from Snow Valley Sect acknowledged him. "For him to face his former sect members like this, and having the resolve to witness Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's fate to the very end…he truly has a heart of steel."

"Assuming that he lives long enough to witness it." Zi Da Ji's tone was glacial. She softened a little when she saw Pang Feng's eyes, but she refused to back down. "We won't show mercy, no matter what links you have with us in the past."

She raised a flaming hand, ready to swing it down and order another attack. "Blood Blades! On my signal…"

At that moment, Tong Xue appeared, almost as if emerging from the shadows.

"Wait!" he called out. Zi Da Ji froze for a moment, and stared at him in surprise. Unsure of what to make of this, the invading sects also halted their attacks temporarily and watched curiously as Tong Xue whispered something to Zi Da Ji. She nodded once, and then retrieved her smartphone and dialed a number.

"Dear?" she asked when Zi Shou De picked up on the other end. "Just making sure you really authorized this." she listened, and then smiled slightly. "I see…so that's how it is. Okay, then. We'll go along with it for now."

She then turned toward the invaders. "If you don't mind pausing the fight for a bit, then I would like to invite you to the plaza…to discuss terms."

The five commanders all looked at each other flabbergasted by this sudden turn of events. Zi Da Ji didn't wait for them to react, already turning around and heading toward the plaza where the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars stood. Elder Zhao and the Blood Blades followed her, immediately disengaging and withdrawing from battle without any word.

When she noticed that the commanders were still milling around, stunned by the abrupt development, she paused to glance at them over her shoulder.

"Of course, if you don't wish to negotiate, then you're welcome to go back to fighting with us."

Everyone sheathed their weapons and began moving, a tad hastily, as they headed in the direction of the plaza.

Chapter end