"What do you have to say?" Del Mo asked Yang Zhai, her tone calm but carrying a weight of authority as her gaze fixed firmly on him.
"Elder Mo, believe me, the island truly was there. Can you not see that Reign Elk? I obtained it from that very island!" Yang Zhai responded quickly, lifting his hand and pointing straight toward the rank five Reign Elk standing nearby.
"You are acting far too childish, Yang Zhai. How exactly would we be able to know if you captured this Reign Elk from that so-called island you speak of, or if you captured it long before that?" Del Mo replied with a faint shake of her head. But inside her mind she considered the possibility. From what I can see, he may not actually be lying. In this world, absolutely anything is possible. The island might very well have existed, just as he claims, but perhaps it no longer does. Regardless, it no longer matters. This boy is interesting, far more interesting than he first appeared. Should I perhaps make him into my servant?
"Elder Mo, please, do not kill me! How—how about I assist you in making Elder Yu Hao leave the Iron Clad Sect? I can already see that you hold a strong interest in him." Yang Zhai blurted out suddenly, his words hurried and anxious, as though he feared his life would be snatched away at any moment.
"Oh." Del Mo raised her brows, momentarily taken aback. This boy… is he seriously attempting to bargain with me? And with such a dangerous and sensitive matter no less… he is truly desperate to live.
"And how exactly are you planning to do that?" she asked, her voice steady.
"About that! I can become his personal disciple and then, little by little, I can slowly begin to fill his ears with whatever you wish. This way, you will essentially be able to control him completely from behind the curtains, and he will never even suspect a single thing! Oh, oh, and I can also tell him a lie, a convincing lie, that you saved me on the way when I was attacked by a high rank beast, and that you only forbade me from telling him because you knew that he despised you. He might even feel guilty toward you! Oh, and then there's still more I can do…"
Yang Zhai rambled on and on without pause, speaking continuously as though a grand plan had taken root in his mind and he could not hold himself back from sharing every last detail of it.
Del Mo did not interrupt him. She allowed him to chatter endlessly, merely listening with the air of someone who found amusement in his words. Inwardly she wondered, what is wrong with this boy? Is he truly serious? Where is all of this nonsense coming from, and why does it sound so strangely plausible?
Meanwhile, Meng Bo's eyes shook. Is this truly only a boy… how could someone his age come up with so many outrageous ideas?
After one or two long hours passed, Del Mo finally spoke.
"You know, Yang Zhai, these are indeed some rather clever ideas. But still, I do not believe you. How about this instead… you take us with you. Only then will I believe what you say." She nodded slowly as she spoke, a faint smile curling on her lips.
"What do you mean by that?" Yang Zhai asked aloud, though in his heart he already understood clearly. Isn't she worried that I might trap her inside, and then she would never be able to escape? No, she must have already thought of this. She surely values Yu Hao more than I expected. But even so I don't believe she will risk herself without leaving a path of retreat.
"Isn't it obvious… I could not sense your storage space at all from outside, even though I am a rank nine cultivator. If we had not noticed faint fluctuations, we would never have discovered you in the first place. And since I can stand inside it, that means you can also close the gate while we remain hidden within, and no one would ever know. So… when you enter the Iron Clad Sect, you will take us with you," Del Mo said with a warm smile, though her words carried no warmth.
Fluctuations? Yang Zhai thought to himself silently.
"Elder, will that truly be appropriate?" he asked after a moment of hesitation.
"Why would it not be? You won't need to do anything except carry us within your space. Don't worry, I will not force you to release me directly inside the Iron Clad Sect. After all, I still wish to live. And if you do as I command, I may even accept you as my personal disciple and guide you until you reach rank nine, just like me," she said, her words like a bribe laced with temptation.
"Really! Fine, I will do exactly as you say." Yang Zhai answered, his tone carrying excitement.
I do not mind taking her with me, he thought, but the problem is that I will no longer be able to use the inheritance space as freely as before… sigh.
"Good, then let us leave." With those words, Del Mo stepped out of the inheritance space, Meng Bo following after her.
Yang Zhai quietly followed them out as well.
Including Del Mo and Meng Bo, there were three other elders, making a total of five. Alongside them were thirteen newly recruited disciples, as well as six disciples of the Moonlight Sect whom Del Mo had brought along to the Suru Continent.
They traveled upon a massive bird, a creature that measured roughly fifty-five feet in size. Its long legs stretched far beneath its body, and its downward-curving bill was thin yet strong, entirely red in color, dotted all across with small black marks.
Chila, the bird is called, a beast known for its ability to soar effortlessly through the skies as well as swim deep within the ocean. It could also release miniature versions of itself, tiny clones that would harass and fight its enemies endlessly. The small black dots on its bill represent how many it can summon. And this particular Chila has many. Yang Zhai observed it silently as they flew.
"Everyone, meet our new sect member, your fellow disciple that I have just recruited—Yang Zhai," Del Mo announced evenly.
Yang Zhai accepted her words without reaction.
As Chila drifted above the clouds, the other disciples had not witnessed what had just occurred earlier.
Who is this boy? Elder Mo is introducing him personally… the disciples thought, whispering in their minds.
Yang Zhai bowed respectfully and spoke with a calm smile. "Greetings, Seniors. My name is Yang Zhai. I was just recruited by Elder Mo. What happened was that I was cultivating when Elder Mo noticed me and decided to recruit me. On top of that, she even promised to accept me as her personal disciple and to guide me to reach rank nine like her. I hope that you all will take care of me."
With those words, Yang Zhai concluded, bowing once again.
Yet beneath those simple words was something more subtle. The younger disciples may not have recognized it, but the elders certainly did.
This boy is far too clever. With only a few sentences, he has managed to shut down almost every disciple present. Now that they know Elder Mo favors him, none of them will dare to move against him. Instead, the rumors will spread, and his safety will be secured among almost all the sect disciples and even a few elders.
One woman looked carefully at Yang Zhai. Her skin was tan, her black hair long and flowing, and her eyes carried a faint shade of red. She looked young, her face without wrinkles, seemingly in her early thirties, and she wore a tan-colored Shenyi while her bare feet touched lightly against the bird.
"Elder Mo, is he serious?" she asked in a calm tone.
"Yue Yao, he is. And perhaps, in time, he might even help us deal with the Iron Clad Sect," Del Mo replied with a calm expression.
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