Chapter 260: Uncle and Nephew Join Hands Again, The Empress Feels the Heat Beneath Her Feet, Deeply Disdainful (2)
"You know the truth. These sect masters are just cannon fodder you dragged into this."
"When things are good, you forget them. Now that there's trouble, you want them to fight and die for you."
"We have no real enmity, no conflict."
"You may be under the court's rule in name, but the court hasn't really made you do anything."
"It's just a title, and yet you let yourselves be used like pawns. How laughable."
Su Qing swept his eyes across the crowd and let out a disdainful snort.
His words clearly shook many of the sect masters present.
It was obvious that while the sects appeared united, they each had their own agenda.
If the Heavenly Dao Sect had shown strength, they wouldn't have wavered.
But since arriving, the protective formation had been breached.
Not only that, but the sect's Divine Maiden had been taken in full view of everyone.
Now, they were hiding behind the formation, too scared to even come out.
From any angle, the Heavenly Dao Sect looked like it was falling apart.
So of course there was regret. That was only natural.
They saw no sign of victory, no confidence. Was it really worth continuing the fight?
Might as well surrender and accept the court's terms. After all, the court normally left them alone anyway.
"Everyone, don't listen to his nonsense. I already have a plan."
"Junior sister, disciple, hang in there. I'll find a way to get you out soon!"
The Heavenly Dao Master's voice spread across the crowd.
Her calm tone seemed to soothe nerves, settling everyone down for the moment.
Surely the Dao Master had a plan, right?
"Tsk tsk, really heartless. Better act fast then."
"To think someone who can't even protect her own disciple and junior sister is being looked up to—what a joke."
"Get up and move. When we get back, I'll give you both a good punishment. I wonder if she'll feel sorry for you."
Su Qing clicked his tongue.
It sounded polite, but it was clear he was just mocking her for not stepping out.
That pitiful pair of uncle and niece were dragged away. The Divine Maiden almost collapsed to the ground.
As a total weakling in bed, she was in much worse shape than her martial aunt.
Still, the raw emotion did its job well.
Several hot-blooded young prodigies took a step forward, their eyes filled with raging fury.
But they had enough reason left to know charging out might lead to disaster.
What else could they do but silently watch them leave?
As the three figures vanished, the sect leaders fell into an eerie silence.
The atmosphere turned heavy.
However.
What came next wasn't a breakthrough, but a disaster.
That very afternoon, another hidden danger exploded.
A batch of secret agents had infiltrated the protective formation long ago, disguised as disciples from various sects.
Their mission was simple: stir up distrust between the sects.
"Liuyun Sect, you stole our mithril mine last month. Time to give it back!"
"Qiushui Gate, you injured our disciples before. Today I'm settling that score!"
Such arguments began cropping up all over the Heavenly Dao Sect.
At first, it was just shouting matches.
But it didn't take long before it turned into full-on brawls.
In the chaos, disciples naturally sided with their own sects.
The more they fought, the more heated things became.
Soon, people were seriously injured, some even near death.
These endless disputes pushed the already strained disciples to their breaking point.
Bloodshed became commonplace, and no amount of intervention from sect leaders could stop it.
There was no helping it.
Even among righteous sects, harmony was a facade. Beneath the surface, they were rivals.
They competed for disciples and resources, though not as ruthlessly as demonic sects.
Usually, there was friction. Now they were gathered only because of a common goal.
Had everything gone smoothly, they might have set aside differences and bonded.
But now, trapped inside a single sect with no way forward or back, pressure mounted.
It was like a bunch of powder kegs waiting for a spark.
Once emotions ignited, suppressing them was nearly impossible.
Not everyone had the Heavenly Dao Master's control over their feelings.
The atmosphere inside the Heavenly Dao Sect became suffocating.
People grew divided. More and more wanted to leave.
When Su Qing returned to Floating Life City, he immediately brought the Divine Maiden and the Heroine to rest.
The two looked completely drained. The moment they touched the bed, they were out cold.
He shook his head helplessly, gently tucked them in, and walked outside.
What a pair of weaklings who still love playing tough.
Meanwhile, the main hall had already been converted into a war command center. Xuanxin and the others were all present.
One report after another landed on the table.
They were all messages from the covert agents—clearly, chaos had erupted inside the Heavenly Dao Sect.
No doubt, this was good news.
"As expected... just as I predicted."
A slight smile appeared on Princess Consort Han Jin Xiu's face as she spoke.
She had been the one primarily in charge of today's arrangements.
No weapons had been used, and hardly any cost had been paid.
Just a few minor tactics had plunged the righteous sects into utter disarray.
It felt... incredibly satisfying.
She picked up a brush and began writing out a series of orders on the white paper.
Each command was highly targeted.
Not long ago, she had arranged for the covert agents to infiltrate, with detailed plans laid out for each target.
She had already understood exactly which sects had conflicts and why.
By exploiting these tensions with precision, she could bring disaster upon the sects.
Naturally, others had taken notice of her methods.
The results were undeniably effective—but they also raised unease.
"Han Jin Xiu, your tactics seem a bit too practiced."
Xuanxin spoke suddenly.
She was still clad in armor, her calm voice laced with a trace of disgust.
This kind of scheming couldn't be improvised on the spot.
Clearly, Han Jin Xiu had been planning such moves not long after their arrival.
As a general, Xuanxin despised manipulators.
"Just some methods for achieving victory. Nothing more."
Han Jin Xiu smiled lightly and replied with a casual tone.
She truly believed that.
The methods didn't matter. Only results did.
"The question is, will you use these methods against us someday?"
Xuanxin's voice took on an icy edge.
She always treated her soldiers well—but enemies were another matter.
As high-ranking officials, they all knew the Princess Consort came from another organization.
This time, they shared a common enemy. But what if next time, she stood against them?