"So they were forced into it?"
"Not entirely."
Hu San went on. As soon as Jian Dan glanced at him, he quickly cleared his throat and explained,"One of the squads was forced to join. That female cultivator who got knocked out in the cave earlier was part of their team. Their squad had more women, so Mao Wu targeted them. In the end, he pressured and tempted them until they half-agreed, half-gave in to join his side."
Hu San rattled it all out in one breath, swallowed hard, and kept going, "That squad originally wanted to join us, but because Mao Wu tricked us and we lost too many people, we turned them down. As for the second squad, they joined him willingly. They're two-faced, vicious, and ruthless, exactly the type Mao Wu liked. He had both squads go out together so one could watch the other. He even left two people behind, not afraid they'd never come back."
"How strong are these two squads?" Jian Mao asked, then added, "Compared to us?"
Hu San rubbed his nose, smiling with a bit of flattery. "They're about the same as our squad. Naturally, they're nowhere near as strong as your team."
"Linhai, you tell me."
Jian Dan didn't buy Hu San's words, so she called directly on Yu Linhai.
Yu Linhai hadn't expected to be asked, so he thought carefully before answering, "The first squad focuses on scouting and gathering information. Their combat power's weaker. The second squad is much stronger in a fight, but they're willing to use any means, no matter how dirty."
"So you're saying we could absorb the first squad, and let the second one go their own way?" Jian Dan asked.
"That depends on what you all decide," Yu Linhai replied.
Hu San wanted to say more, but Yu Linhai had already stolen the words from his mouth. He could only shut up. This was someone he really couldn't afford to offend.
Jian Dan and Jian Mao exchanged a glance. Then Jian Mao gave an order, "Siyuan, call Jian Xu back, and keep an eye on the situation outside with Xiao Yue."
Wu Siyuan clasped his hands and hurried toward the gate, switching shifts with Jian Xu.
"Hu San, clean up the corpses and tidy the battlefield. Whatever you find out there is yours to keep." Jian Dan smiled as she instructed.
Hearing he could actually profit from this, Hu San immediately lit up. That was way better than walking away with nothing. Of course, Jian Dan had already searched through their storage rings and taken what she needed. She tossed the rings back, Yu Linhai's included.
When the two of them caught the rings, their reactions were very different. Hu San was thrilled. He'd only hoped to survive, but now he even got his things back. That was at least some security.
Yu Linhai, on the other hand, was shocked. He hadn't expected them to actually return his storage ring, untouched.
Jian Dan noticed both reactions. Hu San's joy was natural. Yu Linhai's surprise was easy to understand too. She hadn't checked his ring because wiping away his spiritual mark would've been too much effort.
His appearance here was unexpected. Her plan was simple, don't provoke him, don't spoil him either, but when they needed him to work, he'd have to. She intended to keep things balanced, because once they reached the inner circle, they'd need his guidance.
Today's assault on Mao Wu's base was also a test. Since Yu Linhai seemed reliable and they didn't want to push him to the enemy's side, they returned his belongings. It was their way of extending an olive branch.
"Thank you, all of you. Hu San will do whatever you say." Hu San clasped his hands, then got busy with the messy battlefield. Yu Linhai also cupped his hands and joined in. He hadn't decided how to move forward yet, so for now, following this group seemed safest. At least they weren't crooked.
"Junior Sister, what do you think?" Jian Jing asked this time.
"I think using Hu San to negotiate won't work anymore. Yu Linhai's proposal makes sense. The first squad wasn't willing, so they must resent Mao Wu. Since we killed him, that's like saving them. As for the second squad, they'll probably eye Mao Wu's base and spoils."
"Doesn't matter. As long as those two squads aren't united, we can break them one by one. If they do join forces, then things will be trickier," Jian Mao agreed.
"When I killed Mao Wu just now, I noticed something under his seat. Looked like a hidden space. Siyuan, Kuang Dao, you'll check it out later. If there's treasure, we'll stash it away early."
The three of them wrapped up their talk just as Jian Xu, Jian Chun, and Kuang Dao returned.
"Zūnshàng, what those six said matches what Hu San told us. They don't know as much as him, just some rumors. But they did hear about Jian Jun. According to them, Jian Jun was hunted down and already fell," Jian Chun reported.
No one panicked. Before coming here, they'd checked Jian Jun's soul fire. It was still burning. Injured, maybe, but not dead.
"Zūnshàng, how should we deal with them?" Kuang Dao asked. They couldn't keep the captives tied up forever.
"Let them sleep a while. Once we deal with the two squads, we'll use them. Might even need them to scout for us."
"Yes."
"They should be coming back soon. Junior Sister, what's the plan?" Jian Xu asked with a sly smile.
"We'll put on an empty fortress act." Jian Dan grinned, then leaned in to quietly lay out the details with the others.
Once Hu San and Yu Linhai finished clearing the battlefield, she beckoned Hu San over.
"Senior, what are your orders?"
"From now on, call me Fairy Lu (戮, Slaughter)," she said.
Hu San's face twisted for a moment, but he quickly bowed his head.
"You're my follower now. Do well, and maybe you'll get a chance to leave this place."
The promise was tempting. Hu San beamed and declared his loyalty, "Hu San will obey the Fairy's orders! Point east, I won't dare go west. Even if it's a sea of fire or blades, one word from you and I'll charge in!"
"Enough. When the two squads return, I'll absorb the first one and kick the other out. You'll help me play along."
"Yes, Hu San understands."
He happily agreed, then Jian Dan waved him off to change into something more presentable.
At her signal, Kuang Dao tossed him a set of armor they'd confiscated earlier. It was much better than his rags. Hu San caught it, thrilled, and went to change.
Meanwhile, Jian Jing led Wu Siyuan and Kuang Dao to search Mao Wu's private stash inside the cave. The two female cultivators who'd been knocked out were already awake.
Seeing a female cultivator leading the group, they felt uneasy, but they still stepped forward and saluted. "Senior, how will you deal with us?"
"Get yourselves in order, then go find my Junior Sister outside," Jian Jing waved dismissively. She wasn't about to bully them. If she hadn't been strong enough, she might've ended up worse off than they had.
The two quickly straightened their clothes and walked out of the cavern.
Outside, everything was unnervingly quiet. It gave them chills. They exchanged glances, then spotted a green-robed female cultivator walking toward the emerald lake. They hurried after her.
Jian Dan heard the footsteps behind her, paused, and turned to them. "Wait in the guardhouse. Keep your mouths shut. When I call you, then come out."
"Yes!"
At the gatehouse, Jian Xu nodded at her and reactivated the defensive barrier.