"You truly intend to surrender?" Jia Tianlong was somewhat surprised.
"Surrender, yes—but which side surrenders to which remains to be seen." The Sect Leader's eyes narrowed slightly as he casually rested his hand upon his sword hilt.
"What do you mean by that?" Jia Tianlong's face darkened. He flicked his hand in a flanking signal.
Immediately, his Iron Guards surged forward, forming a semicircle around Wang Juechu. In unison, they drew crossbows from their backs, the azure-tipped bolts all trained upon the lone figure.
One command, and they would release a volley without hesitation, cutting Wang Juechu down where he stood.
"Did you truly believe that after relocating our headquarters to Sunset Peak, we never considered the possibility of an invasion we could not repel?" The Sect Leader regarded the aimed crossbows with utter indifference, his voice carrying a sinister undertone.
A chill settled in Jia Tianlong's heart. An ominous premonition stirred in his mind, but he did not interrupt, merely maintaining his grim expression, waiting to hear what the other would say.
"The one who moved our sect here was the seventh-generation Sect Leader, Master Li. He was not only a man of great vision but also a genius of mechanical and architectural arts—a true prodigy of his era." Here Wang Juechu paused briefly, a look of genuine admiration crossing his features.
He continued:
"Master Li chose Sunset Peak for two reasons. First, its treacherous terrain makes it easily defensible and nearly impossible to assault—a perfect stronghold. Second, deep within the mountain's belly lies a naturally formed limestone cavern of enormous proportions, occupying nearly two-thirds of the peak's interior. Upon discovering this marvel, Master Li conceived a plan. Using his mastery of engineering combined with the cavern's topography, he transformed the entire peak into a colossal natural trap. Now, should anyone activate the pre-set mechanisms, the entire mountain will collapse, burying every soul upon it."
Having spoken, Wang Juechu fell silent, sweeping his cold, death-like gaze across the dark mass of assembled fighters.
Jia Tianlong stared, momentarily stunned. He did not believe the claim, but neither could he immediately formulate a rebuttal to such a threat.
Among those who had heard clearly, a wave of agitation rippled through the ranks. Murmured conversations broke out, and the more quick-witted began edging toward the only path down the mountain, prepared to flee at the first sign of danger.
"Silence! Anyone who moves or creates unrest will be executed without mercy!"
Jia Tianlong recovered quickly. Seeing his own forces so easily unsettled by mere words, his anger flared. He knew that without immediate intervention, the situation would spiral beyond control, and without hesitation, he issued the order for summary execution.
His loyal lieutenants carried out the command efficiently. After several cowards who attempted to flee were beheaded on the spot, the rest were cowed into submission, and the disturbance subsided.
But Jia Tianlong understood well that this calm was superficial and temporary. Unless he could quickly prove the claim was a lie, none of his forces—or the allied factions—would remain at ease. The slightest tremor and they would scatter.
"You don't expect us to believe your words on face value alone?" Jia Tianlong suppressed his fury, determined to expose the bluff personally.
"Of course not. I have ample proof for you to witness with your own eyes. But heed me well: if anyone, upon seeing this proof, attempts to flee or continues the assault, I will activate all the mechanisms, and we shall all perish together." Wang Juechu's words brimmed with murderous intent, the threat unmistakable.
Jia Tianlong studied the man's expression, searching for any crack in his facade. But the face remained as cold and impassive as ever, revealing nothing—no trace of guilt or hesitation.
A seed of doubt took root. Could it be that the claim was no deception, that such a doomsday mechanism truly existed?
"Activate Mechanism Two!" Wang Juechu suddenly turned toward the main hall and bellowed the command.
Then he turned away, fixing his gaze upon one of the smaller stone halls, and ignored Jia Tianlong entirely.
The Gang Leader's fury rose at such contempt, but he forced it down, resolving that if the proof proved unsatisfactory, he would immediately order Wang Juechu shot full of bolts until he resembled a human hedgehog.
Yet Wang Juechu's strange fixation on that particular stone hall drew the attention of the Wild Wolf Gang's forces. They too found their eyes drawn to the spot, waiting to see what would happen.
Amid the growing unease of the Wild Wolf Gang's ranks, no one noticed two figures in Broken Water Gate attire at the edge of the crowd, heads bowed, whispering to each other in low tones.
"Han Li, do you think what our Sect Leader said is true or false? Could this massive peak really be hollow? I've been here several times before and never noticed anything amiss."
"Perhaps the Sect Leader is merely deceiving them, trying to buy time?"
"Or perhaps..."
One young man pressed his companion with an incessant barrage of questions, desperately seeking an explanation for his growing unease.
These two were none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, who had originally been heading for Elder Li's quarters.