Chapter 301 - 288: Imminent Disaster

"Hyeh hyeh hyeh! Boss, we’re back! That was so damn satisfying! The two of us sent those three factions into a total rout. It was awesome!"

Bone One, carrying his giant Bone Saber, stomped heavily into the Qingfeng Stronghold’s meeting hall. The people inside immediately cleared a wide path for him.

"Boss, I—"

Bone Two scurried over, about to boast of his accomplishments, but Shen Lang immediately recalled him.

"Where’s the Second-in-Command?" Shen Lang found it a little strange that the man wasn’t with Bone One and Bone Two.

’Did those two skeletons chop up the Second-in-Command, too?’

’Even if they didn’t kill him, it would be unacceptable if they just lost him.’

’After all, they were out stirring up trouble. Surrounded by powerful enemies, the Second-in-Command would have been a dead man without those two Bone Demons.’

"Over here... I’m over here..."

A middle-aged man entered from outside, trembling as two people supported him.

The Second-in-Command had an honest and simple face and a mature, steady demeanor. At first glance, no one would ever associate him with a bandit leader.

However, the Second-in-Command had now completely lost his usual composure.

His face was ashen, his eyes filled with terror and despair, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.

It looked as though he wouldn’t even be able to walk properly without someone supporting him.

’Looks like Bone One and Bone Two went a little overboard. These two are such a waste of my time.’

The moment Shen Lang saw the Second-in-Command’s condition, he understood what had happened.

Sure enough, the moment the Second-in-Command collapsed into a bamboo chair, he spoke with a voice on the verge of tears, "My lord, things have gotten out of hand..."

Shen Lang’s eyes flickered as he asked calmly, "How out of hand?"

The Second-in-Command looked like he was about to burst into tears. "The two Lord Bone Demons not only reduced the strongholds of Langya Mountain, Lianyun Stronghold, and the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps to rubble, but they also went and raised hell at the City Lord’s Mansion! Now, An Fengrui, the City Lord of Illusion Mist City, is gathering his elite forces and has ordered all the major powers in the city to assemble. He’s going to flatten Qingfeng Stronghold! Good heavens, I couldn’t stop them! I even got kicked by Lord Bone One—I think my back is broken!"

"Ah!"

The meeting hall instantly erupted into chaos, filled with wails of despair.

"How could this happen? Does this mean Qingfeng Stronghold is now the enemy of every power in Illusion Mist City? How are we supposed to survive?"

"We’re done for, we’re done for! We should have quit while we were ahead. Lord Shen Lang is just too young."

"That’s right! Back when he extorted a fortune from Zhang Cheng and the others instead of letting them leave, he already offended everyone. Then he sent the Bone Demons to attack those factions... And now, to top it all off, he’s gone and provoked the City Lord’s Mansion itself."

"It was already tough enough for us to survive in Illusion Mist City after offending those other factions. Now that we’ve angered the City Lord’s Mansion, what are we going to do? We have no future here!"

Just as the crowd was murmuring and subtly shifting the blame onto Shen Lang, the Second-in-Command slammed his palm on the table before him, shattering it in two.

He pointed a trembling finger at the crowd, taking a moment before words finally came out. "You... You are all outrageous! Without Lord Shen Lang, do you think you’d still be here talking? That you’d have gained so much? We would have all been dead long ago!"

He struggled to his feet as he spoke, one hand pressed to his back while the other pointed shakily at the men. "Have you no shame, saying such things? Do you all really see yourselves as mere bandits? Do you really want to live out your days as common thugs?"

"Bandits are people, too! Even bandits have to distinguish right from wrong, understand kindness from malice! Without Lord Shen Lang’s intervention, without the Chieftain’s help, we’d be nothing but a den of petty thieves, worth less than dog crap! We would have been slaughtered to the last man this very morning!"

"If we can’t stay in Illusion Mist City, then fine, we’ll leave! We can cross Celestial City Peak, enter the Chuyun Mountain Range through the Poisonous Mist Canyon, and find a new home! But if any of you dare to spout more nonsense and blame Lord Shen Lang, I, Situ Wang, will be the first to deal with you!"

After he finished, Situ Wang broke into a violent coughing fit, whether from his rage or from Bone One’s kick, it was hard to say.

Nalan Ziyun shook her head, helped Situ Wang sit back down, and then held her hand out to Shen Lang.

"What for?"

Shen Lang, who had been lost in thought, rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Give me a Withered Wood Revives Spring Pill," Nalan Ziyun said, clearly annoyed. "This is Bone One’s doing. The kick dislocated something in his lower back. I estimate he’s coughed up several liters of blood on the way here."

Shen Lang turned, looking just as annoyed. "An injury this minor requires a Withered Wood Revives Spring Pill? He should be taking a Dragon Tiger Rejuvenating Pill, or maybe a Five Elements Blood Coagulation Pill..."

’Are you kidding me? That Withered Wood Revives Spring Pill is refined from Nine Immortals Lingzhi. I’m not just going to give one away to anyone.’

’It’s not just for healing; it can also raise one’s Cultivation.’

’Out in the open market, a single one would fetch an astronomical price.’

"Then... give me a Dragon Tiger Rejuvenating Pill," Nalan Ziyun conceded. She knew asking for a Withered Wood Revives Spring Pill was excessive. He’d only had a few to begin with, and after giving some to his family, it was doubtful he had any left.

The Second-in-Command took the Dragon Tiger Rejuvenating Pill and sat panting in his chair, while the surrounding crowd fell completely silent.

Even if they were still resentful, who would dare to voice it now?

In truth, many of them had only been complaining because they knew the Chieftain was soft-hearted. They just wanted to provoke her into asking Shen Lang to fix the mess.

Everyone here had witnessed Shen Lang’s terrifying power. Who would actually dare to challenge him?

If they actually did, he’d surely cripple them long before City Lord An Fengrui’s forces ever reached the mountain.

Shen Lang pondered for a moment before speaking in a calm, unhurried tone. "Didn’t I tell them not to kill indiscriminately? Why did they go and raise a fuss at the City Lord’s Mansion? Is An Fengrui truly moving against Qingfeng Stronghold just because of what Bone One and Bone Two did?"

The members of Qingfeng Stronghold immediately held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

With Qingfeng Stronghold facing such a disaster, Shen Lang was the only one who could save them now.

The Second-in-Command, who had just been so righteously defiant, immediately reverted to his earlier panicked state. His voice trembled as he said, "They didn’t kill anyone, but... those factions’ buildings and defenses were the very foundation of their presence in Illusion Mist City. The two Lord Bone Demons are just too powerful. They got caught up in the fighting and flattened everything... Now those factions have taken up arms, vowing to take Qingfeng Stronghold down with them."

The Second-in-Command was filled with regret. He knew Bone One and Bone Two were formidable, but how could he have known they were powerful to this extent?

Not even a master at Xuanwu Realm First Heaven could match that level of destructive power.

A single kick, and a thick wall would come RUMBLING down. They were basically Human-shaped Barbarian Beasts!

’If I’d known this would happen, I would have never, ever let Shen Lang send them out!’

The Second-in-Command wiped away a tear of regret and continued, "While the two Lord Bone Demons were dealing with the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps, an official from the City Lord’s Mansion came to intervene. Lord Bone One beat him until he coughed up blood and fled, so they chased him all the way back to the City Lord’s Mansion and threw the whole place into chaos..."

"I’m not sure if the City Lord is doing this because the two Lord Bone Demons raised a ruckus, or if it’s because of what happened with Zhang Cheng and the others... but either way, it’s an undeniable fact that he’s coming to annihilate Qingfeng Stronghold. I’ve calculated the time, and I’m afraid they’ll be at the foot of the mountain in less than two hours."

"Experts from all over are gathering at the Illusion Mist City Lord’s Mansion as we speak. There are several masters with Flying Spiritual Artifacts among them, all from the White Rainbow Sect. City Lord An Fengrui himself is a Xuanwu Realm Powerhouse. When they attack, Qingfeng Stronghold stands no chance of resisting. Please, my lord, you must save us!"

The members of Qingfeng Stronghold immediately cried out in unison, "Please, my lord, you must save us!"