"Let's discuss dealing with Sheng He," another female cultivator said in a hushed tone after ensuring the corridor was empty. "We started this treasure display conference to make Shen Qiang surrender, but who would've thought that Shen Qiang possesses a divine artifact like the Black Blade? Now, if we want to make him yield, the only way is to use force; intimidating him with magical treasures clearly won't work."

The female cultivator who asked earlier nodded seriously and said quietly, "I've heard them say that Hidden Sword Villa, Qingyun Sword Pavilion, and Carefree Valley are already preparing. They plan to act right after the treasure display conference ends, so I guess Shen Qiang and his men won't be returning to Sheng He—they will all die here."

"Hush! Keep your voice down. Are you crazy to say that out loud? This is supposed to be a secret," the female cultivator exclaimed anxiously.

The female cultivator who asked earlier lowered her voice as she surveyed the quiet surroundings, saying, "Heh, a secret my foot. Besides those few idiots in Sheng He who think their magical treasures are invincible, who doesn't know they're doomed?"

"Even if you know, you can't say it. If the news leaks, the madam will kill you."

The two female cultivators whispered cautiously to each other.

With a gaze growing colder, Shen Qiang carefully walked past them without a sound, heading upstairs.

The staircase entrance on the fifth floor of the Summer Hotel.

Similarly, two female cultivators stood guard there. The long corridor was visible at a glance, but without the ability of invisibility, no matter how quickly one moved, they couldn't avoid their watchful eyes.

In a room diagonally opposite the staircase entrance.

More than a dozen male cultivators sat inside, with a stern look and eyes cast downward, appearing to be followers of various sect leaders.

Shen Qiang carefully held his breath as he passed by the two female cultivators and then proceeded eastward.

Moments later, Shen Qiang arrived at the manager's office door of the Summer Hotel.

He then leaned in to listen and immediately heard Sha Jianming inside the office, speaking harshly, "Carefree Valley can forgo everything else from Sheng He, but that Black Blade must be mine because Shen Qiang is utterly unworthy of possessing a beauty as celestial as Youying."

"You must agree to this because my Evil Spirit Armor can be immune to most spells, and it is not afraid of being poisoned. It is the ultimate weapon to kill Shen Qiang. If you refuse, I will act alone. Regardless, the Black Blade and the Sword Spirit must be mine."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Qiang took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, in the room, the Kunlun Sword Sect's leader chuckled lightly and said, "Young Hero Sha, eliminating demons and defending the way is every cultivator's duty. After a bloody battle, rewards are indeed deserved, so let's settle it like this."

"You four families, be ready. Once the treasure display conference ends, act immediately. First, kill Shen Qiang here, and then we'll take people to the Provincial City. Without a leader, Sheng He is bound to crumble."

"At that time, Heshenghe's logistics center will belong to Hidden Sword Villa, the Black Blade to Carefree Valley, Heshenghe Building and Qingyun Sword to Qingyun Sword Pavilion, and Dinghao Hotel and Datong River Restaurant to Baihua Palace. The remaining assets will be liquidated and divided equally among your four families."

"I will support you four families from the sidelines. If necessary, I will have my Kunlun Sword Sect people participate. If everything goes smoothly, I want nothing else, just Heshenghe Mountain Villa as my holiday retreat and Shen Qiang's head as a chamber pot. What do you think?"

"Agreed."

"No problem."

"Completely agree."

In the chorus of responses, only the Baihua Palace Master said, "We at Baihua Palace are all weak women; everything relies on your decisions."

Hearing this, the Kunlun Sword Sect's leader laughed heartily and said, "Very well, then let's settle it this way. It's getting late, and to not disturb the Palace Master's rest, we should take our leave."

With polite farewells.

The Kunlun Sword Sect's leader, Carefree Valley's Young Master Sha Jianming, Qingyun Sword Pavilion's Great Elder, and the person in charge of Hidden Sword Villa left the Baihua Palace Master's office, appearing satisfied. They were escorted by the Baihua Palace Master's female assistant.

They exchanged hypocritical pleasantries as they brushed past Shen Qiang, standing close to the wall.

With a gaze as sharp as ice, Shen Qiang resisted the urge, preferring to be discovered rather than immediately activating the Plague Source to eliminate them.

He simply watched them leave triumphantly.

After they descended the stairs.

Just as Shen Qiang was about to take action, he heard the anxious voice of Baihua Jade Girl, Qian Dai, from the Baihua Palace Master's office, saying, "Master, are you sure that the people who just sat here are those righteous cultivators you mentioned?"

"Under the guise of righteous appearances, what are they doing? What did Shen Qiang do wrong? It's one thing to flaunt magical treasures and force Shen Qiang to concede some benefits, but what are they trying to do now? Speaking of eliminating demons and defending the way with words akin to a saint, aren't they just trying to kill and seize treasures at heart?"

"Why must we at Baihua Palace be complicit with these despicable people?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiang felt inexplicably warm inside.

Indeed, the pure and beautiful Baihua Jade Girl was different from the likes of Sha Jianming.

Just then, the Baihua Palace Master's sigh was heard from the office. She said, "Silly girl, honestly, Shen Qiang is a very charming man, and I know you like him a lot, but if one day you find yourself in my position, you will understand the reality of being powerless in Jianghu."

"You want to be a saint? You want to be virtuous? You don't want to hurt anyone? Then the only thing you can do is hide in the deep mountains and forests, living self-sufficiently until the end."

"The saying 'one general's fame comes at the cost of countless bones' is not just empty talk. For instance, when you outshone everyone to become the Jade Girl of Baihua, do you know how many talented and beautiful girls in the palace were heartbroken and ended up as footnotes to your success?"

"You might say you didn't harm them, but in reality, your strongest competitor at the time failed to become the Jade Girl and now remains in a daze, unable to recover. The experience of failure has become an indelible pain for them."

"Moreover, the world is like this. Resources are limited, and everyone wants them, everyone fights for them. Each person harbors the most noble ideals and the darkest desires. Do you think Shen Qiang is clean? That he hasn't harmed anyone?"

"Don't be naive. He expelled Life-extending Hall and slaughtered Long Yan Sword Sect to achieve today's success! Therefore, the cultivation world has never been just a backyard full of blooming flowers, but a place where the strong prey on the weak, filled with hidden dangers, and one misstep can lead to complete destruction in the wilderness."

"If you can't put away your conscience and unnecessary sentiment, you are destined to be a failure, merely serving as fodder for the beasts in this wild land!"

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