The other two looked at him and then exchanged a glance.

Mu Qing felt uncomfortable and hurriedly lowered his head, his brows furrowing. “I know it’s … brutal but I see no other way. Not with the number of people we’d likely have to face.”

Zhi Guan turned back to look at him and shook his head. “Don’t worry. We won’t misunderstand you. In this conflict, it’s a question of killing or being killed. If it’s in our hands, then naturally, we want to prevent the latter from happening. Since striking first and striking as viciously as possible is the only way to do so, we can’t have any scruples. I know that, junior martial sister Liu knows it, and the others will understand as well. So you don’t need to worry.”

Mu Qing nodded, feeling relieved. He didn’t want anyone to feel as if his time in the demonic faction had changed him beyond recognition. In the past, he always would have advocated for getting along but … that luxury had been taken from him long ago.

Zhi Guan couldn’t completely understand all of the complex feelings Mu Qing had at this moment, but he could imagine the gist of it. “This conflict has two sides and only one can win. All of us are aware of that and everyone is willing to do whatever is necessary. Coming up with this type of plan where you won’t have to actually face the people it’ll kill and execute it is really the least worrisome part. In fact … it’s probably more difficult for you who knows those people personally. Even if you don’t have to watch, just the thought … it can’t be easy.”

Mu Qing hastily shook his head, not wanting to be seen as someone who empathized with the demonic faction. Even if he did, this being the way others saw him was his greatest fear about returning to the Teng Yong Sect because he knew that most people wouldn’t interpret it kindly. No, they’d look at him in doubt and always think that he had only returned from the other side for some kind of ploy at the end of which the demonic faction would be the one to laugh last. Whether it was for himself or for Xi Ju Hai, he couldn’t accept having such an image.

Zhi Guan didn’t think that far ahead. He had taken the time to mention a few more words but if Mu Qing didn’t want to listen to them, he wouldn’t force it either. He simply gave a hum and then shrugged. “Either way, it sounds like it would be effective. The only questionable part is whether we’ll have the time to pull it off but we’ll have to see about that when we get there.” He turned to Liu Bao Ru, wanting to hear her opinion as well.

She nodded without hesitation but also thought of something else. “If we leave, what about your junior? Should we take him along?”

Zhi Guan paused and looked in the direction of the room where he had put Yun Bei Fen. He didn’t know what exactly had happened to him and from what Mu Qing had told them earlier on the way back here, neither did he. Mei Chao Bing had been there though and he might have found something out or had even been there when it happened. Anyway, he hadn’t seemed to treat Yun Bei Fen as, well, just the body of the one he had loved so chances were he’d be able to wake up again.

“We can’t be sure how safe things will be when we get back to the underground palace. Even if we have enough time to prepare and everything goes off without a hitch, I doubt we’ll get the chance to get out of this without any fights. After all, the other side has so many more people if everyone from their headquarters is going to be transferred.” He had been there so he had seen just how many of the demonic practitioners had actually come together.

Killing all of them in one fell swoop would be for the best but he was well aware that actually doing so was a pipe dream. If they found out that something had gone wrong in the underground palace and that many of their disciples had been killed, they would certainly send people to investigate. Surely, there would also be Elders among them. But they would never send everyone. Not when they were still preparing for a big battle later on.

No, the ones coming over would be a sizable group, strong enough to deal with issues, but not even the main force of their faction. So the actual main force would still be out there, ready to move out whenever it was necessary and close enough by to be there in no time. Then, with some investigation, they might actually find them. At that time, how would he protect his little junior?

Zhi Guan thought of all this and shook his head. “No, Fen’er can’t be taken along. We have to leave him here. Anyway, whoever survives might return here and if nobody does … this is where our sect would start looking for clues as to what has happened. At that time, they’d find him and bring him back.”

Liu Bao Ru nodded. “Then let’s do that and leave. We can’t lose any more time.” It was important to have a plan but they couldn’t do anything else while here and had to rush back or whatever chance they had of making this a reality would be lost. Time didn’t wait for them, after all.

Zhi Guan nodded but took another look at the door to Yun Bei Fen’s room before turning away with a sigh. His little junior … he could only hope that he would be alright when all of this was in the past. He really wished he could have done more for him but it just wasn’t possible right now.