At this point, Elder Baili finally returned. Closing the door behind him, he sighed and wiped his face. “I wish this whole matter was over already.”
Elder Xing and Mei Chao Bing could only give him sympathetic looks. Overall, it seemed like Elder Baili was one of the most affected people. Or rather it was his disciples who were affected. Still, as their Master and one that genuinely cared about his disciples, it naturally wasn’t easy for him either.
Baili Chao sat down and looked at them one after another before raising his brows and clearing his throat. “Well, Ah Lin and Shen Lei are on their way now. Since they’re using that dreamscape and won’t have to worry as much about anyone from the other side spotting them, they should arrive there faster than the disciples who went the last time. I think we’ll be able to hear back from them tomorrow at the very latest.”
Elder Xing nodded. “If everything goes well with your first disciple’s group, that news shouldn’t arrive much later. Should we wait until then to make further plans?”
Elder Baili kept quiet, just thinking to himself for a moment. Should they? Time was of the essence now so they probably couldn’t afford to wait. “Well, what can we plan? I suppose Mu Qing will at most offer information. He won’t actually help with executing any plan. Do you agree?”
Mei Chao Bing inclined his head at once. “What he said to senior martial brother Zhi suggests that and I also think it’s likely from his behavior back at the Teng Yong Sect. Among my seniors sharing the same Master, Qu Yijun was the closest to our Master, probably because he agreed to the same views and might even have been a disciple of the demonic sects as well. Mu Qing … he always deferred to what our Master asked of him but he didn’t always agree. He only did it out of respect. So this time, I don’t think he’d dare to go that directly against him either. Even supplying us with information can only work because he feels guilt toward senior martial sister Xi.”
Elder Baili sighed. “That was what I feared. Without anyone on the inside, it’s even tougher to do anything since we can’t set anything up ahead of time. Not to mention that we don’t know where the final battle will take place. If there even is a final battle and this won’t just end up being a matter of a few people.”
Mei Chao Bing gave a hum in response. “I guess that depends on me. As long as I don’t do what my Master asks of me, it’ll be possible to prevent a battle. If not … it’ll happen on their terms.”
Elder Xing nodded. “That means what we have to prevent at all costs is your Master getting his hands on you.”
Mei Chao Bing narrowed his eyes. “That’s the question. In fact, maybe it would be best if he did. That way, we’d know what we are up against and can maybe plan.”
The Elders looked at each other, both seeming worried. Finally, Elder Baili was still the one to question him. “What exactly do you mean? You don’t intend to go there after all, do you? He’d know it was a trap at once!”
Mei Chao Bing nodded. “I know so it isn’t that simple to pull off. But just think about it: He needs me for this plan so sooner or later, he’ll manufacture a situation where I’ll somehow fall into his hands. That might be by kidnapping Fen’er or maybe he’ll come up with something else. I don’t know. But it will happen. My Master has planned this for so long, he’d never give up this shortly before his goal. And since we can’t escape that, maybe we should try to think of a way to make use of that instead.”
“Beating him at his own game.”
“Yes, exactly that.” Mei Chao Bing nodded at Elder Xing and then turned back to Elder Baili. “I know this concerns you as well since Fen’er is involved but I don’t see another way. My Master has to be defeated and … well, I don’t know how else we could do it. He will try to get me over to his side one way or another.”
Baili Chao nodded. “I know that. I just …” He shook his head and sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to do this. I don’t want to put anyone at risk, whether that’s my own disciples, you, or any of the others. It shouldn’t be like this. Especially not because of somebody we considered our own person once.”
Mei Chao Bing could only smile wryly in response. These thoughts, he had had them often enough himself. “It can’t be changed so we should make the best of it. So how about coming up with a preliminary plan? We’ll know more clearly what we’re up against tomorrow if we are lucky but if we prepare for a variety of possibilities, it’ll be easier to adjust in a short time than if we only started to ponder our options tomorrow.”
Elder Xing raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “What choice do we even have? Either way, it’ll be difficult to plan. So much can change. The important part would be to ensure they can’t pressure you and to take out the people who planned this. From what Zhi Guan said, not everyone is aware so if we could take out those Elders of the Wu Yun Sect, this whole matter could possibly be buried with them.”
Elder Baili nodded slowly. “The most important would be Feng Bai Xiao. Defeating him though …” He shook his head. “I don’t think I could do it. It might not even be possible with both of us together.”
Mei Chao Bing smiled faintly at that and pulled out the magical box Yan Hong Min had given him. “I believe that it should be possible with this though, right?”
At this point, Elder Baili finally returned. Closing the door behind him, he sighed and wiped his face. “I wish this whole matter was over already.”
Elder Xing and Mei Chao Bing could only give him sympathetic looks. Overall, it seemed like Elder Baili was one of the most affected people. Or rather it was his disciples who were affected. Still, as their Master and one that genuinely cared about his disciples, it naturally wasn’t easy for him either.
Baili Chao sat down and looked at them one after another before raising his brows and clearing his throat. “Well, Ah Lin and Shen Lei are on their way now. Since they’re using that dreamscape and won’t have to worry as much about anyone from the other side spotting them, they should arrive there faster than the disciples who went the last time. I think we’ll be able to hear back from them tomorrow at the very latest.”
Elder Xing nodded. “If everything goes well with your first disciple’s group, that news shouldn’t arrive much later. Should we wait until then to make further plans?”
Elder Baili kept quiet, just thinking to himself for a moment. Should they? Time was of the essence now so they probably couldn’t afford to wait. “Well, what can we plan? I suppose Mu Qing will at most offer information. He won’t actually help with executing any plan. Do you agree?”
Mei Chao Bing inclined his head at once. “What he said to senior martial brother Zhi suggests that and I also think it’s likely from his behavior back at the Teng Yong Sect. Among my seniors sharing the same Master, Qu Yijun was the closest to our Master, probably because he agreed to the same views and might even have been a disciple of the demonic sects as well. Mu Qing … he always deferred to what our Master asked of him but he didn’t always agree. He only did it out of respect. So this time, I don’t think he’d dare to go that directly against him either. Even supplying us with information can only work because he feels guilt toward senior martial sister Xi.”
Elder Baili sighed. “That was what I feared. Without anyone on the inside, it’s even tougher to do anything since we can’t set anything up ahead of time. Not to mention that we don’t know where the final battle will take place. If there even is a final battle and this won’t just end up being a matter of a few people.”
Mei Chao Bing gave a hum in response. “I guess that depends on me. As long as I don’t do what my Master asks of me, it’ll be possible to prevent a battle. If not … it’ll happen on their terms.”
Elder Xing nodded. “That means what we have to prevent at all costs is your Master getting his hands on you.”
Mei Chao Bing narrowed his eyes. “That’s the question. In fact, maybe it would be best if he did. That way, we’d know what we are up against and can maybe plan.”
The Elders looked at each other, both seeming worried. Finally, Elder Baili was still the one to question him. “What exactly do you mean? You don’t intend to go there after all, do you? He’d know it was a trap at once!”
Mei Chao Bing nodded. “I know so it isn’t that simple to pull off. But just think about it: He needs me for this plan so sooner or later, he’ll manufacture a situation where I’ll somehow fall into his hands. That might be by kidnapping Fen’er or maybe he’ll come up with something else. I don’t know. But it will happen. My Master has planned this for so long, he’d never give up this shortly before his goal. And since we can’t escape that, maybe we should try to think of a way to make use of that instead.”
“Beating him at his own game.”
“Yes, exactly that.” Mei Chao Bing nodded at Elder Xing and then turned back to Elder Baili. “I know this concerns you as well since Fen’er is involved but I don’t see another way. My Master has to be defeated and … well, I don’t know how else we could do it. He will try to get me over to his side one way or another.”
Baili Chao nodded. “I know that. I just …” He shook his head and sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to do this. I don’t want to put anyone at risk, whether that’s my own disciples, you, or any of the others. It shouldn’t be like this. Especially not because of somebody we considered our own person once.”
Mei Chao Bing could only smile wryly in response. These thoughts, he had had them often enough himself. “It can’t be changed so we should make the best of it. So how about coming up with a preliminary plan? We’ll know more clearly what we’re up against tomorrow if we are lucky but if we prepare for a variety of possibilities, it’ll be easier to adjust in a short time than if we only started to ponder our options tomorrow.”
Elder Xing raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “What choice do we even have? Either way, it’ll be difficult to plan. So much can change. The important part would be to ensure they can’t pressure you and to take out the people who planned this. From what Zhi Guan said, not everyone is aware so if we could take out those Elders of the Wu Yun Sect, this whole matter could possibly be buried with them.”
Elder Baili nodded slowly. “The most important would be Feng Bai Xiao. Defeating him though …” He shook his head. “I don’t think I could do it. It might not even be possible with both of us together.”
Mei Chao Bing smiled faintly at that and pulled out the magical box Yan Hong Min had given him. “I believe that it should be possible with this though, right?”
