Xiao Man raised a hand to stop Shan Yun and the others, looking at Xiang Jian, who walked in, with a half-smile.
"Sect Leader Xiang, you're awake. Did you sleep well?"
Xiang Jian walked up to Xiao Man and knelt down with a thud. "I, Xiang Jian, admit defeat. From today onwards, I recognize Xiao Qin as my master, swear my loyalty to Xiao Qin, and will never betray her. If I break this oath, heaven and earth will not tolerate it."
Xiao Man reached out and helped him up. "Sect Leader Xiang..."
"Master, I am no longer the Sect Leader. You are!" Xiang Jian smiled brightly. "From the moment Master defeated me, you became the rightful Sect Leader of the Eight Directions Sword Sect!"
Zhou Yan arrived just as he heard this. He was also a smart person. Xiao Man's strength was far superior to Xiang Jian's. With such a powerful expert stationed at the Eight Directions Sword Sect, the other three sects would have to reconsider if they wanted to make a move against them. He immediately declared his stance. "Zhou Yan pays respects to the Sect Leader and the Vice Sect Leader." Su Dan Novel Network
Zhou Yan voluntarily gave up his position as Vice Sect Leader. Xiang Jian was the soul of the Eight Directions Sword Sect. At least until Xiao Man could fully solidify her position as Sect Leader, Xiang Jian had to remain with the sect, otherwise, the disciples might cause trouble.
Xiao Man became the Sect Leader of the Eight Directions Sword Sect, but she did not allow the news to be spread.
"Sect Leader, why aren't we spreading the news?" Xiang Jian asked in confusion. If the news of Xiao Man becoming the Sect Leader of the Eight Directions Sword Sect spread, the people of the Mad Saber Guild would not dare to trouble Xiao Man.
"Vice Sect Leader, Mad Saber has always acted without regard for consequences. If he knows the Sect Leader's whereabouts, he will definitely try every means to attack the Eight Directions Sword Sect, and the sect will suffer heavy losses."
"The assessment in Wuji City is in half a year, and we still have to fight. It's better to strike early and defeat Mad Saber first."
"What kind of person is Mad Saber?" Xiao Man inquired.
"Bloodthirsty and greedy. Anyone from the Eight Great Tribes who encounters him will be robbed and humiliated. If they are lucky, they will only lose their wealth to avoid disaster. If they are unlucky, they will lose their lives." Zhou Yan frowned. "This person is a truly despicable scoundrel."
"In that case, he really cannot be tolerated." Xiao Man asked Zhou Yan for a map of the Land of No Return. "The Mad Saber Guild's forces are mainly in this area, and over here are the Flying Eagle Gang and the Heartless Gate. The Mad Saber Guild and the Heartless Gate are very close to each other. What kind of person is the leader of the Heartless Gate?"
"The leader of the Heartless Gate is nicknamed the Poisonous Woman. No one knows her real name. She has gathered many women under her. It can be said that most of the women in the Land of No Return are in the Heartless Gate. It is very difficult for women to survive in the Land of No Return. If it weren't for the Poisonous Woman, those girls would have long since fallen prey to those beasts."
"So, the Poisonous Woman is a kind-hearted person."
"In this Land of No Return, where are there kind-hearted people?" Xiang Jian said slowly. "The Poisonous Woman is not simple. Of the four major powers, I dislike dealing with the Poisonous Woman the most. Her poison skills are superb. The Mad Saber Guild and the Heartless Gate are adjacent, and Mad Saber is lustful. He has often cast covetous eyes on the girls of the Heartless Gate, but he dares not provoke the Poisonous Woman, and there is a reason for that."
"Many people have been poisoned to death, right?"
"Yes, the Poisonous Woman's attacks are always with potent poison. That's why we avoid the Flying Eagle Gang as much as possible and don't like to have direct conflict with her."
Xiao Man stared at the map, a cunning smile appearing in her eyes. She pointed to a spot and said, "If I remember correctly, this is Bright Sun Valley, where the Dragon Spirit Bamboo is located, isn't it?"
"Yes, this is indeed Bright Sun Valley. Bright Sun Valley is full of poison, and the Dragon Spirit Bamboo is in the center of Bright Sun Valley. That's why I said that obtaining the Dragon Spirit Bamboo is simply wishful thinking."
Xiao Man nodded, as if agreeing or as if hatching a plan. Zhou Yan glanced at Xiao Man cautiously. He always felt that Xiao Man's expression was as if she was about to scheme against someone, a feeling like a caterpillar that had fallen into his clothes, crawling up his spine and making him shiver.
"Let's destroy the Mad Saber Guild."
Zhou Yan choked on his saliva. He was just about to analyze the current situation for Xiao Man. The Mad Saber Guild was a gathering of desperate criminals, each one ruthless and killing without blinking. Mad Saber was a madman. It wasn't impossible for them to destroy the Mad Saber Guild, but behind them, the Heartless Gate and the Flying Eagle Gang were watching. If they were to fight the Mad Saber Guild to a mutual defeat, wouldn't these two factions take advantage of their weakness to destroy them?
However, before he could speak, Xiang Jian had already replied, "I think so too, let's destroy the Mad Saber Guild!"
"Sect Leader, Vice Sect Leader, your subordinate feels this action is not appropriate. The assessment in Wuji City is imminent. What we need now is stability, not conflict with the Mad Saber Guild. If our strength is greatly diminished, we might not be able to enter the assessment, which would be a loss."
"Zhou Yan, I am the Sect Leader," Xiao Man said indifferently. "My word is the command."
Zhou Yan's expression stiffened. "Your subordinate obeys."
Xiao Man knew Zhou Yan's concerns, but she had never thought of a frontal confrontation with the Mad Saber Guild. She intended to take down the Mad Saber Guild without anyone noticing.
"The location of the Mad Saber Guild is open terrain. If enemies approach, they will be discovered from a distance," Xiao Man decided on the combat plan and began to prepare. "To destroy the Mad Saber Guild's stronghold, we must first lure Mad Saber out."
"I'll be the bait," Xiang Jian said without hesitation. Among those present, besides Xiao Man, he was the only one who could contend with Mad Saber.
"You take Shan Yun and Qi Hong and lure Mad Saber out, lure him to this place." Xiao Man pointed to the map. "I will set up a formation here to trap him. Before that, you must remember the changes in the formation and skillfully use it to kill Mad Saber."
"If Mad Saber is not there, they can still use signals to notify others, and we won't be able to approach the Mad Saber Guild's stronghold."
Xiao Man's lips curved. "I have a way. I guarantee that even if we enter the Mad Saber Guild's stronghold from the front, no one will discover our presence."
Zhou Yan expressed doubt. Was it possible? The reason Mad Saber chose this place as his stronghold was because it was open and visible from afar. To infiltrate the Mad Saber Guild without alarming anyone, they would have to turn into flies to get in.
"I believe you have a way!" Xiang Jian said blindly.
Zhou Yan glared at Xiang Jian. "Vice Sect Leader, where is your reason? The Sect Leader is going to fight the Mad Saber Guild! You're not stopping her, you're even fanning the flames. How did I not realize you were so eager to stir up trouble?"
"Sect Leader, if people from the Heartless Gate discover us and come to interfere, what do we do?" Shan Yun asked. If people from the Heartless Gate came to interfere, they would suffer heavy losses, as everyone in the Heartless Gate was skilled in poison.