Chapter 807: The War of Two Factions
Over the years, the area around Laogua had always been shrouded in mystery, frequently visited by locals despite being infamous for bizarre events. Naturally, the existence of the “Wild Gu People” was hardly a secret here, prompting the authorities to discourage public entry.
Several international research teams that ventured into this region had vanished without a trace, leading the government to deploy military forces around its perimeter as a precaution.
Strangely, while the rest of the vast rainforest remained uneventful, only the Laogua-controlled area periodically witnessed fatal incidents!
Since then, the mere mention of the place terrified the locals, so much so that even when Xiao Shun offered a handsome sum, the timid taxi driver flatly refused to go further.
With no choice but to pay the fare, Xiao Shun got out of the car and started to walk.
He now stood at the entrance of a resort, watching tourists frolic inside, his gaze drifting toward the dense, uninhabited jungle ahead.
“It looks like I have to walk these thirty or so kilometers myself!” he mused, hands in his pockets as he slowly made his way toward the forest.
The trees stretched as far as the eye could see, covering an area as long as the coastline within Laogua, reaching all the way to another country.
Xiao Shun had long heard about the vast expanse of Southeast Asia’s tropical rainforests, but seeing them in person today was truly astonishing.
Meanwhile, within the country, the Southeast Old School Society.
After a night of relentless fighting, the war between the Old School Society and the New School Society was nearing its end.
The battle had erupted from the early hours of the previous night, starting at a branch of the Old School Society and continuing to the foot of Kongshan by noon. The beleaguered remnants of the Old School Society, fully aware of their impending defeat, still fought desperately under the bright sunlight, shedding their last drops of blood and sweat for their organization!
Qin Zhenhuan nodded in approval after seeing Miao Aman leading several powerful Gu practitioners up the mountain.
This battle was a success largely due to the efforts of the Meadowfolks’ Gu practitioners.
Miao Xiuyun, Miao Aman, and Miao Wu, three clan chiefs, had led their fierce warriors to nearly crush half of the Southeast Old School Society’s experts.
With just about a dozen people, they managed to suppress over a hundred members of the Southeast Old School Society, playing a crucial role in securing victory.
Even without the Meadowfolks’ strength, the New School Society could have easily won, but having these skilled Gu practitioners made the battle far easier.
And from the start of the battle to now, almost all members of the New School Society, except for a few wounded, were still fighting in peak condition.
Thinking this, Qin Zhenhuan’s admiration for Xiao Shun reached new heights.
He marveled internally: “This is truly a man of great deeds; just a few days in Heaverpool, and he managed to discipline the unruly Meadowfolks!”
Then, Qin Zhenhuan looked at Gao Qiu, who stood expressionlessly beside him, and chuckled, “Brother Gao, now that we have surrounded the remnants of the Old School Society in Kongshan, taking this place will give us control over the entire southeast!”
Gao Qiu remained silent, his expression calm but his mood as desolate as the winds atop Kongshan.
He had joined the Old School Society at twenty, pouring his passion, youth, and sweat into it, reaping significant rewards.
Once an elder of the Old School Society, fame and wealth had come easily to him, as had his formidable acquired skills, all thanks to the dedicated cultivation of the Old School Society.
At this very moment, Gao Qiu, as an adversary, witnessed the downfall of the Southeast Old School Society, a feeling indescribable in words.
When he learned of Nie Jiuchong’s death, he had already anticipated this day and had fully prepared for what was to come.
However, standing here as an executioner, Gao Qiu felt no joy in his heart, only sighs of resignation and a touch of sadness.
Looking up at the towering, cloud-piercing empty mountain, Gao Qiu lamented, “I devoted thirty years to the Southeast Old School Society, thinking I would witness its most glorious moment, only to see its destruction in the end!”
Hearing this, Qin Zhenhuan glanced at the sorrowful Gao Qiu and understood.
“I understand how you feel, but times change, and the Old School Society has strayed from its original path. It’s a known fact. If left unchecked, many cultivators would find themselves without a way forward!”
Gao Qiu sighed, “Indeed, everyone understands this, but when that moment truly arrives, the feeling is inexplicably hard to express.”
Patting his shoulder, Qin Zhenhuan continued.
“From now on, place the hopes and care you had for the Old School Society into the New School Society. It will surely thrive under your devoted nurturing. After all, we can all see that Leader Xiao is neither heartless nor greedy for power!”
Gao Qiu nodded emphatically, “That’s exactly why I chose to leave the Old School Society and follow Leader Xiao!”Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.
As he spoke these words, his face no longer bore the sadness of before.
After all, his melancholy was never for people or events, but solely for the Old School Society itself.
As the saying goes, to break and then establish, if a seedling grows crooked, it needs to be pruned. The same principle applies to the Old School Society. Gao Qiu firmly believed that the future New School Society would far surpass the Old School Society in strength, just as he had always envisioned.
After collecting his thoughts, Gao Qiu began to focus on the situation at the empty mountain.
“Just now, Huang Shan led more than seventy people up the mountain, likely the last of the Southeast Old School Society’s forces. We just need to surround the mountain on all sides, and they will be trapped!”
Qin Zhenhuan nodded with a smile, “Hehe, just now, Miao Xiuyun had already positioned four top fighters from the Miao clan to guard the mountain base. All we need now is to press forward with our main forces, and success is within reach!”
“Our side has five times their number. It won’t be long before the battle comes to a definitive end,” Gao Qiu confidently declared.
This time, the New School Society, led by Leiyang, brought over five hundred elites to the Southeast Old School Society, a force that constituted half of the Old School Society’s total strength, clearly showing the determination of Qin Zhenhuan and Gao Qiu to take down the Southeast Old School Society.
Meanwhile, Miao Xiuyun was the first to reach the summit, looking at the demoralized remnants of the Old School Society nearby with a smug grin.
“Hehe, I’d advise you to surrender quickly. The situation is already like this, and resisting further won’t change anything.”
“Hmph, you Meadowfolks are quite presumptuous. We haven’t even come to settle the score with you, yet you dare to join forces with the New School Society to attack us. Do you really think our Old School Society is undefended?”
Among the crowd, a middle-aged elder loudly rebuked Miao Xiuyun.
Miao Aman also reached the summit at this time, and with a look of disdain, responded to the elder, “Nie Jiuchong, relying on his status as sect leader, dared to threaten and attack our Meadowfolks’ chief. Now, meeting such an end is simply reaping what he sowed!”