I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1757 - 191: Consequences

Chapter 1757: Chapter 191: Consequences

"How dare you surround me like this? Do you not value your lives?"

Shi Ganhai encountered the city guards circling him with murderous intent for the first time, and he was momentarily at a loss, so he asked.

"Whether we live or not matters little, but if we get the chance to beat up someone noble, it would make this life worthwhile."

The armored soldier tilted his head, spiritual power surging in his hand, his gaze icy cold.

"Audacious! Arrogant!"

Shi Ganhai trembled with rage and instinctively attempted to summon his family guards to seize them, only to discover that the trusted subordinates had all been pinned to the ground by the soldiers.

With no alternative, the second lord of the Shi Family directed his ire toward Nongman Valley, enragedly questioning, "So this is the decorum of your garrison? Is this how Unparalleled City treats its guests?"

Standing woodenly in the corridor, Nongman Valley observed Shi Ganhai boasting and glaring, then glanced at the scene of the soldiers suppressing the family guards on the ground, and suddenly felt deeply ashamed.

Unable to face it all, Nongman Valley vanished from Banquet Building in an instant, whereabouts unknown.

...

City Hall

Lu Liang, who had been stomped underfoot, had already struggled to his feet, while Xi Wu, who repeatedly proclaimed the rule of law, was embedded in the wall, his face utterly unrecognizable.

Shen Dafa stared at his own hand with a mixed expression, while the surrounding council members looked at him with eyes full of respect.

"Send him... to the garrison, and have someone notify Mr. Shi at Banquet Building as well."

With a despairing sigh, Shen Dafa lowered his hand, saying, "If the other side inquires, just say it’s all my doing. If punishment is required, I alone will bear it."

"Chairman, there’s no need for this. That scoundrel blocked the doors of City Hall and brazenly spouted nonsense—your actions were entirely justified!"

Hearing such humble words from the chairman, a young council member protested acrimoniously.

"Right, wrong?"

Shen Dafa placed a hand on the young council member’s shoulder, smiling bitterly, "If all people in the world abided strictly by right and wrong, there would be far less injustice and grievance. When I depart, the future of Unparalleled City will rest in your hands."

"Chairman, you are the head of City Hall. The opponent was merely a henchman of the Shi Family."

Lu Liang struggled to step forward, wiping blood from his lips, and said indignantly, "I believe Lord Red Cloud will learn of this matter and certainly not side with Ten Thousand Beasts Manor!"

"Exactly, Chairman."

The young council member spoke again with reddened eyes, "Back when Unparalleled City was newly established, the Longxi Alliance came to Red Cloud Mountain to steal grain. Afterward, Lord Red Cloud not only recovered the grain but also expelled the thieves from Longxi. Today, Lord Red Cloud will also stand with us!"

"This is different."

Shen Dafa shook his head and sighed, "The grain thieves who came to Red Cloud Mountain in the past were just insignificant members of the Longxi Alliance. Speaking out for Red Cloud was no loss to Lord Red Cloud’s stature or achievements. But today’s situation involves Ten Thousand Beasts Manor and their holy land relationships. With the Martial Saint now sealed off, the seven branches of Dragon Valley practically rule all of Longzhou."

"If Lord Red Cloud were here in the city right now, we might not need to show any face to the Shi Family brothers. But with Lord Red Cloud punished and confined for violating sacred orders, we, as his followers, cannot afford to stir up further scandals over a feud with the Mao Sect relations. It would only tarnish Lord Red Cloud’s influence among the centers of the holy lands."

"And the foundation of Red Cloud Mountain—if we antagonize the Shi Family brothers now, the academy painstakingly built by the dean and the flourishing situation of Unparalleled City will all surely suffer consequently!"

At this point, Shen Dafa felt increasingly regretful over his impulsive actions earlier. But what’s done was done—regret could no longer undo it.

Thus, he could only attempt to turn this remorse into wisdom and convey it to the young council members beside him.

"Someday, all of you will be the leaders of City Hall. The decrees you issue will affect tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of households. You represent not only yourselves but also Unparalleled City. Some grievances that seem unbearable will have to be endured. Some hardships beyond imagining will have to be borne. Some concessions deemed intolerable will have to be made... All of this is for the eternal foundation of Unparalleled City!"

Having finished dispensing his words of admonishment, Shen Dafa prepared to leave City Hall, only to have his sleeve grasped tightly. The young council member suddenly began sobbing uncontrollably and said, "No, Chairman, this step cannot be retreated. Truly, it cannot be retreated!"

Tears streaming down his face, the young council member pointed tremblingly at the countless eyes watching outside City Hall: "Why have these people come to a city like Unparalleled City—a city without farmlands, without industries? They would rather toil as laborers, as apprentices, just to stay here. It’s because this is the only city in all Longzhou where fairness for the people has been inscribed onto crystal monuments, unyielding to explanations or concessions for the wealthy. This place holds the justice of Longzhou..."

"If we retreat today for Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, Red Cloud Mountain might be preserved, but Unparalleled City—gone!"

Shen Dafa, his sleeve tightly held, felt as though his entire body were shocked. He gazed blankly at the citizens peering through the doors of the hall, utterly dazed.

...

Does circumstance dictate people, or do people dictate circumstance?

In the vast majority of cases, everything begins with people acting upon circumstance.

But once matters reach a certain scale, it becomes exceedingly difficult for anyone to intervene and alter them.

Because when circumstance transforms into momentum, as the saints say: "The Way gives life, Virtue nurtures it, Creation shapes it, and Momentum establishes it."

When great momentum takes shape, anything that stands before it is like a lone tree trying to halt the rolling of a boulder down a steep mountain.

The actions of the Shi Family brothers in the city had been publicized far and wide by the Wind Media Department, causing widespread anger among the masses toward the Mao Sect relations.

Thus, on the mountainsides, one could see citizens cheering for Meng Jiao; in the Banquet Building, one could hear spectators shouting in approval; and even outside City Hall, idle onlookers craned their necks to observe the scene.

These gazes seemed to contain a kind of power that bore heavily against people’s backs, stiffening their spines. Even the most compromise-prone leaders of Unparalleled City were compelled to align themselves with this momentum when faced with such eyes.

The united will of the people, combined with unpredictable martial strength, forced the Shi Family brothers to abandon their pursuit of the dragon beasts and retreat from Red Cloud Mountain in disgrace.

The citizens of Unparalleled City, witnessing this, felt as though they had won a grand victory and began preparing for celebratory banquets and revelry.

Yet amidst this fervent atmosphere, a few individuals felt as if seated upon pins and needles.

Nervously, they struck the warning bell of City Hall, summoning Unparalleled City’s key figures for an emergency council meeting.

"Shi Muzhi will definitely return—he will definitely return! Wind Media has confirmed Shi Ganhai did not travel westward alongside Shi Muzhi but instead turned back toward Yancang! Ladies and gentlemen, war is coming!"

Du Ting slammed his hands on the sand table, his bloodshot eyes glaring as he roared at the assembly, "Once Shi Muzhi delivers the wild beasts to Dragon Valley, he will surely mention their treatment at Red Cloud Mountain to the Mao Sect. What awaits us may not just be the forces of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor but potentially the direct intervention of Dragon Valley Mao Sect itself!"

The chamber was filled with leaders from various departments of Unparalleled City—men and women who had weathered countless storms and crises. Even during the bloodiest days of Longzhou’s invasion of Tang, they had never faltered.

But the ominous prospect of the present gave everyone pause—except for a few outliers.

Among them were Du Sha, whose expression remained as stoic as a stone Buddha, and Meng Jiao, whose barely contained excitement had him grinding his teeth gleefully.

Seeing this pair of troublemakers, Du Ting felt a surge of rage and shouted angrily at Meng Jiao, "Laugh, laugh all you want! You caused this mess, now you must bear the consequences. When the elites of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor and Mao Sect arrive, you’ll be leading the charge! Let’s see if you still find it amusing then!"

"Well, now!"

The one-eyed, ugly-faced man grinned instead of cowering at Du Ting’s rebuke, saying, "Look at this—the ’always mindful of the big picture’ Elder Ting. Guess I should’ve expected this meeting to be about deciding how to sell me and those garrison lads off, right?"