Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 1015: Endless Negotiations That Lead Nowhere

Chapter 1015: Chapter 1015: Endless Negotiations That Lead Nowhere

The day of the alliance meeting arrived, and the Martial Arts Alliance, led by Jian Shen, arrived at the mountain ahead of time, setting up their formation as if they were the home team, their morale soaring.

However, when the leader of the Xuanjian Sect arrived with the Xuanwu Alliance, seeing the opposition well-prepared, there was always a feeling of being suppressed in morale, which was unpleasant.

Jian Shen came forward to meet him, cupping his fists in a very cordial manner, then invited the leader of the Xuanjian Sect to take a seat.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect didn’t hesitate and chose a good position to sit, seemingly assuming himself as the leader of the alliance. This attitude caused discomfort to Lu Bei and Jin Yi, as he was taking himself too seriously.

Jian Shen did not mind and then said, "This time our two factions form an alliance to deal with a common enemy, and I truly hope we can put aside all grudges for the greater good."

To this, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect shook his head, "Putting aside grudges is not really possible, after all, too many of our people have been pushed to desperation by you. It’s not you who have suffered the losses; you say to let it go, but that’s too easy."

Hearing this, Jian Shen knew he was not making a good impression, but still patiently asked, "What do you suggest then?"

The leader of Xuanjian Sect just smiled faintly, "Your side needs to offer us an apology and compensation."

"What?" Jian Shen frowned, knowing his people well, many of whom were leaders of prestigious factions who valued their dignity. How could they possibly apologize?

But the leader of the Xuanjian Sect was relentless, "Jian Shen, think about it. If I hurt your family and chased you like a dog without a home, and now I tell you to put aside personal grudges for a common enemy, would you let it go? Do you think we can unite like this? What with you saying ’chase’ and chase, ’let go’ and let go, ’unite’ and unite."

Hearing this, Jian Shen looked at the uncompromising expressions of the members of the Xuanwu Alliance, which clearly supported the leader of Xuanjian Sect’s view. He knew if this matter wasn’t handled well, they might break out in a fight right there.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect, seeing Jian Shen seemed at a loss, felt secretly pleased.

Jian Shen’s expression grew grave; then he slowly stood up, walked a few steps, turned his back to the leader of the Xuanjian Sect, and sighed deeply, showing great helplessness.

At that moment, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect signaled with his eyes, prompting the members of the Xuanwu Alliance to start looking at the Martial Arts Alliance with eyes full of resentment, while the Martial Arts Alliance glared back disdainfully.

The atmosphere between the two sides was extremely tense, ready to erupt into conflict at any moment.

Gu Fan was very nervous; if the two sides really started fighting, it would likely provide a perfect opportunity for Xue Wang and the others. Hence, Gu Fan immediately glanced at Lu Bei and the rest, unsure if they had understood the hidden meaning of his earlier words.

Lu Bei appeared expressionless, completely calm, which made Gu Fan somewhat worried.

Another thing was troubling Gu Fan. Lin Xi was not present; had she really separated from Jian Shen?

Just as it seemed the talks would fail, Jin Yi came running up from the foot of the mountain and whispered something to Jian Shen, making him look incredibly anxious.

"Alright, since we cannot agree, let this alliance meeting end here. Let’s go," Jian Shen announced and motioned for the Martial Arts Alliance to leave.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect immediately put on a vexed look: "What are you leaving for, we’ve barely talked, and you’re saying you want to leave? It seems you’re not really sincere, are you?"

"Oh, does the leader of the Xuanjian Sect have any better suggestions?" Jian Shen turned around with an interested expression.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect smiled, "We put forth a proposal, and if you think it’s inappropriate, you can present your thoughts. That should be the attitude in discussing matters. Now you just want to leave without saying anything, is this meeting a joke to you?"

Jian Shen nodded, "You have a point, but it seems like you are not willing to make concessions, do we still have room to negotiate?"

"Of course!" After saying that, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect ordered his men to bring several jars of fine wine, then laughed out loud, "As we say, when friends meet, a thousand cups of wine are too few. Let’s drink and discuss the alliance. When the mood is high, everything is negotiable."

The crowd thought this was a good suggestion, and looking at the wine, Jian Shen could not help but laugh, "It seems the Xuanjian Sect is really outdoing itself to keep us here."

"This shows I value this alliance, and really hope that we can unite to face external threats," the leader of the Xuanjian Sect said earnestly, as if he truly meant it.

Jian Shen sighed, "I just fear that as we drink on, we still might not come to an agreement. And when people get drunk, it’s more likely for a fight to break out, which wouldn’t be good."

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect frowned, knowing very well that this was his true intention—to delay until nightfall, which was when Xue Wang and his companions could become active.

Jian Shen, glancing at the sun, puzzled, said, "I find it strange. You arrived at the town at the foot of the mountain just before sunset yesterday, so why did you climb up so late today? Even if you overslept, it shouldn’t take this long. Or are you also trying to stall for time?" After saying this, Jian Shen’s gaze at the leader of the Xuanjian Sect was full of implication.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect tensed up internally; he certainly needed to stall until nightfall. Yet he maintained his composure and added, "We have been traveling for several days, exhausted and weary. Of course, we needed proper rest, otherwise how could we face you with a tired spirit and risk being looked down on by you?"

Gu Fan had already understood; the question raised by Jian Shen was signaling his suspicion towards the leader of the Xuanjian Sect’s intentions, meaning Lu Bei had guessed the true meaning behind the words Gu Fan had left earlier.

So Gu Fan looked towards Lu Bei, who appeared quite relaxed and even smiled at Gu Fan.

Gu Fan realized that Jin Yi came running from the foot of the mountain to report, and Gu Fan guessed what Jin Yi had done. At this moment, Gu Fan knew his task was completed; the rest was up to these martial artists.

"Really a very good excuse." Jian Shen put on a skeptical look and intensified his tone, "Then please tell me, why did the Xuanjian Sect buy several houses at the town below the mountain and then seal all the windows?"

Hearing this, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect felt his heart sink and began sweating profusely, yet he still maintained a defiant attitude, "You had people tail us, what are your intentions?"

In response, Jian Shen displayed disdain, "What are your intentions, leader of the Xuanjian Sect, discussing how to deal with the second batch of vampires here, yet secretly collaborating with them?"