Li Muzhan shook his head with a wry smile, his Void Gaze sweeping down to see the entire Star Lake Lodge surrounded. Hundreds of Three Smiles Hall disciples had encircled the grounds; these were no mere novices, presenting a truly troublesome situation.

He found Xu Xiaorou and the other two women grouped together, forming a triangle against the siege of more than a dozen attackers, managing a stalemate.

Their three swords were exquisite, yet the dozen experts surrounding them were no pushovers either; flashes of blade light and sword shadow swept over them like a raging storm.

The three women maintained a tight cage of sword light protecting themselves, but it was in constant danger of shattering. Though strong, the sheer number of attackers overwhelmed them—a fierce tiger cannot stand against a pack of wolves.

Their combined formation technique was superb; the three merged as if they were over a dozen individuals, but their opponents were truly a dozen masters, each superior to them in martial skill.

Li Muzhan glanced at the others; everyone was trapped in encirclement—only the Lodge Master, Leng Wushuang, moved like mist, ethereal and unpredictable, weaving through the crowd, unstoppable by any.

Li Muzhan let out a breath of relief. As long as the Lodge Master was present, nothing was truly amiss. The Master's martial arts were profound and unknowable, utterly unmatched, so their siege meant little.

Though the explanation is lengthy, it all happened in an instant, a thought taking flight as quick as lightning; within moments, a dozen men had hemmed him in.

The sword wound on Li Muzhan’s right chest had scabbed over; his recovery speed was remarkably fast, but any strenuous movement was still a struggle. Several meridians on his right side were blocked, severely diminishing his martial capability.

These dozen-odd men surrounding him were all skilled practitioners; retreating with a single strike seemed unlikely. He needed a plan. He murmured softly, his eyes sweeping across the faces before him.

Suddenly, he laughed, his figure leaping up lightly onto a crossbeam overhead, the wall at his back, leaving only the beam in front of him.

This arrangement meant anyone attacking him could only come from the front, and since the beam only allowed one person at a time, forming an encirclement was impossible.

With his right side injured and power severely hampered, he couldn't face a dozen men, but dealing with one or two posed no issue.

He perched on the beam, smiling amiably down at the dozen men.

Most of these men were young, their appearances varied, but their vitality and spirit were robust, their aura overflowing, their gazes sharp, conveying an aggressive, pressing intensity.

As disciples of the Three Smiles Hall, they had always acted with impunity in White Cloud City, cultivating this overbearing presence, much like minor officials.

Seeing Li Muzhan's maneuver now, standing beneath the beam, they gritted their teeth, deeming him utterly shameless—though they failed to consider the shamelessness of a group attacking one man.

Li Muzhan spoke lightly, "Who are you people?"

………………………………………………

A young man pointed his sword tip at Li Muzhan and sneered, "Who are you? Li Muzhan retorted, "I am Li Zhu, a disciple of Star Lake Lodge. You intrude upon our grounds without cause; do you think our Lodge is empty of capable hands?"

"Nonsense!" the youth spat, cursing loudly, "You bold bandits! Your Star Lake Lodge dares to slay our Altar Master! We shall wipe your Lodge from existence to appease the Altar Master's spirit in the heavens!"

Li Muzhan’s brow arched, and he spoke calmly, "You are mistaken, perhaps? How do you know that Altar Master Lin was killed by us? Could someone be deliberately inciting this?"

He paused, then sighed, "Star Lake Lodge and Three Smiles Hall are not minor sects. If a true fight erupts, it will involve countless parties, costing us a thousand to injure our own eight hundred—a major affair. Still... for others, it might be a fine opportunity, watching the tigers fight, only to strike in the final moment and reap the fisherman's benefit—a truly excellent scheme!"

The dozen youths exchanged glances, their expressions growing grave. If what Li Muzhan described were true, it was indeed a great headache; once the conflict began, neither side would gain advantage, and outsiders would profit.

"What nonsense are you spewing!" the youth sneered, waving his long sword. "The Altar Master died before the gates of your Star Lake Lodge; this debt must be paid!"

Li Muzhan shook his head, "You are too rash. Altar Master Lin died near our lodge, and you immediately conclude we killed him? That's too arbitrary. Someone must have thrown Altar Master Lin’s corpse near our doorstep and sent out the signal, drawing you here!" "…Really?" The youth frowned, staring intently at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan nodded, "Why not ask the others? Who personally witnessed Altar Master Lin die in front of our Star Lake courtyard?" He was certain in his heart that those witnesses had been eliminated. No one could truly testify that Lin Zizhi died right in front of the courtyard; they only saw the body.

This gave him a basis for quibbling, offering a thread of hope for survival.

In truth, whether Lin Zizhi died by Star Lake Lodge’s hand was secondary; the crucial point was whether Three Smiles Hall dared to truly confront Star Lake Lodge. Li Muzhan was almost certain they did not dare.

Star Lake Lodge’s transcendence in the martial world was no accident. Though Three Smiles Hall was strong, they were still slightly lacking when facing the Lodge; especially now that the Southern Altar was severely wounded, they were even less capable.

Li Muzhan considered it thoroughly and found logic in it. If Star Lake Lodge could provide a step down for Three Smiles Hall, an excuse not to fight, perhaps they could pass this off. His conversation with these men initially was just a delaying tactic, buying time for his own recovery and for his senior sisters.

As he spoke, inspiration struck him; he felt he had grasped a vital insight, growing excited, as if suddenly composing a masterful poem or essay.

"Gentlemen, this is a critical moment demanding calm. We cannot allow impulse to place us all in a disadvantageous position. A chaotic brawl will ultimately only benefit the spectators!" Li Muzhan continued.

…………………………………………”，…………

Several youths exchanged glances. The four others leaped down, landing gracefully, then huddled together to murmur amongst themselves. Li Muzhan could hear their voices.

"Brother Zhao Three, do you think this fellow is telling the truth?" one youth asked softly.

He kept his voice extremely low, almost silent. Li Muzhan’s senses were keen; otherwise, even with superior internal energy, he couldn't have heard them from this distance.

"It has some merit; we can't ignore it." Another burly young man frowned and nodded. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, appearing somewhat simple, but his glances were sharp, like the gleam of a sword.

"Hmph, this fellow is merely skilled with sweet talk, begging for his life. Pay him no mind!" A youth with a thin face shook his head, sneering repeatedly.

"I don't think this man fears death. What he says does hold some truth. We shouldn't start a senseless fight based only on a signal, ending in chaos and inviting grave trouble!" offered another youth.

"Then what should we do?"

"Let's retreat first, investigate thoroughly later, and find Altar Master Lei!" "Good idea, but we can't let this fellow go either. Leave a few men to watch him, lest he escapes!"

"Agreed, that is the best course of action!"

Shortly after, the four leaped up again. The leading youth spoke, assigning six men to remain and watch Li Muzhan, while the rest followed him out.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, remaining silent, using the time to force open the meridians on his right side, striving to regain his peak condition. Moreover, he was happy to see them go.

Using his Void Eye, he watched as the dozen men flew out, engaging no one, but rushing directly toward the southernmost edge, approaching a group of elders.

The leading youth reached an elder with flowing silver hair and gestured agitatedly about something. The silver-haired elder frowned deeply and turned to survey their surroundings.

Li Muzhan smiled slightly, knowing his words had taken effect.

Suddenly, a white shadow flashed—Li Muzhan felt his vision shimmer and distort, like a river of shifting, brilliant colors, causing a slight nausea in his chest.

Then, his vision cleared, and he was standing on a rooftop, a cool breeze washing over his face, the air fresh.

Leng Wushuang stood beside him, her white robes flowing, appearing like an immortal banished from the heavens under the moonlight.

"Lodge Master, I told them that someone instigated this, framing us. Lin Zizhi was not killed by us; we must not be tricked into benefiting others," Li Muzhan murmured.

Leng Wushuang’s delicate eyebrows lifted as she regarded him.

Li Muzhan whispered, "Three Smiles Hall likely does not wish to wage war with us either. Giving them this out, perhaps the matter can be settled."

Leng Wushuang remained silent, unmoving, deep in thought.

Li Muzhan added, "Lodge Master, if war can be avoided, it is best not to fight." Leng Wushuang was still pondering, not speaking, her expression on her face shifting like a piece of flawless white jade, exquisitely clear, its gentle luster subtly flowing—utterly transcendent.

………………………………

After a long moment, Leng Wushuang suddenly let out a long, sharp cry: "Disciples of Star Lake Lodge, retreat to the courtyard!"

The cry, clear as a crane's call, echoed through the night sky. Everyone heard it and immediately moved, disentangling themselves and heading back, returning to the courtyard in an instant.

Leng Wushuang scanned the group; only one person had sustained a superficial injury, with no serious wounds or fatalities.

When truly fighting, those who fear death the least fight the hardest, yet paradoxically, they are less likely to die. With Leng Wushuang present, the disciples of Star Lake Lodge fought without fear, knowing even death could be reversed.

Furthermore, their martial arts were superior to begin with, making it easy for them to retreat unscathed.

Leng Wushuang stood on the rooftop, looking down at the assembled crowd. The silver-haired elder leaped onto the wall, calling out loudly, "Lodge Master Leng, how exactly did our Altar Master die?" Cold Wushuang remained silent, her gaze placid.

Li Muzhan cleared his throat lightly, shook his head, and sighed, "Senior, we dare swear to the heavens that Altar Master Lin was not killed by the Lodge Master!" His voice was neither hurried nor slow, but measured and deliberate, clearly reaching every ear, showcasing profound and pure cultivation.

Li Muzhan had no intention of showing off, but he had no choice; otherwise, the silver-haired elder would have immediately rebuked him for being unqualified to speak to him.

"Oh?" The silver-haired elder frowned, staring intently at Leng Wushuang.

Li Muzhan interjected, "The Lodge Master disdains to argue, but we must clarify. Senior, please first take back Altar Master Lin’s remains. Any further matters can wait until another day!" The silver-haired elder turned to look at his men. The disciples of Star Lake Lodge wore strange expressions, glancing occasionally toward Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan, showing no signs of injury now, wore a gentle smile, his green robes flowing, standing beside Leng Wushuang, giving the impression of a perfectly matched pair.