Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo suddenly stood up, his figure casting a somber silhouette in the setting sun.

His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced through the deepening twilight, fixed on the winding mountain road. At the same time, his divine sense, like invisible tentacles, quietly spread out.

After a moment, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but the seriousness in his eyes did not lessen in the slightest.

He turned around, looked at the panicked Sun Xiaohou and the pale-faced disciples who had gathered around him, and said in a deep, calm voice with a soothing quality:

"What's the panic!"

The three words acted like a spell to immobilize the disciples, calming them down somewhat.

"The people coming have not yet reached the mountain gate; they are still far away," Shen Mo calmly analyzed. "Judging from their mixed aura and heavy steps, they are not a well-trained group of cultivators, but more like... a hastily assembled rabble."

His gaze swept over the crowd, his tone turning stern: "However, those who come are not friendly; those who come with good intentions do not come. Since they dare to openly come up the mountain, they must have something to rely on. Our Qingyun Sect must be fully prepared!"

"Stone Iron!" Shen Mo shouted in a deep voice.

"I'm here!" Shi Tie stepped forward abruptly, his dark face full of determination, his chest puffed out high.

"From this moment forward, close the mountain gate! Lead Zhang Daniu and Wang Lie to reinforce the outpost defenses, taking advantage of the terrain! Set up obstacles and prepare plenty of rolling logs and rocks! Without my order, no one is to step into the mountain gate!"

"Yes, Sect Leader!" Shi Tie roared like thunder, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "With me, Shi Tie, here, I will never let a single scoundrel climb the mountain!"

He grabbed the thick door jamb leaning against the wall and yelled at Zhang Daniu and Wang Lie, "Daniu! Wang Lie! Come with me!"

Zhang Daniu responded loudly, picking up a machete; Wang Lie remained silent, drawing his hunting knife from his waist. The three of them charged towards the mountain gate like tigers released from their cages.

"Junior Sister Xiao! A-Yuan!" Shen Mo continued to give orders.

"Xiao'er (A Yuan) is here!" the two women replied in unison, their faces slightly pale but their eyes firm.

"You, along with Zhao Qingyan, Li Xiaocao, and Zhou Xiaoya, must immediately move all important supplies (medicinal herbs, a small amount of spirit stones, cultivation manual jade slips, etc.) to a hidden location inside the Enlightenment Cave in the back mountain! Be quick!"

"Yes!" Su Xiao replied without hesitation, immediately instructing Zhao Qingyan and the others to get to work. Although the female disciples were nervous, they were organized and quickly began to pack up.

"Sun Xiaohou! Qian Xiaodou!" Shen Mo looked at the two most panicked people.

"Master...Master..." Sun Xiaohou's voice was still trembling, and Qian Xiaodou was so frightened that she almost cried.

"You two are both agile. Sun Xiaohou, you lie in ambush on the rock face above the mountain gate, keeping a close watch on the approaching people and reporting back with your whistle as needed! Qian Xiaodou, you stay inside the hall and await orders!"

Upon hearing that there was a specific task, Sun Xiaohou forced himself to calm down, swallowed hard, and nodded vigorously, saying, "Yes! Sect Leader! I...I promise I'll see clearly!"

Qian Xiaodou timidly responded and hid behind a pillar.

"Lin Xiaofan," Shen Mo said, turning one last look to the thin but determined-looking boy, "you will stay by my side and act according to the circumstances."

Lin Xiaofan nodded emphatically, pursed her lips tightly, and stood behind Shen Mo, her small body seemingly containing enormous energy.

The order was given clearly and unambiguously. The disciples, who had been somewhat flustered, seemed to have found their leader and immediately began to perform their duties.

The entire Qingyun Sect was like a machine that had suddenly started up. Although the gears made tense friction noises as they meshed, it quickly entered a state of combat readiness.

Shen Mo stood with his hands behind his back in front of the main hall, gazing down the mountain. As dusk deepened, the mountain breeze carried the faint sounds of commotion and hurried footsteps, growing ever closer.

His face was calm and expressionless, but a cold light gleamed deep in his eyes.

This hurdle is unavoidable. For the Qingyun Sect to establish itself in this dangerous place, flexing its muscles and deterring the wicked is the only way forward!

"System," he murmured to himself, "assess the sect's current defensive capabilities and the optimal response strategy."

[Instruction received. Evaluating...]

[Sect Defense: Extremely Low. Simple Concealment Array (not fully activated), Physical Barriers (temporary). Combat Personnel: 2 early-stage Body Refinement cultivators (Shi Tie, Zhang Daniu), 2 second-stage Qi Refinement cultivators (Su Xiao, Shen Mo), 3 disciples with some combat ability but not yet Qi Induction (Wang Lie, etc.), the rest are support personnel.]

[Incoming Threat: Preliminary assessment indicates a mixed force of low-level rogue cultivators and thugs, numbering approximately 15-20, with the highest combat strength estimated at around Qi Refining Level 3. Threat Level: Medium (based on our strength assessment).]

[Optimal Strategy Recommendations: 1. Utilize terrain and formations to launch layered attacks, wearing down the enemy's morale. 2. Capture the leader first, focusing on striking the enemy's leader. 3. Display "strength" (such as the Stone Lion Karma) at opportune moments to exert psychological pressure. 4. Core objective: Repel, not annihilate, to avoid forging a deadly feud.]

"Understood." Shen Mo had already made up his mind. A direct confrontation was the worst strategy; a combination of strategy and intimidation was the best approach.

Just then, Sun Xiaohou's sharp whistle came from the mountaintop—one long and two short whistles! This was the agreed-upon signal: the enemy had arrived at the mountain gate and was shouting insults!

"They're here." Shen Mo's eyes narrowed, and he said to Lin Xiaofan behind him, "Let's go to the mountain gate."

The two walked quickly toward the mountain gate. Along the way, they saw that Shi Tie and his men had already set up simple roadblocks with rough wood and stones, and were waiting in full force.

Su Xiao and the others had also finished transferring the supplies and were now providing support from the second line, armed with simple sticks.

Outside the mountain gate, all sorts of foul language surged in like a tide!

"You cowards from Qingyun Sect! Get your ass out here!"

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the spirit stones and cultivation techniques! Otherwise, I'll burn this wretched mountain to the ground!"

"What kind of bullshit Enlightenment Cave is this! It's a load of rubbish!"

"Shen Mo! You charlatan, come out and face your death!"

In front of the mountain gate, a dark mass of seventeen or eighteen men had gathered, each wielding knives, swords, and clubs, their faces ferocious and their aura fierce.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of scars and a bare chest, holding a ghost-head knife, whose cultivation level was clearly at the third level of Qi Refining!

It was none other than the notorious leader of the rogue cultivators in the area—"Mountain-Breaking Blade" Liu Mang! Beside him were several cultivators at the first or second level of Qi Refining with considerable aura, and the rest were local thugs and hooligans.

This group of people were clearly hungry wolves attracted by the recent "rumors" surrounding the Qingyun Sect, and they wanted to take advantage of the chaos!

"Sect Leader! What do we do? There are so many of them!" Shi Tie gripped the door bar tightly, his palms sweating, and asked nervously.

Shen Mo's cold gaze swept over the rabble below the mountain, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

He stepped forward, walked to the edge of the stone steps of the mountain gate, and his voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out all the shouts and curses, reaching the ears of everyone present:

"Liu Mang, how dare you! You dare to cause trouble at my Qingyun Sect? Do you have a death wish?"

His voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable authority that silenced the clamor of shouts and curses.

Liu Mang was taken aback at first, then burst into wild laughter, pointing the tip of his knife at Shen Mo and shouting:

"Hahaha! Shen Mo! You dare to be stubborn even when you're about to die! You bunch of old, weak, and disabled people? If you know what's good for you, kneel down and beg for mercy, offer up spirit stones and treasures, and I might spare your dog lives!"

Shen Mo remained unmoved, simply saying, "My Qingyun Sect has stood for a thousand years; how could you possibly fathom its depths? If you retreat today, I can pretend this never happened. But if you remain obstinate..."

He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening like a knife: "This is where you will all perish!"

"Bah! Who are you trying to scare!" Liu Mang sneered, waving his hand and shouting, "Brothers! Charge! Smash this damn mountain gate! Rob the money, the grain, and the women!"

"Kill them!"

"Charge!"

A motley crew, howling and shouting, surged toward the mountain gate like a tidal wave!