Chapter 710: The Second Ambush!
Ling Xiaozui and Dugu Chou - the two vaunted heroes - were feeling rather downcast at this point in time.
Logically speaking, with their own judgment, their little party of four could be considered the world's strongest lineup of fighters. Be it a battle of wits or a battle of strength, they were unrivaled in every sense of the word; no one would dare to find any trouble with them.
Their lineup included Ling Xiaozui, the unrivaled swordsman; Dugu Chou, the best of his time during his days of glory; Heaven's Inquisition, the man who could tell fortunes, draw out their odds and predict the future; even the weakest among them was the Phantom Physician God of Wine - Feng Xiange!
Be it in theory or fact, this four-man lineup could do as they wished, in any corner of this world!
However, it could not be denied that the current journey they had embarked on was an extremely turbulent one!
After a period of recuperation, the four men left the mountains with their abilities, cultivation base and wounds fully healed and restored. Feng Xiange felt unbearably bitter about the grievances they had incurred and suggested that they head back to the Four Seasons Tower to deliver some trouble - to kill them all when they least expected it.
The last encounter might have been disastrous, but they had managed to confirm the location of the headquarters of the Four Seasons Tower, which was situated on an enormous mountain. Now that everybody's wounds had been fully healed, what better time than now to execute their revenge?
The main reason why they had played right into their opponent's hands was that they did not take any precautionary efforts towards the ambush their opponents had set up. This time around, everybody had their guards up. How is it possible for them to be ambushed once more?
They would succeed as individuals with a sound plan, as they would be facing the ones who were ill-prepared this time, rendering them defenseless and open to attack - it would be the perfect strategy!
Ling Xiaozui and Dugu Chou felt that Feng Xiange's proposal was perfectly reasonable.
This was especially true as there was still a layer of apprehension at the bottom of Ling Xiaozui's heart. Frankly speaking, he would have liked to seek out Yun Yang alone to discuss the best way to execute their next move. However, after weighing out his thoughts, he was certain that someone within this four-man party would surely find fault with this.
However, if they were unable to seek out this individual and bring him back with them swiftly, a worse disaster might be triggered.
Be it a trap or an ambush that lay in wait if they went ahead to attack the Four Seasons Tower, this experience would certainly reaffirm the true nature of one's comrades; it would be better for him to clear the suspicion within his own company before returning to avoid the lurking dangers.
If he and Dugu Chou ever did something remotely akin to leaving themselves open to attack and be completely unaware of their own stupidity, then that would be the biggest joke in the entire martial world. How could they stop anyone from laughing about it? The humiliation would last a lifetime.
In short, they could not afford to sustain any losses!
This situation eventually boiled down to the matter of attitude: the more formidable the men who were gathered here, the more reluctant they were to suffer any form of defeat.
Why the hell would I deserve to lose here?
Hence, in the end, the three men agreed to this suggestion.
After a brief calculation, Gu Chaliang was the only one who had an unusually firm sense of objection towards this. He declared what he knew just as he saw it, "There are many dangers that lie ahead. Not only will there be a disaster of bloodshed, but we will also face being driven into a corner. We should turn back to safety, for we will sustain losses if we proceed any further."
It was a firm objection that had never happened before.
Dugu Chou already had a growing suspicion; how could he possibly sit this one out?
At the same time, Ling Xiaozui seemed to have made a firm decision in his mind, and adding on to Feng Xiange's strong encouragement - it was three against one. Gu Chaliang would not be able to win against the majority view, no matter how hard he stood his ground.
If he were to add in a few more comments, the four men on the spot would surely fight amongst themselves, and he - he would be the target of the bunch, without a doubt.
The other three would certainly gang up against him, and the only outcome that could result from it was to flatten him whole - that would be the ultimate injustice.
Helpless, he reluctantly agreed.
Hence, on that night itself, the four individuals crept up the mountains which they had set their sight on once more, seeking out the Four Seasons Tower.
The headquarters of the Four Seasons Tower was located at the peak of that mountain. It was perilously steep, and the highest point of the primary peak itself stood amongst the clouds. With a quick approximation, its height must have been at least a few thousand feet tall, surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides. The whole mountain peak looked like a penholder.
In reality, this hill was aptly named Penholder Peak.
"See that? You can only see that penholder-like peak when you enter these grounds. The last time we were assaulted, we were at that vast area beneath the penholder." Feng Xiange said gleefully as he pointed towards the direction of Penholder Peak.
"This time, however... we have brought ourselves all the way up the peak itself, taking them by surprise at the most unexpected manner, right before their doorstep. Even if they had laid out any defenses, could they even defend themselves against our attack this time?"
Feng Xiange's plan was an extremely bold one, yet there was quite a striking and unexpected element to it.
Ling Xiaozui and Dugu Chou were silent for half a beat. They both felt that this idea could actually work, with high chances of success.
No matter what it was, they still had the combined strength of the four of them to counter any unexpected situations that might arise. If there was a need to escape from such unforeseeable circumstances, surely their opponents would find it hard to fend them off, no matter how strong they were. To escape unscathed would not be a hard thing to do!
"I'm a man who is halfway into the grave anyway; I don't wish to have any grievances left in my heart, or die with hatred or in vain!" Ling Xiaozui and Dugu Chou nodded in agreement, echoing Feng Xiange's sentiments.
Being the only person here who had any objections, Gu Chaliang's opinion did not mean anything at all.
Yet, Gu Chaliang remained adamant on suggesting one idea. We're bringing the fight up there? Yes, we can, but first, we should draft out our attack strategy and our escape route. Everything else aside, purely judging by the site itself, Penholder Peak was a remarkably defensible peak, tough to penetrate - this was a fact known to all. Although everybody here was blessed with great strength and abilities, they would surely overlook or underestimate this fact; yet, there was always a limit to a man's strength, and the martial world is always filled with countless circumstances even more brutal and unpredictable than the last. Hence, there is a reason to be amply prepared with necessary defensive measures.
For example, medication for the wounds. Merely carrying it would not be sufficient; it should be hidden in the crevices of one's mouth, ready to be ingested at any moment in need. As for the matters related to the terrain - the mountains, in their case - transit kites that could float and glide in the sky should be constructed. These were just precautionary measures - how could you guarantee that you wouldn't fall for one of these schemes that could cost you the ability to amass your basic Qi? Furthermore, the body should also be equipped with adequate defenses of its own. Antidotes? Just take it before beginning the expedition. If anything were to happen, it would work against poison, but if nothing eventful occurs... just take it as a drug. With that, a man would be prepared against any potential disasters and be safely out of harm's way.
Gu Chaliang mumbled incessantly as he brought up these requests. Dugu Chou was extremely annoyed, yet Gu Chaliang insisted on fulfilling his demands with absolute determination.
My request was with everybody's safety in mind, and it was only for your own good. Do you have objections? You don't want to follow them? Fine, then I shall not entertain you all any longer - go ahead, the three of you.
The three of them gave it some thought. Gu Chaliang only meant well, and the forces of the Four Seasons Towers were unexpectedly strong, as could be seen from the last attack. As for their side, it would not hurt to have extra preparations, for their own good. Hence, they all complied to Gu Chaliang's requests.
The four of them then dashed forward.
However, beyond everybody's expectations... they were ambushed once again!
As the four of them stepped foot onto Penholder Peak, their deific consciousness could already gauge that there was not a single soul around. They had slipped into the headquarters of the Four Seasons Tower as cautiously as possible, yet, within the grounds of the peak's only building, there was no one to be seen.
When such a sight greeted them, how could the four men not know that something had gone horribly wrong? Just as they turned to leave, it was too late, for a huge explosion suddenly erupted out of nowhere.
The thousand-meter-high peak was instantly reduced to a state of ash and debris with a concussive boom!
Numerous explosives had been buried underneath the mountain by the forces of the Four Seasons Tower. They had been triggered simultaneously, resulting in an earth-shattering explosion!