Chapter 427: Chapter 237: Ten Thousand Soul Banner_2 The people from the Governor Mansion turned gloomy when they saw Gu Sheng and Lin Tianhao together. "Brother, Sister Shu went alone to chase after Gu Sheng, but now Gu Sheng is with Lin Tianhao, and there’s no sign of Sister Shu. Do you think Sister Shu was taken by the two of them..." Lu Feng, with a heavy expression, leaned over to Lu Yun and whispered. Lu Yun and Lu Shu were both powerful and held high positions in the Governor Mansion. With Lu Shu’s disappearance, Lu Yun and his brother had become the de facto leaders of the Governor Mansion. Upon hearing this, Lu Yun’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned extremely serious, "Wait here, I’ll go ask." Lu Yun approached Lin Tianhao, cupped his hands in a polite gesture. Seeing Lu Yun approach, Lin Tianhao already guessed his purpose. Lin Tianhao returned the gesture with a smile, saying, "Brother Lu, are you here to talk about an alliance with our Haoyang Sect to obtain this Treasure?" The Governor Mansion, in terms of reputation and strength, was no less than the Haoyang Sect. They had always operated independently, so naturally, an alliance was unlikely. Otherwise, it would just mean diminishing their own standing. Lu Yun forced a bitter smile, "Brother Lin, you’re joking. I’m here to ask if you’ve seen Sister Shu recently." "Lu Shu? Wasn’t she with you? We’ve been delayed for a long time in a sect’s ruins and haven’t seen her. Why, have you lost contact with her?" Gu Sheng wanted to laugh heartily when he saw Lin Tianhao’s earnest expression. He hadn’t expected Lin Tianhao, who seemed so serious usually, to be so skillful at lying. Lu Yun was momentarily speechless and glanced at Gu Sheng, "He’s been with Brother Lin all this time?" Lin Tianhao nodded and smiled, "Yes! Shortly after we came out of the Demon Suppression Sect’s ruins, we found Brother Gu first and reached some agreements. As for Lu Shu, we really haven’t seen her. You don’t need to worry too much; with her skills, she shouldn’t face any danger in the Red Secret Realm. The realm will close in a few days, and she’ll be transported out naturally." Seeing that he couldn’t get any more information, Lu Yun left with a sullen face. Once Lu Yun returned, Lu Feng quickly asked, "Brother, what did they say?" Lu Yun shook his head, "Couldn’t get anything out. Lin Tianhao said he found Gu Sheng shortly after coming out of the Demon Suppression Sect, and they reached some agreements. They haven’t seen Sister Lu Shu during this time." Upon hearing this, Lu Feng exploded, "Impossible! They must be lying! Gu Sheng has Sister Lu Shu’s methods on him. It’s impossible they haven’t met! In my opinion..." Before Lu Feng could finish speaking, he was silenced by Lu Yun’s fierce glare. With a menacing gaze, Lu Yun said, "Now Sister Lu Shu’s whereabouts are unknown. Without her, we can’t compete with the Haoyang Sect. You mustn’t speak carelessly now; if you really anger him, we’ll have no consequences we can bear." Realizing this, Lu Feng wisely kept quiet. Lu Yun looked up at the seven-colored light above. Standing here, the seven-colored light was incredibly dense, and through it, a black banner could be seen. The ancient and oppressive aura of the black banner made everyone present feel uneasy. "Even though Sister Lu Shu isn’t here, we can’t let our Governor Mansion’s reputation falter! Lin Tianhao and Gu Sheng have already reached an agreement about the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell, and we’ve lost the initiative. We must seize the initiative with this Treasure! The rest of you stay here; you come with me to see if we can draw in some other factions!" After Lu Yun left, the people from the Holy Pill Sect and the Mu family also noticed Gu Sheng with Lin Tianhao, and Yun Tianyi and Mu Yuanyuan hurried over. "Brother Gu, what’s this all about...?" Yun Tianyi pointed at Gu Sheng, then at Lin Tianhao, his eyes full of confusion. Gu Sheng smiled, "Brother Yun, I’ve been with Brother Lin and them during this time. You don’t need to worry about those two Treasures; they’re still with me. The final decision can be left to the Great Elders to worry about." Saying this, Gu Sheng’s gaze fell on Mu Yuanyuan. "Sister Mu, although the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell are still with me, I wasn’t aware that the true ownership doesn’t lie with us. The final decision on these two Treasures will only be made by the high authorities of each faction. However, rest assured, whatever happens, the kindness of the three major families towards our Holy Pill Sect will be remembered. Once we return, I’ll have the Great Elder offer you some reward." The three major families, led by the Mu family, being with the Holy Pill Sect meant they were protecting them during this time. Gratitude overflowed in Gu’s heart for their support. Mu Yuanyuan shook her head and pointed to the black banner in the seven-colored light, smiling, "We initially didn’t contribute much, so there’s no need to mention rewards. Since the matters of the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell are settled, let’s focus on this matter instead." "Regarding this object, Brother Gu and I have already discussed that once we obtain it, I shall safeguard it. Your families, Mu, Zhou, and Wu, being on good terms with our Holy Pill Sect, shall join us, and our Haoyang Sect promises rich rewards afterwards." Upon hearing this, Mu Yuanyuan and others immediately cupped their hands in agreement towards Lin Tianhao. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 They arrived earlier than Lin Tianhao, so they noticed the absence of Lu Shu from the Governor Mansion. Besides Lu Shu, Kan Tai from the Thousand Poison Sect also wasn’t present. Adding it all up, among the leaders of the two sects and three sects, only Lin Tianhao, Gu Sheng, and Linghu Qingwan were present. Among them, Lin Tianhao was undoubtedly the strongest, and with Gu Sheng by his side, the outcome of this struggle was nearly predetermined. The three major families knew they couldn’t contend with the Haoyang Sect on their own; thus, when Lin Tianhao extended his offer, they were happy to oblige. The Governor Mansion, despite Lu Shu’s absence, still held its long-standing authority, and with Lu Yun and Lu Feng’s persuasion, they successfully united the Thousand Poison Sect, Mad Saber Sect, and the Qian family’s forces. After the alliance of the Governor Mansion, three sects, and the Qian family, although they lacked top-tier fighters comparable to Lin Tianhao’s, they had a greater number of skilled fighters than the Haoyang Sect, Holy Pill Sect, and the three families of Mu, Zhou, and Wu. As the saying goes, "two fists can’t block four hands." Although Lin Tianhao was strong, when people like Lu Yun joined together, they could still contend with him. Lin Tianhao glanced at the people from the Governor Mansion and the three sects indifferently, not taking them to heart. Having witnessed Gu Sheng’s tactics, Lin Tianhao remained confident in this battle. At most, the people like Lu Yun could gather a few experts to delay him, but for Gu Sheng, he would be invincible against all others. In any case, this Treasure was theirs to take! After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lin Miaomiao and others, Gu Sheng’s eyes rested on the black banner in the seven-colored light. Despite being enveloped by the seven-colored light, Gu Sheng could still sense the detestable aura from the black banner deep within his heart. Gu Sheng’s right eye was twitching uncontrollably, and he felt inexplicably uneasy and irritable, with a nagging sense of impending doom. "Strange! Why is this happening?" Gu Sheng wondered, for since becoming a Martial Artist, his intuition for danger had been quite sharp. Scanning his surroundings, he couldn’t find the source of danger, and his eyes eventually went back to the black banner. "Could it be that this black banner is some ominous object?" Unable to figure out the reason, Gu Sheng decided not to dwell on it and quietly waited for the seven-colored light to dissipate. "Haha, so much fresh flesh and soul, perfect for my Ten Thousand Soul Banner sacrifice! It’s a pity, Lu Shu isn’t here, missed out on a fine blood feast." Hiding in the shadows, Zhao Honglie watched the crowd beneath the Ten Thousand Soul Banner with greed in his eyes; he licked his lips, a perverted smile spreading across his face. Another day passed, with hardly anyone arriving from elsewhere. In the shadows, Zhao Honglie rubbed his hands together excitedly, "Time’s just about up, time to harvest!"