"I said, come back with me." Bing Wushuang's tone brooked no argument. The powerful, icy aura around him erupted all at once, bearing down instantly on every person present.

Though all of them were Heaven-rank Great Perfection masters, their opponent was of the early Golden Core stage—the gulf in strength was simply too vast. Bing Wushuang's aura alone was already more than they could comfortably bear; each of them sensed trouble and braced as if facing a mortal foe.

"I don't know who you are, but Lengleng is absolutely not going back with you—so give up that notion!" Ying Ziyu jumped out and cried, her tone and manner still carrying a trace of the little hellion she had once been. She and Lengleng had not spent much time together, yet unexpectedly she was the one closest to Lengleng among them all. Heaven only knew how the two of them had found a common language.

"Hmph." Bing Wushuang gave a cold snort. Without any visible movement on his part, that formless icy aura pressed down hard upon Ying Ziyu alone. She too was a Heaven-rank Great Perfection, but she had advanced only recently; in both strength and foundation she was the weakest among them. How could she withstand such pressure? Her knees buckled and she nearly dropped to the ground on the spot, though in the end she clenched her teeth and held herself up with all her might.

Seeing this, Qiu Lingshan, Wu Chengtian, and the others hurried to shield her behind them—but alas, their strength was no better. Facing Bing Wushuang's oppression, they could barely keep their footing; there was nothing else they could do.

The Merciless Ice Force! Xin Yi'an frowned at the scene. He had never crossed blades with Bing Wushuang, but he knew something of this signature technique of his.

By rights, even a Golden Core master should find it all but impossible to suppress so many Heaven-rank Great Perfection cultivators with aura alone—yet Bing Wushuang could do it, because his aura field and the true qi within his body had fused into one. That was why his aura field carried such oppressive, aggressive force. It was also why anyone standing near him felt frozen to the bone and shivering.

Of course, Bing Wushuang was certainly not going all out now; otherwise these people would long since have become ice sculptures. Before his signature Merciless Ice Force, there was no chance of survival at all.

Watching the crowd's strained expressions, Xin Yi'an hesitated over whether to step in and stop it. But Bing Wushuang had done nothing excessive so far—he was merely overawing them with the lightest degree of the Merciless Ice Force. Even had he wished to intervene, he had no justified grounds; in the end he decided to stand by and watch for the time being.

At this point, Lengleng stepped forward. Bing Wushuang had come for her; no matter what, she could not drag everyone else down with her.

"You should know very well what the consequences will be if you don't come back with me." Bing Wushuang regarded her expressionlessly. He had no ties of friendship with Lengleng, none with Lengleng's master, none with Xue Jianming or with that deputy sect master father of his. He was simply carrying out a mission—nothing more.

Yet after meeting Lengleng today, he had felt a faint stirring of admiration. No matter how Xue Jianming had sown discord, advancing two ranks in such a short time proved Lengleng's extraordinary aptitude. Anyone else could have swallowed pills by the bushel to no avail.

Of course, admiration was admiration; Bing Wushuang was true to his name, as cold as ice. He would not let so slight an impression sway his actions. If Lengleng dared to utter a single word of refusal now, she would be a sect traitor, and he would kill her just the same, without the slightest hesitation.

"I…" Lengleng's expression was torn. To go back with Bing Wushuang like this meant being separated from Wei Zhao forever—perhaps never to see him again in this life. She had only just found someone to love; how could she simply leave Wei Zhao?

But if she did not go back with Bing Wushuang, everyone present would surely suffer for her sake. These were Wei Zhao's most beloved women and his closest, most trusted brothers, and they had all been friendly and warm to her. How could she bring calamity upon them for her own selfish sake?

A choice between two impossibilities. Lengleng stood now as if on a mountaintop with no way back: one step forward was a sheer precipice, and one step back was a sheer precipice as well.

As Lengleng wavered, the Merciless Ice Force bearing down on the crowd slowly intensified. The weakest, Ying Ziyu, was the first to give way; with a thud she dropped to her knees, yet she was still crying out: "Sister Lengleng, don't hesitate—we advance and retreat with you!"

"Right, advance and retreat together!" the others shouted after her.

Qiu Lingshan, closest to her, tugged at her hand and forced out a gentle smile. "From the moment you and Wei Zhao came together, we've been one family—a family that lives and dies together. You have no reason to go back with him, so there's no need to hesitate. Understand?"

"Sister Lingshan…" Lengleng had never been one to give way to emotion easily, but now her nose pricked with a sting, and suppressing the urge to weep, she said, "And all of you—please tell him for me. I'm going back first. I'll wait for him in the Primordial Small Jianghu. I'll wait for him there for a lifetime."

With that, ignoring everyone's protests, Lengleng strode toward Bing Wushuang. No one wanted to leave this place less than she did, but now she had to go. These people were so full of loyalty and feeling—all the more reason she could not harm them for her own sake.

Bing Wushuang watched this and gave a slight nod. Since Lengleng was being so sensible, it was no bad thing for him either; it saved him a great deal of trouble.

As for Xin Yi'an standing to one side, he had nothing more to say. This outcome was to his liking, satisfying to both sides: he could answer to Bing Wushuang, and he could answer to Wei Zhao. Unless it was necessary, he truly did not wish to stir up any mess.

Watching helplessly as Lengleng walked to Bing Wushuang's side, Qiu Lingshan, Wu Chengtian, and the rest were seething with agitation—but one and all were so pressed by the Merciless Ice Force that they could hardly breathe, let alone step forward to stop it.

"Let's go," Bing Wushuang said, turning to lead Lengleng away.

Just then, from the little wooden hut beside the Spirit Eye, a voice with a touch of amusement suddenly came: "Leaving just like that? Not even a hello for an old fellow like me?"

With the words, Lin Dongfang and Aunt Qing slowly emerged from the wooden hut. Utterly disregarding the omnipresent Merciless Ice Force around them, they walked, as if no one else existed, straight up to Bing Wushuang.

Bing Wushuang narrowed his eyes slightly. To him, Lin Dongfang was an utterly ordinary old man—and that was precisely what struck him as inconceivable. Even with one's toes one could figure it out: anyone who could stand here would naturally be no ordinary old man! (To be continued~^~)