Monarch Night

"Now that you've got yourself into this mess, I can already see the outcome."

Starlight Master lamented with a troubled look: "Next, Steward Fang will announce the matters of the Worldwide Escort Agency to the outside world. And then, our Worldwide Escort Agency will suddenly become extremely famous. And I'm talking about the kind of fame that turns red-hot into purple! Once the news about our Worldwide Escort Agency gets out, it basically becomes the target of everyone's arrows. Even if you don't go report it, don't take revenge, and don't even go out to fight with our Wei Wo Zheng Sect."

"But the people from the Main Sect and various sub-branches will still come to find us continuously."

Starlight Master looked as if he was spitting blood: "If you don't kill them, they will kill you. If you kill them, it basically equals betraying the sect."

"You tell me, aren't you forcing me to become a traitor alive? And a... traitor that didn't even betray at all! I did nothing, just sitting at home eating white rice, and then I betrayed... Where do I even begin to argue?"

"Now you're asking me to think of a plan, how do I think of one? Am I a God or something? The shit you pulled out has already turned into shit, do you think I can change your shit back into buns?"

Starlight Master walked back and forth, quickly.

Just like a trapped beast locked in a cage.

"You all return to your family, and there's nothing wrong then... No wait... Even if you go back, it's still death, damn it so many people have been reported by you, it's not like they don't know you, and you've been exposed, if you don't die, who will?"

Starlight Master said up to here.

The faces of the young masters and mistresses became even more miserably pained.

"But what's your death got to do with me? Whether you live or die is your own business! Even if you die, it's your own doing."

Starlight Master angrily said: "But what did I do? Why do I have to get unlucky with you? I've been acting as a Demon for so many years, being hunted and cursed like dog shit, and never felt innocent!"

"But today you actually let me experience this novel feeling, innocent! I truly felt life, for heaven's sake."

"Following you, indeed all sorts of bizarre things can happen."

"Witnessed it, everyone. Truly impressive!"

Starlight Master solemnly cupped his fists: "Everyone, amazing!"

All were deeply ashamed.

Embarrassment beyond measure.

Zhao Wushang and Zheng Yunqi felt an urge to commit suicide to apologize.

This matter was really messed up to the extreme!

Starlight Master made sense: today's matter, what's it have to do with Yixin Sect, their sub branch, Starlight Master?

Who did they provoke?

You came, got reported, went for revenge, reported others, vented your anger, and then messed things up.

Then... I get unlucky along with you!

"I just wanted to properly manage the sub branch..." moaned Starlight Master.

Wanting to cry without tears.

"How do I explain to the Sect Hierarch..."

Starlight Master in misery.

"How am I supposed to serve these grandpas and grandmas of the Shi Family?"

Starlight Master was going crazy.

Everyone hung their heads.

Faces full of shame.

Too ashamed to speak.

Oddly enough, it seemed, Starlight Master was quite the pitiful person.

After years of effort, to see it ruined at once by oneself and others. It was too unfair to him…

Zheng Yunqi coughed and said, "Leader, on the way back, I thought about this for a long time. We indeed did wrong, and this matter is already irreversible, but it ultimately needs to be resolved."

"No matter if we commit suicide to apologize, even if you cut off our heads now, the situation has reached this point, and it's of no avail."

Zheng Yunqi mustered the courage, though his face burned with embarrassment.

But...

Still continued: "Therefore, no matter the method, we surely need to quickly come up with a decision, otherwise, once this matter escalates, and our reputation spreads, we will be even more passive, and our situation will be more perilous."

Starlight Master looked at him with eyes like those of a 'starving old wolf at the end of its rope, a devil with no more options', and said, "What solution? My head is buzzing now, I can't think of a thing."

Everyone: "..."

We feel exactly the same.

Our brains are buzzing just like yours.

After a long while, Starlight Master stood up and said viciously, "Wait!"

Then Starlight Master went out.

Only heard the rustling sound of water outside, Starlight Master was washing his head.

With cold water.

In such weather…

Even those who didn't wash their heads with cold water shivered.

Then they saw Starlight Master come in with his head soaked, and he said, "You should all wash up too, try to clear your heads. What Zheng Yunqi said makes sense. The thing has happened now and cannot be avoided, so let's all brainstorm together on how to deal with it."

"Yes!"

Everyone was invigorated!

Rushed out in a swarm to wash their heads.

Finally, a sense of relief.

They most feared that Starlight Master would just burst out in rage and start killing.

But now it seemed that although Starlight Master was angry, he had clearly calmed down.

Since they are going to come up with solutions…

Let's really think.

Moments later.

Men and women all came back soaked.

Have to say, washing your head and face with cold water in the dead of winter really stimulates your spirit, everyone was now full of energy.

Starlight Master sat on the throne, surprisingly amiable, indicating for everyone to sit.

Everyone sat cautiously, barely touching their chairs.

Unsure what the Squad Leader was planning.

"Rest assured."

Starlight Master said dejectedly: "Things are as they are now, killing you guys is pointless. Who knows, maybe the one I kill in a fit of rage could come up with a good idea... right, sit down, let's think of a plan."

Only then did everyone relax, sitting down with heads hung in utmost shame.

Starlight Master said, "Let's sort out this matter and the possible consequences."

Everyone perked up.

"Simply put, regardless of the reason, Steward Fang recognized our Escort Agency, and then, wanted to put our Escort Agency out in the open, as a certain, model."

When Starlight Master said the word 'model', his voice was rather odd: "Tut tut, a model, I'd have never imagined even dreaming, that being a Demon could make me a model in the Guardian Hall."

So everyone's expressions were quite strange.

Twisted.

The urge to laugh, but damn it, didn't dare to laugh.

"This is the cause, as for why... let's not mention it. What we need to consider is, after this fact has been established, the consequences."

Starlight Master reminded.

Zheng Yunqi smoothly said: "The consequence is... once put out in the open, our sect members in Baiyun State, cannot afford to provoke the Guardian Hall, frontally confront them now, in their absolute control territory, we can't hold our own."

"So... their target will aim at us. Wave after wave, they'll first want to remove us, whom they see as 'outside forces helping Guardians.' This is inevitable."

"So we will face countless enemies."

"In such a situation, even if Yemo Sect's Liu Duozhu and others testify for us, it's basically of no help."

"And they know this is a Yixin Sect's sub branch, once they finish us, they'll naturally rise, so they won't even help us explain."

"The situation is very dire. That's first."

"Second is our future escorts will face troubles hundreds of times stronger than before, loss of goods and lives is foreseeable. And it will be our own people's doing. This is imaginable."

"The third is Starlight Master himself will face Yixin Sect's challenges, and he will need to explain this matter within the sect, besides killing people, might not even explain it clearly."

"The fourth consequence is once our family knows about these things, we will suffer misfortune, and our families will also follow suit."

Zheng Yunqi obviously thought about these matters countless times.

The potentials he mentioned were absolute certainties.

"Yes, the current facts are as such. And our biggest weakness is that we have already taken out fifteen people through reports! Those fifteen can't be avoided."

"So with established facts already, saying because we got reported so we reported back, they won't believe us; because although we got reported, no one died, but when we reported, they all died... so this is also a huge flaw."

As Zheng Yunqi spoke, everyone nodded.

Zheng Yunqi continuously talked about ten or so potential consequences.

Basically, speaking to everyone felt like their hearts were sinking, seemingly already at the bottomless abyss.

Just from Zheng Yunqi's statements, everyone basically faced certain death.

Absolutely no possibility of any luck.

"And the cultivation of the people coming will rise higher, we cannot keep holding them off."

Zheng Yunqi sighed: "Leader, that's everything I thought people need to face."

Starlight Master smiled like crying: "You only thought of the possible forthcoming events? You didn't even consider how to solve any of them?"

Zheng Yunqi bowed his head in shame.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought, but he genuinely couldn't find any solution to break the situation.

"Hope the Squad Leader comes up with a plan."

Everyone requested together.

Everyone was just young rookies, seriously lacking experience, now they were pinning all hopes on this ingenious old Jianghu demon, Starlight Master.

Starlight Master stood up, with a face as calm as water, hands behind his back, pacing slowly.

"The first point is that this matter is unavoidable. Which means, whether actively or passively, whether we're willing or unwilling, we will fight our people. Kill and be killed, and it will be life and death combat."

Everyone nodded heavily.

Yes.

"Therefore, there is a batch of people who must die!" Starlight Master firmly set the tone.

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded again, no disagreement on this point.

Life and death combat, how could there not be deaths?

"So, on this point, we need to consider it in a positive light."

Starlight Master stated.

"In a positive light?"