High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 779 - 610 I Dare Not Say_2

"Yes, yes."

Song Youren nodded with an air of submissiveness.

"What is the matter?"

"I... I don't quite dare to speak of it." Song Youren shrank back, pulling his neck in.

"Just say what you have to say. Why all this stalling?" Elder Qin remarked with clear irritation.

The man had used this very excuse to gain entry just moments ago.

And now, he claimed he lacked the courage to talk.

Did they truly take the council for three-year-old children who were so easily manipulated?

"Yes, understood."

Song Youren stole a glance at the assembled group and spoke the truth: "He commanded me to inform the Elders that if you seek vengeance, you should target him directly rather than harming others. Should you touch anyone else, he will respond with an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

"Preposterous!"

The moment the words were out, Xu Hu flew into a rage and bellowed, "Is he actually threatening us?"

"It is undeniably a threat."

Elder Yan spoke in a measured tone: "If we dare lay a finger on anyone from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Association, he intends to slaughter our clan members in retaliation."

A sudden silence descended upon the room.

Even the roaring Xu Hu grew noticeably quiet.

As the proverb goes, one can be a thief for a day, but one cannot guard against a thief every day. Having a figure comparable to their family ancestors targeting them for assassination meant that no one, save for the ancestors themselves, would be safe.

Furthermore, given that Chen Fan had wiped out every operative they sent without leaving a single soul alive, he was clearly a man who kept his word.

"In my view, we must prioritize finding that brat and killing him before we deal with the Jiangnan Martial Arts Association," Zhao Chunyuan suggested with a sigh.

If they dared to move against the association members now, they would be the next ones on the chopping block.

"Indeed. If he isn't eliminated, we would be forced to hide within our family secret realms to escape his hunt, which is simply unsustainable," Elder Yan sighed in agreement.

He hadn't wanted to involve himself in this mess originally.

However, as a member of the Elder Council, and with the Su family's influence surpassing his expectations, he had been left with no alternative.

"Are we truly going to permit this brat to intimidate us?"

Xu Hu remained indignant.

After all, Chen Fan wasn't the only one defying the Elder Council; Shi Tao and the others were also in rebellion.

They had been issued warnings but had completely ignored them.

Anyone who dared to disregard the Council's authority—whether it was one man or many—deserved death!

"Old Xu, keep your composure."

Elder Qin looked toward him and counseled, "That brat possesses the genuine power to back up such a threat. We must endure now to ensure our long-term strategy. Once he is captured and executed, the others will be at your mercy."

"Correct."

Su Ming finally interjected, "Let Shi Tao and his lot live for a few more days. Our immediate goal is to end the life of that brat named Chen."

Xu Hu could only nod in begrudging agreement, later redirecting his fury toward the kneeling Song Youren.

"Is there anything else? If not, get out of here immediately!"

"No, nothing else."

Song Youren shook his head frantically, scrambled to his feet, and hurried toward the exit.

Just as he reached the doorway, he paused and turned back, summoning his remaining courage. "Elders, the Song family has endured devastating losses this time. I hope the Council can provide us with some protection."

"We understand."

Su Ming gave a dismissive, perfunctory reply.

"Elder..."

Song Youren tried to press further.

"Hmm?"

Su Ming’s gaze turned icy.

Trembling, Song Youren swallowed his remaining words.

He realized the other man hadn't taken his plea seriously at all.

If another clan decided to prey upon the Song family, these Elders would likely stand by and do nothing.

But what power did he have to change that?

With a heavy heart, he sighed, opened the door, and stepped out.

"He certainly has a vivid imagination," Elder Qin sneered.

"Haven't we watched the Song family carve up other families' assets for years? It is only natural that others are eyeing them now that they have fallen."

"It is a shame about that secret realm and those two Divine Demon-level martial arts." Zhao Chunyuan looked pained. "I never expected that brat to be so bold as to take such a risk alone and seize them first, oh..."

He seemed to be struck by a sudden thought and gasped.

"What is it?"

Elder Yan asked from the side, his curiosity piqued.

Su Ming and the others also turned their attention toward him.

"I was thinking—if that brat had the audacity to raid the Song family for their secret realm and Divine Demon-level martial arts, wouldn't he target the Liu and Bai families next for the same purpose?"

As he spoke, the others also felt a chill and took deep breaths.

"It is highly probable."

Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

It was obvious to everyone that Chen Fan was hunting for Divine Demon-level martial arts.

Since he had already struck the Song family,

The weaker Bai and Liu families would surely be his next stops.

"I recall the Bai family lacks Divine Demon-level martial arts, but the Liu family possesses one," Elder Qin remembered.

In an instant, every gaze shifted to Su Ming.

"Brother Su, we must dispatch those two to the Liu family immediately. Perhaps they can intercept the brat right there!"

"Exactly! The Bai family is located in Baijiang City just like the Songs. I suspect that after he finished with the Songs, he's either at the Bai residence now or traveling toward the Liu family in Sifang City!"

The group grew excited.

Before, finding Chen Fan seemed like an impossible task, but these clues made everything much simpler.

Following Su Ming’s plan, sending two Quasi-S-Class Awakened together would surely result in the brat's death!

"Very well."

Su Ming did not hesitate. He spoke immediately: "I will contact them to set this in motion. The rest of you must notify the Bai and Liu families at once. If the brat is there, they need to stall him. If he hasn't arrived, tell them to move their secret realms here without delay."

"Understood!"

Xu Hu and the others recognized the gravity of the situation.

For many years, Chen was the first person who dared to threaten them and actually had the capability to follow through.

Therefore, such a thorn in their side had to be pulled out as fast as possible!

Meanwhile.

In Sifang City, at the Liu family residence.

The head of the Liu family and their core members were gathered. Having just learned of their patriarch's passing, they were debating their next move.

Vengeance was out of the question for now.

Furthermore, since their Liu Family Ancestor had died while carrying out a mission for the Elder Council, the Council was largely responsible and owed the family a proper explanation.

However, their most pressing worry was their future.

The Liu family had only one Celestial Realm Martial Artist—their ancestor. His death left them severely weakened, and more dangerously, they still held a Divine Demon-level martial art!

While the ancestor lived, it was a blessing.

With him gone, it had become a death warrant.

Consequently, the debate over how to handle the Divine Demon-level martial art grew intense.

Most argued that since it belonged to the family, it should never be given away; if they couldn't keep it, it should be destroyed.

Others proposed hiding it or claiming the technique had died with the ancestor.

A few pragmatists saw the reality of the situation, suggesting that outsiders wouldn't believe those lies and that trading the art for Elder Council protection was the only logical path.

As the argument raged, a sudden voice resonated through the hall: "Since you all find it to be such a hot potato, why not just hand it over to me?"