High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 799 - 620: Unable to Accept_2

Upon pulling out his phone and spotting the number flashing on the screen, a wave of astonishment hit him.

"It's the Thunder Emperor!"

"Could it be him?"

Those standing nearby reacted with shock as well, one by one.

"Why is he phoning right now? Does he already have the full picture?" Elder Yan wondered aloud.

A touch of glee bubbled inside him.

After all, those two individuals weren't tied to their own clans.

Should the Thunder Emperor demand explanations, it wouldn't drag them into the mess.

Still, they all wore masks of concern on their faces.

Tension gripped Su Ming tightly.

This was the Thunder Emperor, after all—one of Yan Country's mightiest figures.

On top of that, guilt gnawed at his own conscience.

Yet, as the old proverb warns, if disaster looms, there's no dodging it; if fortune smiles, no need to fear. He'd weathered countless tempests over his many years.

Drawing in a steadying breath, he hit the accept button.

"Elder Su."

The Thunder Emperor's voice came through clearly.

"You must have guessed why I'm reaching out, haven't you?"

Su Ming let out a chuckle, replying, "Apologies, Thunder Emperor, but I'm afraid it's not clear to me."

"Allow me to jog your memory, Elder Su. Surely you know Gong Bo and Yu Jianqiao?"

"Those two? Absolutely, they're infamous fugitives on the run. How could I forget? I caught the report this morning about your capture—excellent news! The world’s better off without those scum around!" Su Ming spat out with disdain.

Acting as though he had zero connection to the pair.

The others nearby averted their gazes, feigning ignorance of the exchange.

A standard tactic; they'd pull the same ploy in his shoes.

Yet the Thunder Emperor wasn't one to be easily fooled.

As expected, his next words carried a sharp edge of irritation.

"Elder Su, playing this game gets us nowhere. I'm calling to prevent any rift between us that the Fierce Beasts could exploit. Let's get straight to it. Your moves against the Awakeners this time? I'll let it slide, pretend it never occurred. Just ensure it doesn't happen again."

The Thunder Emperor declared firmly.

His rise to power hadn't come solely from personal grit; the Elder Council had lent crucial support.

During the fierce battle against the Three-headed Beast Emperor, both he and the Council had played pivotal roles in driving back the threat.

Besides, clashing with him would mean facing off against the Ice Emperor as well.

He had no desire to push matters to such extremes unless forced.

"You're pulling my leg, Thunder Emperor."

Su Ming's voice eased up, "We've never aimed at you personally. With the Fierce Beasts pushing so hard, uniting against them makes perfect sense."

In truth, Gong Bo and Yu Jianqiao were now captives of the Awakened Association.

Acceptance was their only path forward.

"That's reassuring to hear, Elder Su. Oh, and I should warn you—and the other elders likely gathered with you, correct?"

Su Ming scanned the room and admitted plainly, "Yes, they are here."

"I've heard about your beef with Chen Fan. Whether those two were acting on your commands to pursue him or not, he thinks they were. I know the young man well enough; this won't blow over easily."

"Hmph, so what of it?"

Rage flared in Su Ming instantly, "That punk kid really believes he can upend the world?"

"Precisely, he had the nerve to slaughter my grandson; I'll see to it he bleeds for it!" Xu Hu chimed in heatedly.

The remaining trio stayed quiet.

Deep down, they craved Chen Fan's demise too—the bad blood was set in stone—but desiring it and pulling it off were worlds apart.

"Talk is cheap."

The Thunder Emperor cut in sharply: "Chen Fan's power level now is such that even I'm not sure I could take him down."

At that revelation, Su Ming and Xu Hu went utterly mute, like birds silenced mid-crow.

"H-He’s really that powerful?" Zhao Chunyuan stammered out.

"Incredibly so. And the scariest part? How rapidly his abilities are surging."

The Thunder Emperor's eyes narrowed instinctively, "The last time I crossed paths with him, I felt sure of victory. But yesterday, when we met again, he was a complete enigma to me. And that was just three days apart. Heaven knows if next time, he'll have outstripped me entirely."

His words rang with genuine concern.

To Su Ming and his group, though, it came off as deliberate intimidation.

Who advances daily like that?

At the Celestial Human Realm especially, progress could crawl over decades.

"I get that you doubt it, but my advice stands: make peace with him soon. It'll help you all and Yan Country too."

"Make peace? How on earth?"

Zhao Chunyuan blurted first.

The moment he did, Su Ming and Xu Hu shot him dirty looks.

"I was only curious. If genuine peace could be forged, wouldn't that benefit everyone?" Zhao Chunyuan defended.

Back when Chen Fan was a nobody, he'd sworn that defiers of the Elder Council's rule merited execution!

Now, witnessing Chen Fan's might rivaling the Council itself, doubt crept in.

"Elder Zhao has a point. Our clash with him started over the Song Family. With them wiped out now, why cling to the hatred?" Elder Yan jumped in swiftly.

"Count me in with that view."

Elder Qin added his voice then.

"You!"

Xu Hu looked ready to burst with fury.

Just before, these same folks had backed him in plotting Chen Fan's end.

Now, they were the ones pushing for truce.

Did that mean his grandson's death counted for nothing?

"What sort of peace are we discussing?"

The Thunder Emperor interjected, "That's for you two to sort. But I'm offering to step in as go-between, sound out Chen Fan's terms, and pass them along. Agree to them, and we can bury this hatchet."

"Then kindly check for us," Zhao Chunyuan urged quickly.

"And you, Elder Su—what's your take?" the Thunder Emperor pressed.

Reluctance churned in Su Ming's gut.

But the odds were stacked against them now.

Without summoning their clan ancestors or the Ice Emperor, handling Chen Fan was impossible.

The Thunder Emperor had just revealed Chen Fan matched his own prowess. Only if multiple ancestors united could they hope to eliminate him for good.

But rallying those ancestors together? A tall order.

They only emerged for existential threats to the clan—the ancestors were revered, not commanded.

Weighing it all, he finally relented, "Very well, inquire for us, Thunder Emperor, though his demands better not be excessive. We're doing this for the bigger picture, not out of fear."

"Understood."

With that, the Thunder Emperor ended the call.

Deep down, he knew true harmony was a long shot.

Even should Chen Fan entertain it, his stipulations would likely cost the Elder Council dearly.

Still, a sliver of optimism lingered. If at all possible, he aimed to avert all-out war that would ensnare everyone.

"Zhao, what's your game?"

Once the line went dead, Xu Hu unleashed on Zhao Chunyuan, "You backing down now? Eh?"

"Xu, what nonsense is that? Backing down from what?"

"If you're not terrified, why push for peace with that whelp?"

"I merely wanted the Thunder Emperor to probe. No guarantee it'll even work."

"No matter what he asks, I refuse! He took my grandson's life—I demand his in return!" Xu Hu bellowed passionately.

The Zhao, Qin, and Yan families had escaped unscathed.

The Su family might've lost a pair, but they were mere tools—expendable.

Xu Lian, however, was prime blood of the Xu line, brimming with potential.

Peace would render his death meaningless.

He refused to swallow that!!!