The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace-Chapter 86 : Standing by and watching

Roar!

The corpse puppet that had grievously injured Sun Fengli let out another feral snarl. With relentless fury, it lunged forward, aiming to deliver a fatal strike.

Just as the beast closed in, Sun Fengxuan stepped in, positioning himself between his injured brother and the assailant. With a thunderous punch, he sent the corpse puppet hurtling backward, crashing into the ground.

"Fengxuan!"

"You fool! You’ve only been killing the puppets, not the source! The family’s intelligence clearly stated that these creatures are controlled by corpse gu. Unless you destroy the gu, these things won’t stay down!"

Sun Fengxuan’s voice was cold and sharp, each word lashing like a whip.

Hearing this, Sun Fengli lowered his head in shame.

Moments ago, he had been so full of himself, boasting that these corpse puppets were nothing. Now, after falling victim to his own arrogance, he felt the sting of humiliation burn his face. His earlier pride seemed laughable—a complete mockery in the eyes of others.

Sun Fengxuan ignored his brother’s embarrassment, his piercing gaze sweeping the battlefield.

Amidst the mangled remains of Yunzhang and Lanlin soldiers, broken bodies began to stir. Slowly, one after another, thirty more corpse puppets clawed their way out of the heaps.

These were new hosts, reanimated by the corpse gu fleeing their destroyed hosts to find fresh bodies.

"Brother Yantian, why are we waiting? Those corpse puppets—"

Sun Fenglin’s voice was tight with frustration. Watching from above, he could see his younger brother, Sun Fengli, injured due to his recklessness. His concern turned into impatience as he glanced at Yun Yantian and Yun Yanshuang, who remained seated, observing the scene calmly.

His displeasure grew. This was supposed to be a joint operation between the Sun and Yun families. Yet, here were the Yun siblings, watching idly as his family members faced danger.

"Those corpse puppets aren’t the real threat," Yun Yantian said, his tone measured.

"The real enemy is the Gu Master Cultist controlling them. Remember, the cultist remains hidden, their numbers unknown. If we all charge in recklessly, we risk walking straight into a trap and getting wiped out."

His calm explanation caught Sun Fenglin off guard. Though he wanted to argue, he couldn’t deny the logic in Yun Yantian’s words.

"Then let’s act now," Sun Fenglin suggested. "The three of us should join forces and root out the cultist."

"Brother Fenglin, the enemy hides in the shadows while we are exposed. If we move openly, we’ll only be making ourselves easy targets," Yun Yantian replied with a faint smile.

He had no intention of recklessly charging in with his sister. Without knowing the number or strength of their enemies, doing so would be sheer folly—a dangerous gamble he wasn’t willing to take.

"What’s your plan, then?" Sun Fenglin asked, his brows furrowed.

"Wait."

"Wait?"

"Yes. We stay hidden and let the cultist reveal themselves. Only then can we strike when they least expect it," Yun Yantian said, his expression calm.

"But will the cultist even show themselves?" Sun Fenglin pressed, worry for his brothers gnawing at him. Waiting wasn’t something he had the patience for, not when his siblings were in danger.

"With Fengxuan and Fengli drawing their attention, the cultist will have to appear," Yun Yantian said confidently.

"Are you using my brothers as bait?" Sun Fenglin’s voice grew cold.

"In matters like this, sacrifices are inevitable. But if you’re so concerned, feel free to join them and lend them your aid," Yun Yantian replied with a faint smile, his tone indifferent.

His father, Yun Yunshan, had made it clear: the priority of this mission was the safety of himself and his sister, Yanshuang. The lives of others, including the Sun family, were secondary.

Sun Fenglin clenched his fists, his knuckles white with suppressed rage. After a long pause, he exhaled and sat back down, forcing himself to stay calm.

He knew Yun Yantian was right—acting impulsively would only make things worse. Still, resentment brewed in his heart as he silently cursed Sun Fengli for ruining their plans and putting them in this precarious position.

Boom!

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A deafening explosion shattered the silence, sending blood and viscera splattering across the canyon walls. One of the corpse puppets had detonated, its fragmented remains painting the stone with gore.

From the mess, a gold-colored corpse gu wriggled free, scuttling rapidly in search of a new host.

Smack!

Sun Fengxuan’s eyes locked onto the gu. With a swift stomp, he crushed it beneath his heel, leaving behind a puddle of black ichor.

"Two more left!" he muttered, his voice cold and resolute.

A chilling roar echoed through the canyon.

The transformed corpse puppet—once a Lanlin County soldier—howled with fury as it charged again, intent on finishing off Sun Fengli.

At the critical moment, Sun Fengxuan stepped in, unleashing a powerful punch that sent the monstrous creature hurtling backward.

"Fengxuan!" Sun Fengli called weakly.

"You fool! You’ve only been killing the puppets. Didn’t the family’s intelligence tell us? These things are controlled by corpse gu! Until the gu is destroyed, the puppets won’t stay dead!"

Sun Fengxuan’s voice was cold and cutting, his rebuke laced with frustration.

Shame burned across Sun Fengli’s face. His earlier arrogance seemed laughable now—a self-inflicted humiliation that stung worse than the gashes on his back.

Sun Fengxuan ignored his brother’s embarrassment, turning his attention to the battlefield.

Among the lifeless remains of fallen soldiers, broken bodies stirred. One by one, thirty more corpses rose, animated by the relentless corpse gu that had escaped their former hosts.

Above the canyon, Yun Yantian and Yun Yanshuang watched the scene unfold with calm precision.

"Brother Yantian, why are we just sitting here? Fengli’s injured, and the corpse puppets—" Sun Fenglin began, his tone sharp with impatience.

"Those puppets aren’t the real threat," Yun Yantian interrupted.

He gestured toward the battlefield below, his gaze fixed.

"Our concern is the Gu Master Cultist controlling them. Don’t forget, the cultist hasn’t shown themselves yet. If the three of us reveal ourselves now, we risk walking straight into their trap."

Sun Fenglin froze, the truth of Yun Yantian’s words sinking in.

"Then what’s the plan? Sit here while my brothers fight alone?" Sun Fenglin asked, his frustration barely concealed.

"Exactly," Yun Yantian replied with a faint smile.

"We wait. The cultist will reveal themselves when the time is right. That’s when we’ll strike—swift and deadly."

Sun Fenglin clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening with suppressed anger. Yet, he couldn’t deny the logic in Yun Yantian’s reasoning. For now, he remained seated, though his heart burned with worry for his brothers.

In the canyon, Sun Fengxuan’s sharp gaze tracked the battlefield.

Two of the remaining corpse puppets suddenly fell to their knees, their jaws opening wide. From within, golden corpse gu buzzed to life, their wings carrying them deeper into the canyon.

Before Sun Fengxuan could pursue, a faint sound reached his ears—footsteps, deliberate and measured.

A wave of foreboding washed over him as an oppressive aura filled the air.

"They’re finally here," Yun Yantian murmured from above, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a figure emerging from the shadows.

A young girl stepped into view.

Her delicate features, framed by a blue embroidered dress and silver hair ornaments, gave her the appearance of a porcelain doll. Yet there was a cold, unsettling edge to her presence.

"Just one person?" Sun Fenglin muttered in disbelief.

He had expected multiple cultists to be lurking in the ancient battlefield, but only a single girl had appeared.

"Don’t be fooled," Yun Yantian warned.

"There could be others hiding in the shadows, waiting for us to take the bait."

Sun Fenglin fell silent, his instincts urging caution despite his rising frustration.

"Well, well, how impressive," the girl said, her voice light and melodic as she gazed at Sun Fengxuan.

"You managed to kill twenty-eight of my corpse gu. Tell me, which family do you hail from?"

"You’re the Gu Master Cultist?" Sun Fengli growled, forcing himself to stand despite the pain searing across his back.

"That’s me," the girl replied with a sweet smile. "But I have a name—Lan Caire."

"Lan Caire or whatever you call yourself! You’ve killed over a dozen of my Sun family’s people. You’re a damned cultist, and you deserve to die!"

Fueled by rage and grief—especially for his late second uncle—Sun Fengli charged forward, ignoring the sharp protests of his wounds.

With a roar, he unleashed a powerful strike, his palm glowing with spiritual energy as it aimed for Lan Caire’s chest.

Lan Caire didn’t move.

She merely smiled, her aura flaring to life. In an instant, her overwhelming pressure nullified Sun Fengli’s attack and sent him crashing to the ground, pinned by an invisible force.

"This aura..."

Both Sun Fengxuan and Sun Fenglin were stunned.

Even Yun Yantian, observing from above, furrowed his brows.

"Brother Yantian, she’s at least at the fifth level of the Breath Embryo realm!" Yun Yanshuang whispered.

"Far stronger than either of us. If we engage her alone, we won’t stand a chance," Yun Yantian replied gravely.

"Should we act now?"

"Not yet. We don’t know if she has backup waiting in the wings. We’ll wait for the right moment."

Yun Yanshuang nodded, her expression tense.

Lan Caire looked down at Sun Fengli, who lay trembling beneath her aura.

"Breath Embryo, first level, near the peak. Not bad, but not nearly good enough," she said, her tone condescending yet eerily pleasant.

Her words, paired with her unnerving smile, sent a chill down Sun Fengli’s spine.

Taking advantage of her lowered gaze, Sun Fengxuan struck.

With a roar, he unleashed his family’s prized Yellow-Tier spiritual weapon, swinging it with deadly precision toward Lan Caire’s neck.

But Lan Caire had been watching him all along.

Her delicate hand shot out, catching the blade mid-swing. Her fingers closed around the weapon like an iron vice, halting its momentum entirely. Your next journey awaits at novelbuddy