Cannon Fodder Cultivation Guide

Chapter 57 - The Mighty Senior Sister

The man's face changed drastically as Yuan Ying's mocking laughter doused him in icy coldness, snapping him out of his over-excited state.

The other voices around them instinctively quieted, no longer filled with the same arrogant and greedy disregard they had shown earlier.

These were all elites of various sects, and as their rationality returned, they knew that no matter how greedy they felt, they had to weigh the risks and avoid danger with caution.

It wasn't about preserving the dignity of reputable sects. Deep down, they knew their own strength wasn't enough to overwhelm everyone.

At least, in their minds, the senior sister from the Lishan Sect in front of them was notoriously difficult to provoke.

"Who else wants to take my things? Hmm?"

Yuan Ying scanned the crowd one by one, her last "hmm" trailing off with an unmistakable tone of ridicule.

When her gaze fell on Mo Yan, it turned into pure disdain.

At this point, as a fellow disciple of the Yunxian Sect, Mo Yan had shown no intention of standing up for his two junior sisters who had acquired the bronze fragments. No wonder Yiyi would rather entrust the fragments to outsiders than consider him as an ally.

"Senior Sister, you're joking. Of course, your things don't need to be handed over."

After a brief silence, Liu Ming of Wandan Valley spoke up smoothly, glancing around before taking a closer look at Yuan Ying and her group. "But the rest of the fragments should be shared among us, don't you think? It wouldn't be fair for your group to hog them all."

Liu Ming spoke with some confidence. Wandan Valley had not only himself but also his senior brother, Yuan Yong, who had sent him a message a few days earlier. They had to secure at least one bronze fragment.

"Hogging them all? You must be joking. We're not even from the same sect. And these fragments weren't just picked up from the ground. Why should we hand them over to you?"

Yuan Ying wasn't falling for Liu Ming's ploy. She looked at the group and asked, "How many should we hand over? Who should give them up? And how will you divide them? Who gets to make the final call?"

Then her tone abruptly changed, and she stared directly at Liu Ming, mocking him mercilessly, "Hah, who do you think you are? As if you could make decisions for everyone here!"

That "who do you think you are" made Liu Ming so furious he could spit blood, but there was nothing he could argue back with.

Not only him, but everyone else also glanced at each other, unable to hide the calculations and wariness in their eyes.

From the very beginning until now, as they cooled down, everyone realized the real problem: too many people, too few fragments.

And in reality, nearly everyone present came from different sects. No one trusted anyone else, and no one wanted to let others benefit while taking a loss themselves.

If they didn't unite, trying to seize the bronze fragments would be incredibly difficult. But if they did unite, no one trusted anyone, and everyone wanted a fragment for themselves.

This unsolvable conflict left the group at a stalemate. No one was rushing to demand the fragments anymore, but the standoff didn't mean they were giving up—it just meant they were weighing the pros and cons more carefully.

While everyone was calculating silently, Mo Yan suddenly spoke up, "I'll make the decision. Does anyone have objections?"

His words dropped like cold water into boiling oil, causing an immediate uproar.

To be fair, as a disciple of the Yunxian Sect, Mo Yan had the qualifications to take the lead in this temporary alliance. If even he couldn't command the group, no one else could.

But the problem was, among the five people who had the fragments, two were Mo Yan's junior sisters. Who knew what his true intentions were?

"I know what you're all worried about."

Mo Yan, perceiving the group's hesitation, spoke calmly, "If I lead, I'll ensure everyone gets the greatest benefit. Even those who don't get a bronze fragment will receive some other compensation as long as we work together."

His attitude made it clear that he was separating himself from Zhang Yiyi and Zhang Tongtong, putting them in two opposing camps.

"And who will provide this so-called compensation?" someone quickly asked. "Who can guarantee you're telling the truth?"

"Whoever ends up with the bronze fragments will provide the compensation. I, Mo Yan, give my word. Anyone who doesn't believe me is free to leave."

Mo Yan wasn't just trying to appease these people—he was using a combination of incentives and threats.

After all, in this world, nothing comes without risk. If they didn't trust him, they wouldn't find anyone better to take charge, and it would only harm their chances.

Fortunately, the others weren't fools. After a moment of hesitation, no one spoke up to challenge him or object.

In any case, they needed to force the group with the fragments to give them up first. Otherwise, any talk of dividing them was pointless.

"Brother Mo is right. We'll follow Brother Mo's lead!"

Liu Ming and Yuan Yong of Wandan Valley were the first to stand with Mo Yan, declaring their support in righteous tones.

Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit, and for a moment, the atmosphere appeared cooperative and harmonious.

With the crowd's support, Mo Yan boldly stepped forward to demand the fragments from Zhang Yiyi and her group.

Without much expression, he glanced at them and said flatly, "I'm being fair. You can keep two fragments. As for who keeps them and who gives theirs up, you have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to decide. If you don't reach a decision by then, I'll make it for you."

His gaze lingered on Zhang Yiyi, cold beyond description. From the look on his face, it was clear he had his eyes set on the fragment she held.

Zhang Yiyi didn't like the way Mo Yan was looking at her and rolled her eyes in frustration, clearly not taking his silent threat seriously.

Since even Mo Yan thought she was the easiest target among the five, the others surely thought the same. It seemed she would be the first lamb dragged to the slaughter.

"Mo Yan, you're a disgrace to the Yunxian Sect!"

Yuan Ying couldn't bear to watch any longer and sneered, "Not only are you abandoning your junior sisters and refusing to protect the fragments they worked hard to get, but you're also pretending to be a righteous man while leading a group to rob them. Is this how your so-called True Saint Master taught you to behave?"

"Watch your mouth!" Mo Yan's face turned black as ink, enraged by her insult, especially since she dragged his master into it. Being rebuked by his fiancée in front of everyone only made it worse.

"Watch my mouth? That's laughable. What right do you have to reprimand me?"

Yuan Ying glared at him with utter contempt. "The Yuan family must have been blind to arrange a marriage with such a shameless fiancé! As soon as I leave this mystic realm and return to the Lishan Sect, I'll have the Yuan family annul the engagement. The very thought of being with you disgusts me!"