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"Huh... this..."
Li Fan scratched his head as well. This was truly baffling. Even if this was Mount Song's scheme, it still didn't make sense. They weren't outright forbidding Mount Heng to compete for the peak. After all, without them, there would be no Nine Great Xuanmen sects. Mount Song had no real reason to humiliate Shàngqīng Path like this. Furthermore, Mount Song only had Qin Jiu as their substitute fighter. The two elders of Mount Song clearly weren't relying on him to become the Yuntai Sword Master. But surely they'd hope to contend for the Nine Peak Sword Masters, right?
For Mo Zhu Mountain? That would be even less likely. Qin Jiu had just joined Mo Zhu Mountain, and Mount Song had been giving him pointers and offering care. If Qin Jiu suddenly said he wanted to switch to the tutelage of Mount Song's two elders, even Li Fan wouldn't be surprised.