Chapter 200

"Divine Weapon Shanzhuang, Seven Stars Sect, Long Sky Society, and there's even the Dao Xuan Sect?"

Li Rui looked at the document sent from Annan Town.

"The Divine Weapon Shanzhuang arrived in the city yesterday, and the other seven sects should be here soon; I'm showing you this not to tell you to manage them, but when you run into people from these forces, at least be polite."

Ning Zhongtian's words echoed in the main hall.

The main officers of the five camps under his command were all gathered.

The list specially approved by the imperial court had already come down.

Eight major sects!

The scale was not small at all.

And this was only the first batch; there would be more later, at most they wouldn't be as high-profile.

Li Rui closed the gold-stamped invitation in his hand.

The Eight Major Sects, in terms of strength, were even stronger than the Anning Guard.

Each one had eyes and ears reaching the heavens, and they all had their own factions in the imperial court; ordinary government offices really couldn't afford to provoke these behemoths.

They were true powerful dragons crossing the river; even their branches were not easy to provoke lightly.

The Anning Guard was the imperial court's army, but people in those sects also entered the imperial court as officials, and some even held higher ranks than assistant regional commanders.

They came to Qinghe to give face to the imperial court.

First, to suppress the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao, and second, to bolster the Anning Guard's reputation, making Qinghe a true major city.

All things considered, Qinghe should even thank the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao.

If it weren't for the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao, how could the people of Qinghe see such a grand occasion? In the future, when they go out and meet people from Anning Prefecture, they could straighten their backs and say: "Can you see the Eight Major Sects in Anning City too?"

However, since the imperial court and the Eight Major Sects were in a cooperative relationship, they certainly couldn't be as tough as they were with the Bright Light Sect and the Green Peak Villa before.

Mainly because they couldn't afford to provoke them.

"Yes."

Ning Zhongtian's subordinates nodded one by one to express their stance.

Seeing this.

Ning Zhongtian gave special instructions to Tan Hu, and only then did he let everyone disperse with satisfaction.

Li Rui had just walked into the residence.

When he saw Wang Zhao holding a festive, bright red invitation, slightly surprised:

"Little Zhao, what is this?"

Li Rui had seen too many such invitations; they were invitations for guests to attend weddings. First, he ruled out that it was Wang Zhao's, unless this kid was marrying a horse.

Wang Zhao gave the answer:

"Master, the Armory sent an invitation today, saying that Lord He is getting married in three days."

"Lord He?"

Li Rui was first puzzled; if he remembered correctly, the current grain manager of the Ding-class Armory should be surnamed Zhao.

Soon.

He reacted.

There really was someone surnamed He in the Ding-class Armory, and it was the guard of the third floor, He Shan.

He Shan?

Getting married?

Thinking of He Shan's 'no strangers allowed' face, which was like an ice cube, Li Rui believed that with He Shan's Seventh-Rank strength, he wouldn't lack women, but he never expected that there would be a day he would get married.

A fresh piece of news.

This was no less than an iron tree blooming.

"Three days later, right."

"Prepare some gold and silver jewelry for women, and... add two Seventh-Rank spiritual elixirs."

Li Rui instructed.

When he was the grain manager at the Ding-class Armory, he had a good relationship with He Shan.

Don't look at this man as silent and reticent; he actually valued friendship very much.

Being a person, one cannot be too utilitarian; one cannot just make friends for the sake of profit, as such relationships are unreliable.

He Shan thought highly of him, which is why he sent the invitation; he truly treated him as a friend, so he certainly couldn't be stingy.

"Yes, Master."

Wang Zhao nodded.

Li Rui's mouth lifted slightly; he was actually very curious to see what kind of woman He Shan had married.

The evening of the second day.

Li Rui had originally planned to attend He Shan's wedding banquet tomorrow; he had already inquired around, and among the people of the Anning Guard, He Shan had only invited Li Rui and a few others.

At this moment.

Ning Zhongtian knocked on his door.

"Boss Ning?"

Li Rui was still wondering why Ning Zhongtian was looking for him so late when Ning Zhongtian gave a bitter smile: "Brother Li, come with me for a trip; Lord Jiang wants to go to the Galloping Tiger Cavalry to inspect the Huaqing Sect, and he specifically named you to accompany him."

"Now?"

"Yes, let's set off immediately; Tan Hu and the others are already waiting."

Li Rui was helpless.

'It seems I won't be able to go to Brother He's wedding banquet.'

He said to Ning Zhongtian: "Boss Ning, please wait a moment, I'll give a few instructions and then come."

"No problem."

Ning Zhongtian waved his hand.

Li Rui called his three disciples, told them he was going out, and specifically instructed Liang He:

"Little He, you know He Shan too; tomorrow, take the prepared wedding gift and go there, add another Seventh-Rank spiritual elixir, don't be stingy."

Liang He nodded:

"Understood, Master."

After Li Rui finished giving instructions.

He then followed Ning Zhongtian out.

When the two arrived at the city gate on the west side of the military camp, the Galloping Tiger Cavalry was already waiting.

Ning Zhongtian and Li Rui appeared, and the crowd squeezed their horses' bellies and galloped away.

Clouds curled around the peaks, green water wound around the front of the mountains.

A place of spiritual beauty.

As the number one major sect in Anning Prefecture, the Huaqing Sect naturally occupied the best piece of land in Anning Prefecture.

Although it was the Age of Dharma Decline, the concept of blessed lands no longer existed.

But good mountains and waters always make people feel happy, don't they?

Clip, clip, clip...

The soothing sound of horse hooves echoed on the small forest path.

"Is this the Huaqing Sect?"

Looking from afar at the winding mountain path, small mountains, low and ink-wash-painting-like, connected by a clear green river, came into view; it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Although Li Rui had long heard of the Huaqing Sect's great name, this was his first time coming to Huaqing Mountain.

Although the Huaqing Sect was a force within the jurisdiction of the Anning Guard.

But as long as the Anning Guard's night scouts weren't brainless, none of them would come to inspect the Huaqing Sect. The Anning Guard's assistant regional commander was an elder of the Huaqing Sect, so they were inspecting the Huaqing Sect.

Inspecting oneself?

If they really went, they would be on the Huaqing Sect on the front foot, and fired for not checking in on time on the back foot.

In the same situation as Li Rui were Ning Zhongtian and the others of the Galloping Tiger Cavalry.

Climbing up the mountain all the way.

A moment later.

A large complex of simple, elegant buildings with blue bricks and green tiles appeared before everyone's eyes.

Li Rui also saw an acquaintance.

Han Shaoquan stood smiling in front of the mountain gate: "Everyone, you've worked hard."

Behind him were several other people from the Huaqing Sect.

Several people stepped forward to take the reins.

Ning Zhongtian was the first to flip off his horse, and seeing this, Li Rui and the others also dismounted one after another.

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A Huaqing Sect elder stepped forward:

"I am Han Shaoquan; Lord Jiang has already given instructions, ordering us to welcome you all here; all lords, please inspect as you see fit, don't be polite at all."

Ning Zhongtian and Li Rui looked at each other.

Inspect as they see fit?

Just kidding!

This was Jiang Linxian's home base; if they really found something, they would definitely be the ones in bad luck.

"Inspect?"

Ning Zhongtian asked for Li Rui's opinion with his eyes.

Li Rui nodded fiercely, responding with his eyes:

"Inspect!"

Everything was understood without words.

Handing the reins in his hand to the Huaqing Sect disciples, that Elder Han chatted a few more sentences before leaving first; Han Qin found an opportunity to step forward: "Lord Ning, Senior Li, Lord Tan, long time no see."

Ever since Li Rui took them for training last time.

Han Qin, Jiang Yan, and the others had returned to the Huaqing Sect in rotations to continue their cultivation.

Counting it up, they hadn't met for over a year.

"Nephew Han."

Ning Zhongtian looked at Han Qin and raised an eyebrow: "You've broken through?"

He remembered that when Han Qin was at the Anning Guard, he should have been at the Eighth Rank; only a little over a year had passed, and seeing him again, he had actually become a Seventh-Rank Willow Sinew expert.

"As expected of the Huaqing Sect."

Han Qin was not yet thirty years old, and his future was limitless.

Although practicing martial arts is not necessarily better the faster it is—some major clans cultivate death soldiers without regard for their foundation, and they can reach the Seventh Rank in just three years.

Han Qin was clearly not in that situation.

"Lord Ning has a good eye."

Han Qin smiled, generous and appropriate, not at all awkward: "It's all thanks to Lord Ning's care at the Anning Guard."

Ning Zhongtian laughed:

"Nephew Han, I dare not take credit for this."

"Everyone, please follow me; your lodging has already been cleaned up."

Han Qin immediately led the crowd into the mountain gate, and before long, they arrived in front of a quiet complex of residences.

There were seven or eight small courtyards in total, not large.

One room, a small courtyard of one zhang square.

Although not luxurious, it was in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, secretly matching the meaning of Daoist naturalness.

It was clearly the work of a master.

When Tan Hu saw it, there was even moss on the blue bricks in front of the door, and he couldn't help but mutter: "Why is this so much worse than Qingfeng Shanzhuang?"

His voice was naturally rough, and Han Qin and the others naturally heard it.

Ning Zhongtian rolled his eyes and kicked Tan Hu: "Calling you a tiger, you're really a tiger; just having a place to stay is enough!"

But he later felt that what he just said wasn't quite right.

The Huaqing Sect played it too elegantly; the few of them were rough men who really couldn't appreciate the fine details.

Han Qin was embarrassed for a moment.

He had also gone to Qingfeng Shanzhuang that time and knew what Tan Hu was talking about...

But the first-generation founder of the Huaqing Sect was a wandering Daoist who disliked luxury the most, so this style had been passed down ever since.

The Galloping Tiger Cavalry, plus Ning Zhongtian, totaled fourteen people.

There were eight rooms.

The final distribution result was that Ning Zhongtian and Li Rui each had a room to themselves, and the others shared a room in pairs.

Tan Hu had no objections.

And it was even more impossible for the others to have objections.

Evening.

Several people had vegetarian dishes at the Huaqing Sect.

Actually, it wasn't strictly vegetarian; there was meat, stir-fried bamboo shoots with a few thin slices of lean meat inside.

For those few slices of meat, the group almost fought.

To be fair, the dish was refreshing and tasted quite good.

It just didn't suit these rough men of the Galloping Tiger Cavalry who were used to eating meat.

"Eating so plainly, no wonder Lord Jiang's temper is so irritable."

Tan Hu muttered.

After finishing their meal.

Ning Zhongtian urged them to go into the city to improve their diet.

Was that to improve their diet?

Li Rui was too lazy to expose him; he didn't go, so he was the only one left in the large courtyard.

Just as the hour of Xu arrived.

When the sky was dim and all things were hazy.

Han Qin and Jiang Yan knocked on Li Rui's door.

"Senior Li."

Li Rui pushed the door open, saw it was the two of them, and welcomed them in with a smile.

The three sat around the stone stool in the courtyard.

Li Rui glanced at Jiang Yan, slightly surprised in his heart.

"Actually cultivating qi at the Eighth Rank, as expected of Jiang Linxian's only daughter."

Jiang Yan's current state was such that she could step into the Seventh Rank at any time if she wanted to.

This is the foundation of a major sect.

A Seventh-Rank martial artist not yet twenty years old—just thinking about it is scary.

Of course, Jiang Yan was an outstanding existence even within the Huaqing Sect.

And Jiang Yan's next sentence also surprised Li Rui.

"Senior, you... have broken through again?!"

(End of chapter)