Chapter 266: Come to Kill

"Soul Swap??"

Li Rui and Jiang Lin both gasped in shock.

What kind of technique is this?!

Xu Xuan chuckled: "The Soul Swap technique isn't as mysterious as you imagine—it's not something even a Great Immortal could do, to directly replace a soul. It's merely a sinister art designed to confuse the mind."

"The Nine Souls Dharma King excels in this art."

Jiang Lin nodded slowly: "I've heard the Nine Souls Dharma King of the Ghost Ming Sect can consume living souls—no doubt he relies on this technique."

Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

This sounded similar to deep hypnosis from his past life—some master hypnotists could even use hypnosis to grant wisdom to the foolish, an astonishing feat.

Xu Xuan nodded.

"Coincidentally, in my youth, I traveled the martial world and learned a few tricks of this art from an old man, which is why I can recognize it."

Li Rui asked: "Senior, what did you mean by 'fate's boon' just now?"

Upon hearing the words "fate's boon," Xu Xuan's lips curled into a faint smile:

"After extreme misfortune comes good fortune. My disciple Qu Chengfeng has a unique constitution—he was targeted by the Nine Souls Dharma King, who intended to turn him into a puppet. But he escaped, retained his sanity, and the Dharma King's Soul Refining Elixir instead opened his mind's gates, granting him wisdom far beyond ordinary men."

Li Rui understood.

No wonder Qu Chengfeng, once a pampered playboy, became a completely different person after his ordeal—he'd gained a great fortune.

Jiang Lin: "If it's a blessing, then Senior—"

Xu Xuan's face turned cold, his eyes brimming with killing intent:

"No matter the outcome, if he dared lay hands on a disciple of my Wenxian Tower, he must pay. Since Guo's boy is now the Inspector and can't act, it falls to me, his old tutor, to reclaim our honor."

"I heard the Nine Souls Dharma King went to the Savage Bone City in Wu Country—I came here."

"How will you reclaim your honor?"

"Naturally, martial world matters are settled in the martial world—for killing, I came."

At these words.

Li Rui was stunned.

Kill a Dao Immortal!

Just thinking of it sent chills down the spine.

Yet Li Rui did not believe the old Daoist Xu Xuan would succeed.

Xu Xuan was now in the Fifth Stage of Heavenly Decay, his realm fallen to Primordial, while the Nine Souls Dharma King remained at his peak—going there would likely hasten his death.

Jiang Lin couldn't help but urge: "Senior, perhaps we should deliberate further—don't throw away your life needlessly."

Xu Xuan waved his hand dismissively: "I'm no greenhorn. Though I have only twenty years left, I won't squander my life recklessly."

Seeing this, Jiang Lin could only fall silent.

Xu Xuan smiled:

"Enough. I'll stay in Qinghe for a while—I won't provoke the Nine Souls Dharma King just yet."

"I'm not foolish enough to seek death like a longevity-seeking elder."

Xu Xuan moved into the Assistant Regional Commander's residence.

For this,

both Jiang Lin and Li Rui were pleased—though fallen, a dying camel is still bigger than a horse. The Anning Guard is currently weak; even if Xu Xuan does nothing, his presence alone deters petty villains.

Li Rui, besides cultivating and fulfilling his duties, now had one more task: training with Little White Dragon.

Ever since Little White Dragon gifted him the Yinglong blood, a strange, almost mystical bond had formed between man and beast, akin to symbiosis.

After its first molt, Little White Dragon's dragon essence surged.

It fed back into Li Rui, greatly aiding his cultivation beyond even the Dragon and Elephant True Qi Power.

The Dragon Power, just newly formed, had already advanced further.

Little White Dragon's strength also recovered swiftly—in just a few days, it had reached the power of a Rank Nine beast, granting it self-defense capability and freeing it from constant confinement in the secret chamber.

The bright moon hung high.

Upon the dreamlike Yuntai.

Li Rui stood still, holding Cangfeng, his entire aura at its peak.

A thought stirred.

A figure appeared before him.

Zhuang Renhe walked slowly toward him, gripping that strange black great knife.

Li Rui stepped forward—the distance vanished instantly; Cangfeng clashed with the black blade in midair.

Boom!

Barely had they clashed.

Zhuang Renhe was completely overwhelmed, forced into constant retreat.

The situation had reversed from that night.

The terrifying power of Dragon Power crushed Zhuang Renhe—he had no chance to counterattack, retreating step by step until he was backed against the edge of the Yuntai, with nowhere left to flee.

As Li Rui brought down Cangfeng, Zhuang Renhe exploded into a puff of white smoke and vanished.

"Forty-seven."

Li Rui's eyes brightened.

He had slain Zhuang Renhe in only forty-seven moves.

【Dragon Power fully matured—its boost to combat power is indeed immense.】

Though Zhuang Renhe wasn't a skilled fighter, his realm was formidable; to kill a Fifth Rank Minor Master so easily surpassed most Fifth Rank martial artists.

This combat power was already notable even in Yunzhou.

Having slain Zhuang Renhe,

Li Rui closed his eyes and reviewed the battle—he felt room for improvement.

For instance—could he kill Zhuang Renhe in ten moves?

The night passed.

"Hmm."

Li Rui opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling beams.

He rose, washed his face, and stepped out the door.

As he trained in the courtyard, Liang He rushed in, breathless.

"Master, something's happened—our goods have been seized."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly: "What exactly happened?"

Liang He's breathing was ragged—he'd clearly run hard: "Today, the Second Alliance Leader took the caravan out of town, but Zhong County Magistrate led men to disarm them and confiscated all the goods."

Zhong Zheng?

Li Rui rubbed his chin.

Since Zhuang Renhe's death, Zhong Zheng had become the undisputed ruler of Qinghe County's government office. Previously, with Zhuang Renhe as their common enemy, they'd maintained some dealings.

Logically, he shouldn't have gone this far.

There must be a reason.

Liang He continued: "County Magistrate Zhong specifically demanded you come to the county office to meet him."

Li Rui paused, then said:

"Understood."

He turned to leave for the county office, when Liang He called out softly behind him: "Master, be careful—it's a trap!"

He feared it was a banquet of death, meant to harm his master.

Li Rui replied calmly: "No need to worry."

It was certainly a trap—but not one meant to kill him.

After all, Zhong Zheng chose the county office—he's an imperial official. If he truly wanted to kill Li Rui, he'd have chosen another location. Killing him inside the office would be like openly declaring he has no political enemies.

Since his life isn't in danger, there's nothing to fear.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance's business had grown vast, its disciples multiplying—it had become a local power.

When Zhuang Renhe was County Magistrate, Zhong Zheng would never have moved against the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

He might even have offered favors.

But now Zhuang Renhe was dead, and Zhong Zheng was the chief official—his attitude naturally shifted.

Not long after,

Li Rui arrived at the county office, deliberately bringing Tan Hu and two soldiers from the Running Tiger Cavalry.

"Wait outside."

He gave a casual order, then stepped into the main hall.

It was indeed bustling.

Besides County Magistrate Zhong Zheng, there were three others.

Li Rui knew all three: Shi Zhou of the Divine Weapon Manor, Elder Zhou Ting of the Hundred Battles Gate, and Elder Bai Jing of the Daoxuan Sect.

Li Rui's eyebrows lifted slightly. 【What a grand display.】

Three of the eight major sect leaders in the city had come at once.

Few in Qinghe warranted such an audience.

"Chief Zhong and the three Elders are here too."

Li Rui laughed loudly and bowed his fists.

Zhong Zheng smiled warmly at Li Rui, though inside he sneered.

They were all old hands in the bureaucracy—he could see exactly what Li Rui had just done.

First, he brought along soldiers from the Anning Guard, making it clear to this County Magistrate: if you touch me, you're touching the Anning Guard.

Then he addressed him as "Chief Zhong."

It was a reminder: don't forget you're an imperial official—keep your seat straight. The martial world is the martial world; don't sink too deep.

If it weren't for Shi Zhou and the other three...

Please... Your Excellency... collect_(!)

Li Rui would have switched to calling him "Brother Zhong."

He's sixth-rank, Zhong Zheng is sixth-rank—calling him "Brother Zhong" is perfectly fine.

Zhong Zheng feigned ignorance, surprised: "Chief Li, what brings you here? Is there something?"

Li Rui gazed at Zhong Zheng with a half-smile.

According to Liang He, today Zhong Zheng personally led the men who seized the Heaven and Earth Alliance's goods—how could he not know?

But since Zhong Zheng had decided to play along, Li Rui would play along too.

He acted as if he had no urgent matter, found himself a seat, and sat down calmly.

Seeing Li Rui's demeanor,

the four men in the hall all shared the same thought.

Let's see how long you can keep up this act.

Li Rui sat down, then spoke slowly: "Chief Zhong, I heard your son recently entered the eighth rank—precisely the critical time to solidify his foundation. I happen to have some contacts in Wu Country who have a shipment containing a crimson-scaled fish, highly beneficial for eighth-rank cultivators."

Upon hearing this,

Zhong Zheng's expression shifted.

His son had exceptional martial potential; his own official career was likely at its peak, so he placed all his hopes on this child.

He had been secretly searching for treasures to aid Foundation Establishment.

Of course he knew about the crimson-scaled fish.

But the creature existed only in Wu Country and was exceedingly rare—even he had no leads whatsoever.

'They say this old man Li has deep connections in Wu Country—apparently it's true.'

Zhong Zheng slightly narrowed his eyes.

Seeing Zhong Zheng's expression change, Li Rui chuckled: "Chief Zhong, the county office staff are becoming increasingly rude—still no tea served after all this time."

A brief silence filled the hall.

Then Zhong Zheng burst into laughter: "Bring tea!"

Hearing the words "bring tea," Li Rui finally leaned back comfortably.

Breaking the deadlock hinges on knowing your enemy's weakness.

As leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, his strength was no match for the Eight Great Sects—but when it came to underground rumors, he was the undisputed top in Qinghe.

Talking about children with middle-aged married men never fails.

Seeing Zhong Zheng clearly wavering,

Shi Zhou frowned slightly and cleared his throat: "Chief Zhong."

Hearing Shi Zhou's voice, Zhong Zheng chuckled, though his tone was no longer as forceful as before.

"Chief Li, I've invited you here because there's a great opportunity."

He knew perfectly well Li Rui was the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

The reason he launched this attack today was because Shi Zhou and the others had offered him benefits.

Otherwise, why would he risk offending a sixth-rank Captain of the Anning Guard?

Li Rui sipped his tea, then raised an eyebrow:

"An opportunity?"

Zhong Zheng: "I hear your Heaven and Earth Alliance runs a large business. Since there's money to be made, why not share the profits? The three Elders are powerful—they can ensure the safety of your caravans, no?"

Li Rui's lips curled slightly.

When he entered and saw Shi Zhou, he'd already suspected as much.

As expected.

It was about the Heaven and Earth Alliance's business.

He'd long anticipated the Divine Weapon Manor wouldn't let this go quietly—they'd been scheming in secret all along. Bai Zhan Men and Daoxuan Sect were surely brought in by Shi Zhou.

Of course.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance's business had grown so large it had drawn the envy of the Great Sects. The Eight Great Sects had been watching quietly, waiting for the right moment—now the time to cut in had finally come.

Jiang Lin's reputation was great, but it couldn't suppress three Elder-level figures from major sects.

At this moment,

Zhou Ting of Bai Zhan Men spoke in a gruff voice: "Chief Li, our sects have contributed greatly to cross-border trade. Since this is trade with Wu Country, we deserve a share."

Shi Zhou saw Zhou Ting strike first.

He chuckled inwardly.

He'd specifically brought this brute along to break the ice.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance's weapons trade was already handled by Tie Kuang—he dared not interfere out of face. But beyond weapons, the Alliance's beast-flesh trade was booming, making even these three Elder-level figures envious.

How could they tolerate it?

Hence today's scene.

What class of organization is the Heaven and Earth Alliance, to monopolize such profits?

Bai Jing of Daoxuan Sect now spoke: "Chief Li, you have wide connections. Business thrives on harmony—let's all profit together."

His words were polite, but the meaning was clear.

They were determined to carve out a share of the Heaven and Earth Alliance's business—no, they wanted the lion's share.

Otherwise, the goods would keep getting seized.

County Magistrate Zhong Zheng subtly shifted his seat.

Aside from his opening remark, he'd said almost nothing, merely smiling and watching coldly.

In his view,

Li Rui had no choice but to yield today.

Having connections and making quick money wasn't unusual—but sustaining it required deep roots. To Zhong Zheng, a force with only two sixth-rank cultivators couldn't possibly hold such a massive profit, even with Li Rui at the helm.

Without sufficient strength, there was nothing to be done.

At minimum, a fifth-rank Minor Grandmaster was needed to protect this business.

Shi Zhou sneered: "Chief Li, if you hand over your connections, we'll let you stay involved."

His plan was flawless.

Once Li Rui surrendered his connections, with their sects' resources, they could simply outbid the Heaven and Earth Alliance at any cost and drive them out.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance's resources couldn't possibly withstand such pressure for long—they'd be forced to withdraw on their own.

In the end, whether Li Rui or the Heaven and Earth Alliance, they were several tiers below these three sects.

Today, they intended to crush him with sheer power.

Zhong Zheng watched the tense standoff in the hall, curious: how would Li Rui break this deadlock?

He'd heard rumors.

Li Rui was known for his cunning—he'd earned Jiang Lin's deep trust even when he was weak, precisely because he always had solutions.

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't imagine how Li Rui could resolve this situation of being cornered by three major sects.

Li Rui listened to Shi Zhou and the others, still calm and composed.

He slowly set down his teacup.

Smiled:

"I thought it was something major. This small matter hardly warrants such fuss—I'll personally introduce you all tomorrow."

At these words,

Shi Zhou and the other three, along with Zhong Zheng, all froze.

That's it?

Not even a single word of resistance?

(End of Chapter)