Chapter 514

Upon entering Anyang City, Wu Tie shouted, and the wood-spirit Elder Mu Sanhua immediately led a large troop, marching straight to the northeastern corner of Anyang City along the main road.

Wu Tie and Pei Feng led fifteen young experts of the five-element wood spirits, including Mu Sanjiao, riding straight to Anyang City's commercial district.

Wood Spirit Elder

The loot copied from Yuzhou, those cultivation resources, had already been exhausted by Wu Tie in his rapid condensation of the divine fetus; yet the remaining gold, silver, jewels, and essence-crystal beautiful jade were piled up like mountains, their quantity immeasurable.

Wu Tie strolled around Anyang City's famous Eastern Market, picking out various rare treasures and buying many, prompting the shopkeepers to dispatch over three hundred carts, which hauled these precious goods all the way to the northeastern corner of Anyang City.

The spatial bracelet on Wu Tie's wrist, given its capacity, was sufficient to hold these items.

Just Li Xiansheng explained that Wu Tie should deliberately make a show of himself… well, then just make a show of himself?

Both openly and covertly, along the way Wu Tie noticed countless gazes observing and scrutinizing him; he merely remained composed, chatting and laughing with Pei Feng as they leisurely arrived at a district in the northeastern part of Anyang City, east of the imperial city.

This district is planted entirely with Wu Tong trees, all of them exotic varieties; their leaves are slightly reddish, resembling flames in the sunlight.

Thousands of magnificent mansions, each grand in appearance, are neatly arranged here; rows of exotic Wu Tong trees perfectly form the intervals between the mansions. On the spacious, clean roads, there are few pedestrians, but many clad in martial attire come and go.

Imperial City

The owners of these thousands of mansions are all ducal families of the Divine State of Great Jin; those whose rank is slightly lacking have no qualification to locate their mansions near this district.

The Huo family of Huocheng, originating from Huo Xiong, were the ones Li Xiansheng sent out to rescue from the assassins of the Hall of Pivots dispatched by Zhao Xiu, and then settled them on Gong Street.

The Huo family were merely ordinary military households, but under the direction of Sima Wuyou they enjoyed ducal treatment, receiving a vast mansion on Gong Street where hundreds of family members resided, together with the servants and guards arranged by Li Xiansheng, all living there.

When Wu Tie arrived before the Huo mansion's gate, the main doors opened; over a thousand five-element spirit experts stood in rows to left and right, while hundreds of Huo clan relatives waited outside, their faces flushed red, gazing at Wu Tie with intense excitement.

Huo Xiong's father, Huo Hu, together with several of his uncles, and the elder members of the Huo clan of higher seniority—Huo Xiong's granduncles—stood at the front. Following the custom of the Divine State of Great Jin to welcome triumphant heroes, Huo Hu held a tray bearing three huge sea bowls, filled to the brim with the strongest liquor to be found in Anyang City.

Wu Tie dismounted and performed a meticulous salute to the assembled uncles and elders.

The Huo family are a military household; the only elders still alive are these. Huo Hu's father—also the grandfather of Huo Xiong—and some closer elders had long perished on the battlefield, their bodies never recovered.

Previously, Huo Hu was also missing limbs, his Dao foundation damaged, and his essence and blood withered like that of an aged person in the twilight of life.

But it is obvious that Sima Wuyou gave Huo Hu and the other Huo elders medicinal elixirs for nourishment; now Huo Hu and the others each have intact limbs, abundant essence and blood, and a faint yet powerful fluctuation of magical power surrounding them.

They not only healed their bodies and made up for their deficiencies, but evidently also received a secret transmission of divine skill, raising their cultivation by a stage.

With the state's resources, Huo Hu and the others have firmly entered the Tai-tsang Realm.

A single household having over a dozen elders reach the Tai-tsang Realm, though only at its initial stage, would already be considered a not-too-weak minor martial house in the Divine State of Great Jin; especially with the Huo family possessing Huo Xiong as an extraordinary talent and Yuzhou as their foundation, given thirty to fifty years, if the clan members strive to propagate, the embryo of a top-tier martial house becomes faintly visible.

Having finished his salute, Wu Tie lifted the sea bowl from the tray held by Huo Hu, gulped down the liquor with a clang-clang, then burst out laughing hahaha.

He grasped Huo Hu's hand with both hands and laughed loudly: "Father, and all the granduncles, uncles, and the able-bodied youths of the clan, I have great use for them. In two days, let them go to Yuzhou to help me manage some affairs properly."

Narrowing his eyes, Wu Tie solemnly regarded Huo Hu, a glint of cold light flashing in his pupils: "Anyang City, we need only leave a few clansmen to guard this mansion as a facade. The foundation of my Huo family shall be Yuzhou."

Huo Hu and the others exhaled deeply, simultaneously breaking into smiles.

Huo Hu firmly shook Wu Tie's hand, then turned to the several able-bodied young men standing behind him and shouted: "Did you hear your elder brother's words? From now on, you must apply yourselves to your tasks; the foundation of the Huo family lies in Yuzhou… whether the Huo family can prosper depends on your help as brothers."

Sima Wuyou

In Huo Xiong's memory, they are his blood brothers: Huo Jie, Huo Hao, and Huo Ying.

In the past, while Huo Xiong was mingling in the Divine Martial Army, the entire Huo family expended generations of accumulated military merit to push him into the Mingchi Realm, giving him a chance to rise to prominence; yet his three full-blood brothers were consequently delayed.

But thanks to the state's strong cultivation, upon seeing them today, Huo Jie, Huo Hao, and Huo Ying have all entered the Tai-tsang Realm.

First-rank Duke

For the lower-level military households of the Divine State of Great Jin, producing a high-ranking Chonglou Realm expert is already a cause for great joy; producing a Mingchi Realm expert is even more like seeing green smoke rise from the ancestral graves.

However, the upper echelons of the Divine State of Great Jin, relying on endless resources and mysterious methods, can mass-produce Tai-tsang Realm experts!

Moreover, these are far superior to the talented geniuses of the lower military households, possessing strength tenfold or a hundredfold greater as Tai-tsang Realm experts!

"My Huo family will surely prosper." Wu Tie smiled at Huo Hu, making a solemn promise.

Having taken over Huo Xiong's identity and using his guise to get to today, Wu Tie owes the Huo family a favor… Wu Tie does not like to owe people favors. Therefore, the Huo family will surely prosper; this, Wu Tie can guarantee.

The prosperity of the Huo family does not conflict with Wu Tie's mission!

The Huo family members beamed with joy, surrounding Wu Tie and Pei Feng as they entered the Huo mansion; the Five Elements Spirits also led their mounts in through the side gate, and the vast mansion had enough space to accommodate the large retinue Wu Tie brought.

Many of the Huo family's young people, as well as those energetic children, were secretly looking at Pei Feng.

Pei Feng followed Wu Tie with ease and grace, showing no trace of restraint.

She emerged from carnage on the battlefield, having seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood countless times; even under Sima Wolf's deliberate suppression, she led the Black Phoenix Army all the way to perseverance. Her state of mind is extraordinarily stable; mere curious glances cannot impart even a bit of pressure to her.

Wu Tie also laughed and spoke of his relationship with Pei Feng.

In a word, it is far more intimate than friendship, far more intimate than ordinary lovers; without surprise, it is a relationship heading straight toward marriage.

Upon hearing that Pei Feng was the commander of the Black Phoenix Army and also held the title of Marquis of Ling Mountain, Huo Hu and the others could not help but smile even more brightly.

The Huo mansion is different; 'Huo Xiong' is a freshly minted first-rank duke earned through military merit, and the relationship between new and old nobility is always such a strange one. The bustle and prosperity of the Huo mansion, as seen by these neighbors, always arouses much speculation.

However, many of those mansion owners inherited their titles through generations.

Especially, some of those mansion owners are old associates of the Zhao clan, some are partisans of the Linghu clan… so, hehe!

After going deep into the Huo mansion, the clansmen dispersed; Huo Hu led Wu Tie to an inconspicuous small building, firmly patted his hand, and with his gaze warned him to be careful in everything.

Wu Tie looked at Huo Hu with a smile and said softly, 'No problem, no problem.'

Wu Tie soothed Pei Feng with his gaze, then pushed open the small door of the small building and entered it.

Mr. Li was already waiting in the small building; he led Wu Tie to a corner, lightly pushed a carved peony-flower brick on the wall, and silently a winding stairway downward appeared on the floor.

The two went down the hidden passage one after another; the exit behind them closed, and above hung pearls the size of fists, illuminating the six-foot-wide passage brightly.

This residence was originally set up for the emperor when he was crown prince, for convenient outings and recreation. After many years, this mansion finally has an owner. Mr. Li walked and said with a smile, 'This can also be considered former Eastern Palace grounds, granted to the Huo family, showing the emperor's regard for them.'

Wu Tie said solemnly, 'The emperor's great kindness; I, a subject, will repay it with my body crushed to pieces.'

Going down the hidden passage, they had traveled about a hundred zhang deep when underground they found an exquisite three-hall complex.

The hall's furnishings were simply a study; Sima Wuyou sat in the center on a small writing desk, his face as still as water, flipping through a thick document in his hand.

Hearing Wu Tie and Mr. Li come down, Sima Wuyou smiled and beckoned to Wu Tie: 'There are chairs over there, have a seat.'

Upon hearing Wu Tie and Mr. Li walk down, Sima Wuyou smiled and waved at Wu Tie: "There are chairs over there, sit."

Wu Tie bowed to Sima Wuyou, glanced at the four large chairs placed before the writing bed, did not sit down, but like Mr. Li, stood before the writing bed.

Sima Wuyou smiled, did not again invite Wu Tie to sit, and said calmly: "You emerged unscathed from the Eastern Palace's Four Gates Golden Lock Formation—excellent, the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art is indeed marvelous, just as I anticipated. The inheritance you obtained in the southwest, besides the innate and acquired Five Elements Grand Dao, also includes the power of Yin and Yang?"

Sima Wuyou tapped the small desk before him, frowned, and said: "The power of the Five Elements nurtures the Five Elements Spirits; then what marvel does the Yin-Yang power hold?"

Wu Tie raised his eyebrows slightly.

When he nurtured the divine fetus, although he concealed the other Dao patterns in the Three Thousand Great Dao and Eighty-Four Thousand side doors of the Yuan Shi Jing, he deliberately released the innate and acquired Yin-Yang Five Elements Grand Dao; this is a mighty supernatural ability that, having been cultivated to the extreme in both schools, can be directly employed without him needing to exert extra effort.

Therefore he intentionally released the aura of Yin-Yang Five Elements, deliberately combining the Yin-Yang Five Elements Grand Dao with the divine fetus in public.

But he did not expect that Sima Wuyou would, upon meeting him, immediately ask about this crucial point.

As Wu Tie previously said, he obtained the Primeval Inheritance in the southwest; the gestation of the Five Elements Spirits is related to that inheritance, and thereby he also subdued the Five Elements Spirits.

Yet what Wu Tie displayed today—the innate and acquired Yin-Yang Five Elements Grand Dao—within Yin-Yang Five Elements, the Five Elements power nurtured the Five Elements Spirits; then what about the Yin-Yang power?

Clearly, the power Wu Tie displayed today in nurturing the divine fetus originates from a single source of Yin-Yang Five Elements; thus they should produce the same effect.

Wu Tie merely raised his eyebrows, without much hesitation, he lightly patted the back of his head; a black-and-white spiritual light drifted forth from the crown of his head, and the innate treasure, the Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vessel, floated out from that black-and-white light.

A one-foot-two-inch-tall long-necked pure vase drifted within the spiritual light, emanating endless Dao patterns.

"The Five Elements Divine Light inheritance I received is complete, its aura leaking outward, thus giving birth to the Five Elements Spirits… as for the Yin-Yang Two Qi, it is actually this innate treasure; in the Primeval era it was nearly shattered, and over countless ages it has swallowed the surrounding Yin-Yang qi to replenish itself, therefore no Yin-Yang Spirits have been born."

Wu Tie said in a deep voice: "The reason I could seize the Black Heaven Cauldron is precisely because of this treasure."

Sima Wuyou widened his eyes, examined the Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vessel carefully, then smiled satisfactorily: "Huo Xiong, you are a loyal subject. Such secrets actually need not be explained to me; after all… look at the Linghu family, the Gongyang family, and those nobles of the Great Jin—what good things do they hold? Who would frankly tell me about them?"

"You are a loyal subject!" Sima Wuyou laughed brightly.

Wu Tie smiled, placing the Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vessel into the divine fetus for nourishment; "loyal subject" is something he does not consider himself to be a loyal subject of the Great Jin, and moreover Sima Wuyou's remark was merely offhand, Wu Tie would not truly take it to heart.

"Continuing from before, you emerged unscathed from the Eastern Palace's Four Gates Golden Lock Formation—this cultivation is excellent, sufficient." Sima Wuyou said softly: "In that case, I have an important task to entrust to you."

Wu Tie solemnly bowed to Sima Wuyou: "Your Majesty, just give the orders; even if I were smashed to pieces, I could hardly repay your great grace."

Sima Wuyou narrowed his eyes, gazed up at the ornamental well in the hall, after a long while he said slowly: "The Linghu family possesses an extremely covert force… the one commanding this force is Linghu Qingqing's deceased eldest son, Linghu Gu."

"This force, for many years, has made even me, and even my father emperor, feel somewhat unable to rest or eat in peace."

"The people I can currently employ are few."

"Huo Xiong, your background is clean; your loyalty, I am reassured; your strength, I have witnessed today."

"Therefore, this force of Linghu Gu is entrusted to you to deal with."

"No matter what they intend to do, sabotage all their actions; if the opportunity arises, eliminate their members one by one."

"If you can kill Linghu Gu, I will grant you the position of a state lord."

Sima Wuyou slightly closed his eyes, lightly waved his hand: "You, go ahead and act; all needed materials and information will naturally be sent."

With a faint smile, Sima Wuyou said softly: "Do you know that, according to protocol, after you return to Anyang you should have an audience with Sima Xian to express thanks… but this matter has been suppressed. Linghu… oh, no, it is the many senior officials of the Ministry of War who say, await the great victory in the southwest, and have those who earned merit this time uniformly attend an audience and kowtow to thank the imperial grace! Hehe!"

"They do not wish to see you shine."

"Therefore, you must shine even more."