Chapter 677

"My lord, my…… sword?" Ou Yezi looked a bit embarrassed at Wu Tie, carefully asking about the whereabouts of the Fuchai Sword.

Wu Tie - original_term: Wu Tie

Li Xuangui - original_term: Li Xuangui

In short, Ou Yezi voluntarily let go of everything, allowing Wu Tie to implant a restriction; from then on, his life and death lay in Wu Tie's single thought. Although Wu Tie laughed and told him he was a guest scholar of Prince An's manor, Ou Yezi knew full well that he had already become Wu Tie's personal slave.

Feeling the terrifying restriction hidden within his body that could at any moment reduce him to ashes, Ou Yezi hesitated for a long time, but finally steeled himself and spoke.

The Fuchai Sword is the Ou clan's supreme treasure of the clan, a treasure far surpassing ordinary state artifacts; he had originally intended to use this treasure to slay Wu Tie's divine fetus, yet it mysteriously disappeared.

Mo Yun - original_term: Mo Yun

Xiang Feiyu - original_term: Xiang Feiyu

"Well, there are countless supreme treasures in the world; later, I'll find you a better one to exchange." Wu Tie, helpless, lightly patted Ou Yezi's shoulder and gave a dry chuckle: "Well, really, I now want to return it to you, but there's nothing I can do."

Ou Yezi widened his eyes, staring blankly at Wu Tie for a long while; after a while he exhaled, and his whole body slumped.

"Well, well, I am a Grand Elder, I am a Grand Elder…… No one can ask me about the whereabouts of the Fuchai Sword; otherwise, otherwise…… how could I face my ancestors?" Ou Yezi kept muttering over and over, like a woman whose child had been eaten by a wolf, repeating it again and again.

"You have preserved the Ou clan; that is your greatest reckoning." Li Xuan'gui played with the two black-and-white turtle shells in his hand, smiling as he said to Ou Yezi: "Otherwise, having entered this desperate situation, given the ways of the great Wei clans, do you think we could get out alive?"

Ou Yezi closed his mouth and fell silent; the color gradually returned to his slumped face, and a glimmer appeared in his eyes.

"That's good enough…… if we survive, our clanspeople outside, our descendants, will survive." Li Xuan'gui looked earnestly at Ou Yezi and said: "Otherwise, do you think that whether it's Qingqiu or Great Wu, once they ultimately win, they will spare our family?"

"The Wei state is overly rich and fertile; its top clans are just chunks of fat meat." Li Xuan'gui said plainly: "With us old-timers guarding them, we are like old guard dogs watching over the fat meat; no one dares to reach for those chunks."

"If we perish, the clan is finished. The foundation our forebears built through hardship, the wealth accumulated by countless generations of clanspeople, especially the civilization of our Wei that surpasses the three kingdoms…… those crystallizations of painstaking wisdom…… would all be destroyed."

Li Xuan'gui let out a soft sigh, then solemnly bowed to Wu Tie: "Prince An, we seek refuge not because we fear death……"

Yuan Clan - original_term: Yuan Clan

Li Xuan'gui fell silent for a moment, then gave a dry laugh: "All right, I admit we are a little afraid of death—who isn't?"

Shaking his head, Li Xuan'gui said solemnly: "But please, Prince An…… no, please, Your Majesty, believe that our willingness to submit, to offer unresisting allegiance, also stems from a desire to preserve Wei civilization, to safeguard the painstaking legacy of our ancestors."

Meng Clan - original_term: Meng Clan

He resolutely opened his body and mind to Wu Tie, allowing Wu Tie to place a restriction upon him; from then on, like Ou Yezi, his life, death, honor, and disgrace lay in Wu Tie's single thought.

Compared to Ou Yezi, who submitted more out of being awed by Wu Tie's killing intent and forced to submit, Li Xuan'gui's resolute, unpretentious, offhand manner of offering himself as a sacrifice even made Wu Tie shudder with admiration.

"Li Xuan'gui? In the military's intelligence archives, your file could fill several halls." Wu Tie looked solemnly at Li Xuan'gui: "Today, having met you, you are indeed extraordinary…… rest assured, as long as you and your clanspeople willingly devote yourselves, the future…… everything is possible."

Li Xuan'gui burst into a brilliant smile, holding the turtle shells; the two shells lightly tapped, producing a clear sound, and he smiled: "What I strive for is just that sliver of future possibility…… I am utterly intoxicated by that sliver of possibility."

Ou Yezi snapped irritably: "Old turtle, what did you see? You, and that scaly, horned fellow from the Yuan family, acting all mysterious—none of you are good people."

"Mustn't be said. Can't be said. If spoken, it will change, so we'd rather die than speak." Li Xuan'gui laughed, his eyes narrowing to slits: "Old Ou, you know, our Li family's lips are the tightest—we truly would rather die than speak."

Great Wei Divine State - original_term: Great Wei Divine State

Li Xuan'gui then made a gesture to Wu Tie, summoning a patch of azure cloud that slowly carried Wu Tie and Ou Yezi off into the distance.

The azure cloud beneath Li Xuan'gui's feet was clearly a fine cloud-soaring technique; his flight speed was considerably faster than Ou Yezi's, and even compared to Wu Tie's Sovereign Earth Golden Light technique within this fortress, it was only slightly slower.

Great Wu - original_term: Great Wu

Li Xuan'gui led the way ahead, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, laughing without turning his head: "Our Wei Li clan excels at divination but is poor at combat; thus, we are extremely skilled at various slip‑away tactics—slicking the soles of our feet and fleeing mid‑battle."

Prince An's Manor - original_term: Prince An's Manor

Dueling Battle Fort - original_term: Dueling Battle Fort

Dueling Battlefield - original_term: Dueling Battlefield

Your Li clan may be inept at fighting, but the role you play on the battlefield can be more headache‑inducing and nauseating than three or five fierce generals!

Azure Cloud - original_term: Azure Cloud

Vertical Earth Golden Light Method - original_term: Vertical Earth Golden Light Method

Here, a small palace garden had actually been built; at the valley's entrances, a Mo family mobile military camp had even been erected, while on the left and right mountain peaks were deployed dozens of Mo family mobile artillery emplacements, and underground lay dozens of layers of defensive formations—this tiny valley's defensive strength is not inferior to that of an ordinary fief capital.

In the valley, inside a magnificent hall, the leaders of the clans that Li Xuan Gui had just mentioned all bowed to Wu Tie.

Wu Tie looked at Yuan Qilin, who stood beside Li Xuan Gui.

The Li clan of the Great Wei, represented by Li Xuan Gui, are versed in all kinds of divination and prognostic arts, able to penetrate heavenly secrets and predict people's futures, possessing various mysterious abilities.

As for the Yuan clan represented by Yuan Qilin, they are versed in astronomy above and geography below, skilled in forming battle arrays, and even more proficient in Yin-Yang and feng shui arts; their various strange and wondrous methods are nothing short of miraculous.

For example, on the battlefield of the Three Kingdoms, if a unit of Qing Qiu or Da Wu suddenly suffers earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, floods or other natural disasters and incurs inexplicably heavy losses, there is no need to ask—it must be the covert work of the younger generation of the Yuan clan.

And the mystery of the Yuan clan goes beyond that.

Wu Tie and company entered the dueling fortress; Wu Tie had just run into Ou Ye Zi, and barely after finishing a bout, the Li, Yuan, Kong, Meng, Mo, Gong Shu clans, and even the so-called Seven Scattered People sects—all these peoples had actually assembled.

This is Yuan Qilin's method.

Before entering the dueling battlefield, he gave each of the sects' Divine Realm elders and half-step Divine Realm clansmen a Heavenly Secret talisman.

Relying on the guidance of the Heavenly Secret talismans, after entering the battlefield they needed only the time it takes to finish a cup of tea before they all gathered here.

Like Li Xuan Gui, Yuan Qilin is also born with an immortal wind and Daoist bone, his whole body faintly exuding pure qi, resembling an immortal.

But unlike Li Xuan Gui, Li Xuan Gui always gives people the feeling of seeing flowers through a mist, as if everything about him is unfathomable, thus hazy, making it hard to get close or approach him.

As for Yuan Qilin, he seems to have merged with this heaven and earth universe; if you want to draw near him, to approach him, you must find a way to embrace the entire heaven and earth… but the heaven and earth are so vast—how long are your arms? How could you possibly embrace him in your arms?

Therefore, trying to get close to Yuan Qilin is also an extremely difficult undertaking.

After carefully observing Yuan Qilin, whose face was like an autumn moon and whose immortal wind poured forth, Wu Tie turned his gaze to the newly selected supreme elder of the Mo clan—the direct younger brother of the previously fallen Mo clan patriarch, Mo Yun.

""I, the king, have a grudge against the Mo clan. Why would the Mo clan seek refuge with me?""

Wu Tie bluntly asked this question.

Mo Yun solemnly bowed to Wu Tie and said in a deep voice: "Family inheritance outweighs everything."

Wu Tie fell silent for a moment.

In the former Great Jin, now Qing Qiu, the military commanders of the aristocratic families possess a spirit that would rather die than yield, or put another way, a barbaric bandit aura that makes them stand tall with straight waists even if their spinal bones are broken.

Take, for example, the Xiang clan warriors Xiang Feiyu and Xiang Feixie—are they good people? It's hard to say they are.

Do they even have fans? It's hard to imagine anyone admitting they like this bunch of violent martial fanatics.

Translation: "Are they likable? It's hard for anyone to say they would like this group of violent martial maniacs."

We need to keep the question mark and exclamation? In Chinese, there is a question mark after 'me' and a period after 'zi'. We'll translate naturally.

"Are they likable? It's hard for anyone to say they would like this group of violent martial maniacs."

Make sure it's one line.

But when they face a national war… are they heroes?

Translation: "But when faced with a national war…… are they heroes?"

We need to keep the ellipsis. Use three dots.

"But when faced with a national war…… are they heroes?"

Perhaps they really are heroes.

Translation: "Perhaps, they truly are heroes."

At least Wu Tie has spent years poring over the military department's classic secret archives; the Xiang clan has suffered countless war dead throughout its history, most of them beaten to death while trapped in encirclement… yet not a single clan member ever surrendered voluntarily.

"At least Wu Tie has perused so many years of the military department's classic secret archives; the Xiang clan throughout the ages have countless war dead, and most of them, trapped in heavy sieges, were beaten to death alive…… but they never had a clan member who voluntarily surrendered."

We need to keep the ellipsis.

Make sure it's one line.

Sometimes a few are taken captive, but only after they're too exhausted to even attempt suicide—beaten unconscious and then seized alive.

Translation: "Occasionally there were a few captives, but that was only after they were exhausted, unable even to commit suicide, being violently knocked unconscious and then captured alive."

We need to keep the meaning.

"Occasionally there were a few captives, but that was only after they were exhausted, unable even to commit suicide, being violently knocked unconscious and then captured alive."

So the Xiang clan and its martial descendants aren't exactly ordinary good people, yet they can sometimes be called 'heroes'.

Translation: "Therefore, the Xiang clan, and these scions of military families represented by the Xiang clan, perhaps cannot be considered good people in the conventional sense, but at times they can be called 'heroes'."

We need to keep the quotes around 'hero'? Chinese uses quotes around hero. We'll use single quotes.

And these Great Wei aristocratic leaders before us…

Translation: "And these aristocratic clan leaders of Great Wei before us……"

We need to keep the ellipsis.

Perhaps describing them as ultra‑refined profit‑driven beings would be more fitting?

Translation: "Perhaps…… describing them as extremely exquisite profit-driven beings would be more fitting?"

We need to keep punctuation.

Their thoughts are always about family, inheritance, preservation—an ongoing continuation.

Translation: "What they consider is forever the clan, is inheritance, is preservation, is a kind of continuation."

You could say they're cowardly…

Translation: "You could say their bones are soft……"

But sometimes bowing your head can be harder than standing tall.

Translation: "But sometimes…… lowering one's head might be harder than keeping the spine straight."

Death isn't scary; it's easy.

Translation: "Death is not frightening; death is very easy."

The hard part is bearing a heavier burden while living humbly.

Translation: "What is difficult is how to bear something even heavier while living humbly."

Wu Tie doesn't know whether the clan leaders gathered by Li Xuangui and Yuan Qilin, and the clan members they've rallied, are cowardly surrenders or noble, humble survivals… Wu Tie doesn't know.

Translation: "Wu Tie does not know whether the aristocratic clan leaders gathered by Li Xuan Gui and Yuan Qilin, and the clan members gathered thereby, are surrendering out of weakness or are a great, humble survival…… Wu Tie does not know."

We need to keep the ellipsis.

He doesn't care either.

Translation: "He also doesn't care."

As the saying goes, you know a horse's strength after a long journey and a person's heart over time… Wu Tie doesn't have the leisure to look into why they've defected to him or what their true motives are.

Translation: "As the saying goes, 'you know a horse's strength after a long journey, and a person's heart after time'…… Wu Tie has no leisure time here to investigate the origins and consequences of their allegiance to him, to investigate their true motives for pledging allegiance."

We need to keep the ellipsis.

He smiled faintly and nodded to Elder Mo Yun: 'This has wronged you… but if you follow me, your king, I won't treat you unfairly. Now everyone understands; upon first meeting, even if you've submitted a pledge of allegiance, please…'

Translation: "Giving a faint smile, Wu Tie nodded to Old Ancestor Mo Yun: 'Thus, I have wronged you…… however, follow this king, and this king will not wrong you. But nowadays, everyone understands; when we first met, even if we have a letter of allegiance, please, everyone……'"

We need to keep the quotes and ellipsis.

Li Xuangui smiled.

Translation: "Li Xuan Gui smiled."

Yuan Qilin walked forward smiling, lowering his body slightly before Wu Tie; a crack split his forehead and strands of divine light seeped out.

Translation: "Yuan Qilin laughed as he stepped forward, lowering his body slightly before Wu Tie, and a crack split open in his brow, from which strands of divine light seeped out."

Wu Tie drew a deep breath and placed a restriction on Yuan Qilin.

Translation: "Wu Tie took a deep breath and placed a restriction on Yuan Qilin."

Without any of the obstacles Wu Tie imagined, beneath Li Xuangui are twenty‑seven Li clan Divine Manifest elders; beneath Yuan Qilin are twenty‑five Yuan clan Divine Manifest elders; beneath Mo Yun are thirty‑one Mo clan Divine Manifest elders…

Translation: "Without any of the difficulties and examinations Wu Tie had imagined, under Li Xuan Gui, twenty-seven Li clan Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors; under Yuan Qilin, twenty-five Yuan clan Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors; under Mo Yun, thirty-one Mo clan Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors……"

We need to keep the ellipsis.

The clan leaders who chose to ally with Wu Tie—these Divine Manifest elders—opened themselves up, willingly cooperated, and placed a confinement restriction on themselves; from then on their fate lay entirely in Wu Tie's thoughts.

Translation: "The aristocratic clan leaders who decided to pledge allegiance to Wu Tie, these Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors, all opened their bodies and minds, willingly cooperating with Wu Tie, planting a confinement restriction upon themselves; from then on, their life, death, honor, and disgrace were entirely in Wu Tie's single thought."

Wu Tie also didn't overlook the half‑step Divine Manifest combat power of these clans.

Translation: "Wu Tie also did not let go of these clans' half-step Divine Clarity Realm combat strength."

Compared to the Divine Manifest elders, these Great Wei clans have astonishing numbers of half‑step Divine Manifest experts—on average over twenty times their own Divine Manifest elders.

Translation: "Compared to the Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors, the number of half-step Divine Clarity Realm experts cultivated by these Great Wei clans is astonishing, averaging more than twenty times their own Divine Clarity Realm Old Ancestors."

Everyone also opened their divine fetuses, letting Wu Tie place a restriction within them.

Translation: "Everyone also opened their Divine Wombs, allowing Wu Tie to leave a restriction within their Divine Wombs."

Before outsiders even noticed, it amounted to over ten percent of Great Wei's top combat power, which wholly defected to Wu Tie.

Translation: "Before outsiders even realized, it amounted to more than ten percent of Great Wei's top combat strength, and thus they wholly pledged allegiance to Wu Tie."

Wu Tie basically doesn't care about the combat strength of the clans that defected to him… You might say Ou Yezi's combat strength is formidable? It's actually quite ordinary, but would Wu Tie care about Ou Yezi's combat strength?

Translation: "These clans that pledged allegiance to Wu Tie, Wu Tie fundamentally does not care about their combat strength…… you say Ou Yezi's combat strength is formidable? It's quite ordinary, but would Wu Tie care about Ou Yezi's combat strength?"

Ou Yezi casually forged a few divine swords, and the boost they gave to Wu Tie's forces exceeded his own combat strength.

Translation: "Ou Yezi casually forged a few divine swords, and the boost they gave to Wu Tie's forces exceeded Ou Yezi's own combat strength."

Besides, there's the Mo clan, the Kong clan, the Meng clan, and the seven major clans led by the Seven Scattered Persons…

Translation: "Moreover, there is also the Mo clan, the Kong clan, the Meng clan, and the Seven Great Aristocratic Families led by the Seven Scattered People……"

Their value isn't in combat strength; as Mo Yun said, family lineage outweighs everything. The inheritance he speaks of isn't just bloodline—it's the Mo clan's knowledge and forging techniques.

Translation: "Their value does not lie in their combat strength, as Mo Yun said, clan inheritance outweighs everything; the inheritance Mo Yun spoke of is not merely bloodline inheritance, but more importantly the knowledge mastered by the Mo clan and their forging technique."

Each of these Great Wei clans has its own inheritance.

Translation: "These Great Wei clans each have their own inheritance."

What they hold is the wisdom crystallized by countless generations of ancestors—the foundation of civilization.

Translation: "What they master is the crystallization of wisdom from countless generations of ancestors, the foundation of civilization."

Wu Tie recalled the knowledge inheritance of the Three Linked Cities held by the Demon Chapter King.

Translation: "Wu Tie recalled the knowledge transmission held by Mo Zhang King in the Three Linked Cities."

He also recalled the vast sea of knowledge in his own mind.

Translation: "He also recalled the vast knowledge library within his own mind, like a sea of smoke."

With the defection of these Great Wei clans, Wu Tie finally had a safe, reliable, and reasonable channel to spread this precious knowledge.

Translation: "With these Great Wei clans' pledge of allegiance, Wu Tie finally had a safe, reliable, and reasonable channel to spread these precious knowledge transmissions."

Wu Tie recalled the former Wu family stone fortress.

Translation: "Wu Tie recalled the former Wu Family Stone Fortress."

Back then, he and Master Hui treated every book as a precious treasure.

Translation: "Back then, he, together with Grey Master, regarded any book as a precious treasure."

In the underworld, any book containing text can become a family's treasure of inheritance.

Translation: "In the underground world, any book with text could become a family's treasure of inheritance."

The value of civilization and knowledge—Wu Tie finally has the chance to change and realize things.

Translation: "The preciousness of civilization, the preciousness of knowledge—Wu Tie finally had the opportunity to change some things, to realize some things."

Therefore, Wu Tie doesn't ask Li Xuangui about their true intentions in defecting.

Translation: "Therefore, Wu Tie does not ask Li Xuan Gui about their true intentions and hearts in pledging allegiance."

They have come, they have defected, and now they belong to Wu Tie.

Translation: "They have come, they have pledged allegiance, and they are now Wu Tie's people."

That is enough.