Chapter 272: Under the Forest

"You picked it?" Jiang Shenyi asked in surprise, "What does that mean?"

Yun Xiyan said, "It just means I smashed Huagu Tower; from now on, that sect won't exist anymore."

Everyone was quite shocked, and Jiang Shenyi asked curiously, "Just you alone?"

Yun Xiyan said, "Just me alone. Actually, I also took advantage of the situation. I arrived in Yunzhou early and thought I'd go to Huagu Tower to see what kind of force could raise a bastard like Yi Zhixin. I didn't expect them to be in the middle of an internal conflict. Ha, you wouldn't know, there were only a few dozen people in Huagu Tower, yet they were split into several factions fighting each other. And those Talisman Sword Masters didn't even do it themselves; they made their subordinates pull out their bones to fight. They didn't treat them like people at all—there were white, gleaming bones all over the ground. It was quite disgusting."

Jiang Shenyi had never met Yi Zhixin, but the mention of bones reminded him of the skeleton army outside Xun City, and he couldn't help but frown, feeling an instinctive repulsion.

Yun Xiyan said, "As soon as I saw them, I felt none of them were good people. I swept those guys aside first, then pushed over their building and said, 'Get lost, all of you. From now on, there is no more Huagu Tower.' I don't know if they listened to me, but at least no one opposed me at the time; they just scattered in a flurry. I suppose they agreed."

She spoke of it lightly, but a great battle must have occurred at the time. No one knew the process of the battle, but the result could be considered a legend of the Jianghu. It was just that the force of the Talisman Sword Masters was far removed from the Jianghu, so although Yun Xiyan's battle record was astonishing, she couldn't easily use it to make a name for herself.

But with this sister's strength and her reckless spirit, wouldn't making a name for herself in the Jianghu be just a matter of time?

Jiang Shenyi clicked his tongue in wonder, but he didn't take it to heart, treating it as just a strange story. He said, "You should be careful; who knows if they have a story of a fallen disciple seeking revenge. I am responsible for welcoming you all to the venue. Are you all sitting in one cabin, or will the three of you sit together?"

After he finished speaking, he took out a silver-white Bead. With a shake, the Bead grew larger. Looking closely, it was actually a silver cabin formed by swirling rings of wind. Opening a slit, one could see soft seats laid out inside. One Bead was one room, and it looked very comfortable.

Madam Hua Rong and Yun Xiyan looked at that Swordswoman Xun. Since she was the oldest, she naturally had to speak first. Swordswoman Xun smiled and said, "We will still have time to chat on the way up the mountain. I am not feeling very energetic and would like to catch up on some sleep on the way, so let's each take a room." She boarded the Wind Bead first. Madam Hua Rong winked at Yun Xiyan and boarded one herself.

Yun Xiyan breathed a sigh of relief. She could be considered half-extroverted, but after all, there was an age gap between these two, and it was exhausting to chat, especially with that old woman, whose demeanor was graceful and who could talk and laugh with the younger generation, yet one always felt a sense of seriousness about her that made one afraid to be presumptuous in her presence, causing one to feel restrained without realizing it. At this moment, having a private room to herself felt like having shackles removed. She jumped onto a silver Bead, stroked it here and there, and bounced on the seat, finding it very novel. She even said, "Looking out from inside here, it's actually transparent. Looking in from the outside, you can't see anything, but looking out from the inside, everything is clear. What kind of Rune Formula is this?"

Jiang Shenyi smiled and said, "This is a sightseeing Rune Formula we developed. It's one-way transparent." He didn't explain the specific principles of the Rune Formula, as Yun Xiyan wouldn't understand anyway. "If you want it when you're decorating your home, you can contact Baiyu Shenghui. Our shop also does renovations; we can make entire sightseeing walls."

Yun Xiyan looked him over and suddenly realized that his changes were far more than just a few tricks. She said, "This thing must be expensive, right? Your big sister here is a poor person and can't be your VIP. At most, I can spend a few coins on wine—how about it? Do you want to have a drink tonight?"

Jiang Shenyi sighed and said, "Forget it, I have too many things to do and can't find the time at all. Look, my dark circles are showing; that's all because I haven't been sleeping well."

Yun Xiyan looked at him carefully and smiled, "I don't see any dark circles, but I do feel you're different from before."

Jiang Shenyi said, "How am I different?"

Yun Xiyan pondered and said, "I can't say. I can only feel that you are more powerful than before. Or perhaps I've become sensitive after becoming a Sword Guest. In any case, I feel you are very strong."

Jiang Shenyi smiled without clarifying—if there was one way he was stronger than before, it was that his Soul was more powerful.

In more than half a year, he had finally touched the threshold he wanted to touch.

On this side, Yun Xiyan had boarded the silver Bead, and Jiang Shenyi was just about to ascend when suddenly Swordswoman Xun's silver Bead opened, revealing the old woman's face. She smiled and said, "Little Brother Jiang, I vaguely saw that there are other people on that bird's back?"

Jiang Shenyi looked back and said, "Yes, these are VIPs I picked up this morning. They don't like sitting in the wind cabins, saying the view is better on the bird's back. Actually, the view from the wind cabins is even better—three hundred and sixty degrees with no blind spots." Besides receiving guests, he had also been responsible for part of the shop's work these days. He wasn't used to it at first, but by now, the advertising slogans just rolled off his tongue.

The old woman leaned forward and looked several times, saying, "It seems to be a tall person and a little girl. If they can go up, can I go up and sit for a while?"

Jiang Shenyi said helplessly, "That's not very good. Those two adults are considered our people, so it doesn't matter where they sit. That position is actually not good; it's blown hard by the wind. By rights, guests shouldn't be allowed to sit there."

The old woman frowned and said, "Adults? What adults?"

Jiang Shenyi said, "The adults from the Land Inspection Department... oh, well, they can't really be considered that anymore. One is a teacher of my Junior Martial Brother, and the other is my friend..."

The old woman shook her head and said, "Land Inspection Department... forget it. Since it's them, I won't go join in the fun." Having said that, she retreated into the silver Bead and closed the door behind her.

Jiang Shenyi didn't mind. With a flick of his finger, the three wind silver Beads drifted up and flew toward the direction of the electric bird.

At this time, the Thunder Bird was already adorned with wind Beads of various sizes, as if stars were circling the sun. Jiang Shenyi sat back on the head of the Thunder Bird and said, "Let's go."

The Thunder Bird spread its wings and rose, accompanied by the wind Beads, like a blue glow in the sky, leaving Runcao Ferry. The clamor faded away, and the grass and trees quietly waited for the next wave of guests.

The Thunder Bird took off. Yun Xiyan looked down at the undulating mountains through the sightseeing window. The mountain peaks were still covered in white snow; this scenery lacked a bit of the vicissitudes of Kungang but had a bit more handsomeness. At first, she found it magnificent, but soon she gradually felt it was monotonous. Coupled with the fact that it wasn't very quiet inside the Wind Ball, with some monotonous wind noise humming in her ears, she gradually felt sleepy and fell asleep without realizing it.

There were eight days left until the Sword Casting Conference.

On a shaded hillside of a spur of Jiugao Mountain, a large, lush forest grew.

Although this season was the best time for vegetation on Jiugao Mountain, this place was, after all, too far north. The mountain peaks were covered in snow all year round, and below the snow line, it was mainly pine forests with deep, dark green needles; there were rarely such brightly and beautifully green forests. Moreover, this was the shaded side of the hillside, where the vegetation should have been sparse. How could it be like this, looking from afar like a great forest in a place with abundant rainfall?

A forest like this would generally be full of vitality, with birds chirping on the branches, rabbits and deer foraging under the trees, fierce beasts crouching in the bushes, and apes leaping between the treetops. Not to mention insects and ants, all of which were part of this vitality.

Yet this forest was deathly silent. There was no rustling of the wind, no chirping of birds or insects, not a shred of vitality. This was a green desert.

The trees in the forest seemed chaotic, yet they seemed to have a subtle order, winding around like a maze, with a large stockade hidden in the very center. Inside the stockade were large tents commonly used by the military.

In a tent, a tall figure in full armor sat upright.

"Supreme Pillar of State." A young voice came from behind.

The armored man didn't need to turn around to know that the visitor was the standout of the younger generation in this stockade, his deputy general, and also the successor he favored. He asked in a deep voice, "How is His Highness?"

The young man's voice was very strange: "Still the same, muttering nonsense and listless. I don't think he'll be able to take the field anytime soon."

The Supreme Pillar of State frowned and said, "Then ignore him. I previously heard of the virtuous name of His Highness Prince Cheng in Long Ting, but who knew that hearing of him is not as good as meeting him; he is actually so incompetent... It's just as well that he doesn't take the field, so he won't be in the way, and I won't end up like the Northern Supreme Pillar of State. Our three routes of troops are already fully prepared, and we don't need his command. Is your team ready?"

The young man said proudly, "Already prepared. I have settled the mission with the Ghost Pushing the Mill, and all the sharks are ready to be swapped, just waiting to dive into the deep sea."

The Supreme Pillar of State said, "Very good. This time you will lead the inner route, carrying the invitation to enter Zhuoyu Villa openly and honestly from the main path. The Young General will lead the outer route troops to assault the mountain from the periphery. The final route will be led by that person, delivering the heart-destroying blow. With everyone advancing together, who can stop us?"

The young man suddenly fell silent. The Supreme Pillar of State said, "What's wrong?"

The young man sighed, "I feel that for this operation, whether it's me or the Young General, although we have prepared with all our might, we are just making wedding clothes for that person."

The Supreme Pillar of State smiled. Although this was selfish, everyone had selfish motives, especially young people who needed to get ahead; selfishness was also a driving force. He said, "Don't worry about him. He will leave sooner or later and won't stay in Yunzhou. When the time comes, he will have his own place, but this operation must use him. Your opponent is the Young General, and my position as Supreme Pillar of State will eventually be one of yours. And I favor you more. You are a one-in-ten-thousand genius; to be a Sword Guest at such a young age, you will be more than qualified to be a true Supreme Pillar of State in a few years."

The young man was slightly embarrassed and said, "This subordinate is ashamed. The Supreme Pillar of State is in the prime of his life..."

The Supreme Pillar of State laughed, "I didn't say I was going to die. It's just that the waves behind push the waves ahead, and it's time for your generation of young people. I don't mind if Yunzhou produces the youngest Supreme Pillar of State. This operation is a must-win. Whoever among you two makes the greater contribution will be my successor."

The young man cupped his hands in salute.

The Supreme Pillar of State finally said, "Setting aside that person for now, neither of your two routes will be easy. The outer route is more difficult, and the inner route is more dangerous; both have room for maneuver, and both have full danger. If either of your routes meets with disaster, I will not intervene to save you; I will only strike a thunderous blow at the critical moment. Take care of yourselves."