Chapter 897

The sky was dim, and figures were hurrying on Hanyun Peak. The cultivators in white armor held weapons, and the black-clad youth at the head had a gloomy face. He looked furious, but the hand resting on his sword was tapping somewhat lightly. 'Finally waited for this day...'

The Fei family had been in a semi-independent state on the north bank for so many years. Chen Yang had submitted reports to the peak more than once, with only one goal: to abolish the Fei family's bit of autonomous power.

'My Chen family ancestors and descendants have served for five generations, what kind of meritorious service is that? Yet we don't even get to be landlords, and our descendants run around working. What kind of thing is your Fei family? A cowardly thing that defected halfway, and you're worthy of occupying land to raise people?'

As for Fei Qingyi's desperate gamble, Chen Yang had no ill feelings. On the contrary, he changed his previous impression of him being honest and dull, and felt a bit of appreciation, shaking his head secretly:

'Even a rabbit bites when pushed to the limit. It's just bad luck; otherwise, he might have succeeded. What a pity, what a pity, in the end, he was actually eaten by demonic cultivators. If it were me... I wouldn't have been so stupid as to break in like that...'

The Fei family had always been cautious, and having made it to today, Li Ximing and the Great Xiukui Temple had already negotiated to relocate the Fei family members. Both sides had already begun to hand over personnel. Once they reached the Great Xiukui Temple, where the governance was looser and they had someone backing them, the life of an aristocratic landlord would naturally be much easier.

Yet the Fei family had fallen on the eve of this dawn.

At this moment, there was crying and wailing all over the mountains. Chen Yang felt as if he were listening to celestial music. He rubbed his hand on his sword a few times, looking at the woman being dragged like a dead dog before him. A snicker escaped his throat:

"You're going to suffer now."

The Fei family members on the ground were crying out injustice, but unfortunately, no one paid them any heed. Hanyun Peak was famous for its snow scenery, and the white snow under the twilight flashed with a dim yellow light. Chen Yang turned and walked away without mercy. When he reached the outside of the courtyard, the two pots of plum blossoms were still swaying in the wind and snow.

A youth in a dark red robe stood in the snow, with a woman in feathered robes standing beside him. The youth's eyes were fixed on the plum blossoms. Chen Yang bowed and said respectfully:

"Young Master! The Fei family has all been detained, waiting for the Lord's disposal!"

He reported, and seeing that Li Jiangqian did not answer, he said diligently:

"These plum blossoms grow well, moving them to the continent..."

"No need. They still have some vitality planted here; they definitely won't survive if moved."

Li Jiangqian withdrew his gaze and said softly: "This courtyard was once the residence of our predecessors. Every bit of it must be preserved for me... not a single bit of damage is allowed. As for the Fei family..."

He stopped speaking at this point. Chen Yang was stunned, raising his eyebrows slightly, only to find the whole courtyard brightening. The originally dim white snow was illuminated by light, brightening as it turned into thin snow water.

"Drip!"

Only then did he notice a drop of red falling before his eyes, seemingly dark red blood.

This blood had just fallen to the ground when it immediately turned into a cold mist and flew away. Everyone around looked up at the sky together, seeing the bursts of bright light above.

The dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and colorful clouds gathered. A figure stood on the lake. The setting sun on the horizon descended, draping its red light over him, making it hard to look directly at him, leaving only that figure that appeared dark under the intense light.

A familiar, tall long halberd hung horizontally in the air. The man in white was extremely conspicuous, hanging on it like a corpse. Red blood like a stream dripped down his white clothes, turning into pieces of white snow.

"Father!"

"Greetings to the True Person!"

The courtyard immediately knelt down in a flurry. Chen Yang felt as if thunder was ringing in his heart. His mind was blank, leaving only one thought: 'Not True Person Zhaojing? He succeeded! The Li family already has a second Zifu?!'

This thought flashed by, and in an instant, he understood who this man in white was:

'Fei Qingyi! He was caught and brought back!'

"Thump..."

Then they saw the long halberd held upside down, and the man in white rolled onto the ground with a thump, emitting a groan. He dragged his body, turned over, and began to kowtow. No one in the courtyard dared to make a sound, leaving only the thumping noise.

Li Jiangqian was not surprised at all, clearly having met Li Zhouwei long ago. He flicked his robe, bowed in another direction, and said respectfully: "Congratulations to the Lord for achieving the divine ability!"

For a time, everyone bowed respectfully again. But the True Person in the sky was long gone, leaving only a faint instruction:

"Once dealt with, all come to the continent to see me."

Thus the bright light retreated, and everything in their eyes returned to the faint black-red color of the setting sun. Before the crowd could react from their loss of speech, Chen Yang lunged forward, calling out:

"Fei Qingyi has fallen into demonic ways, the Fei family colluded with the Northern Buddhist, intending to lead wolves into the house, endangering Jiangnan. Their crimes are monstrous. The Lord is wise and martial, turning the tide. Yet he caused countless deaths and injuries on the north bank. I only hope he is paraded through the streets for three days, and then executed by slow slicing..."

Li Jiangqian waited for him to finish speaking loudly, and all the cultivators and Fei family members on the ground heard it clearly. There was a sudden cry all around, and only then did he wave his hand: "Too cheap for him. First, organize the troops and watch everyone well."

The crowd reported and retreated, whispering to each other. Li Jiangqian frowned and said in a low voice:

"The Fei family caused heavy casualties to the people on the north bank and cannot be spared lightly. But Fei Qingya is still at the Great Xiukui Temple. What do you think should be done?"

Li Que Wan understood his meaning. The joy in her eyes slowly faded, but coldness flickered in them. She said in a low voice:

"I don't think it's difficult. Fei Qingya doesn't have much affection for the Fei family. Write a letter and inform her. She is a character from a storybook; her distinction between good and evil is more righteous than anyone else's, and the Great Xiukui Temple is also happy to see this situation... This is a critical period and cannot be spared lightly. Exterminating the clan might be too much, but Fei Qingyi's branch deserves to have their three clans wiped out. Except for Fei Qingyi, who we can't control... I think the rest don't need to be left alive."

Li Jiangqian nodded with lingering interest. The Fei family had quite a few people. Although many Fei-surnamed mortals had died in the battle just now, uprooting them would still create a great killing karma of tens of thousands. He pondered: "Fei Qingyi still has a position at the Xiukui Mountain, nominally a commander of the Great Xiukui Temple. I think it's best to tie up his three clans and let the Sun lineage do the work. As for the others, watch the situation and send them away."

Fei Qingyi was, after all, a person of the Si family now, having defected to the enemy. It was even more impossible for her to get involved. Even if this woman didn't have the heart to bear it, she didn't have the qualifications to speak out. She hadn't failed to warn the Fei family, but the situation was such, what could be done? The two settled the matter and gave orders, leaving soon after. The sound of weeping gradually faded away, and the whole Hanyun Peak was finally empty, leaving only the white snow falling in the night, fluttering down on the roofed hall to the side.

The high pavilion was peaceful in the wind. The white paint on the door panels was slightly dim. The sound of falling snow was fragmented. Two plum blossoms were blooming quietly in the snow, seemingly unchanged.

Zhijing Mountain.

Li Zhouwei descended with the light and arrived here. The climate was completely different from the cold and loneliness of Hanyun Peak. It was bright and brilliant, with rolling gardenia flowers, a scene of heat.

The man in white-gold Daoist robes was pacing anxiously by the table. Seeing him enter, his eyes were full of smiles, and he looked relieved, though still anxious. Li Zhouwei pressed his palms together: "This junior greets the Lord!"

Li Ximing picked up the pot from the table. The exhausted expression he had shown due to his injuries also eased. Although he had retrieved his remains from Helian Wujiang in time, the baleful energy was still tossing about in his Dharma body. Having fought for a while with a three-divine-ability True Person, the remaining injuries were clearly not light.

'This trip to Xiukui Mountain, I must demand some medicine from them... This time I also risked my life.'

Returning from the north had truly frightened him. He had sensed Helian Wumeng stopping at Bai Jiangxi from afar. If he had gone south to slaughter, Li Ximing would have had some risk in stopping him. It was just that Li Zhouwei appeared here, so he felt relieved, observing silently in the Great Void, and had returned a step early.

At this moment, he asked:

"When did you return?"

Li Zhouwei released his hand lightly, and 【Great Sheng】 disappeared. He bowed deeply, went to the table, took the tea poured by Li Ximing, and said respectfully:

"Actually, the time was quite generous, but the anomaly was covered and cut off by the dragon species, and the stone talisman left for the Lord was also ineffective, so it was unknown. After breaking through, I went to the Long Gong. It was already a few days late when I returned, and I saw the Small Chamber Mountain collapse. The matter grew bigger and bigger, endangering the lakeside, so I stayed on the north bank. I hope the Lord will forgive me for not going to Caishan to rescue..."

"What kind of matter is this."

Li Ximing laughed, put down the jade pot in his hand, and said sternly: "I knew you would succeed! But I didn't expect it to be so fast. It seems that fate is upon you, and there are some benefits that ordinary people can't envy."

If it were a normal day, Li Ximing would definitely be overjoyed and wish to hold a banquet for three days to celebrate. Unfortunately, the situation was really unclear, and his injuries were not light, casting a shadow over this joy. However, after a short while, the shadow of worry surged into his heart again. He sighed, his joy converged, and he said in a low voice:

"I can't clean up this situation. I can only go with the flow. I have already become too close to the Sun lineage. Now it seems that this north-south struggle is completely different from previous years. Kui Qi has treated me well, and there is no reason to easily withdraw."

"I rushed back to save people this time, just in time to meet you. I was going to Xiukui Mountain..."

Li Zhouwei shook his head and was about to say more, but Li Ximing continued: "You don't have to go with me. Everyone is in danger now. You can play the role of the good guy and guard the house. If both of us are friendly, some words won't be able to be pushed away."

Li Zhouwei naturally understood this point, but his expression was slightly complex, and he replied:

"I went to the Long Gong, and the time for the round trip was at this point. There were many hints in the words, and in the words, it was nothing more than not wanting me to get involved in the great battle of Luoxia. It seems that all parties have long had a consensus on the success or failure of this great battle."

Li Ximing felt a choke in his heart and asked:

"What else did the dragon species talk about?"

Li Zhouwei remained silent and shook his head, replying: "Ding Jiao was in seclusion and only left things for me in the Water Mansion Long Gong, instructing me to take them away... It was another White Dragon who met me, and we only chatted a few words."

He raised his hand and took out a jade box from his sleeve. When the lid opened, an object shone out, which was two small, bright golden rings: "Spirit Treasure 【Dry Yang Bracelet】!"

Li Zhouwei dared to stand against Helian Wumeng and the four Compassionate ones on the river, naturally having a trump card. Li Ximing had used the 【Chongyang Jurisdiction Star Treasure Plate】, so how could he not know the power of these treasures? His eyes lit up, and he said with surprise and joy:

"Spirit Treasure? A gift?"

Li Zhouwei looked slightly embarrassed and replied:

"That's right... I couldn't refuse. My worry was the trouble at home. That's why they specifically handed the 【Dry Yang Bracelet】 to me, so I brought the things back."

These two spirit treasures didn't look conspicuous. At first glance, they were just a pair of golden rings, which fit perfectly on the wrist. Only when looking closely could one see them faintly blooming with white-gold colors, appearing and disappearing.

Li Ximing took a close look, finally closed the things, sent them back to his hand, and instructed: "With this thing in hand, there is more protection. I am also relieved that you are guarding the lake. I still need to go."

He took out a jade slip and a token from his sleeve and said in a low voice:

"In the few years you were in seclusion, the family's great array has been repaired. This token can enter and exit the inner and outer arrays."

"This jade slip is my experience in tossing about the 'Visiting Heaven Gate' in the past few years. You should read it, and destroy it after reading..."

He packed up his storage bag and immediately emptied out a crowd of things—elixirs, cultivation techniques, spiritual energy, magic treasures—all sent to Li Zhouwei's hands. It was really not very auspicious, making Li Zhouwei's eyelids jump.

He put down the things, drove the light, and flew into the Great Void, disappearing. Li Zhouwei took the things, stared at the jade box on the table, sipped his tea quietly, and his expression gradually became profound:

'All are chess pieces... whose family is not a chess piece? Those who are not chess pieces, who do not bow their heads as dogs and horses, how many are not cut, bled, and marrow-sucked? Zifu also has great discomfort! Only when the heart is ruthless, abandoning all things, and hiding overseas, can one preserve a few hundred years of freedom... As long as there is a heart to move upward in this world, it is always inevitable to be a dog or a horse!'

'As for me... I'm afraid I don't even have the qualifications to leave their sight!'

A sarcastic smile appeared on his face. He lowered his head quietly, picked up the jade slip in his hand, probed his spiritual sense into it, and read it carefully. Sure enough, it was a discussion about Bright Yang cultivation. But reading to the end in one breath, there was actually a spell.

Li Zhouwei only glanced at it, his heart was suddenly shocked. He crushed the jade slip in his hand with a calm expression, his eyes shining brightly. He raised his head and said coldly:

"Who?!"

Then he saw the Great Void cave ringing. Two people actually drilled out of this Zhijing Mountain!

This person was short, with horns on his forehead, an ugly appearance, eyes on both sides, and held a pen as long as a pestle in his hand. As soon as he emerged, he bowed: "Sent by the Underworld Yin Division... Wang Long, greets fellow Daoist! Congratulations to fellow Daoist for achieving the divine ability! From now on, life is self-determined, not entering life and death!"

The other person held a large book and had also been to this place before. It was Zhang Gui!

Both were full of joy, their eyes burning, happily seeing him. Li Ximing had mentioned these two to him long ago, and he shook his head secretly:

'At this moment, they dare not say they wish me to avoid the great calamity, ascend to the fruit position first, and then become true...'

Wang Long didn't know what he was thinking and laughed:

"Disturbing fellow Daoist... We have been to this place too... I didn't expect to come again so soon. Fellow Daoist is truly a talent of heaven and man... Since ancient times, there are not many who can break through to Zifu within ten years. Now I have seen it! We were here last time... last time..."

The length of time it takes to break through to Zifu is inevitably related to luck. Wang Long also said some pleasant words. Zhang Gui on the side took over the conversation slowly and said:

"The last time was Jiang Boqing, who was also a person with extremely high cultivation."

"Yes, yes!"

Zhang Gui looked at his complexion carefully and said happily:

"This person was praised by the Lord, saying he 【Talent exceeds the rules, life is worthy of the chamber mountain】, and he appreciated him especially. If he hadn't made a move, where would this Jiang have room to toss? He would have been..."

He seemed to have no gate on his mouth, and then stopped abruptly, turning to laugh: "Fellow Daoist must be a resounding person who can achieve the five methods!"

Li Zhouwei heard the overtones, his eyes full of light, his hand resting on the jade cup rubbing slightly, secretly noting it down, and laughed: "I broke through to Zifu and rushed home, but I forgot that two fellow Daoists were coming to register... I have kept the two fellow Daoists waiting for a long time, it is really an offense!"

Characters appearing in this chapter

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Li Ximing 【Early Zifu】

Li Zhouwei 【Early Zifu】

Li Jiangqian 'Great Li Book' 【Mid Foundation Establishment】

Li Que Wan 'Waiting for Divine Distinction' 【Mid Foundation Establishment】

Chen ○yang 'Jing Dragon King' 【Mid Foundation Establishment】