Chapter 424: The Qi of the Southwest All Converges into the Nine Cauldrons; Beneath Changfeng, the Qilin Remains

Duan Qingyu intended to let Li Guanyi go, but Li Guanyi's excessive cooperation with Mu Taihong, combined with the loss of the Twenty-Four Pearls, had caused too great an impact, so he could only bring everyone back.

Mu Taihong's excuse was that this matter was of grave importance, and anyone who learned of it must be taken away—so even the shopkeeper who carried the wine and the other scattered patrons drinking were brought to the Southwest Wang Fu.

The other scattered patrons turned ashen-faced.

The old shopkeeper, however, was still thinking of his batch of small square tofu.

Li Guanyi looked at Mu Taihong's anxious face, his expression amused.

Something's wrong.

Having spent too much time with Mr. Master Wen He, Li Guanyi saw at a glance that this man was suspicious.

Compared to Mr. Master Wen He, his methods were far too crude.

It must be those whom Chen Dingye and Chen Guo had won over in the past decade—those unwilling to accept the alliance—who were scheming to undermine Duan Qingyu's reputation.

And the lords of each city among the southwestern tribes had agreed to meet Li Guanyi only on the condition that the Young Lady hand over the Twenty-Four Pearls; now that the pearls were gone, there would be endless disputes.

As if sensing Li Guanyi's gaze, Mu Taihong turned to face the Central Plains merchant, his expression cold, his eyes devoid of any anxiety—only a faint hint of killing intent.

Li Guanyi smiled slightly, unconcerned.

As they neared the Southwest Wang Fu, Li Guanyi could feel the surge of qi and fortune converging into the Nine Cauldrons; though these were merely scattered traces of divine aura, the Nine Cauldrons had already borne their seals.

Absorbing them was exceedingly smooth.

The third one-ninth portion of the Nine Cauldrons had begun to glow gradually.

Li Guanyi had not expected it to be this easy.

The southwestern region, spanning thousands of li, was full of mountains, rivers, and hollow lakes, with cities and tribes scattered throughout; unless something major occurred, the tribal chieftains and city lords would never gather together.

Mu Taihong must have prepared for this day's "incident" for many days, expending great effort, somehow coaxing these city lords and tribal chiefs to congregate in this area, ensuring they could all be assembled when trouble struck.

It saved Li Guanyi considerable trouble.

Excellent!

Truly excellent!

A great benefactor, just like Hou Zhongyu.

Li Guanyi looked at Mu Taihong, his gaze now filled with warmth and approval.

Upon entering the Southwest Wang Fu, before any action was taken, Li Guanyi heard loud clamor inside—all centered on the Twenty-Four Pearls, who had stolen them, nearly coming to blows.

Some sneered, some panicked, some shifted blame, others suspected everyone.

Li Guanyi heard clearly.

All were trying to prove their innocence and implicate others.

Each held firm to their own view, each had allies, the noise was deafening—the loose nature of the southwestern region was laid bare; Li Guanyi even heard someone whisper: "We only agreed to ally with Qin Wu Hou when the pearls returned; now they're gone."

"Does the alliance still stand?"

"But… the pearls are gone…"

Li Guanyi lifted his gaze slightly.

Duan Qingyu had also heard the voices; he strode in, letting out a mighty roar.

The sound was grand and mighty, his aura surging upward—a vast force that silenced all others, infused with the essence of metal and weapons, his peak eighth-layer cultivation suppressing everyone into dizziness and silence.

Mu Taihong's expression tightened.

Duan Qingyu hovered through the air and landed within the Wang Fu, his dharma form manifesting as a dark tiger; the tiger roared, its gaze icy, Duan Qingyu stood with hands behind his back and said: "All this noise—what kind of decorum is this? Be silent!"

"Hmph! Xue Louzhu handed these pearls to us properly, to secure our agreement to meet Qin Wu Hou; we agreed on that condition. Now that the pearls are lost, that's a separate matter—how can this be grounds to break the alliance?!"

"There is no such logic in the world."

"Moreover, all of you agreed at the time—now to renege would ruin the reputation of our Southwest Kingdom and make the heroes of the world laugh at us!"

The crowd was stunned by the aura of Duan Qingyu's dharma form.

Li Guanyi even murmured in admiration of his boldness.

Li Guanyi and the others were also brought in, but as Li Guanyi stepped inside, his foot subtly shifted—the Nine Cauldrons rang out, and the speed of absorbing human qi and fortune instantly slowed; Li Guanyi suddenly felt a faint pain in his third eye.

Hm? Sabotage?

No.

Li Guanyi slowly raised his gaze and realized something was wrong.

In his eyes, the Southwest Wang Fu—once distinctly southwestern in style—had changed; a chilling aura of malice enveloped it, and at its very core, an indescribable, cold metallic force lay hidden.

That chilling force had been sleeping, but Li Guanyi, bearing the vast martial aura of conquest, had entered its domain—like two tigers appearing in one territory, instantly awakening the slumbering weapon-energy.

The dormant malice gathered.

As if an peerless divine weapon had pressed against Li Guanyi's third eye, stirring his blood, as if he had been cast back into an endless battlefield, with dragon roars and tiger howls ringing in his ears.

But Li Guanyi was no longer a greenhorn.

He immediately broke free from the overwhelming martial aura.

The presence seemed to sense Li Guanyi's martial aura of conquest—and under its influence, it transformed into a divine weapon of indescribable form, directly opposing Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi halted his step.

What is this?!?!

He stared at the Southwest Wang Fu, frowning slightly.

Tai Bo Yong, one of the southwestern tribal chieftains, noticed Li Guanyi and the others and said: "Your Majesty, who are these people…?"

Duan Qingyu frowned and said: "When Mu Taihong reported it, his voice was too loud—the news spread. To prevent it from going further, we brought them along."

Mu Taihong said: "For safety's sake—these shopkeepers and servants are all from our Southwest, we've seen them before. But this Central Plains merchant? A stranger!"

"How could it be that a Central Plains trader arrives in our Southwest, and our national treasure vanishes the same day?!"

Duan Qingyu snapped: "Are you suggesting that while drinking with me, this young brother somehow slipped away and stole the Twenty-Four National Treasures under heavy guard?!"

Such an absurd claim naturally drew the attention of others.

Mu Taihong maintained his composure and said, "He couldn't possibly be alone here—perhaps he has accomplices, or perhaps he came to drink with the King to stall for time while his allies stole the Pearl of Ming!"

Mu Taihong twisted the logic, yet this twisted logic carried a shred of reason.

Li Guanyi, of course, had nothing to hide—but suddenly, his heart lurched.

Damn, these Pearls are national treasures.

They must be worth a fortune.

Could they have been snatched back by Nangong?!

Fuck?

Nangong, don't you dare activate your fortune now.

After much debate, since the matter involved a national treasure, most of the southwestern tribal chieftains agreed to detain Li Guanyi and his companions—at least to prevent the news from leaking—but did not imprison them; instead, they assigned them separate rooms within the southwestern Wang Fu.

Duan Qingyu was naturally magnanimous; the customs of the southwestern lands differed from those of the Central Plains.

He bore none of the arrogance typical of Central Plains princes, merely offering a slight bow and saying, "This matter is of grave importance, and due to our own negligence, we must ask you all to rest here temporarily. Once the truth is uncovered, compensation will be paid."

Everyone naturally said nothing and all agreed.

Li Guanyi went to his detention quarters, where several armored warriors guarded the outside. Though the room was not luxurious, it was fully furnished. He sat cross-legged at ease, and within the bronze ding, qi flowed in cycles.

Upon entering the southwestern Wang Fu, all tribal lords of the southwestern frontier were present.

The qi surged like waves into the interior of the Jiuli Ding.

As this process unfolded, the third one-ninth portion of the ding's body slowly glowed with golden light, and the martial qi Li Guanyi sensed grew ever clearer.

Li Guanyi slowly opened his eyes and saw the qi swirling in the void.

As the accumulated southwestern qi within the bronze ding increased.

This unique martial qi grew ever more firmly locked onto him.

Li Guanyi lifted his gaze slightly: "This is…"

………………

The tribal chieftains of the southwest bickered incessantly over the twenty-four Pearls—a sign not only of the entire southwestern realm's regard for this national treasure, but also that those secretly aligned with Chen State were not few.

They dared not act while Duan Qingyu's prestige was at its peak.

But when the national treasure was lost after being recovered, they had no qualms about stoking the flames. Watching these men endlessly argue that the alliance with Qin Wu Hou must be halted, Duan Qingyu's mood sank further.

Suddenly he slammed his armrest and rose: "Enough!!"

This roar stirred the primordial qi, summoning the Xuan Hu Fa Xiang; ripples formed in the void, and the pressure of the Eighth Heaven erupted, churning the Wang Fu into a storm of chaos. Duan Qingyu stood, his icy gaze sweeping the room:

"I myself will handle the loss of the national Pearl."

"The alliance with Qin Wu Hou is beyond question. If any of you object, then let the Southwest Tribes' Elder Council depose me as Lord of the Southwest!"

"Otherwise, this matter is final!"

Mu Taihong clenched his teeth inwardly, but had already formed his plan.

Now he voiced agreement: "Regardless, we must first recover our national treasure—it is a relic equal in sacredness to the ancient Golden Iron of the Primordial Bingzhu, a symbol of our auspiciousness!"

"Previously we kept it secret to prevent panic, but now we've found nothing—why not post notices offering great rewards to heroes across the land to find the Pearl? If successful, we grant lavish prizes!"

This was his true goal: make the matter known to every commoner in the southwest.

Then use it to gain supreme public favor.

The bigger the scandal, the better.

As for the original reason to bring Li Guanyi and his group here—it was merely to oppose Duan Qingyu. Keeping the matter secret before, now making it public—all served his own interests.

Duan Qingyu scanned the man, uncertain of his true intent—but the proposal was sound. Thus, all southwestern tribal chieftains swore a joint oath, each promising lavish rewards to anyone who recovered the Pearl.

Mu Taihong volunteered: "Since we're now publicizing this matter and summoning southwestern heroes to search, the people I brought in should be released immediately."

As the southwestern city lords decided to search for the Pearls.

Li Guanyi's bronze ding gathered human qi; the torrent of human qi surged inward, and the third one-ninth side of the Jiuli Ding quickly glowed—but at that moment, the door suddenly opened, and a man dressed as a southwestern noble entered.

He shut the door behind him and looked at Li Guanyi, seated calmly:

"You're the unlucky bastard, then."

Li Guanyi, absorbing qi, raised his gaze. The man possessed Wu Gong. He sighed faintly: "Unfortunate. Drinking with Duan Qingyu is your mistake."

"Let your death definitively prove the Pearl theft was your doing—and your accomplices'."

Li Guanyi said: "You're trying to clear your master."

"Then undermine Duan Qingyu's reputation and break the alliance with Qin Wu Hou?"

"Kill me, stage it as an assassination by the Pearl thief."

"You're a strategist like Mr. Wen He—but your skill is so inferior, pairing you with him would insult him."

The man paused, his eyes sharpening: "You are…"

Before he finished speaking, he drew a sharp blade and lunged at Li Guanyi. His entire aura exploded, radiating terrifying power; internal qi surged, shattering everything in the room—yet no one outside noticed the commotion.

He unleashed his ultimate technique: a Fa Xiang-level Wu Gong.

A colossal crimson serpent Fa Xiang opened its jaws and lunged at Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi raised his left hand and reached forward.

The Fa Xiang was instantly pinned at its vital point—and shattered in an instant!

Primordial qi dispersed, condensed, and transformed into the claws of a Bai Hu, lunging forward. The assassin's vision blurred—he was slammed to the ground, his tendons and bones shattered instantly, blood spraying from his mouth as he stared, stunned, at the teenager who held him with one hand:

"?!!"

"Who are you?!"

Li Guanyi said: "Fifth Heaven Wu Gong. A waste."

"So—you took bribes from Chen Dingye… or Jiang Wanxiang?"

The assassin's pupils shrank sharply: "You?!!"

Li Guanyi said: "Looks like both were taken."

"Jiang Wanxiang is such a bold man, yet he'd resort to such tactics—but who's truly pulling the strings, the Chancellor or Jiang Su?"

The fifth-layer Sky assassin watched this young man single-handedly subdue him, then speak of Jiang Wanxiang, Chen Dingye, and Jiang Su as if they were ordinary people; his mind shifted, and he faintly knew who he was—his face turned deathly pale, his liver and gallbladder shattered.

Li Guanyi stared at him, but the courtyard gate suddenly swung open—fully armed, heavily armored soldiers entered in formation, shields and spears locked together; Li Guanyi lifted his gaze slightly and murmured: "Truly, one trap after another."

The assassin tried to say something, his face ashen: "Huh? It's you, Qin…"

Li Guanyi tightened his arm—the assassin's throat cracked with a sharp sound, and he was dead.

He knew he had been drawn into the dark tides of the southwest conspiracy.

In the past, Li Guanyi might have joined the game—but he had seen too many tides; he knew the tricks of such poison-minded strategists always had hidden moves, and following their setup would only lead straight into their trap.

Respond to each move as it comes.

Match strategy with strategy, then present evidence in court—use clever schemes to prove one's innocence?

That was the style of strategists and wise men.

Li Guanyi had his own method.

With a flick of his wrist, he casually seized a weapon and stepped outside—over a hundred heavily armored soldiers stood waiting, the backup plan prepared by Mu Taihong; seeing Li Guanyi emerge, they prepared to form a formation and kill him on the spot.

Li Guanyi casually picked up a green bamboo stalk.

He walked slowly, yet though alone, his aura was no less formidable than the armored formation.

He thrust forward.

A low dragon's roar exploded.

All hundred soldiers fell at once.

Shields shattered like waves; as Li Guanyi stepped forward, his sleeves billowed, and within the Nine Cauldrons, the human destiny of the southwest filled completely—instantly, one side of the Nine Cauldrons turned golden.

The southwest's destiny now belongs to the Nine Cauldrons!

As the human destiny surged to completion, Li Guanyi finally locked onto the core object within the southwest Wang Fu—the martial essence, awakened by Li Guanyi's strike, the overwhelming military aura, and the southwest's destiny, now fully roused.

Duan Qingyu and the others of the southwest Wang Fu had agreed: "Whoever returns the Twenty-Four Pearls shall be of extraordinary status, a honored guest of the southwest, granted supreme honor; all city lords agree, and he may make one request."

Such a grand reward had been pushed hard by city lords led by Mu Taihong, who had sided with the Chen state.

Just after this agreement was made, before it could be announced, they suddenly sensed the martial essence and screams of agony.

Duan Qingyu leapt to his feet: "What's going on?!"

"Someone is fighting here!"

Mu Taihong's expression changed slightly—he cursed inwardly that his men had been so careless; but this matter was too vast to hide. As all southwest commanders rushed toward the scene, another anomaly occurred.

The soldiers could barely hold their weapons.

All weapons flew from their hands, hovering in midair; from the very center of the southwest Wang Fu, an indescribable metal-and-iron martial essence surged skyward—under the daylight, the stars Niuxu and Dousu blazed brightly.

Duan Qingyu, Tai Bo Yong, and even Mu Taihong all turned pale.

"Qi chong dou niu!"

"This is—!"

As if long awaited.

As if they had waited too long, too long, for the arrival of one who bore both the aura of a divine general and the human destiny of the southwest.

A clear, dragon-like clang of steel suddenly awoke, exploding from the southwest Wang Fu, surging into the heavens—martial sounds never ceased, ten thousand weapons rang together, soaring into the sky, circling and howling, transforming into golden wind-martial essence that engulfed the entire southwest Wang Fu.

Such an omen was utterly terrifying.

Duan Qingyu forcibly halted his rush toward the clashing blades and said:

"Is this the divine metal left behind by the Jiuli Bingzhu?!"

"Has the true national treasure awakened?!"

Everyone forgot everything else and rushed toward the core of the southwest Wang Fu—where surges of martial essence surged skyward, faintly stirring, brimming with spiritual vitality; Duan Qingyu and the others turned pale, and someone whispered an ancient legend.

"In ancient times, the Jiuli Bingzhu left behind the forging metal for his swords."

"When the Bingzhu was defeated, he threw his weapons down—they turned to metal and merged with the earth's veins. Legend says that when the Bingzhu returns, he will forge divine weapons anew from this metal, sweeping all enemies aside, finally severing the Crimson Dragon and claiming all under heaven."

"The legend… has returned?"

On this day, the Twenty-Four Pearls of the southwest were lost again—but as the national treasure vanished, the legendary spirit of the Bingzhu's metal also awoke. Duan Qingyu sealed the second piece of news, barely calming the storm within him.

When they went to the place where the weapons had just clanged, they found over a hundred heavily armored soldiers lying on the ground, moaning softly; inside the chamber, a man dressed in southwest noble attire had his neck twisted, clearly dying; the former Central Plains Academy's Li Yaoshi was gone.

All the soldiers swore: that Central Plains man had come out holding only a green bamboo stalk.

The situation was chaotic, and the entire scene had been witnessed—this Li Yaoshi was no ordinary man. The southwest king had no choice but to post two notices:

【Whoever returns the Twenty-Four Pearls shall be of extraordinary status, a honored guest of the southwest, granted supreme honor; the southwest king promises to grant any request, no matter what!】

【Reward: grant the title of State Tutor】

The second notice: 【Wanted: Li Yaoshi】

Posted throughout Zhenxi Xiongcheng, people murmured in amazement; warriors hurriedly rose to search for the national treasure and Li Yaoshi. A plain-faced young man stared at the wanted poster.

"On my first day here, I'm wanted nationwide."

"No wonder—"

"He is my lord."

"No wonder Master Yan Daiqing told me to follow him."

"My lord, you truly enter whirlpools wherever you go."

"Impressive. Impressive."

The plain, gentle-faced young man stared at the lifelike wanted poster.

The foremost strategist in the world suddenly understood Master Yan Daiqing's ordeal—and felt a faint stomachache.

Maybe he'd eaten too many chili peppers.

Without a sound, he stepped back, shielding everyone before him.

At the same time, Li Guanyi burst out of the Southwest Wang Fu, frowning slightly, and turned to look at the Southwest Wang Fu, which in his eyes was shrouded in an extremely thick aura of martial wrath, transforming into a pillar of destiny that shot skyward.

Li Guanyi clenched his fist; his knuckles were stained with a peculiar aura.

Almost identical to the martial wrath of the Southwest Wang Fu.

Ancient, grim, vast.

"What exactly is inside the Southwest Wang Fu?"

"It seems only the Southwest's destiny and the martial school's wrath together can awaken Him…"

Li Guanyi shook his hand, but the martial aura refused to leave.

The spirit of Chixiao Sword flew into a rage.

Then, the spirits of Chixiao Sword and the Mighty Tiger Roaring Heaven Halberd suddenly froze, as if encountering their antithesis.

The Mighty Tiger Roaring Heaven Halberd stubbornly refused to emerge.

Chixiao Sword turned supple, pretending to be Li Guanyi's belt coiled around his waist.

Enraged.

But only for a moment.

"What exactly is this thing?"

Li Guanyi frowned, suppressing the martial wrath on his fist, intending to withdraw from this place and consult with Mr. Wenhao and the others—yet he had not anticipated the Southwest's situation to be this chaotic: on the surface calm, within, swirling vortices.

In this world, without great chaos, there is only internal strife.

Li Guanyi was about to seek Mr. Wenhao, but after walking a few streets, he suddenly froze.

His gaze fell upon a familiar place.

In this Southwest Wang Cheng, there stood a tea house of Central Plains southern architecture, its signboard bearing three elegant yet resolute large characters.

【Changfeng Tower】

Li Guanyi paused, then walked in as if guided by unseen hands, used the password, and reached the VIP area, where a dignified middle-aged woman hurried over and immediately bowed: "It is His Lordship in person—Your Lordship, I pay my respects."

Li Guanyi said: "Why is there a Changfeng Tower here?"

The lord of this Changfeng Tower smiled: "Ah, it was what Young Lady Xue said."

"She said, the task His Lordship wishes to accomplish here is to bring this region into the alliance; the local Southwest forces are entrenched, which will cause trouble, yet His Lordship's demeanor is not one to bow—sooner or later, conflict is inevitable."

"It has nothing to do with the methods used—only because His Lordship is His Lordship, still that same youthful lord of spring breezes, he must clash with the local Southwest forces."

"At that time, Changfeng Tower will be His Lordship's resting place."

The middle-aged woman smiled and added: "Ah, by the way."

"The lord has learned the location of the local auspicious sign."

"And one more thing… please extend your hand."

Li Guanyi lifted his gaze slightly and extended his palm.

The middle-aged woman reached into her sleeve, withdrew an object, and placed it in the young lord's palm.

Golden-yellow, round, two gold beans.

Li Guanyi froze.

"She said, since you've come to Changfeng Tower, you must receive two."

"The cities of the Southwest, Changfeng Tower, and the Xue Family Merchant Guild have formed a commercial alliance; the eldest daughter says that if His Lordship wishes, she can obstruct the Southwest cities within the trade pact and make them suffer."

The middle-aged woman chuckled lightly: "She said, for His Lordship's sake."

"Occasionally becoming what some call a wicked woman."

"But not so bad, really."

?? New month, please vote for monthly tickets, everyone~