Chapter 427: The Day the Winds and Clouds of the Realm Shift, When the Auspicious Pearl Arrives

Another year in Jiangnan, another year of rain falling.

From the Murong family, an old man in a blue robe calmly extended his hand, watching the rain descend from heaven to earth, his expression serene and gentle, utterly tranquil—though war had erupted across the realm, this land of Jiangnan remained at peace.

Throughout all of Jiangnan, one hundred fifty thousand elite Fire Qilin troops guarded every corner.

Due to Jiangnan's terrain, these Fire Qilin troops were primarily stationed along the border cities between Chen and Ying states, and because of their alliance with the Yue family army, one hundred thousand of them were stationed facing Ying.

Today, Li Guanyi's prestige was at its peak; even Chen and Ying had sent troops toward Jiangnan, yet the people of Jiangnan remained calm, their hearts undisturbed by the threat of war.

Murong Longtu gazed at the river, where faint ripples stirred.

The ripples spread outward.

"... The realm is awash in war."

"Even Jiangnan can no longer find peace."

Murong Qiushui held her lute and looked at the old man; Murong Longtu smiled lightly and said, "In this world of chaos and strife, who can truly avoid it? Since autumn of Tianqi Year 11, Jiangnan has gone nearly two years without being drawn into major conflict."

"In this age of turmoil, that is already an extraordinary thing."

"Yet stillness and motion never remain fixed; extreme stillness breeds desire for motion, extreme motion breeds longing for stillness—this peace of Jiangnan cannot last."

Murong Qiushui smiled: "... Grandfather."

"What are you talking about? The Fire Qilin army stands guard here, and Li Guanyi is famed throughout the realm—we are safe in Jiangnan. Are you thinking again of going out to duel and fight?"

She set down her lute, leaned forward, and shook Murong Longtu's arm.

"You haven't seen enough of Jiangnan's rain, you haven't seen Li Guanyi's fame spread across the world, you haven't seen his wedding, you haven't seen his children born—don't speak such ill-omened words."

Murong Longtu looked at Murong Qiushui and smiled: "Yes."

"These two years truly passed in the blink of an eye."

"Who in this world doesn't wish to spend more time with their child? Qiushui, don't worry—Grandfather has no intention of leaving yet."

He smiled, yet his eyes were calm and flat, gazing far northward, where the sky above bore the grim aura of war, standing like a forest of spears, a tiger devouring all, its might overwhelming, its order unshaken.

In Yuwen Lie's army, a banner suddenly tore open in the wind.

Yuwen Lie, his expression cold and clear, lifted his gaze to the torn banner and gripped the hilt of his sword: "The Number One Under Heaven—Murong Longtu."

"The supreme master of the sword path, who has held Jiangnan under his blade for two years, deterring all who would dare disturb it. To receive the final sword of Murong Longtu before his death would be the supreme honor of a warrior."

His deputy suggested: "General, shall we use the vanguard as bait to attack Jiangnan's cities? Jiangnan has no renowned generals. We can use the vanguard's formation momentum to draw out the Master Jiankuang's final strike—then all will know the Master Jiankuang has only one final blow left."

"When the Master Jiankuang unleashes this sword, even if he breaks the vanguard's formation, he will exhaust his qi."

"At that moment, with the General's divine might commanding the army's momentum, we can kill the Master Jiankuang."

This was the tactic of military strategy—avoid the strong, strike the weak—but Yuwen Lie merely replied coldly: "To bury soldiers and the vanguard to exhaust Murong Longtu's sword momentum? That insults the soldiers, and it insults the Master Jiankuang."

"My soldiers must face their true enemies, not be used as expendable material."

"And the Master Jiankuang—such a blade's end deserves a fitting farewell. I shall lead the vanguard, while the rest of the army forms a rear formation. I alone will test whether the Master Jiankuang's blade is truly invincible under heaven."

He gripped his long spear, his bearing icy and aloof—the ruthless yet proud and haughty Divine General chose to stand as the spearhead, leading his troops forward. This was not a grand battle, merely suppression and obstruction.

But Yuwen Lie knew: if he could endure the Master Jiankuang's final strike,

then Li Guanyi's leverage would diminish once more, and he would be fully locked into this grand tide—with no path back. Jiangnan mobilized its troops, preparing to press forward, while Chen state awoke to the threat.

All cities along the waterway tightened their defenses.

Chen Dingye issued imperial edicts in rapid succession.

"Stop the Anxi Protectorate's army!"

"Prevent them from advancing down the waterway to reinforce Jiangnan!"

Chen Dingye's gaze over the map carried a chilling intensity—Chen had lost the Wolf Wang Chen Fubi; Ying had suffered a crushing defeat; Jiang Su's undefeated reputation vanished; and Li Guanyi's forces had suffered almost no losses.

They must break Jiangnan, and kill that damned old Master Jiankuang.

Only then could they weaken Li Guanyi's power.

Crush the Fire Qilin's might, which swallowed ten thousand miles like a tiger, reducing it to parity with Chen and Ying.

The Master Jiankuang—Murong Longtu...

Chen Dingye reached up and touched his throat, recalling how, after Li Wanli and his wife died, that mad old Master Jiankuang—then still unbroken, lacking the deep foundation of the Ninth Heaven—had forcibly carved his way from Jiangnan into Jiangzhou city.

Had that old man's spirit not been shattered and his sword heart damaged then, he might have forced Chen to unleash its final strength. But perhaps it was precisely that event that drove the Master Jiankuang to sit in stillness for over a decade, finally stepping across the threshold.

"The Master Jiankuang..."

"Murong Longtu."

……………………

The realm's situation shifted like wind and clouds—Chen and Ying, once locked in bloody enmity, now joined forces to block Qin Wu Hou's momentum; the Yue family army received orders from Yue Pengwu, ready to coordinate with Jiangnan's movements at any moment.

They had long held a deep reservoir of resentment.

The Turkic Tian Kehan had suddenly fallen silent, his intentions unknown.

The situation had locked onto the Chen state cities along this waterway; now that they were prepared, they finally held their ground, halting the roaring Dragon King—yet for days, they had not taken a single city.

Yet on the southwestern flank, pressure mounted heavily—

Qin Wu Hou's army was advancing here, radiating the aura of a royal host.

This army was simultaneously capturing Chen state cities one after another,

fighting the Turks, while Tiance Prefecture in Jiangnan also seemed to be subtly clashing with Ying's forces—yet even amid this, another army was moving toward the southwest.

And it kept sending reports of victories.

Duan Qingyu, the Southwest King, and Tai Bo Yong had originally only intended to negotiate with Qin Wu Hou, but the problems within the southwest, exposed by the possible alliance with Qin Wu Hou, now pushed them to make a decision.

This was also one of Master Wen Qingyu's covert plans.

If the southwest remained peaceful, the Southwest King would likely seek alliance.

They would probably think: "You Qin Wu Hou are impressive, but we in the southwest are no less capable."

But if beneath the surface of peace, all the southwest's chaos was laid bare, it would force the older generation to make up their minds.

At the start, it's impossible to make the Prince of the Southwest bring several million, even ten million civilians into the Tiance Prefecture's sphere of influence.

But if you let the Prince of the Southwest watch helplessly as those damn young rascals prepare to rally the ten million people of the Southwest, jumping between the three great powers of this chaotic age and betting on every side,

each one boasting themselves as geniuses unmatched in this generation,

then they won't hesitate anymore.

If they hesitate any longer, the people of the Southwest will be wagered as high stakes for Chen Dingye.

Can you trust Chen Dingye?

Duan Qingyu's expression was complex; he sighed and said to Tai Bo Yong, "The world has changed. Qin Wu Hou and the Chen state, the Ying state are now facing off. If we send the Southwest troops out, we can aid Qin Wu Hou in capturing waterway cities."

"Help his army swiftly reach the Jiangnan region along this waterway."

"Then, with the Western Region army and Jiangnan army uniting to jointly strike the Ying state's general, Jiangnan's threat will be lifted. I intend to speak with Qin Wu Hou about this—but now, the hearts of the Southwest are unsettled."

Tai Bo Yong sighed, his face drawn with worry:

"It's that Yan Daiqing of the Southwest who caused this."

"Now the entire Southwest is in panic; everyone is searching for the Twenty-Four Pearls, rushing to see the Nine Li Divine Weapon Iron—and it's become impossible to ally with Qin Wu Hou. Yan Daiqing of the Southwest—didn't I hear there was already a Yan Daiqing in the Western Region? How is there another one in the Southwest?"

Duan Qingyu said, "The world has so many people; a few name duplicates aren't a problem—in fact, it's normal, perfectly normal."

"Probably he saw how ruthless the Western Region Yan Daiqing was, so he specifically reminded others he's the Southwest Yan Daiqing."

Tai Bo Yong grimaced: "But this tactic of cutting the fuel from under the pot and stirring up public sentiment? Better than that Western Region Yan Daiqing—though only slightly."

"Damn it."

Tai Bo Yong couldn't help cursing:

"Is there not a single good person among those named Yan Daiqing?"

Duan Qingyu said, "I don't know."

"But whenever you meet a Yan Daiqing in the future, keep eight hundred guards up—definitely no harm."

"Good. Let's write this down in the historical records."

"Brilliant."

The two exchanged glances; their spirits remained taut, laughter faded, and they stared at the strategic map—war raged in all four directions, yet the Southwest still held thousands of li of land, tens of thousands of battle-ready soldiers, and several master-level commanders.

Even Duan Qingyu and Tai Bo Yong could see it.

As the four directions churned into chaos,

the Southwest was becoming like the grasslands and Saibei.

A latent force capable of shifting the balance.

This territory lies just below the Western Region and borders the waterways; within that roaring north-south river system, several tributaries flow into the Southwest's mountainous, watery land—meaning, if the Southwest wishes, it can emerge along these river routes.

Support Qin Wu Hou, and you can swiftly capture cities.

Support the Chen state, and you can immediately assist in defense.

This extreme strategic significance arises from shifting circumstances.

Duan Qingyu suddenly understood what "surging momentum" meant, what "no choice" meant—such vital strategic value, whether from Qin Wu Hou, Chen state, or Ying state, would inevitably lead each to exert influence over the Southwest based on their own interests and stance.

Agreeing with any one side means entering the arena, stepping into the whirlpool of the world.

Naturally, you alienate the other two.

Refusing all sides to hold onto your own position,

is fine for now—but once any one of these three gains breathing room, they'll turn back to settle old scores: Why didn't you ally? Why did you cause our army to suffer losses?

Duan Qingyu sighed: "We've become one of the most critical links in the surging tide of the world. The Southwest—retreat and you block Qin Wu; advance and you join the campaign against Chen. To plot great matters—had this happened in past times, it would've been unimaginable."

He picked up the wine flask but lost the desire to drink, saying:

"I wonder how that young Brother Li Yaoshi is faring?"

"The wanted notice was issued out of necessity, yet it clearly stated: if found, do not engage. Alas… in this age, it's truly not the right time for him to come to the Southwest—it's an undeserved calamity for him."

"I hope he remains unharmed."

…………

Mu Taihong received Chen Dingye's imperial decree.

The next day, he received Jiang Wanxiang's imperial decree.

This time, it was no longer like before—merely asking him to build prestige and popular support in the Southwest, or to disrupt the alliance between Qin Wu Hou and the Prince of the Southwest—mere "small matters."

Mu Taihong stared at the decree, his expression tight and grim.

Veins bulged wildly on his forehead.

"Order me to lead an army up the waterway to assist the Chen state in defending its cities and intercepting the Wrathful Scale Dragon King, Ku Yu Lie? Me?? Me??"

Mu Taihong flung the decree onto the table and roared:

"Chen Dingye, you piece of filth!"

"Damn it, I've only got eight thousand armored soldiers—barely enough to scrape together ten thousand. You want me to lead them against those slaughter beasts who just finished the Western Region battlefield?"

"You bastard, bald turtle son of a bitch!"

"Giving me some grand title like Grand Commander, some damn Harma Pi—just an empty name, thinking it'll fool me? If you weren't far away, I'd show you what I'd do to you right now, you little bastard!"

"Bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork—I'll slit your turtle son's throat open."

"Cough—pah!"

Mu Taihong cursed furiously, his face flushed with rage; the crushing weight of the world's surging tide pressed upon him, making him feel suffocated—he suddenly understood what kind of monsters those men were who could remain calm amid the world's upheaval.

Though he cursed loudly, he still sent a secret reply:

"Your servant obeys the decree."

But even though he replied, the Southwest had suddenly gained the power to shift the balance—yet this was the Southwest, with its tens of thousands of elite troops, while his own elite force numbered only eight thousand—far from enough.

He paced back and forth, thinking of the shifting situation; with the help of Master Yan Daiqing of the Southwest, the tide had risen—the people of the Southwest now widely proclaimed: "He who obtains the Twenty-Four Pearls becomes the Nine Li Bingzhu, the Divine General."

Invincible in battle, unstoppable in attack

"The timing is nearly right; if we wait any longer, we'll truly miss the moment."

"Go at once and retrieve the twenty-four pearl gems. With this prestige, stir up the people's support, harness their goodwill and the tide of public opinion, along with the legend of invincibility and unstoppable force, and launch the army by force!"

"Reverse this situation—launch troops to intercept Qin Wu's momentum!"

"Join forces to conquer Jiangnan, build merit and glory."

"Now is the moment!"

Mu Taihong delegated the task of stirring up prestige, prepared all the momentum, then went alone to search for the twenty pearl gems he had personally cast into the lake.

The Southwest Auspicious One had endured these past few days with great discomfort.

It felt it might be cursed.

What's going on? Why did all those powerhouse figures suddenly emerge all at once?

What nine-li? What ancient red dragon?

A man who could lift a spear and pierce through Qiongqi.

A strange Wu Gong capable of shooting an arrow clean through a mountain range.

And the scent of a western overlord.

Why?! Why are there so many of them?!

Under such pressure, the Southwest Auspicious One unleashed absolute alertness and endurance, roaming tirelessly across thousands of li of the southwest—but for some reason, every time it arrived at a new place, another figure would instantly appear.

Why are you still chasing me?!

The Southwest Auspicious One ran from west to east, from south to north, nibbled every bamboo shoot in the entire southwest region, yet still could not escape. On this day, it finally could not run further, circling back to the very place where it had first fled to.

The divine beast of yin-yang colors lay slumped on a rock, tongue lolling out:

"I... I can't go on."

The Sun Bird pecked at its head; the Black Tiger lay sprawled on the ground.

These three had endured their greatest shadow these past days—the monstrous aura had haunted them unrelentingly, and now, here, as the bamboo grove stirred with wind, a man suddenly burst forth: thirty-some years old, it was Mu Taihong.

Mu Taihong saw the Southwest Auspicious One and mistook it for an ordinary iron-eating beast.

He dove into the water to search for the twenty-four pearl gems—found not a single one. Gradually, his face turned pale; he surfaced multiple times, his expression frantic—

The fate of the world now hinges on the southwest; the southwest's fate hinges on the pearls.

It had been certain.

But if the pearls are lost, the entire plan is out of control.

It will turn into a vortex that swallows him whole!

Mu Taihong's face was frantic—then he spotted a box beside the giant auspicious beast: the very box he had thrown the pearls into. His expression shifted slightly, then burst into elation; he lunged forward and seized the box.

Lift!

Can't lift it?

Mu Taihong froze. His fifth-level Wu Gong, forged to the peak of martial cultivation, could not budge the box beneath the iron-eating beast's claw. His earlier terror had turned to wild joy; now, in his arrogance, he looked down on the beast.

He picked up some random object and hurled it toward the beast, saying: "Zuozuozuo."

"Go eat!"

Southwest Auspicious One: "…………"

Damn it, the Nine-Li are still hunting me.

Why are you also provoking me?

The more the Southwest Auspicious One thought, the angrier it grew—especially remembering how the Xue Lady had given it so many bamboo shoots and a giant basin of beast milk—what blissful days! Why was it being bullied now?

The Southwest Auspicious One raised its claw.

Mu Taihong sneered: "How obedient!"

"Good dog!"

The Southwest Auspicious One narrowed its eyes, its expression utterly bland and unreadable.

The raised claw came down.

The furry, massive paw slammed onto Mu Taihong's right cheek.

Splat.

The flesh on Mu Taihong's face rippled—and that ripple spread instantly across his entire body. His fifth-level martial foundation, painstakingly forged by supreme martial arts, cracked open like the hard outer skin of a bamboo shoot.

Mu Taihong's body was flung upward by a tremendous force.

He spun spiraling through the air thirty-one times.

Then crashed heavily onto a nearby rock.

He landed on the ground, teeth scattered everywhere, already unconscious.

Black Tiger: "…………"

Southwest Auspicious One exclaimed: "I thought I was the weakest—never imagined there was someone even weaker! How could someone this feeble be so bold? Even the Nine-Li never said 'zuo zuo zuo' to me!"

"I thought he was really strong!"

The Sun Bird said: "If you thought he was strong, why did you hit him?"

The Southwest Auspicious One stared at its claw, then plunged it into the nearby lake and scrubbed it vigorously—then examined the claw, nodded solemnly, and pressed it firmly onto the box:

"This box was bought with my lifetime supply of bamboo shoots and giant basins of beast milk from the Xue Lady."

"I won't give it to him!"

Black Tiger sneered: "Pfft, again because of food?!"

"It's not about food!!!"

"Who are you looking down on?!"

Xiangrui stood upright on its hind legs, one paw on its hip, the other slamming against a nearby rock, utterly defiant despite having no right to be, and looked up, booming: "This is my security for the rest of my life—and for my descendants, and their descendants after them!"

Xuan Hu was about to speak when he suddenly noticed Xiangrui's body stiffen, then plop backward onto the ground, and the Sun Divine Bird also fell silent, its expression drastically changing. Though Xuan Hu was the youngest, merely a reincarnated body of a few hundred years, he was the bravest.

He spun around abruptly and saw the bamboo grove beside the lake trembling violently, a massive shadow slowly approaching, stirring the heavens in all four directions—a suffocating pressure that made Xuan Hu's body tense.

What is this?!

Bai Hu?!

A claw emerged from the left, and the colossal Bai Di Bai Hu stepped forward slowly, its aura icy, its pupils cold as pure gold, while the aura of the Crimson Dragon rose, the martial spirit of the Jiuli weapons surged skyward, churning the clouds above.

Its aura blazed into the heavens, locking them in place—there was no chance of escape anymore.

The Southwest Xiangrui shuddered, every hair on its body standing on end.

Its mouth trembled, its eyes glazed as it counted.

"The Jiuli Clan…"

"The Primordial Crimson Dragon."

"The mighty warrior who crushed Qiongqi, the general who pierced through the homeland of the Nine-Colored Divine Deer."

"And the aura of a western overlord who shattered Buddhist realms."

"All… all of them came?!"

Even Xuan Hu's body tensed, his fur bristling, as he sensed the quiet footsteps approaching, and a voice—calm, gentle, yet tinged with faint irritation: "At last, I've found you."

"Eeehh!!!"

Xuan Hu, Xiangrui, and the Sun Divine Bird shrieked and huddled together.

As the figure's aura drew nearer, closer still, they pressed tighter against each other.

The footsteps halted, and one person stepped forward.

Just one person—dressed in simple robes, hair bound with a jade hairpin, looking mild-mannered. Li Guanyi emerged, leaning on a green bamboo staff, and sighed:

"You really made me search everywhere!"

"Xuan Hu, the Sun Divine Bird, and…"

Li Guanyi's gaze swept across the scene, startled by the assembly before him.

Finally, his eyes landed on the two Xiangrui.

He looked at the one that had circled endlessly, forcing him to tread nearly every corner of the Southwest—tall, majestic, some of its fur longer than he remembered, swaying gently in the wind, radiating divinity and serene composure.

But shrink this thing down by a certain proportion.

And remove its solemnity—make it look a bit more cuddly.

Why does it look so familiar?

Is this…?!

?? Please vote for monthly tickets, everyone~

? My schedule is still shattered, but peaceful—I hope to get up one hour earlier every day (planting a flag)