Chapter 429: Summon the Heroes, Enter the World!

Li Guanyi gathered the twenty-four pearls, then turned to the unconscious Mu Taihong, gestured with his hand to pull him over, and used the 【Imperial Calendar Scripture】 to press his acupoints, pouring a surge of vital energy into him.

Mu Taihong's body trembled several times, then suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath, his face still streaked with terror; after a moment of daze, he stared fixedly at the auspicious omen before him, then, as if gripped by overwhelming fear, scrambled backward on hands and feet.

Li Guanyi said: "Awake?"

Hearing the voice, he finally noticed Li Guanyi, blinked in daze, recognized who he was, his expression shifting slightly, he blurted out: "You?!!!! Li Yaoshi?!"

"Are you in cahoots with this Iron-Eating Beast?!"

Li Guanyi smiled sweetly: "We're in cahoots."

He raised his hand; Mu Taihong recoiled in dread, his back pressed against the stone, his body trembling; Li Guanyi said: "Speak—what did Chen Dingye offer you?" Mu Taihong's face turned ashen; Li Guanyi extended his right hand, the blade of his gauntlet snapping out.

Mu Taihong shuddered, still intending to tough it out and say nothing.

But for some reason, an inexplicable force pressed down, stabbing pain into his brow, his heart seeming clenched in a palm, limbs weakening, unable to resist—he said: "Qin, Qin Wu Hou mobilized troops against Chen, sent forces to the southwest—Chen and Ying both issued orders."

"The Chen Huang Your Majesty…"

"No—Chen Dingye, that son of a bitch!"

"He sent me word, ordering me to stage a coup, lead troops out, follow the Dajiang waterway to intercept Nu Lin Long Wang Yu Wen Lie—I was forced into this desperate move, Yaoshi Mr.! "

Li Guanyi pondered: "Chen and Ying suddenly mobilized—something must have shifted across the realm. The southwest's troops excel in mountainous ambushes, but waterway warfare is not their strength."

"What happened outside to make Chen Dingye make such a drastic decision?"

Mu Taihong's mind seemed frozen; he had planned to feign ignorance and lie, but when Li Guanyi lifted his gaze, all pretense vanished—he spoke plainly:

"I don't know. Oh—wait, yes, there was one thing."

Mu Taihong said: "Actually, it wasn't that big a thing."

"They say Chen plans to intercept Nu Lin Long Wang and, with Ying, jointly attack Jiangnan. Everyone says it's because Chen's Divine Martial King died and Ying's Grand Tutor Jiang Su was wounded, so they intend to force the Master Jiankuang to his death."

"They plan to use divine generals and vast armies, riding the momentum, to force the Master Jiankuang Murong Longtu to unleash his final sword, and seize Jiangnan."

Li Guanyi's expression froze.

Mu Taihong, unaware, kept babbling.

"Ha, hah… this—I hear Qin Wu Hou has consolidated the Imperial Academy; you must be from the Academy too, no need to worry—Chen Dingye, that worthless son of a bitch, has no talent."

"Even here in the southwest, I know the Master Jiankuang's name."

"The Master Jiankuang—a legend of martial cultivation—his final sword must be piercing, a peerless, invincible aura. Paired with the Fire Qilin Army's hundred thousand troops, even Yuwen Lie wouldn't stand a chance."

"Chen and Ying won't take Jiangnan."

"Yes, yes—Qin Wu Hou's divine strategy foresaw their attack on Jiangnan, so he left the Master Jiankuang there. One sword from the Master Jiankuang is enough to hold Jiangnan, to block them all."

"Using the last breath of a dying Master Jiankuang to tie down a hundred thousand troops and top generals, stirring the realm's fate, to gain a chance to swallow ten thousand miles—no strategy could be finer."

"Brilliant—truly brilliant!"

Mu Taihong, overwhelmed by the murderous aura, blurted out everything he knew, speaking until he didn't even know what he was saying, only fawning desperately, terrified that any delay would bring his doom.

But the moment he finished, his mind suddenly rang—then went blank.

A violent, chilling aura exploded outward, slamming into his face, leaving his mind utterly empty.

The sound of clashing weapons seemed to ring in his ears; he stiffly lifted his head and saw the sky pressing low—the Iron-Eating Beast, Xuan Hu, and the Sun Divine Bird had all frozen, staring in unison.

Mu Taihong stared at the so-called Central Plains merchant who had just seemed gentle.

He felt his entire body stiffen; Li Guanyi lifted his gaze, the smile gone from his eyes, murmuring:

"Jiang Su—how bold."

Mu Taihong's expression froze.

His thoughts slowly stirred; suddenly realizing something, he stammered: "I—I didn't just defect to Chen Dingye's side—I'm not alone! I can write down all their names for you!"

"I'll expose them all!"

"Across the entire southwest, thousands of li, dozens of cities, towns, villages, and fortresses—most want to break free."

"If you take me, there are others."

"If I don't return, chaos will erupt—they'll launch a mutiny, try to seize Wang Cheng. You—don't act rashly…"

Before he finished, his vision went black—he collapsed forward, motionless.

Li Guanyi exhaled, withdrew his hand.

He had directly struck Mu Taihong into unconsciousness, suppressing his Wu Gong, and tossed him to Xuan Hu; his expression taut, fists clenched, his worry for Jiangnan, for his great-grandfather and his aunt, reached its peak.

Even before coming to the southwest, Li Guanyi and Master Pojun had assessed the situation and prepared contingencies—but the changes came too fast.

Yet when the worst-case scenario arrived, Li Guanyi still felt a sharp tension, a desperate urgency.

"Jiang Su reacted so quickly…"

"Yet Jiang Wanxiang actually sent Yuwen Lie directly."

Li Guanyi could only hope his preparations would buy enough time.

If he and the Southwest Alliance led the southwest troops to break out via the waterway, they could shatter Chen's blockade, transport troops downstream, and join forces with the Fire Qilin Army in Jiangnan to confront Yuwen Lie.

Or… leave immediately and ride the Fire Qilin back.

Just go now!

One thought after another surged; Li Guanyi's reason restrained him from summoning the Fire Qilin and flying straight to Jiangnan—the fierce aura roiled in his chest, aggravating his unhealed wounds.

Li Guanyi grunted, blood already in his mouth.

Though Jiang Su's battle was a strategic victory, Li Guanyi's losses were immense.

The longevity elixir's power from Hou Zhongyu has been officially declared exhausted by the Dao Sect.

Even so, Li Guanyi still bore wounds; even with the auspicious energy from the Southwest King's seals channeled into his dantian, elevating his realm beyond the Eighth Heaven, allowing him to move again and heal his injuries,

He had not fully recovered. Under rage, worry, and murderous intent, Jiang Su's hidden wounds resurfaced—he knew that even if he returned to Jiangnan right now,

He was no match for Yuwen Lie.

Li Guanyi realized a grave problem.

Our side lacks top-tier generals.

Leaving Chen aside, a great state like Ying, even if Jiang Su had lost one eye and He Ruo Qinhu had been severely wounded twice, could still deploy Yuwen Lie, a top-tier general, to lead a combat-ready force on a swift strike to the battlefield when needed.

And within the Fire Qilin Army,

once Li Guanyi himself is injured, the entire legion cannot produce a second general ranked among the top ten to respond to the chaos of war.

Marshal Yue counts as one.

But Marshal Yue is now far beyond the northern frontier.

There is no possibility he can rush to reinforce us immediately.

Our only option now is to secure the auspicious omen and the pearl, obtain the alliance of the King of the Southwest, then leverage the Southwest's qi to restore our wounds, crush the states of Chen, and advance with a mighty army to ambush Yuwen Lie.

And if the contingency prepared for Jiangnan is triggered before then,

Li Guanyi will have no choice but to let go of many things.

He immediately mounted the Fire Qilin and dashed off.

Even if it meant worsening his injuries another layer, he must stop Yuwen Lie and the Ying state.

Great-grandfather, Auntie…

Please don't be harmed.

Li Guanyi's expression shifted; he gripped the wooden box, a plan forming in his mind, and looked at the startled Auspicious Iron-Eating Beast, saying: "I have a matter I hope you can assist with."

The Food-Iron Beast glanced at Li Guanyi's right hand.

It always felt the Jiuli Clan was still here.

After hesitating, it said: "Xue Louzhu told me to look out for you. First tell me—what is it?"

If it's too troublesome, I won't help.

After Li Guanyi explained his plan, the Auspicious Beast remained stunned for a long while, staring at Li Guanyi, then shook its head violently, like a rattle drum, saying: "No no no, I can't handle such a complicated matter…"

Li Guanyi extended three fingers.

The Auspicious Beast froze mid-motion, eyes locked on Li Guanyi's fingers.

Li Guanyi said: "I'll add three large basins of beast milk."

The Auspicious Beast's breath caught sharply.

Li Guanyi smiled slightly:

"Three large basins per meal."

"Done!"

……………………

Within the King of the Southwest's capital, the crowd argued; young city lords like Jin Jingming and elder figures like Duan Qingyu grew increasingly hostile toward each other. Xiong Tianrui, seeing Mu Taihong absent for so long, felt a growing sense of foreboding.

He found an excuse to go out and quickly met his faction's generals: "Duan Qingyu remains obstinate, determined to ally with Qin Wu Hou. We cannot dissuade him—let us strike first!"

"Though he possesses Eighth-Level Wu Gong, we have Seventh-Level generals ourselves. Our troops have already been secretly mobilized here, formed into battle arrays. With numbers against his unpreparedness, we can strike decisively."

"I believe we must act within these few days."

Someone asked: "Is Duan Qingyu not on guard?"

Xiong Tianrui answered confidently: "He is busy pacifying the people, overly concerned for common folk due to Tai Ping Gong's influence—this has left him vulnerable."

The man sneered: "Vulnerable?"

"Hilarious. Hilarious."

"Who is truly the one exposed remains to be seen!"

Xiong Tianrui's face darkened: "General Meng, what do you mean?"

The man turned and barked: "Bring him out!" Already, men dragged forward a figure—around thirty, once robust, now grievously wounded, clearly subjected to brutal private torture.

He was spiritless, barely clinging to half a breath.

Xiong Tianrui's expression changed slightly; he recognized the man as Duan Qingyu's confidant, and said:

"General Meng, what is the meaning of this…?"

General Meng coldly replied: "Don't play the innocent with me, Brother Xiong."

"Don't you recognize him?"

"He is Duan Qingyu's spy, carrying alliance documents and seals, having slipped out of the Southwest and headed straight for Qin Wu Hou's army. Had we not kept a watchful eye, he would have already delivered the message."

"When Qin Wu Hou's army arrives and Duan Qingyu opens the gates from within, where will be our chances of survival?"

Xiong Tianrui's face changed: "Duan Qingyu has already decided to defect?!"

General Meng said: "No doubt about it!"

"And now that we've captured this one, who knows how many other spies Duan Qingyu sent out? Someone may already have reached Qin Wu Hou's army, ready to guide them."

"What's the point of waiting for the right moment? In my view, if Mu Taihong doesn't return today, we strike now—stage a coup, seize the King of the Southwest's capital, then ally with the Chen Huang and Ying Emperor to pursue great ambitions."

"Even if we refuse to join the battlefield immediately, it shows our sincerity, sparing us future retribution and securing us wealth and honor."

Xiong Tianrui's expression shifted several times; he gritted his teeth: "Fine!"

Within the King of the Southwest's capital, the situation shifted; outwardly calm and peaceful, but secretly, two forces stood in mortal opposition—one linked to Chen and Ying, while Duan Qingyu secretly contacted Qin Wu Hou's army.

Tai Bo Yong could not help but laugh bitterly: "We said they were incapable—but how much better are we? They seek alliances with Chen and Ying, and we scheme to ally with Qin Wu Hou. This Southwest has become a microcosm of the world's struggle."

Duan Qingyu drank alone: "Battlefields and martial realms are merely reflections of the court. The world's tide surges violently—how can our Southwest remain untouched? Is it not also a microcosm?"

"We are Qin Wu Hou's blades."

"They are the sharp edges of Ying and Chen."

"The battlefield is in Jiangnan and Chen—but is it not also here in the Southwest? Martial folk always say, 'In the martial world, one has no control over one's fate.' Yet even martial folk may retreat from the world. We, in this chaotic age, are truly without choice."

"I hear Yuwen Lie of Ying has drawn near Jiangnan."

"The Fire Qilin Army has already clashed with Yuwen Lie's forces."

"Yes, but with the Master Jiankuang in Jiangnan, they may not suffer losses…"

As he was sighing, sudden commotion erupted outside. Duan Qingyu frowned, rose, and stepped out—just in time to see Xiong Tianrui, Meng Zehao, and others. The young faction from the southwest and these elder figures detested each other.

In the past, they at least pretended, keeping appearances intact; today, no pretense remained. Their gazes brimmed with hostility. Xiong Tianrui still smiled cheerfully, while Meng Zehao gripped his weapon, showing no respect whatsoever.

"Aren't you His Royal Highness, the Prince of the Southwest, and Commander Tai Bo Yong?"

"Why have the two of you emerged today? Don't you have time to mourn your glorious past and discuss the divine might of Tai Ping Gong?"

Tai Bo Yong's eyes flared, ready to roar—but Duan Qingyu stopped him.

Duan Qingyu calmly regarded this fierce general from the southwest, unbothered, and said simply: "General Meng, your Wu Gong is at the seventh realm—you're considered a Master. Yet you never cracked the top thirty of the Divine General List."

"If you faced Tai Ping Gong or Qin Wu Hou, would you still have the courage to draw your sword?"

Meng Zehao laughed loudly several times. "The Divine General List? It's merely ranked by battlefield records. My name isn't known because I never stepped onto the world stage—I never challenged the heroes of the realm."

"But when I do step onto the world stage, I'll be one of the top ten Divine Generals!"

"And earn eternal fame."

Duan Qingyu said nothing, but Tai Bo Yong sneered bitterly: "Your confidence comes only because you've always stayed within the southwest, fighting among yourselves—city against city, petty skirmishes."

"If you were thrown into the three-hundred-year chaos of the Central Plains, would you still dare speak those words?"

Meng Zehao drew his blade, eyes blazing, and snarled:

"You're just an old man of the sixth realm—how dare you humiliate me like this?!"

Duan Qingyu merely raised his hand and pressed it onto Meng Zehao's weapon. Before Meng's Dharma Form could manifest, it was crushed back down. Though Duan Qingyu reached the eighth realm through the Southwest King's ancestral methods, the eighth realm is still the eighth realm.

Meng Zehao froze.

He had risen through years of conflicts between southwest cities, a proud, ruthless general with three parts arrogance and three parts ferocity.

The southwest differs from the Central Plains—its Prince title was granted by the former Emperor of Chen.

Duan Qingyu was more like the alliance's leader among these cities.

Though he held high status, he lacked absolute authority over each city's lord, so even under a broad peace, conflicts between cities and tribes persisted.

Meng Zehao's confidence stemmed from these skirmishes—but now, he felt an inexplicable chill. His grip tightened on the blade, his body tensed, and even his internal Qi slowed.

The seemingly calm Duan Qingyu radiated overwhelming pressure.

Meng Zehao and the other generals felt as if facing a mortal threat.

His mind reeled—this Southwest King, rumored to have clashed repeatedly with Tai Ping Gong in his youth, always defeated and fleeing in disgrace, now revealed an unexpected sharpness.

It was as if this eighth-realm Southwest King were also a formidable general.

But how could that be?

He fought Tai Ping Gong and Yu Langwang.

Ten battles. Ten defeats.

Each time, he barely escaped with only dozens of riders.

Could such a man be called a great general?

Duan Qingyu withdrew his hand and said: "Regardless, you are all city lords, commanders, and generals of the southwest—men of standing. Why lose composure? Drawing blades before the people? Aren't you ashamed?"

Duan Qingyu turned and strode out, asking:

"Why is it so noisy outside?"

The sensation Meng Zehao had felt—like facing a legendary general—vanished, as if it had all been his delusion. He stared at Duan Qingyu's back, bewildered.

Duan Qingyu strode forward, his gaze sweeping the crowd. A guard immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, disaster!"

Duan Qingyu snapped: "What disaster?!"

The guard replied: "Someone took down the bounty list."

Xiong Tianrui, Meng Zehao, and others' eyes flickered with interest. They exchanged glances—all assumed it was Mu Taihong's doing. In this stalemate, such a gain would sway public opinion and ease many troubles.

Xiong Tianrui stepped forward: "Great fortune, Your Majesty!"

"The twenty-four Pearl Stones have returned—this is the destined one arriving in the southwest!"

"In this chaotic age, it is truly heaven's blessing upon the southwest!"

At his gesture, the others bowed, chanting "Great fortune!" Already, Mu Taihong's planted men shouted joyfully, stirring the crowd—throughout the city, cheers erupted as if every soul in the Southwest Wang Cheng was roaring.

Duan Qingyu sighed inwardly, feeling exhausted.

Is this your tactic too?

Stirring the people's hearts for your own ends…

Duan Qingyu felt powerless. Even with his eighth-realm Wu Gong and the title of Southwest King granted by the former Emperor of Chen, he was powerless against the southwest's legends, against the millennia-old myths that shaped its people's faith.

Li Wanli, Chen Fubai.

If you were here…

You'd surely find a better solution.

Too bad… too bad…

I am merely an ordinary man—even when I tried to ally with your sons, I was too late.

Duan Qingyu sighed, looked around at the ecstatic crowd, and said:

"Oh? The twenty-four Pearl Stones have returned? Indeed, great fortune."

"Who is it? Where is he now?"

All turned to the guard, who looked troubled and said: "This… this is the wanted list that was taken down."

Laughter and cheers froze.

Duan Qingyu exclaimed: "Huh? Is Li Yaoshi found?!"

The guard nodded, then shook his head, expression conflicted.

Duan Qingyu grew impatient: "Stop being so vague—just say yes or no!"

The guard said: "... This, this—the one who took down the bounty."

"It's Li Yaoshi!"

"Huh?!"

Duan Qingyu froze for a moment, then frowned; this kind of thing was utterly baffling—a wanted criminal voluntarily removing his own bounty warrant, something never seen before—so he barked: "Then what is all this commotion about?"

"Enough, get out of the way—I'll go see for myself."

He stormed forward and saw the people cheering, the entire city in uproar; Meng Zehao and others were stunned. He glanced at Xiong Tianrui beside him and whispered: "Your southwestern Master Yan Daiqing actually pulled this off—but wait, Mu Taihong hasn't returned."

Xiong Tianrui said: "I don't know either..."

Ahead, the people gathered along the road, as if the collective will and goodwill of the entire southwestern region had taken tangible form. Duan Qingyu and the others halted, finally seeing what had stirred such a tide.

One glance—and their expressions froze.

Yin and yang energies swirled; a colossal, majestic form, bear-like yet radiating solemn auspiciousness, stepped forward. To its left, a dark tiger growled softly; to its right, the Sun Divine Bird circled. On one side, a spirit fox accompanied it; on the other, a giant ox walked slowly.

The southwestern region, spanning thousands of li, had over a dozen auspicious signs—all present here.

Coming slowly.

Li Yaoshi sat cross-legged atop the auspicious beast, serene as he approached, cradling a box containing twenty-four luminous pearls. These transformations of the auspicious signs subtly matched every rumor that had circulated in recent days.

No wonder the people of Wang Cheng were ecstatic, the streets stretching over ten li in celebration.

Li Guanyi felt the Nine Cauldrons' accumulated human destiny qi shift once more—human hearts now clung to him, and at this moment, it was already comparable to Jiangnan, and even to the Western Regions under Tian Kehan.

Public sentiment and popular support—indeed, they too were a great tide.

On the Nine Cauldrons, the third of the nine segments began to bear auspicious markings, slowly etching themselves upon its surface.

The voice of the Iron-Eating Beast rose within Li Guanyi's mind.

'Remember, three basins of beast milk!'

'Three basins per meal!'

'Won't forget yours.'

Li Guanyi replied inwardly, then looked at Duan Qingyu and smiled: "I am Li Yaoshi. Elder Duan, it's been a long time. I've gained a stroke of fortune—these auspicious signs have aided me. These pearls—I return them to their rightful owner."

The auspicious beast presenting treasures—this spectacle nearly erased any suspicion that Li Guanyi had stolen them himself.

Duan Qingyu glanced at the rigid figures of Meng Zehao and the others, feeling immense satisfaction; suddenly, Li Yaoshi looked more and more agreeable to him—even to the point where he thought Master Yan Daiqing was evil, and all those surnamed Li were good.

He laughed heartily: "Good! Good! Good!"

"Thank you, Li Guan!"

"Tell me, Li Guan—what would you like to do? The southwestern kingdom has long pledged: whoever returns the lost treasure shall receive one promise in return. Today, the pearls are restored, the auspicious signs appear—this is it."

He declared this openly before the crowd and people, leaving Xiong Tianrui and the others no room to retreat.

Li Guanyi looked at Duan Qingyu and smiled.

"Then I shall not refuse."

With a flick of his hand, the auspicious signs all sounded together, their sharp qi surging; the twenty-four pearls tumbled and spun around him. Li Guanyi rose with a sweep of his sleeve, bowed, and said: "I claim these twenty-four pearls."

"I ask the southwestern kingdom to join the realm of all under heaven!"

?? Please vote for monthly tickets, everyone (calmly)

? I'm completely drained, I'm done—if this keeps up, I might have to take a leave of absence