"Of course," Li Qinghong replied, sipping her tea, "The Yuan Family's vassals and a small buffer household between the three families."
"Correct." Li Yuanping nodded and continued, "The Ding Family has several Qi Cultivators, including Ding Xiding in the late stage. These two families used to pay tribute to the Ding Family. After our ancestor broke through to Foundation Establishment Realm, Ding Xiding was so frightened that he came to pay his respects and abandoned these two families near our border. Without their tribute, these two families sent us gifts a few times. Seeing no response from us, they have become free and content, even attacking and plundering mortals."
"Plundering mortals...?" Li Yuanjiao asked, sensing something ominous.
Li Yuanping, having thoroughly investigated the matter, replied in a low voice, "I found it strange too, so I sent people to inquire. It turns out the Xiao Family only wants the spirit jade ore and does not require tribute, but the Ding and Yu families do. Hence, the eastern shore families have always been short of labor. Mortals, not needing spiritual energy but producing a lot of output, became their only option..."
When Li Yuanping spoke to this point, everything became clear. After all, it was the territory of the devil gates, and Li Yuanjiao had heard of such things before. Similar transactions involving rogue cultivators were also carried out by the Yu Family, and he had become somewhat accustomed to it. He merely nodded silently.
"I intend to intervene in the lands of the eastern shore families, supporting one or two small households in the Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realms. This will be an opportunity to conscript over two thousand people from the branch families, specifically selecting those who are idle and frivolous."
Li Yuanping continued to outline his plans in great detail.
Li Yuanjiao nodded in realization, his narrow eyes showing satisfaction. Li Yuanping's gray-black eyes, rounder than Li Yuanjiao's and similar to Li Qinghong's, also reflected cunningness and intelligence.
"I will deliberately have Xicheng lead these troops. Xicheng is kind-hearted and gentle, reluctant to scold or shout. This group of frivolous men is already unreliable. Once they cross the borders into another family's territory, it is unlikely they will be able to restrain themselves from revealing their true nature..."
After saying this, Li Yuanping took a sip of tea and continued softly, "At that time, we will kill some, punish some, and release some. Who among the clan elders would dare voice opposition to such severe crimes? After this campaign, we can ensure at least forty years of clean governance!"
————
Beneath Yi Mountain City
Drip, drip.
Being close to the southern border, Yi Mountain City received ample rainfall. The heavy rain fell, mixing with the blood on the ground, turning the mud into a grayish-red slurry.
A youth with gray-black eyes stared at the city walls. His clothes were tattered, soaked with mud and water, and he stank terribly. Blending in with the other slave soldiers, he was indistinguishable.
"Another hour, and I can leave the city..."
Using his metallic essence to create a rift, Jiang Boqing had sent Jiang Yan to Yi Mountain City in one breath. The old man was in terrible shape, nearly draining Jiang Yan of all his energy to fuel the transport. This extreme exertion nearly depleted Jiang Yan's cultivation, leaving him barely able to recover.
Jiang Yan landed in a slave camp within the city, lying on a corpse where he lay stiffly for a while before slowly recovering. He looked up to see a vast white formation covering the sky, recognizing it as the first city of Jiangnan.
Despite his endless confusion, there was no time to ponder. Barefoot and disoriented, he sat in the camp, his heart full of confusion.
He deceived my father, killed my mother... all to refine the two shamanic talismans in my body... Why does it end like this?!
With Jiang Boqing dead, Jiang Yan felt both sorrow and bewilderment, not daring to think too much. He only knew that if he stayed here, he would be discovered sooner or later.
The great formation in Yi Mountain City was established by an immortal sect and was impossible to break through by force. Jiang Yan had to disguise himself as a slave soldier, waiting in the camp for half a month before encountering a demon beast raid.
"How laughable."
Jiang Yan's gaze swept over the emaciated commoners, immediately discerning the devil gate's intention. Coldly, he thought to himself, This is not defense... it's merely feeding the beasts!
Clang!
The tunnel entrance barely opened, revealing an array formation above him. The mind-bewildering formation activated, driving the commoners to madness as they rushed out.
"Ahhhh..."
Jiang Yan mingled with the crowd, only to face the gaping maw of a wolf demon. Its sharp white teeth glinted menacingly as the crazed commoners hurled themselves at it, resulting in a spray of blood and flying debris.
He took a detour, unable to fly now, and had no choice but to sprint. Unexpectedly, the demon seemed to find him interesting, turning to chase after him.
"Damn it!"
Though injured, Jiang Yan was not someone a mere low-level demon could bully. With a simple slap, he had sent the wolf demon staggering. He then flew low to the ground, escaping southward in a sorry state.
Atop Yi Mountain City.
Liu Changdie had already gone down to maintain the grand formation. Li Xuanfeng stood with his bow while Fei Yihe stood silently beside him, watching the approaching beast horde.
The other cultivators either held bows or spears, concentrating and imbuing their weapons with mana which caused them to glow mystically.
These cultivators, lacking any family heritage, either trained in swordsmanship or spear techniques, only developing sword or spear aura to attach to their weapons. Longer reach meant greater strength, so naturally, they chose spears to increase their chances of survival.
At most, they only managed to cultivate sword or spear qi. The latter had a wider range than sword qi, providing them with better chances of survival. Thus, except for a few disciples from prominent clans, most wielded spears.
They stood ready, and behind them were several green-robed cultivators, mostly at the mid to late stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, standing with their hands behind their backs. All of them were disciples of Azure Pond Sect, overseeing the formation.
Screech!
A distant eagle cried, but it did not dare to approach. On the ground lay several corpses being devoured, likely the result of Li Xuanfeng's archery which had killed several creatures, deterring the rest from advancing.
After a while, a dozen or so demon beasts gathered together and finally mustered the courage to charge toward the city walls in a swarm.
"They are coming!"
Li Xuanfeng drew his bow, and the other cultivators quickly adjusted their formation to protect him at the center. They wielded spears and cast spells to fend off the attacking beasts. Black demonic arts clashed with the cultivators' spells, creating a cacophony of explosions.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
In just a few breaths, golden beams shot out from Li Xuanfeng's bow, each one seemingly sentient, seeking out the beasts' eyes, noses, and mouths with terrifying accuracy. Blood splattered everywhere and fur flew everywhere, prompting the disciples of the Azure Pond Sect to nod approvingly.
One of them whispered to the person beside him, "Senior Brother... without this man, these cultivators would not have lasted this long."
The person in front, who seemed to hold a high position, remained silent, his expression grave as he slowly furrowed his brow.
"Is that... a slave soldier?"
His gaze was fixed on the battlefield below, where amidst the bloody chaos, a slave soldier had slapped a wolf demon away and was fleeing at an incredible speed.
Surrounding demons quickly converged on him, making him highly conspicuous. Realizing he had been exposed, the slave soldier decided to fly, shooting like a meteor toward a distant forest.
The leading Azure Pond Sect disciple sneered, forming a golden beam of light in his hand, ready to release it. However, the disciple who had spoken earlier chuckled, "Senior Brother... why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
He waved his sleeve and turned to the person below, smiling brightly as he said, "That Li Family archer, shoot that thing down."