Li Xizhi immediately sensed something was amiss, and stealthily approached while concealing his presence. He saw a group of villagers gathered around a low stone altar, where an old man in black stood, his face dark and sinister, holding a sword and muttering incessantly.
The villagers below began chanting as well, their voices growing louder and louder. Black mist spread across the altar, causing Li Xizhi to frown.
"A mere unrefined Qi Cultivator, yet he is putting on such a grand display!" Li Xizhi scoffed.
The black-robed old man had chaotic true essence and weak energy, a clear sign of his origins as a rogue cultivator. In the cultivation world of Yue State, such people were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Li Xizhi, being from a great sect, could see this clearly with just a glance.
Yin qi is everywhere... He must have acquired some kind of devil dao legacy and used it to deceive the villagers so he could conduct blood sacrifices.
As expected, the villagers below brought forward a young boy. The black-robed old man raised his sword, preparing to stab him in a ritual.
Li Xizhi watched on silently as the old man brought his sword down toward the boy, but when the blade touched the boy, it was as if it hit an iron wall—there was a sharp metallic clang that rang out, and the sword could not move any further.
A flash of doubt crossed the old man's face. He scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense but could not detect anything. How could a rogue cultivator like him see through the concealment technique of someone as skilled as Li Xizhi?
Finding nothing, the old man trembled and called out in a shaky voice, "Which Senior... is playing a joke on this humble one?"
Rainbow light began to shimmer around Li Xizhi as he revealed himself above the altar, staring at the old man. The black-robed elder took one look at him and was instantly terrified. He fell to his knees, trembling as he said, "This humble one is Yuan Huzhong... Greetings to you, immortal of the exalted sect!"
Li Xizhi's hand, glowing with rainbow light, was about to strike him, but those words made him pause. Frowning, he asked, "You recognize my attire? You must be quite knowledgeable. Which Yuan Family do you belong to?"
Yuan Huzhong, who was shaking all over now, replied, "I am originally from the Yuan Family of Mushroom Forest Plain, though I have not returned in many years..."
So, he is truly from the Yuan Family of Mushroom Forest Plain!
Li Xizhi felt a bit awkward since this devil cultivator was somehow connected to his master, Yuan Tuan. In a deep voice, he scolded, "Coming from such a great family, how dare you engage in such filthy deeds! You have utterly disgraced the Yuan Family!"
With a flick of his hand, a stream of multicolored light appeared, swirling and flickering like a mirage. With a swish, it snatched away both the sword and the pouch from Yuan Huzhong's waist.
This technique, called Floating Light Gathering, was recorded in the Dawn Dew Gathering Technique and was a Grade Four spell. It was particularly effective at seizing dharma artifacts and treasures. The multicolored light swept over everything cleanly, leaving Yuan Huzhong trembling with cold terror.
The villagers below craned their necks, thinking Li Xizhi had acted against the old man. They immediately broke into wails, begging for mercy, leaving Li Xizhi puzzled.
Li Xizhi examined Yuan Huzhong and, confirming that he was indeed from the Yuan Family, decided to be patient.
"Explain yourself!" he demanded.
Just as Yuan Huzhong was about to speak, black winds suddenly whipped through the air. A massive creature, the size of a house and covered in feathers, descended with a booming laugh, calling out evilly, "Daoist Yuan! How is this year's blood offering?"
Li Xizhi's feet were already surrounded by rainbow light. He scanned the creature with his spiritual sense and quickly realized it was merely a Qi Cultivation Realm demon at the fourth heavenly layer—far weaker than him, who was in the sixth heavenly layer. Feeling confident, he stayed in place, studying the demon.
Yuan Huzhong, terrified, dared not reply. Instead, he shot the demon a look and muttered under his breath, "T-This... is a lord from the exalted Azure Pond Sect, Daoist Wu... Hurry up and pay your respects."
A member of the Azure Chi Devil Gate!
Daoist Wu was horrified, collapsing to the ground with a thud that shook the earth. His voice was muffled as he choked out, "This lowly demon greets the exalted immortal!"
Li Xizhi, someone who disliked unnecessary conflict, felt his head throb as the situation became more complicated. Waving his hand, he said, "I have important matters to attend to. Spare me trouble and explain everything quickly so I can be on my way!"
Yuan Huzhong hurriedly explained, "Lord, I truly am from the main branch of the Yuan Family, but my talent is lacking and I have only a single spiritual orifice... After thirty years of hard cultivation and many spirit resources, I have only reached the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm."
In his youth, Yuan Huzhong had been diligent, but his poor talent meant he had to rely on the favors of his elders to obtain cultivation resources. Over time, he exhausted those connections, and the Yuan Family no longer wished to pour resources into what they saw as a lost cause. Helpless, Yuan Huzhong left the family and wandered the world.
Continuing where he left off, Yuan Huzhong elaborated, "Later, I found a temple run by rogue cultivators... I received a few legacies, but my cultivation still stagnated, and I had no further breakthroughs. Disheartened, I passed through here and found an Embryonic Breathing Realm demon wreaking havoc, so I dealt with it."
"The villagers begged me for help, and I felt pity for them, so I stayed to protect them..." Yuan Huzhong laughed bitterly and added, "This area is near Mount Quanwu, a place where many demons pass through. They regularly come here to feast on humans. So, I pledged myself to a demon general and, in exchange for providing a special blood offering each year, the demons no longer harass the village."
He proudly pointed to the villagers below him and smiled. "When I first arrived here, this place had just over a thousand people... Now, fifty years have passed, and there are more than five thousand!"
Li Xizhi remained silent, glancing at the boy kneeling on the ground. The boy, his breath weak and uneven, clearly had been consuming medicine from a young age—likely the special blood offering that Yuan Huzhong mentioned. The child did not cry or make a fuss, remaining obedient.
Nearby, the demon trembled with fear upon hearing that Yuan Huzhong was a disciple of the devil gate, not daring to lift its head. Yuan Huzhong, after finishing his explanation, cautiously glanced at Li Xizhi, hesitating before adding, "The offerings to the immortal sect from this place... they have been supplied year after year without fail..."
Li Xizhi glanced once more at the villagers below and understood that what Yuan Huzhong said was likely true. The rainbow light in his hand flickered slightly as he responded, "I see."
He stood with his hands behind his back, silently and without any further interest in conversation. Then, in an instant, he soared away on the wind, his feet surrounded by swirling rainbow light, drifting off like an immortal being.
Yuan Huzhong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and collapsed to the ground with relief. He sighed toward the demon beside him, who was equally terrified and trembling, muttering, "Thank the heavens! Luckily, it was a disciple from the Azure Pond Sect... If it had been someone from the Yue Cultivating Sect, who is less tolerant, there would not have been any room for explanation. Not only would you and I have lost our lives, but even my great king would have been slain!"
Yuan Huzhong let out a sigh of relief and added, "If luck had truly been against us, what could we have done? If those sect disciples had slain the demon and left, these five thousand villagers would have been nothing but food for a horde of demons, after you and I were killed."
Li Xizhi soared away on the wind, feeling a slight heaviness in his heart. Although he knew such things were common in Jiangnan, this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. After hearing Yuan Huzhong's explanation, he realized he was powerless to change the situation.
At least it's better than overseas... After all, this land was once under the rule of an immortal mansion. Now, the immortal sects, out of caution or perhaps moral scruples, refrain from overt wickedness. Even the devil gates have to put on a false front... Some Dao lineages here still uphold certain principles.
Li Xizhi let out a self-deprecating chuckle. If he had been in Yuan Huzhong's position, he likely would have handled it the same way. He realized how foolish it had been to have thoughts of killing him earlier.
Li Xizhi had far too much on his mind regarding his family's pressures to indulge in any further pity. Soon, he cast the matter aside, flying through the area around Mount Quanwu. Suddenly, the jade pendant at his waist grew warm, emitting a soft white light.
"Hmm?"
Li Xizhi was overjoyed and thought to himself, One of my clan's brothers or elders must be nearby!