Li Xijun listened from the side for a while and then saw Kongheng say, "Many years ago, a cultivator with the Bright Yang Dao Lineage once joined our Buddhist cultivation. He attained the title of Undefeated King of Brightness. His mount was a one-horned qilin[1] named Undefeated and he achieved divine abilities such as enthralling hearts, great prosperity in offspring, and the fragrant essence of Buddhist Dao…
"At that time, when the Wei State fell, the Undefeated King of Brightness assisted King Liang. However, King Liang fell into the river and the Undefeated King of Brightness was killed. Since then, this Dao lineage has declined and vanished without a trace."
Li Xijun lowered his head slightly, and Kongheng added, "I do not know much either, but I have one thing to remind you of."
Li Xijun hurriedly cupped his hand in respect and exclaimed, "Please enlighten me!"
Kongheng replied, "When the Undefeated King of Brightness was still an active follower of the Buddhist cultivation, he took four wives in total. However, all of them died suddenly. He could only indulge in pleasure with his concubines. It wasn't until he encountered someone with the Veiled Yin constitution and he was able to then form a lasting union without his wife dying suddenly."
So that’s how it was… If what Kongheng said is true, then marrying a esteemed daughter would only bring harm to her… thought Li Xijun. He furrowed his brows slightly, contemplating that Li Zhouwei, though at the age for engagement, still had no clear match.
This was indeed a troublesome matter, but now was not the time to dwell on it. It had to be postponed, With that in mind, Li Xijun asked, "In that case, how much harm could the shamanic spell of Mount Yue inflict upon the heir?"
Kongheng smiled faintly and replied, "This faction of Mount Yue located around Moongaze Lake could hardly harm the heir. Even if another Master Monk from the Seven Northern Dao Sects helped them, they might still suffer setbacks."
"Good," replied Li Xijun.
With past experiences as a reference, Xijun knew that if shamanic spells could truly harm Li Zhouwei, he would never allow Zhouwei to leave, regardless of how beneficial this journey might be for his future.
Now that Xijun had confirmation, he stepped forward, just as a gust of gray wind swept in from the corner. The wind coalesced at the foot of the steps, transforming into a human figure who spoke in a deep voice, "Wushao greets the young master."
This person was none other than Hooked Serpent, Li Wushao, who was always guarding closely. Li Xijun slightly nodded in return and said softly, "Then let Minghuang investigate first and the Master Monk oversee things. As for us, we will hide in the air and wait for the Foundation Establishment cultivator of Mount Yue to reveal himself."
Li Ximing, standing beside Xijun, gave a low hum in response. He had remained silent ever since entering the hall, staring blankly at Li Zhouwei. Only now did he come to his senses and silently followed Li Xijun out.
"Greetings, King of Brightness, " Kongheng said, pressing his palms together and slowly walked behind Li Zhouwei.
The young man bade the two farewell and , rested his chin on his hand in contemplation. His eyes returned to their usual dark brown as he gazed quietly ahead.
Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment before calling someone over and commanded, "Pass my orders to all the generals."
The person swiftly left and the grand hall returned to its empty tranquility. The flickering lanterns cast shifting shadows as Li Zhouwei picked up the map on the table. He studied it carefully until Chen Yang, Dili Youjie, and the others arrived.
There were not many cultivators in Northern Mount Yue, mainly because their cultivation methods were too weak. Fewer than one in ten could even reach the Qi Cultivation Realm, and even those who did only possessed crude and unrefined qi. Once they broke through, they were immediately sent to Mount Wu to serve as menial laborers.
After all, even though Jiao Zhongzi disliked blood sacrifice, he was still part of Mount Yue. Free slaves was something he would never refuse. Regardless, even the ruler of Northern Mount Yue was merely at the Embryonic Breathing Realm, posing no real threat.
Still, some caution is necessary.
Once the others arrived, Li Zhouwei stood with his back to them and his eyes fixed on the map. A hundred li north lay the Northern Mount Yue stronghold, Chan Pass. Nestled between two mountains and fortified with formations, it was an impenetrable barrier for ordinary mortals. Yet, with numerous cultivators stationed there, Chan Pass seemed rather fragile than it appeared.
Chen Yang and the others had never considered Northern Mount Yue a real concern, and for good reason. With the strength of the Li Family, even if Li Wushao reverted to his true form and crouched outside the pass, the defenders would flee in terror What was there to worry about?
But now, after hearing the elders' words, Li Zhouwei quickly formed an understanding. He gazed at the words Chan Pass on the map and thought, The Northern Mount Yue’s Foundation Establishment cultivator, Mu Moli, is hiding in Mount Wu. He must already know how strong my family is. If we attack with the Qingdu army, we would surely win. But why is Mu Moli still bold enough to show up without hesitation? Whether he is prepared or not, he cannot win against us. What I truly fear is that he might abandon Northern Mount Yue and escape, causing endless future trouble!
Li Zhouwei was not one to blindly follow orders. Li Xijun intended to lure the enemy out while entrusting the matters at the foot of the mountain to him. This meant that he had certain freedom to act as he saw fit. He immediately began thinking about how the forces should be coordinated. He first asked, "Dili Youjie, if we mobilize troops tonight, how many men can we gather?"
Dili Youjie gritted his teeth and replied, "We have just slaughtered the opposing families and the lingering fear still holds. We can command two thousand elite troops, three thousand irregular soldiers, and two thousand slaves… but-but they have yet to be reorganized. Morale is currently low and they may not withstand a large battle."
Is Li Zhouwei planning to attack Northern Mount Yue tonight? thought Chen Yang.
Chen Yang was momentarily stunned and reminded, "My heir! The city has only just been pacified. If we withdraw three thousand family troops, unforeseen changes may arise!"
He was still puzzling over Li Zhouwei’s intentions when he heard Li Zhouwei speak in a low voice, "We have just eradicated the Great Jueting, and the news has yet to spread… Gather three hundred family soldiers, lead Dili's forces, and set out immediately! Only the elite troops are needed. The other untrained soldiers and slaves need not interfere."
How many?! Three hundred family soldiers? thought Chen Yang.
While Chen Yang’s mind was filled with doubts, Li Zhouwei had already donned his armor and taken down his halberd before saying softly, "Raise the Dili Family’s banner…"
As Chen Yang quickly withdrew with Dili Youjie, the fully armored Li Zhouwei strode away. With Kongheng silently following behind him. At this moment, Kongheng's aura was subdued, resembling nothing more than an ordinary monk.
As they exited the grand hall, the night was deep. A gust of gray wind swirled beneath Kongheng’s feet and Li Wushao appeared like a ghost behind him. He exhaled slowly, his breath slithering like a serpent as he spoke, "Master Monk, it has been many years!"
Kongheng squinted and smiled, sensing that this demonic beast's aura had changed. Its demonic energy had been refined and it now carried an air of purity. Its presence now flowed like wind and rain and his Dao foundation of Water Mansion, Morning Cold Rain , now bore traces of the divine essence of orthodox Immortal Dao. He couldn't help but be surprised, saying, "Wushao, your strength has greatly increased."
Li Wushao remained silent. He was just a small Hooked Serpent, and the rapid growth of his strength over the years had certainly not come from his own cultivation alone.
Ever since he agreed to stay with the Li Family, Li Xijun had used the Six Dams Life Matching Unique Technique to extract and enhance his spirituality. This technique was not an easy immortal art to succeed with. It depended entirely on the quality of the life matching spirit item.
Li Wushao had originally been prepared to risk his life for this opportunity, but he never expected that the spirit item Li Xijun used would be of such astonishingly high quality. Not only had it granted him a tremendous surge in power but it had also left him speechless with gratitude.
The spirit item sacrificed for this life-matching… Even if there were three of me, it wouldn’t be enough to compensate for it! All for the sake of ensuring success in one attempt and sparing my life in the process! Li Wushao thought..
As a Hooked Serpent who had once wandered adrift in the Eastern Sea, he had repeatedly received spirit items and consumed treasured panaceas. There was nothing more to say and he could only accept it in silence. He dared not speak much with Kongheng, merely nodding in acknowledgment.
1. The qilin is a legendary, chimerical creature in Chinese mythology, often translated as "Chinese unicorn," associated with virtue, prosperity, and good fortune, and often depicted as a deer-like creature with scales, hooves, and a single horn. ☜