Li Xizhi rode the Heavenly Glow to the front of the formation, the captured men still bound behind him. Using a command token to activate the formation, he saw an unbelievably small marketplace nestled in the valley. A few figures rode the wind to welcome him.
This marketplace consisted of no more than a few courtyards, it was extremely crude in appearance. The formation looked newly set, likely placed by Azure Pond Sect.
As the group reached him, they all bowed deeply. Li Xizhi examined them. One was at the mid-stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, three were early-stage, and the rest were only at the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
How pitiful.
He felt somewhat troubled as these cultivators of Baixiang Valley were so overjoyed they hadn’t slept for days, each of them eagerly addressing him as Peak Master.
The mid-stage Qi Cultivation Realm old man seemed to be the overseer of Baixiang Valley. He was moved and emotional, saying, “Peak Master, sir... I’ve long heard that Jiangnan is a flourishing land of immortal cultivation. To come such a long way to aid us... I, Bai, am deeply grateful... Please accept my bow...”
Li Xizhi was momentarily stunned. After asking a few questions, he realized all of them were surnamed Bai, they were the local cultivators of Xu State. Apart from establishing a formation in Baixiang Valley, no other Azure Pond cultivators had arrived yet.
He chuckled and shook his head, letting out a breath of relief and thought, Of course... Baixiang Valley is a crucial defensive point. They wouldn’t leave just a few Qi Cultivation Realm disciples for me... I’ve just grown too wary after being schemed against by the Chi Family...
With the rest yet to arrive, Li Xizhi wasn’t in a rush to interrogate the devil cultivators. He had them clear out some rooms and waited quietly.
Just as the night passed, two escape lights flew in, one ahead and one behind.
First came a white-haired old man, neatly dressed, looking even older than Li Xuanxuan. He was in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm and appeared to be about a hundred years old. This meant he was likely over two hundred by cultivator standards.
The old man cupped his hands in greeting. Right after, a middle-aged man with mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, neatly groomed beard, stepped forward and said loudly, “I am Quan Yi of Linghe Peak. Greetings to you both, fellow Daoists.”
The old man followed with a hoarse voice, “Yu Yuwei of Panqi Peak. I have three disciples, they will arrive one by one in the coming days.”
Li Xizhi didn’t know Quan Yi well, but he did recognize the Yu Family and Panqi Peak. He nodded and smiled, “Changtian Peak, Li Xizhi.”
After exchanging names, Li Xizhi pointed to the devil cultivators on the ground and said, “Two seniors, I arrived a bit earlier and happened to run into this group of devil cultivators skulking around. I brought them back on the way.”
Quan Yi gave a small smile and said, “I know a few spell arts that are just right for interrogation.”
He conjured a pale blue flame, pressed it to the captive’s forehead, and began questioning in a low voice. After about five minutes, he said in disappointment, “Just a petty scavenger trying to take advantage of the chaos! They are not from the Tuoba Family.”
As he withdrew and stood up, the man before him slumped to the ground in a daze. The surrounding devil cultivators looked increasingly terrified, but they were still sealed by Heavenly Glow and unable to move.
Li Xizhi, ever thorough, casually picked up the devil cultivator’s storage pouch. After rummaging through it, he found nothing more than some blood qi, tattered clothing, and a few worn-out cultivation manuals.
Inside the clothing was a hidden letter. He opened it in front of the two others but it was nothing more than a family letter with handwriting that were blurred and aged.
Quan Yi turned away in disappointment. The three of them clearly understood where the true threat in this region lay. Yu Yuwei gently shook his head and stroked his beard, saying, “Fellow Daoist... if these were truly spies from the Tuoba Family, they would never leave behind anything incriminating. The Tuoba are extremely skilled in manipulating souls, it’s difficult to detect. Even though Azure Pond Sect’s techniques are excellent, I fear we still fall short of their level.”
These words didn’t give Quan Yi much face, but he didn’t mind. He nodded, seemingly enlightened, and casually slapped the captives to death.
The captives let out a brief gasp of terror before their lives were snuffed out. Only then did he smile and say, “I was too rash. Senior, you’re well-experienced, having served as peak master for many years and coming from an esteemed family, could you explain a bit more about the Tuoba Family?”
Yu Yuwei nodded slightly and said, “The Tuoba Family has a grand background. Though they are now in decline, they were once a first-class great family... Are you aware of how Northern Qi replaced Wei, and then Great Liang destroyed Qi?”
Both nodded. When Yu Yuwei mentioned the rise of Northern Qi over Wei, Quan Yi cast a subtle glance at Li Xizhi. Yu Yuwei continued softly, “Emperor Taiwu of Liang was surnamed Tuoba, with given name Xuantan.”
“So they were once the imperial family of the Northern Dynasties,” muttered Quan Yi as his expression grew increasingly grim, he was clearly shaken by the name. Li Xizhi hadn’t expected the Tuoba background to be this deep either and fell into silent thought. Yu Yuwei continued softly, “Later, the Emperor of Liang perished, and the Lesser Yang Devil Monarch died as well. Great Liang reached its peak and then fell hard.
“With Great Liang’s territory shattered, the Tuoba Family suffered heavy losses. Only by relying on the Shengle Heaven did they recover slowly over the years. Now, they have reestablished themselves in Yan State.”
“They even have a grotto heaven!” Quan Yi looked at the two with a complicated expression, calculating with his fingers before speaking in a low voice, “With the three of us, plus senior’s three disciples, if the Tuoba Family sends just one person, we might be able to fend them off. But if three or five come... resisting would be pointless. Better to face punishment than lose our lives...”
Yu Yuwei laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder, saying, “Fellow Daoist, you worry too much! So many years have passed... The Tuoba Family is no longer what it once was. Even if they have a few prodigies left, they wouldn’t send them to a place like this...
“If just hearing a surname is enough to shake us, then there are countless more people surnamed Li, Fuqi, Tuoba... than Xie or Wang...”
Quan Yi merely waved his hand and nodded in reply, “What you say is true, Senior... but my heart still feels uneasy.”
His mood never picked up. After a few perfunctory words, he found a side room to rest. With two calls, the family head–looking elder of Baixiang Valley hurriedly offered up his own cave dwelling.
The old man, however, took the opportunity to slowly approach Li Xizhi. Yu Yuwei asked, “Fellow Daoist Xizhi, are you from the Li Family of Moongaze Lake?”
Seeing Li Xizhi nod, Yu Yuwei smiled and said, “What a coincidence.”
Li Xizhi looked slightly puzzled, then saw the old man continue leisurely, “Back in the day... the Yu and Ning Families were quite close. Some from the Ning Family cultivated on Panqi Peak. By seniority, one of them was my martial uncle.
“Later, when the position of Moon Lake Peak master became vacant, my uncle took the seat. While cultivating over the lake, flying by on the wind, he once saw a woman at the Embryonic Breathing Realm. She was very beautiful.”
He chuckled and continued, “He was quite the romantic, and quickly fell in love with her. They spent a passionate night, and he couldn’t let her go, so he brought her back to the sect. It was quite the scandal. There were many nights of indulgence and much gossip.
“In the end, the woman’s talent was too poor and she died young. Before her death, she entrusted her family to him. My uncle agreed, but after he died, Moon Lake Peak saw it as a scandal and barely took care of her brother.”
Yu Yuwei looked up, as if reminiscing, and murmured, “I believe his name was... Lu Sisi, wasn’t it? Have you heard of him, Daoist?”
Li Xizhi fell silent and said softly, “I’ve heard the name...”