Lingu Lanying’s seemingly baseless remark caused the surrounding cultivators to subtly change expressions, turning Si Yuanli into the center of attention.
He didn’t need to think too hard. Just by looking at the crowd’s furious expressions, he knew that Chi Zhiyan’s orders and actions had long been deliberately leaked by the esteemed families. These cultivators may lack deep heritage, but they were no fools. Who among them wasn’t bitter right now?
Sending aid to Mount Bianyan?
If Lingu Lanying hadn’t brought it up in public, Si Yuanli wouldn’t have treated it as a matter of concern at all. Though the northern cultivators had retreated, the south was ultimately weaker, and who would dare act rashly with Li Xuanfeng on the verge of death?
Si Yuanli had only intended to dismiss the crowd, then secretly send a few to scout the north. He could then claim to the Chi Family that it was a rescue mission. With the riverside barely secured and no orders from the south, who could call him a liar?
Once the riverside crowd dispersed, only a few direct descendants of esteemed families would know what he had done. But Lingu Lanying’s blunt question had thrust him into the spotlight, leaving him prickling with discomfort under so many eyes.
This isn’t just about putting me in an awkward position...
The riverside fell silent. Si Yuanli stood slightly to the side, meeting the gaze of the green-robed woman before him. Her eyes showed no aggression nor outrage, only calm.
He realized the sword in his hand had gone cold. Though more calculating than his older brother Si Yuanbai, the moment he met that gaze, his heart had skipped a beat.
Any family that had lasted a century within the Azure Pond Sect represented more than just itself. It symbolized vast power behind the scenes, and at times, a particular voice, the Purple Mansion Realm.
In a moment so full of scrutiny, if someone from the Li Family spoke, Si Yuanli had to consider whether it was actually Xiao Chuting’s will. If someone from the Yuan Family acted, he had to wonder if Buzi had returned.
The Lingu Family, a naturalized house of Mount Yue, had stood firm for three hundred years and guarded the Southern Sea on the Azure Pond Sect’s behalf. Though their roots were deep and tangled, their true strength lay in being the in-laws of a Daoist Master from the Great Xiukui Temple.
Lingu Lanying’s words represented more than just the Lingu Family, it also signified the stance of Jiachuan Prefecture, the Southern Sea cultivators, and even the shadow of the Lin Family from Xiukui.
His mind raced. Neither Lingu Lanying nor the Southern Sea cultivators had any real conflict with him. Their provocation was not meant as an attack, but a confirmation. They wanted a response from him, whether it be a vague evasion or a polite deferral.
Which cultivator present wouldn’t see through an attempt to shirk responsibility? As long as Si Yuanli wasn’t a diehard loyalist of the Chi Family, their resentment wouldn’t land on him. But then again, the Chi Family were no fools either.
The sword cultivator calmly sheathed his weapon as he said, "Chi Zhiyan has gathered elite forces and stationed them at Mount Bianyan, which is protected by a grand formation. The northern cultivators are being forced to detour around it. Mount Bianyan should be several times safer than here. They ought to be secure."
With a single sentence, he set the tone, indirectly confirming the rumors spread by the esteemed families and pinning the blame squarely on the Chi Family. Only then did he continue, "But the minds of devil cultivators are unpredictable, and their methods are strange. Who knows what schemes they may have? If the rescue fails, it would be a grave mistake. I will personally lead a team to investigate, in case a devil cultivator returns for an attack."
He spoke crisply and efficiently. Lingu Lanying nodded along, and several peak masters and daoists close to the Lingu Family stood behind her in contemplation, while the rest of the cultivators whispered among themselves and turned to peer at him.
Si Yuanli spoke warmly, "Everyone, please rest for now. The promised Essence Gathering Pills and spirit items will be fully distributed within three days. As long as I, Si Yuanli, am here, not a single one of you will be shortchanged."
A chorus of cheerful voices rose from below. Si Yuanli stood with his hands behind his back on the riverbank, meeting Lingu Lanying’s smiling face.
His eyes narrowed slightly as the woman before him softly said, "Be at ease, senior. There are no unusual signs in the sky, and no one has fled back in defeat in a long time. It must surely be safe."
That reminded Si Yuanli; he didn’t believe in peace and safety at all. With such a perfect opportunity, the fall of Mount Bianyan was inevitable. The current silence could only mean the truth was being concealed.
Chi Zhiyan is finished.
Si Yuanli likely knew best of everyone how many were still at Mount Bianyan. For that very reason, he still found it hard to believe.
Chi Zhiyan, second only to sect master Chi Zhiyun in the Chi Family’s direct descendants, along with seven direct descendants, from Chi Liangzhe to Chi Dongqing, plus numerous peak masters and daoists of the Chi Family, whether by blood or marriage... and even Ning Heyuan from the Ning Family.
The two most talented generations of Chi Family juniors had been deliberately kept within the sect, only to be taken out by Si Boxiu. Then, they perished with him inside the grotto heaven!
The situation at Mount Bianyan was entirely unlike that of the riverbank. Chi Zhiyan was no Li Xuanfeng. Suddenly, Si Yuanli realized that Lingu Lanying’s question had been inevitable. His heart grew clear with insight, There is no room for diplomacy in sect strife and faction struggle. From the moment I chose to defend the riverbank, I had already taken a side. Be it the Li Family or the Lingu Family, the will of the people is clear.
A look of decisive clarity finally emerged on Si Yuanli’s face as he thought in his heart, In the path of shifting power, only speed and ruthlessness prevail. To seek compromise is to invite ruin. Better to be resolute!
————
Mount Bianyan.
Billowing demonic smoke drifted over the bloodstained mountaintop. A black boot sent ripples through a pool of blood as the sharp-eyed black-robed youth looked up at the sky raining with blood.
The green-robed cultivator before him had a handsome face and ethereal attire, yet the sinister glint in his eyes added a terrifying edge. He stood with sword in hand, his face covered in blood.
His dharma robe was slashed in several places. His complexion was pale and grim as he panted heavily, struggling to exhale the chilling air that had invaded his lungs.
"Chi Zhiyan..."
The black-robed youth said the name with a smile, and the blood pool beneath his feet trembled slightly with his voice.
Yu Jiang stood with arms crossed, three bone tokens circling around him, and smiled. "I heard you're the sect master’s younger brother from Azure Pond Sect. Well then... how do you like this grand gift?"
"Brother Yu Jiang, why waste words on him?!" Master Monk Xuwang let out a hearty laugh, though his eyes betrayed urgency. The spells in his hand grew fiercer and more relentless, breaking Chi Zhiyan’s tendons and bones. If not for the sturdiness of his dharma robe, he would have already collapsed.
Severed heads lay at his feet, their faces still frozen in terror. Chi Zhiyan gasped for breath, blood dripping steadily from his collar.
In just fifteen minutes, he had exhausted all his trump cards.
Chi Zhiyan’s innate talent was decent, but his strength was not outstanding, and he rarely needed to engage in battle. There was a clear gap against these opponents. If not for several powerful items on him, he would have been killed already.
As a core member of the Chi Family, he naturally carried Purple Mansion Realm talismans, multiple even. But after fifteen minutes of fighting, he had only used one, and even that had been neutralized through the combined efforts of his opponents.
Meanwhile, Yu Jiang’s shamanic arts had begun to take effect. When Chi Zhiyan reached for the embroidered pouch on his waist a second time, it had turned into a damp, furry golden rat, its long tail tied to his belt as it let out shrill squeaks.
How bizarre!
Chi Zhiyan carried not only Purple Mansion Realm talismans, but also a rare talisman that allowed a brief escape into the great void. It was tied to his wrist and was yet unused. Despite his repeated attempts to activate it, it showed no response.
Chi Zhiyan’s gaze moved past his opponents to the sky. His heart gradually calmed. The great void here had already been sealed. Even if Purple Mansion Realm cultivators could come and go freely, his talisman alone would not allow him to escape.