“Let’s go, Sister!”
Li Xuanling rushed into the side courtyard and crossed the threshold. Grabbing Li Jingtian’s arm, he began to pull her toward the front yard, his sudden action sending her into a state of confusion.
“What's happening?”
“There's no time to explain! Jianixi’s troops will be at Mount Lijing in less than fifteen minutes. Trust me!”
Li Jingtian’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly gathered her long black hair into a bun, then retrieved a dagger hidden under her pillow.
She concealed the weapon in the pocket of her sleeve as she followed behind her younger brother, her voice tense with worry. “Have you alerted Mother and the others?”
Li Xuanling nodded affirmatively, securing a long saber behind his back.
“I’ve sent clan soldiers to notify them earlier. I’ve also instructed the few remaining soldiers at the front to escort them down the mountain immediately before I came back to the side courtyard to get you.”
They quickly exited the side courtyard, but Li Jingtian, who was not an immortal cultivator, struggled to keep pace with her younger brother.
Li Xuanling cast the Divine Movement spell on his legs, then lifted her in his arms and hurriedly descended the mountain.
————
Meanwhile, Li Jingtian tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. As she watched the swiftly passing scenery, her mind was heavy with concern for their father, Li Xiangping.
She looked up at Li Xuanling enviously and commented, “If only I had a spiritual orifice too...”
After covering a distance, Li Xuanling used the mirror to check on Jianixi’s movements. He discovered that one of the troops from Mount Yue had already invaded Lijing Town, seizing control of several exits.
Another group was cleverly ascending the mountain from another side, aiming to cut off their escape to Jingyang Village.
Without the mirror, Li Xuanling would have walked straight into them. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and muttered under his breath, “This Jianixi is really cunning!”
He quickly moved in another direction, descending the mountain before they were surrounded and sought refuge in an old, seemingly abandoned courtyard in Lijing Town at the foot of the mountain.
Covered in a thin layer of dust, the courtyard appeared abandoned, as if its owner had been absent for a long time. Li Xuanling kicked open the door and quickly entered with Li Jingtian.
Li Jingtian searched around the house and found two sets of plain clothes in a cabinet. Changing into them, she noted that they fit her perfectly. It appeared that the family who used to live here had a daughter of her age, about twelve or thirteen years old.
Li Xuanling was not yet fully grown, so Li Jingtian had to quickly modify the clothes to fit him.
By the time she finished cutting up their clothes made of silk and shoving the fabric under the bed, footsteps approached the door.
They listened intently for a moment, but the footsteps soon faded into the distance. Li Xuanling looked up at his sister’s strikingly valiant face, then innocently commented, “Sister, you stand out too much.”
Li Jingtian nodded at her younger brother’s reminder, then drew a bucket of water from the well and proceeded to mess up her makeup. She furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her gaze, adopting the appearance of a girl from a humble, ordinary family.
Li Xuanling could not help but sigh. Despite Li Jingtian’s efforts, her inherent elegance made it difficult to dull her natural beauty. The transformation softened her features, replacing her usual heroic aura with a vulnerable charm that momentarily took Li Xuanling aback.
After their efforts to disguise themselves, they finally looked like the typical inhabitants of the town. Peering cautiously outside, Li Jingtian whispered, “The Misty Maze Formation is merely a minor obstacle for someone like Jianixi. It’s fortunate we’ve escaped from the mountain. As long as we remain hidden here for a day and a night, Jianixi’s forces should retreat.”
Li Xuanling nodded, reassured by the familiar warmth of the mirror in his grasp.
Meanwhile on Mount Lijing...
Jianixi narrowed his eyes as he listened to his men’s report. At the end of it, a smile tugged at his lips.
“They led the troops over the mountain?”
“Yes.”
He raised an eyebrow, then cast a cold glance at the stone platform, as well as the incense and candles flickering at his side, before kicking over the altar in front of him.
CRASH...!
The altar collapsed, and the fruits and offerings placed on it were scattered across the floor.
Jianixi’s yellowish-brown eyes drifted to the now overturned table, his mouth curving into a sardonic grin.
“Mu Jiaoman, what kind of dharma artifact requires such elaborate offerings?”
The attendant with the long braid behind him shook his head, scanning the area cautiously. After a moment of reflection, he ventured, “I’ve heard tales of a large tribe in the Mushroom Forest Plain that worships a wooden statue, believed to wield great powers.”
“Seems like the Li Family holds a valuable treasure...” Jianixi remarked with a chuckle as he strode out of the courtyard.
“This dharma artifact must be in their military camp right now. Lucky we didn’t attack blindly, otherwise we’d have played right into the demon gate’s trap!” Mu Jiaoman commented in relief.
Jianixi walked around the main and side courtyards, inspecting the clothes and warm bedding his men presented to him. He nodded thoughtfully and then commented, “That child is pretty smart.”
Stepping forward, Jianixi gazed down upon Lijing Town at the foot of the mountain below. He spread his arms wide apart as if to embrace the vista, then after a moment of contemplation, he declared, “Gather all individuals between the ages of seven to fifteen from this town. Leave none behind.”
Mu Jiaoman acknowledged the order, then the two men left the Li Residence. Jianixi paused, and with a playful smile on his face, he added, “Keep an eye out for the ones in fine clothes and pretty faces. If anyone shows signs of cultivation, capture them immediately and bring them to me.”
After saying that, Jianixi climbed onto his horse and descended Mount Lijing, with Mu Jiaoman trailing closely behind.
In a hushed tone, Mu Jiaoman reminded, “There isn’t much time left, Great King.”
Jianixi acknowledged with a nod, then suggested, “Let’s make a swift retreat after we’ve taken the villagers and their possessions before the demon gate draws more reinforcements, which would only lead to unnecessary losses.”
As the pair descended the mountain, the town echoed with cries, as well as the sounds of villagers fighting with the forces of Mount Yue.
Jianixi’s forces had efficiently rounded up the youth, and the air was filled with cries and screams.
Observing the scene, Mu Jiaoman mused quietly, “I guess we can take them back and make them work as slaves and servants.”
Jianixi’s expression darkened at those words. A violent murderous intent flashed across his eyes, but no one realized it since his back was facing them.
Jianixi’s neck was once marred by a slave brand. After he exacted revenge on those who had enslaved him and bought his tribe, he coerced a shaman to remove the brand.
From that point on, Jianixi refused to mark his body in any way despite his many achievements.
Mu Jiaoman continued saying, “These girls certainly have a certain charm.”
Jianixi responded with a nonchalant nod and picked up his long saber, but Mu Jiaoman’s next comment caught his attention.
“With the northern foothills now unified and under your command, perhaps it's time to consider having an heir. The mountains are full of ambitious rivals, so having an heir could ensure your legacy.”
Jianixi merely hummed in response, adjusting his stance in the saddle before propelling his horse westward.
“Move west, we’ll go have fun with that guy,” he said.