Chapter 341: Hidden Lord
The target of the crowd of strong practitioners from Luantai was clearly Luan Sheng Lin You, and they ignored Li Weiyi and the others.
Half a shichen later, Li Weiyi and his two companions, along with the three from Lei Xiao Sect, rushed out of the formation range of the Thirty-Six Tombs of Lei and stood on a low mountain, from where they could already see the city walls and lights of Leiling City.
Heaven and Earth Magic Energy began to flow, no longer in a stagnant state.
Li Weiyi let out a long breath and looked back. The towering mountains and ridges behind him were silent and eternal, deep and hazy, completely like two different worlds from the outside.
They were temporarily safe.
Zhao Qianfeng was thrilled as if he had survived a catastrophe, cupped his hands in salute: “Many thanks to Senior for saving our lives. We have yet to ask for Senior’s esteemed name; Lei Xiao Sect will surely repay this kindness handsomely.”
“No need for handsome repayment; giving money will do.” Li Weiyi’s tone was flat, appearing impersonal.
Zhao Qianfeng showed an embarrassed expression and looked toward Lin Elder and Qin Qian.
One had profound cultivation, the other a prominent family background.
Lin Elder knew the mysterious old man had deep Mind Power and could even clash with Luan Sheng Lin You, so he did not dare offend him. After saluting, he said: “For the grace of saving our lives, repaying even to the point of bankrupting our families is only right. But two million Spring Coins is truly too much; we indeed cannot take it out at the moment.”
Li Weiyi’s gaze showed displeasure: “Were you deceiving this old man earlier? To save you, this old man took great risk.”
“We dare not; we absolutely had no such intention.”
Zhao Qianfeng was terrified and fearful, inwardly resenting that he had not escaped fast enough earlier, actually being caught up by this old monster.
At a life and death moment, he would give even more money.
After safety…
Every Spring Coin was one’s hard-earned blood and sweat.
Li Weiyi was a man who kept his promises and naturally hoped others would keep theirs: “Hand over everything valuable on you, including Zu Tian and the Magic Tools in Feng Fu.”
Qin Qian had been staring at him closely, unable to confirm in her heart whether it was Li Weiyi.
She knew that asking directly would definitely not get an admission.
Thus, she said: “I want to chat alone with Senior!”
“What’s there to chat about? Stop playing tricks. If you push this old man too far, I’ll sell you all off. No money, yet shouting about two million Spring Coins? You’re about to infuriate me to death!” Li Weiyi said in a deep voice.
Qin Qian removed the Boundary Bag from her waist: “In the past year, I gathered five hundred thousand Spring Coins, always carrying them on me. Let’s chat alone…”
Before she could finish.
The Boundary Bag in her hand had already disappeared, falling into Li Weiyi’s hand.
Li Weiyi opened the Boundary Bag to check and surprisingly found five hundred thousand Spring Coins inside, packed in five Iron Boxes. In his heart, his favorable impression of Qin Qian greatly increased; she was someone who kept her word.
It was not in vain that he had saved her a year ago.
Li Weiyi put away the Boundary Bag, somewhat satisfied: “What other good things do you have on you? Hand them all over.”
“None left! To gather these five hundred thousand Spring Coins, I don’t even have a Magic Tool.”
Qin Qian gritted her molars, hating greatly in her heart but not daring to erupt. If the other party was not Li Weiyi but truly an Evil Path old monster, if she acted rashly, great disaster would surely befall her.
Beside them, Qi Xiao and Tuo Ba Bu Tuo had already thoroughly searched the two from Lei Xiao Sect, inventorying all Magic Tools, Treasures, and Coins, which were only worth five hundred thousand Spring Coins.
The main value was concentrated on two Magic Tools, which was their entire wealth.
“You’re all too poor! Confiscate all their Life Tokens; collect the debt later.”
Li Weiyi was gathering Spring Coins naturally to purchase Thousand Year Elixirs, intending to quickly feed the Seven Little Ones to Dao Seed Realm Fourth Heaven, with current needs being very great.
Although Li Weiyi had saved them earlier, at this moment, the three from Lei Xiao Sect all felt as if they had been robbed by bandits, extremely hateful in their hearts.
Zhao Qianfeng suppressed the burning fury in his heart, malice rising to boldness, and calmly said: “Senior may come with us to Leiling City; we can certainly gather the remaining one million Spring Coins.”
Lin Elder said: “We can also hold a banquet to entertain our three life-saving benefactors.”
Li Weiyi’s eyes narrowed; how could he not see their unwillingness?
He took the three Life Tokens from Qi Xiao’s hand and coldly smiled: “Are you wanting to entertain your life-saving benefactor, or kill your life-saving benefactor? Get lost!”
Lin Elder and Zhao Qianfeng realized this old monster had very high vigilance and immediately dared not have any more schemes, promptly flying toward Leiling City.
Qin Qian’s footsteps were very slow as she went down the mountain, transmitting sound with Magic Energy: “The Life Token will expose your position! Within a certain distance, Lei Xiao Sect’s Longevity Realm Giants can use it to find you.”
Keeping promises without repaying kindness with enmity, Lei Xiao Sect still had some disciples with good character. Li Weiyi nodded lightly, then had a thought in his heart, remembering his own Rice Cult Divine Son Token.
It would probably also expose his position and needed to be stored in the Blood Mud Space.
“Many thanks.”
Qin Qian, who had already reached below the mountain, heard these two words by her ear and trembled all over—it really was him. The anger and hatred in her heart instantly vanished.
She abruptly turned around and looked toward the mountain peak, but where were Li Weiyi and his two companions’ figures?
…
From Leiling City to Nanyan Pass was only four hundred li.
The entire night, Qi Xiao wrapped the two with Magic Energy to hurry along.
At dawn, Li Weiyi’s injuries were fully healed. Looking far ahead, he could see Nanyan Pass built against the mountain twenty li away, with buildings from below the mountain up to the mountain peak, divided into five tiers.
On the roads, refugees came from all directions, among them no lack of Five Seas Realm Martial Cultivators.
There were also Dao Seed Realm Strong Practitioners, relocating with their entire families.
In chaotic times, all sides were recruiting soldiers and buying horses; as long as one had strength, one could to some extent strive for a way to live.
Five Seas Realm could protect oneself.
Dao Seed Realm could protect the small family.
Striving, struggling, migrating, gambling life, compromising, clinging to survival…
The more remote, the more chaotic; the Departed Spirit Demon Race became more unbridled.
Places without order were the most dangerous.
Therefore, everyone felt that Yun Tian Immortal Plain was currently the safest place in Lingxiao Life Realm. Thus, Martial Cultivators from war-torn lands mostly converged here.
Nanyan Pass had already begun martial law; entering the pass was far more difficult than before.
On the plains outside the pass, shanties stretching twenty li had been set up, with at least a million people gathered inside, forming a refugee city.
A soldier riding a sturdy horse galloped past Li Weiyi and his two companions, shouting loudly: “General Taishi is recruiting soldiers to guard the pass. Those with Five Springs or above cultivation and Imperial Court household registers may go to the recruitment point for assessment.”
“Five Seas Realm Martial Cultivators with Imperial Court household registers who are willing to have their souls seized may participate in Giant Spirit Army assessment.”
…
Hearing the news of soldier recruitment, countless figures rushed out from the refugee city, all wanting to seek a livelihood and pursue a future.
If they could thereby gain a chance to enter the pass, it would be even better.
Li Weiyi sighed inwardly; Nanyan Pass’s large-scale conscription did it not precisely prove that war was approaching? But Martial Cultivators struggling on the edge of life and death, how could they think about this point.
No matter what, the Imperial Court had at least noticed the danger and was actively responding. The ministers of the current court were not all incompetents.
Li Weiyi said: “Rice Cult uses the lives of Zhou Bida’s wife and daughters to control him; the other party must harbor hatred. My trip may not be safe. You two should not enter the city. If within two days I have not sent back a message, I have most likely met with mishap.”
“At that time, one of you must immediately return to Tuoba Clan or Qi Family and pass the news I told you to Snow Sword Tang Court or Zuo Qiu Gatehouse.”
“Of course, this also means you betray Rice Cult, and the Death Spiritual Fire in your bodies will activate. It means death!”
“The other returns to Rice Cult and tells Southern Venerable about things here, letting her prepare early. How to choose then, you decide yourselves.”
Qi Xiao said: “Since there is danger, let me go to Zhou Mansion.”
“Let me go.” Tuo Ba Bu Tuo said.
Li Weiyi shook his head lightly: “No need to argue! You are both Pure Immortal Bodies with impressive cultivation; once entering the pass, you will be targeted by the Imperial Court. Besides, this is just in case; if it were truly great peril, Master would not have let me come do this.”
Toward Southern Venerable, Li Weiyi had a portion of trust.
The reason he had not immediately betrayed Rice Cult and sent out the news was that his greatest worry was harming her. Thus, along the way, he had been pondering countermeasures, wanting to have the best of both worlds.
After discussing the contact method, Li Weiyi went into the pass alone.
Yun Tian Immortal Plain was already overcrowded; Nanyan Pass strictly controlled entry, and even Five Seas Realm Martial Cultivators with household registers found it extremely difficult to enter.
Li Weiyi had not considered forging a household register or seizing a passerby’s pass household register.
What kind of military stronghold was Nanyan Pass? It was surely under strict Imperial Court surveillance. As soon as he entered Zhou Mansion, he would definitely be known to some institutions. The more he concealed, the more dangerous.
Before the City Gate.
Li Weiyi cast the Disguise Art, revealing a Spirit Mind Master identity, then handed over an invitation processed with Rice Cult’s special method: “I am invited to visit Deputy General Zhou; trouble you to deliver the invitation.”
With experience from last time, Li Weiyi this time disguised himself as a forty-something appearance.
The soldiers guarding the City Gate did not dare be neglectful; after all, this was a Spirit Mind Master, likely a noble guest of the Deputy General. He might even become their direct superior in the future.
The invitation was sealed with Runes; opening it would destroy it.
Of course, no one would dare open it without authorization.
Not long after, an Exotic Beast Carriage picked up Li Weiyi into Nanyan Pass and headed toward Zhou Mansion.
Driving the carriage was Zhou Bida’s Personal Guard.
Nanyan Pass was built against the mountain, extending from Fu Zhou Plain all the way to the top of Xu Shan Heavenly Vein, occupying extremely vast area, but without the prosperity and bustle of a giant city—everything was orderly, solemn, and dignified.
On both sides of the streets were various shops, restaurants, carriage shops, Pill shops, Magic Tool shops; pedestrians were neatly dressed, mostly traveling by carriage, forming a stark contrast to the refugee city outside.
At every intersection, at every tier junction of the city, there was a Formation Tower.
This pass was one of the four major gateways and transit stations to Yun Tian Immortal Plain; the Imperial Court had stockpiled eight thousand of its most elite Five Seas Soldiers here.
It was said that this Giant Spirit Army led by Taishi Qingcang could meet Transcendent attackers offensively and be impregnable defensively.
Nanyan Pass had three Deputy Generals, and Zhou Bida was one of them, responsible for Formations and city defense.
The Exotic Beast Carriage slowly drove into Zhou Mansion.
Li Weiyi lifted the Carriage Curtain to observe; the mansion was very large, with tree canopies piled like snow, planted everywhere with Spiritual Plants and Precious Medicines. But no maids or servants were visible; it was unusually quiet.
“From entering the pass to entering the mansion, it was too smooth!”
Li Weiyi frowned and quickly put on the Governor’s Official Robe as an inner layer.
If there was any change, he would immediately use the Spatial Power in the Official Robe to escape.
When entering the pass, he had probed; the Formation Light Gauze above the City Gate was not strong, and with his current cultivation, he could break out of the Formation.
Normally, the Formation would not be fully activated.
The Exotic Beast Carriage suddenly stopped; the driving Personal Guard announced “Guest, arrived” and then left directly, footsteps fading away.
Li Weiyi got out warily and looked to the right.
He discovered that the Exotic Beast Carriage had stopped before a moon cave gate, with white walls blooming full of plum blossoms, the surrounding environment serene.
Inside the gate.
Hidden Lord’s familiar voice rang out: “Hurry and come in!”
Li Weiyi was slightly stunned, thoughts turning a hundred times; many doubts instantly cleared, revealing great joy as he quickly stepped through the moon cave gate.
Hidden Lord wore a Mask, hands behind back, standing in the cliffside Corridor Pavilion, gazing at the refugee city—a dense black mass—on the plain outside the city.
Zhou Mansion was located in the fourth tier city, with very high terrain and broad view.
The entire Fu Zhou Plain was before their eyes.
Zhou Bida was a middle-aged man who looked around fifty, with thick brows and huge eyes, tall and sturdy build over two meters, wearing pitch-black heavy armor. Standing with Hidden Lord, he turned first, sizing up Li Weiyi.
