Chapter 136: Hidden Two, Hidden Thirteen
The camp below the mountain, a great river rushed past, its current swift.
Zuo Qiu Ting closed his folding fan, still as a clay sculpture, and sat in the camp tent, listening for the second time as Zuo Qiu Bai Ming and Zuo Qiu Lanlan recounted their encounters in the mountain, not omitting any detail.
Both elder-level figures were nearing a hundred years old, standing behind him to his left and right, fierce glints occasionally flashing in their eyes.
In the Southern Territory, there were actually people who dared to oppose the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, and they struck ruthlessly, intending to annihilate them completely.
From the small, one could infer the large. This was not a simple dispute over immortal soil, but indicated that the disciples of Tian Ya Ridge, Coffin Mountain, Sui Sect, and San Chen Palace had no reverence for their Southern Territory spokesperson, the foremost gatehouse.
Without reverence, acts of rebellion would only increase in the future, just like Lingxiao Palace now.
The white-bearded elder standing to Zuo Qiu Ting’s rear left sneered, “Tian Ya Ridge and Coffin Mountain are understandable. After all, the Four Extremes Ape King and that living taboo are indeed extraordinary, so their disciples naturally have full confidence. But what are Sui Sect and San Chen Palace? Young Master, this matter must have an explanation. Otherwise, they might think the Southern Territory has a new master.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming touched his leg, which still ached to the bone, and said resentfully, “Sui Sect is too arrogant. Even a junior from the Xue Family doesn’t take the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse seriously. We’ve been too accommodating these years; they’ve come to see the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse as the Jiu Li Tribe, thinking that Ten Million Gateways is also made of clay.”
Zuo Qiu Lanlan’s eyes were red, “Che Ge was directly eaten by Di Ran. Coffin Mountain’s ruthlessness is even above Sui Sect’s.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming said, “Many forces in the Southern Territory have united. We cannot be careless any longer. If we don’t disperse them, once they take Li Zhou, we will be the next target.”
Zuo Qiu Ting’s expression was calm, his thoughts drifting to Thirty-three Mile Mountain, “According to your account, you were knocked unconscious and were with Sima Tan at the time?”
Zuo Qiu Lanlan’s pretty face, which had been full of pain and resentment, instantly turned shyly red, and she dared not look at him.
“That’s right.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming then added, “It must have been the people from Sui Sect and Tian Ya Ridge who ambushed us. I only regret that my departed spirit human skin was shattered. Otherwise, even with one leg broken, I would not have suffered such a sneak attack.”
Zuo Qiu Ting said, “However, you were safely sent down the mountain, and the immortal soil and exotic medicine on your bodies were not lost.”
Zuo Qiu Lanlan said, “It must have been Sima Tan who saved us. He… his combat power is probably not inferior to Senior Disciple Brother Bai Ming, and he raises seven strange insects. For the people of Sui Sect and Tian Ya Ridge to provoke him is seeking death. In time, he will surely have a renowned name among the younger generation of martial artists in the Southern Territory.”
Zuo Qiu Ting looked at Zuo Qiu Lanlan with surprise, feeling that the two must be hiding something, and chuckled, “Is he that strong? Sister Lanlan rarely praises a young man to such a degree.”
Zuo Qiu Lanlan did not spare her praise, “His cultivation and combat power are secondary; what’s more important is that this person has extraordinary personal charm, and his mind and character are rarely seen in the world. Otherwise, how could we two have come down the mountain alive? Senior Disciple Brother Bai Ming, right?”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming did not know what had happened after he fainted, and he wasn’t even sure if he had been knocked out by those seven strange insects.
Who knew if the two of them had already been up to something illicit on the mountain?
He said, “Young Master, the immortal mist and clouds have receded, but Sima Tan has not come down the mountain. I suspect he has already left from another direction. The large amounts of dyeing cloud exotic medicine and golden spring he seized from the martial cultivators of San Chen Palace and Coffin Mountain must have been pocketed by him.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming did not know that Sui Sect and Tian Ya Ridge had also been ambushed and annihilated.
Zuo Qiu Lanlan said, “Perhaps Sima Tan encountered danger.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Ming sneered, “If he sent us down the mountain, why didn’t he return to the camp with us? It’s obvious he wanted to keep the treasures for himself.”
…
Zuo Qiu Ting didn’t want to listen to their argument. He got up and walked out of the camp tent, gazing at the lush, towering Thirty-three Mile Mountain, the air fresh, and the energy of the law dense.
The rosy clouds and mist had receded to the mountain peak.
If the Five Seas Realm martial cultivators were still lingering in the mountain, they would have certainly self-combusted by now.
He walked towards the stone tablet at the mountain entrance.
There, figures, carriages, and exotic beasts gathered, numbering in the hundreds. In this immortal realm space, the discoverable areas had almost been depleted of dyeing cloud exotic medicine. Naturally, only the strange and majestic Thirty-three Mile Mountain could still yield it, so everyone had gathered here.
Who wouldn’t want to undergo metamorphosis into a Pure Immortal Body?
Who wouldn’t want to break through quickly, enter the ranks of the top younger generation, and then watch the winds and clouds rise?
As for the undiscoverable areas deep within the immortal realm space, old guys in the Dao Seed Realm had perished one after another. The latest news received was that a giant in the Longevity Realm had fallen there; it was terrifyingly dangerous, and many people were beginning to retreat.
Before the massive, wall-like stone tablet, the younger generation martial cultivators from various major powers were excitedly discussing and arguing, as if something major had happened.
The leaders of the younger generation from the Four Great Sects, Tian Ya Ridge, and Coffin Mountain all had grim expressions.
They had been waiting for Xue Qi, Chen Song, Di Ran, and others to return but they hadn’t. So, they dispatched martial cultivators in the Spring Gushing Realm to search the mountain, and the result was the transport of a large number of corpses.
The corpses were stripped of all treasures and money. Without a doubt, they had encountered human harm, not the anomalies within the mountain.
“Who exactly is it? If I find out, I will skin them and eat them.” Nie Di’s anger was boundless and he didn’t know how to vent it, so he could only utter such threats while secretly observing everyone present.
“The targeting is very strong. Why does it feel like the work of the Jiu Li Tribe?”
In Shi Shishi’s mind, the image of “Sima Tan” appeared, but he felt that with his cultivation, it wasn’t enough to accomplish something so significant.
Could it be that the legendary Jiu Li Hidden Sect had made a move?
“Law King Ten-Meal is amazing, pointing out the most crucial point in one sentence. This is a encirclement and annihilation targeting the Four Great Sects, and Tian Ya Ridge was also implicated.”
Chen Wenwu added, “A large amount of magic tools, dyeing cloud exotic medicine, and golden spring were stolen. It’s highly likely they will flow into the market next. As long as we investigate, we will surely find the source. This revenge, San Chen Palace will definitely have!”
Of the three Supreme Persons of the younger generation of San Chen Palace, two had consecutively perished, and the loss could not be considered insignificant.
Now, only Chen Wenwu remained as the sole descendant.
Zuo Qiu Ting silently observed the corpses laid on the ground, a smile growing wider on his face. He mused, “Well done, Li Weiyi. Your appetite is too big. How many treasures did you seize? You used my Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s Rune Robe to enter the mountain, made a fortune, and then fled with the treasure. Can you escape the temple if you escape the monk?”
…
“Hidden Lord is here?”
Li Weiyi surveyed the low-lying grasslands and hills before him. There were no obstructions, and in dozens of miles, there was no sign of human presence. Where could the trace of the Hidden Lord’s arrival be?
“Whoosh!”
On the small hill tens of meters high ahead, a rift suddenly appeared, and an invisible, shadowless curtain was lifted.
The imposing and tall figure of Yin Jun appeared, wearing a metal mask and black clothes with a wide robe. He exuded authority without anger and said from afar, “Weiyi, is your cooperation with the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse going well? Did you help them dig up Immortal Soil?”
Li Weiyi observed the curtain and discovered formation scripts. He quickly ascended the small hill and reported, “We’ve dug up nearly a jin of immortal soil, as well as a large amount of spirit soil. Zuo Qiu Bai Ming has already taken it down the mountain.”
“One jin is a bit less, but building a relationship with Zuo Qiu Gatehouse is the most important thing. You will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future. Speaking of which, it was I, Hidden Lord, who personally invited the Old Ancestor of Zuo Qiu Gatehouse to Li Zhou.” Hidden Lord said.
Yin Twenty-Four and Yin Twenty-Three followed them up the mountain, both with natural expressions, not daring to expose the truth that Li Weiyi had run away and lined his pockets.
Li Weiyi felt a slight unease in his heart and said, “Hidden Sects are not about hiding? Why not just let Cang Li, this successor, handle the cooperation? Oh right, Hidden Lord, go invite the Old Ancestor of Zuo Qiu Gatehouse. Wouldn’t the existence of the Hidden Sect be exposed?”
Hidden Lord, who never smiled in front of other Hidden People, laughed and said, “For a thousand years, as the two Transcendent powers in the Southern Territory, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse and Jiu Li Clan have been probing each other. Among them, the most intense probing has been by the Hidden Sect.”
“You don’t think Zuo Qiu Gatehouse has its own hidden sect? For ten million gatehouses, ten-million-year ancient clans, and ten million sects, the existence of hidden sects is an open secret.”
“The Jiu Li Clan’s Hidden Sect and the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s Hidden Sect compete with each other and secretly engage in magic battles. However, they also cooperate to deal with other forces in the Southern Territory that have the potential to grow into ten million gatehouses and sects.”
“These dirty jobs are done by the two hidden sects, and they won’t allow a third ten-million-person force to emerge in the Southern Territory.”
“In addition, we must gain the support of the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse. The Jiu Li tribe… especially the Hidden Sect, must demonstrate the strength expected of a Ten-Million-Year Ancient Clan and offer sufficient compensation.”
Li Weiyi detected something unusual, his expression solemn: “Has the situation become so dangerous that we must invite the help of the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse to overcome this crisis?”
The Hidden Lord’s gaze was deep. “The involvement of Tian Ya Ridge was unexpected. No one thought the Demon Race would dare to get involved in the struggle for power under heaven. Of course, even so, it’s not that Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s help is indispensable. It’s just that there are easier ways to solve the problem; why resist alone?”
“Weiyi, if you want to be a Hidden Person, you must understand one principle. As a leader, you cannot just consider how to fight the enemy to the death; you should also consider minimizing casualties on your side while achieving victory.”
“If Hidden Persons follow you, you must take good care of them.”
“In the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory, major powers clash and compete; barbarian thieves, gatehouses, influential clans, sects, demon races, gangs… strong practitioners are as numerous as clouds. To survive, we must seek allies as much as possible. We need allies, and the Zuo Qiu Gatehouse also needs them.”
Beside Hidden Lord, there were two other figures in black. They had been observing Li Weiyi.
“What are the names of these two?”
Li Weiyi’s gaze shifted to them.
One of the figures in black, with fair skin and a round, soft face, appeared to be in his twenties. He moved forward, not underestimating Li Weiyi due to his shallow cultivation, and cupped his fist, smiling, “Yin Shisan.”
“Yin Er.”
Another man was shorter, with a thin face, deep eyes, and a heavy presence, appearing to be in his thirties or forties.
Both wore high-grade magic tool night-walking clothes.
What is different is that a corner of a blue brocade official robe can be seen inside Yin Shisan’s magic tool night-walking clothes, indicating he has another extraordinary identity.
