“Not even worth the dirt on the ground, and you dare to stand in the way?”
“Die!”
The vine demon elder took the lead in opening the path, trying to make up for his previous neglect. He suddenly raised his hand and struck out, his palm forming a dark purple imprint composed of withered vines, imbued with the Ultimate Meaning of the Grandmaster Martial Realm, pressing down with a suppressive force.
The void in his palm seemed to be torn asunder, and the many soldiers who had rushed over formed the Tiger’s Might and Flood Dragon Formation, erupting with the roar of tigers and the howl of dragons. A brilliant golden light surged out, colliding with the imprint!
With a loud bang, the storm of blades within the palm imprint tore the flood dragon-like golden light into shreds, pressing straight down overhead.
Merely a few thousand soldiers forming a military formation could not stop a Demon King, who flattened them into a bloody mess on the spot, turning them into a pool of blood!
The might of a Demon King, terrifying and unstoppable!
Li Tian Gang trembled all over, his eyes bloodshot, his breathing heavy.
On the battlefield, he had always been as calm as iron, commanding the whole army, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
A frenzied killing intent washed over his mind like waves, but he clenched the divine blade tightly, restraining his body. His other half, honed through prolonged combat, told him with sober rationality that they truly couldn’t hold the eastern front!
If they couldn’t hold it, they had no choice but to retreat and shrink the defensive line!
Shrinking the defensive line, then joining hands with his fifth brother from the Western Yan, Li Xuan Li, to guard the previously established secondary defense line.
At the same time, they could wait for reinforcements from the various families and the assembly of the Liangzhou gentry.
Don’t underestimate this power of the gentry. If it were just a small part of them, they wouldn’t amount to much before the Li Family’s iron cavalry. But if the entirety of the Liangzhou gentry, numbering hundreds of cities, were to unite, it would be an enormously terrifying force indeed!
This force was normally not fearsome only because they were like loose sand, but if united, they would be strong enough to shake a great army.
Thinking of the millions of people of Liangzhou behind him, Li Tian Gang gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage as he watched the ten approaching Demon Kings. Without a second word, he turned and fled!
Military law is as immovable as mountains; he too abided by it. Although his emotions drove him to rampage, his reason held him back, driving him to choose to retreat and flee!
Otherwise, if Liangzhou was left unguarded, it would fall even faster!
“Tiangang, farewell…”
Li Fu watched as Li Tian Gang turned and dashed away, a sense of relief in his heart as a contented smile appeared on his face.
In that moment, his address for Li Tian Gang was no longer that of a marshal in the army, but the affectionate nickname from their childhood days.
Li Tian Gang’s entire being shuddered, turning his head to look at Li Fu, his eyes brimming with tears, scorching hot.
He had witnessed the funerals of his brothers, seen the mutilated corpses of countless fellow soldiers in Northern Yan, and now, Li Fu, the orphan picked up by the Li Family and raised alongside him, was also about to leave.
“Tiangang, reconcile with your son, the young master… he is actually someone you can be proud of…”
Li Fu whispered softly.
“Shut up!”
Before he could finish, the vine demon elder already strode forward, his palm descending with a strike.
Li Fu’s divine soul burst out from his body, blazing brightly, howling as it charged forth.
But the descending demon’s palm, like a massive mountain, pressed down relentlessly, devoid of emotion and without impediment.
With a loud crash, Li Fu’s body was smashed into mush, his divine soul and flesh obliterated!
Li Tian Gang, who had already charged into the distance, had blood-red eyes, the whites stained with bloody threads, his teeth nearly shattering with the force of his clench.
But after only a glance, he turned his head and continued to run madly away, shouting orders loudly to those around him, “Fazi Camp, heed my command, resist the demon tide with all your might!”
“Yuan Camp, heed my command, follow me in retreat!!”
He chose to take the battalion name established by his ancestors and left behind the many soldiers of the Fazi Camp he had personally trained.
To stay behind meant to die, to be completely annihilated!
Among the demon tide led by the Demon Kings, there were no survivors!
Upon hearing Li Tian Gang’s orders, at that moment, the entire battlefield erupted with responses like a tidal wave.
The soldiers of the Fazi Camp, their gazes sharp as swords, revealed even more frenzied killing intent in their eyes, fearlessly charging toward the demon horde.
To those left behind to resist the demon tide and cover the retreat, there was no despair or rage, only the ironclad execution of military discipline.
Each man charged toward the demon tide as if resigned to death, igniting their divine souls and snapping their bodies’ major arteries, all to slay more demons!
Gunpowder rose in plumes, the whole frontier line trampled underfoot, as countless waves of the demon horde swept over like a deluge.
“Think you can escape?”
Ms. Yin had set her eyes on Li Tian Gang early on, not allowing him to slip away. In an instant, she moved like teleportation, covering hundreds of miles with each step, catching up with Li Tian Gang almost in the blink of an eye.
Li Tian Gang roared as he turned around and struck furiously with his blade, the divine sword blazing like fire as he slashed at Ms. Yin’s palm.
However, the green eye on Ms. Yin’s face suddenly widened, its strange demonic technique causing Li Tian Gang’s body to abruptly shudder, slowing his strike. With a thunderous impact, he was sent flying by a slap.
The slap landed directly on his armor, extinguishing all of the divine light on that precious armor.
Li Tian Gang rolled out, spewing a mouthful of fresh blood. His Indestructible Body reigned supreme in the Three Immortal Realms, but in front of this practitioner of the Ultimate Study Realm, it barely kept him from being killed in one strike.
“The way you killed my son, I will have you pay back a hundred, a thousandfold!”
Ms. Yin’s eyes were fierce and chilling as she struck continuously. Wave after wave of dark light seemed to tear through the sun and moon, dragging torrents of demon light, slamming into Li Tian Gang repeatedly.
Li Tian Gang howled as he wielded the Xing Tian Blade, managing to extinguish two beams of demon light before being struck again. His ribs fractured, the flesh of his palms bursting, his entire body as if trampled by a hundred thousand behemoths, his skeleton nearly shattered.
Ms. Yin sneered, she hadn’t even used her true power yet, let alone her peerless technique, simply crushing through the difference in their states of mind.
Li Tian Gang being able to challenge the Defying Fate Realm while in the Tao Heart Realm was indeed monstrous, but the gaps between each of the four steps of the Four Stands Realm were immense, each one even exceeding an entire major realm.
“The True Dragon of the Li Family, huh? Once I’ve killed you, I will refine your divine soul to become a child under my command, allowing you to watch with your own eye as your Li Family falls to ruin,” Ms. Yin sneered, reaching out with her hand, a chilling wind swirling in her palm intent on latching onto Li Tian Gang to utterly destroy his physical body.
Li Tian Gang’s eyes were bloodshot, ignoring the pain in his chest, he dashed off into the distance once more, performing the heaven-defying nine steps.
With each step, the aura around his body surged, attempting to counteract the suction force from behind.
He charged with the determination of an old ox pulling a cart.
After nine steps, his body shone with divine brilliance like lightning, like a god incarnate.
Ms. Yin’s gaze lifted slightly, her eyes icy cold. With a sudden twist of her palm, a torrent of Demonic Qi gathered, forming into a massive shadow of Great Yin Luminous that roared as it struck down at Li Tian Gang.
Li Tian Gang let out a furious roar, swinging the Xing Tian Blade, its blade’s light piercing the heavens.
That ferocious shadow, resembling a mix of python and dragon, tiger and lion, covered in imposing hair and scales, its eyes emitting Great Yin Divine Light that shattered the blade’s light, then it slammed down with a palm.
As Li Tian Gang was about to be destroyed under that demonic claw, suddenly, a blazing sword wind swept in, the shadow’s sharp claws vanished in an instant, severed.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Li Tian Gang’s figure appeared dozens of miles away.
Ms. Yin’s expression subtly changed as she looked towards Li Tian Gang’s side, where a figure wearing a conical bamboo hat and clad in gray tattered clothes had appeared, looking inconspicuous, like a Jianghu traveler.
But currently, that person held a sword in their hand, and that hand along with the sword shone brightly like the moon, captivating and preventing onlookers from averting their gaze.
It seemed that looking away would result in being cut or impaled by that sword!
Ms. Yin fixed her gaze, her emerald green pupils narrowing, then suddenly widening in anger.
“Are you the Great Desert Sword Saint?!”
Ms. Yin recognized the person’s identity, her face showing anger.
There were three Sword Saints in the world, one residing in the southern Jianghu, another in the northern Great Desert, unknown to all, and yet another even more mysterious, elusive as a dragon showing its head but not its tail, with no one knowing their whereabouts.
And this person before her, with that intense and dazzling Sword Intent, could only be the Great Desert Sword Saint.
The conical hat was lifted to reveal a gaunt cheek, his beard unkempt and appearing disheveled.
His eyes were indifferent, he quietly glanced at Ms. Yin and said, “Having hidden away in the Great Void Realm for a thousand years, must you also be drawn into this conflict?”
Ms. Yin’s gaze turned cold and fierce, “The tree wishes for calm, but the wind continues to blow. Since this turmoil has spread to us, blame your Dayu Divine Dynasty for being excessive, monopolizing these thousands of rivers and mountains, constantly expanding territories and occupying all the sacred sites of Spirit Mountain. It’s about time to yield some!”
“What you want is more than just ‘some’,” the Great Desert Sword Saint said blandly. “I just can’t understand why you would choose Liangzhou.”
“Could it be because, you do not know, that I hail from Liangzhou?”
Ms. Yin’s face subtly changed; the Great Desert Sword Saint was four or five hundred years old, his place of origin long since disregarded by most. Moreover, after he rose to prominence from Liangzhou, challenging the states in his youth, sweeping through all directions and earning the title of Sword Saint at the age of sixty, he vanished from the public eye, last seen dwelling in the Great Desert.
Hence, he was called the Great Desert Sword Saint.
With the Great Desert far from Liangzhou, separated by a myriad of mountains and rivers, no one expected him to return.
“With your status, why care about your origins? Are you determined to wade into these troubled waters?” Ms. Yin glared intently at him.
A faint smile curled on the corner of the Great Desert Sword Saint’s lips, “No matter how high one’s achievements, we grew up here, and I naturally need to protect my hometown. I advise you to retreat on your own accord. I have taken far too many lives and have grown weary of killing.”
“Then let’s see if you can protect this Li chap today!” Ms. Yin’s eyes suddenly turned icy, and she struck out without warning.
The Great Desert Sword Saint said to Li Tian Gang beside him, “General Li, you should leave first. I’ll hold them off here. Liangzhou still needs you.”
Li Tian Gang had recovered his senses, took a deep breath and said, “Thank you!”
Without further ado, he quickly turned and left without any hesitation.
“Stop him!” Ms. Yin bellowed furiously.
Behind her, the Demon Kings quickly gave chase, with two of the Dragon Gate Demon Kings tearing into the Li Family’s army, leaving the pursuit of Li Tian Gang to the Great Void Realm.
With a swish!
A line gouged into the ground before the Great Desert Sword Saint, as his sword light made a sudden twist.
“Let’s see who dares to cross this line.”
“Do not be arrogant!” Ms. Yin attacked abruptly, unleashing her peerless technique, and at the same time, revealing her true form as a gigantic lion-serpent-like shadow.
A silver crescent appeared on her forehead, a symbol of the Taiyin Youying Bloodline.
She unleashed her peerless technique, a black full moon condensed, aiming to take down the Great Desert Sword Saint.
A touch of solemnity flashed in the eyes of the Great Desert Sword Saint.
Boom!
A great battle erupted, with both sides engaging in fierce combat.
The other Demon Kings quickly crossed the line cut by the sword Qi and pursued Li Tian Gang.
The Great Desert Sword Saint’s eyes shimmered with a cold light, emitting a surge of sword Qi that forced back the first Demon King who stepped over, himself in the Peerless Technique Realm, now facing Ms. Yin and seven other Demon Kings with no fear, ready to stand alone and cover Li Tian Gang’s retreat.
Soon, a heaven-shaking great battle erupted here, with streaks of Sword Qi piercing the sky, and all kinds of strange lights and illusions from Demon Arts sweeping across, causing the heavens and the earth to shatter.
In the distance within the defense lines, each military camp formed Arrays, fighting the Demon hordes fearlessly and fiercely.
However, inside the Yuan Camp, they were fighting while tactically retreating, gradually congregating like a stream toward the position that Li Tian Gang signaled for gathering, under the cover of other military camps.
…
…
Liangzhou, Western Region.
On the frontier, dark clouds loomed overhead, indicating the signs of an approaching Demon horde.
From last night, scouts had reported intelligence that on the outer edge of the border, a thousand miles away, figures of Demons were amassing, which immediately tensed Li Xuan Li’s body.
He knew that the group of Demons that feigned retreat before were finally unable to sit still.
Thinking of the family letter sent by Li Hao, Li Xuan Li felt a trace of relief. He had trusted Li Hao’s words; he hadn’t slacked off and always had scouts checking beyond the Frontier Pass, which had indeed been correct.
At this moment, as the group of Demons moved from amassing to advancing, the entire city was within his intelligence surveillance; they had already made preparations for the upcoming battle.
“Have you informed the Eastern Region yet? It’s very likely they will also face a Demon invasion!”
“There’s no sighting of the Demon King among these Demons; it’s possible that the Demon King will go there!”
Li Xuan Li said to the deputy commander beside him.
“We have already reported it.”
The deputy commander immediately replied.
“What about Heavenly Gate Pass? Have you sent a message there, telling them to be careful?”
“Someone has been dispatched.”
Li Xuan Li nodded slightly, looked at his daughter Li Wushuang, who was dressed in a military helmet and armor, and sighed:
“I’ve already arranged a carriage and horses for you to leave this place, but you insist on causing trouble. If your mother knew, she would come back and twist my ears off!”
Upon hearing this, Li Wushuang’s initially solemn and tense face couldn’t help but reveal a slight smile.
Though she had left the Divine General Mansion from a young age, during this brief return, she had already noticed how deeply her parents loved each other.
As their child, she also felt happy.
“Mother would not; she knows about the great battle here. If you were to return, she’d be afraid you’d lose an ear,” Li Wushuang replied with a smile.
Li Xuan Li’s eyes flickered, and he nodded lightly: “Your mother must be extremely worried by now.”
Li Wushuang gave him a slight glare and said, “Dad, with the army upon us, can you please focus on the matter at hand?”
Li Xuan Li glanced at her and said: “The matter at hand is for you to leave quickly, not to drag us down here.”
“Members of the Li Family do not shrink from battle; don’t forget, I too bear the Li surname!”
Li Wushuang asserted.
However, as she said the last few words, her heart suddenly brought an inexplicable image to mind, causing a change in her expression.
Li Xuan Li’s gaze moved to the distance and muttered softly, “They’re here!”
Li Wushuang’s gaze turned resolute as she invoked her Divine Soul to look far into the distance.
She saw the vast horde of Demons approaching, their numbers about the same as their reconnaissance had indicated.
Li Xuan Li immediately instructed his deputy commander to prepare the war horns for battle.
Atop the city walls, numerous defensive siege weapons were ready, and the cannon towers were loaded.
Boom!
As the Demon horde entered the ambush Array laid out on the outskirts of the city, it instantly triggered the Array. Explosive power burst forth, disturbing the horde and tearing gaps through it.
Li Xuanli’s eyes were cold and unflinching, showing no change—it was merely the beginning of a great battle.
However, at that moment, three silhouettes suddenly burst forth from the demon tide, closing in with extreme speed.
With a loud thud, the three attacked in succession; their ferocious might reverberated against the border array, causing a violent impact.
The divine patterns of the array stirred, flashing rapidly.
Li Xuanli’s face changed drastically, and with him, the expressions of numerous other soldiers, Immortal Realm generals, all turned to shock.
“Demon King!”
“It’s the Demon King!”
Within the demon tide, there were unexpectedly three Demon Kings hidden; previously, they had only detected the dozen or so Great Demons leading the Three Immortal Realms—such a scale was already immensely vast, yet there were Demon Kings hidden within!
“Quick, Xuan Camp’s first division, defend the array!”
Li Xuanli urgently roared out.
Li Wushuang’s pupils constricted, her body trembling, her breath nearly halted.
It was actually a Demon King!
Watching those three Demon Kings in midair, continuously bombarding the array, each strike caused her heart to pound with trepidation, feeling like she couldn’t catch her breath.
“Master should come, but there’s only one of him…”
Li Wushuang’s face was taut, fixing her gaze on the imposing figure of the Demon King.
When she detected the gathering of demons a thousand miles away last night, she immediately sent a message to her sect, requesting the help of the Thousand Mechanisms Elder.
But it would take some time to arrive.
Even so, could they stop these three Demon Kings if they did arrive now?
Boom boom boom!
The array vibrated, as the three Demon Kings attacked with full force.
A flurry of arrows flew, but when they struck the Demon Kings, they were effortlessly deflected, casually blocked by their physical treasures, unable to inflict any harm whatsoever.
It was like bathing in rainwater, allowing the rain to wash over them for several hours without sustaining any injury.
Li Xuanli immediately commanded not to waste energy, directing the frontline archers to aim at the approaching demon tide instead.
He himself then drew his sword and, calling upon five Immortal Realm generals, soared into the sky.
“Dad!”
“Stay put!”
Li Xuanli shouted angrily, charging forward without looking back.
…
…
To the south, at Heavenly Gate Pass, Cangya City.
The city bustled with exceptional liveliness—peddlers and merchants hawked their wares everywhere, descendants of prestigious families roamed the streets, intending to visit the legend but were kept outside the courtyard.
On Dragon Pass Road outside of Cangya City, a figure was racing towards it.
It was Li Hao.
Lu Chunsheng had taken him to the Yongzhou frontier; from the southern borders, he raced all the way, activating Myriad Attributes, hiding his presence, and finally returned to Heavenly Gate Pass.
Today’s Dragon Pass Road, with its tea stalls along the way and the occasional passerby, was utterly different from the desolation when he first arrived.
Li Hao approached a tea stall, asking the owner for a cup of hot tea.
Then, smelling the aroma of steamed buns, he was somewhat surprised, bought two baskets, and began to eat.
“`
“Hmm?”
Li Hao was eating a baozi when he suddenly felt the taste was familiar, as if he had eaten it somewhere before.
He looked up and found the old vendor at the tea stall somewhat familiar, suddenly recalling that this was the tea stall owner he had encountered on his way to Qi State to slay demons.
“Is it you?”
Li Hao looked at the other person in surprise.
“Hmm?”
The old vendor at the tea stall looked at Li Hao with confusion.
Li Hao focused his gaze on the vendor, sensing his aura, only to find he was just an ordinary person.
“Boss, weren’t you setting up your stall in Qi State before?” Li Hao asked.
The old vendor looked at Li Hao in surprise and said, “You know this old man?”
“When I passed by before, I even learned how to make baozi from you,” Li Hao said.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, the old vendor seemed to recall as well and said suddenly:
“So it’s you, what are you doing here?”
“I should ask you the same, why are you here? Haven’t you been setting up your stall in Qi State for many years?”
“Isn’t it because some martial youths said business was good over here, they are all rushing this way, so I thought I might as well bring this old man and move over here.”
The old vendor laughed and said, “And sure enough, business is indeed much better here, look.”
As they were speaking, a few young men dressed in brocade clothes rode on horses from outside Dragon Pass Road, and seeing the tea stall, they dismounted from their horses.
“Old man, some tea!”
“That’s rude to call someone like that, you should call him boss.”
“Hey, you are too particular about these things, we are people of Jianghu now, calling him old man makes us look bold.”
“My dad said that when you are out and about, don’t mistake rudeness for boldness, or you’ll end up getting beaten up.”
“Wow, you even made it rhyme.”
The young men casually sat down to chat and laugh, glancing over at Li Hao, who seemed to be about their age, assuming he was just another guy who came to experience Cangya City.
“Here you go.”
The old vendor greeted them cheerfully, handed them a pot of hot tea, and said, “We also have some baozi snacks, would you like some?”
“Sure, a portion for each of us.”
“Alright.”
The old vendor replied with a smile.
He turned back to his stall to get busy, while speaking to Li Hao: “Young hero, are you here in Cangya City to join the fun?”
“I live here.”
Li Hao, sipping tea and eating baozi, asked, “From Qi State to here is a long journey, did you come by yourself? It’s quite a difficult road to travel.”
The young men at the next table were surprised to hear Li Hao and immediately looked over, with a rather forward youth speaking excitedly:
“Brother, you live here? Did you just buy a place or join the army?”
“Brother, have you seen Marshal Haotian?”
“The road is indeed long; if it’s hard to travel, just go slowly,” the old vendor said with a smile. “As long as you get to where you want to go, being slow is also scenery.”
Li Hao was interrupted by these youths and took another look at the tea stall owner. Although he felt something was odd, coincidences are common in this world, and perhaps it was just his own overthinking.
“Boss, I should get going.”
Li Hao finished his meal and got up to tell the owner.
He then turned to the young men and said with a smile, “This area can be quite dangerous, you might be better off going somewhere else to have fun.”
“How so…”
The youths, seeing his mature behavior and being of an age when blood runs hot, immediately felt challenged. They were about to argue when they saw Li Hao step into the air and disappear outside the tea stall.
Flight.
The mark of the Fifteen Li Realm!
The words at the tip of the young men’s tongues suddenly fell silent.
This fellow who seemed their age was actually of the Fifteen Li Realm!
But soon, they looked at each other with excitement.
They had heard that many were flocking to Cangya City, where countless talents wished to challenge the legendary youth. It seemed indeed to be true.
Talents could be found everywhere here!
“Brothers, let’s eat quickly, we’ll go too.”
The young men suddenly became swift in their actions.
“What a bunch of impatient lads…”
Seeing this, the old vendor shook his head with a smile.
…
…
Li Hao quietly returned to Cangya City and went back to the walled courtyard.
The patrolling Grandmasters who saw Li Hao immediately saluted, and Li Hao waved them to continue.
Ren Qianqian was practicing in the courtyard; hearing the noise, she opened her eyes to look, and upon seeing Li Hao, she immediately stopped and ran over.
“Young master, you’re back.”
“Yes, has there been any news lately?”
“There’s been nothing here,” Ren Qianqian replied, “but this morning, Elder Hongzhuang received a military report, I’m not sure of the details.”
Li Hao remembered the strict patrols at the city gate when he entered and his expression shifted subtly. He turned to Ren Qianqian and said:
“Find me some clean clothes. I’ll go ask.”
“Okay,” Ren Qianqian nodded.
Li Hao released his Divine Soul to explore the entire city and quickly located Li Hongzhuang’s presence.
His figure flickered, and he vanished from the courtyard, appearing at the residence of Marshal Li Hongzhuang.
Li Hongzhuang was concentrating on her sword practice when she suddenly sensed something, looked up, and upon seeing Li Hao appearing like a gust of wind, she relaxed and said:
“Hao Er, you’re back? From Tianji Tower here, even at the fastest, it would normally take six or seven days, right?”
“Yes, I’ve just returned.”
Li Hao sat down on a nearby chair, saw a plate of snacks, picked one up and tossed it into his mouth, and asked:
“I heard from Qianqian there’s a military report; I noticed the soldiers seemed to be on alert when I came back, is something happening?”
“The demons previously roaming around Liangzhou Territory are indeed feigning a retreat; now they are rallying at Liangzhou’s western border, preparing to attack,” Li Hongzhuang said, frowning as she mentioned the matter, “It’s intelligence from my fifth brother, spotted last night. A military report was delivered this morning at full gallop.”
“`
“These Demons, indeed harbor undying demonic hearts!”
Her eyes brimmed with murderous intent and rage.
Li Hao suddenly understood; he had made similar guesses about the situation beyond the pass earlier.
“How is the situation on the Western Frontier?”
“For now, it remains unknown.”
Li Hongzhuang shook her head, “My fifth brother only said that we should be on guard as well, as the Demons might invade at any time. He instructed us to keep a close watch and not to slacken.”
“That’s why today I had all the soldiers in the city on high alert and sent several teams of elite scouts beyond the pass. The earliest team to depart has already returned from eight hundred miles out without sighting any Demons.”
Li Hao hadn’t elaborated on his previous cleanup outside the pass to Li Hongzhuang; the area within five thousand miles had already been cleared by him.
Therefore, it was normal that nothing was discovered within eight hundred miles.
However, now that the Demons were amassing to attack Liangzhou’s Western Frontier, they might also regroup and head towards Heavenly Gate Pass, given that it is a critical chokepoint on the southern side of Liangzhou.
Just because it was clear before, doesn’t mean it remains so now.
Thus, Li Hao didn’t say much, waiting for the return of the scouts she had dispatched to know the exact situation.
Should those Demons dare to come, he would clear them out once again.
It just so happened that the Demons he had slain earlier provided the city with food for over a month, which they had already run out of.
An opportunity to replenish the food supply wouldn’t be bad; it would save him the expense of procurement.
Now that he had left the Li Family, he was self-reliant, and his finances were all self-earned, relying on the rewards he had previously obtained and selling Demon materials in exchange.
Previously, when he had no money, it had been Song Qiumo who had fronted the funds. He hadn’t yet had the chance to repay her the money or the favor.
“If the other scouts don’t find traces of Demons, it could mean that the Demons may have concentrated their forces to attack the Western Frontier,”
Li Hongzhuang said, “Then, we’ll scout the Western Frontier’s battle situation.”
“However, it is also possible that the Demons have split up and their main force has not yet moved towards our area. I will continue to send people to scout in the coming days.”
She would not underestimate or relax her vigilance; with the speed of the Demon army, traveling a thousand miles in a day was not surprising. With the Great Demons serving as the vanguard, in less than half a day, they could rush a thousand miles and attack a city in advance.
Li Hao nodded; indeed, this was a prudent approach.
“Inform me immediately if there’s any situation.”
Li Hao then prepared to rise and take his leave.
Li Hongzhuang cast a glance at him and asked, “You returned from Yongzhou after just five days. Didn’t you thoroughly browse through Tianji Tower, or was it that the head of Tianji Tower was unwilling to let you see more?”
“No, he let me look as I pleased.”
“Then why did you come back so soon?” Li Hongzhuang asked, surprised.
Because I finished… Li Hao smiled, waved his hand, and said, “I’ve been on the road too long; I haven’t taken a bath in several days. I’ll go change into fresh clothes first.”
“…” Li Hongzhuang was somewhat speechless. You couldn’t possibly have hurried back just to take a bath, could you?
Before she could continue to ask, Li Hao had already stepped out of the Divine General Mansion and disappeared from her sight.
“This guy…”
Li Hongzhuang couldn’t help but shake her head, amused. She wondered how someone as casual as Li Hao could have cultivated to such an extent, a stark contrast to the strictly disciplined offspring of the Divine General Mansion, yet ironically Li Hao surpassed everyone in talent.
Back in the small courtyard.
Li Hao quickly washed and changed into new clothes, sent a message to Feng, who was secretly stationed nearby, and suddenly remembered that his return had been too hurried. He hadn’t taken the time to stroll around Yongzhou to bring back some tasty local specialties.
However, his main concern was the possibility of a Demon invasion at Heavenly Gate Pass, as it was highly likely that the Demons of Tianji Temple would learn of his departure.
“To think they didn’t seize the opportunity to attack Heavenly Gate Pass, could it be that their main forces have moved to the Western Frontier?”
“They might feel that even if they conquered Heavenly Gate Pass while I’m gone, they’d have to retreat when I return, given the numerous flags here.”
Li Hao knew that the Demons outside the pass must have witnessed the power of his flags, especially those of Tianji Palace.
Seeing Cangya City’s walls bristling with flags and still daring to come would indeed show courage.
Shaking his head, Li Hao didn’t ponder further. Since the Demons were attacking the Western Frontier, it indicated they truly intended to strike Liangzhou, and he had to guard Heavenly Gate Pass well.
“The world is starting to descend into chaos…”
Li Hao felt it was time to exert himself; he sent Ren Qianqian to invite the young chess prodigy, Xu Zhouyuan.
When dealing with these masters of the arts, Li Hao was exceedingly polite.
Embracing Li Hao’s attitude, Ren Qianqian approached the inn where the young chess master resided with much courtesy, conveying Li Hao’s invitation.
Xu Zhouyuan, now well into his seventies with snow-white hair, possessed mediocre Martial Arts talent and had not cultivated. He relied instead on the wealth accumulated through his reputation to buy some health-maintaining elixirs.
But being a mortal with a frail constitution, he could not handle too strong a medicine, so the elixirs he took simply allowed him a slightly longer lifespan than an average mortal elder and a slightly more robust physical condition.
When his attendant saw Ren Qianqian, he was flustered with honor and hastily invited her in.
Xu Zhouyuan, hearing that the young master was in the mood again, also smiled. Recalling the previous close and indecisive matches, he too felt an itch for the game and promptly accepted the invitation.
Ren Qianqian presented Xu Zhouyuan with ten taels of Gold, handing it to the young chess master.
Xu Zhouyuan hurriedly tried to decline, but Ren Qianqian insisted it was the young master’s rule.
He could only accept.
…He had previously taken more than ten bags like this.
One could hardly turn down such generosity…
With a beaming face, Xu Zhouyuan followed Ren Qianqian into the carriage, bound for the bamboo-fenced courtyard.
The scions of noble families who recognized Ren Qianqian immediately exclaimed in surprise, seeing her invite Xu Zhouyuan with such a humble and respectful demeanor. They assumed the old man must be a senior from the Four Stands Realm.
