Chapter 182: Crushing with Righteousness
Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Crushing with Righteousness
Inside the grand hall.
Every cultivator whose name Meng Qingyi had called wore a grim expression.
This was especially true for Xiong Pohai. In terms of cultivation, he was the strongest among Fenglan Master’s disciples since the death of Dai Sangyu.
He had assumed that after seizing power, Meng Qingyi would need to rely on him to stabilize the Immortal City.
But to his surprise, while Meng Qingyi might look sweet and charming, her methods were far more cunning and ruthless than those of either Fenglan Master or Dai Sangyu.
Meng Qingyi was issuing the order as the Sect Leader. Furthermore, since the mission was to answer the Daoist Guardian Alliance’s call to support the Yan Kingdom against an Alien Race, she held the undeniable moral high ground.
He couldn’t think of any suitable reason to refuse.
And if he actually went...
The war between the Yan Kingdom and the Tuluo People was massive. A considerable number of Core Formation Cultivators would be involved, and a single misstep could easily lead to the death of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator on the battlefield.
Even if he was lucky enough to survive, by the time the war ended, decades would have passed. When he returned to the Immortal City, Meng Qingyi would have consolidated her power so completely that there would be no place left for him.
He would be forced to keep his head down and accept a minor role, becoming completely marginalized within the Immortal City.
Furthermore, upon careful consideration, Xiong Pohai realized that every name Meng Qingyi had read belonged to someone who was either deeply connected to Dai Sangyu or had been close to her.
’This isn’t about supporting the Yan Kingdom,’ he thought. ’It’s a purge. Meng Qingyi is just using this as a pretext.’
At this thought, Xiong Pohai’s expression soured.
If he were only up against the Meng family, he might have dared to challenge Meng Qingyi’s proposal.
But the Meng family wasn’t alone in its control of the Immortal City. They had also brought in Huang Yunzi, a Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator, to back them up.
If he resisted and refused to go to the front lines in the Yan Kingdom, Huang Yunzi might just kill him with a single palm strike and brand him a ’Demon Cultivator collaborator’.
He didn’t dare risk it.
What about pretending to agree, only to flee the moment he left the Immortal City?
That would be playing right into their hands. If he fled, they could immediately brand him with the ’crime of betraying the Sect,’ issue a warrant for his arrest across the entire Western Wilderness, and order him to be killed on sight.
He had often used such tactics himself back in his days with mortal gangs, eliminating many of his rivals.
Only now that Meng Qingyi was using the same method on him did he realize just how vile it was.
’I shouldn’t have assumed the situation was settled just because Senior Sister Dai reached Core Formation,’ Xiong Pohai lamented internally. ’I never should have alienated the Meng family.’
"Senior Brother Xiong, do you have any objections?" Meng Qingyi asked, her gaze fixed sternly on Xiong Pohai.
A smile spread across Xiong Pohai’s face. "The Sect Leader’s arrangements are most appropriate. However, the battlefield is fraught with danger. I hope the Sect Leader will open the Immortal City’s treasury and allow every cultivator participating in this war to choose ten Treasures. This way, we will surely be better equipped to fight off the Tuluo People."
Demanding benefits was Xiong Pohai’s counter-tactic.
Meng Qingyi was using the weight of the situation to pressure him—an overt scheme he couldn’t refute. So, he figured he might as well demand more benefits.
Hearing this, Meng Qingyi nodded. "What you say makes sense, Senior Brother Xiong. However, the Immortal City’s treasury doesn’t have enough Treasures for everyone to choose so many. Each person may select... five."
...
In addition to dispatching Foundation Establishment Cultivators like Xiong Pohai and Xu Guikai, the Cyan Dragon Mountain faction was also heavily recruiting Loose Cultivators within the Immortal City for this mission to the Yan Kingdom to fight the Alien Race.
The rewards offered to attract these Loose Cultivators were exceptionally generous.
Two hundred Spirit Stones for Late-stage Qi Refining, one hundred for Middle-stage Qi Refining, and fifty for Early-stage Qi Refining—all claimable simply for signing up.
On top of the rewards from the Immortal City, rumors spread that the Yan Kingdom’s Celestial Travel Sect was staking its very foundation to reward meritorious service.
Anyone who accumulated enough merit could exchange it directly for a Foundation Establishment Pill!
Such a reward tempted many Loose Cultivators, including Ji Shu Xuan, who had already reached Late-stage Qi Refining.
Early one morning, he went to Immortal Peach Mountain to see Li Ping.
"Uncle Li," Ji Shu Xuan said respectfully as soon as they met. "I’ve decided to answer the Immortal City’s call. I’m going to the Yan Kingdom to fight for my future!"
Ji Shu Xuan possessed Four Spirit Roots, meaning his natural aptitude wasn’t particularly good. However, under Li Ping’s guidance, his cultivation had progressed at a decent pace.
Now forty-four years old, he had already reached the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level and was ready to attempt a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
But Foundation Establishment Pills were incredibly difficult to acquire. Given his background and strength, he had almost no hope of obtaining one.
The Ji family had already cashed in their favors with Li Ping for Ji Shuwen’s Foundation Establishment and for their family’s Spiritual Land, so Li Ping wasn’t going to generously fund his breakthrough as well.
He watched as Yan Hengchuan successfully reached Foundation Establishment while he himself remained stuck at the Qi Refining Ninth Level.
Just then, he heard about the chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill in the Yan Kingdom.
Ji Shu Xuan couldn’t sit still any longer.
He decided to take the gamble.
That way, even if he failed, he wouldn’t have to live with regret in his old age!
"You’ve decided?" Li Ping asked, his gaze calm as he looked at him.
Ji Shu Xuan nodded firmly. "Uncle Li, I’ve made up my mind. I came today to say goodbye."
Li Ping nodded. He understood Ji Shu Xuan’s reasoning perfectly.
After all, what Low-tier Cultivator in this world didn’t dream of reaching Foundation Establishment?
Forget the boost in power and status; the promise of a doubled lifespan alone was enough to drive any Qi Refining Cultivator to desperation.
However, the battlefield between the cultivators of the Western Wilderness and the Tuluo People was likely even more dangerous than the beast tides of the past.
Li Ping remembered his sixth brother, Teng Feng, had died during one of those beast tides.
"Since you’ve decided to take this chance, I won’t stop you," Li Ping said with a sigh. "I had actually set aside some Spirit Stones to help you build a life for yourself in the Immortal City. But since you’re determined to fight for this opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll use them to get you some resources instead. It should give you a better chance of survival."
With that, Li Ping thought for a moment before retrieving several items from his Storage Bag: ten Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans, five Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans, and a few vials of Pills designed to rapidly restore Magical Power.
He then guided the items to float in front of Ji Shu Xuan. "Shu Xuan, take these Spirit Talismans and Pills."
He also explained the grade and function of each Pill and Talisman.
Ji Shu Xuan quickly accepted. "Uncle Li, thank you for giving me these Treasures!"
...
Not long after Ji Shu Xuan left, Zhang Tie paid a visit.
From him, Li Ping learned that Meng Qingyi had indeed appointed Xiong Pohai to lead the expedition to the Yan Kingdom, and that Xu Guikai, Lin Yue, and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Dai Sangyu’s faction were all on the list.
Hearing this, Li Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that something bad would happen to Xu Guikai.
Now that Xu Guikai was being sent to the Yan Kingdom as reinforcements, he was at least temporarily safe, though the assignment itself was far from secure.
This did, however, derail his original plan to take Xu Guikai to the Sword Casting Manor in the Jiang Kingdom. He had hoped to visit his master’s old residence there to verify Xu Guikai’s identity, but that was no longer possible.
Still, judging from Xu Guikai’s reaction upon seeing him, he felt the probability that he was his master’s reincarnation was quite high.
SIGH!
After seeing Zhang Tie off, Li Ping sighed. He decided to find an opportunity to meet with Xu Guikai before he left the Immortal City for the Yan Kingdom.
...
Although Xiong Pohai, Xu Guikai, and the others were being sent to the war in the Yan Kingdom as a form of retaliation, they hadn’t lost their personal freedom and could still move about the Immortal City as they pleased.
Of course, even so, none of them entertained the thought of secretly escaping.
After all, as long as they didn’t flee, they were still members of the same Sect. The Meng family’s actions would be constrained by sect rules and public opinion.
But the moment they fled, they would be branded as undeniable ’Demon Cultivator spies’ and could be killed without consequence.
After sending a message through Zhang Tie, Li Ping met Xu Guikai in a private room at a tavern in the marketplace.
"Fellow Daoist Li." As soon as Xu Guikai entered the room, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I’m a ’disciple of a Demon Cultivator’ now. Aren’t you afraid of inviting trouble by meeting with me?"
Clearly, he was not as resigned to Dai Sangyu’s fate as he appeared on the surface; he still held a grudge.
He wasn’t sure why, but despite having met Li Ping only a few times, he felt an extraordinary sense of trust toward him and found himself speaking his mind without realizing it.
Li Ping gestured for him to sit, then cast a Sound Insulation Shield to envelop them both, ensuring no one could overhear.
Then, he shook his head. "I don’t care whether you’re the disciple of a Demon Cultivator or not. What I care about is that you, Fellow Daoist Xu, bear a strong resemblance to an old acquaintance of mine."
"An old acquaintance?" Xu Guikai shook his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "To be honest, I also feel a strange sense of familiarity with you, Fellow Daoist Li. But I’m certain we’ve never met before."
Li Ping spoke calmly, "Fellow Daoist Xu, do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Reincarnation?" Xu Guikai was taken aback, clearly not expecting Li Ping to bring this up.
After a moment, he let out a breath. "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?"
"Nothing. It was just a casual remark," Li Ping said slowly, shaking his head. He knew Xu Guikai must have his own suspicions by now.
While Xu Guikai was still processing this, Li Ping had already changed the subject. "By the way, what are your plans for this trip to the Yan Kingdom, Fellow Daoist?"
"What plans?" Xu Guikai sighed. "I can only take it one step at a time. If I’m careful, maybe I can survive."
Li Ping shook his head. "Fighting the Alien Race in the Yan Kingdom is dangerous enough as it is. Your group has no Core Formation elder to protect you. Mixed in with the cultivators from Purple Cloud Valley, you’ll likely be used as cannon fodder."
Xu Guikai fell silent. He knew what Li Ping said was more than likely true.
After a long moment, he asked in a low voice, "Then what do you suggest, Fellow Daoist?"
Li Ping nodded and slowly explained, "The Academy Palace is controlled by Confucian Cultivators. Most of them are honorable and act with the integrity of ancient scholars. I heard that the last conflict between the Immortal City and Purple Cloud Valley was resolved only through the intervention of Alliance Leader Xiao. You could seek refuge at the Academy. You might have a chance to make a comeback one day."
’Go to the Academy?’ Xu Guikai mused. It was certainly an option.
However, the Academy was facing an offensive from the four sects of the Demon Dao. The situation there wouldn’t be much better than in the Yan Kingdom, and his safety would be far from guaranteed.
"I made these Spirit Talismans myself. Please, take them. I hope they will help you survive this ordeal." As he spoke, Li Ping took twenty Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans from his Storage Bag and placed them on the table.
Xu Guikai was stunned. "This...?"
While he was still staring in astonishment, Li Ping hesitated for a moment before taking out five Tier Two Upper Grade Spirit Talismans as well. "I happened to acquire these five Tier Two Upper Grade Spirit Talismans at a trade fair. Please, take them with you too."