Chapter 878
Willing to Die for the Dark Night
"Those who disobey...will be executed without mercy."
Li Tianque stared in disbelief: "Ancestor... this... isn't this just retreating into a turtle?!"
Li Wuji suddenly looked up.
His gaze was like a knife.
"Do you want to die even faster?"
Li Tianque immediately fell silent.
Li Wuji closed his eyes, his voice weary yet filled with murderous intent.
"Dark Night...you want to play, right?"
"I... will play along with you to the very end."
He suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes revealed a murderous intent.
"Give him another ten days."
"Ten days later, I will personally go to Hongyun City."
"Either... he kneels down and offers his head up."
"Or... I'll raze Hongyun City to the ground and tear him to pieces!"
The words fell.
The entire hall seemed to be shrouded in an invisible pressure.
Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Li Wuji turned around and walked towards the back hall.
His back was hunched, yet he exuded a resolute killing intent.
Li Tianque knelt on the ground, his hands digging into the cracks in the bluestone, his fingernails breaking and bleeding profusely.
He looked up at the dark night sky outside the palace.
The wind blew in from outside the door, carrying the fishy, cold smell of the Blackwater River.
In the distance, it sounded as if someone was chuckling softly.
The laughter was very soft.
Yet it clearly penetrated into everyone's ears.
It's like a mockery.
It's like a countdown.
"Ten days..."
Li Tianque gritted his teeth.
"Dark Night...you wait!"
The temporary council hall at the foot of the northern mountain of Hongyun City was pieced together from several old ancestral halls that hadn't collapsed. The roof leaked air, and charred marks remained on the beams and pillars. At night, when the wind blew, dust poured down from the gaps in the tiles, like a never-ending fine snowfall. Only two oil lamps were lit inside, their wicks crackling, the flames flickering in the wind, casting long, mottled shadows on the walls.
Zheng Yi sat in the grand chair at the head of the table. His right arm, which he could now move, remained resting on the armrest, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the wood grain. His hood was off, revealing his black hair, which was slightly disheveled by the wind. His face, though still pale, had lost the deathly gray of the previous days. His injuries had healed to about 85%. As his Heavenly Golden Core circulated, golden flames occasionally leaked from between his fingers, like fireflies flickering in the dark.
Guo Tianyou stood to his left, his armor still on, the bloodstains on his chest dried to a dark brown. He clutched a scroll of newly received secret reports, his voice low: "Sir, the Li family is in complete chaos. Li Xuance's body was washed downstream to a fishing village last night. The fishermen recognized him as the Li family's prodigy and were so frightened that they threw their boats away. Li Xuangang led his remaining troops back to report the news. It is said that Li Tianque vomited blood on the spot, and the patriarch Li Wuji was alarmed and came out of seclusion... They have now recalled all the disciples who were away, and even the spirit mines have stopped operating."
Guo Shouzhen sat at the lower end of the table, his beard unkempt, his eyes sunken, and his voice hoarse: "The good news is that they've retreated, the bad news is... Li Wuji has emerged from seclusion. That old fellow has been in seclusion for over three hundred years, and it's rumored that he's already halfway through the Tribulation. Now that he's been forced out, I'm afraid he'll really fight to the death."
The hall was so quiet that only the faint crackling of the burning oil lamp could be heard.
Shen Changyuan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his plain white Daoist robe billowing slightly in the night breeze. He didn't sit down, as if ready to turn and leave at any moment, yet he didn't leave. His gaze fell on Zheng Yi, carrying a hint of scrutiny: "You killed Li Xuance, destroyed one of their mid-grade spiritual veins, and left a note to provoke them... Now that the Li family patriarch has emerged from seclusion, what do you plan to do? Continue to hide in the city and wait for them to come knocking on your door?"
Zheng Yi paused, looking up at Shen Changyuan: "What do you think, senior?"
Shen Changyuan chuckled: "I only care about fighting, not scheming. If you want to fight, I'll fight you to the end. But if you want to scheme... then you'd better think it through. Once Li Wuji comes out of seclusion, how many times can he tear down Hongyun City's meager resources?"
Guo Tianyou couldn't help but interject, "But we can't just sit here and wait to die! The Li family has retreated now, this is our chance! How about... we gather our forces tonight and head straight for the upper reaches of the Blackwater River? Before they can settle down, let's kill Li Tianque first!"
Guo Xiong shook his head, his voice low: "Tianyou, what do you take the Li family for? Their ancestral land has a triple protective array that hasn't been broken in over two hundred years. Li Wuji is stationed inside. No matter how many people you bring, you'll just be feeding them."
"What should we do then?" Guo Tianyou asked anxiously. "We can't just wait for them to recover before they come back to fight, can we? Last time, we almost couldn't hold out against the three thousand allied troops. What if Li Wuji leads the army personally this time..."
Zheng Yi raised his hand to stop him from speaking.
The hall fell silent once more.
He spoke slowly, his voice low but each word clear: "The Li family is indeed powerful now. We killed a prodigy, destroyed a spiritual vein, and forced out our ancestor, but this is far from enough to severely damage their strength. Li Wuji came out of seclusion not for revenge, but to preserve the last vestiges of the Li family's resources. He will retreat, he will hold firm, and he will wait for us to reveal a weakness."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
Therefore, we cannot confront them head-on.
Guo Shouzhen frowned: "Not confronting them head-on... then what do you mean, sir?"
Zheng Yi lightly traced a line on the armrest with his finger, as if drawing a line on a sand table: "The Li family has enemies. Many."
The expressions of everyone in the hall shifted.
Guo Tianyou's eyes lit up: "That's right! Over the years, the Li family has relied on its strength to run rampant along the Blackwater River, offending countless people! The Zhao family was wiped out back then, with only Zhao Sanhuai escaping; the Wang family's business was forcibly seized by them, losing 30% of its shares; and the Qingyan Sect upstream had its spiritual veins intercepted by the Li family, almost leading to the sect's demise... These enemies are definitely all eyeing the Li family to bleed now!"
Shen Changyuan raised an eyebrow: "You mean... to win them over?"
Zheng Yi nodded: "It doesn't necessarily mean winning them over. It could be...using them."
He looked at Guo Tianyou: "Go through the intelligence we've gathered recently again. Which families and sects were oppressed by the Li family to the point of being wiped out and extinct? Who are still alive and still seething with hatred?"
Guo Tianyou immediately turned around, pulled out a thick stack of papers from his pocket, and spread them on the table. Under the oil lamp, the names and grudges cast long shadows, like twisted snakes.
"Zhao Sanhuai, ten years ago, the entire Zhao family was slaughtered, leaving only him. He is now hiding in a mass grave downstream of the Blackwater River, making a living as an assassin."
"Wang Chengye, the patriarch of the Wang family, was forced by Li Tianque to hand over the canal transport rights on the upper reaches of the Blackwater River three years ago. Now the Wang family only has a small manor left, barely surviving."
"The sect leader of Qingyan Sect, Shi Jingtao, committed suicide after his daughter was forcibly taken by Li Xuance. The sect's spiritual veins were cut off, and now the sect has less than a hundred people left, who rely on selling spiritual herbs to survive."
"besides……"
Guo Tianyou read them aloud one by one, his voice growing deeper and deeper.
After listening, Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment.
Then, he got up and walked to the old, worn-out octagonal table in the center of the hall.
On the table sat a sandalwood box, one of the items he had acquired from his "windfall" a few days ago. He opened the box, and inside lay a fist-sized piece of blood jade, entirely crimson, with faint traces of blood flowing within, trembling slightly as if it were alive.
“This is Blood Jade Marrow,” Zheng Yi said calmly. “It can help cultivators below the Tribulation Transcending Realm stabilize their Dao foundation, and for those at the peak of the Mahayana Realm, it is an extremely rare and precious treasure.”
He looked at everyone and said, "Li Wuji's emergence from seclusion means that what the Li family lacks most right now is time. They need time to heal their wounds, consolidate their position, and regroup their resources. And we... we must prevent them from having that time."
Guo Shouzhen's eyes lit up: "Sir, you mean... to use this to exchange for allies?"
Zheng Yi nodded: "It's not just about changing allies. It's about changing weapons."
He lightly touched the Blood Jade Marrow with his fingertip: "Zhao Sanhuai hates the Li family to the bone, but he is currently just a rogue cultivator and lacks strength. Wang Chengye is guarding his dilapidated family business and lacks the opportunity to turn things around. Shi Jingtao is guarding the last remaining incense of the Qingyan Sect and lacks the confidence to take revenge."
“Give them what they want, and we can use them as a weapon.”
Shen Changyuan suddenly spoke up: "But why should these people believe you?"
Zheng Yi turned to look at him: "Because I already stabbed them first."
The expressions of the people in the hall changed slightly.
Guo Tianyou asked in a low voice, "Sir, are you referring to... that note? The one that both the Lu and Li families received at the same time?"
Zheng Yi hummed in agreement: "They all know now that Dark Night is making moves. And they're making drastic moves. After receiving the news, Zhao Sanhuai, Wang Chengye, and the others must be thinking: If Dark Night can kill Li Xuance and destroy the Li family's spiritual veins, does that mean they really have the ability to avenge me?"
He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Fear and hope are often separated by only a thin veil. Now, I'm going to tear that veil down for them."
Shen Changyuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Interesting. Young man, you're playing pretty big games."
Zheng Yi didn't laugh; he just looked at the blood jade marrow on the table.
"I will personally go to the lower reaches of the Blackwater River first thing tomorrow morning. I will meet with Zhao Sanhuai first."
Guo Shouzhen frowned: "Sir, your injuries haven't fully healed yet... What if the Li family is lying in ambush..."
“The Li family is currently holed up in their ancestral homeland, not daring to make a move easily.” Zheng Yi’s voice was calm. “They are afraid of me, and they are also afraid of Senior Shen. They are even more afraid of… me killing a second or third one.”
Shen Changyuan interjected, "Then I'll go with you?"
Zheng Yi shook his head: "Senior, you're stationed in Hongyun City. In case Li Wuji gets desperate and tries to cause trouble, we'll need you here."
Shen Changyuan didn't insist further, simply saying, "Alright. Take Guo Tianyou and ten elite soldiers with you. Don't let them die out there."
Zheng Yi nodded. He reached out, put the blood jade marrow back into the box, and closed the lid.
A click, as soft as a sigh.
Outside the hall, the night wind grew stronger.
A breeze blew from the direction of the North Mountain, carrying the crisp scent of pine and cypress trees, mixed with the fishy chill of the distant Blackwater River.
The oil lamp was blown about and almost went out.
Guo Tianyou suddenly spoke up: "Sir... are we really going to have a life-or-death feud with the Li family?"
Zheng Yi looked out the window at the pitch-black night.
The wind lifted a strand of hair from his temple.
His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable chill:
"From the moment Li Xuance died, there was no turning back."
"Either...we die."
"Either...they're wiped out."
The oil lamps inside the hall were finally blown out by the wind.
Darkness instantly engulfed everything.
Only outside the window, in the far distance, a single star flickers in the night.
It looks like someone is lighting a cigarette.
It also sounds like someone is sharpening a knife.
The next morning, before dawn.
At the north gate of Hongyun City, the fog was so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Zheng Yi was dressed in a black robe with a sword at his waist, followed by Guo Tianyou and ten elite guards.
Everyone was wearing a gray cloak and their faces were covered with black cloths, revealing only their eyes.
Guo Tianyou led over a jet-black Nightwind Steed and said in a low voice, "Sir, the horse is ready. We'll take the small path downstream along the Blackwater River, and we'll reach the mass grave in three days."
Zheng Yi mounted his horse and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The horse's hooves tapped lightly on the bluestone slabs, producing a crisp sound.
He looked down at the two newly carved characters on the city gate – “Good Fortune”.
The handwriting still bears fresh chisel marks.
He said softly, "Let's go."
The cavalry started moving.
The sound of hooves gradually faded into the mist.
Behind them, the city gate slowly closed.
With a click, it was as if something was locked.
It's like... something has been opened.
Downstream of the Blackwater River, a mass grave.
The third day at dusk.
The last glimmer of orange on the horizon was swallowed up by dark clouds.
On the mass grave, new and old tombs are densely packed together, wild dogs bark in the distance, and the wind blows through the withered grass like countless people whispering.
In front of a half-collapsed dilapidated temple, Zhao Sanhuai squatted on the threshold, a dry blade of grass dangling from his mouth, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
He was as thin as a bamboo pole, with a scar on his right cheek that stretched from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth, making his smile look like he was crying.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted slightly.
A group of people slowly emerged from the mist.
The leader, a man in black robes, had a long sword at his waist that gleamed coldly in the dim light.
Zhao Sanhuai slowly stood up, his right hand resting on the short sword at his waist, his voice hoarse: "Dark Night?"
The person took off his hood.
Zheng Yi's face came into his view.
Pale, yet serene.
Zhao Sanhuai's Adam's apple bobbed: "You... you really came."
Zheng Yi dismounted and walked at a leisurely pace, stopping three zhang in front of him.
"Zhao Sanhuai".
"I'll keep what's written on the note."
He raised his hand.
The sandalwood box appeared out of thin air.
turn on.
The crimson light of the blood jade instantly illuminated Zhao Sanhuai's scarred face.
Zhao Sanhuai's pupils trembled violently.
He stared at the blood jade, his voice trembling: "This is... blood jade?"
Zheng Yi nodded: "It will help you solidify your foundation and even reach the late stage of Mahayana cultivation."
Zhao Sanhuai's breathing quickened: "What do you want me to do?"
Zheng Yi said softly, "Help me kill the Li family members."
"As long as the Li family exists, I'll give you the next one."
Zhao Sanhuai remained silent.
The wind blew across the mass grave, swirling up countless ashes of paper money between the two men.
for a long time.
Zhao Sanhuai suddenly laughed.
His laughter was both ferocious and liberating.
He knelt down on one knee and cupped his hands above his head.
"Zhao Sanhuai...is willing to die for the darkness."
Zheng Yi didn't let him get up.
They simply handed the box over.
"Take it first."
"Seven days later, bring everyone you can find and wait for me at Qingshi Ferry in the middle reaches of the Blackwater River."
Zhao Sanhuai took the box, his fingers trembling.
Zheng Yi turned around and remounted his horse.
The cavalry turned around.
Behind him, Zhao Sanhuai's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with sobs yet also with madness:
"Dark Night!"
Zheng Yi reined in the horse without looking back.
Zhao Sanhuai's voice was hoarse: "The Li family... I want the lives of 372 members of my Zhao family to pay for their crimes in blood!"
Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment.
Then, he whispered two words.
"it is good."
At Qingshi Ferry in the middle reaches of the Blackwater River, the fog is thicker than downstream, like a layer of white silk that never dissipates, draping the river's surface. The ferry crossing was originally an abandoned stone-stepped dock, the bluestone slabs blackened by water and covered with moss, slippery to the touch, and one could easily slip and fall into the river. The reeds on both banks are taller than a person, rustling in the wind like countless people whispering secrets.
Just past midnight, the sky was as black as if ink had been splashed on it, with only a single orange fishing light flickering forlornly in the middle of the river.
Zheng Yi stood on the highest bluestone at the ferry crossing, his black robe soaked with moisture, the dark red cloth strip on his sword scabbard fluttering slightly in the wind. He neither lit a torch nor spoke, but simply watched silently as his shadow gradually emerged from the mist. (End of Chapter)