Chapter 881
Other Plans?
The cave became quiet.
Only the wind leaking in through the cracks in the cave ceiling made a low, mournful sound.
Zheng Yi closed his eyes and continued to regulate his breathing.
The golden flames spun more slowly and steadily in his palm.
"Let them keep asking."
"They'll panic even more when they can't get help from anyone."
"Panics...that's when you make mistakes."
Zhao Sanhuai's eyes lit up: "Does the master intend to wait for them to make a mess of things on their own?"
Zheng Yi didn't open his eyes, his voice calm: "Chaos is inevitable. But we can't just wait. We need to give it a push."
Guo Tianyou immediately asked, "How do we push it?"
Zheng Yi opened his eyes and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the cave.
"Keep releasing information."
"So... Li Xuanhong isn't dead. He's just crippled."
"Let everyone in the Blackwater River region know that the Li family's upper echelons can't even protect their own family members now."
Zhao Sanhuai immediately stood up: "I'll take care of it right away! Let the news spread from the downstream fishing villages, and the more it spreads, the more bizarre it becomes!"
He turned to leave, then turned back: "Sir, when do you plan to make your move again?"
Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment.
"Let Li Tianque ask for help again."
"Wait until he begs until he's desperate."
"Then...we'll give him the final blow."
Zhao Sanhuai clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, then turned and crawled out of the cave.
The sound of footsteps echoed between the cliffs, growing ever more distant.
Only Zheng Yi and Guo Tianyou remained in the grotto.
Guo Tianyou looked at Zheng Yi, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke: "Sir... are you really not afraid that Li Wuji will suddenly come to kill us?"
Zheng Yi looked up at him.
His gaze was calm, yet carried a faint hint of coldness.
"afraid."
"But I'm afraid it won't be of any use."
"What I need to do now is to scare him."
"It frightened him so much that he dared not move easily."
Guo Tianyou's Adam's apple bobbed, and he remained silent.
Outside the cave, it was completely light.
As the morning mist gradually dissipated, a sliver of golden-red dawn appeared.
The morning glow reflected on the Blackwater River, resembling a slowly flowing ribbon of blood.
In the distance, from the direction of the Li family's ancestral home, the faint sound of bells could be heard.
a bit.
a bit.
a bit.
Dull.
long.
It sounded like announcing a death.
It's like... crying for help.
At the same time.
The ancestral home of the Li family, the secluded stone chamber behind the main hall.
Li Wuji sat cross-legged on a futon, his body enveloped in a faint mist of blood.
His face was pale, his eyes were sunken, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing faintly.
There was a low table in front of him, on which were three communication jade tablets, all of which were broken.
Li Tianque knelt at the entrance of the stone chamber, his head bowed low, his voice trembling: "Ancestor... the Han family refused, the Lu family refused, the Iron Sand Gang, the Black Wind Stronghold... they all refused. They said... they said the Li family is a hot potato now, whoever touches it will die..."
Li Wuji did not look up.
He just stared at the three broken jade tablets.
for a long time.
He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse like the wind blowing through a dry well:
"They were scared."
Li Tianque was taken aback: "Ancestor?"
Li Wuji slowly raised his head.
His eyes were bloodshot.
"They're not afraid of us."
What they fear is... the darkness.
"Dark Night hasn't even made a real move yet, but it has already silenced the entire Blackwater River region."
He paused, his voice even lower:
"And we... can't even get a single ally."
Li Tianque pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling with tears: "Ancestor...we were incompetent..."
Li Wuji closed his eyes.
The blood mist slowly receded around him.
"inability?"
"Do not."
"We...lost our morale."
He opened his eyes, his gaze passing through the stone chamber and landing in the far distance—Hongyun City.
"Pass down the order."
“All clansmen who are away from home shall return to the clan immediately.”
"Spirit mines have ceased operations, and caravans have stopped operating."
"All resources...are concentrated in the ancestral land."
Li Tianque looked up: "Ancestor, are you... going to hold out to the death?"
Li Wuji did not answer.
He simply stood up slowly.
The movements were extremely slow, like a stone statue about to weather away.
"Hold on to the death?"
"Do not."
"I'll wait."
"Wait for Dark Night to reveal its weakness on its own."
“Wait until he... dares to come to our ancestral land.”
Li Tianque's voice trembled: "But what if... he doesn't come?"
Li Wuji turned around, his back to Li Tianque.
The voice was extremely soft, yet it carried an undeniable killing intent:
"Then let him come."
“I, Li Wuji, personally invited him here.”
Inside the stone chamber, the blood mist rose again.
So thick it's almost impossible to separate.
Like a solidified mass of resentment.
Outside the cave, the morning breeze blows.
A fallen leaf is rolled up.
The fallen leaves swirled and drifted toward the Blackwater River.
It eventually landed on the river.
Drifting downstream.
It drifted towards Hongyun City.
Like a silent declaration of war.
It's like... a death warrant.
Inside the grotto.
Zheng Yi suddenly opened his eyes.
He looked out of the cave.
The morning glow had fully risen.
Golden-red light streamed into the cave entrance and shone on his face.
A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.
Extremely pale.
Extremely cold.
"They're here." Guo Tianyou was taken aback: "What, they're here?"
Zheng Yi stood up, his black robe fluttering even without wind.
"Li Wuji's killing intent."
"He finally...couldn't hold back anymore."
He walked toward the cave entrance.
His pace was neither hurried nor slow.
Yet every step he took was extremely firm.
It's like measuring... how far we are from our ancestral homeland.
Guo Tianyou hurriedly followed behind.
"Sir, where are you going?"
Zheng Yi did not turn around.
The voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable chill:
"go back."
"Tell everyone... prepare for the final battle."
"The Li family... is about to collapse."
At the foot of the northern mountain of Hongyun City, the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated from the cluster of cave dwellings. A thin layer of white gauze draped the bluestone steps in the mountain valley, each step covered with night dew, making them slippery and icy underfoot. The protective light curtain at the entrance of the cave dwellings shimmered slightly in the mist, like translucent films. Occasionally, spiritual energy would seep out from the gaps, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees, mixed with the fishy, damp smell drifting from the distant Blackwater River.
Zheng Yi walked at the front, the hem of his black robe damp with dew, darkening its color. He carried no sword, only a Sumeru bracelet hanging at his waist. His steps were slow, yet each one was extremely steady, as if he were measuring the length of the road, or as if he were measuring the time remaining.
Guo Tianyou and Zhao Sanhuai followed behind him, one on each side. Guo Tianyou hadn't removed his armor yet, and the bloodstains on his shoulders had dried to a dark brown. He clutched a newly drawn map in his hand and muttered to himself as he walked, "Sir, this road leads directly to the third level of the cave dwelling area. Those dwellings are all independent cultivators at the mid-stage of the Mahayana realm or above, as well as disciples from small and medium-sized families. We helped them guard their cave dwellings once before, so they owe us a favor."
Zhao Sanhuai walked on the right, a new scar on his face, running diagonally from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, still oozing blood. He grinned menacingly: "Favors? What's a favor worth? If it's really about fighting, it depends on spirit stones and the cave's time limit. Sir, what price are you planning to offer?"
Zheng Yi didn't turn around, his voice as calm as the morning mist itself: "The right to use the cave dwelling. Whoever helps us conquer the Li family's ancestral land will get an extra ten years."
Zhao Sanhuai's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace by half a beat: "Ten years! That's a hefty price! What those old guys fear most is being kicked out of their cave dwellings when their terms expire. Ten years is enough for them to go into seclusion two or three more times."
The three of them walked to the entrance of the third level of the cave area.
This area is much more spacious than the two levels below. The bluestone plaza is about half an acre in size and is surrounded by twelve cave dwellings. In front of each cave dwelling stands a jade tablet, on which is engraved the name of the cave master and the remaining time limit. In the center of the plaza is a dry well, its mouth covered with moss. When the wind blows, it makes a low whistling sound, as if someone is sighing at the bottom of the well.
Zheng Yi stopped and raised his hand, making a gesture in the air.
A faint golden light seeped from his fingertips, transforming into twelve thin lines that disappeared into the twelve jade tablets.
The jade tablet lit up simultaneously.
The protective light barrier around the cave fluctuated, like the surface of a lake being awakened.
The stone gate of the first cave was the first to open.
An elderly man with white hair and beard slowly walked out, wearing a gray-blue Taoist robe with a half-withered lotus flower embroidered on the cuff. His name was Master Ku Lian, a peak mid-stage Mahayana cultivator. Half a year ago, when he rented this cave dwelling, the Li family almost intercepted it, but Zheng Yi personally intervened and suppressed the Li family's envoy.
The moment Master Kulian saw Zheng Yi, his expression changed.
First came surprise, then vigilance, and finally a complex understanding.
"Mr. Dark Night." He cupped his hands, his voice hoarse. "I have just emerged from seclusion and heard that the Li family's ancestral land is completely surrounded. May I ask what brings you here today?"
Zheng Yi returned the greeting, his voice calm: "Senior Ku Lian, you are too kind. I am here today not to offer guidance, but to request assistance."
Master Kulian raised an eyebrow: "Requesting reinforcements?"
Zheng Yi didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "The Li family's ancestor, Li Wuji, has emerged from seclusion. He is now holed up in his ancestral land, with the mountain-protecting formation fully activated, the surrounding spirit mines destroyed, and the high-ranking members being crippled one after another. We have the remnants of the Zhao family, the elite troops of the Guo family in Hongyun City, and Senior Shen Changyuan in charge, but we still don't have enough troops to break through the Li family's ancestral land."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the cave entrances that were opening one after another in the square.
"Therefore, I would like to ask you seniors for your help."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door to the second cave opened.
The woman who emerged was a middle-aged woman, tall and slender, wearing a dark green long dress with a jade flute hanging from her waist. She was called Madam Bixiao, a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator, skilled in the art of sonic attacks. Three years ago, the Li family forcibly bought one of her private spiritual fields, thus forging a deadly feud with the Li family.
Madam Bixiao's gaze fell on Zheng Yi, her voice cold: "Mr. Dark Night, you killed Li Xuance, crippled Li Xuanhong, and burned down the Dry Vine Ferry. The Li family is now living in fear. You want our help... what's the reward?"
Zheng Yi raised his hand.
The Sumeru bracelet emitted a faint glow.
Twelve jade tablets appeared out of thin air, each engraved with a line of small characters: "The right to use the third level cave dwelling in the northern mountains of Hongyun City is extended for ten years."
The jade pendant floated in mid-air, emitting a faint spiritual light.
The square fell silent instantly.
Master Kulian stared at the jade tablets, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Ten years... The spiritual energy concentration in the third level of the cave in the North Mountain is more than twice that of the two levels below. Ten years... is enough for this old man to break through to the late stage of Mahayana again."
Lady Bixiao's eyes also flickered: "The ten-year time limit in the cave is enough for me to master the last three levels of the 'Nine Netherworld Flute Score'."
The third cave entrance opened.
A one-armed, burly man stepped forward, clad in patched iron armor, his single eye gleaming with a fierce light. His name was Iron-Armed Marquis, a peak mid-stage Mahayana cultivator. He had once been an outer disciple of the Li family, but because he refused to hand over the family's secret manual, the "Iron Bone Body Forging Technique," Li Tianque broke his arm, after which he wandered to Hongyun City.
Iron-Armed Marquis stared at the jade tablets, his voice like sandpaper scraping: "Dark Night, you're ruthless, kid. Ten years' worth of the cave dwelling... I'll take it!"
He strode forward and grabbed one of the jade pendants.
The jade pendant fell into his palm and instantly recognized him as its owner.
Other cave entrances in the square opened one after another.
One by one, the twelve cultivators stepped out.
There were white-haired sword cultivators, sinister-looking poison masters, reclusive alchemists carrying medicine baskets, and female cultivators holding ancient zithers...
Whether they were wary, greedy, or simply filled with hatred, their gazes ultimately fell upon the floating jade tablets.
Zheng Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears:
"Esteemed seniors."
"I don't need to elaborate on how many evil deeds the Li family has committed along the Blackwater River over the years."
"Today, I do not ask you to risk your lives, but only that you come with me to the ancestral home of the Li family."
"When breaking the formation, all of you only need to focus on restraining the cultivators on the periphery."
"Li Wuji, Senior Shen and I will deal with this ourselves."
"After the mission is accomplished, each person will have ten years to reside in their cave dwelling, plus one Heavenly Body Tempering Pill."
The last four words fell.
The breathing sounds in the square were noticeably heavier.
The Heavenly Body Tempering Pill—a legendary pill that can increase the physical strength of a Mahayana cultivator by 10%. Only three of these pills have appeared in the entire upper reaches of the Blackwater River in the past hundred years, and they were all divided up by the Li and Han families.
The withered lotus immortal was the first to speak: "This old man... is willing to go."
Madam Bixiao followed closely behind: "I'll go too. I'm going to get back what the Li family owes me with my own hands."
Iron-Armed Marquis laughed loudly: "I've wanted to chop that old dog Li Tianque up for a long time! Count me in!"
The twelve people acted almost without hesitation.
The last to emerge was an extremely thin, gray-robed old man named Ghost Shadow Elder, a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator skilled in escape techniques and assassination. He took the jade token and said in a low voice, "Mr. Dark Night, I only have one question—if Li Wuji were to truly become enraged, what would you use to block him?"
Zheng Yi looked at him, his gaze calm:
"Senior Shen Changyuan has already reached the half-step Tribulation Transcendence stage."
"And me too."
The old man was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, a sinister laugh: "Enough. I'm selling my life to you."
All twelve jade plaques have been claimed as owners.
A flash of inspiration appeared in the square and then vanished.
Zheng Yi turned around and looked at the mountain path below the cave complex.
The morning mist has completely dissipated.
The sunlight shone down, making the bluestone steps shine.
His voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly:
"Meet at the north gate of Hongyun City at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."
"Bring your best equipment."
"We...go to collect the debt."
The twelve cultivators clasped their fists in unison.
"As ordered."
The wind blew up from the mountain valley.
The fallen leaves on the square were swept up.
The fallen leaves swirled and drifted towards the north gate.
Like countless challenges.
It's like... countless death warrants.
That night, in the backyard of the Lord's Mansion in Hongyun City.
Zheng Yi stood under the ginkgo tree, moonlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on his face.
Shen Changyuan appeared behind him at some point, his white robe billowing slightly in the night wind, like a sword ready to be drawn at any moment.
"Twelve mid-stage Mahayana cultivators." Shen Changyuan's voice was tinged with amusement. "You've got quite the appetite, kid."
Zheng Yi turned around: "Not enough. But it's enough."
Shen Changyuan took two steps closer and looked up at the night sky.
There are no stars tonight, only a waning moon.
“Li Wuji is not Li Tianque. He has been in seclusion for over three hundred years, and his trump cards are definitely more than what we have seen.”
Zheng Yi hummed in agreement: "I know. That's why I don't plan to confront them head-on."
Shen Changyuan raised an eyebrow: "You have other plans?" (End of Chapter)