The sounds of argument from the front courtyard came intermittently, chaotic and disorderly. The young prodigies and proud daughters of the younger generation hadn’t left yet, all gathering around as if watching a spectacle, just as Li Songlin had said—it had turned into a family scandal.
However, the news that Li Songlin had obtained a rare medicinal herb imbued with immortal aura had also spread rapidly throughout Demon Pass City. ... That rare herb—Li Weiyi admitted to himself that he wanted it, but it wasn’t something he absolutely had to have.
Whether or not he had the help of that herb, he was determined to give everything he had to break through to the Nine Springs Ancestral Field.
The reason he had followed Li Songlin to the Jujube Plum Manor was twofold: first, he cherished the care and affection shown by this leader of the Cang Li Tribe, and second, his identity had already been exposed in Demon Pass City. He truly needed the strength and influence of the Cang Li Tribe to make a clean escape.
Therefore, the sounds of argument coming from the front courtyard over that rare herb didn’t bother him too much. Led by an old servant, Li Weiyi arrived at a room that had been specially cleaned and prepared for him. It was tidy and well-kept.
After thanking the old servant, he closed the door.
"Fourth Uncle was right. Although the Cang Li Tribe is large and powerful, it’s also full of internal strife. Everyone is fighting for their own interests, each trying to grab whatever benefits they can."
Li Weiyi lit a bone lamp on the sandalwood table and smiled. In the end, he felt that he wasn’t suited to stay in this bustling Jujube Plum Manor, nor did he want to get caught up in the power struggles of the Li family. That would only exhaust him both physically and mentally—how could he focus on his cultivation?
What he sought was the path to immortality. His gaze fell on the writing tools on the table, and he sat down. Even if he were to leave, he couldn’t just disappear without a word—that would be too rude.
"Fourth Uncle, Weiyi is leaving Demon Pass City. I need to find my own path. As for that rare herb, consider it as if I’ve already accepted it. I’ll remember this kindness for the rest of my life..." ...
After finishing the farewell letter, he folded it and pressed it down with a seal. It was still early, and the sky had just begun to darken. The streets were crowded and full of prying eyes.
He would have to wait a little longer. Li Weiyi took out seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors from the Buddha’s relic and placed them one by one into an insect container. He then cut off a pound of Cistanche to feed them.
As he did so, he pondered his future path. Besides heading to the Hidden Sect, he also needed to quickly sell off some magical artifacts and the otherworldly coffin to purchase high-grade medicinal treasures. If these seven little ones could grow to the level of the Five Seas Realm, he alone could sweep through the Longlin Gang.
"First, I’ll sell Murong Xiao’s giant bow artifact! The Three-Headed Snake Bracelet requires a blood sacrifice using my own blood—it’s too evil and harmful to the body, so I can sell that too. But according to the analysis of the spirit tablet elder, this is a high-grade artifact worth over a hundred million... I’ll have to be careful when selling it."
"Although there are many experts in Demon Pass City, the older generation wouldn’t lower themselves to take action. With the Cang Li Tribe in the city, most of the younger generation’s Five Seas Realm experts wouldn’t dare act recklessly either."
After calculating, Li Weiyi realized that he was actually extremely safe in Demon Pass City. Only those at the Spring Surge Realm could act without angering the Cang Li Tribe. The sounds of argument gradually reached the backyard.
A middle-aged woman’s sharp voice rang out: "Old Fourth, are you really determined to give the chance to break through to the Nine Springs to an outsider? Changfeng is your own nephew, and he’s also opened eight springs. Why can’t it be him?"
"Changfeng can’t open the Nine Springs. He has no hope at all," Li Songlin’s voice replied bluntly.
"And that outsider can? I heard he’s just a mortal, and already twenty years old. Even if you don’t give it to Changfeng, why not leave the herb for the pure immortal body within our tribe?"
Another voice, deep and aged, chimed in. Li Songlin’s voice remained calm but firm: "Elder Brother! The herb I picked, and who I give it to, is my decision to make.
No one else gets a say." ... After finally sending the two away, the Jujube Plum Manor was visited by over a dozen more groups of people seeking the herb, all elders from various branches of the Nine Li Tribe, hoping to secure it for their exceptionally talented descendants.
After a full hour of dealing with this exhausting situation, Li Songlin’s expression grew colder and more somber. He turned to Li Ling: "Fourth Girl, go call Weiyi over. Have him take the herb now, so everyone can stop staring at it."
Originally, he had planned to let Li Weiyi stabilize at the Eight Springs Realm for a few months before taking the herb to attempt a breakthrough to the Ancestral Field. But given the current situation, keeping the herb any longer would not only drive him mad with annoyance but also put immense psychological pressure on Li Weiyi.
A moment later, Li Ling returned at lightning speed, her legs trailing blue mist. She held a letter in her hand, her expression urgent and worried: "It’s bad... Fourth Uncle, he’s gone.
He left only this letter. I’ll go after him!" After handing the letter to Li Songlin, she rushed toward the door.
"Come back!"
From his seat at the head of the room, Li Songgu raised his right index finger, and a long strand of spiritual light shot out, binding Li Ling, who had already rushed out of the hall. Then he stood up and spoke earnestly: "That kid left without a sound, and even I didn’t notice.
His ability to hide and escape is no small matter. Do you think you can find him?" Li Ling’s body was wrapped seven times by the spiritual light, and she couldn’t break free.
She wanted to tell her father that she could find him, but the "Observing Mist in the Zen Sea" within her was her greatest secret. It was this unparalleled opportunity that had allowed her to break through and become a Great Sense Master at an astonishing speed.
Her fate was now tied to the "Observing Mist in the Zen Sea"—they rose and fell together. This secret, which could shake the entire Lingxiao Realm, naturally couldn’t be revealed to anyone. As for her closeness to Li Weiyi, it had initially been a task assigned by the "Observing Mist in the Zen Sea."
But after spending time with him, she genuinely felt that Li Weiyi was a good person—someone with principles, a sense of morality, and a touch of sentimentality. At the very least, he was a friend worth having. She was truly worried that something might happen to Li Weiyi if he left alone.
So, with a pleading look, she turned to Cang Li and Li Songlin. Cang Li walked straight out the door and declared: "Spread the word to all Five Seas Realm martial practitioners in the city—Li Weiyi’s life is under my protection!
Whether it’s assassins, martial practitioners from the Yang Clan, or the Sui Sect, anyone who doesn’t heed these words will die by my hand. I swear it!" Those above the Dao Seed Realm were beyond his control.
Those below the Five Seas Realm, he didn’t care to deal with. After reading the letter, Li Songlin sighed deeply, then turned to Li Songgu: "He asked me to take care of the juniors cultivating in the clan school. He said that even without the rare herb, he could still open the Ancestral Field and told me not to worry.
Second Brother, can you see the character of this child now?"
"I’ll send people to look for him myself. This is all Elder Brother’s doing," Li Songgu said. ...
Li Weiyi had used the Ghost Flag to leave the Jujube Plum Manor without a sound. Of course, the main reason Li Songgu and Li Songlin, two experts who had gone far in both martial arts and the path of the Sense Master, hadn’t noticed was that they were too busy dealing with the herb seekers.
Their attention simply hadn’t been on him. It was already late at night, and the streets of Demon Pass City were growing quieter. Li Weiyi moved swiftly through the shadows of the buildings, planning to leave the city overnight and head straight for the Nine Li Hidden Sect.
Among the Nine Li Tribe, even the leaders of the nine great branches didn’t know the exact location of the Hidden Sect. They were only responsible for selecting one or several exceptionally talented youths each year and sending them to a specific location at a specific time.
But as the former leader of the Nine Li Tribe, Coffin Master naturally knew where the Hidden Sect was located. Li Weiyi moved quickly, like a shadow in the night. Ahead, the lights had all gone out, and the streets were empty.
He had reached the edge of Demon Pass City, and beyond lay the wild, untamed Mang Mountain Range. Suddenly, he stopped and looked back, feeling as though he had been followed all along.
"What’s going on? Am I just being paranoid?"
Just as he turned around, he saw a chubby teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old, standing three steps away, grinning at him. The boy was fair-skinned and plump, with thick black eyebrows and a height of about five feet. A long braid, tied with colorful strings, hung from his head.
He wore straw sandals and wide-legged pants, leaving most of his calves exposed. It was the same boy he had met at the noodle stall earlier that day. In the brief moment it took Li Weiyi to turn around, the boy had appeared out of thin air.
This wasn’t just terrifying speed—his ability to conceal his presence was even more alarming. Li Weiyi realized that he had encountered an extraordinary expert tonight.
"Brother Tianshu, what a coincidence! Where are you headed? Can I come along?" the chubby boy asked with a smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
Li Weiyi asked, "How did you find me? Did you do something to me at the noodle stall earlier?"
"It’s the aura! A strand of my spiritual aura accidentally attached itself to you earlier."
The boy spread out his small, chubby hand, and a nearly invisible strand of colorless energy flew out from Li Weiyi’s sleeve, returning to his palm. While Li Weiyi was inwardly shocked, he also knew that this visitor meant no good. His hand slowly reached for the Yellow Dragon Sword on his back.
"Are you looking for this sword?"
The boy’s other hand, which had been behind his back, produced the Yellow Dragon Sword. He channeled his spiritual energy into it, but the sword showed no reaction. His thick black eyebrows furrowed: "Strange, why can’t I activate it?"
Li Weiyi forced a bitter smile, realizing the vast gap in cultivation between them. If the other party could do all this without a sound, he could just as easily take Li Weiyi’s life without a trace.
"Tell me, who are you really?"
Li Weiyi asked.
"I already told you earlier—my name is Ten Eats."
The boy tossed the Yellow Dragon Sword back to Li Weiyi: "Come with me! We’re on good terms, and you even treated me to noodles earlier. There’s no need to fight, right?"
He turned and began walking toward the darkness of the Mang Mountain Range, his small, chubby hands clasped behind his back. But the darkness ahead seemed like the gaping maw of a demon, ready to crush anyone who entered.
Li Weiyi took the Yellow Dragon Sword and silently considered the possibility of summoning the giant camel to escape or using the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish to pull the boy into the Blood Mud Space. But the boy’s speed was too fast, and activating the artifacts would take time.
If he failed, and these two treasures were exposed, he would truly have no way out today.
"You’re not here to kill me?"
Li Weiyi asked.
"Why would I kill you? We have no grudges. Would I do it for the meager bounty from the Five Burial Temple? That’s beneath me. People would laugh if they found out."
The boy turned back to look at Li Weiyi, who was still standing in place: "Don’t be so nervous. I’m here with good news. Look at me—do I look like a bad guy?"
Li Weiyi said, "Why don’t you tell me what this good news is first?" The boy sighed: "Originally, it was my Ninth Brother who wanted to find you. You should know him—he said you met in Burial Immortal Town."
Li Weiyi’s heart stirred, and his expression changed. No wonder the boy wasn’t afraid of the Cang Li Tribe. He exclaimed, "You mean Shi Jiuzhai?
You’re from the Earth Wolf King Army?"
"Exactly. I’m Ten Eats, full name Shi Shishi," the boy said.
Li Weiyi was completely stunned. His last hope of escape was crushed. The fact that the boy could take "Shi" as his surname and be ranked tenth meant he was undoubtedly one of the Ten Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King Army.
His cultivation level was far beyond the first or second level of the Five Seas Realm. Where was his way out today? What did the other party really want?
Li Weiyi stared into the boy’s innocent, smiling eyes and finally resigned himself to his fate. He followed, but left a shallow footprint on the ground.
"That’s more like it! If I had to capture you by force, people would say I, Ten Eats, have no manners. Then no one would ever treat me to a meal again!"
Shi Shishi said. Li Weiyi wanted to gather more information to increase his chances of survival. He asked, "What does Dharma King Jiuzhai want with me?"
"A month ago, after watching the bloody battle at the Sui River, Ninth Brother recognized you and wanted to find you. But today, it’s actually me who’s looking for you. I want your help with something big. I think you’ve got the strength and brains to pull it off."
Shi Shishi added, "Oh, right! Ninth Brother said you promised to follow him in Burial Immortal Town, but then you ran off without a word. You didn’t keep your promise."
As they walked out of Demon Pass City, the surroundings became a pitch-black forest. Li Weiyi suddenly stopped: "Oh no, I feel a stomachache coming on. Can I take care of it first?"
Shi Shishi laughed: "You’re not planning to run, are you? Don’t let my chubby appearance fool you—I’m very fast."
"I’m only at the Spring Surge Realm. How could I possibly escape from a Dharma King? I know my limits," Li Weiyi said.
Shi Shishi nodded: "Alright, don’t go too far." Li Weiyi quickly entered the forest and walked several dozen steps until he reached a thick cypress tree. Of course, he didn’t actually have a stomachache—he was planning to store some important artifacts in the Blood Mud Space.
Shi Shishi didn’t seem interested in artifacts, or perhaps he thought Li Weiyi’s artifacts weren’t worth much. But if Shi Jiuzhai touched the Evil Camel Bell, Ghost Flag, or Scripture Belt, he could easily determine their value with a bit of spiritual energy. His life needed to be saved, but so did his artifacts.
After storing all the important artifacts in the Blood Mud Space, Li Weiyi walked out from behind the tree and stretched comfortably: "See? I didn’t run. I’m a man of my word."
The two continued deeper into the forest. By a stream in the valley, a fire was burning, the wood crackling and popping. Shi Jiuzhai sat alone on a large rock by the fire, his slightly curly hair reflecting the yellow flames.
His well-defined face, illuminated by the fire, gave him a sculpted, masculine charm. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Shi Shishi and Li Weiyi emerging from the darkness. He smiled: "So, the one you found is him."
Shi Shishi sat down by the fire: "A month ago, didn’t you want to find him too? Huh, Sixth Brother still hasn’t returned?"
"Him? He’s probably been bewitched by some beauty again!"
Shi Jiuzhai’s gaze fell on Li Weiyi, cold but with a hint of amusement: "You know who I am, right? You know the price of deceiving me? Shishi, his strength is decent, but compared to a Nine Springs martial artist, there’s still a significant gap."
Li Weiyi had been listening and analyzing. It seemed the Earth Wolf King Army was looking for someone to help them with a task. In other words, as long as he was useful, he could survive today.
No matter how intimidating Shi Jiuzhai appeared or how much he wanted to teach Li Weiyi a lesson, that fact wouldn’t change. Li Weiyi said, "Dharma King Jiuzhai’s reputation is thunderous in the southern region. How could I not know?
I believe that if a great figure like you were deceived by a Spring Surge Realm junior, it wouldn’t be the junior’s fault—it would be your own lack of discernment." Shi Jiuzhai’s eyelids lowered, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, as if blades and swords were flying out. How could a prisoner be so bold?
Had the name "Dharma King Jiuzhai" lost its power in the southern region?
"Ninth Brother, I think he has a point. If I were tricked by a four- or five-year-old, I’d slap myself twice first," Shi Shishi said.
(End of Chapter)