"Good!"
"Tianshu Ge, come with us!"
Shi Shishi grabbed Li Weiyi and his figure quickly flashed away. Li Weiyi only felt the wind whooshing past his ears, his body rising and falling rapidly. In just a few breaths, he had crossed more than three miles with Shi Jiuzhai, arriving at a busy dock by the Sui River.
The speed and cultivation Shi Shishi displayed were truly incongruous with his age. The three of them boarded a fast boat, drawn by a beast like a water python, speeding downstream with full sails. Inside the cabin, Shi Shishi used a low-level magical artifact rope to bind Li Weiyi, laughing: "Tianshu Ge, I didn't expect you to be so powerful!
With a mortal body, you have the battle strength of a pure immortal body with a hundred veins of silver. The Heavenly King will definitely like you. As long as you honestly confess all your secrets, I can guarantee that the position of Lao Shi is yours."
Li Weiyi leaned against the cabin wall, coldly replying: "Your Earth Wolf King Army does not keep its promises. You clearly promised rewards, yet you did not fulfill them." Shi Shishi scratched his head, looking troubled: "There’s nothing we can do!
With Yao Qian around, who can touch Yang Qingxi? I want to see the rewards you mentioned. Let's talk about it later, when you break through to the Five Seas.
We can think of a way together."
"Where are we heading now?"
Li Weiyi asked. Shi Shishi said, "Of course we are going back to Shuzhou. The secrets on you are enough to alarm the Heavenly King.
Who wouldn't want to transform into a pure immortal body? I want that too!" Li Weiyi said, "What about the Nine Li Hidden Gate?"
"Will you sincerely help us gather information? You hardly speak any truth... Well, anyway, with Li Qing around, it doesn't matter if we lose you."
Shi Shishi replied. Li Weiyi said, "Li Qing is already dead at my hands!"
"…"
Shi Shishi was taken aback. Shi Jiuzhai stood at the stern of the boat, his sharp eyes watching the Nine Li City gradually receding in the distance. The sun sank in the west, and the sky quickly turned dark.
Only the magnificent veil of light outside Nine Li City remained radiant, resembling waves of aurora on the horizon, dyeing the Sui River in colors. Shi Shishi stepped out of the cabin: "Li Qing is dead! It must be true; he had that strength."
Shi Jiuzhai clasped his hands behind him, and after a moment of silence, said: "Let him go back. The people of the Nine Li Hidden Gate will not trust him anymore; they will directly kill him. Going to the Earth Wolf King Army is instead a way out."
Shi Shishi knew these words were meant for Li Weiyi in the cabin, feeling somewhat worried: "Why hasn’t Sixth Brother caught up? He wouldn’t have been taken down by Yao Qian, would he?"
"How could that be? The Sui Sect still needs to borrow the power of the Earth Wolf King Army to attack the Nine Li Tribe. Liu Se is still very strong; he may not be able to beat Yao Qian, but it shouldn't be too difficult for him to hold him off and escape."
Shi Jiuzhai smiled. Inside the cabin, Li Weiyi was secretly calculating the gains and losses of the day. The biggest problem still lay in the Six Desire Talisman, and he realized his lack of understanding of the abilities of the world’s top experts.
People like Shi Liu Yu and Yao Qian had already transcended the limits of humanity. To measure them by human standards would definitely lead to blunders. Suddenly, a loud shout from outside caught his attention: "Be careful, ambush!"
The fast boat shook violently, followed by the sounds of palms clashing and magical energy colliding, waves rolling.
"Boom! Boom…"
Four stones punched through the cabin walls, hitting the four sealed acupoints on Li Weiyi's body, instantly restoring his magical power’s flow. At the same time, the magical artifact rope that had tightly bound him was severed by a flying Yellow Dragon Sword. The Yellow Dragon Sword had previously been taken by Shi Shishi.
It was evident that an expert had seized the sword from him and had accurately thrown it here. Li Weiyi rejoiced, realizing that Yi Er Shi had finally brought reinforcements from the Hidden Gate. He began to remove the circles of ropes, grabbed the Yellow Dragon Sword, and dashed out of the cabin.
In the darkness, magical energy surged. Figures engaged in fierce combat, yet it was unclear who was who. Li Weiyi was acutely aware of his own abilities, thus he decisively circulated magical energy through his legs, escaping across the waves.
Moments later, he slipped into the dense forest along the shore. Behind him, he heard Shi Jiuzhai's anxious roar: "That brat escaped!" After half an hour of running, the sounds of battle behind him had long faded away.
The frantic sprint aggravated his serious internal injuries, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling the world around him darken, spinning and turning. Just as he was about to continue fleeing, he caught sight of two black figures under a tree a little over ten zhang ahead.
The slightly shorter and slender figure quickly walked up to him and fed him a cold pill. She softly spoke, her voice no longer as icy as before: "Heal first!" As the pill entered his abdomen, it instantly melted away.
The severe injuries to his organs were immediately treated, and the pain lessened. The tall figure, wearing a metallic mask, stepped closer, dark red cloak swaying in the wind. He spoke in a low voice: "You must have told Shi Liu Yu all the secrets of the Hidden Gate, right?"
His aura was imposing, with each word hitting Li Weiyi’s soul. Li Weiyi met his gaze briefly, then laughed unafraid: "How could you not know whether I leaked information to Shi Liu Yu?
The so-called trial was never about destroying the Changlin Gang but a test of what choice I would make in the face of Shi Liu Yu and whether I would betray the Nine Li Hidden Gate." He had only figured this out in the cabin moments ago.
He had no understanding of the abilities of the world’s top experts, but how could Yin Jun lack awareness? How could Yin Jun not know that Shi Liu Yu could sense his approximate location using the Six Desire Talisman? With this thought, the intention of arranging him to test in Nine Li City became clear.
Li Weiyi did not know if Yin Jun had been nearby Changlin Gang at that time, or if he was sensing through the death spirit flame in his brow. In any case, Yin Jun must have been aware of all discussions between him and Shi Liu Yu. Yin Jun gazed at him with some surprise.
In a perilous situation, attempting a frantic escape while maintaining such clear thinking abilities was indeed a mark of being suitable to become a Hidden Person. Yi Er Shi said: "To become a Hidden Person, one must endure the trial of death.
The so-called trial of death refers to whether you can keep your secrets when faced with a life-threatening situation. This is of utmost importance; failing to do so will endanger the entire Hidden Gate."
"So you've long known the true content of the trial?"
Li Weiyi asked. Yi Er Shi replied, "I only know that the real trial is not about destroying the Changlin Gang." Li Weiyi's gaze returned to Yin Jun: "Did I pass the trial?"
"Naturally!"
Yin Jun said: "No matter how you did it, as long as you didn't leak any information, it counts as passing. Let’s go, return to the Hidden Gate." Li Weiyi stood rooted in place: "Aren't you interested in the secrets I hold?"
"As long as all your actions have passed the Hidden Gate's scrutiny, your secrets will forever remain yours alone. When you truly find a sense of belonging in the Hidden Gate, you won't need to be asked; you will naturally tell."
Yin Jun answered. Li Weiyi said: "Since I am now a member of the Hidden Gate, there are two things I must do. Will the Hidden Gate lend me a helping hand?"
"You can go ahead and speak."
Yin Jun replied. Li Weiyi said: "The first is those people I saved from the Changlin Gang. I want to see it through to the end, to send them off properly and ensure their safe placement.
Otherwise, my heart will be restless."
"You need not mention this; Yi Er Shi has already arranged it. The people of the Nine Li Tribe will take over."
Yin Jun said. Li Weiyi looked at Yi Er Shi in surprise. Yi Er Shi slightly raised his chin, his expression giving no hints as to the earlier questioning from Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi thought for a moment and said: "I have several companions studying in the Nine Li Academy and the Cang Li Tribe, and they have been targeted by the Sui Sect. Can I take them to the Hidden Gate?"
"That is impossible!"
Yin Jun replied. Li Weiyi said: "They have very high talents."
"Those with high talents, even if they are pure immortal bodies chosen from the masses, there are many that can be picked out in this world. But when there are too many, a Li Qing may lurk among them, two Li Qings... The Hidden Gate invests resources in only one person each year because we want to cultivate the Cang Li, the Yao Qian, the top experts who could overshadow entire generations, not a bunch of Five Seas cultivators."
Yin Jun paused then continued: "For now, they are safe in the Nine Li Academy and the Cang Li Tribe."
"After the ambush in Burial Immortal Town and the confrontation between Cang Li and the Dragon Gate’s inheritors along the Sui River, the Nine Li Tribe and the Sui Sect are already signaling clear intentions, but they haven't reached the point of tearing off the mask."
Li Weiyi struggled with understanding: "If it's already clear, why hasn't the Nine Li Tribe made the first move?" Yin Jun responded: "The fact that you can pose such a question indicates that you still have a long way to go if you wish to become a Hidden Person."
Yi Er Shi added: "Many important figures between the Sui Sect and the various branches of Nine Li are intermarried. There’s a mutual dependency. This morning, the Nine Li Tribe secretly transmitted the news of assembling their army.
Before noon, the higher ranks of the Sui Sect will be aware of all the movements and arrangements of the Nine Li Tribe, possibly acting even before the Nine Li Tribe does."
"And vice versa. This is why the Sui Sect unites with external forces."
Li Weiyi understood; the world was never black and white, friend and foe were intertwined. He asked curiously: "What role will the Hidden Gate play in the inevitable conflict that will arise?"
"Since the rotting flesh has grown within the body, we should take this opportunity to scrape and heal. Without experiencing the pain of battle, how can one expect a rebirth? Let them kill, to draw clear lines between friend and foe."
Yin Jun pondered for a moment and said: "Right now, only the Nine Li Shrine is relatively safe in Li Prefecture. Once the situation stabilizes, I will arrange for people to escort your companions there." This was his final concession!
"Thank you, Yin Jun," Li Weiyi said.
Yin Jun said: "Both matters you are concerned about are for others. I thought at least one would be related to the Six Desire Talisman."
"Is Yin Jun not Shi Liu Yu's opponent?"
Li Weiyi hurriedly asked.
"You shouldn't ask such foolish questions."
Yin Jun said: "Among the top ten law kings of the Earth Wolf King Army, only Da Laoye is a formidable character in terms of wisdom, while Shi Lao Ba is skilled in schemes. Shi Liu Yu... you are able to survive with him, so keeping him might serve some future purpose." Li Weiyi felt secretly relieved.
Then, he took out a letter wrapped in oil paper from his bosom and handed it over.
"What is this?"
Yin Jun asked as he received the letter.
"All my secrets are in this letter."
Li Weiyi always believed it would be safer to send the coffin master's letter earlier. Who knew if Yin Jun truly didn't care about his secrets? Beside them, Yi Er Shi's eyes brightened.
She knew Li Weiyi was hiding numerous treasures; this person undoubtedly had a remarkable background, but what could this secret possibly be? Yin Jun opened the letter and immediately sensed that it was extraordinary. His gaze shifted from casual to grave.
The aura coming from the letter was incredibly unusual. The more he read, the more his scalp tingled, and he was completely shaken; his pupils violently contracted, and his hand holding the letter actually trembled.
To Yi Er Shi, Yin Jun had always been a divine-like figure, and she believed that even as the heavens collapsed, he wouldn't show such a loss of composure. What kind of letter was this? What terrifying background did this guy Li Weiyi have?
After reading the contents of the letter, Yin Jun's gaze fixed sharply on Li Weiyi. After a long pause, he hesitated, unable to determine the authenticity due to the overwhelming shock it delivered—one that could potentially shake the world.
"Let’s go, return to the Hidden Gate, and meet the Hidden Ancestor!"
Yin Jun enveloped Li Weiyi and Yi Er Shi with magical energy and used his fastest speed to hurry toward Nine Li City. As for the Six Desire Talisman on Li Weiyi, with him around, how could Shi Liu Yu still sense it? Once they reached underground, the connection would naturally be severed.
Yi Er Shi was dying of curiosity; why had they even stirred the Hidden Ancestor? The Hidden Ancestor had always been just a legend. Even among the Hidden People, no one knew if he truly existed or if he was still alive, for the legends said he had lived for over a thousand years. ……
Returning to the Hidden Gate, Yin Jun led Li Weiyi deeper into the Nine Li Worm Valley. His thoughts had calmed down by now, and he asked: "You should have revealed this letter sooner. With it, you wouldn't even need to participate in the trial; you could directly become a Hidden Person."
"I wanted to test my strength to see if I could earn it."
Li Weiyi said. Yin Jun was speechless, for this kid indeed had that strength. Opening the Eight Springs was comparable to a pure immortal body with a hundred veins of silver, completely beyond comprehension.
But considering he was the heir of the Chief, everything started to make sense. All of his secrets, including the mysterious backgrounds of him and his companions, seemed to have explanations! Now it only waited for the Hidden Ancestor to personally confirm the authenticity of the letter.
After all, only the Hidden Ancestor had truly met the Chief. ……
Monthly ticket!
(End of Chapter)