Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1339 Approaching the Nest
The void trembled.

The blazing sunlight shone brightly, yet in the darkness, a figure stood beneath the flickering flame. He was gaunt, with sparse hair and beard, sporting a small mustache, and exuding an eerie aura, yet he appeared extremely disheveled.

His face was covered in blood, his robe was tattered, revealing his thin, bare arms covered in centipede-like patterns. He seemed unable to withstand the fire any longer, coughing up blood as he cried out:
"King Wei! Lord Qiao! Please cease your supernatural powers..."

"Wu... Wu admits defeat!"

He cried out, wailing and pleading, appearing utterly powerless. The light of day slowly dimmed, and as the supernatural power shifted, laughter finally broke the silence.

"Fellow Daoist Wu... do you like this generous gift from me?"

The purple mansion shone brightly, and as he touched the wound on his waist, his mouth full of bitterness, he said:

"Master Qiao, please don't ridicule me... I, Wu, am convinced..."

Li Zhouwei headed north and seized the opportunity to catch the True Man who had come to his aid. He thought he had everything under control, but he didn't expect that True Man Wu was quite capable and had sensed the danger beforehand, so he almost escaped!
This man ran incredibly fast; it took Li Zhouwei an incense stick's time to catch up. He almost let him run into the Xuanchao City, where Di Guanyuan caught him—this Wu Zhenren was actually a Jueyin cultivator!
The consequences were predictable.

Li Zhouwei had fought against Jueyin in the past. At that time, Mingyang Divine Power was still in a lowly position, so he was not afraid. Now, as a Great True Man, he is superior to inferior. How powerful he is! This True Man Wu is the first to understand this. At this moment, he is full of bitterness.

One blow from the Qianyang Bracelet left Wu Miao dizzy and his words of begging for mercy were cut off. Another blow from the "Visiting Heaven's Gate" broke his waist and abdomen, leaving him unable to even cry out in pain. Before the third punch could land, he finally had a chance to catch his breath and cried out for mercy.

Li Zhouwei had given it his all—after all, the person before him could unleash his supernatural powers with terrifying speed, suggesting considerable strength. He hadn't expected Wu Miao's abilities to be so formidable. He nodded and quietly said:

"Since you've submitted, then state your name."

The thin, Taoist-dressed man broke out in a cold sweat. Having survived a calamity, he had no hesitation whatsoever and bowed down with perfect ease. His mind raced, and he said:
"Greetings, King Wei. I am from Wu Temple... a person from Dangyin... from the Central Plains... a rogue cultivator from the Central Plains..."

Li Zhouwei was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the person in front of him was one of the people he had previously conquered in Dangyin. He raised an eyebrow and said:

"A rogue cultivator? A rogue cultivator like you dares to come south?"

Wu Miao felt even more terrified—he was well aware of the chaos in Mingyang, and that everyone in Gu County had powerful connections. He, a mere rogue cultivator, could easily be captured by the King of Wei to establish his authority. He immediately said:
“King Wei! Although I am a rogue cultivator, I have received the kindness of the Han family lord. I am on official business in Chuncheng. The True Person of Xuanchao is in seclusion in Chuncheng to break through, so he asked me to come here to guard the place for him. I received orders earlier that I should go and serve under True Person Wen…”

Qiao Wenliu laughed loudly, turned around, and said:

"Reporting to King Wei, this man is indeed a cultivator from Dangyin. His ancestors were also retainers of the Han family, who cultivated the Three Yin Techniques, which gave him some prestige and allowed him to enter and leave Chuncheng... He needs something from that man surnamed Wen, which is why he is so eager to curry favor with us from the south..."

He sneered:
"But this person is a real scoundrel. In the past, he fawned over others everywhere. Because he was from Dangyin, he was somewhat familiar with my Qiao family. So he followed those noble families and used my gossip as fodder for conversation... saying that I had taken another concubine, or that I was greedy for money. They were all just spreading rumors with their mouths."

'Aren't these all things you've done...'

Qiao Wenliu thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle. Wu Miao, at this moment, could only pretend not to notice the sarcasm in his words, and cursed under his breath:
'I should have known better than to run... With the Great Master Mingyang and the Three Divine Powers of Shaoyin joining forces to capture me, what was the point of running? I just got beaten up for nothing...'

Judging from Qiao Sanyi's suspicious appearance, he probably held a certain position in the eyes of this King Wei. Wu Miao was terrified by his words and knelt down with a thud, saying:

"Master Qiao is right. I, Wu, am perfectly capable of being this scoundrel. They harbor dark secrets, and I, with my foul mouth, have laid them bare, giving everyone a laugh and giving me a chance to enter Chuncheng and cultivate connections... This isn't a matter of jealousy or envy... On the contrary, with a scoundrel like me providing them with amusement every now and then, they look down on Fellow Daoist Qiao, which is why you are able to travel freely today..."

"I shouldn't have done this, it's all because of my annoying mouth... I beg Fellow Daoist Qiao, please forgive me for what I am of use..."

Qiao Wenliu breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily, saying:
“I am not a petty person. Now that you have fallen into the hands of the King of Wei, even if you are a villain, you will still talk to me about the gossip of the scoundrels in Chuncheng. They used to be the ones having fun, and now I will have some fun too. Why would I hold it against you!”

Although Qiao Sanyi wasn't exactly known for his good temper, he possessed a pure heart, which left Wu Miao speechless. Even someone as quick-witted as him was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment's hesitation, Qiao Sanyi turned around and said:
"King Wei! This man is worth employing."

He rarely spoke seriously, and said:

"Wen Dao, with his noble status and great reputation, refused to submit to Mingyang and was suddenly suppressed, which will surely make all the families uneasy. Now, this Wu, whose status is not prominent and whose reputation is notorious, has long been subdued by the king. He should be put to use, so as to show that the King of Wei is not bound by trivial matters and is willing to recruit talents!"

Hearing these words, Wu Miao found them increasingly unpleasant; his smile froze slightly, and his heart pounded with anger.

'His identity is obscure, his reputation infamous, he has long since submitted to the king's rule, and is fit to be used… Don't you, Qiao Sanyi, ever look at yourself in the mirror?'

"You were already lying in ambush before I was!"

But this was ultimately a plea for him, and unlike the old man in the south who was so oblivious, he bowed deeply, knelt on the ground, and was about to speak when he saw a silver-clad cultivator beside the King of Wei say:
"This person is weak-willed and may desert in the face of battle, thus suffering the consequences!"

Wu Miao was greatly alarmed. He wiped his sleeves, presented the jade talisman containing the array below with both hands, and wept, saying:
"I, Wu, have no background and no one to protect me. I cannot enter the celestial realm, nor can I travel the world. Now that I have submitted to the king, how dare I rebel again? I will serve the King of Wei with all my might and die to fulfill my lifelong hope of reaching the highest rank!"

Liu Changdie's words were just a reminder. Li Zhouwei smiled, actually quite satisfied—he hadn't expected this person to have any magical prowess.

'This person moves incredibly fast, so taking him along won't be a hassle. More importantly, he's quick-witted, has a wide circle of friends, and is very approachable…'

This is an extremely important matter. Li Zhouwei only has one cultivator from Gujun, Qiao Wenliu, by his side. It's likely that eight out of ten people in Chuncheng are at odds with him, and if they fight, they'll be forced to swallow their pride and surrender. He's not suitable to be a persuader.

'Even if I managed to subdue the cultivators from other prefectures, these people are all incredibly arrogant. They'd rather bow their heads than submit themselves, let alone lower themselves to persuade others to surrender.'

While the old man's pride was certainly a factor in Wen Daoping's actions, it was also due to his lack of tact. Although Li Zhouwei was ruthless, he saw through the situation clearly.

He raised an eyebrow and said:
"Trouble has turned into a real person."

Liu Changdie naturally knew this, took the jade talisman, and hurriedly landed in the Purple Mansion Spirit Array of Xuanchao City. The King of Wei waited for a moment, then shook his head and smiled:

What lies to the west?

Wu Miao immediately stood up, bowed without the slightest change in expression, and said without hesitation:

"Xuanchao is located in the northeast corner of Gujun. Your Excellency came from the southern Jiaoshan. If you continue westward and conquer the three cities, you will reach the northernmost part of Gujun, bordering the Yan Kingdom, and the Qi family's... [Fucheng]!"

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at the Prince of Wei. Clearly, the feud between Li Zhouwei and Qi Lanyan was known throughout the land, and even a rogue cultivator like himself was well aware of it.

The King of Wei noticed his gaze and a smile appeared on his face:
"Then head west."

……

Jiaoshan.

The flames in the sky had dissipated, leaving only a gloomy gray sky. The spirit array had lost its brilliance, the earth trembled, the Purple Mansion was nowhere to be found, and all the spirit platforms and pavilions in the immortal mountain had collapsed. The cultivators below were in complete chaos.

As dawn broke and the faint light of the earth slowly faded, a ray of light came from the south amidst the clamor, stopped in the mountains, and transformed into a person.

This man had a fair complexion and a long beard, a solemn expression, and an aura of divine power. He seemed to be standing amidst a hazy crimson flame, with a jewel-like red dot between his brows. He looked like a divine general, exuding great majesty.

His eyes were sharp:
"What a blatant attempt by Da Yang Shan... Under the guise of providing aid, they still want to take over Jiao Shan. If I hadn't personally taken action, there would probably have been a fierce battle here!"

Behind him followed a tall, imposing man, none other than Jiang Fuwang.

The Jiang family master's expression changed slightly. He glanced at the chaotic forest and, seeing that the buildings in the county town were intact and undamaged, he was relieved and sighed:

"How did this commotion end up in the East!"

The person beside him had a gloomy look in their eyes.

"Shanledao... that's not surprising. Their lineage is unique. Back then, Faxiang and Kongwudao came from the same background, only they were even more shameless. Dayangshan has been watching them for a long time and will soon hold them accountable."

The Great Master's eyes were cold and filled with anger. His mind seemed to be completely elsewhere, not on why the King of Wei had taken a detour, but rather on saying:
"How cruel... Jiaoshan has built up its wealth over hundreds of years, and he burned it all down with a single fire... This is the culmination of generations of hard work. He's a Mingyang son after all, he doesn't cherish his spiritual essence..."

Li Zhouwei used the swift and decisive method to destroy the Spirit Mountain without any mercy. The array platforms were shattered, let alone the spirit fields and pavilions; they were all smashed to pieces in one go. The Great True Man saw this and felt pain in his heart, but Jiang Fuwang seemed unconcerned, saying:

"In matters of conquest, how can there be any mercy? Senior Long Kang is overthinking it... In my opinion, the best course of action now is to search for the whereabouts of Master Wen."

"I don't feel sorry for the Wen family, I feel sorry for the Gu County!"

The great master shook his head, disagreeing with his words, but said no more, his eyes flickering slightly, and said:
"I have received news from Chuncheng that the man surnamed Wen is out of danger, but he miscalculated and should have been captured by some magical treasure."

They descended using their supernatural powers. Jiang Fuwang scanned the area below with his spiritual sense and pulled out a familiar-looking member of the Wen family. He was a middle-aged man in a long robe. Upon seeing the two of them, he knelt down with a thud and wept, saying:
"My lords...you must do justice for the Wen family!"

Surprisingly, the two people in the sky seemed uninterested. Jiang Fuwang glanced at them and said:
"What's the boss?"

The middle-aged man wept:
"My master, following orders, defended the city. He came from afar, breached the city, and then surrendered without further resistance... But who knew... In just a few breaths, that lord, without any explanation, suddenly attacked and nearly killed the master. A gust of blue wind filled the sky... I, a humble cultivator, couldn't see the details and don't know the extent of his injuries..."

Master Longkang frowned, but Jiang Fuwang shook his head and said:

“I have also met the King of Wei. He is not an unreasonable person. Your old master is always arrogant and proud. Who knows what he might say?”

The middle-aged man only cried, while Master Longkang remained silent, his hands already behind his back. Jiang Fuwang hurriedly said:
"Go and clean up! Stop making a fool of yourself here!"

So he was cast down from his supernatural powers, and only then did Master Longkang speak coldly:
"Wen Daoping is truly managing his household well. What is a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator? How dare he criticize Grandmaster Mingyang! Wen Xuanzhao has been dead for many years, yet the Wen family has grown increasingly arrogant..."

"Since we are all in the same Daoist realm, we have a duty to discipline him. If it weren't for the fact that our paths don't intersect, I would definitely have to discipline him properly!"

Jiang Fuwang could only smile wryly. This Great Master was from the Longkang clan, with the single name Yao, belonging to the Tongxuan realm. He and the Wen clan were both descendants of the Tongxuan realm, while Jiang Fuwang belonged to the Douxuan realm. Without answering, he whispered again:

"He...went north?"

Master Longkang squinted and said:
"Yes…"

The two were silent for a moment. Jiang Fuwang felt a headache coming on and said:

"It will be difficult to capture him. Qiao Wenliu has never appeared in the east. Given the speed at which the King of Wei broke through the formation, he must know the details of Jiaoshan. Qiao Wenliu is very likely by his side. He knows the entire layout in the east like the back of his hand. He comes and goes like the wind. How many people would it take to surround him?"

He said rather calmly:
"The key is still Juancheng in the west! As long as we break through that city, both Li Zhouwei and Qiao Wenliu will inevitably lose their composure. Why bother fighting them here?"

Longkang Cuisine:

"Your words are military strategist talk. If even one of the twelve families can be defeated so easily, how can Chuncheng convince the people if it sits idly by? Look at the state of the mountain now. If we hadn't come, what would the once mighty twelve families have become? Since ancient times, these families have been driven out of Chuncheng, and there have been many grievances and conflicts. How can they withstand such criticism?"

He sighed and said:
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have abandoned the south and rushed up to reinforce it, to block him first."

Jiang Fuwang had no choice but to say:

"The northernmost point is Xuanchao, which has already been lost... With Dayang Mountain holding us back like this, we definitely won't be able to catch up with him..."

Long Kangyao raised an eyebrow and said:

"No rush. Mingyang is domineering and vengeful. Qi Lanyan targeted him at every turn back then, so he must harbor resentment. His sudden move north must mean he's heading towards the Qi family. People from Chuncheng have already gone there to ambush him. We'll stay put in the south to prevent him from suddenly retreating south."

“Since he’s heading to the sidelines, we can block him from one side and hold him off from the other. As long as we keep him in check, Juancheng won’t last long.”