Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 706 Red Steed
Although these people came to watch the spectacle, Zhu and Pei could not simply watch the spectacle.

Pei Ye tugged at the reins and turned the horse around: "Let's take a closer look."

Zhu Gaoyang nodded, and the two riders rode upstream along the riverbank.

The rain and mist seemed to be flowing down from this direction. The higher the two ran, the dimmer the light became, and the denser and colder the rain became. The mist almost flowed into a light gauze-like texture, blowing behind them.

Pei Ye looked out over the river and could vaguely see the silhouettes of those large ships, which were quietly moored on the water, as if no one was there. The small boats around them had all dispersed.

But the fog around them lingered and did not dissipate. It seemed to not obscure the view, for the large ships were anchored there; yet it must have obscured something, for the vast area, even from a distance, seemed excessively silent, devoid of any shape of wind or rain, nor any human figure, and nothing could be seen except for the few motionless large ships.

"They didn't actually make the so-called feast for the Water Lord, did they?" Pei Ye frowned. "What was the purpose of it?"

After killing all eight Water Wind Envoys, Pei Ye was inclined to believe that the ritual of Mirage City had been completely destroyed—and indeed it was—he was waiting for Mirage City's reaction, whether to make amends or launch a counterattack... whatever their actions, they would expose their plans and purposes.

But the other party's reaction was much smaller than he had expected. They did not retaliate at all, and Weishuiwu continued to do the same thing, welcoming another water lord.

Pei Ye then realized that perhaps they were supposed to welcome the two water lords, but he had ruined one of them.

The reason I was able to disrupt things was because...

“It’s alright,” Zhu Gaoyang said. “At this point, whatever medicine they’re selling in those jars, we can just open them and see.”

After he finished speaking, he turned his head and saw a group of people flying towards him from the end of the road.

Hooves pounded the ground, cutting through the wind and rain as they came, their straw hats and rain canopies fluttering in the wind, their trousers and clothes stained with rain and mud. There were about eight or nine riders in total, and they stopped beside the two of them at the same time.

First came a graceful figure, who was the cleanest, as if she had avoided the rain and mud. She raised her hand and lifted her hood, revealing a beautiful face as pure as ice, her hair styled like clouds, and a small phoenix pendant hanging from her ear.

She is truly a fairy descended from the Tianshan Mountains.

“…Miss Shi.” Pei Ye did know that Tianshan was involved, but he hadn’t thought much about the sect’s motives, and he certainly hadn’t expected to meet this old acquaintance here.

“Young Master Pei, it’s been a long time since I last saw you, and I often think of you.” Shi Zanxue smiled. “Now that you’ve arrived in the bustling capital, I’m afraid you haven’t thought of your old friends at all, and haven’t even sent a single letter.”

Pei Ye smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "The Heavenly Mountain is high and far away, I dare not disturb the fairy's secluded cultivation."

Shi Zanxue slightly opened her eyes and sighed with a smile, "The capital is different. Young Master Pei has learned to speak politely now."

Only then did he solemnly clasp his hands in a fist salute, and addressed Zhu Gaoyang beside him with a composed and respectful voice: "Tianshan Anxiang Shizanxue, I have long admired the esteemed name of Zhu Zhenchuan."

Zhu Gaoyang smiled and clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "You're too kind."

Pei Ye looked behind her and saw that most of the remaining riders were disciples of Tianshan, while the others included two Yu Jian and He Changge.

But the girl's figure was not visible.

"Entrusted by the Immortal Terrace, the thirty-two disciples of Tianshan Weifeng and Lanzhu have all arrived. As for the manpower on the river, Master He has gathered six hundred people, and the fifty-three inspectors from the Immortal Terrace are all among them," Shi Zanxue said in a clear voice. "If the two inspectors issue an order, Weishui Dock can be sealed off immediately."

Pei Ye then realized that the Tianshan's influence on the Eight Rivers was indeed very deep, and that they had at least a cooperative relationship with the Immortal Platform in this matter.

It is obviously best for martial arts sects to handle matters in the martial arts world. Otherwise, if the Immortal Platform were to forcefully sweep through the Eight Waters martial arts world, it would inevitably cause some waves in the Tang Dynasty martial arts world. But why is the Tianshan Sect willing to do this?
Pei Ye thought for a moment, then said, "Wei Shui Wu has five Grandmasters, among whom the Wu Master is a Ye Que. In addition, he has nearly four thousand followers."

Shi Zanxue smiled and nodded: "These are the reports we compiled."

Zhu Gaoyang said, "Since it is Tianshan that has made a move, then let's just wait and see what the divine sword does."

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback: "Aren't we going to make a move?"

Zhu Gaoyang tilted her head and whispered, "I'm still in a lot of pain."

"..."

Shi Zanxue smiled and said, "Young Master Pei's reputation has been spreading throughout the Eight Rivers for a long time. Today, this fortress is not to be destroyed, but to be investigated. Let our sect do the work."

"Well."

“…Young Master Pei?” the woman asked.

"Hmm?" Pei Ye turned his head.

"Give the order." Shi Zanxue bowed her head slightly.

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback. Zhu Gaoyang was clearly more like a leader than himself, and He Jian's rank was indeed higher... He looked at the drooping head in front of him and felt a strange sensation. He hesitated for a moment before clasping his hands in a fist salute: "I'll have to trouble your esteemed sect."

"I obey." Shi Zanxue raised her head, picked up a jade piece, and blew out a melodious and clear sound. The sound was not harsh, but it seemed to travel extremely far.

Pei Ye stopped his horse and stood still. He saw many boats appearing on the river surface amidst the misty fog, surrounding the fleet of ships at Weishui Dock.

The people of the martial arts world, who had been waiting on the shore for who knows how long, finally perked up. No one wanted to miss the secrets of the legendary Eight Water Monarchs.

The small boats scattered across Weishui Dock were captured one by one, the sailors were all taken into custody, and the bait was picked up and burned.

Pei Ye could see some fighting in the distance, but it all subsided quickly. What really caught his attention was that the bait they brought up was either mostly empty or even had one or two water monsters attached to it.

It greedily ate two more bites, and then disappeared into the water.

'Aren't water spirits only seen in the mirage realm?'

Pei Ye frowned and glanced around. This was indeed the real human world. Shi Zanxue was right beside him, and further away, the people of the martial arts world were pointing at each other.

“We’ve seen this situation sometimes in the docks we’ve dealt with before.” The woman seemed to notice his confusion and explained, “According to the information provided by the Immortal Platform, these demons come from the ‘Spirit Realm.’ The boundary between reality and the Spirit Realm follows certain rules, and they shouldn’t be able to cross it so easily.”

"But it happened."

"Ah."

On the river, the boats were getting closer and closer to Weishui Dock. Pei Ye's reminder was indeed within the considerations of this sacred place in the southwest. Even though it was said to have four thousand followers, probably less than half of them were on the river today.

These men, usually so fierce and adept at navigating the waters, were like insects compared to the disciples of Tianshan Sect. One after another, sword-wielding men in white robes rose and fell from the ships, wading across the waves, and returned carrying one or two prisoners. Then He Changge's sailors quickly sailed aboard to take over the small boats that had lost their leaders.

The disciples of Tianshan are divided into male and female lineages. Each lineage is further divided into three pools from low to high: the male lineage consists of the East Small Pool, the Weifeng Pool, and the Xian Pool, while the female lineage consists of the West Small Pool, the Lanzhu Pool, and the Tian Pool.

The disciples of the two lineages practice different sword techniques, but both take Wei Feng and Lan Zhu as their entry point. Only by entering the Xuanmen can one enter the Xian and Tian pools.

As for the names "Eight Steeds" and "Seven Jades," they are extremely special titles passed down for a thousand years. These titles are bestowed upon the most outstanding individuals from the four upper and middle pools, and only the fifteen disciples themselves know their meaning. However, their special status is universally acknowledged by all the pools. They not only represent the fifteen most excellent disciples of Tianshan in this generation, but also, to some extent, represent the face and heritage of Tianshan, and truly wield power.

With the thirty-two disciples holding the line, the hundreds of people on the river couldn't stir up the slightest trouble. Even though they were far apart, the steady and rapid sweeping still made the hearts of countless onlookers tighten.

Many people came to watch the spectacle, but for many of them it was truly the first time they had ever seen a real prestigious sect make a move.

Not in the complex water conditions, but on the open river surface, the so-called largest tributary of the eight rivers looks rather like a clay chicken and a tile dog.

But the next moment a voice came from the five large ships.

"Heroes of Tianshan, please stop here in the territory of the Wei River!"

A figure emerged from the mist, traversed three hundred feet of water, and landed on a small boat.

Then four equally swift figures emerged and stood behind him.

In an instant, countless people recognized him as none other than Dou Xiang, the ruler of the Wei River for over a decade, the only merchant ships that he had given his approval to pass on the wide river.

He still leaned on that fearsome broadsword, and still had a pair of tiger-like eyes. Many times, he had stood with his sword in front of some unruly ship, and no matter what the other party's background was, there were only two options - either obediently submit or be torn in two.

Now he is followed by four hall masters, all of whom are famous figures. Any one of them could be the master of any other dock.

Now that the four of them were standing on the river, it seemed as if an invisible barrier had appeared on the water. Without any command, the sailors who had gathered had already stopped their boats and hesitated in place, some even moving back with fear.

Having built up their reputation over a decade, who among those who made a living on the water wouldn't recognize the five men? The disciples of Tianshan and the hidden guards were doing their best to keep them in check, but the formation of the boats was still showing signs of loosening.

Pei Ye glanced at Shi Zanxue, thinking that he and Brother Zhu could actually help.

One Yeque and four Tuan Shen are not an easy battle given their current physical condition. However, only these five are openly fighting, while on our side we have He Changge, the Tianshan disciples, and the lurking Yu Jian. We can win this battle.

Shi Zanxue smiled slightly and shook her head.

"Since we've come to take the Feather and Scale Trial, how could Tianshan lack manpower?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a voice rang out from the river: "Make way."

The voice was clear and flat, lacking any real imposing presence, let alone comparable to the power of the five people who had spoken earlier.

Dou Xiang raised his hand to press down on the large sword beside him and said loudly, "Whatever the major sects want to investigate, whatever the Immortal Platform wants to investigate, we have never said we would not cooperate. But we sent a letter yesterday, and today they send people to coerce us. How can this be such an overbearing act?"

"The Wei River dock is right here today. Any boats that dare to set foot here, don't blame me for showing no mercy." He surveyed the riverbank. "If you have anything to say, send someone to speak with me—"

"Step aside."

A resounding voice.

The two short syllables rolled clearly across the entire river surface in an instant, then poured into the ears of everyone on the bank, causing countless people and horses to freeze and tremble in surprise.

Dou Xiang's words caught in his throat, and he seemed to be the first to feel the pain, his long hair flying backward.

The next moment, he didn't need to think about what to say, because the man simply repeated those two syllables once and then made his move.

A single sword stroke cuts across the river.

It's not the realm of intent in swordsmanship, but the reality seen with the naked eye.

Rain, fog, and wind were all cut off, then spilled out in all directions, creating a multi-faceted void; below was the river surface, which was instantly cleaved open with a wound tens of feet long, and the surrounding boats all tilted in that direction the next moment.

The man's sword brought all of this to light.

At the top of this powerful sword aura, a bright sword blade had just been drawn.

Dou Xiang's roar shook the river. He blocked the sword with his sword, but the sword shattered and he was sent flying, leaving a trail of bright red blood.

The remaining four Xuanmen were planning to assist Dou Xiang in fighting the enemy. The five of them had excellent teamwork and were even confident that their cooperation could rival some of the lowest-ranked people on the Crane Ranking.

But at that moment, none of them had time to react, because Dou Xiang being defeated by a single sword strike was unexpected by everyone, so at that moment they all wanted to retreat.

But the man's sword was faster than all four of them combined.

Three clear sounds rang out, followed by a silver dragon-like sword light and four streams of splattered blood.

The man had already drawn his sword and broken free from the encirclement of the four men, catching up with the fleeing Dou Xiang within two breaths.

If the four hall masters are not completely dead yet, it should be known that even if they manage to retreat, they will not survive.

Because Dou Xiang didn't even think of taking his sword back after receiving that sword. His reaction was much faster than that of the four hall masters. The moment he received the sword, he realized that he was no match for such a person.

Taking advantage of the momentum of being pushed back, he unleashed all his true essence, not by channeling it into his sword, but by flying back towards the five large ships with all his might.

He cried out at the top of his lungs, “Lord!! Lord, save me!!”

But the man's face had already come into view.

Dou Xiang roared and swung his arm, severing it and sending it flying. He tried to use the sword to get around it, but the sword made a graceful turn and pierced his throat from the back of his neck.

Clearly, if he chose to confront the attack head-on, he could have held out for several rounds. But he was terrified when he received the first sword strike.

The man drew his sword, neither shaking nor washing it, seemingly unconcerned about the blood on it.

Amidst the utter silence, he glanced around.

It was the face of a true man, not that of Pei Ye, a boy just beginning to develop sharp features, nor that of Zhu Gaoyang, a young man still retaining a clear and bright spirit. This face bore the marks of many winds and sun, its skin appearing tough and hard.

Pei Ye already knew who he was.

On the Crane Ranking, he is probably considered a cultivator of this generation, but in the eyes of the real young people, he is obviously a senior from the previous generation.

Eighth on the Crane List—no further elaboration is needed; this is the pinnacle of cultivation in the world.

“The Heavenly Mountain [Red Steed] is clearing the way,” the man said, withdrawing his gaze. “Anyone who blocks the way will die.”

(End of this chapter)