Embers of Sword

Chapter 752: Entering the Pass
"You are still threatening me."

Luo Hai sat in the rattan chair, his gaze cold.

The attitude he displayed in front of Marquis Xining at this moment was completely different from that in front of Xie Xuanyi.

Reaching the level of the Ten Heroes is completely different from ordinary people.

Zhu Gong was one of the seven marquises, stationed in Xining City, and was a regional lord... But in Luo Hai's eyes, a person like Zhu Gong was no big deal to kill.

At most, the Crown Prince will offer an apology.

And that was the end of it.

"..."

Zhu Gong was drenched in cold sweat. He knelt on the ground, lowered his head, and dared not utter another word.

"After tonight, I never want to see Zhu Shuo again."

Luo Hai frowned and said, "What he did to my disciple...it's disgusting. How could such a repulsive creature emerge from the Marquis of Xining's mansion?"

"You...disciple?"

Uncle Yao and Zhu Gong were both stunned when they heard this.

They immediately understood why Luo Hai was at the Marquis's residence at this moment—

After comprehending the Dao of Annihilation, Xie Yueying was taken under the wing of this newly promoted Ten Heroes and became a disciple of the One-Sword Sect.

This way.

The information should indeed be kept confidential.

The changes at Baoyue Tower were a misfortune for Xining residents, who could only accept their fate.

but……

Luo Hai's request, however, exceeded their expectations.

Is this... Zhu Shuo's death?

Uncle Yao reacted quickly. He knew that at this moment, the Marquis's mansion had no right to resist, so he hurriedly replied, "...Yes, sir!"

Luo Hai gave a soft "hmm," stood up, and prepared to leave.

"grown ups!"

At that moment, Zhu Gong gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pleading for mercy, "I only have this one nephew. Could you please show mercy and spare his life? I will definitely punish him severely!"

Luo Hai stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head slightly, but only half of his face was visible.

At this moment, Luo Hai's eyes were extremely cold. He didn't say a word, but with just a glance, Zhu Gong turned pale and slumped back down...

In the face of a powerful figure like Luo Hai, Xining City has no right to bargain.

He wanted Zhu Shuo dead.

Zhu Shuo must die.

……

……

The next day.

On a rare sunny day, crowds thronged the northern part of Xining.

Xie Xuanyi altered his appearance using the "Faces of All Beings" technique, blending into the crowd and heading out of the city. After "smuggling" himself into the Li Kingdom by cargo ship, Xining City was merely his first stop. His destination was Xuanbei Pass, guarded by Chen Chong... Having deciphered the scheme of the "strategist" from the Demon Kingdom, he planned to travel through Chongzhou for some time, observing the changes in demonic energy in the northern border of the Li Kingdom to confirm the opponent's true move.

If I guessed correctly.

A massive wave of demons is about to sweep across the country.

Without warning, this demonic tide could very well seize half of Chongzhou… The battle of poison sixty years ago turned the Northern Prefecture of Da Chu into a chessboard; times have changed, and now the Kingdom of Li is about to become the next main battlefield. No one in the Li court is currently aware of this dire situation; the Crown Prince is preoccupied with internal power struggles. The Ninth Prince can only defend himself; even if he recognizes the predicament, he cannot change anything.

In this situation, an outsider is needed to "break the deadlock".

Xie Xuanyi's journey to the east is intended to be the one to break this deadlock.

"Have you heard?"

"A major event occurred at the Marquis of Xining's residence last night!"

Amid the crowd, some people whispered.

"What's the big deal?"

"The Marquis of Xining's nephew...died from excessive drinking..."

"Tsk, what a blessing from heaven! This little bastard, relying on his power, forcibly abducted women, and recently even drove a family to commit suicide..."

The news spread far and wide.

Xie Xuanyi heard everything clearly without using his divine sense.

He remained calm and continued on his way.

Zhu Shuo is dead?

After parting ways with Luo Hai last night, Xie Xuanyi stopped caring about Xie Yueying's affairs... Although he had only met Luo Hai once, he understood the way this "Young Master of the One Blade Sect" acted. This guy was quite reliable. Since he had promised to clean up his mess, he would naturally take full responsibility for the blame that Baoyue Tower should bear.

It is clear that Zhu Shuo's death was orchestrated by Luo Hai.

This guy must have gone to the Marquis's residence in person after I left. Given Luo Hai's personality, he definitely couldn't stand Zhu Shuo... Going to the Marquis's residence in person, he obviously wanted to take his life.

From the moment Xie Xuanyi saw "Zhu Shuo," he guessed what would become of him.

This scum deserved to die.

Let’s look at it now.

I no longer need to worry that the case of Baoyue Tower will attract Nalan Xuance's attention. All I need to do next is leave Xining City and quietly enter Xuanbei Pass.

Everything went smoothly from then on.

Xie Xuanyi traveled north from Xining City, riding in a carriage towards Xuanbei Pass.

He didn't wield his sword, completely concealing his aura. He was inspected twice by hook-and-pinchers along the way and scanned by a detection artifact linked to the [Iron Curtain]... but nothing seemed amiss. This journey into the pass reminded Xie Xuanyi of his trip when he first awoke in Jade Pearl Town. At that time, he had lost all his cultivation, and his natal flying sword was still lost in the North Sea. He had endured a lot of hardship on his journey to Qingzhou.

Now it is completely different.

Not to mention the hook-and-pinchers who block the road for inspections, there are only Foundation Establishment Realm and Qi Control Realm cultivators.

Even if a spirit of darkness blocks the way, it will not reveal the slightest flaw.

Xining City is rich, while Xuanbei Pass is barren. The two passes are not too far apart, about four or five hundred li apart. With the blessing of the talisman, we arrived at our destination in two days and one night.

As we approached Xuanbei Pass, night had already fallen.

From afar, it was a magnificent, weathered, black city wall, nearly a hundred feet high, standing tall and imposing like a mountain.

The cavalry patrolled the area, maintaining strict security.

To enter or leave Xining City, one only needs identification and proof of merchant dealings to pass. But Xuanbei Pass is different... To enter or leave this pass, one needs a "tally." Chen Jingxuan had already considered these troublesome matters. Xie Xuanyi, following the instructions of the Ruyi Order, parked the carriage at the foot of a desolate hill twenty miles away from Xuanbei Pass.

Not long after.

Lights and fires ignited in the night.

A figure tore through the void and arrived at the foot of the mountain.

"Brother Xie, it's been a long time."

The darkness was illuminated by the bright blue flames, and a ten-zhang-long fire domain stretched out from the barren hill. This fire domain was not large, just enough to cover the carriage, but it gave people a sense of warmth.

"Fire Lord?"

Xie Xuanyi was somewhat surprised.

He never imagined that the person who sent him the ultimatum would be the Fire Lord!
But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

My trip to the east was highly confidential, and the person qualified to deliver the ultimatum must be one of Chen Jingxuan's most trusted confidants.

"it's me."

The Fire Lord smiled and said, "Brother Xie, this should be considered our first formal meeting, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuanyi was slightly taken aback.

A year ago, during the chaos in the Great Chu Imperial City, the Fire Lord played a crucial role. At the most critical moment, he personally delivered Chen Jingxuan's message to Zhao Tongtian. Unfortunately...

The Fire Lord and Xie Xuanyi failed to meet that time.

Counting the days, the last time the two met was in the desert of Yuzhou... At that time, the Fire Lord did not know that Xie Zhen was Xie Xuanyi.

"It really is."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said apologetically, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hide it."

"No need to apologize, I understand."

The Fire Lord smiled and shook his head, then said seriously, "Back then, Brother Xie was still weak, so it was best to keep it a secret. Now that Brother Xie has joined the ranks of the Ten Heroes, he has undergone a complete transformation, but this is still the Li Kingdom, so it is best to be cautious in this matter."

Say it.

He took out the travel document from his sleeve.

Xie Xuanyi accepted it and asked curiously, "You came to see me this time, will it be...?"

The relationship between Chu and Li has become delicate and tense, and the Fire Lord has chosen to remain within the territory of Li in order to carry out his mission.

He was, after all, a Great Perfection of the Yin God Realm.

Except for the Yang spirit.

No one could keep him.

However, beings of this level are far too dangerous, and the Fire Lord's every move is closely watched by Nalan Xuance.

"no need to worry."

The Fire Lord looked up at the sky, smiled slightly, and said, "Sir has already made arrangements... However, I can only stay briefly and have no time to chat with Brother Xie."

While talking.

He tore through the void, scattering array talismans to outline a new teleportation array.

"Thank you brother."

As the array symbols fluttered, the Fire Lord said in a deep voice, "Currently, within the borders of the country, two factions are locked in a fierce battle. The 'military conflict' at Xuanbei Pass is already showing signs of brewing. When you enter the pass this time, try your best not to get involved in the turmoil..."

Han Li and Chen Chong were rivals.

These two enemies have a deep-seated grudge, and Nalan Xuance and the Crown Prince intend to cultivate the former in order to suppress Chen Chong's momentum.

"As far as I know, Han Li has received an extraordinary stroke of luck in the past two years, and his cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds. He may now have the strength to rival the 'Great Perfection' level."

The Fire Lord's expression was stern.

He solemnly said, "Although I cannot compare to you... the Iron Curtain is extremely accurate in detecting the aura of the strong. Once your identity is exposed, you will be hunted down and besieged by the Yang God of the Li Kingdom."

Although the Li Kingdom cannot compare with the Great Chu Kingdom.

However, Nalan Xuance still has several Yang Gods under his command that he can mobilize.

This Grand Preceptor has been managing the Great Li Dynasty for many years. Unlike the orthodox "Celestial Watchers," the magic of Xuanwei Island is complex and diverse. Although it has the ability to see into fate, it cannot easily grasp cause and effect like the magic of the Book Pavilion.

Everything has its good and bad sides.

Nalan Xuance cannot see the distant future of the river of destiny, nor is he bound by too much fate.

So, decades ago, he advanced to the Yang God realm. In recent years, he has kept a low profile and never made a move... No one knows what level his strength has reached, but it is certain that the Li Kingdom's national teacher, who mainly cultivates the "Mysterious Subtle Technique," is not at a very high level. This kind of low-level technique is quite time-consuming and energy-draining, so it is already very difficult for him to advance to the Yang God realm.

Xuanwei Island and Wangyou Island have been locked in a fierce rivalry for many years.

Besides Nalan Xuance, Xuanwei Island also has an unparalleled "mysterious Yang God".

This Yang God, jokingly referred to as Nalan Xuance's shadow, only made a move in the past few decades to protect Nalan Xuance's safety.

"Nalan Xuance, the Shadow of Xuanwei Island, Luo Lie, Luo Hai, Chen Chong..."

The Fire Lord said solemnly, "These people are very dangerous, Brother Xie, please be careful."

"Thank you for reminding me, I will be careful."

Xie Xuanyi nodded.

He noticed that Luo Hai's name was among the dangerous figures mentioned by the Fire Lord. It seemed that information about Baoyue Tower had not yet been disseminated, and even someone of the Fire Lord's level was unaware of the inside story.

It seems that I am currently in a safe situation.

But what happens next is hard to say.

Once you step into Xuanbei Pass, no one knows what will happen.

While they were talking, the teleportation array was already inscribed.

The Fire Lord did not linger any longer, immediately activated the array runes, and left.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi, clutching the travel permit, stood alone at the foot of the desolate mountain, lost in thought.

The Fire Lord previously said that Han Li might now possess the strength of "Great Perfection"?

The information from the Flower Petal World is indeed useful, but it shouldn't be taken at face value.

After the causal chain shifted... many things became unpredictable.

He always felt that the current situation at Xuanbei Pass was somewhat strange. After achieving unparalleled merit, Nalan Xuance and the Crown Prince allocated military power over Yuanzhou, Yuzhou, and Wuzhou to Chen Chong. However, at the last minute, they suppressed Chongzhou, preventing the cavalry from advancing north. Chen Chong was forced to accept a title and rank, taking over the three most barren and impoverished prefectures... He seemed to be at the pinnacle of power, but in reality, his situation was quite dangerous. His most elite cavalry under his command were now trapped in the desolate desert and mountains south of Chongzhou and north of Qianzhou, in the heart of the Li Kingdom, following this promotion.

Now that the demonic tide is moving south and the situation is overwhelming, the Crown Prince should, in principle, withdraw from Han Li and directly send Chen Chong's iron cavalry north.

If Chongzhou falls...

What's the point of internal strife?
Those powerful cultivators from the Demon Kingdom would disregard everything and directly seize all of Li Kingdom's territory.

At that time, those "citizens of the foreign land" will be nothing more than furnaces, food, and worthless weeds in the eyes of demon cultivators.

But the crown prince did not do that.

The northern pass is now held by two generals, each holding half of it.

Half of Han Li, half of Chen Chong.

Han Li is nominally the leader of the "Chongzhou" Iron Cavalry. If Chen Chong's Iron Cavalry wants to march north to fight the Great Demon, they need Han Li's approval to be legitimate. The Crown Prince's order is like stabbing himself in the belly. The internal strife is already fierce, and the Crown Prince's faction needs to devote a lot of energy to fighting against the Ninth Prince. Now they also have to devote more energy to suppressing Chen Chong internally.

Xie Xuanyi had met the Crown Prince once.

Although this person is arrogant, he is also cunning and is definitely not such a fool.

Internal strife, internal strife...

From the Crown Prince's perspective, this vast Li Kingdom would eventually belong to "himself," and he would never accept the unexpected breach of Xuanbei Pass. The current situation was completely contrary to Xie Xuanyi's understanding of the Crown Prince.

"do not care."

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath. He had been trying to figure things out for a long time, but he still couldn't make sense of it. He decided to go through the pass first.

As night fell, the lights went out.

Xie Xuanyi drove the carriage towards Xuanbei Pass.

……

……

at the same time.

Beneath the northern gate, iron cavalry patrolled, maintaining strict security. Every carriage entering the city had to undergo rigorous inspection before being allowed to pass.

A convoy transporting supplies was stopped by a patrol.

After a long journey.

The convoy members were already exhausted, but they were forced to pull themselves together and undergo the inspection.

At this moment, in the very last carriage.

A young novice monk was huddled among the provisions, hugging his knees. His eyes were closed, his expression sincere, and his lips moved as if he were silently reciting something.

The young novice silently recited the mantra over and over again in his heart.

Amitabha Buddha, may the Bodhisattva protect you.

The world is at peace, and everything is going smoothly.

(End of this chapter)