Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 83 South Lake Islands
Xu Boyang nodded and said:

"I only went to 'Smoke and Fire Mountain Light' when something happened. I didn't even have time to explore the lake area nearby. However, I didn't see any other islands. But then again, this matter can't be confirmed yet. I have to wait a month to see what happens at the Three Thousand Academy before we can know the outcome."

Su Yanlu's smile faded slightly, and she nodded slowly. She asked, "Do you have a general understanding of the situation regarding the Qingshen cultivator who gave you the opportunity and the Three Thousand Academy?"

"When I met that Senior Qingshen, he was severely injured and his speech was sporadic. However, he told me about his entanglement with the Three Thousand Academy and some of the Three Thousand Academy's affairs. He didn't say much about his own affairs. I only know that his name is Li Daoren."

"Master Li?"

Su Yanlu thought for a moment and shook her head.

"I've never heard of this person. I guess he has left Qingshen for many years."

Xu Boyang nodded and said, "Brother Su's guess is correct. This person is quite old, over a hundred years old, and his cultivation level is not very high, only the ninth level of Condensation Yuan."

When Su Yanlu heard that Xu Boyang had only reached such a level of cultivation, she knew that the opportunity he had obtained was not much better. She was disappointed and bored for a moment, and lost interest in asking further questions. She changed the subject and asked about the Three Thousand Academies.

Xu Boyang had known that he would ask this question. Since this matter had nothing to do with him, he had no concerns. He told Su Yanlu the situation of the Three Thousand Academy in detail, but did not mention the matter between Ding Tianshi and Dongguo Diyun.

This matter is very strange. Ding Tianshi, as a cultivator of the Qingshenxian Sect, actually deals with Confucian figures from foreign forces. As a guest of the Ding family, Xu Boyang naturally keeps silent about this. The reason is unclear at this time, and he doesn't know the ins and outs. He must not say anything carelessly, otherwise he will get into trouble and end up shooting himself in the foot.

Su Yanlu listened silently, the smile on her face gradually disappeared, and she looked at Su Zilu, then sighed softly:
"Brother Xu, you've really made great contributions in the past three days. Compared to what happened before, they were just trivial matters between our two families. What you are talking about now is a major matter concerning Qingshen!"

"You just mentioned the three families that defected from Qingshen, as well as the three families from Guliang Hanquan Academy. I've heard of them all. It seems that Senior Li is sincere towards you, and what he said is true."

"It seems that these three thousand academies are not just a simple force. The collusion between the Taoists, Confucianists, and demons may endanger Qingshen. Now, if you use their power to fight against them and establish a relationship with them, you can follow the clues and find out what they are doing behind the scenes."

Xu Boyang smiled bitterly:
"Brother Su, I didn't think too much about it at the time. I simply disguised myself as Master Ding, the immortal cultivator of my Fengqing garrison, hoping to intimidate him. I didn't expect that I actually succeeded in intimidating him. I guess it's probably because the Qingshen Immortal Sect is so famous that it intimidates the Confucian scholars in the north."

"You're wrong. These people aren't afraid of your Taoist priest Ding. They're just afraid of the Ling Xiao Sect behind them."

Su Yanlu's eyes flickered as she explained calmly,
"The Huaiyou Lingxiao Sect is led by four Huangting Feathered Masters. They are only one step behind our Jiangzuo Cangyu Sect and are ranked second to the Qingshen Sect. Their strength should not be underestimated. Moreover, Lingxiao Sect's leader, Ling Xuanzhen, hates evil and will never let go of any slight. He is well-known throughout the country and is known to the world."

"From what Brother Xu said today, it's not a big deal. They're simply seeking revenge on Taoist Li because their scriptures were stolen. Three Thousand Academy has been doing things that have harmed Qingshen for years, and they're already guilty of their crimes. Naturally, they don't want to come into direct conflict with the Lingxiao Sect. Brother Xu, you've got a brilliant plan!"

Xu Boyang saw that Su Yanlu frowned when she spoke, so she did not feel happy when she heard his praise. He asked seriously,
"Brother Su, did you find anything unusual?"

Su Yanlu pursed her lips and smiled bitterly:
"Nothing, I just thought about how Qingshen has been stumbling and stumbling over the years, and how there are always some people with bad intentions."

Xu Boyang felt the same way and said:

"Brother Su, although we have come out to make a living, we are all Qingshen cultivators after all. Our home and roots are still in Qingshen. Since we have entered the Dao sect, we are Qingshen people. If anything happens to Qingshen, we will not be able to have a good ending. If Brother Su notices anything, please tell me. As a Qingshen cultivator, Boyang has an unshirkable responsibility and should fight alongside Brother Su!"

These words immediately touched Su Yanlu's heart. She was deeply moved and smiled.
"Boyang's words are righteous and stern, resounding like thunder in my ears. Well said! If every Qingshen in my country were like you, we wouldn't have to worry about internal troubles or external threats. No wonder my sister favors you so much!"

"Eh…"

Su Zilu was originally listening attentively to the conversation between the two with her chin in her hand. At this moment, she was stunned and confused. When she heard the words clearly, she immediately felt embarrassed and agitated. She pulled Su Yanlu's sleeve and said softly:

"Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? Why did you two bring me up? Ghost Face is a good person to begin with, so it's normal for him to say such things. What does this have to do with me?"

Xu Boyang was a little amused and helpless for a moment, but the words he said came from his heart.

After these few days of walking, his mentality has changed. Before, because of the [Purple Star Fate Palace], he had resistance to the Qingshen Immortal Sect. He always felt that the sect's rule was rigid and the rules were strict.

Now that he had arrived at the Zhufen Plain and met Monk Li, his thoughts had undergone a drastic change. First, he felt the hardships and difficulties of the Qingshen Immortal Sect, and then he felt the turmoil and disputes outside.

When I first arrived at Zhufen Wilderness, I found that this place was indeed much freer than Qingshen, but as I went deeper, I felt that the forces were very chaotic and the backgrounds were very complicated. To be honest, it was not as safe as Yuchuan Fengqing Town.

Nowadays, most of the people in my family are mortals. They have no worries about food and clothing in the small town, and live a comfortable and peaceful life. They don’t have to worry about a monk coming down from the sky and destroying the town, nor do they have to worry all the time about a wild monster appearing and eating people indiscriminately.

After all, the Heaven of the Blue Gods is supported by a True Man and maintained by numerous Feathered Monks. What can this wilderness of the Fen River hold? Monk Li will be found no matter where he hides. The Yellow Beg tribe is innocent for possessing the treasure, but the common people are guilty. The weak will be slaughtered.

To put it bluntly, this place is not suitable for mortals to survive at all. It is only suitable for monks. They fight with each other and the winner is the king. It all depends on who has the harder fist. There is no so-called fairness and justice.

In this case, how could Xu Boyang feel at ease to bring the two elderly people in his family here? It would be better for him to stay in Fengqing Town honestly. Before he has enough strength, it is best for the mortals in his family not to leave Qingshen. If something really happens, it will be too late to regret.

At this time, Xu Boyang was a little embarrassed when he heard Su Yanlu teasing his sister and Su Zilu's retort. He laughed dryly twice and said:
"Boyang is just like that. He always speaks his mind. Miss Ziyi, you are too kind."

Su Yanlu sighed softly, and her tone became a little closer:

"Boyang, that Qingshen senior you mentioned, Taoist Li, probably gave you the opportunity because you are a disciple of Qingshen."

"We Qingshen people will never forget our identity. It's only because there are always those who betray our own country and forget their ancestors, secretly plotting and scheming, and never giving up the desire to destroy us Qingshen. We have only known each other for a short time, and now that we are out in the outside world, I am very happy that you still have this thought."

After saying this, he stood up, his hands behind his back, and said sternly:

"I hope you won't forget the trust you entrusted to me before my death, and I hope you won't forget what you said today. From now on, our two families will work together to build a world of Taoism and be friends forever!"

Xu Boyang restrained his smile and nodded solemnly:
“Brother Su, don’t worry. As a Qingshen cultivator of my generation, Boyang will never forget!”

"Haha! Your news is really good! Okay! After listening to yours, let's listen to mine!"

Su Yanlu laughed loudly, waved her sleeves and sat back on the chair, leaning on her knees with both hands, and said,
"There are many islands beyond Shanwu Island, collectively known as the Nanhu Islands. Most of them are inhabited by barbarian monsters and Li witches, but they are just a motley crowd. I've been secretly investigating for three days and found that there are many forces behind these islands, no less than forty or fifty."

"Among them, the stronger ones are the Langmo, Houyan, and Niushan tribes of the Barbarian Demons, the Black Earth and Changxian tribes of the Li Wu, as well as the Kongxian Mountain founded by a Taoist cultivator, the Wenxin Island founded by a Confucian cultivator, and the Leiyin Temple founded by a Buddhist cultivator."

"Oh, right, there's another power within the Crystal Palace called the Yuyang Palace."

"I captured a few minions and asked them. The strongest ones in the Nanhu Islands are probably the six families of Langmo, Niushan, Changxian, Wenxin, Leiyin, and Yuyang."

"But the islands over there are relatively close, only about forty or fifty miles away. Many parties dislike each other and often fight each other, making it difficult to defend against them. At this moment, it seems that it is not an ideal place to station." After saying this, he smiled slyly and said softly,
"But fortunately, this place is quite chaotic. I've only been there for three days and I've already picked up a lot of bargains."

Xu Boyang laughed: "Great, it turns out Brother Su is not idle either."

Su Yanlu casually made a move, and a black gold shuttle and a small bronze bell flew out from her waist. She flicked her finger and sent them to Xu Boyang, saying with a smile:

"On the way, there were two blind little thieves who took offense to me and insisted on giving me two spiritual artifacts. This [Golden Jade Shuttle] is a flying artifact with decent speed, and the other [Roaring Bronze Bell] is a defensive artifact that can condense a spiritual formation. However, they are both artifacts of the Condensation Stage."

"I can't use it here, so you might as well give it to Jiusheng. When he reaches the sixth level of Condensation, he will have to fly around a lot."

Xu Boyang was delighted when he saw it, and did not refuse. He accepted it immediately. Thinking about it, he patted his chest, and the [Green Armor] on his body jumped out. He held it in both hands, walked over and handed it to Su Zilu, saying:
"Miss Zi Yi, I was lucky enough to get a [Kanshui] foundation-building defense magic weapon, but I can't use it. You might as well use it for self-defense."

Su Zilu didn't know the goods at first, but when she saw the white and green, shiny and beautiful thing, she took it and looked at it for a while. Then she was surprised when she heard the words, and quickly handed it back, saying:

"Foundation-building magic weapon? This is not cheap. No, no, I have a magic weapon. You can take it back."

Xu Boyang would never want it, and said with a smile:
"Miss Ziyi, you don't have to be so polite. I haven't been able to repay you for your support over the years. What's the point of a mere foundation-building magic weapon? This item doesn't match the spiritual energy I cultivate. Keeping it would be a waste of a gift."

Su Zilu asked curiously, "Aren't you cultivating [Gen Kan]? Any amount will be useful!"

"Sister, you don't understand. Since Boyang is so kind, just keep it."

Su Yanlu smiled and explained, "Although this [Gen Kan] is mountain water, it actually belongs to the [Li Fire] lineage. Generally speaking, a pure [Kan Water] magic weapon can be used, but the effect is not good and cannot play its maximum role."

"Oh."

Su Zilu suddenly realized it and happily accepted it, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Ghost Face."

Xu Boyang smiled and waved his hand, then sat down again and asked:

"Then according to Brother Su, what can we do in the South Lake Islands?"

"Boyang."

Su Yanlu smiled mysteriously:
"Since we still have a month left, we shouldn't sit idle. The Nanhu Islands are full of mixed crowds, so we can take advantage of the situation."

Xu Boyang saw that Su Yanlu had already made up her mind, and clapped his hands and laughed:
"If Brother Su had planned it first, it would have been brilliant!"

Su Yanlu explained:
"This place isn't suitable for our two families, but we can secretly support a puppet force. I've already investigated, and the Taoist sect's Kongkong Mountain is weak and has been squeezed out by other families. It's powerless. We can start there as a backup."

"If we can't get 'Smoke Mountain Light' by then, we might as well take this 'Idle Mountain' first. If we can get it, this Empty Mountain will be our flag planted in the South Lake Islands."

Xu Boyang asked, "Brother Su, have you checked the cultivation level of the cultivators on Kongxian Mountain?"

"Not high, there are only three people at the eighth level of Condensation Yuan, and the rest are minor cultivators."

Su Yanlu didn't care at all. She picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said softly,
"Don't worry, apart from the six families I just mentioned, no other family has the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Xu Boyang smiled and said, "That's right. As long as we don't mess with these six families, we won't have to worry about the rest."

"Yes, but the Langmo tribe and Wenxin Island will have to clash sooner or later."

Su Yanlu's eyes flashed with brilliance, her face gloomy, and she said slowly,
"Boyang, do you know why I'm so optimistic about the Hunan Islands? It's not just because the lake area is vast enough, the islands are large enough, and the population is large enough, but most importantly, there are two long-established markets in the southern and northern parts of the Nanhu Islands, each with a booming business."

"If we can get involved in the business of the market, or even take over one of them, our lives will be much easier in the future."

Xu Boyang's eyes lit up and he said happily, "There's actually a market, that's great!"

Su Zilu also clapped her hands happily and said, "Yes, then I can open a medicine shop."

"Ah."

Su Yanlu nodded and said, "There are two markets here. The one in the south is controlled by the Barbarian Demon Wolf Mo tribe, and the one in the north is controlled by the Confucian Inquiry Island."

"As long as we take over one, we will have an endless supply of money from now on."

Xu Boyang saw that Su Yanlu had gained a thorough understanding of the entire Nanhu Islands in just three days. It turned out that having the support of a powerful family was extraordinary. Her knowledge and skills were first-class. For a moment, he looked at her with new respect and admiration.

He then asked, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. I wonder how Brother Su plans to deal with Kongkong Mountain?"

Su Yanlu looked calm and relaxed, lowered her head, gulped down a sip of tea, and said softly:

"There's no need to bother with such a small sect. Just go ahead and, for the sake of our fellow sect, give him two choices: surrender or get out."

Xu Boyang was stunned. He looked at Su Yanlu sipping tea with her head down. Her tone was calm but sharp, and her words were full of disdain. He muttered to himself:
"After all, the other party has three people at the eighth level of Condensation Yuan. Our strength is roughly equal. Why do you sound so confident? Brother Su is a little too confident. This is not a good thing."

Although I thought so in my heart, I couldn't say it out loud. Since the Su family planned this way, I might as well take a look at their methods first, so I said:
"That's fine. I'll leave it to Brother Su to decide. I'll do my best."

"it is good."

Su Yanlu nodded slightly. He had already planned this matter and just informed Xu Boyang. It seemed that this man still knew his limits and at least knew the priorities. It seemed that he had not entrusted the wrong person with the task. He felt relieved and said after thinking about it:

"However, I've only been to the Nanhu Islands for three days, so I can't claim to have fully grasped them. I think it's necessary to wait for Uncle Zhang Guanzhi, Zhang Pingduan, to return before exploring their depths. If there are any intricacies I haven't noticed, and I act rashly, I might suffer a loss. After all, knowing both yourself and your enemy is the key to success."

Xu Boyang felt strange and turned to ask Su Zilu:
"Hasn't Zhang Guanzhi come over these past two days? Has his uncle not returned yet?"

Thanks to book friend 8179 for the monthly ticket!
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(End of this chapter)