Druid Fairy

Chapter 83 Five Spirits Play, Resolving Future Trouble
As the demonic mist shrouding Mount Ling gradually dissipated, all the martial artists keenly noticed the change and cautiously explored their way home, like ants extending their antennae.

More and more martial artists gathered, setting aside their previous conflicts and grudges over hunting the treasure beasts, and spontaneously formed an alliance, heading down the mountain.

"The beast tide has receded, we can walk now!"

Shen Xiaotian returned from his scout's expedition, bringing back news that excited everyone.

If everyone was initially excited about the treasure hunt, after experiencing the beast tide, all they wanted to do was leave this dangerous place as quickly as possible.

Li Pingfu had already learned from Li Pingcan that the demonic disaster had subsided, so he was not surprised and said, "Let's go down the mountain together."

No one objected; they quickly packed their bags and joined the main group midway.

"Hoohoo!"

A berserk wild boar suddenly rushed into the crowd. Li Pingfu's expression turned slightly solemn. Even ordinary bloodline beings can become aggressive like treasure beasts after going berserk, especially wild boars, which are inherently ferocious animals.

The large group is a mixed bag, so we must be careful. Once we make a move, we might expose our weaknesses or allow others to learn our moves and counter our strategies.

but……

There's no escaping it now; let's finish this quickly.

The knuckle duster flashed, and he was about to make a move when he paused in thought, which was taken as a sign that he hadn't had time to react.

"careful!"

A light, melodious female voice called out urgently, "Don't stand there, get behind me."

The woman was dressed in white, with eyebrows like distant mountains and skin like solidified cream. Her long sword moved with the grace of a butterfly, and she approached the wild boar with light movements, leaving several bloody marks on its body, forcing it to roar repeatedly.

"Oh no!" Li Pingfu thought to himself.

The woman's swordsmanship was quite good, but she clearly lacked experience in direct combat against a berserk beast.

Instead of retreating, the wild boar advanced, braving the sword light to slit its neck, intending to use its tusks to ram into the unsuspecting woman.

The beast's pain perception was greatly reduced after going berserk, and the female swordsman suffered from her lack of experience!

In the moment of crisis, Li Pingfu kicked out and sprinted forward like an arrow. He channeled his inner strength into his knuckle duster, soaring high over the female swordswoman and smashing the wild boar's neck!

Black blood splattered like black rain, casting a thin layer of bloody light over Li Pingfu. He held the wild boar's head in one hand and dragged its body with the other, yet his expression remained as calm as ever, a stark contrast to his ruthless methods.

The female swordsman stared blankly at Li Pingfu, who seemed both god and demon. After a moment, a look of shame appeared on her face: "I have disturbed you."

If he hadn't intervened, this martial artist could have handled the berserk boar. Instead, his own actions caused some unforeseen complications, and he ended up needing the other party to save him.

"I should thank you." Li Pingfu's smile dispelled the murderous aura emanating from him.

If he were just an ordinary person, the female swordsman would indeed have saved him, but she would have been in grave danger.

Such a noble character of selflessness is rare even among martial artists.

"Ling'er!" A voice came from behind, and the old man was dressed in a pine-smoky-colored close-fitting outfit.

"Father!" Ling'er sheathed her longsword and hurriedly went to greet him.

Seeing that his daughter was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands to Li Pingfu, saying, "I am from the Jiang Family Sword Hall of Yunshui County. Thank you for your help. May I ask who you are?"

"This junior is Li Pingfu from the Li Family Martial Arts School in Pantao Town." Li Pingfu took the handkerchief from his younger brother and wiped his face, greeting him as a junior.

Master Jiang narrowed his eyes.

What kind of establishment is this, using a surname as its brand name just like me?
There are countless martial arts schools in the world, most of which use their famous techniques as their signboard. Those that can use their surname either have a deep-rooted heritage or are extremely confident.

This kid comes from Pantao Town, so he obviously can't be the former.

Li Pingfu… He pondered the name, then suddenly realized something and said, “You’re the one known in the martial arts world as the Tyrant Tiger Li Pingfu, a martial arts genius?”

"You flatter me, senior." Li Pingfu was unwilling to talk any further.

Although Master Jiang appeared old, his aura was extremely fierce, and the black ruler sword at his waist gave off a heavy sense of oppression.

'Peak of the Divine Fiend Realm? No, it could also be a post-natal martial artist!' His whole body tensed up, secretly on guard—this was the instinctive reaction to facing a powerful creature!
"Young friend, there's no need to be nervous. I was just asking casually."

Looking at Jiang Ling'er, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, Master Jiang laughed heartily, "You are my daughter's benefactor, I am too grateful to ask for your help."

His gaze kept shifting between Li Pingfu and Jiang Ling'er.

Li Pingfu felt that the curator's gaze was strange, and he became increasingly wary.

……

During the midday break.

"Brother Li," Jiang Ling'er handed the roasted meat to Li Pingfu, saying, "My father told me to bring this for you to try."

She awkwardly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I just baked this."

Li Pingfu smiled and said, "Thank you, but I just ate and can't eat right now."

"Then let's give it to Pingcan."

"He's full too."

"Oh, well... leave it for now, you can eat it when you're hungry." Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling'er stammered and put down the meat in her hand. Before Li Pingfu could refuse again, she fled as if she were running away.

"Let me see what's being baked?"

Li Pingcan curiously peeled back the leaves and saw the steaming hot roasted meat. He clicked his tongue and said, "My darling, the most quintessential part of the treasure beast's meat, so thoughtful..."

Otherwise, why would Lin Fengwu have asked Lei Zhenshan to use bronze utensils to collect the heart's blood of the Purple-Toothed Boar? It's all good stuff!
Li Pingfu quickly stopped his underling's actions, frowning as he asked, "You dare to eat things given to you by strangers?"

Li Pingcan paused.

He didn't intend to eat them; he was purely curious. Just digesting those five precious herbs would be enough to help him break through to the Acquired Realm.

But judging from the older brother's reaction, he just hasn't figured it out yet!

Jiang Ling'er's affection for you is practically overflowing, and you haven't even noticed?

Li Pingcan looked at Jiang Ling'er's fleeing figure with a touch of pity, fully anticipating how difficult Jiang Ling'er's pursuit would be.

at the same time.

Lin Fengwu also silently stared at Jiang Ling'er's back.

She couldn't understand why Li Pingfu could accept the roasted meat Jiang Ling'er gave him, but not Lin Xiaowu, allowing her to use this to control the entire martial arts school in Pantao Town.
No matter how bad her daughter was, she shouldn't have ended up falling into a deep valley!

…………

The waxing and waning of the moon on Mount Ling are ever-changing.

Joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, all take place beneath Mount Ling.

Upon seeing Zhao Yunbo's severed arm, the Zhao clan patriarch coughed up a mouthful of blood in front of everyone, his face ashen, his eyes wide open, as if he were witnessing a tall building collapsing.

The Zhao family's most elite, outstanding, and excellent members all perished in the beast tide, and their core strength was destroyed in an instant.

They even lost their clan's treasured artifacts, wasted a lot of money and connections, and ended up losing both their wife and their army!

He looked at Liang Xianguan, unable to accept the outcome, yet he dared not openly express his hatred.

They thought they had victory in the bag, but unexpectedly, Liang Xian Guan pulled a fast one and didn't play the game according to the established rules!
Compared to the Zhou family, the Wang family, and their peripheral members who escaped, the Zhao family suffered heavy losses.

After a long silence, the Zhao clan patriarch lowered his clenched fist, bowed his head, and sighed, "Please spare the lives of our Zhao clan."

"That's fine." Liang Xianguan smiled slightly, "As long as the Zhao family gives up the treasure pond, shops, and herb garden..."

The loser, of course, has to cede territory, pay reparations, and beg for mercy.

Even if the Zhao clan chief was unwilling, he had no choice but to agree to live under Liang Xianguan's watchful eye.

He had this thought in his mind: once the immortal of his family became a prominent figure in the sect, he might be able to take revenge for all the humiliation he had suffered today.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn; never underestimate the poverty of the elderly!
Following the same pattern, Liang Xianguan extorted money from the Wang and Zhou families, squeezing them thoroughly before he was satisfied.

"You did very well."

With a smile, Liang Xianguan said to the head of the Zhou family's collateral branch, "Now that the King of Zhao is crippled, your direct line is also half-crippled. You may well be able to take his place and become the number one clan in Yunshui County."

For decades, the Zhou family's collateral branches have been suppressed by the main branch, and no branch members are allowed to hold any important positions.

You could say that even a dog owned by a direct descendant is better off than a dog owned by a branch of the family.

If this continued, the collateral branches of the Zhou family would become increasingly resentful.

So when the celestial official extended an olive branch, the head of the collateral branch of the family accepted without hesitation.

They never expected to fail; the "traitor" was exposed, tortured, and died.

Fortunately, Liang Xianguan was more skilled, able to see through the mysteries of the universe, and made the final decision with a single blow.

"It's all thanks to Lord Liang's profound wisdom, composure in the face of danger..." he boasted, bowing and scraping. "I admire you!"

"You'll take control of the Zhou family." Liang Xianguan was too lazy to listen to such boastful words; taking the Zhou family as his dogs was just a convenient thing to do.

"Thank you very much, Your Excellency." Zhou Shan was overjoyed.

From this day forward, he is the head of the Zhou family, and only one family's banner will fly high in the entire Yunshui County.

Zhou, second only to the emperor, above all others!

He waved his hand, signaling the man to leave.

The smug and composed expression on Liang Xianguan's face faded, replaced by a hint of doubt between his brows.

In terms of timing, something doesn't make sense. How could the beast tide dissipate so quickly!

The Wang and Zhou families were not thoroughly cleansed, which led to a significant reduction in the amount he exploited.

"Could it be that someone has discovered my plans and is secretly working against me?"

The faces of his former rivals from his time at the academy flashed through Liang Xianguan's mind, his expression rapidly shifting until his demeanor grew increasingly grave. It wouldn't be surprising if those old rivals were to sabotage him and resolve this predicament.

To be honest, his methods weren't particularly clever; he simply took advantage of the county's narrow-mindedness and ignorance of the wonders of the Immortal Pill.

Liang Xianguan pondered deeply, but never considered the martial arts school owners or the spirit beasts of Ling Mountain. To him, they were ants, not even on the same level.

…………

"If Master Li comes to Yunshui County, he may visit my Jiang Family Sword Hall."

As he was about to leave, Master Jiang looked at Li Pingfu and thought to himself that this outstanding young man and his daughter Ling'er were a perfect match.

He secretly asked Ling'er last night, and although Ling'er was shy and didn't say anything, she clearly had a very good impression of Li Pingfu.

If you like something and want it, you have to fight for it.

This is Jiang Guanzhu's consistent style!
Moreover, his daughter Jiang Ling'er is kind-hearted, highly skilled in swordsmanship, gentle in nature, and while not exactly a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she is a well-known beauty in Yunshui County.

If we spend enough time together, I'm sure this silly boy won't fall for me.

Li Pingfu's expression also became much more sincere.

His initial wariness of Jiang was an unconscious reaction to the unfamiliar environment. Over the past few hours, he has come to realize that Jiang Ling'er's feelings for him were genuine, not the ulterior motives he had imagined.

The Jiang Family Sword School is also well-known in Yunshui County. It has extensive connections, profound sword skills, and its master is a chivalrous person with a reputation for chivalry in the martial arts world.

With such a senior figure having such high regard for him, Li Pingfu had no reason to turn him away. "I am deeply grateful for Senior Jiang's kindness. If you ever come to Yunshui County, I will definitely come to visit you."

“Brother Li, even if you’re busy and don’t come to Yunshui County, I will still come to find you.”

Jiang Ling'er smiled and said, "I've heard that the peaches in Pantao Town are the best. If you're going to eat them, you have to eat them fresh. Please take me to eat all the delicious food, Brother Li."

Li Pingcan smelled the stench of love. Sister Jiang, you don't want to eat peaches, you want to eat my brother!
Looking at the gentle Jiang Ling'er, Li Pingfu inexplicably thought of his mother, and his tone softened, "Miss Jiang is here, I will do my best to entertain you."

Seeing the two exchanging glances, Lin Fengwu snorted coldly, her expression indifferent.

…………

Sitting in his celestial carriage, Liang Xianguan looked sorrowful and said apologetically, "I never expected the beasts of Mount Ling to riot and cause so many tragedies. I was not careful enough in thinking this through."

The Zhao clan chief, with an expression of having been successfully disciplined, quickly said, "No one could have predicted such a calamity, so there's no need for you to blame yourself too much, Immortal Liang."

The newly appointed clan leader, Zhou Shan, arrogantly glared at everyone: "Life and death are predestined. What autumn hunt isn't dangerous? If you're not capable enough and die while hunting, you can only blame yourself."

The martial artists looked at each other in bewilderment.

While this statement is true in some respects, this beast tide was not an accident at all, but a man-made disaster!

One hot-tempered martial artist cursed, "Bullshit! I'll fuck your mother, your servant, your dog..."

Before he could finish speaking, a martial artist behind Liang Xianguan descended from the sky and struck the man in the chest with a palm strike, causing him to cough up blood and his breath to fade away.

Li Pingcan looked up and saw that this person was the martial artist with a "dark face" that he had mentioned earlier.

He has such a great vocabulary, he's quite the talent!

It's ironic that he didn't die from the beast tide, but was wounded by a celestial official.

After this incident, no martial artist dared to speak out in anger.

Some people took the opportunity to flatter the celestial official, and the atmosphere became harmonious and cheerful, as if nothing had happened.

Of course, silence always prevails.

What else can be done?
You should be grateful that Liang Xianguan can still find an excuse to fob you off!

Moreover, the vast majority of those who truly suffered the disaster were members of the three families who were at the forefront.

Li Pingfu and Li Pingcan exchanged a glance.

In that instant, the two Li brothers truly felt the barrier of social class!
"Keep a low profile and maintain a moderate approach," Li Pingfu said in a low voice.

The Pantao Martial Arts School ranked sixteenth based on its hunting achievements.

Looking again at the team led by Master Jiang, they were ranked twelfth.

They're all in fairly central positions and don't really want to stand out.

Li Pingcan gathered his divine sense, when he suddenly felt a gaze sweep over him, which made him feel uneasy.

His heart tightened. On the surface, nothing happened, but he secretly observed the "gaze" and finally discovered that the jade plate in Liang Xianguan's hand was spinning.

'It's probably a detection-type artifact, but it's clearly not as powerful as my divine sense; it couldn't detect anything unusual about me.'

As long as you don't carry any obvious magical items, you'll be fine after the body search.

Lee Pyeongchan pretended to know nothing.

On the vehicle.

Liang Xianguan once again retrieved the treasure in his hand.

He was a complex and suspicious man. Even if he thought these "ants" posed no threat, he still had to personally inspect them before he could feel at ease.

Just as he expected, there was nothing unusual.

"Is it really those old rivals who interfered?"

His eyes were filled with suspicion and uncertainty, but after a moment a ruthless glint appeared in them.

"You've ruined my plans, so you won't get away with it either!"

…………

Peach Blossom Village, Li Family.

"Dad, Mom, we are back!"

"It's good that you're back safe and sound." Li Rongzhou put away his pipe.

"My sons!" Qin hugged the two brothers, Li Pingcan and Li Pingfu. These days, she couldn't sleep at night, and her nightmares disturbed her peace of mind.

Li Pingfu, who was already an adult, was three heads taller than Qin Shi. In order for Qin Shi to hug him, he lowered his body, and the family embraced each other with great joy.

"I'll cook you a big meal." Qin Shi said happily, looking younger and more energetic, like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen. "What would you like to eat?"

"I want to drink mushroom soup."

Li Pingfu smiled and said that he used to hate mushroom soup, but now he was surprisingly nostalgic for it. In the early days of fleeing the disaster, it was these mushrooms that fed his family.

"I want to eat stuffed snail shells."

Back home, Li Pingcan felt relaxed; a child with parents is a treasure.

A small courtyard.

The autumn wind was still, leaves swirled down, and wild grass stubbornly grew from the cracks in the paving stones. Mother and sister stepped through the wild grass, smiling as they entered the kitchen hand in hand, and then wisps of smoke rose straight into the sky.

He looked at the picturesque world of human life, the dangers of hunting, the injustice of the celestial officials, the superficiality of the mortal world... all of which had long since faded from his memory.

This is his home.

It is a place of peace and tranquility.

…………

After meal.

Li Pingcan did not rest, but went to the quiet room to continue to comprehend the [Beast Form and Meaning].

Once you reach the Divine Fiend Realm, the energy in ordinary food becomes extremely weak. Eating with family is more about enjoying the warmth of kinship.

Previously, it was inconvenient to comprehend the teachings on Mount Ling, and there was no practice to verify the techniques, so the theoretical knowledge was quite superficial.

Once you're home, you can focus without distractions and take things a step further.

Recalling the movements of the Five Spirits, Li Pingcan danced, sometimes leaping and clapping like a spirit bear, sometimes leaping in a stream like a spirit deer, and sometimes roaring like a striped tiger amidst raging waves...

All the movements were memorized and integrated with each other, gradually forming a brand-new technique. It was as if they had truly transformed into birds and beasts, vivid and lifelike!
"Crack, click, click!"

When you practice to a high level, your body will feel a surge of energy that flows through your entire body, bringing a sense of exhilaration and comfort!
A brand new martial arts manual, its moves beginning to emerge, is imprinted in my mind.

After a long while, Li Pingcan opened his eyes, his expression excited.

"Five Spirits Play!"

"Let's call the cultivation technique we comprehended from the Five Spirit Beasts the Five Spirit Play!"

It is obvious that this Five Spirits Play is more profound and powerful than the Black Tiger Skill or the White Crane Style.

Li Pingcan practiced it several more times and found no problems. He then passed on the technique to his father and elder brother.

"This Five Spirits Play is extremely powerful!"

Li Pingfu was more talented than Li Rongzhou. After playing the Five Spirits Play for the first time, he immediately felt its extraordinary qualities.

The combination of moves is seamless and flawless, far beyond the reach of brute force like the Black Tiger Kung Fu.

Furthermore, practicing the Five Spirits Play does not affect the Black Tiger Skill.

Upon learning that it was a technique learned by imitating a spirit beast, the father and son were even more amazed.

Li Rongzhou thought for a moment and said, "Pingfu, you should secretly practice the Five Elements Play, and use the Black Tiger Skill to cover it up on weekdays."

Li Pingfu nodded. The Five Spirits Play came at just the right time; he had a lingering problem he wanted to resolve. With a new trick, the chances of success were much greater.

Thinking of Lin Fengwu's recent actions, he calmed his mind and once again focused intently on the practice of the Five Elements Play.

(End of this chapter)