Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 214 The Camp by the Hulu River

It was already late at night when Sun Ping rushed back to Baishi Mountain.

As soon as he entered the courtyard where he lived, he saw a dark figure sitting in meditation, which startled Sun Ping.

"Senior Brother Sun, how many did you kill?"

As soon as the dark figure opened his mouth, Sun Ping recognized it as Feng Guang, that old-fashioned man.

Sun Ping changed the subject, saying, "Hehehe, the moonlight is quite nice tonight. Junior Brother Feng actually has the inclination to cultivate in the courtyard. Why didn't you go to the Heavenly Pool?"

Feng Guang's face darkened, and he said earnestly, "Senior Brother Sun, although I call you Senior Brother, I am still a few years older than you. I have to say, with your talent, you don't need to ruin yourself because of outsiders. Even if you are really indignant, you can use others to fight back. Why dirty your own hands?"

"No, Lao Feng, don't overthink it. I really didn't do anything, I just set a fire!"

Sun Ping swore, "I really didn't lay a hand on you! I swear it!"

"It's not necessary!"

Feng Guang stopped Sun Ping, sighed, and finally changed the subject, bringing up the trial mission instead: "When we came back to hand in the mission tonight, the sect leader was very happy to hear that we taught the Peach Blossom Sect how to cultivate spiritual herbs and even gave us Peach Blossom Sect Immortal Peach seeds to adjust the spiritual energy concentration there. He made an exception and gave each of us an extra 3 contribution points, which, together with the base 1 point, makes a total of 4 points. We really made a big profit."

Wow! That's great!

As Sun Ping spoke, he couldn't help but whistle, clearly in a great mood.

Feng Guang added, "Not only that, the sect leader was very impressed when he heard that we wanted to develop the Immortal Peach Garden industry. He even said that he could give us a seed of a mother Immortal Peach tree on credit, and we could pay back the money for the tree slowly without interest..."

"However, since you haven't come back yet, Senior Sister Zhong and the others said they'll discuss this matter again tomorrow. After all, the tree species is quite expensive, costing over a hundred spirit stones—and it's a high-grade one!"

Sun Ping's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Great! I definitely have to buy it!"

"That's what I think too. If the five of us can each share the cost, it won't be so expensive that we can't afford it at all."

As he spoke, Feng Guang sighed again, stood up, and waved to Sun Ping, saying, "It's too late today, you should rest first. We can talk about it tomorrow."

After speaking, Feng Guang seemed to have no desire to look at Sun Ping anymore, and carried him towards his room.

"Feng Guang!"

Just as Feng Guang was about to enter the house, Sun Ping finally called out to him.

Feng Guang stopped in his tracks, but still stood with his back to Sun Ping, his back straight, like a pine tree in Baishi Mountain.

Sun Ping paused for a moment before saying, "I have a clear conscience, nothing will happen to me."

Feng Guang didn't turn around, but waved his hand in the distance and pushed open the door.

With a bang, the door slammed shut, startling the night breeze, which swirled and ruffled Sun Ping's hair. ...

While Baishi Mountain was quiet, thousands of miles away in the eastern part of Tianshui County, on the banks of the Hulu River, Heshilie was leading his troops to rest. He was inspecting the newly established camp before returning to his tent to rest.

Although he did not have a proper title of commander-in-chief, he had an "imperial edict" written by Zhang Chengdao—that is, a royal decree—which gave him the power to mobilize the entire army, just like a marshal. How could this not make him feel excited!

This was not actually his first time leading troops, nor even the most he had ever led troops. As the son of Heshi Lie Renxian, a famous general of the Xiao Kingdom, Heshi Lie had seen the battlefield at the age of nine and fought alongside his father and brothers at the age of thirteen.

At that time, the border dispute between Xiao and Chu was in full swing. The late emperor of Xiao almost ruined the country. Fortunately, Heshi Lierenxian managed to hold the line by relying on the martial arts formations in the army, which won the opportunity for the old grandmaster to fight against the grandmaster of Southern Chu. This saved the territory of Xiao north of the Yellow River.

It was at that time that Heshilie suddenly witnessed the power of a battle between Grandmasters for the first time, and he made a grand vow to become a Grandmaster General.

Of course, "ambitions" can change.

After all, if one can cultivate immortality, who would want to pursue becoming a "Grandmaster"?

In short, although he had not been on the battlefield for several years, once he set up camp and walked in the military camp, the desire for war brought about by his family's learning suddenly burst forth in He Shilie's bones, causing him to reject Murong Ruyan's suggestion to kill all the aristocratic families of Longxi according to the map.

Second Senior Sister is too ruthless!
He Shilie suddenly recalled the sinister look on his second senior sister's beautiful face during dinner that night, and he still felt lingering fear.

Crossing the Hulu River, you will reach Chengji County, the capital of Tianshui Prefecture. Although the patriarch had long ago renamed this place Tianshui City, the locals had not yet gotten used to the name and still called it Chengji County.

Chengji County is now in the hands of the Wang family of Jinyang.

In the few days that Heshilie and the Left and Right Guards rushed on their way, the rebellion in Longxi spread from not just thirteen counties, but as many as twenty-four, with a large number of followers, even reaching Longzhong.

Chengji County was the place that had just been conquered by the Wang family of Jinyang.

The Wang family of Jinyang originally only ruled and dominated the Jinyang area. Unfortunately, Jinyang is in eastern Shanxi, far away from Baishi Mountain. How could the Wang family dare to act recklessly there?

They had to carefully migrate several times, eventually moving their entire clan to their in-laws, the Li family, in Longxi, where they finally responded to the rebellion and raised the Wang family's banner.

Take a gamble, and you might turn a bicycle into a motorcycle. In this situation, which prominent family in Longxi wouldn't want to compete and take a step forward?
Wasn't the founding emperor of the Southern Chu Kingdom a Grandmaster who, with his cultivation level, also held the position of Grand General, before being crowned with the yellow robe and taking a further step to become the founding emperor of Chu?
With such a large base in Longxi, of course it's possible!
Especially since the revival of spiritual energy and the establishment of the White Stone Immortal Sect, all kinds of spiritual food and many immortal and spiritual foods have been supplied first to these wealthy noble families, which have raised many third and fourth-rank Venerables, including some who are about to break through to become Grandmasters, and they are quite shrewd.

As for the White Stone Immortal you mentioned...

Hey, while Master Shiraishi may be a deity, what does he know about governing a country?!
In short, the group of confident young men didn't find rebellion under the rule of the White Stone Immortal Sect ridiculous at all; in fact, they were brimming with confidence.

Although I know I can't beat Master Shiraishi, I bet he's too lazy to bother with us!

Moreover, our Li, Wang, Du, Yang, Chen, Pei... so many aristocratic families, with dozens of Venerables alone, even if you, Immortal White Stone, are powerful, it would take you quite a while to kill them all, right?

Moreover, given the gentle approach that Immortal White Stone has taken to governing the country recently, he is unlikely to go on a killing spree!
Therefore, even if they held the lands of Longxi and Longzhong in their hands, they could still establish themselves as a country!
Who wouldn't want the title of the founding emperor? Who wouldn't be tempted?

(End of this chapter)