The territory of the Mountain Folk was, as its name implied, rugged and mountainous. Dominated by the Earth element, where Earth gave birth to Metal, it was abundantly rich in mineral deposits.
While attempting to determine his coordinates, Wei Yuan seized the time to brush up on Mountain Folk customs. The Mountain Folk lived in tribes, and multiple tribes would unite to form realms. Within these realms, they mostly operated under a hybrid system of elder councils and rule by the strongest. Metallurgy was well advanced among the Mountain Folk, as was their architectural craftsmanship. In particular, they possessed a racial talent known as "Rock Shatter." Those who awakened this talent chiseled through stone as though striking chalk, capable of excavating several zhang into a mountain overnight.
The Mountain Folk came in two distinct physical types. Most were slightly shorter than average humans but exceptionally stocky. A few, however, were abnormally massive, typically standing over two zhang tall—taller than a two-story building. Back during Wei Yuan's preliminary exam, he had encountered a mountain giant whose cultivation had been sealed. In that battle, Wei Yuan had won the admiration of the Master of the Hall of the Bright King through sheer brute strength.
The might of the Mountain Folk was in no way inferior to that of the Liao Clan or the Witch Clan; their status had been forged through millions of years of warfare. In mountainous terrain, they were the undisputed kings: mobility and endurance pushed to the max, augmented by the blessing of heaven and earth and guarded by ancient giants. One could say that anywhere continuous mountain ranges stretched was their natural home ground.
Thus, when Wei Yuan saw the endless mineral veins, he felt not only delight but also deep vigilance. The minerals needed by the human race were also needed by the Mountain Folk; in this regard, there was no difference among the diverse races of the world.
Previously, this area might have been a forgotten corner of the world, but Wei Yuan no longer believed in coincidences or sheer luck. Once these deposits were developed, conflict would inevitably follow. If he could not eliminate every competitor who came to contest them, it would only prove he was unworthy of possessing it all—a case of one's virtue failing to match one's station.
They said that possession belonged to the virtuous; flattening anyone who refused to submit—that was true virtue.
Standing on Mountain Folk soil atop an isolated, sheer peak, Wei Yuan surveyed the surrounding world. His posture, angle, lighting, and attire were all impeccable. For a moment, he felt as though he stood at the absolute zenith of his life.
If he could not even defeat the Mountain Folk on the border, how could he be worthy of a dharma idol like the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World? How could he be worthy of having two whole grotto-heavens—the Yellow Springs and the Pure Land?
At this moment, Wei Yuan felt as if he alone remained in the vast world, overcome by a loneliness that came from finding no kindred soul anywhere.
Naturally, at this exact moment, Bao Yun, Ji Liuli, Feng Tingyu, Consort Yuan, and the like, as well as Ronglong, Su Xuejing, Hongye, and the rest, all automatically vanished from his memory.
As for Zhang Sheng, she was different. By virtue of a single young Daoist alone, Wei Yuan felt that she was one of his own, and being able to stand by her side was an honor.
Wei Yuan stood there for quite a while, but not a single soul passed by, so he had no choice but to climb down the peak himself.
He then summoned the cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning who were in Mountain Folk territory to discuss matters of expansion. Wei Yuan first put forward the current top priority: repel the Mountain Folk who were bound to come. Then, the second top priority: establish a self-sustaining base, sustain the war through warfare, and secure this land first. Finally, the third top priority: dispatch troops to the State of Ji to quell the chaos for the realm.
After Wei Yuan finished laying out the objectives, none of the cultivators spoke. Somewhat puzzled, Wei Yuan asked, "Did everyone understand that?"
The cultivators said, "For something so simple, could anyone fail to understand?"
Wei Yuan said at once, "Very well, we'll proceed accordingly."
Each cultivator had their own division of responsibilities, each managing an area of work. Since they were all fellow martial brothers and sisters, their coordination was seamless. They took up their tasks on the spot, huddled together to confer briefly, and clarified what everyone needed to do. Then they dispersed, setting off to handle their respective responsibilities.
Wei Yuan entered seclusion to meditate, returning to the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World to interrogate the latest captured inner demon. This was the nineteenth inner demon by now, and Wei Yuan was already numb to it.
Yet when Wei Yuan arrived at the scene, saw the dozen or so mortals trapped within the formation, caught sight of those innocent, wide eyes, and heard that familiar "So cold," he flew into a rage on the spot.
Only then did Wei Yuan realize that when truly infuriated, he had neither the desire to speak nor any expression on his face.
What infuriated Wei Yuan was not that everything had repeated itself, but that after repeating itself, the immortal flora handled it with the exact same outcome.
The Immortal-Devouring Vine insisted that having been drenched in its Monster-Transforming Water without undergoing any change proved there was no issue. The Bingli Divine Wood firmly believed she was problematic, without offering any reason. If a reason had to be given, her wanton flirtatiousness was the reason.
Everything was identical to the previous time. Wei Yuan felt as though every single mortal was sneering at him.
The immortal flora had all been picked by him. When the inner demon mocked the immortal flora, Wei Yuan felt as though it was mocking him. The problem was that even he could tell two identical scenes were utterly abnormal; could these immortal plants truly be dumber than he was?
Wei Yuan realized that he might have overlooked one thing: stripped of their immortal spiritual qi and their lofty status, the immortal flora might genuinely be rather unintelligent.
Wei Yuan walked up to the powdered young girl, crouched halfway down, and reached out to lift her small face, examining her thoroughly.
The girl instinctively shrank back, yet did not dare truly pull away. She allowed Wei Yuan's hand to support her chin and tilt her face upward, letting out a soft, delicate whimper.
Wei Yuan scrutinized her intently for a moment before rising and surveying the surrounding immortal flora.
The immortal flora wore varied expressions, save for the maiden with crimson brows, who looked somewhat bewildered, failing to understand what any of this was about. Maiden Yin-Yang still stood placidly, looking rather devoid of spark.
Wei Yuan stood and said, "Imprison all of them. No communication among them is allowed, nor is anyone permitted any contact with them whatsoever. Furthermore, no speaking—not by any means, not even a single word!"
The Bingli Divine Wood frowned. "But—"
Wei Yuan's long-suppressed fury suddenly erupted: "Say 'but' one more time and get the hell out!!"
The Bingli Divine Wood slowly opened its mouth wide, unable to believe what it had just heard.
Wei Yuan said coldly, "You are all free to come and go in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Anyone who doesn't wish to stay can leave."
None of the immortal flora spoke further. Only the maiden with crimson brows remained utterly blank, not understanding why Wei Yuan was angry.
Wei Yuan turned to look at the dozen or so mortals and said, "If you have anything to say, say it now. This is your last chance."
A middle-aged man sneered. "What a fine Creation Immortal Venerable, capable only of throwing tantrums! You say they couldn't root me out, but can you? Creation Immortal Venerable, when you demand things of others, have you ever considered whether you can do them yourself?"
Wei Yuan did not look at the man. Instead, he gave a soft sigh and said, "Among inner demons, you must be quite ordinary, wouldn't you say? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been sent to my domain as cannon fodder."
The middle-aged man was unmoved. "Whatever you're trying to say to shake my Dao heart, you'd best save your breath."
Wei Yuan said placidly, "What I mean is, to a below-average inner demon like you, even if I explained, you wouldn't understand."
The middle-aged man finally flew into a rage and shouted, "Then come kill me and see whether I'm the inner demon!"
Wei Yuan shook his head. "As I said, you wouldn't understand even if I explained. Stupidity is born in the bone. That nonsense about diligence making up for clumsiness is just a lie meant to fool fools like you."
Just as the middle-aged man was about to speak, he heard Wei Yuan say, "Extinguish light and color."
Not only him, but every mortal was plunged into darkness, unable to see any light whatsoever; even the special vision of an inner demon saw nothing.
Immediately after, they heard another command: "Extinguish sound and voice."
This was the last time they heard Wei Yuan's voice, and the last sound they would ever hear.
Wei Yuan looked at the dozen or so mortals trapped within the formation, gave a scoff, and departed from the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
Upon emerging from seclusion, Wei Yuan discovered that several days had already passed, and it was once again time for an assembly of the cultivators. In a foul mood, Wei Yuan asked, "Any trace of the Mountain Folk?"
Feng Chutang said, "A few days ago, a Mountain Folk troop appeared, passing by two thousand li away. A total of twelve thousand, along with six mountain giants—"
Wei Yuan's spirits lifted, and he asked eagerly, "Where are they now?"
Wei Yuan had spoken too quickly; only after the words left his mouth did he catch Feng Chutang's final words:
"—They have already been annihilated."
Wei Yuan fell silent for a moment before asking, "How are the minerals progressing?"
Yu Zhizhuo said, "Several large veins have already been discovered. Our daily prospecting and excavation currently advances by a hundred zhang. We can't push any faster; the ore already extracted is more than we can smelt."
"And the furnaces?"
"Two are complete, and construction on the third is underway."
Wei Yuan inquired about several matters in succession, and all had been properly taken care of. For a moment, Wei Yuan realized that whether he was here or not seemed to make no difference at all.
Suddenly, Wei Yuan thought of a phrase elites from the beyond-heaven world often used to fool mortals: *self-driven*.
Yet at this very moment, as a Realm Lord who still possessed ambitions and pursuits, Wei Yuan found that he particularly resented these fellow martial brothers who were clever, pragmatic, and thoroughly self-driven. With these fellows around, what did anyone need a Realm Lord for?
In the renowned classic *Romance of Three Men*, there was a line: *Since Yu was born, why must Liang be born as well?*
Yet this realm was exceptionally cruel, fraught with tribulations of the Dao heart along the path to immortality. In this world, not only was a Liang born, but a whole flock of them had been born.
Just then, an attendant brought over a letter sent by the Commandery Governor of Jieyang Commandery in the State of Ji. In truth, it was a proclamation to suppress rebels.
The text declared that Wei Yuan and his cohort had gathered outlaws in the mountains within the territory of the State of Ji, harboring treasonous intentions. They were ordered to withdraw immediately and surrender the minerals, which would spare them from death; otherwise, once the grand army arrived, they would be ground into fine dust!
After reading it, Wei Yuan momentarily did not know whether he should be angry or not. Replying would make it seem as though he treated the other party as someone of consequence; not replying would make them think he feared them.
At this moment, Wei Yuan truly realized the importance of scholars. Without a few grand Confucian masters by his side, he lacked even a mouthpiece to curse back for him. The only thing Wei Yuan could think of right now was a single phrase:
*****!
Holding the proclamation, Wei Yuan's hands trembled with fury. As one of the world's foremost holders of a supreme dharma idol, he barely even had a stage to stand on right now—how could these small-time scoundrels be so adept at writing extra scenes for themselves?
Chapter 959