Qimu

Eastern Shanyue had stationed a force of about two thousand men at Dayu Brook along the border between the two territories, overseen by a single Qi Refinement cultivator. Back when Mu Jiaoman ruled, there had been more—over five thousand—but their numbers had dwindled even further since. Compared to Eastern Shanyue's national power and the strength of the Li family, this garrison was pathetically small. Perhaps Qimu had never intended to mount any real resistance against a westward march by the Li family, reckoning a lone Qi Refinement cultivator was enough merely to send word. Acting on Li Yuanxiu's orders, Xu Gongming took command of the vanguard, leading a hundred troops forward to test the waters. Unexpectedly, the Shanyue general came out to meet them with an obsequious smile plastered across his face. He walked right up before the battle line completely defenseless, bellowing, "Are you the esteemed emissary from ahead? Our Great King has already conquered the fief, and is here to welcome the princess!" Xu Gongming stared blankly, nearly breaking his stern composure. He had never imagined the general would mistake them for an escort delivering a Li family bride. The surrounding men exchanged bewildered glances. Xu Gongming immediately said, "Please, step into our lines to speak!" The general approached with a foolish grin, surprisingly clad in armor fashioned in imitation of the Eastlanders. Xu Gongming's mouth twitched. Stepping forward, he ran him through with a sword, flicked the blood from the blade, and waved toward the ranks behind him. The battle lines sprang into motion, surging toward the utterly unprepared Shanyue troops. Blood splattered everywhere as their formation was instantly shattered. The two armies in the rear pressed forward in turn. Relying on his cultivation at the second layer of Embryonic Breathing, Xu Gongming felled a man with every fist strike, butchering his way straight through the front lines. Just as Xu Gongming was fighting with bloodshot eyes, a figure suddenly took flight from the main camp ahead. The hum of surging magic power rippled across the battlefield, vast and heavy—the Shanyue Qi Refinement cultivator had finally appeared. "Which tribe are you, daring to stir up rebellion here?" The Shanyue cultivator had no idea what was happening and assumed an internal revolt had broken out among the tribes. Only when he looked closer and saw the army's finely crafted armor below did he cry out in horror, "Eastlanders?!" "Do not panic. Someone will naturally handle him." Seeing the soldiers at his side hesitate, Xu Gongming gave a cold sneer and looked up. Sure enough, a streak of golden light shot out from the east like a falling star. Before the Shanyue cultivator could even react—before he could utter a single word—he detonated into a firework of flesh and blood. Organs and mangled meat rained from the sky, drenching Xu Gongming's armor. "A miscellaneous qi cultivator, nothing more." Xu Gongming had cultivated for seven or eight years now. The Li family possessed many cultivators, so he understood the distinction between miscellaneous qi and pure qi, and naturally knew that Shanyue Qi Refinement cultivators were exceptionally weak. His eyelids twitched. Though he spoke tough words, in his heart he felt an ever deeper reverence toward the elder of his family who wielded that bow. *Even a miscellaneous qi cultivator is far beyond what an ordinary Embryonic Breathing cultivator can match, yet before that elder, he was less than a mortal... Truly terrifying. I wonder if it is his sheer cultivation or the technique itself. The family's various Qi Harvesting Formulas are tempting indeed...* Xu Gongming indulged in his reverie for a fleeting breath. Ahead, the Shanyue army had thoroughly routed, scattering in panic like headless flies. Hefting his long saber, he gave fierce chase. By then, the figure of a young man had already appeared in midair. Clad in animal skins yet with a hair crown bound atop his head, he projected a booming voice that rolled over the battlefield. "Qimu has the vicious nature of a jackal! He surrounds himself with the depraved and corrupt, butchers the loyal and virtuous, slaughters his sisters and brothers, murders his sovereign, and poisons his mother! I am the son of the late King, Shamoli! Today, I raise an army to reclaim the throne and return justice to all tribes! Lay down your weapons at once! Surrender, and your lives shall be spared!" "There's that lucky fellow." All around Xu Gongming, the Shanyue soldiers were already tossing down their weapons and surrendering. Watching Shamoli stand proudly in midair riding the wind, he was filled with envy. Anyone with eyes could see that Shamoli was merely a puppet propped up by the Li family. Yet who wouldn't envy him? He had obtained Qi Refinement cultivation for nothing, along with supreme authority. Even if his hands and feet were tied, he would still be the lord of a realm, reveling in endless wealth and honor. *** Li Xuanfeng lowered his bow and stood upright. Beside him, Li Tongya looked at the Shanyue Qi Refinement cultivator who had burst like a firework, nodded, and said with a smile, "Well done. That arrow would have inflicted severe damage not only on a Shanyue miscellaneous qi cultivator, but even on an ordinary early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator." Li Xuanfeng raised his bow and cupped his hands toward Li Tongya, replying, "Your nephew has made further gains during these past few years of seclusion." Turning Jin Geng sideways, he stroked the runes inscribed along its length as faint golden light flowed across the surface. Li Xuanfeng explained, "Jin Geng was fashioned from Jinfangping stone and can contain my astral qi. In my daily practice, I temper a strand of arrow intent inside it, refining it with astral qi. With every refinement, it grows sharper. I do not release it lightly on ordinary days, but in a moment of crisis, unleashing this arrow intent tempered day and night will certainly make any foe suffer dearly." "Oh?" Li Tongya arched a brow. Though he did not grasp all the intricate workings, it sounded remarkably ingenious, and he gave a slight nod. Li Xuanfeng slung the bow over his back, turned his gaze to Shamoli flying on the wind below, and watched him for a while before sighing through a transmission of magic power: "To possess such power even with miscellaneous qi, the Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method truly cannot be underestimated. If not for the side effects of severing one's progeny and shortening lifespan, it would be magnificent indeed." "It is quite something," Li Tongya said in a low voice as he watched the army marching forward like ants below. "With such a massive commotion on our part, the families across the lake are hardly blind. Cultivators are likely already gathering in groups of three to five, scouting the situation from within the surrounding mists. So long as Shamoli can resolve a matter on his own, there is no need for us to act, lest outsiders discern our true depth." "Nephew understands." Li Xuanfeng nodded. The two concealed their forms and shadowed the marching army from behind. Chen Donghe and Li Xuanxuan remained within the ranks, watching over and protecting several juniors to ensure no harm befell the family's gifted cultivators. *** The army pressed forward for two hours, capturing several towns. Qimu had redeployed his soldiers and cultivators westward to attack various settlements, leaving these towns virtually undefended, guarded only by a handful of Embryonic Breathing cultivators. Shamoli had only to proclaim his royal lineage and step forward to capture them himself. The Shanyue had little concept of loyalty to a ruler to begin with, so they largely surrendered without protest. After advancing for a full half-day, fluttering banners finally came into view ahead. It was Qimu, the current ruler of Eastern Shanyue, hurrying forward at the head of his troops. Five or six Shanyue cultivators hovered in midair on the wind, all clad in animal skins and adorned with jade, their eyes glaring with rage. The battle lines confronted each other on the ground below, while the air above was thick with the scent of tension. Qimu, the lord of Eastern Shanyue, bore a close resemblance to Mu Jiaoman, though his features were distinctly more sinister, with narrow, slanted brows and elaborate garments. His eyes glared fixedly at Shamoli, filled with both shock and fury, his hands trembling violently. Pointing across at Shamoli, he hesitated for several breaths before stammering, "You... you... How dare you! Where did you get this army to invade your own homeland..." Qimu had rushed over in haste, completely unaware that the troops under Shamoli were Eastlanders. He assumed Shamoli had somehow gathered tribesmen from elsewhere. Seeing Shamoli's surging Qi Refinement cultivation and formidable aura filled him with both shock and fear, and a terrifying realization was already dawning upon him. Hearing this, Shamoli burst into hearty laughter. Rising into the air to ride the wind alone, he looked coldly at the face that was seventy percent identical to his own. Faint purple lightning crackled and danced across his hands as he chuckled softly: "Elder Brother, Shamoli has returned!"