Chapter 671: Trouble

"You are the Si Tianjian of Qingqiu."

"I know Li Huowang's great name; I know who you are. What are you doing in Qingqiu?"

"Did Xuanpin tell you?" Li Huowang couldn't help but frown. It seemed the intelligence from the various Si Tianjian bureaus was being exchanged among countries.

"Regardless of who told me, you must answer one question now: what are you doing in Qingqiu?"

"What am I doing in Qingqiu? Of course, I'm here to help deal with the Dharma Cult! Does that even need asking?"

Hearing Li Huowang's reply, the woman sneered. "I heard you are the Daliang Emperor's man, which is why he unhesitatingly refused the Great Khan's request for troops, then 'charitably' sent you here to help."

Li Huowang's brows furrowed as he looked at the woman. Her attitude seemed off. Did Qingqiu and Daliang have a complicated history he wasn't aware of?

"You know me, so you should know my strength, right? Is that still not enough?"

"Heh, then I really want to try. Is Li Huowang truly as powerful as people say?" The woman stood up. "My humble name is Bian Zhen, from the Left Path. Please enlighten me."

"Left Path?" Li Huowang scrutinized the woman, his right hand slowly gripping the Spine Sword.

Just as the tension in the air grew, Li Huowang saw the woman's body gradually melt and reform, finally transforming into Xuanpin's tall figure.

"Xuanpin, what is the meaning of this? Do you have time to play games with me at a time like this?"

Xuanpin's slender finger gently inserted itself into Li Huowang's forehead, then casually withdrew. His forehead was completely unharmed.

"I'm not actually here. I just received news of your arrival and rushed over in time. Bian Zhen, there's no need for testing; I know Li Huowang's capabilities."

Bian Zhen's body emerged from the Si Tianjian's form. After assessing Li Huowang again from head to toe, she turned on her toes and left.

Once the outsiders were gone, Li Huowang immediately said, "Alright, since we're all familiar with each other, let's cut to the chase. What's the overall battle situation like? How much has the Dharma Cult's influence expanded?"

Only by quickly understanding everything happening here could Li Huowang determine how to act to increase their chances of victory.

However, instead of answering Li Huowang's question, Xuanpin posed another: "Why did you bring the White Lotus Cult's Saintess with you this time?"

"Does that even need asking? The Dharma Cult has expanded so quickly because ignorant villagers believe the Child God can save everyone!"

"Since they're doing that, we naturally have to do the opposite. It's better to believe in the Eternal Mother than the Child God. At least the Eternal Mother is on our side right now."

Xuanpin nodded silently. "Good. But you need to think several steps ahead. We need to find more factions to collectively shake the Dharma Cult's foundation, to avoid 'driving a tiger to swallow a wolf,' which would lead to endless troubles."

"In fact, we have already spoken with other sects and schools. Many disciples have already descended the mountains and begun operations within Houshu."

"Enough idle talk. I need to know the battle situation in Houshu now."

"The situation is very bad. Although Houshu's military has been fighting steadily, they are regrettably on the verge of collapse because the Houshu Dragon Vein was severed yesterday at midday." The atmosphere in the room instantly became very heavy after Xuanpin spoke.

Although Houshu was not large, Li Huowang knew the consequences of a severed Dragon Vein. It wouldn't be long before the entire region turned into a living hell.

"Didn't you say before that Houshu was fighting a desperate battle against the Dharma Cult? How could the Dragon Vein be severed so quickly? What exactly happened?"

"I don't know. We spoke with the Houshu Si Tianjian the day before yesterday. The Dragon Vein was still intact then, and they had laid out a comprehensive defense. Moreover, at that time, the Dharma Cult had not yet attacked near the Houshu imperial city."

"Why such a drastic change in just one day? I cannot fathom it; there must be a great karmic cause behind it."

Li Huowang, his brows tightly furrowed, paced the room, calculating how he could help.

Remembering Gao Zhijian's past experience, Li Huowang spoke: "A severed Dragon Vein can be reconnected. Can we find a way to reattach Houshu's Dragon Vein?"

"The Dragon Vein can certainly be reconnected, but where do we find an heir now? More importantly, the Dragon Vein is currently in the hands of the Dharma Cult. How do we retrieve it?"

Just as he said this, the Si Tianjian paused slightly, then corrected himself: "Just now, news came from Zhengbai Bridge in Houshu that the Dharma Cult is already utilizing Houshu's Dragon Vein."

Li Huowang frowned deeply, gritting his teeth as he pondered the problem. He knew the power of the Dragon Vein, and its use would likely worsen Houshu's already dire situation.

After a moment of serious thought, Li Huowang looked up at Xuanpin and said, "I'll go to Houshu now. The Dragon Vein issue is on me. Can you find an heir? Don't worry about anything else for now; just connect Houshu's Dragon Vein first!"

"It's difficult to find. The royal bloodlines of each country are limited, and one emperor cannot serve two purposes, unless you can find another royal from Daqi."

"So if it's hard to find, we just won't look? Or how about we switch? You deal with the Dragon Vein..."

As he spoke, Li Huowang pulled out a map from his robes and spread it on the table. "Take a good look. If Houshu falls, combined with Siji and Nanping, the territory occupied by the Dharma Cult will be larger than Daliang!"

Xuanpin looked at the map on the table, thought for a moment, then gently nodded. "Alright, you go retrieve the Houshu Dragon Vein. I'll find the heir. Even if we can't find a royal, preventing them from using the Dragon Vein would still be good."

"Good. Tell me the Dragon Vein's location first. I'll depart immediately!"

No sooner had Li Huowang finished speaking than Shangguan Yuting emerged from Xuanpin's wide red robe and shyly bowed to Li Huowang.

"She will tell you the approximate location of the Dragon Vein. I will also order our people remaining in Houshu to assist you as much as possible."

"Alright, it's settled then." Li Huowang said, then turned to leave the dimly lit inner city.

However, before Li Huowang had taken a few steps, Xuanpin's words made him pause and turn slightly. "Be careful. The Dharma Cult will surely defend the Dragon Vein tooth and nail. There will definitely be many people nearby. And..."

"And what? Spit it out. Why do you always speak in riddles?" Li Huowang's tone was impatient.

"Also, regarding the fall of the Houshu Dragon Vein, I always feel there's something strange. Although we neglected to pay attention due to the Forget-Sorrow Dao dice previously, the Si Tianjian bureaus of other countries are not to be underestimated. The Dharma Cult's followers' strength has simply increased too quickly."

"What do you mean by that?" Li Huowang's brows furrowed even tighter.

"I suspect we are not just dealing with the Child God. There might be another, or even two others, who have been hiding and secretly assisting the Dharma Cult."