Chapter 181: Brothers at Odds

Ji Mu did not respond to him. She lowered her gaze and swept it across the battle formation below. The glint of cold armor in her sight made her understand the Easterners' plan. Her heart felt hollow as she looked up and scanned her surroundings, unsure how many people were hidden in the mist.

"It is said that the Old Ancestor of the Li family has an eighth-layer Qi cultivation and is skilled in swordsmanship. He absorbs pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth. If I try to escape now, I probably won't get far..."

"My King! Let me deal with Sha Mo Li." Several Qi-cultivating tribesmen nearby, unaware of the danger, volunteered and stepped forward with cupped hands. Only Zhong Yu Dai, the old minister left by her father Mu Jiao Man, remained silent. His hands trembled as he stared fixedly at the soldiers below. Frightened, he looked up at Ji Mu, his mouth open but unable to utter a word.

"You... and you, go up together and test him." Ji Mu gave him a deep look, then calmly pointed out two people. Watching the two tribesmen eagerly comply, she then called the old minister Zhong Yu Dai over and transmitted her words to him via spiritual power:

"Alas... Shaman, Sha Mo Li has already colluded with the Easterners. This time, they most likely intend for me to die. You take a contingent of soldiers west, escort my son and two daughters out of the city, and find a city where they can live freely on their own, to preserve my lineage. Do not let them contend for anything anymore..."

Zhong Yu Dai's eyes were red. He sighed and descended. The two people by Ji Mu's side exchanged glances upon seeing this, feeling that something was amiss. They wanted to ask, but Ji Mu was looking at the sky with a grim expression, leaving them unable to speak.

Sha Mo Li saw the two people approaching him on the wind. One was a second-layer Qi cultivator, the other a third-layer Qi cultivator. Both were superior to him in cultivation, yet he showed no fear at all. Feeling triumphant, he raised his two large hammers and brought them down on one of them with a crash.

The Mountain Yue Qi cultivator's body, adorned with beast bones and jade, clattered with jingling sounds. His expression was wild, and he laughed heartily. In his hand, he held a bone spear, infused with chaotic true essence, and thrust it towards Sha Mo Li's hammer.

Purple true essence flowed over Sha Mo Li's body, and thunderbolts flickered, spreading from his hands to his large hammers. They collided with the bone spear with a loud bang, and the true essence of both sides surged. At the point of contact, there was a roar, and small electric sparks burst forth.

The Mountain Yue Qi cultivator took the brunt of the heavy hammer blow. The smile on his face instantly vanished as he retreated in alarm, his body half-numbed. Fortunately, the other Qi cultivator, whose cultivation was a layer higher, had already advanced with a staff, blocking Sha Mo Li's attack.

Only then did he get a moment to slightly adjust his breathing. After clashing with Sha Mo Li a few times and seeing that Sha Mo Li's true essence was considerably powerful, he quickly shouted:

"My King, this person's cultivation method is strange. The two of us alone might not be able to stop him!"

Ji Mu saw the true essence on Sha Mo Li's body, which made her a bit more certain. She quietly waved her hand, and the two remaining people by her side flew forward on the wind, pressing him together. Ji Mu remained motionless, thinking to herself:

"Sha Mo Li must have obtained the Easterners' proper cultivation method and become their pawn. Now, I will buy as much time as possible, just to buy some time for my children."

The four Mountain Yue Qi cultivators pressed forward together, immediately increasing Sha Mo Li's pressure significantly. Although his large hammers swung with immense power, and the bone spears and bone knives of the others shattered and recoiled upon contact, the four rotated their attacks, giving them time to dissipate the lightning power, and they were not overly strained.

Sha Mo Li fought with great might, but had unspoken difficulties in his heart. His spiritual power was thin; though immensely powerful, it was unsustainable. A quick victory was paramount. Seeing himself held back by the four, and the Li family members still not making a move, he could only grimace and shout:

"Pat... Patriarch, save me!"

No sooner had he spoken than a person rose from the Easterners' military formation. Holding a sword, with profound true essence, he charged into the midst of the four. With a flick of his wrist, he knocked away two of their bone artifacts. He cautiously glanced at Ji Mu, who had not yet made a move in the distance. Without announcing his name, he silently swung his sword to engage the enemy. It was Chen Donghe.

Chen Donghe single-handedly held off the encirclement of the four, still appearing to have plenty of leeway. He said in a deep voice:

"Brother Sha Mo Li, go directly to Ji Mu. Leave this place to me."

Chen Donghe was currently at the second layer of Qi cultivation. He cultivated the family's orthodox method, the "River-and-Qi Art." This art was as profound as rivers and best at dealing with situations involving multiple enemies encircling him. Even if he couldn't kill, he could easily stabilize his position and withstand pressure.

Now that he had married into the Li family, he had also received the inheritance of the "Profound Water Sword Art." Although he hadn't yet cultivated sword qi, fighting against these miscellaneous Qi cultivators, he easily overpowered them, making the four complain incessantly. The pressure was not as great as when facing Sha Mo Li, but his attacks were continuous and unending, clearly not comparable to Sha Mo Li's visibly depleted state.

"Donghe is good; his talent is considerable, he trains diligently, and his foundational skills are particularly solid," Li Tongya, in the sky, praised. Although Chen Donghe's swordsmanship was not outstanding, not as good as Yu Mu Jian's, it was still presentable for combat. He could engage any opponent and hold them for a while, preventing a hasty retreat.

"Jing Tian, however, has never had an heir. Donghe spends a lot of time in solitary cultivation. Fortunately, Yuan Yun is there to keep her company; otherwise, it would be quite lonely."

Li Xuanfeng was concerned about his sister. Li Tongya shook his head upon hearing this and whispered:

"Chen Donghe is now a Qi cultivator, and it's already difficult for such people to have heirs. Moreover, Tian'er is a mortal, so it's naturally even harder."

As the two chatted, Sha Mo Li had already responded with "yes." He broke free from the four, holding his hammers close, and flew towards Ji Mu.

Ji Mu watched Chen Donghe single-handedly block everyone. She sighed despondently, holding her saber and stepping into the air. Looking at Sha Mo Li, who was approaching with a triumphant look, she coldly said, filled with both despair and anger:

"Sha Mo Li... do you know what you are doing!"

"What am I doing?" Sha Mo Li sneered. His large hammers, imbued with purple lightning, crashed down, striking Ji Mu's long saber that was raised to meet him, sparking a scattered purple light. He shouted:

"Who are you to lecture me? You don't realize that my path is the true way for the Mountain Yue!"

"You, you, you... You've squandered Father's wishes!" Sha Mo Li exchanged several powerful, heavy blows with her, forcing Ji Mu to retreat repeatedly. Her body went numb, her true essence circulated poorly, and she was clearly no match for him. Sha Mo Li's sneer deepened upon hearing her words. He replied:

"How dare you mention him? What right did Mu Jiao Man have! To make you the ruler of the nation while I was to be slaughtered... You, as the eldest son, had everything go your way. Have you ever experienced what it's like for people like us!"

Ji Mu fought him for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Her true essence was already depleted, and her limbs were exhausted. She paused, stunned by his words, then burst into laughter and shouted:

"I understand now... Sha Mo Li! So you care so much about Mu Jiao Man... Listen closely..."

"No matter how glorious you become in the future, or how prosperous you make the Mountain Yue, you will always be a dog under the Easterners' rule!"

Ji Mu retreated a few steps. She then, with a backhand motion, placed the saber against her own neck. The sharp blade slid across her neck, leaving a trickle of blood. Ji Mu, with a grim beard and wide eyes, sneered:

"Father and I, from the afterlife, will laugh at your despicable nature, laugh at your incompetence, laugh at you for being a lackey, laugh at your self-deception, and laugh at you for being an unfilial son!"

Sha Mo Li trembled all over upon hearing this, both shocked and enraged. He shouted:

"Silence!"

Ji Mu, however, sneered coldly. With a proud movement of the blade, her fine head instantly separated from her body, swayed at the gushing neck, and fell like a bird.

Instead, Sha Mo Li looked as if he had been slapped. Like a defeated dog, he snatched up the head. He merely glanced at it, his gaze immediately burning away. He forlornly raised Ji Mu's head and shouted:

"Ji Mu is dead. Those who surrender will be spared."

The four Mountain Yue Qi cultivators exchanged glances, hesitating before stopping their actions. The military formation below descended into chaos. Cries and screams, carried by the damp morning breeze, assailed them. Sha Mo Li's cheeks were slightly damp, but he seemed unaware. He gazed at the majestic mountains and rivers shrouded in the pale morning mist below, murmuring:

"Brother's words... Should I have accepted death peacefully, or fled to a foreign land to wander for the rest of my life! Why... why should I have?"

Chen Donghe approached on the wind. He paused slightly, looking at Sha Mo Li staring blankly while holding Ji Mu's head. Seeing that Sha Mo Li was covered in Ji Mu's blood but seemed oblivious, just standing there blankly with two streaks of tears running down his face, Chen Donghe sighed softly and congratulated him:

"Congratulations, My King!"