Chapter 349: Pig Demon

Li Xizhi, enchanted by True Lord Buzi’s divine power, collapsed onto the desk with a thud, utterly still. All six senses lost, she plunged into a profound darkness. However, when the talisman seed in her qi-sea acupoint stirred, Li Xizhi vaguely felt her restraints lift, allowing her to hear some sounds.

Yuan Tuan’s voice was soft and gentle:

“This junior greets True Lord.”

Yuan Tuan raised her eyebrows, forcing herself to remain calm as she spoke. The Daoist in green robes before her glanced at her sideways, then sat cross-legged and picked up a jade teapot.

“Gurgle gurgle…”

Emerald green tea poured into the cup. True Lord Buzi didn’t respond, instead pouring himself some tea before saying softly:

“Qingxuanyue is, after all, an ancient method and quite high-grade. You’ve also wasted so much time… We never expected you to succeed in Foundation Establishment. It seems you have your own fortuitous encounters; well done.”

“Esteemed ancestor, you flatter me.”

Yuan Tuan replied obediently. A gentle breeze swept through the pavilion. The Daoist and the female cultivator sat facing each other. True Lord Buzi rolled up his sleeves, took a sip of tea, and continued:

“What have you gained?”

Yuan Tuan’s heart skipped a beat. Feigning confusion, she frowned and said:

“What does True Lord mean?”

True Lord Buzi let out a laugh, his gaze sharp, his voice turning cold:

“Didn’t you secretly go to Guanyun Peak to search for Daoist scriptures? I just wonder which one the Yuan family desires? Is it the *Shangxiao Wen He Jing*? Or the *Qingheng Luoyun Jing*?”

He narrowed his eyes, watching Yuan Tuan’s submissive lowered head, and thought to himself:

“Qingxuanyue ensures clarity of mind and maintains one’s nature, aiding in prayers to avert disaster. I wonder how much my divine power can affect her.”

Yuan Tuan was, after all, in Foundation Establishment, not as easily fooled as Li Xizhi beside her. True Lord Buzi stared at her and said in a low voice:

“It couldn’t possibly be the *Baishou Kouting Jing* or the *Jianghe Daling Jing*! Those are beyond what your small Yuan family can handle. Don’t mislead yourselves.”

True Lord Buzi’s words were full of warning, causing Yuan Tuan to quickly lower her head and apologize, opening her mouth to speak, but Buzi abruptly interrupted her:

“But the former two are not out of the question!”

He swirled his jade cup and said gently:

“Your ancestor, Yuan Licheng, was nurtured by my own hand. If he is capable enough to find the *Qingheng Luoyun Jing* and breaks through to Purple Mansion, he can certainly rejoin the sect, taking Qinghui Peak as his primary residence and becoming a True Lord of my Qingchi Sect.”

“With the precedents of Tang Yuanwu and Si Boxiu, adding Yuan Licheng would be no issue. This is the sincerity of my Qingchi Sect.”

Buzi put down the jade cup, saw Yuan Tuan looking thoughtful, and smiled:

“Not everyone can navigate all sides like Xiao Chuting, who walks the cliff edge day and night. See, even with his high-level methods, the Xiao family hasn’t had an easy time these past few years, have they?”

“Thank you for the True Lord’s guidance.”

Yuan Tuan responded. Only then did True Lord Buzi turn his gaze to the unconscious Li Xizhi beside him, saying in a low voice:

“A member of the Li family, I presume.”

“Precisely.”

Hearing Yuan Tuan’s affirmative reply, Buzi looked at Li Xizhi with amusement and said smilingly:

“One more thing: Back then, Si Yuanbai claimed he himself obtained the Grand Yin Moonlight and then gave it to his disciple, Li Chijing. We simply thought he was foolish for not using such a precious Grand Yin Moonlight himself, and restrained by Si Boxiu, we couldn’t interrogate him.”

“Now, upon closer thought…”

True Lord Buzi stared coldly at Li Xizhi for a moment, then said softly:

“Si Yuanbai is honest, not foolish. It must be that the Li family acquired the Grand Yin Moonlight and used Si Yuanbai to pass it to Li Chijing.”

With a flick of his long fingers, Li Xizhi, who had been slumped over the desk, suddenly sat upright, dazed and unfocused. True Lord Buzi said softly:

“Where did the Li family obtain the Grand Yin Moonlight?”

Li Xizhi appeared to be mesmerized by his divine power, stumbling through her explanation: how the Li family opened the cave dwelling on Meichi Peak, obtained the Grand Yin Moonlight, and then Li Chijing brought it back. The logic was coherent, and True Lord Buzi nodded slightly as he listened.

“That makes sense. For a small family, acquiring even one stream of moonlight is fortunate. How could there be a second?”

True Lord Buzi was in need of this Grand Yin Moonlight for alchemy and had merely tried his luck. Hearing this, he sighed regretfully, murmuring:

“Perhaps I should find an opportunity to search for it again on Moon-Gazing Lake. Maybe it’s there?”

He then rose, flicked his sleeves, adjusted his shoes and socks beneath the pavilion’s curtain, and departed on his own accord.

Yuan Tuan remained silent by the desk for a long while before slowly exhaling. With a finger, she roused Li Xizhi, saying gently:

“Xizhi!”

Li Xizhi feigned confusion, but protected by the talisman seed within him, he had already fully awakened. His earlier confession was deliberately given. He quietly memorized Qingchi Sect’s promise to the Yuan family.

The Li family.

Wutu Peak.

Li Yuanjiao let out a long breath, his cultivation gradually stabilizing. He had been in secluded cultivation for several months before the New Year, successfully breaking through to Qi Condensation Level 7. Now, after half a year of quiet cultivation, his cultivation was solid.

With a few more years of accumulation and the aid of a Talisman Pill, breaking through to Qi Condensation Level 8 would put Foundation Establishment within reach.

The past two years had been relatively peaceful, though demonic cultivators still appeared in Mushroom Forest Plain, albeit in small numbers. The Ziyan Sect, north of Lixia Commandery, began to suffer attacks from demonic cultivators. It seemed the rumors were true: the demonic cultivators who had previously besieged Guanyun Peak, fearing retaliation from the Xiao family, dared not linger and mostly headed north.

Many people had died in Mushroom Forest Plain for a time, but this region was originally the Yuan family’s backyard. How could a few demonic cultivators be allowed to run wild there?

The Yuan family’s peak Foundation Establishment ancestor, Yuan Licheng, personally led four Foundation Establishment clan cultivators to sweep through and kill several demonic cultivators within their territory, expelling all the remaining ones. Mushroom Forest Plain gradually stabilized.

Moon-Gazing Lake, belonging to the Li, Yu, and Fei families, was nestled behind Lixia Commandery and Mushroom Forest Plain. With the Xiao and Yuan families blocking the way, they suffered no losses and even gained significant advantages.

Firstly, rogue cultivators, fearing demonic cultivators, retreated to Moon-Gazing Lake. Some settled in Daili Mountain to establish their lineages, others found temporary residence with various scattered families on Moon-Gazing Lake, and some rogue cultivators, having fled desperately and grown tired of wandering, willingly became guest elders for the Li family.

Secondly, with the destruction of Guanyun Market and the devastation across the four territories, many rogue cultivators lost their channels for raw material sales. Moreover, with demonic cultivators running rampant, it was unsafe to travel widely, so they could only sell their goods cheaply to nearby powerful clans.

After Li Yuanjiao’s seclusion for over half a year, many changes had occurred within the family. Li Yuanping specifically visited Wutu Mountain to organize the family’s affairs one by one:

“In the Dongshanyue region, there are sixty-five Fetal Breath cultivators, including guest elders, Shan Yue, and clan cultivators. After accounting for their care of spiritual objects and their stipends, the annual yield is one thousand four hundred catties of spiritual rice, along with other spiritual objects valued at around twenty spirit stones.”

“Our own Lijing, Huaqian, Huazhong, and Yuting Peaks have over seventy Fetal Breath cultivators. After deducting stipends, their annual yield is one thousand six hundred catties, along with other spiritual objects valued at twenty-five spirit stones!”

Li Yuanping appeared overjoyed, saying with a smile:

“Our family’s current annual profit is forty-five spirit stones, totaling two hundred and twenty-five spirit stones over five years. We can finally cover the tribute to Qingchi Sect!”

Li Yuanping had racked his brains trying to balance the family’s finances. Now that they had finally broken even, his complexion looked considerably rosier.

After all, the Li family was now a large enterprise, and the expenses required to maintain it were truly astronomical. This influx of cultivators fleeing from the path of chaos had finally brought some relief, and Li Yuanjiao also showed joy as Li Yuanping continued:

“There are ten Shan Yue qi-gathering cultivators, who have little combat power and mostly handle transport and errands within the clan. Five clan cultivators and external qi-gathering cultivators have also been placed in positions.”

“As for Qi Condensation cultivators, we gained another guest elder, also named Li, called Li Qilang. He is at Qi Condensation Level 2, originally running errands in Mushroom Forest Plain. Hearing about the Li family on Moon-Gazing Lake, he came to pledge allegiance on his way here.”

Righteous cultivators among rogue cultivators were few, so recruiting one was quite good. Li Yuanjiao paid it no mind. As he set down his sword, Li Yuanping said:

“Regarding the spiritual spring, I have already sent someone to the Yuan family to purchase it. Although it will incur some cost, we must plant the Wanling Flowers first; we cannot wait any longer.”

“Excellent.”

Li Yuanjiao praised him. Li Yuanping then beckoned, and an old monkey was brought in.

The old monkey was now clad in a Daoist robe, wearing socks on its feet, and a storage pouch tied around its waist. Its eyes were bright, its demeanor calm, and as it walked, there was an inexplicable aura of an enlightened high cultivator.

This old monkey, with its flowing white fur and impeccable attire, had learned written language. Though unable to speak, it respectfully bowed and presented two jade slips.

One was *Travels of the White Ape*, the monkey demon’s autobiography. Li Yuanjiao skimmed through it.

It turned out this monkey demon originated from Qingkong Mountain in the State of Wu. It was originally a mountain monkey demon that had cultivated for an unknown number of years, gradually gaining intelligence after breaking through the Profound Sight realm, only to be captured and made to pound herbs.

Later, the Qingkong Temple that captured it was destroyed, and it drifted to Tujun Gate on the border of the State of Wu, where it was again tasked with pounding herbs. After more than ten years, Tujun Gate was destroyed, and it finally fell into the hands of the Yu family.

The Yu family was short on hands and, seeing its expertise in this skill, still had it pound herbs.

“Truly skilled in this art…”

What followed was the destruction of the market. Li Yuanjiao merely glanced over it, then picked up another jade slip.

This piece was “The Pestle Bearer’s Discourse,” recording the properties and interactions of over a thousand types of spiritual herbs. Li Yuanjiao was greatly astonished by it. Appended at the end were two pill recipes from an unknown source:

Jade Bud Pill and Clear Mind Pill.

Both were common pills for Qi Condensation cultivators, already recorded in their family’s alchemy scrolls, and not of high value. However, the preceding records of medicinal properties filled Li Yuanjiao with delight. He looked at Li Yuanping, whose eyes also held a smile.

As for the monkey demon’s own cultivation method, before Fetal Breath, it relied entirely on breathing exercises. After Fetal Breath, it used a demon cultivation technique granted by the Yu family, which, having been enchanted by a spell, could not be recited aloud.

Li Yuanjiao kindly comforted the old monkey and tucked two bottles of pills into its arms. The old monkey was not shy; it put the pills into its pouch, nodded heavily, and bowed.

“Patriarch!”

As the brothers were conversing intimately, Shamali silently approached, his expression somewhat strange. He leaned in close to Li Yuanjiao’s ear and whispered:

“Patriarch! Down the peak… came a pig demon, impeccably dressed, claiming to be a demon soldier from Dazhu Cave, here to visit…”

“Demon soldier? Visiting?”

Li Yuanjiao was taken aback. Although he had never heard of Dazhu Cave, he immediately thought of the Foundation Establishment pig demon on the northern foothills of Daili Mountain and quietly asked:

“What cultivation level?”

“Qi Condensation peak.”

Shamali answered softly. Li Yuanjiao frowned and said:

“Go invite it up.”

Shamali nodded and descended. Li Yuanping, pondering, then spoke:

“It’s likely that pig demon has something to discuss, but our ancestor’s reputation and power are too great for it to come personally, so it sent a small pig demon to relay the message.”

“Indeed.”

Li Yuanjiao gripped his sword hilt, a few suspicions forming. He said in a deep voice:

“I’ve heard some news. It’s probably because our family has risen, and our territory has gradually expanded. These demons can’t get blood-food, and they are often killed by cultivators entering the mountains, so they are naturally resentful.”

As the two conversed in low voices, a white pig, about six feet tall, walked quickly up, standing on two legs. It had a large head and floppy ears, looking quite comical. If not for the bone fork it held, one couldn’t even discern its demonic ferocity.

“Pig Er of Daili Mountain Demon Cave greets King Li.”

The pig bowed clumsily, yet its eyes were sizing up the old monkey nearby. It felt that this monkey’s cultivation method was completely unfamiliar, sparking suspicion in its heart, but it spoke respectfully.

“Are you the emissary of that mountain pig demon?”

Demons were always known to bully the weak and fear the strong. Moreover, this pig demon clearly had consumed many humans, its aura dark and heavy. Li Yuanjiao naturally had no pleasant expression, calling out unceremoniously and staring at the pig demon.

“Exactly, exactly.”

Although the pig demon had high cultivation, it was terrified of Li Yuanjiao. It shook its large head, not knowing how to speak subtly, and blurted out:

“Your cave has exclusively claimed hundreds of thousands of blood-food down the mountain! My family hasn’t received a single share. Our Great King hasn’t had a proper meal in over ten years…”

It turned out that although Daili Mountain Demon Cave had always prohibited demons from descending the mountain to consume humans, this rule only applied to demon generals and those demons whose names were recorded in the cave. Minor demons and ordinary beasts were generally ignored.

Although this pig demon had its name recorded in the cave and was forbidden from going down the mountain to eat humans, it could command smaller demons to go out and capture people, allowing it an occasional meal or two. With the emperor far away, Daili Mountain Demon Cave wouldn’t interfere too broadly.

After all, countless demons came and went from Daili Mountain; which demon wouldn’t casually consume a person or two when passing through the mortal realm? But with the Li family’s current rise, this pig demon’s blood-food became increasingly scarce, naturally leading to its dissatisfaction.

Li Yuanjiao saw that the pig demon was timid and easily bullied, cowering nervously. He glared fiercely, and the pig demon immediately became frightened, rattling off its words like beans pouring from a bamboo tube:

“Your cave is originally the master of this land, monopolizing all the blood-food down the mountain. It’s understandable that you don’t allow our family’s disciples to forage. However, your cave has recently repeatedly slaughtered our Great King’s soldiers, which is simply too unreasonable!”

As the pig demon spoke, Li Yuanjiao and Li Yuanping exchanged glances, immediately understanding:

“So, rogue cultivators entered the mountains, indiscriminately killing demons, and incidentally harmed this pig demon’s subordinates…”

The small pig demon still cowered on the ground, kneeling, and whispered:

“Our Great King… hopes to receive some blood-food as compensation, just one hundred able-bodied men.”

Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao frowned and said:

“Rogue cultivators have always entered the mountains. These rogue cultivators come for profit; they kill demons and then flee. How can you pin that on my family? Your Great King is merely using this as an excuse to extort us!”

With a cold laugh, he drew his sword with a clang. The scales of the Coiling Dragon Vine sword in his hand gleamed, and he cursed:

“Do you truly think my family is easily bullied?!”

Before he finished speaking, a moon-white Sword Arc of Moon Lacuna glowed in his hand and chopped down directly. The pig demon, being at peak Qi Condensation, reacted very quickly. It retracted its large head, and a thick black mist surged forth, enveloping itself.

“Clang!”

The Li family’s sword technique began with the fiercest momentum. The pig demon suffered a minor loss in its haste; the moon-white sword energy forcefully pierced through the black mist, passing through the pig demon’s cheek like a beam of light, slicing off a piece of flesh from its greasy face.

“Ah!”

Pig Er shrieked, covered its face, retreated several steps, and quickly said:

“It’s a misunderstanding! Great King, it’s a misunderstanding!”

Li Yuanjiao actually wanted to keep it there for a ritual sacrifice, but since the pig demon had backing, he stopped wielding his sword for now. Casually, he picked up a small cloth from the desk to wipe his Coiling Dragon Vine sword, and said harshly:

“Tell your Great King, if it has the guts, send someone else to test us again. Don’t use its pig head to test the sharpness of my family ancestor’s precious sword!”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

The pig bowed repeatedly, kowtowing without end. Li Yuanjiao said in a deep voice:

“See him out!”

Li Yuanping quickly pulled the pig demon down, saying kindly:

“Please see Brother Pig out.”

After Shamali led the person away and the old monkey also took its leave, Li Yuanjiao finally sheathed his sword and said softly:

“This pig demon has grown suspicious and is testing our family. We cannot hesitate now.”

“Demons always bully the weak and fear the strong.”

Li Yuanping echoed, whispering:

“In any case, this pig demon is restrained by its demon cave and absolutely cannot descend the mountain. Even if it causes trouble for us, it will only send a few Qi Condensation demons into our hands, which would be a welcome outcome.”