Chapter 503: Dili Clan

Li Xijun waited for two months. The narrow-eyed monk arrived, riding the wind, landing in front of the peak. Because the grand formation had been newly replaced, he couldn't enter the mountain gate and could only wait silently.

Seeing Li Xijun, dressed in white, approach him, Kong Heng's expression was serene. He clasped his hands together and softly said, "I heard that fellow Daoist successfully established your foundation. This is due to good karma. Congratulations!"

Years ago, Li Xijun had allowed him to leave, enabling him to seize the opportunity for a breakthrough. Kong Heng was genuinely grateful. After offering his congratulations, he saw Li Xijun say, "Master is jesting. What good karma could there be for my involvement in the Qingdu matter? My family doesn't believe in such retribution. If it were true, we'd simply sit back and wait for it, not bother with anything else."

"This monk has been impolite," Kong Heng declared, proclaiming his Buddhist name. He landed on the mountain, looking around with a hint of novelty. Li Xijun led him on a walk through the mountains, speaking softly, "This time, I asked Master to return because I need your help to clear out the Shanyue completely."

He had already thoroughly investigated the situation and said, "Here, the three of us—you, I, and Ximing—will take action. We need to kill two people and one demon."

Li Xijun pointed towards Beishanyue and explained softly, "Jiaozhong Zi has disappeared, leaving behind a Shanyue Foundation Establishment cultivator named Mofuli. I've heard he is fiercely loyal to Jiaozhong Zi and guards Beishanyue with his Foundation Establishment mount."

He drew a circle around that area with an ink brush and explained, "If this person is as described, there's likely no room for negotiation. We should eliminate him cleanly and completely, root and branch."

He then pointed to the remaining southern area and whispered, "There's also a Huoluo-e, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. If we can persuade him to surrender, we will; otherwise, we'll besiege and kill him!"

The Li family's current strength genuinely supported his words. Twenty or thirty years earlier, such a statement would have been ridiculed, but now, it carried significant weight.

After Li Xijun finished speaking, Kong Heng slowly closed his eyes and replied, "It seems I am to commit a great many sins of killing!"

Li Xijun led him into the hall, put down the map, and reassured him, "These Shanyue, originating from Mount Wu, are not good people. Killing them multiple times wouldn't truly cleanse them. Master worries too much."

Kong Heng simply looked at the map, dense with village names and tribal names, and replied, "This monk understands... It's just that as the noble armies pass through, I fear a great many heads will fall, staining Beishanyue with blood. The number will likely be unsightly."

Li Xijun immediately frowned, speechless. It was absolutely impossible for the Li family to tolerate every noble landlord in Beishanyue. Even an incomplete purge would hinder subsequent governance. How could they avoid killing? He could only say, "My family does not hinder the common folk. Only after a thorough culling of these 'pigs and dogs' will the people below have a chance at a better life!"

Kong Heng, being an ancient cultivator, could only agree, even if he didn't approve. Only then did Li Xijun say, "There is indeed one thing I wished to ask Master, awaiting your arrival."

He had been observing Kong Heng's expression all morning and said softly, "This Beishanyue is different from Dongshanyue. It is the ancestral land of the Shanyue, with many wicked shrines hidden in the mountains. Its people are deeply poisoned by their influence. Even when Jialouxi was here, there were still recurrences; it's likely not something that can be resolved by simply killing them."

"Master is the most capable of swaying people's hearts in this world. Do you have any solutions?"

Li Xijun had a broader perspective. Eliminating the noble landlords of Beishanyue was merely a matter of sending people to kill them.

However, Beishanyue was the ancestral land of the Shanyue, where shamanistic cults and wicked shrines were deeply rooted in the people's hearts. Human sacrifices were frequent, and there were over a hundred thousand shamans spread throughout the region, ninety-nine percent of whom were mortals. Li Xijun pondered and concluded that relying on Kong Heng was likely the most convenient way to resolve this matter.

He explained the situation, and Kong Heng's face showed even deeper shame. He replied, "To entice followers with magical powers, cultivation techniques, or the allure of worldly pleasures and spiritual rewards... that is the highest form of wicked path. My Liao River lineage cannot do this! Kong Heng is deeply ashamed!"

Clearly, for him to act in a way that would make the followers of these cults abandon their beliefs violated Kong Heng's precepts. He politely refused again. Li Xijun received this answer without much surprise and could only sigh, "Then we shall simply kill them!"

"Ah!" Kong Heng paused, then quickly realized, and gave a wry smile, "Xijun, don't try to trick me. I have cultivated among the nobility for many years; I know their ways inside and out."

Li Xijun chuckled, then advised, "The Liao River lineage has declined to this day, and these rigid rules bear some responsibility. How can it survive being so inflexible!"

Kong Heng closed his eyes and replied, "The Seven Paths of Northern Buddhism were once almost identical to my Liao River lineage. They only opened one small loophole, and step by step, they became what they are today... My path does not seek survival, only true enlightenment."

Li Xijun sighed, "If that is the case, then where does that leave the millions of common people in the north?"

Kong Heng was instantly speechless, sweat appearing on his forehead. Fearing that he might turn and join the Seven Paths, Li Xijun said no more, smiling, "Then Master only needs to accompany me to eliminate these few Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Li Xijun smiled, gently placed the brush on the table, and said, "As for matters below the mountain, I'll leave them to my Kylin child."

Da Jue Ting.

Fanluoya's territory was originally vast. Although it had many hills, it also possessed plains around Da Jue Ting. In the years it had been under the Li family's control, its population had gradually grown to about fifty thousand people.

Now that Fanluoya had departed with Li Xuanfeng, this area had fully come under the Li family's control. Along with this, many Shanyue cultivators either left or pledged allegiance to the Li family.

On the roads of Da Jue Ting, troops galloped forward in a mighty procession. In the very center was a black carriage, imbued with flowing spiritual light.

Black banners fluttered in the air, and the carriage wheels left long tracks in the muddy ground. Chen Yang watched the fading glow on the mountaintops, lifted the curtain, and softly said, "Reporting to the Young Master, we have arrived at Da Jue Ting."

The young man inside the carriage wore a cloak, his long boots resting on a cooled brazier, as he carefully read a scroll. Chen Yang obediently lowered his gaze, not daring to look at the contents of the book.

The fifth layer of Fetal Breath, the Jade Capital Wheel, was a major bottleneck within the Fetal Breath realm. In the past two years, he had just barely touched its edges, and Li Zhouwei's cultivation had now caught up to his.

When they first met, they had a fight, which could be attributed to a hasty exchange, where Li Zhouwei subdued him by virtue of his weapon. Now, Li Zhouwei's halberd techniques were exquisite, far superior to Chen Yang's half-baked swordsmanship. With daily sparring, Chen Yang was no longer his match and dared not act presumptuously.

Li Zhouwei listened to his words, put away the book he was reading, and then moved to the front of the carriage to take a careful look. The majestic and ancient city had already appeared before them.

The city gates, full of mottled signs of age, were wide open. Along both sides of the road, a dense crowd of Shanyue nobles knelt, all with bowed heads. Many had even learned to tie their hair in topknots like the Eastern people, whispering among themselves as they knelt.

He stood silently for a moment, then ordered, "Enter the city."

As Li Zhouwei's words fell, the carriage did not stop before the kneeling Shanyue nobles. Instead, it galloped past them, driving straight into the city, splashing high mud and water, causing everyone to scramble out of the way.

Without Li Zhouwei's command, a group of clan soldiers also marched in coldly, completely blocking off both sides of the road.

Chen Yang stood at the front of the carriage, looking at the dense mass of bowed heads on the ground. A sense of exhilaration rose within him. However, now that he was aligned with Li Zhouwei, his cunning nature resurfaced, and he reminded him, "The Young Master needs to recruit soldiers here, and there's less than a month... I'm afraid we'll still have to rely on these people. We could try to win some over."

Chen Yang's words made sense. These people were descendants of Fanluoya's former subordinates, wielding influence and popular support in this region. For decades, they had exploited the common folk and each had their own followers. Of course, the Li family's power did not need to fear them, but gaining their assistance would make integration much easier.

After all, Li Chengliao had not provided any spiritual resources or provisions for this trip. Da Jue Ting was already their own territory; having to rely on the family for resources to raise an army here would undoubtedly be a sign of incompetence.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard the rustle of Li Zhouwei opening the curtain behind him. Then he heard the Young Master say, "They are all people destined to die; there's no need to pay them any mind."

Chen Yang subtly raised an eyebrow. With a quick thought, he understood and smiled, "Your subordinate understands."

Li Zhouwei stepped out of the carriage, quietly observing the grand city before him. He walked straight into the magnificent yet old main hall within the city, stopping beside the high throne.

He tapped his brocade boots twice, stepped up next to the throne, glanced around casually, then turned and said, "There are twenty-one clans in the city, and none are innocent. Kill them all. Distribute their wealth among the common folk and raise an initial group of recruits."

Chen Yang nodded, but Li Zhouwei stared at him for a moment, thinking, "Father said this man is cunning and courageous but lacks the ability to command respect. It would probably be difficult to suppress him by sharing benefits. If I send him alone, resentment might arise, stirring up a rebel army."

He simply couldn't trust this man. He retrieved the halberd from the carriage, put on his armor, shook out his robe, mounted his horse, and frowned, "You will come with me."

Chen Yang mounted his horse and followed behind him. Li Zhouwei took out a roster, picked a clan that had many followers but was in decline, and, riding a spiritual horse, loudly declared, "To the Dili Clan!"

The ground in the city was uneven and bumpy, but his heavy-armored spiritual horse traversed it as if on flat ground, swiftly leaping out of the city.

In less than a quarter of an hour, he found a large stockade on the city's edge. From a distance, he saw people entering and exiting. He reined in his horse, waiting for his guards to catch up, then pulled the reins again, looking at the stockade from afar.

'Barbarians must be managed by barbarians. We need loyal followers, those with many people, yet who are of low status, poor, and can serve as our blades.'

The Dili Clan's Great Stockade.

Dili Youjie had been in a panic all night. Early in the morning, he was frantically pacing in front of the stockade, his bow, arrows, and animal bones clinking and clanking at his waist, a picture of dismay.

His Dili clan had cultivated this land for many years, numerous in people and soldiers, but they had too few shamans and were therefore considered a lower caste. They could only establish their stockade outside the city, daily sending people to be consumed by Fudaimu.

Later, this place fell into Fanluoya's hands, and after a few years of chaotic rule, the Dili clan missed their opportunity and remained a low-caste, humble people. When it was handed over to the Li family, their lives became much better.

This was because the Li family had previously not managed Da Jue Ting much. As most of Fanluoya's subordinates had settled there, the Li family found it difficult to intervene. They only sent people to investigate and allocate spiritual fields; it was more a policy of loose control than direct rule.

But today, upon rising, he heard that the Li family's forces had entered the city. Yet, Dili Youjie was not even qualified to request an audience. Beyond fretting inside the stockade, he was truly at a loss.

"Dong, dong, dong..." The long-haired man was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a booming sound. Dili Youjie, among the Shanyue, was a man capable of wielding strong bows and riding fierce horses. How could he not recognize this sound? He paused slightly, then exclaimed in alarm, "Cavalry?"

He suddenly looked up and unfastened a horn from his waist. Just then, with a mighty crash, a dark silhouette flew over the ten-foot-tall stockade gate, obscuring the blazing sun in the sky and casting a twisting shadow.

Dili Youjie only caught a glimpse of a gleaming halberd slicing through the air. The dark-grey armor ominously clanked with a metallic sound, shimmering with the refined iron luster that the Shanyue had been unable to forge for generations.

"Whoa... Hiss..." Hooves landed, kicking up sand and dust that flew high into the air. The spiritual horses' snorts and neighs created a chaotic din. The Dili clan members in the courtyard stared, spellbound, and Dili Youjie couldn't help but take a step back, his resolute face losing its color.

"Clang!" The long halberd struck the ground, revealing glints of cold light amidst the dust. Before he could clearly see the person, he heard the clash of metal. The stockade gate was torn to shreds, and armored Easterners, in perfect order, filed in.

Several clans who attempted to resist were like docile lambs before these men, quickly subdued. Dili Youjie recognized them as the Li family's forces at a glance and dared not resist, only clenching his fists and waiting in place.

"Ugh..." Dili Youjie was thrown to the ground with a thud by several jade-armored figures. With clanging sounds, cold blades were pressed against his neck, one after another, gleaming chillingly. He was held motionless by over a dozen iron spears.

In but an instant, the entire Dili clan was brought under control. Dili Youjie knelt on the ground, unable to move, his hair disheveled, feeling a chill throughout his entire body.

The sunlight blazed, a golden glow before him. Sweat beads, the size of soybeans, continuously dripped onto the ground. Dili Youjie slowly adjusted his posture, raised his head, and saw a pair of narrow eyes, faintly gleaming with golden light.

The young man casually glanced at him, then looked around, seemingly estimating the number of men present. Only then did he raise the piece of cloth in his hand and read, "Dili... Youjie?"

He heard the voice, its tone calm, carrying the clear brightness of youth. Dili Youjie was one of the top talented hunters among the great clans within ten li, and a young clan leader feared by various families, yet he dared not meet the youth's gaze. He rasped, "This humble one greets the Immortal Clan... Honored Immortal Clan Lord."

The man was drenched in sweat, forced to lower his head by that gaze, a cold blade pressed against his throat. He dared not move. Then, from the spiritual horse behind, a person dismounted, their gaze chilling, and circled him once.

This person had long eyebrows and dark-grey eyes, regarding him with the look one might give livestock. They murmured, "Your Highness... is this man useful?"

The young man on the horse didn't answer him. He chuckled and asked, "Dili Youjie, the letter says you are young and promising. I'm offering you immense wealth and power. Can you seize it?"

From childhood until now, Dili Youjie had always been formidable in his actions, yet his mind had never been so clear. In a flash, he understood everything before him. The man trembled and said, "This humble one thanks the Young Master!"

He finally gathered the courage to look into those eyes—eyes that seemed born to toy with people's hearts, with dark gold flowing within them, making his legs feel cold.

Dili Youjie heard the young man pull on the reins, the iron hooves making sounds on the ground. The Young Master used his horsewhip to push aside the cold blade from Dili Youjie's neck, and with a playful tone, said, "Go, gather your Dili clan, enter the city, and kill people!"