Chapter 708: Meeting the Great King, Accumulated Silver Alliance

Qu Bushi was an old hand. He racked his brains, whispering, "That snake demon isn't very powerful; it wouldn't dare to complain... but the King of Beijinjiang is a demon favored by a dragon prince, holding jurisdiction over the Three Rivers. Even cultivators from Baiye Dao personally visited him some years ago..."

The old man's unspoken meaning was, 'Your family has a Zifu, and so does his; which dragon lineage would fear the other?' He claimed it was to win favor, but in truth, he feared the Li family's conduct would offend them, using extreme tact. Li Mingguang couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at this.

Li Cheng returned a smile, replying, "Rest assured, honored guest."

As they spoke, brilliant light gathered in the sky, and several figures approached from the south, landing on the mountain. The leader wore shining armor, held a halberd, and had gleaming golden eyes. Beside him stood a man in black, with a slightly somber expression and a sword at his waist.

Li Cheng and the others all rose to greet him, exclaiming, "Greetings, Family Head!"

Li Zhouwei helped him up and entered the newly repaired hall. Without sitting down, he asked, "How are things here?"

Li Cheng recounted everything, reporting that all matters had gone smoothly, except for the snake demon. He specifically asked Qu Bushi to explain that particular issue again. The old man, daring not to delay, narrated the whole story from beginning to end.

Li Zhouwei frowned upon hearing this. He had a good relationship with Ding Jiao, but the disparity between their two families was vast, like heaven and earth. Such a connection could not be leveraged; once used, it would mean their ties with the dragon prince were severed—a consequence Li Zhouwei would not risk, not even for an ancient Zifu spiritual artifact.

"Ding Jiao is the White Dragon Prince, but the faction behind the King of Beijinjiang might not be the White Dragon! Other lineages are manageable, but if it's the Black Dragon... that would mean inviting a lot of trouble for no reason!"

Li Zhouwei had long known that the dragon lineage was not a unified entity. He had witnessed firsthand how Ding Jiao had troubled Miao Ye at the Miao family in the South Sea... Ultimately, this was a conflict between the White Dragon and the Black Dragon.

"Although the dragon lineage would likely not interfere, if the King of Beijinjiang deliberately caused trouble, demanding tribute of blood and flesh now and then, it would be frustrating enough to leave us no recourse for complaint..."

Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment, then asked, "What is the true form of this King of Beijinjiang?"

"Well..." Qu Bushi paused, speechless for a moment, then struggled to say, "This humble one doesn't know, I've only heard rumors from below... They say the King of Beijinjiang cultivates the path of water integration and possesses a mystic light of immense power. Wherever it passes, it can not only create maddening illusions but also turn people into blood."

Li Zhouwei appeared thoughtful, already formulating a plan. Suddenly, his ear felt warm, and a calm, ethereal voice, as if drifting from the void, spoke: "Minghuang, go at once to see this snake demon, and bring your people."

Li Zhouwei recognized Li Ximing's voice. Putting away his weapon, he immediately instructed, "I will go meet this snake demon."

He acted decisively. As soon as he spoke, he selected Li Cheng, Li Mingguang, and a few others, leaving only An Siwei to guard the household. Soaring into the air, he mused, "This snake demon is not a significant figure; to mobilize a Zifu, this must be a matter concerning Misty Cloud Cave."

Understanding the urgency, he quickened his pace. Within fifteen minutes, he reached Baijiang Stream. The stream's water was crystal clear, tinged with a faint blue, making it the purest and longest of the three streams. It also featured a small lake, unlike the murky Baiye Stream to the east.

This lake, naturally, couldn't compare to Wangyue Lake; it was only fifty li in circumference. From a distance, it appeared as a quaint, lovely bluish-green dot nestled among the hills. After passing it and traveling another fifty li, they finally spotted a small, lush mountain with strangely shaped, towering peaks.

This mountain was much taller than Fuyun Cave's main peak and likely the finest spiritual mountain in Fuyun Cave territory. Fudou, inferior in background, strength, and cunning, had naturally lost it to the snake demon. Li Zhouwei stopped before the mountain, sending Qu Bushi to make the request. Li Cheng then approached, transmitting his voice with spiritual power: "Family Head, I see someone waiting at the foot of the mountain; it appears someone has already arrived to see this snake demon."

"Misty Cloud Cave, no doubt," Li Zhouwei said, narrowing his eyes slightly and dimming his aura. After a brief wait, Qu Bushi returned, wind-blown and looking disheveled. He bowed and reported, "Reporting to the Family Head, the demon said it is currently entertaining guests and cannot be disturbed."

Seeing Qu Bushi's disheveled state, Li Zhouwei surmised that the demons had not been as polite as reported. He nodded and declared, "This snake demon has long preyed on humans, so there's nothing to discuss with my family. We will eliminate it today to prevent future trouble."

He soared upwards, heading directly into the mountains. Amidst the lush vegetation, he raised his long halberd and descended with a cold expression. As expected, two demon soldiers stood before the cave, one holding a saber, the other a spear. Seeing more arrivals, they grew impatient. A leopard-headed demon bellowed, "Where did you scoundrels come from now! We said our grand-daddy isn't seeing anyone! What kind of fools don't understand demon speech!"

Li Zhouwei stood with his halberd, his armor gleaming golden, and said coldly, "Open your dog eyes wider before you speak."

"Oh!" The leopard-headed demon immediately dropped his spear, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward. Meeting Li Zhouwei's golden eyes, he froze. He then sniffed the air, hesitating, "So, a grand-daddy has arrived... From which mountain or ridge do you hail, grand-daddy? This humble leopard has eyes but failed to recognize your esteemed presence..."

Li Zhouwei, having already heard how Bai Rong handled such situations, glared and retorted, "Stupid slave, do you not recognize nobility? Tell your master to come out and prostrate himself before me."

This utterly terrified the two demons. They exchanged glances, then sent one into the cave. After only a few moments, a man emerged, surrounded by a throng of minor demons. He was draped in a hideous, garish python robe, and at the cave entrance, he craned his neck, squinting to see.

Li Zhouwei regarded him with a cold stare. The snake demon's heart pounded. He hastily made his way down the mountain, still craning his neck to observe. All he could discern was a direct descendant of a great demon, whose lineage was undeniably noble. He cautiously said, "May I ask which mountain's great king you are? This humble demon is a small steward of the King of Beijinjiang's manor, merely making a living here... If you have any commands... you may well ask to see the King of Beijinjiang himself..."

Li Zhouwei remained motionless, planting his long halberd on the ground, without a hint of warmth in his expression. He asked coldly, "What are you? Which water manor does your master belong to?"

It just so happened that demons responded to this kind of intimidation. The snake demon's suspicion largely vanished. With a fawning smile, he quickly approached the front of the formation, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not step out. He flicked his tongue and replied, "For a noble being to grace this humble and desolate place, this little snake is exceedingly honored... My lord is not a direct descendant of a water manor but was appointed by a dragon prince to temporarily govern the Three Rivers region..."

"Not a direct descendant of a water manor?" Li Zhouwei let out a laugh, a look of disdain appearing on his face. He asked, "If that's the case, and I've come all this way, how dare he not come out to greet me? Which lineage does he belong to?"

At this question, the snake demon showed a hint of fear. He merely pleaded, "My lord... I am but a small steward in the manor; how could I know so much! Please allow me to introduce the Great King to you..."

Li Zhouwei bared his teeth in a chilling smile, and said icily, "Then why aren't you quickly inviting me in?"

"Oh!" The snake demon immediately leaped up from the ground, flung off his garish robe, darted out from the formation, and knelt to the side, displaying the utmost flattery: "Greetings, Great King!"