Chapter 91: Entering the Village

“Great archery!”

Li Xuanxuan stood on the massive corpse of the brown-furred boar demon, exclaiming in admiration at the bowl-sized blood hole. Beside him, Li Xuanfeng put away his longbow and boasted with a grin: “How was that? My arrow is no ordinary shot.”

“It’s good, it’s good,” Li Xuanxuan nodded, a smile playing on his lips. “It’s just a shame about this fine hide.”

Li Xuanfeng paused, then chuckled awkwardly. He was about to speak when a clan soldier rushed over. After only a few steps, he was stopped by armored guards. His armor was covered in blood, and he knelt directly, crying out: “Young master! The Shanyue have captured Lijing Town and attacked Lijing Mountain!”

Li Xuanfeng lowered his head in disbelief, grabbing the soldier with one hand and demanding: “Do you know what you’re saying?!”

“Feng’er!” Li Xuanxuan, breaking out in a cold sweat, trembled all over. He quickly pulled the man away, ignoring the blood on him, helped him up, and urgently asked: “How could the Shanyue be in Lijing Town? Where are the clan soldiers the family head took? What about Lichuan Estuary?”

The clan soldier, knowing the urgency of the situation, quickly replied: “The family head and those thousand clan soldiers are nowhere to be found! We went to Lichuan Estuary for help, but we were met with a volley of arrows. Lichuan Estuary is also under Shanyue control!”

Li Xuanxuan’s hair stood on end. He slowly took a step back, countless terrifying images flashing through his mind. The blade in his hand slowly returned to its sheath, and he fell silent.

“Scout Lijing Town and Lichuan Estuary again,” Li Xuanxuan uttered, then added in a deep voice, “Send someone to the reed marsh to find Uncle Zhong.”

“No need,” Li Tongyai descended from the sky, landing beside Li Xuanxuan. His expression was grave as he spoke, “I’ve already been to Lichuan Estuary. Three thousand troops are stationed there, guarded by one Qi Condensation cultivator. As for Lijing Town, there are over three thousand Shanyue, with at least three Qi Condensation cultivators.”

Li Tongyai had originally been collecting pure Qi from the river on the riverbank, and had made his way to the edge of Lichuan Estuary. He then saw the village ablaze with torches and many figures moving about, filling him with doubt. He approached the village through the air, only to see Shanyue with loose hair and tattoos everywhere, his heart sinking.

As soon as he neared the village, a Shanyue Qi Condensation cultivator ascended into the air, manipulating dense black mist towards Li Tongyai. Li Tongyai fought him several times. His Profound Water Sword Art, combined with his River True Essence, repeatedly forced the rogue Shanyue Qi Condensation cultivator to retreat. Fearing that his opponent might have reinforcements, Li Tongyai reluctantly withdrew.

“The family head, he…” Li Xuanxuan quickly began. Li Tongyai frowned and shook his head. “I was blocked at Lichuan Estuary. There were no troop formations on the riverbank, nor any signs of battle. Xiang Ping must have retreated early, or gone in another direction.”

Li Xuanxuan finally let out a long breath, and Li Xuanfeng’s tense expression also relaxed. Li Tongyai patted his brocade pouch, and a jade seal appeared in his hand. It was the token of authority from Qingchi, and a few small characters had appeared on it: “For now, endure.”

Li Tongyai’s face darkened as he put away the jade seal. He had requested help through the seal earlier, but after half an hour with no response, these four words were all he received.

“We can’t count on the Qingchi Sect. Now we just have to see what that Gani Xi is up to…”

Li Xuanling and Li Jingtian had only just rested for a short while when the main door was burst open. A dozen Shanyue filed in, followed by a minor leader who entered with a knife. Seeing Li Jingtian, his eyes lit up, and he chuckled: “What a beautiful girl.”

Both were instantly startled. Li Jingtian was perplexed as to how Gani Xi could have found this place. Seeing that only a few mortals had been sent, her suspicions grew, and she felt something was amiss.

Li Xuanling clenched his fist, quietly pondering: “It wouldn’t be difficult to defeat these people, but I’m afraid of attracting more Shanyue from the street. If Shanyue cultivators are drawn here, it would be difficult to escape.”

The Shanyue leader scanned them from head to toe, then raised a hand and loudly commanded: “Take them away!”

Immediately, two men approached with ropes to bind Li Xuanling and Li Jingtian. Li Xuanling looked up at Li Jingtian, who subtly shook her head, so he allowed them to be tied up.

Li Xuanling twisted slightly, feeling that the ropes on him were barely there, easily torn with a bit of force. He surmised that these men hadn’t expected a ten-year-old child to possess such strength, unaware that Li Xuanling had already reached the second level of Fetal Breath.

The two followed them out of the courtyard and saw droves of children and teenagers being herded like cattle towards the mountains. Above them, a single figure hovered in the air, adorned with patterns and long braids.

“Qi Condensation…” Li Xuanling uttered the two words in a low voice. He and Li Jingtian were led slowly into the forest. He pretended to stumble, falling awkwardly to the ground and getting mud splattered all over his head and face.

“I’ve been down the mountain frequently in recent years, and everyone knows me. Some fool might recognize me, so I need to maintain this disguise.” He tilted his head and rubbed it against his collar, then lowered his head to make himself appear less conspicuous. Looking at Li Jingtian ahead, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: “Thankfully, my elder sister hasn’t descended the mountain much in recent years and has lived a reclusive life. Otherwise, her remarkable aura would certainly be impossible to hide.”

They had now reached Dayu Creek. Beyond it lay Shanyue territory. Li Xuanling, unwilling to give up, quietly touched his mirror, then released it with a wry smile.

Three Qi Condensation cultivators hovered above the entire procession, while Shanyue soldiers urged them forward from both front and back, maintaining a tight guard. They had no choice but to push on, walking for a full day and night until a crude stockade finally appeared before them.

Within the stockade, many unfamiliar people could be seen, shackled at the ankles, laboriously moving equipment or provisions. At first glance, the security seemed lax.

“It would be difficult for mortals to escape this stockade, but for cultivators, it’s different. Once night falls, I can kick off these shackles and sneak away with Elder Sister.”

Li Xuanling’s heart immediately lightened. He then saw a crowd gathered ahead, where people were individually shackled and kneeling, waiting for several Shanyue witch doctors to draw horizontal lines on their necks, symbolizing slavery.

Meanwhile, some people came to untie ropes, leading girls and young women to another side. Li Jingtian was pulled out of the crowd, and a chorus of gasps arose from both the Shanyue and the slaves.

“Whose girl is this? So beautiful.”

“What a pretty young girl.”

Li Jingtian had secretly smeared mud on her face, but her elegant nose and the smooth lines of her profile were impossible to hide. Her clear, grayish-black eyes, inherited from Li Xiangping and distinct from the Shanyue, were especially captivating.

Before Li Xuanling could think further, he was pulled into the stockade. A Shanyue placed wooden shackles on him. The Shanyue were not skilled in metallurgy; what little copper and iron they managed to produce was used for weapons, so they naturally didn’t have iron shackles, instead using sturdy wood.

Allowing the Shanyue witch doctor to draw the horizontal lines on his neck, Li Xuanling secretly used his peripheral vision to observe Li Jingtian’s situation. He saw the long-braided Shanyue who had been floating high in the air slowly descend, standing before the crowd and scrutinizing Li Jingtian.