Chapter 31: Night Stay at Yao Pass

Li Weiyi, eager for a swift victory, gave it his all. Catching up to the ape-like mutant, he launched a two-palmed attack. The air whistled around his hands as he aimed to overpower his foe. The mutant had only opened one spring... Li Weiyi's strategy was simple: overwhelm and kill.

The ape-like mutant, unwilling to clash directly with Li Weiyi, swung its spinal bone bow in defense. It surmised that the young man before him had opened at least three, perhaps even four, springs. Enhanced by the silver-threaded gauntlets, he seemed capable of exchanging blows with a martial cultivator who had opened five springs. To activate a magical artifact to such a shimmering silver glow, especially at the four-spring realm, meant it was likely not a low-grade artifact.

"He has a magical artifact at the Surging Spring realm?""Who exactly is this young man?"

The ape-like mutant racked its brains but couldn't comprehend. After enduring several of Li Weiyi's blows, its spinal bone bow splintered, its hands bled profusely, and its internal organs felt as if they were tearing. It decisively turned and fled.

Li Weiyi couldn't possibly let him escape. He needed to ensure no witnesses. Upon catching up, Li Weiyi used his hand as a blade and unleashed "Taiyi Splitting the Sea." A silver blade of palm-qi sliced across the ape-like mutant's back, severing its spine. Its massive body crashed to the ground.

"Bang!"

He delivered another palm strike, crushing its skull. Only after confirming the mutant's death did Li Weiyi quickly retrieve the Yellow Dragon Sword and wrap it in cloth.

Zhao Zhizhuo rushed forward to express his gratitude: "May I know your esteemed name, young benefactor? Zhao Zhizhuo of the Cangli Tribe will forever remember your kindness."

"Old Sir," Li Weiyi urged, "you should hurry and summon reinforcements. That is the most pressing matter."

Zhao Zhizhuo's face was pale, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry. Enduring the intense pain of his wound, he pleaded, "I have an impertinent request, young benefactor... Could you please help us to the very end? In my current state, if I travel alone, I fear I'll collapse from my horse after only a few dozen miles." The iron arrow had caused severe damage, tearing through flesh and injuring bone.

Li Weiyi was reluctant to get involved, fearing future retaliation from Shi Jiuzhai. However, he then considered that once the people from the bronze ship disembarked, they would need a place to settle and survive. If he could use this opportunity to resolve the issue, it might be a risk worth taking.

Li Weiyi had ridden horses, but he was no equestrian. However, after activating the two springs in his feet, his body felt transcendent, making it effortless to control a horse. The three of them shared a single horse. Zhao Zhizhuo lay prone in front, while Gao Huan held tightly to Li Weiyi's waist from behind. Fortunately, their mount was a sturdy steed that had drunk the blood of a Zouwu beast. Its bones were strong, its muscles firm, and its body covered in tiger stripes, making it far larger and more powerful than ordinary horses. Even carrying all three of them, it still galloped with incredible speed, capable of covering a thousand li in a day.

Yaoguan City, located nearly three hundred li from Burial Immortal Town, had a population exceeding two hundred thousand. Lacking city walls, gates, or moats, it resembled a large, freely accessible market town. Yaoguan City sprawled like a vast pancake across the fertile plains west of the Sui River, its western edge bordering the towering peaks of Mang Mountain.

It was already night. Bone lanterns illuminated the streets, casting an eerie, will-o'-the-wisp glow. Li Weiyi and Gao Huan stayed at Yaohua Pavilion, the third-largest inn in the city. After taking hot baths, they enjoyed not only soup noodles but also a feast of more than ten delicious dishes.

Upon entering the city that afternoon, Zhao Zhizhuo immediately headed to the City Lord's Manor to seek aid. Soon after, a deafening chorus of roars from a hundred beasts echoed from Mang Mountain. Some martial cultivators rode flying creatures with wingspans of dozens of meters, while others rode fantastical giant beasts resembling tigers, elephants, or rhinoceroses. All of them set off towards Burial Immortal Town. The sight was truly grand.

Lizhou, the territory of the Jiuli Tribe, had enjoyed peace for centuries, and such a severe incident had never before occurred. While conflicts and rivalries existed among the various Jiuli tribes, in times of genuine crisis, every tribe would undoubtedly send aid. The Jiuli Tribe had intermarried for generations, their bonds as deep as bone connected by sinew.

Zhao Zhizhuo finally arrived at Yaohua Pavilion and expressed his gratitude to Li Weiyi once more, so overcome with emotion that he tried to kneel, but Li Weiyi steadied him, preventing him from doing so. He wore simple grey and white clothes and appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with frosted temples. Yet, his strong muscles hinted at a tall and imposing figure in his youth.

"If not for your righteous intervention, young benefactor, my Cangli Tribe would have suffered severe casualties this time. Tomorrow, our young tribal chief will personally call upon you to express his gratitude. At that time, young benefactor, please feel free to state any request you may have."

Zhao Zhizhuo's shoulder had been cleaned, bandaged, and treated with a special secret medicine.

"Were they rescued?" Li Weiyi was eager to know if the battle in Burial Immortal Town had concluded, as he wanted to return to the bronze ship as soon as possible.

Zhao Zhizhuo nodded. "The young tribal chief and his people haven't reached Yaoguan yet, but word has returned that the Buddhist Marauders have retreated."

"Buddhist Marauders?" Li Weiyi was puzzled. Weren't the people led by Shi Jiuzhai the Earth Wolf King's army?

Zhao Zhizhuo already knew that the two individuals before him were not Buddhist Marauders. They were refugees who had fled to Lizhou, and their accidental wearing of monastic robes, identical to those of the Buddhist Marauders, had caused the misunderstanding. Li Weiyi had told him this while on horseback. With the world now in chaos and refugees widespread, countless people had fled to Lizhou for safety. Zhao Zhizhuo naturally held unwavering trust in Li Weiyi, who had saved his life.

Resentment and anger flashed in Zhao Zhizhuo's eyes. His chest heaved violently, aggravating an old injury, and he spoke with a slight wheeze: "Southern Barbarians, Northern Di, Eastern Yi, Western Rong. In our southern provinces, the most detestable and terrifying are the three great barbarian brigands: 'Xu Fodu' of Coffin Mountain, 'Yuwen Yan' of Night City, and 'Shinar,' the Earth Wolf King."

"It's widely believed that Lizhou is under the control of the Jiuli Tribe, which accounts for its centuries of peace."

"However, who knows that to maintain this peace and stability, the Jiuli Tribe has been swallowing humiliation, annually sending vast amounts of tribute and wealth to Coffin Mountain. That is why Xu Fodu's ten thousand Buddhist Marauders have only plundered and extorted on a small scale within Lizhou, and large-scale conflicts have never occurred."

"The Buddhist Marauders' ferocity and bloodshed this time are truly abnormal. I don't know what their intentions are."

Many thoughts flashed through Li Weiyi's mind instantly. He asked, "What about the Earth Wolf King's army?"

Zhao Zhizhuo replied, "The Earth Wolf King's power is not in Lizhou; it has no connection to us."

"Old Zhao, have you heard of Shi Jiuzhai?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zhao Zhizhuo's expression became serious. "Shi Jiuzhai is extraordinary. He is Shinar's adopted son and one of the ten Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King's army. He has only risen to prominence in the last twenty years but is already listed in the 'Jiazi Register.' Young benefactor, why do you ask about him?"

Li Weiyi sensed that Zhao Zhizhuo held a deep fear of the three great barbarian brigands; it even seemed as though the Jiuli Tribe had to pay tribute to them. He dared not reveal it! Revealing it would surely put him in the eye of the storm, and crucially, the Cangli Tribe might not even be able to protect him. He could even become a sacrificial pawn in the conflicts between major powers. Stay low-key, stay low-key. His involvement had already reached a dangerous point.

"I have long heard of his great name; it's quite renowned." Li Weiyi quickly changed the subject and asked, "Old Zhao, perhaps you could first help this junior with some questions about cultivation? I've mostly practiced blindly and don't understand many things."

"You've practiced blindly, yet managed to open three, even four springs?"

Zhao Zhizhuo looked at the silver-threaded gauntlets on Li Weiyi's hand. Realizing something, he quickly and gravely warned, "Young benefactor, I dare not inquire about the origin of this magical artifact, but you absolutely must not activate or use it casually in front of others. A man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty."

Li Weiyi recognized Zhao Zhizhuo's sincerity. While touched, he asked, "Are magical artifacts truly that precious?"

Zhao Zhizhuo finally believed that the young man before him had indeed been practicing blindly and likely knew very little about martial arts. "Let me put it this way," he began, "if I weren't already old and my ambition had not completely faded, seeing your magical artifact would very likely make me covetous. It's not about turning on a benefactor; it's simply that the temptation is too great, a matter of human nature."

"In other words, if a beautiful woman, like a celestial fairy, were to walk naked into the street without any means of self-defense, any danger she encountered would be her own doing, and no one else could be blamed."

"I understand!" Li Weiyi took off the silver-threaded gauntlets and concealed them. "Please help me keep this a secret, Old Zhao."

Zhao Zhizhuo quickly gave his assurance, then added, "Young benefactor, please don't take my words too much to heart; I simply speak plainly. In truth, there are few absolutely good people in this world, and few absolutely bad people. Most are those who dare not be too good nor too bad."

"Rest assured, even if I had encountered this in my youth, I would never betray kindness. I've simply lived for many decades longer and witnessed too much, so I can't help but offer a few more warnings."

"Thank you!"

Following that, Li Weiyi consulted Zhao Zhizhuo on several cultivation-related matters.

Outside, the atmosphere suddenly grew lively. The peaceful night was shattered by the rush of wind and the cries of a hundred beasts. The forces of the Beastli Tribe had returned!

Zhao Zhizhuo immediately took his leave, intending to welcome the young tribal chief. Before departing, he asked Li Weiyi if he wished to accompany him. Li Weiyi naturally shook his head, reasoning that the prominent figures of the Cangli Tribe were likely busy tonight, and it was not an opportune time for a meeting. Furthermore, such a formal meeting could lead to endless future complications.