Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 314, Chapter 323: My being granted filial piety is truly a divinely ordained calamity! (Eight thousand coins offered)
The sky was gray, and a few snowflakes were falling.

The broken eaves stretched out like a dark cloud, and the churned earth on the ground resembled the skin of a fish with half its scales scraped off.

Scattered yet continuous patches of gray-black filth, like sesame seeds on a moldy pancake, but Li Cunxiao could see clearly that they were actually many bluish-black corpses.

There were old and young, men and women, some with their heads separated from their bodies, some naked, some standing, and some lying down.

In war, human dignity is no more than the weight of an ant.

Such a thought flashed through his mind, but Li Cunxiao's steps did not slow down. He still transformed into a streak of light, instantly traversing the sky and speeding towards the east of the river.

When the Qin Dynasty established its capital in Guanzhong, it took several prefectures near Daxing and combined them into the Jingji Circuit, which was strategically located and easily accessible from all directions.

With its territory extending north to Hedong and east to Henan, it could easily obtain grain from the Central Plains during times of peace, while simultaneously sending troops north to deter barbarian tribes.

But now is not a peaceful time, and the capital, which has no natural defenses, has become a battleground.

Zhu Quanzhong has mobilized all the troops in Henan and is marching west to the capital. He has also recalled Yang Shihou, who was guarding the north. He is not afraid of being blocked by the Grand Master, which makes things convenient for Li Cunxiao.

Leaving Huayin County, we headed straight north, passing first Chaoyi and then Xiayang. At first, we could still see some soldiers carrying the banners of the King of Liang, in groups.

Li Cunxiao didn't cause any trouble; he simply went around it discreetly, then sped off at full speed.

After passing Xiayang, the Liang King's forces became increasingly sparse, so he no longer concealed himself. With the aid of divine weapons, the nine-headed blue lion rode the wind and charged forward, without stopping for two days and one night.

Once you reach the Hedong region, turn east and you'll reach Jiangzhou in the far south, and further north is Jinzhou, the stronghold of Prince Li Yisheng of Jin.

Corpses littered the area around Gyeonggi Province, and Hadong was no less devastated; many once-prosperous towns had been reduced to ashes and were now deserted.

A glimpse of a spot reveals the whole leopard; if one place is like this, the situation in the whole world is probably not much better.

But Li Cunxiao had no time to worry about the country and its people. He only knew that the faster he could find reinforcements, the greater the chance of his master and the others being safe.

Moreover, this request for help may not go so smoothly.

"The reason why Prince Jin and his chief bodyguard were so polite to me before was because I had Louguan Dao behind me. At that time, the situation was not so bad, and the choice of the sect leader could greatly affect the situation."

"But now Louguandao is in a precarious state, and if you ask someone for a favor, you will inevitably be manipulated."

Li Cunxiao remained expressionless, his mind racing. He even took a moment to glance at the secret realm to check on the situation of his wife, brother, and the others.

The tedious and agonizing hours passed from sunrise to sunset, and finally, a few signs of human habitation appeared before my eyes. Gazing into the distance, I could vaguely make out the outline of a city.

With a slight lift of his eyelids, his amber-colored pupils came into view, and he saw the large characters "Wanquan Prefecture" on the plaque above the city gate.

After passing Wanquan, then Zhengping and Taiping, you will be able to reach it.
"Ok?"

The speeding streak of light suddenly slowed down, revealing Li Cunxiao's changing expression.

In his perception, several auras of similar cultivation levels rose up in Wanquan Prefecture and were flying towards him.

I glanced at the top of Wanquan Prefecture city wall, where the flag of the Winged Tiger was fluttering in the wind, seemingly coming to life in the swaying of the setting sun.

Li Yisheng was skilled in horsemanship and archery when he followed his father in battle in his early years and was known as "Flying Tiger". After he rose to power, he used the Flying Tiger Banner as the banner of the Prince of Jin's lineage.

“Martial artists of the Xuan Guan realm are not ordinary. With the aid of their primordial spirit, they are more adept at leading troops and forming formations than ordinary martial artists. They can command thousands of troops and guard a region.”

"The Xuan Guan warriors under Li Yisheng's command are mainly his dozen or so adopted sons. Is the person who came one of the Twelve Protectors?"

Among the several streaks of light in the city, the one in the lead was the fastest. He was clad in heavy armor, had fleshy wings on his back, a gaunt face, and prominent cheekbones. He shouted loudly:
"Who goes there? How dare you trespass into the city gates? Don't you know whose territory this is?"

Seeing the man with the appearance of a thunder god exuding subtle hostility, Li Cunxiao frowned slightly, but still didn't bother with it, and cupped his hands in a respectful greeting:

"Greetings, General. I am..."

"I don't care who you are!"

Kang Junli looked at the uncontrollable radiance emanating from the newcomer, and greed welled up in his eyes.

Divine weapons! And more than one!
"You're an unidentified outsider. Whatever you want, lay down your arms and let's talk. That's the rule!"

"You don't know my identity or what I'm doing, yet you expect me to lay down my arms and surrender?"

Li Cunxiao was so angry that he laughed instead. All the worries and anxieties he had been carrying along the way were stirred up by this soldier's rudeness and arrogance.

"When you see the Flying Tiger Flag on the city wall, you will know that this place is under the protection of the Northern Heavenly King."

Kang Junli narrowed his eyes, raising the two short-handled hammers in his hands, which crackled with electricity.

"In the territory of the Prince of Jin, even the emperor himself has no say. Let alone disarming you, what difference would it make if we killed you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's expression turned calm.

He knew that being polite to these bandits and convicts from the local warlords was useless. What reason could you possibly have with a bunch of beasts who had crawled out of piles of corpses?
They have to beat them into submission before they can talk properly.
"stop!"

Seeing that the situation was about to become tense, the person who was slightly behind in the city finally arrived in time.

"Eleventh Brother, help me capture this man, and I'll give you a divine weapon in return!"

Kang Junli's face lit up with joy. He wasn't a complete brute; how could someone with several divine weapons be simple?
He said those things only to provoke me, so that he would have an excuse when he saw his adoptive father, the Prince of Jin.

But what use is a remarkable identity in today's chaotic world?

What is a chaotic world? It's a world where everything is shattered and social classes are redefined.

Now, as the adopted son of the Prince of Jin, the twelfth Grand Protector, and a prominent figure in Hedong, regardless of his future, he is equivalent to an elder of a sacred sect in the present.

His position came from himself and from his adoptive father, the Prince of Jin. As long as he remained the Prince of Jin's adopted son, he feared no one!
Although Shi Jingsi and he didn't get along well usually, they were both members of the Twelve Protectors. Who wouldn't want to share the spoils of seizing the divine weapon?
Surprisingly, the man with the yellow beard and white robe ignored Kang Junli's invitation and even greeted the "stranger" with a smile.
"Master Li, how have you been? Have you finally come to our senses today and wish to join us in this grand undertaking?"

"Master Li? Joining this grand event?"

Judging from his Taoist attire and young age, and the fact that Shi Jingsi called him a "True Man," he must have come from a sacred Taoist site.

Nowadays, there are only three Taoist holy sites: Louguan Taoism, Magu Mountain, and Maoshan. The latter two are located far away in the Wu and Yue regions, which are very far from Hedong, and they have never had any contact with each other.

That leaves only the third brother, Li Cunxu.
Upon hearing this, Kang Junli seemed to realize something, his face turning ashen as if he had swallowed a fly, and he slowly lowered the mace he had raised.

There was surprise and astonishment, but not much joy.

Li Cunxiao, however, was too lazy to guess his thoughts. The situation in Louguandao was extremely urgent, and personal conflicts could be resolved later.

"General Shi, to be honest, I have come here with important intelligence to tell you."

After saying that, he emphasized, "It's about Zhu Quanzhong and Gao Pian."

Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions immediately turned serious. Shi Jingsi, without waiting to discuss it with anyone else, directly invited Li Cunxiao into the city and into the city magistrate's residence. After serving tea, he dismissed the servants.

"Master Li, what kind of important intelligence requires you to come here in person?"

It's no wonder these two were so serious. Gao Pian was the last pillar of the court, a renowned master of his time; Zhu Quanzhong was a mortal enemy of the Prince of Jin's faction, and Li Yisheng wished he could kill him as soon as possible.

Whether for ambition or personal grudges, intelligence on these two individuals was always at the top of Li Yisheng's list.

"Gao Pian is dead, and the main force of the Imperial Shence Army has been wiped out."

Li Cunxiao dropped a bombshell as soon as he opened his mouth, startling Shi Jingsi and Kang Junli.

Before the two could react, he continued:
"Now, the traitor Zhu has allied with the Ming Cult and the Qida tribe beyond the Great Wall, heading straight for the capital. If he succeeds, he will hold the emperor hostage and command the princes, and the Prince of Jin will be put in a passive position."

"It was only because my master Taiyi and the sect leader Daotong Zhenren, two grandmasters, intervened that their evil plan was not successful."

"It's extremely urgent! General Shi, please quickly send a message to the Prince of Jin. If our two families join forces, we may still be able to turn the tide."

"If we delay even a moment, the capital region and Henan will fall into the hands of Zhu's bandits. Qida will also be supporting us in the northern desert. With attacks from both the north and south, Hedong will be in grave danger!"

His words were urgent and earnest, as if the world would change hands immediately if a decision wasn't made right away.

This was, of course, intentional on Li Cunxiao's part.

But to say he was lying wouldn't be entirely true; he was merely exaggerating slightly, but that was enough for these warriors.

Whether Shi Jingsi was caught up in the conversation or not, upon hearing this, his expression turned serious, and he immediately turned to look at Kang Junli beside him:
"This matter is of utmost importance and must be reported to the King immediately!"

As he spoke, he took out a small and exquisite pagoda from his bosom, pinched his finger between his eyebrows, and pulled out a bit of true essence. It seemed to contain sounds and images, which were the scene of the three people talking just now.

"Eleventh Brother," Kang Junli, who had been hesitant, was taken aback upon seeing this and tried to stop him:

"This item is precious. Our godfather only gave us one, and repeatedly warned us that it should not be used without authorization unless it is an extremely urgent matter!"

"This intelligence is of utmost importance and cannot be false in the slightest. The fact that we have not yet verified the false military intelligence is a minor matter; what is a major matter is that it will affect our godfather's plans!"

"If you keep being so indecisive, you'll really mess things up!"

Shi Jingsi remained unmoved. A wisp of his true essence fell into the exquisite pagoda, resembling a relic. The pagoda glowed brightly and vanished instantly.

Even Li Cunxiao, who was completely focused, couldn't see how he disappeared.

But no matter what, once this information gets out, he doesn't believe Li Yisheng can sit still, and the matter of seeking help is already half done.

"you!"

When Kang Junli saw that Shi Jingsi was completely ignoring his words and insisted on going his own way, his face immediately turned ugly, and his gaze toward Li Cunxiao became even more hostile.

But the message had already been sent, and the die was cast; all he could do was snort coldly, get up, and walk out.

"General Shi, thank you very much."

After everyone left, Li Cunxiao stood up and solemnly thanked Shi Jingsi.

Although he had deliberately exaggerated his previous statement, he couldn't refuse to accept the favor because the other party was able to convey the message immediately without hesitation, even if it was just to fulfill their duty.

“Master Li, you are exaggerating. This matter is of great importance. Kang Junli is timid and hesitant, but I am not afraid.”

"If we can defeat the Zhu traitor in one fell swoop and allow my adoptive father to take over Xijing, that would be a good thing. So what if we are punished?"

"On the contrary, if Zhu the traitor gains the upper hand and pins the label of traitor on us, and then looks at us with such a sanctimonious facade, I would wake up in the middle of the night and slap myself in the face."

Shi Jingsi spoke bluntly, without the slightest bit of politeness, and even added a reminder at the end:
"Since Master Li has come, we may become comrades-in-arms in the future. I have something to say here as a reminder."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Under my adoptive father's command, the Twelve Protectors are all pillars of the army."

"In the past, the Grand Protector, as a Grandmaster, shouldered the heavy responsibility alone. Now, the Third Grand Protector has also broken through to the Grandmaster level."

“We martial artists ultimately rely on our fists. The order of arrival doesn’t matter. The two grandmasters are the elder brothers, and we younger brothers also need their support to have the confidence to do things.”

“Kang Junli, also known as the twelfth prince, has always been on good terms with the Grand Protector.”

Shi Jingsi smiled and remained silent after saying this, but Li Cunxiao already understood what he meant.

To put it bluntly, wherever there are people, there are factions. These factions are unaffiliated and come in all shapes and sizes.

Under Prince Li Yisheng of Jin, the two eminent monks of Yuhua Temple and another veteran general Chang are not worth mentioning. The most influential figures in the army are the Twelve Protectors.

The Twelve Protectors were divided into two factions, with the First Protector Li Siyuan and the Third Protector Li Cunxu at the head.

The former was a man who had been famous for many years and held great power; the latter was the son of the Prince of Jin and a newly promoted master.

When Li Cunxu brought Li Cunshen, one of the Nine Protectors, to visit Louguandao, it might have been a contest between the two factions.

As a member of the Big Protector faction, Kang Junli might have misunderstood something and thought he was already a member of the Third Protector faction, which is why he reacted that way after he actually learned his identity.

But none of this matters.

"As long as Li Yisheng agrees, this matter can be accomplished. Everyone else, whether it's the First Uncle's faction or the Third Uncle's faction, is just a minor detail."

Li Cunxiao thanked Shi Jingsi for his advice and said no more. He left the room under the pretext of feeding the Nine-Headed Green Lion, but in reality, he was adjusting his breathing while thinking about how to persuade Li Yisheng later.

He now possesses two spiritual forms at the fourth level of the Daoist realm, and is further enhanced by the "Heaven-Human Interaction" of the Haotian Altar. His ability to mobilize external spiritual energy is already quite remarkable, not to mention the spiritual pills that Taiyi Zhenren had left behind in advance.

In less than half an hour, his condition had recovered to about 70-80%, and much of the fatigue from traveling day and night had been swept away.

"Blue Lion, you must be exhausted these past few days."

Taiyi Zhenren made extremely careful preparations, not only refining the pills he needed for cultivation, but also preparing his mount.

Li Cunxiao took out a pill and stuffed it into the lion's mouth, while looking at the elixir with his other hand, lost in thought.

It has to be said that having a Tier 7 mount is indeed very convenient. Not only is it useful for traveling, but when leading troops into battle, it's like having an extra martial artist of the same level to assist you.

The key is that this fellow martial artist of the same level will not seize control of the formation, and can even help him bear more blood energy and unleash greater power.

He was able to break through Zhu Youzhen's Crane Control Army Formation on his own not only because he possessed two spiritual forms and abundant true energy, but also because he was empowered by four divine weapons, and the nine-headed green lion also played an important role.

In comparison, Chi Li can no longer keep up with his progress, and in the future, it will probably only be left to Mu Cha.

"Chi Li, I wonder how the escort agency is doing."

Mentioning Chili brings back memories of Chuqiu County, making one feel as if they've lived through another world.

To be honest, I only started learning martial arts around the Mid-Autumn Festival of the third year of Guanghua, and now it's the end of the fifth year of Guanghua, which is only two and a half years.

However, life is unpredictable. Apart from the time in Songzhou when he had the protection of two masters and could live a relatively easy life, it was difficult for him to avoid being swayed by external influences and drifting with the tide.

When I was in Chuqiu, I was only at the second level of muscle and flesh, and was controlled by the inner city and Murong.
In Songzhou, he barely reached the fifth stage of true form, and could only watch as the grandmasters fought fiercely in the secret realm.

Now that they've finally reached the seventh realm, the grandmasters of the ninth realm are stirring up trouble again.

The strength is still insufficient.

If I were to become a grandmaster, perfect the "True Scripture of the Three Altars and the Sea Assembly," and master the three great Dharma forms of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and control the power of the Daoist temple with the eighth realm, then I would not be swept away by the tide.

Instead, it was his turn to stir up the waves of the world! His five fingers clenched involuntarily. Li Cunxiao was about to ask Shi Jingsi when Li Yisheng would contact them when he suddenly felt a thorn in his back and his heart turned cold.

Just like ordinary people facing natural disasters, the fear of not being able to control their own lives and deaths can overwhelm all rationality.

At that moment, he almost wanted to hide in the Dragon Palace Secret Realm, but he managed to hold back, because two streaks of light flew out of the city garrison and headed straight for the sky. They were Shi Jingsi and Kang Junli.

After hesitating for a few breaths, Li Cunxiao gritted his teeth and chose to believe his guess. He then mounted the green lion and soared straight into the sky.

Above Wanquan Prefecture, Shi Jingsi and Kang Junli faced north, their expressions awe and reverence. Even when Li Cunxiao caught up, they didn't give him a second glance.

Soon, the celestial phenomena began to change. Flowing clouds, like a tide, surged in from afar, resembling galloping wolves and wild horses.

It stretched out in a mighty, unfurling motion, like a white silk ribbon, followed by a dense swarm of tiny dots rushing in.

Listening closely, one could hear the sounds of drums, zithers, and flutes;
Upon closer inspection, one can see falling flowers, white elephants, and golden lotuses.

The grand procession, though only a thousand strong, was filled with armor that shone in the sunlight and long halberds that seemed to cut through the clouds.

Each one of them had long arms and a slender waist, and was tall and large, like celestial beings;
The one in the lead was guarded by two Mingwang (myokai) on the left and right, with Yakshas following behind.

The Left Ming King had a head like a horse's face, a whole red body, three faces and eight arms, and a yellow beard like that of Jin Yang.
The Right Bright King has four faces and eight arms, his whole body is reddish-black, his hair is dark blue, seven suns shine on his head, and his feet tread on a rock.

One is called Hayagriva, and the other is called Ruyi Jingu Bang; both accompany the Heavenly King.

Seeing him carrying a pagoda, wearing a jeweled crown, and holding a jeweled halberd, his power shook the world and his fame spread throughout the universe, as if the real Vaishravana had descended to earth.

When they looked again, they saw that all the strange phenomena in the sky had disappeared, and in the clouds, there was only an elite army that looked like a heavenly soldier, standing on flowing clouds, with a majestic military appearance.

Unbelievable.

It is true that a commander can gather the strength of thousands or even tens of thousands of people, but this strength ultimately lies with the commander-in-chief.

If the power is to be distributed to empower the entire army and enable them to fly on the wind, then firstly, the commander-in-chief's spiritual strength must be very high, and secondly, the soldiers' cultivation levels must also be high.

Even if Li Cunxiao himself did his best, he could only allow the hundred or so Taoist soldiers from the Tower Temple to glide with him at low altitude for a period of time.

Such a massive army of a thousand men, standing a thousand feet in the air, looks like a true celestial army. It would be impossible for anyone without a Grandmaster level!
At the very front of this group of heavenly soldiers stood a middle-aged man with reddish-yellow, curly hair and a slanted scar across his left eye.

He wore armor underneath and a reddish-yellow robe on top, and without saying a word, he already exuded a domineering and majestic aura.

Looking at Li Cunxu behind him, whose expression was respectful and who wore a light yellow robe, the identity of the newcomer was obvious:

He was none other than Li Yisheng, the loyal and meritorious official who quelled the rebellion, the military governor of Hedong, the co-prime minister of the Chancellery, and the Prince of Jin, personally appointed by the sage emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty!

"Father!"

"Father!"

Kang Junli and Shi Jingsi both knelt down, and Li Cunxiao also dismounted from the green lion and bowed.

"Da (dai) King"

"No need for formalities," the bearded, scarred man said, simply reaching out to help the three of them up with a gentle force.

The next moment, the wind and clouds dispersed, and heavenly soldiers and generals descended into the city, eliciting screams and the faint sounds of "The Flying Cavalry is here" and "It must be the King himself."

Amidst the clanging of armor plates colliding, the Flying Cavalry guards had already driven away the crowds surrounding the city garrison, with sentries every five or ten steps, their eyes menacing.

Li Cunxiao and the others found themselves in the courtyard of the mansion in a flash.

Li Yisheng sat at the head of the table with his arms outstretched, while the others, led by Li Cunxu and another young man, sat in two rows.

Li Cunxiao stood in the middle.

"As soon as I received the message from the Eleventh Prince, I immediately led my men here."

"Master Taiyi's disciple, could you please recount the whole story?"

Before he finished speaking, thirteen pairs of eyes turned to look at him, creating a subtle sense of oppression.

The thought that the lives of the entire sect, including his master and senior brothers, rested on his shoulders, and that even with hundreds of people's blood on his hands, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

But the current situation was something he had anticipated. So, after adjusting his mindset slightly, he recounted how the court had launched its attack, how it had been defeated, and how Zhu Quanzhong had colluded with Qida to launch a counterattack against Louguandao.

In this process, he did not use the subtle and euphemistic writing style he had used when facing Kang Junli, but instead truthfully and completely explained the perilous situation at hand.

After all, facing a martial artist of the same level and facing a terrestrial immortal are completely different concepts.

Especially for a grandmaster like Li Yisheng, whose body is in harmony with heaven and earth, even the slightest change in breathing, heartbeat, pulse, eyelid tremor, or limb twitching would not escape the other party's perception.

Lying not only fails to persuade the other party, but may also have the opposite effect.

Li Cunxiao would not assume that Li Yisheng was a wise ruler who respected and valued talent simply because of the other party's previous goodwill.

Only man-eating tigers and wolves can become the masters of the regional military governors' guards.

"So that's how it is. This plague-ridden pig was brought in by a master from beyond the Great Wall. No wonder Yelü Yi hasn't shown his face lately; it turns out he sneaked in secretly."

After hearing the whole story, Li Yisheng unconsciously placed his broad left hand on his forehead, rubbing the conspicuous scar on his eye socket.

With the level of a Grandmaster, one can live even without a head, let alone a small wound.
Li Cunxiao only vaguely remembered a rumor that it was on the night Li Yisheng and Zhu Quanzhong became enemies that the latter shot out the former's left eye.

The fact that this scar was deliberately left is likely a sign that the old grudge has not been forgotten.

This was undoubtedly good news for Li Cunxiao, who had sought help.

But after pondering for a moment, the ruler of Hedong did not immediately make a decision. Instead, he looked at his many adopted sons:
"What do you think is the best way to break this deadlock?"

Everyone fell silent. Shi Jingsi was about to speak when he noticed a look from his godfather and shut his mouth again.

To Li Yisheng's left, a young man in silver armor, whose status was subtly on par with Li Cunxu, moved his lips. Kang Junli, standing beside him, paused for a moment, then rose and said:
“Godfather, I believe that now that the begging is empty, it is the perfect time to sweep away the troubles.”

"Once the barbarians are eliminated, Liu Shouguang will be forced to surrender Youzhou. At that time, the northern lands will all belong to Hedong, and we can march south into the heart of the Central Plains at any time."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao narrowed his eyes, glanced past Kang Junli, and casually looked at the person at the head of the table, guessing that the silver-armored youth was none other than Grand Protector Li Siyuan.

"You thieving bum," Li Yisheng cursed with a laugh, his manner quite rough, but no one present reacted differently, clearly it was his usual style.

"Stop dodging the issue. My question is, should the Louguan Sect be saved or not?"

"Logically, we should save him," Li Siyuan, the Grand Protector, finally spoke, seemingly realizing that he could not avoid the issue, "but it's not easy to save him."

"According to this Li Gaogong, Louguandao has been besieged for nearly two days, and the outcome is hard to say."

“If we go at the right time, we can naturally defeat the Zhu traitor as he said, and make his efforts futile.”

“But if we are a step too late, wouldn’t our adoptive father have to face three grandmasters? It would be much safer to uproot Qida and take Youzhou.”

“Brother is right,” Li Cunxu suddenly interjected.

"My father is the pillar of strength in Hedong; we cannot take any risks."

"Although Xijing is right in front of us, it is precisely at this critical moment that we must not take any risks."

"Even if the traitor Zhu seizes the moral high ground and issues a proclamation to demand his surrender, it will not be a serious matter; it will only cause some superficial damage."

"However, with the court and the emperor falling into the hands of others, we Twelve Protectors certainly won't be able to continue as Heavenly King's Crown Prince and Yaksha General. It's alright."

These words were spoken casually, but everyone who heard them frowned, while Li Cunxiao seemed to understand a bit.

Li Cunxu's words were actually simple; to put it bluntly, they were just a provocation tactic.

The conflict between the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Liang has a long history. Both are driven by military pride; unless truly defeated, who would willingly yield to another?
Grand Protector, Grand Tutor, and Grand Preceptor were honorary titles conferred by the imperial court, which Li Yisheng had obtained to show off to his adopted sons.

If Zhu Quanzhong were to enter the capital and become the regent, not only would they lose their title as the Twelve Protectors, but even the title of Prince of Jin would be humiliated.

Stealing a glance at Li Yisheng, Kang Junli saw that he indeed looked somewhat displeased, though he remained silent. Kang Junli, however, let out a cold snort.
"Third Brother, don't try to provoke us with your words. Fighting is a battle of life and death, not a battle of pride."

"Furthermore, Li Cunxiao is all talk and no action. Why should we believe him? Who knows if he has a weakness that the Zhu traitor has exploited, and he's here to lure us into a trap?"

"You're talking nonsense! Back then, it was me and His Highness the Crown Prince who made the arrangements for the Louguan Dao trip. Stop with your veiled attacks!"

"You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth. You're just afraid to fight Zhu the traitor and want to go to the northern desert to bully the weak!"

Although Li Cunshen had no good feelings towards Li Cunxiao, he knew the inside story. Upon hearing this, he stood up from next to Li Cunxu and began to curse.

"Afraid of a ball!"

"You're just here because you arrived early and are ranked ninth. What gives you the right to act so arrogantly?"

"Although I arrived late, my life has already died along with Your Majesty's many times over!"

Kang Junli flew into a rage, tearing his clothes open to reveal his body covered in scars:

"If you are not satisfied, we will set out on another day. We will each lead our troops and see who will emerge victorious and whose army will be annihilated!"

"You son of a bitch, you don't even deserve to be called one!"

Li Cunshen was so angry that he spoke recklessly:

"You're nothing but Li Siyuan's..."

"say what?"

"presumptuous!"

"Insanity!"

"You bastard!" Li Cunxu's expression changed drastically, and he interrupted the others before they could get up.

"Brother, you have worked hard and made great contributions. How can you be so disrespectful?"

"Get out and take one hundred lashes yourself!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Li Yisheng snapped, and the entire room fell silent once more.

Li Siyuan remained expressionless, as if the farce that had just occurred had nothing to do with him.

As Li Cunxiao observed all this, he gained a direct impression of the temperament of these martial artists from Hedong, and at the same time, he vaguely guessed Li Yisheng's intentions.

Saving the Grandmaster of Louguandao had both advantages and disadvantages for him. An ally at this moment might become a hindrance in the future.

For the Prince of Jin, intelligence alone was not enough.

If you're asking for help, you should offer appropriate compensation.
"The Prince of Jin must have seen the blue lion I was riding just now, right?"

Li Cunxiao's words attracted everyone's attention. Li Yisheng's eyes flashed, and he nodded.

"Indeed. Since even Master Taiyi's mount can be entrusted to you, your identity is absolutely genuine. However, as they just said, there are risks involved in sending troops."

"What about adding this?"

Li Cunxiao took out a pill refined by Taiyi from his sleeve, flicked it with his finger, and Kang Junli reached out and caught it, sniffing it:

"A sixth-tier spirit pill? That's a good thing, but we can get those too."

"This is for the mount to eat," Li Cunxiao said, and everyone's expression changed.

Those below the Grandmaster level felt humiliated;
Li Yisheng and his son, along with Li Siyuan, recognized the extraordinary nature of this elixir.

With a flick of his finger, the pill flew to the scarred man's eyes, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face:
"It's not made from medicinal herbs or minerals? It's a Qi Pill!"

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so bodyguards erupted in a cacophony of voices, none of them understanding what a Qi Pill was, but judging from their adoptive father's reaction, they knew it was a good thing.

Li Cunxu looked at Li Cunxiao, his eyes filled with both shock and excitement:

"The so-called Qi Pill is made from spiritual energy. Unlike ordinary alchemists who use herbs, trees, metals, and stones as materials, where in the world is there no spiritual energy?"

"Doesn't that mean we can have as many pills as we want?"

"My goodness, this is truly divine intervention!"

"Fool! Master Taiyi is now a genuine immortal on land!"

"."

The courtyard erupted into noise again. Kang Junli looked at Li Cunxiao's calm demeanor and, recalling the previous conflict, felt a surge of anger rising within him.

He came from humble origins and hated the arrogant attitude of these sect disciples.

With divine weapons and a grandmaster as a teacher, what does it matter if you eat elixirs like beans?

Even now, with the scales tipping, he still refuses to back down:
"Master Taiyi's fate is now uncertain; all these empty promises he can't keep are just bullshit!"

Li Cunxiao narrowed his eyes, already noting Kang Junli in his mind. He remained silent outside, simply taking out a golden seal, stepping forward, and speaking with a resounding voice:

"I will be able to refine the same pills that my master refines in the future!"

"I beg Your Majesty to lend a helping hand; I will be eternally grateful for your kindness."

"Cunxiao, I am willing to go through fire and water to repay your kindness!"

The gold seal is turned outwards, and on it are four bold and vigorous characters that read "Thirteen Protectors," as if they were drawn by human hand.

The moment the golden seal was revealed, Li Siyuan and his five bodyguards paled, while Li Cunxu and Shi Jingsi were overjoyed.

Li Yisheng dodged quickly, grabbed Li Cunxiao's arm affectionately, and laughed heartily.
"I have been granted the title of Cunxiao, he is truly a hero sent by Heaven!"

"Send troops immediately and wipe out the Zhu traitor!"

(End of this chapter)