The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 181 Revenge
For someone like Liu Cuitong, who was untrained in the martial arts, it was a good opportunity to learn techniques from Li Jingxiao's swordplay that would benefit her own skills.

That would be a great achievement.

It's foreseeable that this woman will be very enthusiastic about martial arts competitions in the future.

Li Jingxiao ignored her and his gaze fell on Hu Xian'er.

Hu Xian'er wasn't stupid either; she could tell that Li Jingxiao's swordsmanship was extremely high, and she had long been eager to try it out, so she took out her own precious sword.

With a sharp cry, she drew her sword and attacked.

Hu Xian'er, with her lineage and elders, is indeed far more skilled in swordsmanship than Liu Cuitong.

The two fought back and forth, evenly matched.

If it hadn't been agreed that we would only compete in techniques, otherwise, if they had used their inner energy and magical power, they might have destroyed the Zhenwu Temple.

After more than a hundred moves, Li Jingxiao's superior stamina and strength became apparent.

Moreover, once the Golden Bell Shield is maxed out, not only does strength increase, but defense also skyrockets many times over.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao was not afraid of being hit by Hu Xian'er at all, and his psychological advantage was also a huge advantage during the fight.

After exchanging more than ten moves, Hu Xian'er's stamina was clearly declining.

After Li Jingxiao slashed her sleeve with his sword, the vixen's face darkened, and she retreated in displeasure, admitting defeat.

If Li Jingxiao's longsword hadn't deviated slightly, it wouldn't have just torn her sleeve; it would have severed Hu Xian'er's wrist.

Otherwise, this vixen wouldn't give up so easily.

Hu Xian'er, unwilling to accept defeat, wanted to rest for a while before competing again.

Zhao Junheng strode into the Zhenwu Temple, bowed to Li Jingxiao, and said, "Lord Duke, I just received a message by carrier pigeon that there have been many cases of witchcraft and sorcery in the Southern Frontier recently."

In several of these cases, the victims were high-ranking military and political figures in Lingnan.

The manner of their deaths was similar to that of Daoist Chonglin and several of your senior disciples, including the Duke.

Three days ago, Lu Chengzhi, a commander of the Imperial Guards in Siming Prefecture, was attacked outside the prefectural city.

Fortunately, he was rescued by a Taoist priest from Yunfeng Temple and escaped a calamity.

However, twenty or forty of the twenty Imperial Guards and a dozen or so sedan chair bearers, maids, and servants who accompanied the group were killed by the Blood-Devouring Gu.

The Imperial Guards of Lingnan reported that it must have been the work of that evil Taoist priest who caused chaos in the capital last year.

Li Jingxiao was stunned. He had almost forgotten the feud between his grandmaster, master, uncles, and senior uncles.

Last year, I was thinking that I would go south to seek revenge once my skills were high enough.

I just kept putting it off, and somehow I forgot about it.

If it weren't for the fact that after being promoted to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard garrisons in Nanzhao to pay close attention, I would have truly forgotten about this matter.

Li Jingxiao cursed himself inwardly. Now that he knew, even if it was just for show, he still had to go to the south.

Not to mention inheriting everything from Zhenwu Temple, if they don't avenge this grudge, they're truly inhuman.

Moreover, the ashes of our master and other elders should also be brought back.

After questioning Zhao Junheng repeatedly, Li Jingxiao left Zhenwu Temple with his guards and returned home to tell his two wives.

Qin Keqing and Jia Yuanchun were naturally extremely reluctant to part with her.

But if it involves the feud between the grandmaster and his brothers, it would be extremely unfilial to not let one's own man go.

All she could do was prepare clean clothes for Li Jingxiao.

Thinking that there are many poisonous insects, snakes and ants in southern Xinjiang, I need to prepare more snake medicine and deworming medicine.

Li Jingxiao waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, if I really encounter a master of poison, ordinary antidotes for snakes and insects won't work on me."

I put a few sets of clothes into my inventory. I didn't really need to prepare any food, as I had plenty of cattle and sheep in my inventory.

Furthermore, you can also collect various kinds of seafood in the level 30 map.

If he weren't truly flush with cash, Li Jingxiao would have already started a seafood business.

However, seeing how busy the two daughters-in-law, Baozhu, Ruizhu, Baoqin, You Erjie, and You Sanjie were.

I put the two bags of food that I had packed into my inventory.

He gave a few words of explanation, saying that he had kept a close watch on the house while he was away.

He also instructed the guards to take good care of the house.

He stepped out of the house, took out a level 40 'Wu Yue Sword', and used the sword flight technique.

With a single leap, and with a whoosh, the air in the courtyard swirled, and Li Jingxiao soared hundreds of meters into the air.

Qin Keqing, Yuan Chun, Baozhu, and the other maids and servants all stared wide-eyed at Li Jingxiao in the sky.

At this point, in their hearts, Li Jingxiao was no different from a true deity.

Once Li Jingxiao saw the direction clearly, he flew south with his hands behind his back.

After mastering the sword control technique, one can fly at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour, or 1600 li per hour.

Although the southern border is 6,000 li away from the capital, it only takes Li Jingxiao 4 hours.

However, there was no navigation system back then, so even though we were traveling very fast, we still had to check from time to time to see if we had taken the wrong route.

Around 5 p.m., after flying for more than six hours, we finally arrived in Siming Prefecture.

However, he did not rush into the city, but went directly to Yunfeng Temple, which was 10 miles outside the city.

Siming Prefecture is a truly remote border region, with the Ten Thousand Mountains to the south.

Among the numerous chieftains, there were constant disputes, and the situation was as complex as a map from the Warring States period.

After a moment's thought, Li Jingxiao realized that the attack on Jinyiwei commander Lü Chengzhi was likely related to the struggle between local chieftains.

Some may even be plotting a rebellion.

As for why Lü Chengzhi left the city.

The secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard already stated that this guy's eldest son had been suffering from a persistent high fever for some time, and all the famous doctors in and outside the city had been unable to help.

Only then did he go to the Taoist temple outside the city to seek medicine.

On their way out of the city, they were attacked by Gu worms.

Fortunately, he encountered a Taoist priest and several disciples from Yunfeng Temple who had come down the mountain on business, and they were able to save Lü Chengzhi.

Li Jingxiao's first thought was naturally that there was something wrong with this 'Yunfeng Temple'.

However, when he flew to the outside of Yunfeng Temple and looked at the undulating mountains, he suddenly remembered the new supernatural power of "Spirit Binding and Commanding".

He landed on a rocky cliff in the mountains, holding the 'Wu Yue Sword' behind his back with both hands.

Be prepared to draw your sword immediately.

He used his supernatural powers, chanted incantations, and stomped his foot on the ground three times.

Before long, a man wearing armor, wielding a large axe, and with a full black beard appeared.

The fierce-looking mountain god jumped out from the mountain wall.

Upon seeing how young Li Jingxiao was, the mountain god's face turned angry.

Don't underestimate the Mountain God and the Earth God; they may seem like low-ranking officials.

But he is a genuine deity.

Even if ordinary Taoist priests can summon spirits and command generals, they are not qualified to summon them.

However, many disciples of the Three Mountains Talismans were registered in the Heavenly Court or the Underworld while they were alive.

These people summon mountain gods and local deities, and only because the other party has powerful backers will the mountain gods and local deities treat them with respect.

Before the mountain god could even speak, he noticed Li Jingxiao's bright red ducal robe embroidered with gold and python patterns, and his posture instantly became three points lower.

Even the most powerful gods and immortals must show respect to high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

Although one could kill the other party with a mere flick of the wrist, the benefit of power is that these gods and Buddhas all need incense offerings and believers from the human world.

If you anger the powerful, they may not only demolish your temple, but also remove you from your position as a priest.

In particular, many of the mountain gods, land gods, and city gods were appointed by the imperial court, which is why they have enjoyed incense offerings and worship for hundreds or even thousands of years.

How could a mountain god from a remote border region dare to offend Li Jingxiao, the current Duke of the State?

He hurriedly clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "May I ask your name, esteemed guest? And what brings you here, my humble servant?"

Seeing that he spoke politely, Li Jingxiao felt somewhat relieved.

He bowed respectfully and said, "My surname is Li, and my given name is Jingyou."

He was the abbot of the Zhenwu Temple in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and was granted the hereditary title of Duke Xingguo and the title of First-Class Zhaowu General.

Right Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery, and Grand General of the State Protectorate.

Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard and concurrently Commander of the Left Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After hearing Li Jingxiao's string of official titles and ranks, the mountain god felt his head spinning.

But he knew the authority of the Palace Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard; he could tell at a glance that the man was a powerful and influential duke.

In particular, being both a Grand General and a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard demonstrates that he held an exceptionally high position in the emperor's heart.

You absolutely mustn't offend this kind of person.

He hurriedly clasped his hands, bowed, and greeted them again, saying, "This humble deity is Yue Zhongjie, the mountain god of the Yunfeng Mountains, which stretch for two hundred miles. I was unaware of Your Excellency's presence and beg your forgiveness."

Li Jingxiao politely helped Yue Shanshen up and said with a smile, "I came uninvited, and I hope General Yue will forgive me."

Upon hearing Li Jingxiao address him as "General," Yue Zhongjie felt an immediate sense of goodwill.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two began to discuss business.

Upon hearing this, they realized it was about the attack a few days ago by a sorcerer on Lu Chengzhi, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Siming Prefecture.

Yue Zhongjie couldn't help but curse inwardly.

They wondered when the Great Zhou Dynasty had become so efficient.
Just four days ago, a duke came to investigate, which made Yue Zhongjie's heart skip a beat.

He secretly thought that although Lü Chengzhi was a commander of a thousand households, he was definitely not someone with a powerful backer or a noble background.

Otherwise, he would have been transferred to a more lucrative and stable position long ago.

That means that the sorcerer committed some earth-shattering crime outside of Lingnan.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be the case that a duke would personally come to investigate this case.

If he were to assist in the investigation and make meritorious contributions, the imperial court might build him an even larger temple.

Even if things go wrong, as long as the imperial court is willing to legitimize itself.

In the future, the incense at my little mountain god temple will be even more abundant.

He hurriedly said to Li Jingxiao, "If the Duke is here to arrest that evil Taoist, I will personally bring him here."

Li Jingxiao was taken aback, not expecting it to be so simple.

Moreover, the fact that the mountain god was willing to take action to arrest people made Li Jingxiao somewhat uneasy.

He asked cautiously, "I am extremely grateful that General Yue is willing to help."

"But if the general takes action to arrest people, won't that cause unnecessary trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Zhongjie immediately realized that he had been too hasty and had aroused the suspicion of the young Duke.

He said with a smile, "Your Excellency, you may not know, but I have been living in Yunfeng Mountain for over three hundred and forty years."

Yunfeng Mountain is located on the outskirts of the Shiwan Mountains in the southwest of Siming Prefecture, and few people go up the mountain to offer incense.

Many of the temples built back then are in disrepair. I only wish to ask the Duke to report this to the imperial court, or to the Siming Prefecture.

"Allocate some silver to repair the minor deity."

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxiao felt relieved.

He had already looked at a map of Lingnan before he came.

The Shiwan Mountains are indeed marked on the map to the southwest of Siming Prefecture.

Without hesitation, he said, "General Yue has been stationed here for many years and deserves a better place to live."

"General, rest assured, I will allocate one thousand taels of silver for the repair and expansion of the temple."

A thousand taels of silver may not sound like much, but in the city of Siming Prefecture, it's enough to buy a large house.

It's more than enough to repair a small mountain god temple, and it could easily be expanded two or three times over.

Moreover, to Yue Zhongjie, he was nothing more than a mountain god.

Building temples that are too big or too luxurious is not necessarily a good thing.

He hurriedly bowed to Li Jingxiao to express his gratitude.

Then he grabbed the long-handled axe and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. I'll be right back."

Li Jingxiao said, "General, please wait. Why don't you take me to broaden my horizons? That way, the local chronicles can praise you more in the future."

Yue Zhongjie chuckled. According to this duke, he wanted to see for himself how capable he was.

As long as he was happy, he would urge all the officials, big and small, in Siming Prefecture to write more about their deeds of capturing evil sorcerers in the local chronicles.

Then, not only will more people in Siming Prefecture remember their mountain god, but more pilgrims will also come to offer incense and worship.

Yue Zhongjie quickly used his supernatural powers to summon a fierce tiger, intending to have it carry Li Jingxiao over mountains and valleys.

Unexpectedly, Li Jingxiao waved his hand and said, "General, rest assured, I am somewhat skilled in the art of lightness. As long as I don't walk too fast, crossing mountains and valleys is no problem."

Yue Zhongjie then realized that this Duke had climbed the cliff on his own and was holding a sword, so he must indeed have some skills.

Nodding, he used his divine speed technique to lead the way, taking Li Jingxiao south.

Li Jingxiao did not use his sword control technique, but instead used his lightness skill to easily fly up to a tree more than twenty meters away.

With his feet planted on the tree trunk, he leaped again, covering another twenty meters or so.

Seeing that Li Jingxiao was indeed fast and moved with fluidity and ease, Yue Zhongjie finally believed him.

The speed increased by three points.

Li Jingxiao smiled and sped up, covering thirty meters in a single leap.

Yue Zhongjie soon discovered that even at 80% speed, he couldn't shake off the Duke.

While surprised, I also realized that Li Jingxiao dared to come to Lingnan alone from the capital and claimed to be the abbot of Zhenwu Temple in the capital.

That must be a Taoist master.

And considering how young he is, it's even more remarkable.

Perhaps he is even a true disciple of the Zhenwu lineage, which raised Li Jingxiao's evaluation even higher.

Despite the suppression of the Three Mountains Talismans by the imperial court, they have powerful backers in both Heaven and the Underworld.

Let alone mountain gods and local deities, even the City God would have to show deference to a direct disciple of Maoshan.

Some of the direct disciples were even granted the rank of eighth, seventh, or sixth-grade celestial official by their own ancestor while they were still alive.

By this calculation, even the mountain gods, local deities, and city gods don't hold as high an official position as these people.

With the powerful Zhenwu Emperor as their leader, the Zhenwu lineage certainly wields considerable influence in the Heavenly Court.

We walked for more than an hour, crossing more than twenty mountain peaks, covering nearly two hundred miles of mountain road.

Li Jingxiao frowned more and more as he walked. Yue Zhongjie himself had said that the territory he was in charge of was the two-hundred-mile-long Yunfeng Mountain.

But we've already flown over a distance of two hundred miles.

Just as he was beginning to suspect that he had been scammed.

Yue Zhongjie finally landed on a mountainside and pointed to a mountain stronghold in the distance, saying, "Lord Duke, that sorcerer has been hiding in this Southern Frontier Witch Village for the past few days."

Xiao Shen and the village's shaman had some connection.

"Once I, your humble servant, explain the dangers, I'm sure I can capture that evil Taoist and get him out of the stronghold."

(End of this chapter)