Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 196 The Green Robe's Background
Monkey Valley, animal trapping camp.

Ma Wu squatted at the door of a wooden house, looking worried.

After he revealed the information about the chieftain to Li Xiangming, Li Xiangming indeed released him and even provided him with good food and drink for several days in a row.

But Ma Wu was not happy. Although Li Xiangming let him leave the Dizang Stone prison, he strictly forbade him to return to Daishan.

The chieftain has not received any news for a long time and will likely come looking for him.

In the past, Ma Wu would have felt gratified, even proud.

This proves his standing in the village chief's eyes.

But now, he's said everything he should and shouldn't have said.
"He can atone for his sins with meritorious service."

Ma Wu muttered to himself, but looking around, he couldn't help but feel powerless.

Don't be fooled by the small size of this camp; the so-called Tianzhu Mountain Demon Hunting Group is stationed around it.

These people are wary of him. If he makes the slightest move, he'll be back in his cell in the blink of an eye, chained up by those damned iron chains.

Ma Wu didn't want to experience that painful and humiliating ordeal, so he comforted himself by saying that a true man can bend and stretch.

"Ma Wu, the steward summons you for questioning!"

Just then, a young man hurried over, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.

"Oh."

Ma Wu reluctantly stood up and followed Li Xiangguang to Li Xiangming's barracks.

There were already two people in the room. One of them was Li Xiangming, whom Ma Wu had met many times before. He had heard that this young man was in charge of something in the Li family.

Can a person in charge of affairs have more power than a chieftain?

Ma Wu pursed his lips, looked at the other person, and was startled.

The man stood there, tall and imposing, like a drawn sword, its sharpness so striking that no one dared to look directly at him.

"Brother, this man is Liu Xiong Yu's subordinate, named Ma Wu."

Li Xiangming gave a brief introduction, then looked at Ma Wu: "Didn't your chieftain invite me to be his guest? Today is a very auspicious day, so lead the way."

Ma Wu glanced at Li Xiangren furtively and whispered, "My chieftain only invited you."

Li Xiangming's face darkened, his tone clearly displeased: "According to you, I am a guest of Huanyun Village, not a prisoner. When I go, how I go, and who I travel with should all be my own decision. If your village is unwilling to entertain me, then so be it."

Li Xiangming's words had a double meaning, and Ma Wu realized that he was the "prisoner." His face turned red, and he was filled with embarrassment and frustration, unable to speak for a moment.

Li Xiangren smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone, "We, the disciples of the Li family, have always been particular about etiquette and would never offend your esteemed chieftain."

Upon hearing this, Ma Wu struggled internally.

Now all he wants is to leave this place and return to the chieftain's side.

If they don't agree to lead the way, I don't know when I'll be able to get back.
By the way, the chieftain didn't say that Li Xiangming couldn't bring people, so that must be an implicit agreement.

Thinking of this, Ma Wu gritted his teeth and replied, "I'm willing to lead the way."
-
"Brother, thank you for your help this time."

On the way to Daishan, Li Xiangming was quite nervous and kept trying to find topics to talk about to relieve the pressure.

When Li Xiangming returned home a few days ago, he held his own little scheme and tried to persuade the head of the family to let Li Xiangren come back from the Maojing Mine.

He then revealed the matter of the evil green robe, but only disclosed the dangers of the evil green robe, and asked Li Xiangren to go with him to see Liu Xiongyu.

Lee Sang-in always loved his younger siblings, and agreed without hesitation.

Seeing Li Xiangming's politeness, he chuckled and said, "It's nothing. I'd also like to see the former protector of the Mang Sect."

Several years ago, Li Xiangming mysteriously disappeared. He had broken into several Mangjiao strongholds as if they were empty.

But he knew that the Mang Cult had not chosen to resist only because of its bad reputation and too many concerns.

For the Mangjiao sect, besieging and killing Li Xiangren would certainly be a way to vent their anger.

But Li Xiangren arrived suddenly, and no one knew how they had offended the Li family, let alone how many eyes were watching him.

If Li Xiangren is a trap set by Hengyue Sect, then the Mang Sect may face annihilation.

As the saying goes, "a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit," the Mang Sect had just suffered a crushing defeat in Hao County and was forced to move to Pu County. Facing the arrival of the evil star, they were extremely cautious and allowed Li Xiangren to slaughter them in droves.

Anyway, those who died were all lower-level believers. These people were countless, like weeds, they would grow back after being cut down.

The Mangjiao's avoidance of war brought Li Xiangren fame, but also left him with regrets.

In particular, Li Xiangren found the strange people, protectors, and leaders of the Mangjiao sect, as described by Li Xiangming, to be quite novel.

More than a decade ago, I had never heard of the Mang Cult having so many masters.

Seeing how easily Li Xiangren spoke, Li Xiangming's tension gradually subsided.

In fact, Li Xiangming's tension did not stem from Liu Xiongyu, the Foundation Establishment cultivator, but from the unpredictable fate that the evil green-robed man had brought him.

The evil green robe had become an indispensable part of him; without it, he could not have achieved his current level of cultivation and status.

But the danger posed by the evil Green Robe is also clearly visible, and he must find a way to sheath this sword hanging over his head.

"Ma Wu, how much further?"

"almost."

Ma Wu wandered through the wilderness, cursing and swearing.

Now he is free from all constraints and can fly away whenever he wants.

But he dared not, because he had already sensed the aura that the man next to Li Xiangming had inadvertently revealed, and it turned out to be a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Ma Wu felt uneasy, wondering what would happen if he brought a Foundation Establishment cultivator to see the village chief.

But soon, Ma Wu found out.

A chilling surge of magical power erupted from behind him. Ma Wu instinctively turned around and saw a golden flying sword streaking across the sky like a meteor, colliding violently with a black wind in the distance.

"boom!!"

The enormous explosion, like a thunderclap, distorted the air and shook the earth.

Impacted by the force, Ma Wu fell to the ground, looking dazed, and said, "It's over, a fight has broken out! Wasn't it just a talk about etiquette?"

No one paid attention to Ma Wu's voice. The collision between the golden flying sword and the black wind became more and more intense, and the fluctuations of magic power spread outwards in waves like ocean waves.

Li Xiangming, with his Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation, barely managed to stabilize himself in mid-air.

Even so, he dared not be careless in the slightest and quickly erected a milky white magical shield. This was a spell he had exchanged from the Scripture Pavilion—Cloud and Water Shield—to resist the raging aftershocks of magical power from all around.

The battle lasted only a moment before the sound of the magic explosions gradually subsided.

Li Xiangren flew back to Li Xiangming's side, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Big brother!"

Li Xiangming rushed forward, his eyes full of concern.

Lee Sang-in waved his hand gently, his voice calm but slightly hoarse: "I'm fine."

Then, his gaze, sharp as a sword, pierced through the dissipating black storm and locked onto Liu Xiong Yu.

Liu Xiong Yu stepped out of the storm. Although his face was pale, his posture was still upright. His voice carried a hint of admiration: "As expected of the renowned genius of the two prefectures, you are the first person to hurt me since I established my foundation."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming looked surprised and suspicious.

He placed high hopes on Li Xiangren, because when he first joined the Green Cloud Cave, Li Xiangren had already been guarding the Pushui Camp with his elders, resisting the demon race and repeatedly making meritorious contributions.

Therefore, Li Xiangming grew up hearing rumors about Li Xiangren.

Although Li Xiangren was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, even Li Qianxiong himself admitted that Li Xiangren's strength was no less than his own.

Li Xiangming had personally witnessed Li Qianxiong's attack; under that palm strike, the likes of Blind Luo were like lambs to the slaughter, utterly powerless to fight back.

According to Qingyang Daoist, Liu Xiongyu was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage.

Based on these two points, Li Xiangming was full of confidence in Li Xiangren. But he never expected that Liu Xiongyu would be such a formidable fighter.

Although Liu Xiongyu admitted to being injured, judging from his appearance, it was at most a minor injury.

Lee Sang-in also had injuries.

In other words, Liu Xiong Yu was in no way inferior to the sword cultivators who were known for their combat prowess.

Compared to Li Xiangming's shock, Ma Wu was even more dumbfounded.

He had never seen anyone harm the chieftain, even after the chieftain withdrew from the Mang Sect and went through many upheavals, he remained unscathed.

A strange emotion welled up inside Ma Wu, and he rushed forward, asking eagerly, "Chief, are you alright?"

Liu Xiong Yu glanced at the other person: "Ma Wu, is this how you do things for me?"

Ma Wu was embarrassed and quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"The Protector of the Mang Sect is indeed extraordinary. If I'm not mistaken, you have the 'Other Wind Spiritual Root,' right?"

Li Xiangren exhaled lightly, and the flying sword stood behind him, shining brightly.

"A different kind of spiritual root?"

Li Xiangming exclaimed in surprise. The magical power of cultivators with different spiritual roots is special and often possesses greater power than ordinary five-elemental magical power.

If Liu Xiongyu possesses a unique spiritual root, it wouldn't be surprising if he could contend with Li Xiangren.

"good eyesight."

Liu Xiong Yu smiled faintly, without denying it, and continued, "You must be Li Xiang Ren, right? Legend has it that the Wuliang Sword Sect bestowed upon you a scroll of the Ling Shu Golden Light Sword. Seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary. However, with just this incomplete spell, I'm afraid it's not enough to make me back down."

Although Liu Xiongyu spoke calmly, his confidence was evident in his words.

Li Xiangren was not ashamed or annoyed, and slowly said, "Those with extraordinary spiritual roots are rare in the world. Protector Liu has been able to achieve such an opportunity. I am ashamed of my own inferiority."

"However, the way of combat cannot be determined by a single move. My sword is still sharp, and I still have the strength to fight."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flying sword behind Li Xiangren seemed to sense its master's will, trembling slightly and emitting a series of clear sword sounds.

Liu Xiong Yu frowned: "You two are guests, yet you've started a fight with me. What kind of behavior is this?"

"Why don't you come with me into the stronghold, use wine instead of swords, and drink together this night?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangren slightly turned his head and looked at Li Xiangming.

Li Xiangming's eyes flickered, and he cupped his hands in greeting, replying, "If there is fine wine to entertain us, we will certainly keep you company."

Liu Xiongyu's attitude is highly debatable.

It should be noted that the other side had previously acted extremely aggressively at Puyin Mountain.

If it weren't for the Qingyang Taoist's enticement with benefits, I would have fallen into his hands long ago.

Now the Li brothers are coming on strong, even taking the initiative to attack.

Liu Xiongyu, however, chose to back down and make peace.

He had underestimated Liu Xiongyu's strength, but Liu Xiongyu had also not expected that he would bring Li Xiangren along.
This person speaks eloquently, but in reality, he is quite wary of Li Xiangren, and the injury must be more serious than he imagined, otherwise he wouldn't be so magnanimous.

Having figured this out, Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.

Although the show of force failed, Lee Sang-in, the leader, has fully demonstrated his capabilities.

Each of the four had their own thoughts, and led by Liu Xiong Yu and Ma Wu, they continued forward.

Not long after they left, a small giant poked his head out from the hillside: "Chief, you're back?"

"Oh, there's also Ma Wu."

Gao Can greeted Ma Wu excitedly, but Ma Wu's face was serious and he didn't look at him. At this moment, he had to find a way to show his loyalty to the chieftain. He didn't care about Gao Can.

Seeing that Ma Wu remained silent, Gao Can pursed his lips and looked at the others. When he saw Li Xiangming, he was stunned. He hadn't expected to see this person here.

"Truly an extraordinary person."

Even though they had met once, Lee Sang-myung couldn't help but keep his eyes on Ko Chan, and Lee Sang-in even murmured to himself.

"Gao Can, hold the village."

Liu Xiong Yu casually gave an instruction and continued leading the way.

Gao Can scratched his head, then sat down on the ground and looked around. This was his way of abiding by the law.

Although Huanyun Village is called a village and has a gate with its name on it, it doesn't look like a village at all. On the huge hillside, there are only a few small wooden houses with thatched roofs, and no other defensive shelters.

With his height advantage, Gao Can was able to spot any villains in the vicinity who might have designs on Huanyun Village.

Upon entering the wooden cabin, Liu Xiong Yu brewed a pot of tea.

Li Xiangming's gaze quickly swept around, taking in the environment of the room.

There was only a bamboo mat spread on the ground, with a few futons scattered around it. Apart from that, there were no other decorations in the room.

The tea set was complete, but the lack of a table made the tea ceremony seem somewhat casual.

The group could only sit on the cushions with their knees bent, using the ground as their table.

The tea was also quite ordinary. Although it had a faint fragrance, it was rather meager compared to the tea that the Li family members usually enjoyed.

As for the fine wine that Liu Xiongyu mentioned earlier, there was no trace of it.

"The village is simple and the environment is poor. Please excuse the poor quality."

Liu Xiong Yu smiled faintly, raised his teacup first, and acted as if he were using tea instead of wine.

Li Xiangming and Li Xiangren exchanged glances, and had no choice but to go along with the host's wishes. However, they only pursed their lips and did not drink the tea.

Liu Xiongyu didn't mind at all, and even inquired with great interest about Li Xiangren's foundation building.

Out of caution, Li Xiangren said very little, and for a moment, the atmosphere became cold.

In fact, the two sides are enemies, not friends.

Liu Xiongyu invited Li Xiangming because he wanted to use the secrets he possessed to control Li Xiangming and make him work for him.

Li Xiangming also had his own plans. He wanted to use Li Xiangren's power to capture Liu Xiongyu and bring him to Tailai Peak for detailed interrogation.

However, neither side could easily achieve their goal, and they could only engage in pretense and stalemate in the wooden house.

Li Xiangming broke the silence: "I wonder what brings Chief Liu to invite you here?"

Liu Xiongyu did not reply immediately, but kept turning the empty teacup in his hand, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

After a long pause, Liu Xiong Yu finally said, "Both of you must have had dealings with the Mang Cult, right?"

"Five hundred years ago, there was a wandering Taoist in the southern region named Cansheng. He was skilled in medicine and took it upon himself to heal the sick and save many poor and wandering cultivators. To repay his kindness, these cultivators voluntarily followed Cansheng and protected him. Thus, the Mang Sect was born."

"In the beginning, Mangjiao was a sect that healed the sick and saved people."

Healing and saving lives?

Li Xiangming slightly opened his mouth, recalling Madam Zhen who used living people to create puppets, feeling a strong sense of incongruity.

Liu Xiongyu glanced at him and continued, "Because the original intention of Daoist Shensheng was not to lead the Mang Sect, the organizational structure of the Mang Sect is extremely loose. Everyone joined the Mang Sect because of Daoist Shensheng."

"Once he dies, the Mang Sect will fall apart."

"At this time, a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Shan Shenzi joined the Mang Sect, claiming to be a descendant of Shen Sheng Dao Ren."

"With the prestige of Shensheng Daoren, Shanshenzi seized power in the Mang Sect in just a few years and established a strict organizational structure. During his tenure as leader, the Mang Sect recruited a wide number of followers. Anyone with cultivation could join the Mang Sect, which thus reached its peak."

"But soon after, the ginseng seed mysteriously disappeared, the Mang religion split again, and the turmoil lasted for three hundred years."

"And the culprit that caused this long period of turmoil is the ominous thing within you."

(End of this chapter)