Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 256 The Faceless Man

Li Qian hurriedly explained, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead: "The request for help was merely my guess. After investigation, we did find some unfamiliar faces at Green Cloud Cave. However, Green Cloud Cave has always kept a low profile, so it's not surprising that they occasionally take in new disciples. Their mountain gate is intact, and even the traveling merchants we bribed can freely come and go to trade, so we dare not draw any conclusions."

Li Xiangming remained silent, understanding Li Qianchang's predicament.

After all, Green Cloud Cave and the Li family are no longer allies, and the Li family has no obligation to provide assistance.

Li Qianchang would naturally not disturb the family based on mere speculation.

If he were to cause an unnecessary disturbance, his standing in the head of the family would plummet.

At that time, let alone a high promotion, it would be good enough if they could stay in Dendrobium Market.

After observing Li Xiangming's expression for a moment, Li Qianchang continued, "However, I remembered that Green Cloud Cave is your sect, Deputy Hall Master, so I privately asked Xu Zibu for information."

“Xu Zibu is very famous in Zhangning Prefecture. His sources of information are more numerous and reliable than ours.”

"Unexpectedly, when Xu Zibu heard me asking about the trouble at Green Cloud Cave, he only said the four words 'Enlightenment Spirit Spring.' I was shocked and wanted to ask more questions, but he chased me out."

Li Qianchang was somewhat embarrassed: "Xu Zibu's intelligence fees are too high, we really can't afford them."

At this point, he said in a low voice, "If you have come for the Green Cloud Cave, I have already told you everything I know, and you are at my beck and call. If you have come for the Enlightenment Spring, I'm afraid you, Deputy Hall Master, will need to personally contact Xu Zibu to obtain the latest information."

How much does Xu Zibu charge?

Li Xiangming inquired.

"500 Spiritual Stones!"

Li Qian often holds up five fingers.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiangming immediately frowned.

Five hundred spirit stones is a considerable sum anywhere, and using it to exchange for a piece of information is far too low a cost-benefit ratio.

If the information is true, and we can obtain the Enlightenment Spring, then so be it.

If it turns out to be a false alarm, the losses will be enormous.

But no matter what, we're already here, so we should at least give it a shot.

Li Xiangming decisively instructed, "Please trouble Uncle Qianchang to contact Xu Zibu for me. I need to see him as soon as possible."

Then he added, "Also, send a stranger to Green Cloud Cave to inquire about a female cultivator named Zhang Min. Don't reveal the Li family's identity; just say that an old friend from the South wants to meet her."

Although Li Xiangming's main purpose for this trip was to comprehend the spiritual spring, now that he knew Green Cloud Cave might be in danger, he could not sit idly by and do nothing about his former sect.

Li Qianchang nodded in agreement and immediately began making arrangements.

Li Xiangming was planning his next move. He knew that whether facing the Enlightenment Spring or the crisis at Green Cloud Cave, he had to act cautiously and could not be careless in the slightest.
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The following night, the moonlight was hazy.

Li Xiangming and Li Xiangren quietly sneaked into a secluded grove near the Dendrobium Market.

This is the meeting place that Li Qian often arranged with Xu Zibu.

However, when the two arrived, the grove was deserted and quiet.

Li Xiangming wasn't surprised; Xu Zibu was very cautious.

When Li Qian contacted him, he was always in a passive position.

To meet this person, one must first enter the black market of Dendrobium Market and issue a bounty to the Misty Rain Sect requesting an audience with Xu Zibu.

The Misty Rain Sect is a newly emerging sect, having been established in Zhangning Prefecture for only twenty years.

However, due to their expertise in assassination and their outstanding achievements, they have already gained a reputation in Zhangning Prefecture.

Even in Pu County, there are rumors about them.

In addition to assassinations, the Misty Rain Sect also sells intelligence.

As Xu Zibu was a renowned intelligence merchant in Zhangning Prefecture, one had to go through the Misty Rain Gate to see him.

Therefore, many people suspect that Xu Zibu is a member of the Misty Rain Sect.

However, Li Qianchang said that Xu Zibu was a native of the area, and that his father and grandfather had made a living by selling intelligence.

Xu Zibu's cooperation with Yanyumen was merely a means to better conceal his identity.

After all, if we want to investigate Xu Zibu, we must first investigate the Misty Rain Sect.

But how many people can actually teach a fish to swim in front of a professional assassination and intelligence organization?
Li Xiangming was more inclined to believe Li Qianchang's account. Xu Zibu's detailed intelligence on the Mang Sect must have been the result of years of cultivation by the Xu family.

In comparison, the foundation of the Misty Rain Sect is far too shallow.

In short, Li Qian spent more than ten spirit stones to find Xu Zibu through the Misty Rain Sect and convey his request to meet him.

Whether or not they can meet depends entirely on Xu Zibu's personal preferences and standards.

Many people paid spirit stones but still received no response from Xu Zibu, and the Misty Rain Sect would not refund the spirit stones.

Fortunately, Xu Zibu remembered Li Qianchang and provided a meeting place near the Dendrobium Market that very day.

Li Xiangming and Li Xiangren waited quietly deep in the woods.

But as time ticked by, the appointed time arrived, and Xu Zibu still hadn't appeared.

Li Xiangren finally couldn't help but say, "This guy isn't playing us, is he?"

Li Xiangming's expression was also not good. If he couldn't see Xu Zibu, all those dozen or so spirit stones would have been wasted.

But the spirit stones are secondary; the key question is whether the news about the Enlightenment Spring is true or false.

"How did you deal with Xu Zibu before, brother?"

Li Xiangming inquired, and as far as he knew, Li Xiangren should have also dealt with Xu Zibu.

Li Xiangren shook his head: "I have never seen him in person. Back then, Xu Zibu took the initiative to send someone to deliver the intelligence. According to the location in the intelligence, I eliminated the Mangjiao strongholds on the outskirts of Puxian County one by one. The whole process did not cost any money."

Is it Manchu religion?
Li Xiangming frowned. Xu Zibu had demanded an exorbitant fee for information about the Enlightenment Spring, yet he was willing to provide intelligence free of charge in the operation against the Mang Cult.

This made him wonder what kind of deep-seated hatred Xu Zibu had for the Mang Cult.
Just as he was wondering, Li Xiangren suddenly looked up and shouted, "Who goes there?"

Li Xiangming was startled and hurriedly spread his divine sense, but found nothing.

Only then did he realize that his spiritual sense was no match for Li Xiangren's.

"Catch up and see!"

Li Xiangming realized what was happening and called out to Li Xiangren.

But Li Xiangren's figure had already disappeared into the vast night.

Fortunately, both of them carried family tokens, and Li Xiangming quickly determined Li Xiangren's direction and followed closely behind.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Xiangming finally arrived at an unnamed valley.

Faintly, one could also hear the intense roar of magical power.

They've started fighting!

Li Xiangming's expression changed. According to Li Qianchang, Xu Zibu was just a Qi Refining cultivator and had no chance of confronting Li Xiangren head-on.

This means that the mysterious monk wandering in the woods was not Xu Zibu.

In the blink of an eye, Li Xiangming had already stepped into the valley, but the battle within seemed to have subsided.

He immediately spotted Li Xiangren's tall figure and his signature golden flying sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

"Big brother!"

Li Xiangming hurriedly stepped forward and called out with concern.

Li Xiangren turned around, appearing to be unharmed, but his expression was unusually grave: "I ran into an acquaintance."

"acquaintance?"

Li Xiangming was surprised and took a look around at the surrounding environment.

The valley was in ruins, with traces of sword energy and the aftershocks of explosions everywhere.

Clearly, Li Xiangren and the mysterious cultivator engaged in a fierce battle in a very short time.

"One of the three great protectors of the Mang Cult, the Faceless Man!"

Li Xiangren slowly uttered these words, his tone heavy: "I fought him once near the Ye family's residence."

(End of this chapter)