Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 477 Turmoil
Time flows silently like sand in an hourglass.

Li Xiangguang was extremely anxious, his eyes fixed on the courtyard gate, and he repeatedly considered forcing his way in.

But he knew that with only the seventh level of Qi Refining, there was no way he could possibly get past that one-eyed old man.

After an unknown amount of time, a surprised call finally came from the courtyard: "Xiang Guang?"

"Hall Master!"

Li Xiangguang was overjoyed and almost shouted it out as he rushed into Luoyanzhai.

This time, the one-eyed old man did not react to Li Xiangguang's sudden intrusion.

Li Xiangming wore a light gray cotton and linen long gown with a matching cloth belt around his waist and a light blue thin outer robe draped over his shoulders. The sleeves were loose and embroidered with simple bamboo leaf patterns, giving him a casual and relaxed appearance.

However, his face was slightly pale, and his hair was a little messy. He was not as relaxed as he appeared. In particular, when he glanced at Li Xiangguang's injuries, his brows furrowed slightly, exuding an aura of authority that was not angry but dignified.

Li Xiangguang didn't notice these details, nor did he have time to complain. He simply lowered his voice and said urgently, "Wei Fei reported this in secret!"

Wei Fei?

A sharp glint immediately flashed in Li Xiangming's eyes: "The fish has taken the bait?"

"Up!"

Li Xiangguang wanted to elaborate further.

Suddenly, a deafening noise came from outside.

Even Luoyanzhai, nestled in a corner of Monkey Valley, trembled slightly.

Li Xiangming's expression changed drastically.

Clearly, the fish are greedily swallowing the bait.

Without the slightest hesitation, he flew out.

Li Xiangguang followed closely behind.

"Uncle Fan."

Just then, Fairy Lingluo's languid and weary voice rang out: "Why don't you go and take a look too?"

The one-eyed old man didn't move, but replied in a deep voice, "Master, we are merchants, and there's no need for us to get too involved in local disputes. You've already crossed the line today. If the master finds out..."

"All right!"

Fairy Lingluo interrupted coldly, "My affairs are none of your business."

The one-eyed old man remained silent.

The scene instantly froze.

After a long while, Fairy Lingluo softened her tone and said, "Uncle Fan, I have my own ideas. You may obey."

The one-eyed old man put down the chess piece he was holding and stood up.

He paused, turned his head slightly, as if he wanted to say something more.

But in the end, he walked out of the courtyard gate of Luoyanzhai without saying a word.
-
"Boom!"

The gates of Monkey Valley opened wide, and more than a dozen dark figures filed in.

A head was tossed high into the air, eyes wide open, dying with unresolved grief. Blood gushed forth like a fountain, splattering onto the city walls, the ground, and even into the air, staining the once fresh air with a heavy, nauseating stench.

"Stop them!"

"follow me!"

Shouts came one after another.

"Oh!"

The explosive talisman exploded again, with a deafening roar, flames shooting into the sky, and smoke billowing everywhere.

Lin Hao, dragging a ring-pommel sword with one arm, leaped out from behind an abandoned carriage by the roadside and slashed fiercely at a dark figure.

The shadowy figure, though its divine sense was extended outwards, was completely unaware of Lin Hao's presence and was instantly split in two.

The stench of blood in the air grew stronger.

"court death!"

The men in black at the front immediately reacted, their eyes flashing with ferocity, and turned to pounce on Lin Hao.

However, before they could get close, four or five more figures emerged from around the carriage and launched a surprise attack.

More than ten streams of magical power clashed fiercely, magical artifacts swirled in the air, figures intertwined, and the cacophony of sounds and shouts of battle mingled together, like a chaotic yet stirring melody of breaking through an array, shaking the mind and spirit.

"Vice-captain, don't get entangled with them!"

A short, middle-aged man dressed in patrol uniform shouted anxiously.

Monkey Valley was undefended, and many enemies were coming to attack.

Forcibly stopping them at the city gate is tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"We must buy time for the captain."

Lin Hao responded loudly, without backing down in the slightest.

There was an inside agent in the valley who forcibly blew open the city gate. The patrol team had no time to react and was already in retreat.

In the rush, he and Lü Mao could only take turns providing cover, with Lü Mao leading the men to confront the men in black while he led the remaining team members to retreat first.

Retreat is not about running away, but about regrouping.

The group hid on the only path into the valley, secretly ambushing the passing men in black.

The men in black were originally the attackers. They were suddenly attacked and must have been shocked and uncertain. How could they dare to pursue Lü Mao and his group with all their might?
In this way, Lü Mao could retreat at his leisure and send someone to ask Taibai Restaurant for help.

Lin Hao didn't know if Taibai Restaurant had any reinforcements.

All he knew was that the longer he could hold on, the higher the chances of the commander surviving.

"Vice-captain, we can't hold on any longer!"

The short, middle-aged man shouted again.

He was also an experienced demon hunter, with a cultivation level of six in the Qi Refining stage, placing him in the top tier of the patrol team. Even among the men in black, he was not inferior.

However, these men in black knew how to use combined attacks, and they worked together in pairs with great coordination.

What's even more terrifying is that the men in black who were charging ahead are showing signs of turning back. If the patrol team is surrounded and trapped, they will truly be trapped with nowhere to run.

"Even if you can't hold on, you'll still hold on for me!"

Lin Hao roared, and his ring-pommel sword tore through the air, unleashing a powerful blade light.

The men in black around them all retreated.

However, new men in black filled the gap and launched a relentless offensive against Lin Hao.

In a short time, Lin Hao was covered in wounds, and his magical shield was no longer effective.

The short, middle-aged man was in no better shape. Fear gripped his heart, and he could no longer bear it. He threw out the last of his explosive talismans and transformed into a streak of light, flying into the sky.

Upon seeing this, Lin Hao's eyes widened in fury.

But before he could stop them, several sword lights pierced through the air and struck his chest hard, sending him flying.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Lin Hao couldn't help but cough violently, his blood staining the soil beneath him. He struggled to lift his blurry eyes and just then saw two members of the patrol team unleash their escape techniques, attempting to imitate the short, middle-aged man and flee for their lives.

Little did they expect that the man in black was prepared. In the blink of an eye, the two were torn to pieces, their limbs and torsos scattered all over the ground.

The remaining patrol members collapsed instantly, falling at a visible speed, with almost all of them killed or wounded.

"Don't let the ringleader get away."

A cold, stern voice rang out, like the pronouncement of death.

The rapid footsteps grew closer, each step feeling like a blow to Lin Hao's heart. He gave a bitter laugh, the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth staining his teeth.

He knew that if he stayed behind, there was almost no chance of survival.

But even on his deathbed, he was still unwilling to accept his fate.

He was unwilling to die here, unwilling to be a lowly gatekeeper, and even more unwilling to lose an arm!

However, he no longer had the chance.
Lin Hao slowly closed his eyes, savoring the bitterness in his heart.

The only thing that made him feel gratified was that he hadn't run away back in Daishan, and he hadn't run away in Monkey Valley either. He had lived up to Lü Mao and the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team.

"boom!"

The blade fell, and blood splattered.

Lin Hao's body collapsed like a scarecrow, and his last breath dissipated.

The leader of the men in black frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

According to intelligence, the patrol team in Monkey Valley is just ordinary demon-hunting cultivators recruited by the Li family. It has been formed for less than a year. What makes them so resolute?
However, at this point, the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released.

He tried his best to suppress the jumble of thoughts in his mind and waved his hand.

The remaining men in black did not hesitate and moved forward quickly. Their figures were indistinct in the dim light, with only the sharp blades in their hands gleaming with a cold light.
-
Deep inside the Taibai Tavern.

In the secluded room, a long-lost stench of blood lingered.

Li Xiangming took off his blood-stained outer garment, put on his green robe, and casually asked while applying a hot towel to his face, "Is everything cleaned up?"

"The entire valley has been thoroughly inspected."

Li Xiangguang respectfully replied from behind, "A total of thirty-seven corpses were found, and four people were captured alive. Wei Fei has spies outside the valley, and no one was found to have escaped."

Li Xiangming paused slightly in his movements.

Although Li Xiangguang's report of the battle results was perfect, the black-clad man's fierce fighting spirit was enough to prove how troublesome this unknown opponent surrounding Monkey Valley was.

Fortunately, after this battle, the opponent suffered direct losses of more than forty cultivators, and it will be difficult for them to have the resources to contend with him in the short term.

"How much have we lost?"

Li Xiangming continued to ask.

Li Xiangguang hesitated slightly, but still answered truthfully: "The main casualties were among the patrol team. Of the seventeen patrol team members, only six survived."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming sighed softly.

Upon returning to Monkey Valley, he immediately began planning to deal with the beast tide. However, Master Liaoshen suggested that "internal stability must precede external resistance," advocating that the internal traitors lurking in the valley should be eliminated first.

Li Xiangming thought this made sense, so he set up a feint, frequently moving the demon-suppressing camp cultivators in and out of Monkey Valley.

Although these actions were clandestine, the Demon Suppression Camp had already been infiltrated. The so-called feints were actually just a way of letting the enemy know that the Li family was about to take action.

However, what exactly did the Li family do?
To the average person, Li Xiangming was currently overwhelmed by the beast tide.

The deliberate deployment of a feint was merely a cover for the Demon Suppression Camp's true intention to attack the beast tide from the north or south.

Under this understanding, the mastermind behind the men in black would subconsciously fall into a mental blind spot, thinking that the Demon Suppression Camp was about to launch a full-scale attack, and thus turn his attention to the empty Monkey Valley.

Although Monkey Valley is not a wealthy place, it still has dozens of businesses. Even if they were to exploit the land, they could still salvage some valuable bricks and tiles. Not to mention that the Li family has stockpiled a large amount of supplies here.

Once the men in black plunder Monkey Valley's wealth, it will be tantamount to severing the foundation of the Demon Suppression Camp's defense against the beast tide—no matter how high the Li family's prestige is, it is impossible for the demon-hunting cultivators to fight the demon beasts without logistical support.

Furthermore, the fall of Monkey Valley will severely damage the morale of the Demon Suppression Camp.

If a soldier's home is stolen, where does the motivation to go out and fight come from?
Perhaps before even engaging in battle with the beast tide, the Demon Suppression Camp would have already disintegrated and gone their separate ways.

The Demon Suppression Camp depends on Monkey Valley for its survival; Monkey Valley is the Demon Suppression Camp's Achilles' heel.

Li Xiangming understood this point, which is why he spent most of his time at Taibai Restaurant, protecting it.

The man in black could certainly see that as well.

Master Liaoshen asserted without hesitation that as long as Monkey Valley remained empty, the man in black would not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

However, the men in black were not stupid. Judging from their actions in harming the Vicious Dog Demon Hunting Group and the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Group, they were not only meticulous and organized, but also carried out their plans flawlessly.

Trying to fool them is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Since that's the case, Li Xiangming decided to stop lying.

Didn't they want to see the Demon Suppression Camp disappear?

Li Xiangming simply went along with it and actually transferred the Demon Suppression Battalion out. If everything went smoothly, the Demon Suppression Battalion should now be under Li Xiangyu's leadership heading south to Dingfeng Village, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Without the Demon-Suppressing Camp, only the patrol team remained to guard Monkey Valley.

As expected, the men in black could not resist the temptation and launched an attack on Monkey Valley.

In reality, Li Xiangming had already secretly returned to Monkey Valley and joined forces with ten Guardian Hall cultivators under Li Xianghua's command to wait for the enemy to come to them.

The Guardian Hall is one of the most important supports the Li family provides to Monkey Valley. These cultivators are not only generally at the late stage of Qi Refining, but they are also beast-taming cultivators, each with a spirit pet.

If Li Xiangming had used them as the main force, the casualties at Jinlinpo would have been reduced by at least half.

However, according to Li Qianxiong's instructions, Li Xiangming not only could not use these people at will, but also needed to protect them to a certain extent.

Left with no other choice, Li Xiangming had to arrange for them to remain in the cave dwelling of the Taibai Tavern for quiet cultivation.

For this reason, they did not join the Demon Suppression Camp, nor were they spied on by spies within the Demon Suppression Camp.

In short, Li Xiangming has already set up a trap in Monkey Valley.

He also arranged for Wei Fei to keep watch outside the valley.

Unexpectedly, he spent too much time with Fairy Lingluo.

As a result, after the fish took the bait, he and the ambush troops he had set up failed to appear at the entrance of Monkey Valley immediately.

Although the patrol team reacted quickly and had a large number of members, they were no match for the men in black and were wiped out in just one round.

Moreover, to maintain secrecy, the patrol team was unaware of the reinforcements. The patrol team members, led by Lin Hao, volunteered to stay behind to cover the retreat, but none of them survived.

This kind of casualty is something Li Xiangming did not want to see.

But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to accept it.

After wiping the water off his hands, Li Xiangming put down the towel and said softly, "Come on, let's go see Lü Mao and the others."

"Yes."

Li Xiangguang turned around and walked ahead.

The two soon arrived at the tavern of Qingyun Residence.

The tables and chairs inside the venue had already been moved to the sides, revealing a spacious open area.

Eleven corpses lay neatly arranged on the open ground, each covered with a white sheet. A sense of desolation permeated the entire scene, making it suffocating.

Lu Mao knelt before one of the corpses, his shoulders trembling, his sobs low and suppressed.

When Li Xiangming came out, he happened to see this scene. He stopped in his tracks and his gaze fell on Lin Hao's bloodless face.

To be honest, Lin Hao's personality is not likable.

This person caused quite a few conflicts when he was with the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team. Chi Laiyong and Ji Shilun reported him to the authorities more than once, hoping to teach this arrogant guy a lesson.

Li Xiangming wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter and quickly forgot about it.

However, even after Lin Hao joined the patrol team, he was still reported by others. In particular, Yin Feng repeatedly came to him to accuse Lin Hao of abusing his power and suppressing dissent, which made Yin Feng somewhat dissatisfied with Lin Hao.

However, his character flaws did not hinder Lin Hao's loyalty and courage.

This veteran, who retired from the demon-hunting group, ultimately proved his worth with his life.

Li Xiangming slowly squatted down beside Lin Hao's body and covered it with the white sheet again.

Then, he turned to Lü Mao and said in a heavy voice, "Captain Lü, Lin Hao has not let you down, nor has he let down Monkey Valley's trust in him. Leave the funeral arrangements for him and the other patrol members to me."

(End of this chapter)