I am the snake demon!

"The Liangzhou branch? What did he do to offend Shi'an?"

Duan Qingyue asked in confusion.

He still believed that Bai Xuan should return to Xuanwu County first.

Although Bai Xuan is the legal heir, such matters can change if delayed.

It's best to inherit first.

As for the Blood Shadow Cult, they are nothing but clowns; we can deal with them later.

"Recently, my mother and I were assassinated by the Blood Shadow Sect. Dozens of people from my Jade True Temple, including my brothers, perished. It has now been confirmed that they were acting on the orders of the leader of the Liangzhou branch of the Blood Shadow Sect. Uncle, do you think they should be alive?" Hearing Duan Qingyue's resistance, Bai Xuan looked at Duan Qingyue with a sharp look in his eyes.

Damn it.

Upon hearing this, Duan Qingyue felt a chill run down his spine.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Linyuan's expression changed slightly, and he said, "The martial arts world of the Northern Territory is under my command. This is my mistake. Please forgive me, Your Highness and Young Master!"

Hidden Sword Manor, the number one sect in the Northern Territory, is not only powerful due to the Hidden Sword family itself, but more importantly, it is supported by the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

In return, Hidden Sword Manor is responsible for maintaining peace in the martial arts world of the Northern Territory.

Now that this has happened, to put it bluntly, it's a sign of the incompetence of Hidden Sword Manor.

Unfortunately, the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei died tragically, and the fate of the Prince of Zhenbei remains unknown. The entire northern border is about to face a power struggle.

"Master Qiu, there's no need to blame yourself. The Blood Shadow Sect isn't a force from the Northern Territory; it's a demonic sect, and it's impossible to guard against them all," Duan Baiyu said, taking the initiative to defend Qiu Linyuan.

Where there is light, there is also darkness.

Although Cangjian Manor is an extension of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion into the Jianghu of the Northern Territory, it is impossible for them to eradicate all the dark forces in the Northern Territory.

Furthermore, if the Blood Shadow Cult wants to make a move, there's no one left in the Northern Territory; they can simply transfer manpower from other places.

The key reason why the four major sects of the Demonic Path have not been destroyed to this day is that no one knows where their headquarters are.

Some say it's in the northern wilderness, others say it's in the south of the Yangtze River.

"I cannot shirk my responsibility for this matter. While the Xiliang Iron Cavalry is indeed unparalleled in the world, the sheer scale of their army's movements is overwhelming. The people of the Demonic Sect are known for their cunning, which may have alerted the Blood Shadow Sect. It would be better for me to be more flexible and set off immediately to mobilize troops and besiege the Blood Shadow Sect's branch," Qiu Linyuan said.

Even a large army can't travel as fast as him alone.

Moreover, members of the Demonic Sect are known for their cunning and caution, so we must be wary of them.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan frowned slightly. This was indeed a problem. In this day and age, all the members of the Demonic Sect who were still alive were cunning and cautious. After all, those who were not cunning and cautious would not have survived to this day.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows, but no one knows how many burrows a member of the Demonic Sect has.

"Uncle, with your uncle's army protecting us, our safety should be assured. How about we trouble you and Master Qiu to go and wipe out the Liangzhou branch of the Blood Shadow Sect, to lend Master Qiu a hand? We will arrive shortly after." Bai Xuan said to Li Daoyan.

"Since you have given your order, young master, I dare not disobey. I will trouble Master Qiu." Li Daoyan knew that if this matter was not resolved, Bai Xuan and Duan Baiyu would be constantly worried about it, which would delay important matters. So he immediately accepted the order.

"I dare not accept such praise. It is my honor to have Mr. Li's help."

Qiu Linyuan bowed to Li Daoyan, his heart filled with even greater concern for this matter.

If it were merely a matter of informing him of the location of the Blood Shadow Sect's branch, he could have done so now; instead, he specifically asked Li Daoyan to accompany him.

This is probably to prevent him from colluding with the Blood Shadow Cult.

However, despite realizing Bai Xuan's thoughts, Qiu Linyuan felt no resentment and instead breathed a sigh of relief.

Firstly, Li Daoyan is no ordinary person; he is a shrewd strategist and a master of formations, and can truly help him rather than be a burden. Secondly, and more importantly, he can see that Bai Xuan cares a lot about the people who were killed. If he captures the Liangzhou branch leader alive, it would certainly be a great achievement, but if something goes wrong, he will be unable to explain himself.

Hidden Sword Manor is already the number one sect in the Northern Territory, and there is no room for further advancement. Qiu Linyuan naturally does not seek merit, but rather seeks no merit. With Li Daoyan present, he feels more at ease.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sword box behind Qiu Linyuan suddenly opened, and a clear sword sound rang out. Qiu Linyuan soared into the air, stepping on the flying sword and riding it.

Li Daoyan then took out a compass from his bosom. A blue light emerged from the compass, revealing a huge phantom image of the Eight Trigrams. After that, he also rose into the air and followed Qiu Linyuan, disappearing into the horizon.

"Shi'an, don't worry. Mr. Li and Master Qiu will go together and they'll surely capture him easily, bringing peace to the spirit of the deceased," Duan Qingyue reassured him.

"I hope so, that the real culprit is captured and the deceased can rest in peace," Bai Xuan said.

"That's for sure. Come to think of it, I haven't been back to Wuwei much these past few years. This time, I'll take you to see the Wuwei Army," Duan Qingyue said.

Bai Xuan chuckled and agreed, then spurred his horse and hurried towards Wuwei.

After traveling for a day, they finally arrived at a county town in Xiliang before sunset.

"This place is simple, please don't mind it, Cousin Shi'an. We will make sure to arrange things properly for you once we arrive in Wuwei."

After arriving in the county town and settling in, the two elders, Duan Qingyue and Duan Baiyu, had something to say, so the four younger ones, Bai Xuan, Xu Yuhua, Duan Zhiguan, and Duan Fuxue, sat down at a table for a meal.

Duan Fuxue greeted Bai Xuan warmly.

"It's nothing simple. The food I eat at Yuzhen Temple is better than this," Bai Xuan said politely.

"That's different. We're almost at Wuwei, so we're practically hosts. Cousin Shi'an, what do you like to eat? I'll have someone prepare more." Duan Fuxue rested her chin on her arm, her skin appearing even whiter under the oil lamp light, her large, watery eyes fixed on Bai Xuan.

"I like roast chicken and roast lamb," Bai Xuan said.

"My cousin Shi'an likes roasted whole lamb, and our Wuwei roasted whole lamb is a specialty of Liangzhou. The skin is crispy and tempting, and the inside is tender and juicy. I will cook it myself and make sure my cousin Shi'an is satisfied," Duan Fuxue said happily.

"Even if I want to eat, I can't trouble you, a rich young lady like Fuxue, to cook for me personally. Otherwise, my uncle will skin me alive," Bai Xuan joked.

"It's rare for my cousin to come all this way, so I have to make him happy. Besides, my father likes Cousin Shi'an so much, how could he bear to hurt him?" Duan Fuxue smiled radiantly.

Bai Xuan also smiled broadly, and everyone at the banquet was happy.

"By the way, Cousin Shi'an, I've been practicing Taoist techniques lately, but I've been feeling a bit uneasy. You've been in the Taoist temple for a long time, so you know the Taoist arts best. Do you know what 'harmonizing the Four Symbols' means? It means mobilizing the power of the sun, moon, and stars, and bringing the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise to your body?"

During the banquet, Duan Fuxue suddenly asked curiously.

"No, these four signs do not point outward, but inward. They contain the gaze, concentrate the ear's resonance, regulate the breath, and silence the tongue," Bai Xuan replied.

This was not a difficult problem; on the contrary, he had some basic knowledge of it. He had lived in a Taoist temple for ten years and studied Taoist scriptures for ten years, so this was naturally not a problem for him.

"Oh dear? Is that so? Then I must have made a mistake in fixing it?" Duan Fuxue looked surprised upon hearing this, then turned to Bai Xuan and asked, "Cousin, what is meant by 'Five Qi Gathering at the Origin'?"

"When the eyes do not see, the soul resides in the liver; when the ears do not hear, the essence resides in the kidneys; when the tongue does not utter a sound, the spirit resides in the heart; when the nose does not smell a fragrance, the vital essence resides in the lungs; when the limbs do not move, the intention resides in the spleen," Bai Xuan replied.

Duan Fuxue nodded slightly, and a look of admiration appeared in her eyes as she looked at Bai Xuan. She then asked a few more simple questions at the dinner table.

Bai Xuan answered each question in turn, and after finishing, he added, "If Fuxue is interested, she can take a look at classic texts such as 'The Four Hundred Essays on Golden Elixir' and 'Xuanchengzi'."

"These classic texts are the most boring. Cousin Shi'an, you're so clever, it's not difficult for you, but it's very difficult for me. But if I don't cultivate this, the techniques at home are all about wide-ranging movements and are battlefield techniques, which are not suitable for me." Duan Fuxue pouted, revealing a bit of the unique charm of a young girl, which was very endearing.

"There's bound to be a suitable martial arts technique for you. The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion has collected quite a few martial arts techniques from various schools. When we get back, you can go in and choose one," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"Really?" Duan Fuxue's eyes lit up immediately.

Back then, the Prince of Zhenbei fought in the south and north, annihilating the three kingdoms of Western Shu, Southern Chu, and Northern Yan, destroying countless powerful families and sects, and seizing countless martial arts manuals. Although in principle all of these should have been handed over to the national treasury, even the emperor himself knew that the Prince of Zhenbei had copied them out himself before handing them over. Therefore, everyone knew that the Prince of Zhenbei's library was a great arsenal.

There are countless superior martial arts techniques among them.

"Of course," Bai Xuan said with a light laugh.

Duan Fuxue was overjoyed and raised her wine cup, saying, "I'd like to toast my cousin Shi'an."

"We're family, why be so polite?" Bai Xuan smiled faintly and gently clinked glasses.

Duan Fuxue tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. A few drops of water slid down her fair and slender swan neck, perfectly embodying the phrase "vibrant and fragrant".

Although the guards around them dared not look directly at him, they couldn't help but swallow hard when they saw this scene.

Bai Xuan remained calm. After finishing his meal and separating from the Duan siblings, leaving only him and Xu Yuhua, he whispered, "Elder sister, is this cousin lusting after me and wants to sleep with me?"

"Um?"

Xu Yuhua, who had been observing for a long time without saying a word throughout the meal and was about to remind Bai Xuan, was stunned when she heard this.

Although the meaning is correct, and the northern border is looked down upon by the major clans of the Central Plains, and they are said to be rough, their words are rough but the reasoning is sound, but your words are a bit too rough.