The Shock of a Letter

"Good!"

"Brother Tianshu, come with us!"

Shi Shishi grabbed Li Weiyi and quickly moved away.

Li Weiyi felt the wind whistling past his ears, his body rising and falling. In just a few breaths, he and Shi Jiuzhai crossed more than three miles of streets and arrived at a busy dock on the Sui River.

The speed and cultivation level that Shi Shishi displayed were truly inconsistent with his age.

The three boarded a fast boat, which was pulled by a strange, python-like beast, and sped downstream with the sails fully extended.

Inside the cabin, Shi Shishi used a low-grade magic rope to tie up Li Weiyi and laughed, "Brother Tianshu, I didn't expect you to be so powerful. With a mortal body, you possess the combat strength of Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body. The Heavenly King will definitely like you very much. As long as you honestly confess all the secrets you have, I guarantee that the position of Eleventh Prince will definitely be yours."

Li Weiyi sat against the bulkhead and said coldly, "Your Earth Wolf King Army is untrustworthy. You promised a reward, but you didn't deliver."

Shi Shishi scratched his head, looking troubled, and said, "There's no way! With Yao Qian around, who can touch Yang Qingxi? I really want the reward you mentioned. Let's do it another day, after you break through to the Five Seas realm, then we can think of a solution together."

"Where are we going now?" Li Weiyi asked.

Shi Shishi, "Of course, we should go back to Shu Zhou. To be honest, the secret you possess is enough to alarm the Heavenly King. Who wouldn't want to transform into Pure Immortal Body? I want to too!"

Li Weiyi asked, "What about the Jiu Li Hidden Gate?"

"You'll honestly help us gather information? You hardly ever tell the truth... Well, with Li Qing around, it won't make a difference if you're not here," Shi Shishi.

Li Weiyi said, "I have already killed Li Qing!"

"..."

Shi Shishi taken aback.

Shi Jiuzhai stood prominently at the stern of the ship, his bright eyes fixed on the receding Jiu Li City.

As the sun set, the sky quickly darkened. Only the endless curtain of Light Veil outside Jiu Li City remained dazzling, like streaks of aurora on the horizon, coloring the Sui River.

Shi Shishi stepped out of the cabin. "Li Qing has been killed! It should be true; he had the power to do so."

Shi Jiuzhai stood with his hands behind his back, remaining silent for a long while before saying, "If we release him, the people of the Jiu Li Hidden Gate will no longer trust him and will kill him on the spot. Going to the Earth Wolf King Army, on the other hand, offers a chance of survival."

Shi Shishi knew these words were meant for Li Weiyi inside the cabin, and he asked with some worry, "Why hasn't Sixth Brother caught up yet? Could he have been killed by Yao Qian?"

"How could that be? The Sui Sect still needs to the Earth Wolf King Army to help them attack the Jiu Li Tribe. The Six Colors are still very strong. They may not be able to defeat Yao Qian, but they should have no problem restraining him and escaping." Shi Jiuzhai laughed.

Inside the cabin, Li Weiyi secretly weighed the successes and failures of the day. The biggest problem still lay with the Six Desires Talisman, and he also realized his lack of understanding of the abilities of this world's top experts.

People like Shi Liuyu and Yao Qian have completely transcended the realm of humanity.

Judging them by human standards will inevitably lead to mistakes.

Suddenly, Shi Jiuzhai's startled shout rang out from outside, "Watch out, enemy attack!"

The clipper rocked violently, followed by the sounds of palm strikes colliding, magical energy clashing, and waves churning.

"Bang! Bang..."

Four pebbles pierced the cabin wall and struck four acupoints on Li Weiyi's body that were sealed, instantly restoring his magical power. At the same time, the magical ropes that had been tightly binding his body were severed by the flying Yellow Dragon Sword.

The Yellow Dragon Sword was previously taken away by Shi Shishi.

Clearly, a master had snatched the Yellow Dragon Sword from his hand and hurled it precisely here.

Li Weiyi was overjoyed, realizing that Hidden Twenty-Four had finally brought reinforcements from the Hidden Gate. He untied the ropes, grabbed the Yellow Dragon Sword, and rushed out of the cabin.

The magical energy surged in the darkness.

The figures were fiercely clashing and exchanging blows, but it was impossible to tell who was who.

Li Weiyi knew his own limitations very well, so he decisively channeled his magical energy into his legs and fled on the waves. A moment later, he disappeared into the dense forest on the shore.

A frantic roar came from Shi Jiuzhai: "That kid escaped!"

Half an hour after Li Weiyi escaped, the sounds of battle behind him were no longer audible. His frantic running aggravated his severe injuries, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt dizzy and disoriented.

After he recovered somewhat, he was about to continue his escape.

But then I saw...

Two black figures, one tall and one short, appeared under a tree a dozen or so feet ahead.

The shorter, slender figure quickly approached him and fed him a cool pill. Her voice, unlike her usual cold tone, was soft and gentle. "Heal your wounds first!"

The elixir dissolved instantly upon entering the stomach.

The severe injuries to his internal organs were treated immediately, and the pain subsided.

The tall, imposing figure wearing a metal mask approached step by step, his dark red cloak billowing in the wind. He spoke in a low voice, "You've told Shi Liuyu all the secrets of the Hidden Gate, haven't you?"

His aura was very oppressive, and every word he uttered was impacting Li Weiyi's soul.

Li Weiyi met his gaze briefly, then chuckled fearlessly, "The Hidden Lord's cultivation is so unfathomable. How could you not know whether I've leaked any secrets to Shi Liuyu?"

"How could I possibly know?" said the Hidden Lord.

Li Weiyi said, "The so-called trial was never about destroying the Changlin Gang, but rather about testing what choice I would make when facing Shi Liuyu, and whether I would betray the Jiu Li Hidden Gate."

Li Weiyi only realized this while he was in the cabin.

He had no knowledge of the abilities of this world's top experts, but how could the Hidden Lord not have any knowledge?

How could Hidden Lord not know that Shi Liuyu could sense his approximate location using the Six Desires Talisman?

With this in mind, the purpose of deliberately arranging for him to undergo trials in Jiu Li City became clear.

Li Weiyi didn't know if Hidden Lord was near the Changlin Gang at the time, or if he was sensing it through the Death Spirit Fire between his brows. In any case, Hidden Lord definitely knew all of his conversations with Shi Liuyu.

Hidden Lord stared at him with some surprise.

Even when faced with danger and desperately trying to escape, he still possesses such clear thinking ability; he truly has the makings of Hidden Person.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "To become a Hidden Person, everyone must undergo a trial of death. The so-called trial of death refers to whether you can keep the secret when facing the threat of death. This is extremely important; failure to do so will endanger the entire Hidden Gate."

"So you already knew the real content of the trial?" Li Weiyi asked.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "All I know is that the real trial is not the annihilation of the Changlin Gang."

Li Weiyi's gaze returned to Hidden Lord: "Have I passed the trial?"

"Nature!"

The Hidden Lord said, "No matter what method you used, as long as you didn't leak any information, you've passed. Let's go back to the Hidden Gate first."

Li Weiyi stood rooted to the spot. "Aren't you interested in the secrets I hold?"

"As long as all your actions pass the Hidden Gate's screening, your secret will forever remain your own. When you truly find a sense of belonging within the Hidden Gate, you will naturally speak without me asking," said the Hidden Lord.

Li Weiyi said, "Now that I am a member of the Hidden Gate, I have two things I must do. Will the Hidden Gate lend me a hand?"

"You can tell me about it first," said the Hidden Lord.

Li Weiyi said, "The first thing is those people I rescued from the Changlin Gang. I want to see them through to the end and give them a proper resettlement. Otherwise, I won't be at peace with myself."

"You don't need to mention that. Hidden Twenty-Four has already made the arrangements, and the Jiu Li Tribe will take over," Hidden Lord said.

Li Weiyi looked at Hidden Twenty-Four with surprise.

Hidden Twenty-Four raised his chin slightly, his eyes showing none of the evasiveness he had displayed when Li Weiyi questioned him earlier.

Li Wei thought for a moment and then said, "I have several companions who are studying cultivation at the Jiuli Dao Academy and the Cangli Clan, respectively. They have already been targeted by the Sui Sect. Could I take them to the Hidden Sect?"

"That's impossible!" said the Hidden Lord.

Li Weiyi said, "They are very talented."

"People with exceptional talent, even those with a Pure Immortal Body that are one in ten thousand, are numerous in the world. But with so many people, it's possible that one or two Li Qing could infiltrate the ranks... The Hidden Gate will only allocate all its resources to one person each year, because we want to cultivate Cangli, Yao Qian, top-tier experts who can surpass an entire generation, not a group of the Five Seas Realm cultivators."

Hidden Lord paused for a moment, then said, "For now, they are safe at the Jiu Li Dao Academy and the Cangli Tribal Mansion."

"After the attack in Immortal Burial Town and the duel between Cangli and the Sui River Dragon Gate inheritor at Suihe, the Jiu Li Tribe and the Sui Sect are already playing their cards openly, but they haven't reached the point of open hostility yet."

Li Weiyi couldn't understand. "Since it's already an open secret, why didn't the Jiu Li Tribe strike first?"

The Hidden Lord said, "The fact that you can ask this question shows that you still have a long way to go if you want to become Hidden Person."

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "Many important figures in the Sui Sect and the various tribes of Nine Li are related by marriage; they are intertwined. The news that the Jiu Li Tribe secretly amassed its army this morning will be known by noon, Sui Sect's higher-ups will know all of the Jiu Li Tribe's movements and arrangements. They may even act before the Jiu Li Tribe."

"Conversely, the same applies. That's why the Sui Sect allied with external forces."

Li Weiyi understood that the world is never simply black and white, or friend and foe.

Rather, there are friends among enemies, and enemies among friends.

Li Weiyi asked curiously, "What role will the Hidden Gate play in this inevitable war?"

"Since the rotten flesh has grown inside the body, let's take this opportunity to scrape away the bone and heal the wound. How can we usher in new life without experiencing pain? Let them kill, let them fight their way out and clearly distinguish friend from foe."

Hidden Lord thought for a moment and said, "In the entire Lizhou, only the Jiu Li Divine Hall is relatively safe. Once the situation becomes unstable, I will arrange for your companions to be sent there."

This was his final compromise!

"Thank you Hidden Lord," Li Weiyi said.

The Hidden Lord said, "You've done both things for others. I originally thought one of them would be for the Six Desires Talisman."

"Is Hidden Lord a match for Shi Liuyu?" Li Weiyi asked hurriedly.

"You shouldn't have asked such a stupid question."

Hidden Lord said, "Of the ten Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King Army, only the Great Lord is truly formidable in terms of wisdom, while Shi Laoba is adept at scheming. Shi Liuyu... even you were able to survive against him. Keeping him alive may prove invaluable in the future."

Li Weiyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then took out a letter wrapped in oiled paper from his pocket and handed it over.

"What's this?"

The Hidden Lord took the letter and asked this question.

"All my secrets are in this letter."

Li Weiyi always felt that it would be safer to send Coffin Master's letter as soon as possible. Who knew if the Hidden Lord truly didn't care about the secret he carried?

Beside him, Hidden Twenty-Four's eyes lit up.

She knew Li Weiyi possessed many treasures; this guy was definitely someone important. She just didn't know what his secret was.

Hidden Lord opened the letter and immediately sensed that it was no ordinary letter; his expression changed from casual to serious.

The atmosphere conveyed by the letter was extremely unusual.

The more he read, the more his scalp tingled, his whole body went numb, his pupils contracted violently, and his hand holding the letter trembled.

In Hidden Twenty-Four's eyes, Hidden Lord had always been a god-like being, and he believed that even if the heavens and earth collapsed, it would not cause him to lose his composure like this.

What kind of letter is this?

Just what terrifying background does Li Weiyi have?

After reading the contents of the letter, Hidden Lord stared intently at Li Weiyi. After a long while, he still couldn't be sure if it was true or not. It was too shocking, and it could even shake the world.

"Let's go back to the Hidden Gate and see the Hidden Ancestor!"

Hidden Lord enveloped Li Weiyi and Hidden Twenty-Four with his magical energy and used his fastest speed to rush towards Jiu Li City.

As for the Six Desires Talisman on Li Weiyi's body, with him there, how could Shi Liuyu possibly sense it? Once underground, the connection would naturally be severed.

Hidden Twenty-Four was incredibly curious; how had they managed to alarm Hidden Ancestor?

The Hidden Ancestor has always been just a legend. Even the hermits don't know if it really exists or if it's still alive. Because, according to the legend, the Hidden Ancestor has lived for over a thousand years.

Back at the Hidden Gate, the Hidden Lord led Li Weiyi step by step into the depths of the Jiu Li Insect Valley.

His mind had calmed down, and he asked, "You should have taken out this letter sooner. With it, you wouldn't have needed to participate in the trial at all to become Hidden Person."

"I want to try my luck with my own abilities," Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Lord didn't know what to say, because this kid really had the strength. Opening the Eight Springs was comparable to Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body, which was completely beyond his knowledge and understanding.

But when you think about the fact that he is the successor of the leader, everything makes sense.

All the secrets surrounding him, including the mysterious origins of him and his companions, now seem to make sense!

Now all that's missing is for the Hidden Ancestor to personally confirm the letter's authenticity.

After all, only the Hidden Ancestor had ever truly seen the leader.

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