Righteous Sword Palace

Despite Guangyang Prefect's attempts to persuade him to stay, Li Qi left immediately.

Everything is currently under his arrangement.

Guangyang Prefect was weak and afraid of death, but he wasn't really stupid.

If you try to recruit this kind of person, they will never trust you and will never do anything for you.

So, I'll stop here.

First, show your confidence and attitude. The other person will definitely underestimate you and then imagine a lot of things.

The less you explain, the more useful it is.

The mere five words, "Young Master of Wushen Mountain," are enough to conjure up a whole host of thoughts in this person's mind.

Then, he told him some things about the Chanzhi Zen Master, which were mixed with some indistinguishable lies.

For example, Li Qi said that Chanzhi knew the location of Guangyang Prefect, his concealment was meaningless.

Is it true?

Who knows?

Anyway, Guangyang Prefect couldn't possibly investigate, and weak, suspicious, and life-loving people are most afraid of this kind of thing.

In addition, there was his own eventual departure.

And, Guangyang Prefect did not know how he found him.

The two elements combined, along with Li Qi's rhetoric, were enough to scare a cowardly, cunning person into despairing for a long time.

Li Qi was very confident that this person would come to him on his own later.

Of course, if he doesn't come, Li Qi has other options.

So, of the four forces he mentioned back then, two have already pledged allegiance to him.

That is, the local forces in Guangyang, and Wang Baiyan, who belongs to Human Path.

The remaining two forces are the Chanzhi Master and the Jianghu forces led by the Righteous Sword Palace.

Chanzhi Zhi was an adversary, which goes without saying.

And the Jianghu forces led by the Righteous Sword Palace will be here soon.

Li Qi returned to the secret manor of the Lower Nine Gates.

He sat down next to Shen Shuibi.

Shen Shuibi was in a daze, but when she saw Li Qi return, she tilted her head and spared a bit of attention. "You're back? Finished?"

"Only the Righteous Sword Palace is left. However, I left a letter for Zhang Lan before I left, so it shouldn't be too long." Li Qi nodded, then lay down next to the rabbit and stretched.

The rabbit also leaned back and lay down next to Li Qi, then rolled over, turned to its side, looked at Li Qi, and said to him:

"By the way, I've thought about that Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm for a long time and searched through a lot of information. Although I haven't found anything that can confirm it, the desires of mortals often manifest in their dreams, which is a clear example of delusions and confusion."

"Be careful of your dreams when you keep that thing hidden."

"Okay, I'll be careful." Li Qi kept it in mind.

Regarding that Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm, one can never be too careful.

"So, you're all right now?" Shen Shuibi asked again.

"Everything's fine for now. Chanzhi can rest for a while too," Li Qi replied.

"I see." Upon hearing this, the rabbit stopped talking and closed its eyes.

She was getting ready to sleep.

Li Qi also breathed a sigh of relief; it was time to rest.

So, Li Qi, who hadn't slept a single minute in the previous ten days, simply pulled up a blanket, covered the two of them, and started to sleep.

Meanwhile, the main body within the five-tiered pagoda naturally began to sleep.

A long-awaited rest.

In the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, Li Qi vaguely felt his body becoming light and airy.

But this is a normal phenomenon.

He slept for four or five Chen straight, until he woke up naturally.

I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep.

When I got up, the rabbit was already awake and sitting cross-legged beside me.

The posture is quite elegant, sitting cross-legged with hands on the knees.

Li Qi knew that this was a part of her cultivation, called 'Bathed in the Sun'.

When the sun is shining and the wind is still, sit by the south-facing window with your back to the sun. The warmth on your spine will make your whole body feel comfortable. The sun is the essence of the sun, and its light strengthens the body's Yang Energy, which is extremely beneficial.

Is she gathering Yang Energy in preparation for condensing her Yang Spirit?

Never mind, I won't bother her anymore.

Li Qi also got up.

Judging by the time, it should be here soon.

After getting up, he naturally washed himself, and the attendants of the Lower Nine Gates even prepared water from the millet stalks for him to wash his body.

Jiliang Water, named after the five precious grains, is mixed with the finest fragrances and brewed from the essence of the five grains. It is used for various body washing methods. Its fragrance can clear the orifices and release Primal Qi. Therefore, those who use it will not only remove dirt but also replenish their vital energy, making it naturally superior to other products.

It's quite tasteful.

Of course, Li Qi usually didn't care about these things. He usually ate and slept outdoors without a care in the world, and at most he would just wash it with water.

However, now that people in the city are starting to fawn over him, they use a variety of tricks.

Not only the water is important, but everything else is too.

For example, food.

In Guangyang, people have a sweet palate, so their daily meals include dates, chestnuts, maltose, and honey. According to the chef, this is called "sweet to please the spleen, smooth to soothe the spleen's yang, and rich to nourish the spleen's yin; consuming these foods is like taking medicine."

This is what breakfast is like today: deer tail porridge with some side dishes.

The best deer tail is selected, then air-dried and the fat membrane removed. Inside, there is coagulated blood, like tender liver. It is clearly a delicacy. When chopped and cooked into porridge, it is clear and not greasy, with a unique aroma.

Another side dish is dates soaked in sugarcane juice. Eating these dates nourishes the spleen, regulates the stomach, moistens the lungs and stops coughs, replenishes the five internal organs, and harmonizes with all medicines. They are as tender as egg whites, and the juice is extra sweet when boiled, which also relieves thirst.

They were so particular about what they ate, and even more so about what they did afterward.

After eating, a small amount of residue remains between the teeth, which is very tiring for the teeth. The Lower Nine Gates specially make willow wood sticks, tie them with tiger whiskers, brew strong tea, let it cool, and rinse the mouth with the tea to remove the residue.

If Li Qi hadn't insisted that they not have anyone serve him, Li Qi would probably have had people take care of his food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and even have several beauties take care of him after meals, like picking his teeth.

Unfortunately, Li Qi wasn't very interested in this kind of thing.

He was too lazy to use these prepared items, such as toothpicks. He didn't get food stuck in his teeth, so why would he need toothpicks?

After finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, he lay down in the courtyard and closed his eyes to rest.

It's not actually about closing your eyes to rest, but rather about freeing up energy for your physical body.

On the other side, his true form began to rise again, studying the demonic thoughts and evil intentions of the Chanzhi.

The more you study, the more you'll understand Chanzhi.

Li Qi was making preparations in full swing.

Guangyang City seemed to have returned to normal, and people were living their lives as usual.

The Blood Sacrifice and the invasion of the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest seemed to have nothing to do with these people.

Li Qi continued living like this for another day.

Then, finally someone came to his door.

Still in the Lower Nine Gates, Li Qi, who was lying dead, suddenly opened his eyes.

Suddenly, a guard rushed in from outside, knelt on one knee, and bowed to Li Qi, reporting, "My lord! As you said, we have found the Dragon Steed. He is waiting outside now!"

Yes, for the past few days, Li Qi has been mobilizing the forces of the Lower Nine Gates to search for Old Ma.

Old Ma was the mark that Li Qi left for Zhang Lan. With Old Ma, finding Zhang Lan would not be difficult.

When Li Qi made this decision, he had already thought this step through.

"Bring him in quickly." Li Qi stood up, his attention diverted, and without waiting for invitation, strode out.

After waiting for so long! Zhang Lan has finally arrived!

But before he could go very far, after only taking two or three steps out of the door, Li Qi heard a tapping sound.

That's the crisp sound of horses' hooves hitting the stone slabs.

Then came the clucking sounds.

Li Qi was overjoyed.

That's Old Ma's voice; he knows it very well.

So he stood in front of the door.

Soon, Zhang Lan was seen leading the Old Ma from around the corner.

Zhang Lan was full of surprise when she saw Li Qi.

But Old Ma wasn't surprised; he was delighted.

His big, horse-like face was grinning from ear to ear. He broke free from Zhang Lan's reins, sped up, and ran towards Li Qi.

Upon seeing this, Li Qi grinned from ear to ear.

It has to be a horse you raise yourself, that's how affectionate it is!

Li Qi stood still, waiting for Old Ma.

Old Ma galloped over at breakneck speed, surrounded by wisps of blue lightning, a manifestation of Old Ma acceleration.

Li Qi smiled and stood in front of the door, waving his hand to signal the people from the Lower Nine Gates to step back.

The people from the Lower Nine Gates all withdrew.

Then, Old Ma glanced at Li Qi, didn't slow down at all, and rammed him out of the doorway.

Zhang Lan stopped and covered her eyes.

It looks so painful.

Li Qi's golden body shattered instantly! He was sent flying, his body charred black by the blue lightning emitted by Old Ma!

If it were his true form, this would at most only make him look bad, but his divided spirit was completely defenseless and was directly knocked away by Old Ma. Fortunately, Old Ma didn't use much force, so he could still repair himself.

As for Old Ma, he shoved Li Qi aside, wiggled his hips, and went inside to find Shen Shuibi.

The rabbit was awakened by the noise outside, and its meditative state was brought to a start.

She glanced at the Old Ma charging towards her.

Old Ma also braked repeatedly and stood still in front of the bed.

Then he took a basket of carrots out of the Mustard Seed Bag.

One for myself, one basket for Old Ma.

The Old Ma proudly raised its head and neighed, and Shen Shuibi stroked its mane.

Then the horse and the rabbit started munching on carrots in place.

He even looked quite happy!

Zhang Lan was overjoyed and laughed heartily. He stepped forward and helped Li Qi up from the ground. "Haha, Brother Li, you haven't been taking care of the horses enough, have you? Miss Shen has been doing it for you all this time?"

Li Qi's golden body healed naturally and he quickly returned to normal.

After all, it is only formed from the Fire Qi and does not actually have a physical body. As long as that Fire Qi is not damaged, it is just a minor injury.

Li Qi could only laugh awkwardly, "Hahaha... I'm usually so busy, I never have a moment to spare, hahaha."

However, he got up from the ground and coughed twice. "Cough cough, alright, let's not talk about that, let's not talk about that. Brother Zhang, have you read what I wrote in my letter?"

Getting down to business, Zhang Lan lost interest in teasing Li Qi and said:

"The people have been settled in the small world, and I have arranged for the White Rhinoceros Army to be dispersed among the people."

"Brother Li is meticulous in his thinking and makes a lot of sense, so I have completed all the arrangements that were left unfinished. I just don't know why you didn't let me go and find the Sword Master?"

"Our opponent is a seventh-rank opponent. If we don't find a seventh-rank opponent of equal rank to help us, we have no chance at all," Zhang Lan sighed.

The difference between the seventh and eighth grades is too great. Although it seems like there is only a difference of one grade, if it is applied to a specific Dao Path, it may be a difference of five or six realms.

It's like the difference between the ninth and eighth ranks of martial arts. Although there's only a one-rank difference, there are actually three major realms in between: cultivating intention, cultivating mind, and cultivating spirit.

One must transcend three major realms and then refine the Martial Way Divine Intent to be considered an eighth-rank cultivator.

The differences are not as simple as just a matter of grade.

Grades are just for easy classification; one must clearly understand the huge differences between them.

Li Qi said, "Brother Zhang, don't ask. It's best not to inform the people of the Righteous Sword Palace at this time. I know your concerns, but now is not the time."

"Why not at the right time? You probably don't know the strength of the chief Righteous Sword Palace Sword Master. His cultivation has reached the seventh rank of martial arts, and his mind, body, spirit, will, and skills are in perfect harmony. Although he is still one level away from the sixth rank, he is definitely a strong person in the seventh rank. A monk is nothing. If he comes, he will definitely not be a problem." Zhang Lan said confidently.

"How does the Chief Righteous Sword Palace Sword Master compare to the Sima of Guangyang?" Li Qi asked.

"Even with only 30% of our strength, we can still take it down." Zhang Lan raised his head, extremely proud. "If all the Sword Master gathered together and set up the Starry Sky Sword Formation, even two Guangyang Sima would be no match for us!"

"Then let me tell you, three experts at the level of Guangyang Sima attacked that monk together, and the result was one dead and two escaped. The one who died was even turned into a puppet, and the monk was completely unharmed, without even a scratch. Are you still planning to call that commander?" Li Qi said again.

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere turned cold.

Zhang Lan's expression turned serious. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible. Even among those at the seventh rank, there's only a limit to how strong they can be!"

"Then how do you think I am among the ninth-rank cultivators? Can I kill several ninth-rank cultivators at once?" Li Qi asked again.

Zhang Lan replied, "Brother Li, you've misunderstood. The ninth rank is too low, and the strength varies greatly. It's normal for cultivators with orthodox methods to have a big gap with those from Rogue Cultivator schools. But by the seventh rank, miscellaneous cultivators have been largely eliminated, and everyone has a foundation, so the gap won't be too big."

Li Qi countered, "What if the orthodox methods you consider are also considered miscellaneous? From the perspective of the monks' Dao Lineage, are your methods, which can only be cultivated to the sixth or fifth grade, considered high-level?"

This question stumped Zhang Lan.

It seems he has never thought about this question.

He traveled the world, visiting more than a dozen countries. Over a distance of hundreds of thousands of miles, the Righteous Sword Palace's methods, while not the most advanced, were at least in the middle to upper range. No matter where he was, they were considered a respectable force.

But...

What Li Qi said seems to make a lot of sense.

"The monk's background has been investigated. He is a direct descendant of the Black Heaven lineage. To him, ordinary seventh-rank monks are just easy prey," Li Qi said.

There's one more thing Li Qi didn't mention: his terrifying feat of fighting three opponents single-handedly, killing one and escaping two, was achieved even when the Chanzhi was plagued by demonic thoughts and in extremely poor condition.

In other words, unless Li Qi brings over a sixth-rank official, casually seeking help from a seventh-rank official is just asking for someone to die.

Guangyang Prefect is local, and Zen Chanzhi Zhi is aware of his existence, so it doesn't matter whether we look for him or not; he was already involved from the beginning.

However, the people from the Righteous Sword Palace are outsiders. If they are brought out rashly, the arrival of the seventh-rank official will not only alarm Chanzhi, but Li Qi is also afraid that even if they come, it will be of no use.

Therefore, Li Qi had no intention of summoning the seventh-rank officials outside the bureaucracy.

Zhang Lan gritted her teeth and asked, "What if the Palace Master comes? That should work, right?"