The King Summons

In Little River Village, there were about twenty Qi Refiners who had arrived early.

These Qi Refiners could be roughly divided into two categories.

One was the orthodox Qi Refiners from Red Crow City, led by the Li Family.

The second were rogue cultivators from various places, either from the foot of Green Deer Mountain or from a large, populous town near the giant Red Crow City.

This group was the largest in number, with over ten individuals, a mixed bag of people from all walks of life. There were arrogant and overbearing martial artists, Taoists with an air of immortality, and chivalrous figures with a bandit-like aura...

"Anything goes..."

Chen Xuan commented inwardly, then clasped his hands behind his back and slowly strolled towards his former residence in Little River Village.

He vaguely remembered.

When he left back then, he had entrusted the courtyard to a familiar farming family in the village to look after.

Low yellow earth walls enclosed a simple small courtyard, with two or three low, dilapidated houses, from which cooking smoke curled up.

In the courtyard, a middle-aged man with a limp was chopping firewood. A young woman who wasn't bad-looking was squatting on the ground, silently boiling water. The tender cries of a child could be faintly heard from a room nearby.

"..."

Chen Xuan stood at the entrance, peering slightly, a smile on his face, and looked around the courtyard.

The couple, who looked to be around thirty, quickly noticed him. Immediately, their faces turned to despair.

The young woman, seeing the gentle smile on Chen Xuan's face, instantly clutched the collar of her clothes, quickly lowered her head, and hurried towards the bedroom behind her:

"I was seen, I was seen..."

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and clenched the stone axe in his hand, then released it weakly, his face filled with humiliation, trembling like a sieve. He slowly knelt on the ground, burying his face in the dirt: "It's our turn, it's finally our turn..."

"...Heh."

Chen Xuan's smile faded as he understood some things. Then, a silent smile appeared on his face again.

His old acquaintances had long forgotten him.

Now, upon meeting, all that remained was the deep-seated fear of Qi Refiners.

A moment later.

Footsteps sounded, and some rough, loud voices could be heard.

A group of three, with Pu Daos on their backs, exuded a fierce aura, like chivalrous figures from the martial world, or perhaps great bandits from the greenwood. They walked along, talking and laughing, striding around the corner and heading this way.

"Did you guys see? The people from Green Deer Mountain actually dared to stay in the mountain at night."

"They're really bold..."

"Isn't it better to come back at night... village women have a different flavor. That young woman at the east end of the village last night, hey..."

"That family last night didn't know what was good for them, they even dared to resist. After we were done, Big Brother Zheng chopped them all up with a few cuts."

"..."

The leader, a dark-faced strong man named Zheng, made a gesture of cupping his hand in the air with his five fingers and chuckled strangely: "Second Brother, Third Brother, don't complain. This brother saw another good-looking one this morning, younger and with more tender skin, living right here."

"Big Brother has good eyes." The tall and thin second brother gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

Traveling thousands of miles, the road was desolate and uninhabited, full of hardship. They had endured such difficult days for long enough.

After finally arriving at a human village, there were finally some things that could relieve their fatigue and boredom.

"Big Brother Zheng, there's someone at the entrance of the courtyard... a Qi Refiner..." The third brother, who was walking at the back, suddenly said.

The three immediately stopped and looked over.

"..."

Chen Xuan's hands hung down, his body remained still, and he turned his face to the side expressionlessly, his eyebrows lowered.

In the narrow alley, separated by more than twenty meters, their gazes met.

The dark-faced strong man named Zheng Tu was nearly two meters tall, with a face full of flesh, a tiger's back and a bear's waist. He frowned slightly, exchanged glances with the second and third brothers behind him, and still walked towards the courtyard.

An ordinary Qi Refiner, looking quite vigorous in blood and Qi.

But he was just one person.

He wouldn't pose any threat to them.

Qi Refiners embarking on the path of Ascension, although their strength varied, the difference was only a few hundred or a thousand catties.

Although the three were curious why this young man was standing at the entrance of the courtyard, they weren't so wary or shocked as to have excessive unusual emotions.

Zheng Tu walked to the entrance of the courtyard, scanned Chen Xuan up and down a few times, and asked with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist, perhaps you're new here and can't find a suitable place to stay?"

Chen Xuan nodded.

"Oh, I guessed as much."

Zheng Tu said in a friendly tone: "But our three brothers have already scouted this courtyard and plan to stay here tonight... Why don't Fellow Daoist look elsewhere?"

There were dozens of households in Little River Village, plenty of empty rooms, and plenty of mortals who would serve people.

Zheng Tu spoke with great tact, his tone gentle and amiable, unwilling to sour relations with a Qi Refiner over a small matter.

Chen Xuan stared at him, narrowing his eyes, and said, "But I think the environment of this courtyard is quite good, and that... young woman inside looks pretty good too... Why don't you let me have it?"

These words were already quite a direct provocation. Anyone who heard them would feel uncomfortable.

Zheng Tu was also taken aback upon hearing this, his eyes widening.

"Uh..."

Good heavens, this young man looked respectable, but it turned out he was also someone who had no taboos.

He looked like a decent person on the outside, but was rotten inside.

Zheng Tu sneered inwardly, but showed no emotion on his face. Instead, he laughed heartily:

"Since you are a fellow Daoist, it's fine for you to take a secular woman and play with her a few times... But this courtyard, we really cannot give it up. Otherwise, if others see it, they will look down on us. We have to save face for our brothers, right?"

When traveling outside, harmony is the most valuable thing.

They were meeting for the first time and had no deep-seated hatred.

Zheng Tu believed that his words were reasonable and well-founded, and no one could find fault with them. He had already shown the greatest goodwill to the other party.

One should know that their three brothers were a leading force in Xiaoh River Village at this time. Apart from the Li Family of Red Crow City, they were the strongest force.

Among them, Zheng Tu's Ascension level was extremely high, with strength exceeding four thousand jin. Anyone who saw him would say that his talent was outstanding and that he was truly a hero of the region.

Originally, there was no need to back down at all.

If the other party still pushed their luck, then they were being ungrateful.

Their three brothers' blades were not dull either!

Chen Xuan listened to the words, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "You... are very good at dealing with people. You must have many friends."

Zheng Tu nodded and said, "I'm used to being kind to people."

Chen Xuan nodded, moved slightly, and stepped aside to open the main gate: "Go in, I won't make things difficult for you."

In the courtyard, the lame middle-aged man knelt on the ground, listening to his family being traded like goods, his face ashen. In the house in the distance, the faint sound of the woman's low weeping could be heard...

In the sky, it seemed as if despairing dark clouds were covering everything.

In the distance, at the end of the alley.

A black cat, with a red string tied around its neck holding a jade pendant, and a black crescent moon rising behind its head, like a god overlooking the mortal world, walked out with its head held high and chest puffed out, taking elegant and indifferent steps.

Shadows spread forward.

The King of Hell began to call the roll.

You won't make things difficult for us?

Lunatic...

Zheng Tu looked at the young man who voluntarily made way, his face full of flesh twitching. He thought to himself, This young man has a big mouth. He won't make things difficult for us? We're giving you face, and you really think you're someone important?

How unlucky.

It's laughable.

But in the end, the other party was sensible, feared their large numbers, and voluntarily retreated.

He was still afraid, wasn't he?

Zheng Tu sneered repeatedly in his heart, called the two people behind him, and together they passed in front of Chen Xuan and walked towards the courtyard.

"Little brother, when you're out and about, having one more friend isn't a bad thing... Not everyone is as kind to people as we are..."

As he passed by, he lightly dropped a sentence: "Today, we brothers have given you enough face."

Zheng Tu was kind to people, but he also had a fierce tiger in his heart and would not allow himself to be easily insulted.

Enough face has been given!!!

Zheng Tu and the other two glanced sideways at the young man beside them, assuming he was intimidated by their cold words.

The next moment.

He lifted his left foot to step over the threshold. It felt like an illusion, but he felt a hand pat his shoulder.

"Hey."

The young man's calm voice sounded in his ear, like a sudden clap of thunder.

"Who told you to step in with your left foot first?"

Zheng Tu turned back in confusion, and in his field of vision.

A fist came pushing forward.

"Boom!"

In front of his eyes, the young man's fist wind and aura came devouring the sky and earth—

At this moment, what suddenly appeared before him was an unforeseen change and an enemy completely beyond imagination...

He hadn't sensed any killing intent beforehand.

Inside a room, candlelight flickered as several Qi Refiners from Red Crow City clinked glasses.

"This Little River Village is a mess, some rogue cultivators have gone too far."

Chu Huo Gun stood on the wine table, having drunk the rice wine fed to him by the young girl Chu Qing Ling, he turned his head and continued to complain discontentedly:

"Old Man Li, you're a legitimate Qi Refiner from Red Crow City after all, why don't you step in and manage things?"

The Li Family head, dressed in a brocade robe with a square face, snorted coldly:

"These mortals are neither relatives nor friends, what do they have to do with me? I have important matters to attend to... Stop beating around the bush, if you want benefits, just say it directly!"

He had brought his family and traveled thousands of miles to the Southern Wilderness to seek a future, not to make enemies!

Old Man Chu's eyes widened, and he cursed loudly:

"I almost saw the Small Underworld with my own eyes, and you deliberately stood by and did nothing! You can't even let me say a few words! In Little River Village, your family has the greatest influence now, naturally representing the face and attitude of Red Crow City. Only you can step forward and suppress those lawless rogue cultivators!"

The Li Family head sneered, not engaging in the more serious topic, but instead turned and said, "Don't bring up the Small Underworld, that's a legend, who has seen the real Small Underworld? By the way, where is that Brother Xiao Wang who saved you? I really want to meet him and gauge his authenticity..."

Chu Huo Gun said that the one named Xiao Wang, after Ascension, had a physique of over four thousand jin. Except for not having cultivated illusions, in other aspects, he was no worse than old-timers like them who had a little reputation.

Heh, those words, the intention to praise is too obvious...

But if it's true, that Xiao Wang is now a competitor that cannot be ignored...

"Do you need to gauge him? Don't have any bad intentions."

Chu Huo Gun sneered, and continued, "Your personalities are different, you won't get along. If there's a chance, I'll introduce you."

Upon hearing this, the Li Family head's heart settled, it was indeed a lie: "If he truly has ability, I would like to get to know a young hero..."

Just then.

A huge sound came from outside the house, shaking the heavens and earth. Even the tabletop trembled violently because of it, wine splashed everywhere, creating a mess.

"Boom!"

It was the massive sound of something being blasted out by a huge force, like a cannonball, piercing through the wall.

In the twilight of Little River Village, all mortals and Qi Refiners heard such a loud noise.

Piercing, abrupt.