Bone Fan

Is this the era of Li Country Heng?

As Li Fan had expected, the Li Country's court was in such a state that changing masters in the Liqiu Palace wouldn't fundamentally improve things. Ink Bamboo Mountain was burdened with a host of problems, being watched by the Three Great Sects and the demons and monsters in the mountains, sea, and outer space. He was constantly on the verge of being attacked. He was just grateful if he could keep the Li Country's court from collapsing. He had no extra energy to care about worldly affairs.

And then there's Yang Si'an, who talks as if he's been wronged so much and is heartbroken for the country, but in the end, isn't it just because he failed the imperial examinations and lost his chance at officialdom that he turned against the government and filed a complaint? Look at how he's holding his breath underwater; he doesn't seem like someone willing to die for his country. I'm afraid that if he ever really took control of the central government, he'd use his classmates and cronies to form factions, engage in corruption, and control the court.

Li Fan didn't dwell on it. He'd only helped him out to annoy the Censorate officials anyway, so he said, "Scholar Yang, I'm on my way to visit a friend in Xun Kingdom. If it's not on my route, I'll let you off once we're outside East River Prefecture..."

Yang Si'an replied, "It's on the way! I was also heading to Xun Kingdom. I am deeply grateful for your help, Master. I have no way to repay you, so I can only ask you to give me a ride. Once we leave Li Country, it will be fine."

"You want to hitch a ride to Xun Kingdom? That's fine," Li Fan smiled, glancing at Nie Feilian beside him. "Speaking of which, my two young servants are illiterate. In your spare time these next few days, could you please teach them a few characters?"

Yang Si'an quickly bowed, "Thank you for taking me in, Master. I will certainly dedicate all my knowledge to you..."

"Oh, no need for your knowledge," Li Fan quickly told him to stop, taking out the <Ten Theories> and saying, "I have my own teachings here. I only need you, Yang Sheng, to teach them a few characters and read this; that will be enough."

"Ah, this..." Yang Si'an recognized the problem as soon as he saw the titles of the books, but seeing Li Fan looking at him with a half-smile, he quickly said, "How dare you not do your best?"

Li Fan then said to the two boys, "If you want to learn the superior Daoist teachings, reading and writing are the most basic requirements. First study the <Ten Theories>, then read the <Six Classics>. You must not slack off in your morning and evening practice."

"I will heed your teachings." "I will certainly study diligently."

Li Fan nodded in satisfaction. He could vaguely sense that this scholar Yang was probably not his destined opportunity. The cause and effect actually lay with the two boys, and Li Fan had merely helped them out.

Whether this fate is a blessing or a curse is unknown, but it can at least give them some experience, and they can also learn to read and write along the way. Yang Shusheng can also save his life, and Li Fan can save time and effort and be lazy. It's a win-win-win situation!

So Li Fan set sail and left East River Prefecture, entrusting Feixian to the boy's care and the boy's studies to Yang Shusheng. He then lay on the bow of the boat, playing the flute and drinking wine, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Of course, Li Fan secretly listened to the scholar's lecture. To be honest, these Confucian scholars were quite skilled at teaching and explaining principles; they were professional at enlightening children. It seemed that Yang Sheng had received special instruction from a private tutor. He started by urging the two children to practice calligraphy while casually flipping through the textbook Li Fan had given him twice before launching into a long and rambling lecture.

Moreover, he didn't inject his own biases, and his explanations of the various viewpoints in the <Ten Theories> were quite thorough. He even agreed with some similar viewpoints, such as <Honoring the Worthy>, <Frugality>, pragmatism, practical application, <Non-Aggression>, and <Universal Love>, and provided many examples to support his points. However, he didn't quite agree with the parts concerning rites and music, the Heavenly Ghost, and <Simplified Burial>, so he only explained the obscure characters and the general meaning without elaborating too much.

It's clear that Yang Si'an wasn't the kind of pedantic scholar he was; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have fallen out with the academy and been ostracized and hunted down.

In fact, Li Fan also knew that Confucian scholars studied the most practical and worldly knowledge. Those scholars who could pass the imperial examinations and become officials were all top-notch and intelligent. How many of them were stubborn fools? Li Fan's constant opposition to Ink Bamboo Mountain was not so much due to irreconcilable differences in their views, but rather to their different political stances.

The academies in this world are 100% aligned with the Immortal Palace. They can even be seen as powerful sects dependent on the Three Enclosures. Although the rulers within the Three Enclosures are descendants of the Celestial Emperor and relatives of the Twelve Countries, the civil officials below them have mostly come from the academies of their respective countries throughout history.

The so-called academies were not specific sects, but rather a network of relationships established by powerful officials and Confucian scholars who used their reputations to open their own schools and academies to teach and impart knowledge. For example, before the Li Country, the academy faction was led by the Imperial Censor Wen Jin, and now it's probably led by Li Hongxian, whom this scholar Yang offended.

Although the Immortal Palace is currently in decline, its finances are in ruins, and it is mired in war and division, making it unable to effectively control its vassal states, the power of local academies is growing stronger. This is because academies are not sects in the direct sense; students can participate in the administrative system of their vassal states and share in the spoils through their shared ties with classmates, and they can also transfer to foreign service. They are often more attractive than local sects, and have intricate and intertwined connections with local gentry, powerful families, wealthy clans, and commoners from all walks of life.

To some extent, the academy also served as the eyes and ears of the Three Palaces of the Immortal Palace, stationed in various regions. It could monitor the actions of local lords through the reports of the upright officials, and was thus a tool for controlling the Twelve Countries.

This probably explains the hostile relationship between Ink Bamboo Mountain and the Li Country Academy faction. After all, Ink Bamboo Mountain originally helped the Nangong Family rebel, so it was already at odds with the Academy faction on the Sanyuan side. Now that the Abbot has become the "usurper" National Preceptor, the struggle between Ink Bamboo Mountain and the Academy for control of the Li Country has never stopped. It's just that both factions tacitly agree to engage in verbal battles rather than physical ones, Li Country haven't been greatly affected.

Unlike the Li Country, the Xun Kingdom doesn't have a powerful local sect like Ink Bamboo Mountain. Of course, it's not that there isn't one, but it was defeated, so it just sent them helpers over, cough cough.

Yang Sheng had just finished teaching a class and noticed that the two students were running out of energy, so he let them come out for some fresh air after class, which was a good balance between work and rest.

Li Fan also took out some spiritual fruits and immortal tea for them to enjoy, and to supplement the two children's nutrition. He casually chatted with Yang Sheng, asking about the situation in Xun Kingdom.

Yang Si'an was, after all, a scholar. When he talked about the political disputes of other countries, he was a master of theoretical discussions, and he spoke eloquently and logically.

"Back then, when the Thunder Department was transferred to Kun Country to fight, the royal family and powerful clans of Xun Kingdom gradually lost their checks and balances. Moreover, I heard that the crown prince of Xun Kingdom suddenly died of illness the year before last, and the second prince, who was highly regarded by the king, was also harmed during his early training and became disabled."

Now, the princes of the surrounding counties all see an opportunity to rise to power, and they have turned against each other in the struggle for the throne. Even the academy has to bet on this again, so they are forming factions and fighting fiercely. This chaos in the court may also be a good opportunity for us to enter officialdom...

After listening to Yang Si'an's explanation, Li Fan gradually sorted out the situation.

Similar to the local Baiyue Mountain and Ink Bamboo Mountain in Xun Kingdom, many rogue cultivators who were labeled as Demon Path regarded Laozi of Luo Feng Cave Heaven as their leader and were forced to hide in the ravines and eke out a living by the Thunder Department.

In the cultivation world of Xun Kingdom, academies reign supreme. The four leading academies, Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang, all have deans who have reached the Transformation Stage. They are also the patriarchs and leaders of the four major local clans, holding high positions in government and military, sharing the same lineage, and wielding immense power. Even the royal family of Xun Kingdom is extremely wary of them, and at one point could only barely maintain their balance by joining forces with the Thunder Department.

The royal family of Xun Kingdom was much stronger than that of Li Country, at least they still held military power. The Ruler of Xun Country was also a great monarch who was well-versed in the art of checks and balances. He once coordinated the Thunder Department, the Four Great Academies, and the aristocratic families to suppress the local cultivation sects, seize their territory and population, and drive the remaining people to the Hundred Mountains to strengthen the country's power. He could be considered one of the few capable rulers among the Twelve Countries.

However, this stable triangular power structure collapsed when Thunder Department's troops were transferred away. Now, Baiyue Mountain is half-dead, external forces have withdrawn, and the conflict between the royal family and local clans has begun to be directly exposed.

Given the king's years of experience and his efforts to win over and divide the four powerful clans, stabilizing the political situation shouldn't have been difficult. However, the fatal flaw was the sudden and unexplained death of the crown prince of Xun, whom the king had carefully groomed and who was also highly respected in the four academies. The second prince, who held military power for the royal family, was also assassinated and crippled. The Ruler of Xun Country's carefully planned affairs for his passing suddenly collapsed, making it hard to imagine that no one was plotting behind the scenes.

Therefore, behind each of the princes vying for power, there are powerful clans supporting their usurpation, who are bound to gamble again for their families. The turmoil in the fate of the Xun Kingdom is almost inevitable.

Another succession struggle... There's really nothing new happening in the Twelve Countries...

Li Fan could roughly guess what was going on. The crown prince had been dead for over a year and no new heir had been appointed, but it seemed that the Ruler of Xun Country was also about to lose control. The princes were vying for the throne, and there was also the struggle between local powerful families and the imperial clan. If someone with ulterior motives were to stir things up, it could easily turn into a bloodbath.

No wonder that old ghost from Baiyue Mountain couldn't hold back. Once the Xun Kingdom is fighting tooth and nail, it will be the perfect opportunity to revive Luo Feng Cave Heaven!

However, the princes of both Li Country and Xun kingdoms, who were both highly respected and popular, were secretly murdered. Could this also be a conspiracy orchestrated by the Divine Cult to restrain the Immortal Palace?

Li Fan thought for a moment, then inquired, "Does Yang Sheng know how the fighting is going in Kun Country?"

This great battle, which would affect the course of the world, was naturally of great concern to Yang Si'an. He dipped his finger in tea and gestured on the table.

"The official gazette says that the immortals of the Xuanmen and Tongshen Sects in the north are still arranging formations and fighting each other. Each sect is showing off its skills and inviting each other to duel. Today they fight one-on-one with swords, and tomorrow they set up formations to fight. So far, no winner has been decided."

Currently, the Immortal Palace is making the most progress. The elite Thunder Department under Wen Tianjun has broken through three passes in succession, and the four armies have converged, heading straight for the core, and have already reached the vicinity of the capital of the Kun Country. The elite Divine Cult troops that were previously confronting our army at the border have also all retreated north.

Crown Prince then led his army north in pursuit of them, presumably to join forces with the Immortal Palace's main army and engage in a decisive battle beneath the capital of Kun Country to annihilate the main force of the Divine Sect.

Meanwhile, my army, led by Li Country Grand Tutor, advanced steadily, capturing cities and securing our rear, without encountering much resistance. Grand Tutor's tactics are cautious and he doesn't go too deep, so there should be no danger.

Ultimately, this time the Divine Cult came alone, crossing the Kunlun. Two fists cannot fight four hands; they would have no chance against a combined attack from seven armies.

"Will it really go that smoothly? The Divine Cult mobilized so much to come here back then, it's impossible for them to just inexplicably lose like this, right?" Li Fan felt that this kind of plot twist had already been planted everywhere.

Yang Si'an shook his head. "In this world, there are only a few who can defeat a large number with a small number of troops. Moreover, the Three Realms have prepared provisions for this battle for three years and have deployed all their elite troops. They have appointed Conquering East General Wen Tianjun as the vanguard and General Junyi Godly Monarch as the commander of the three armies, and have dispatched all seven divisions of the Western Guard to the west."

I've calculated it too. According to the Immortal Palace's guard system, the Seven Divisions should have 40,000 Celestial Soldiers. Add to that the elite of the Thunder Department, and the armies of the Xun and Zhen kingdoms to assist. The Western Expeditionary Army, counting only the Golden Core level armored soldiers, should have at least 100,000. In addition, there are more than 400,000 auxiliary soldiers and laborers conscripted. Such a large-scale war must be aimed at achieving victory in one battle to intimidate the world.

If we suffer another defeat in this battle, I fear the world will be thrown into turmoil, and the Immortal Palace will no longer be able to control the Twelve Countries. The Three Enclosures will certainly not let their guard down."

So, with 500,000 against 20,000, the advantage lies with me...

Li Fan was still uncertain. After all, they had waited three years for the battle to begin, and the Divine Cult members had crawled all the way from Kunlun. Could they still only have the 20,000 elite troops from their initial raid?

Moreover, how should I put it? The Southern Li Country alone has 200,000 troops under Grand Tutor's command. Even if we only consider auxiliary troops, that's still a large force. While the Nangong Family may have sent an unknown number of men, the fact that they dared to pursue the Divine Cult deep into their territory and are still considered part of a force suggests they must have at least ten thousand Golden Core level immortal soldiers, right?

Moreover, even a strategic weapon like immortals is being held back. With such a huge advantage, if they still lose to the Divine Cult, they might as well give up and go to sleep. What's the point of fighting for the world? It's utterly shameful...

However, thinking about it this way, those Foundation Establishment disciples from Ink Bamboo Mountain who had survived the Tribulation of Killing also served in the Li Country's army camp, at most fighting against bandits and rogue cultivators, and would not go deep into the main battlefield, so it should not be as dangerous as his time.

So Li Fan put his mind at ease and chatted with Yang Si'an, inquiring about the customs and culture of Xun Kingdom.

Perhaps it was out of fear of Li Fan's genuine Nascent Soul Stage Realm strength, or perhaps this wanted criminal wasn't that important; in any case, Li Fan joked around with Yang Sheng the whole way, and no one chased after him to cause trouble even after he flew out of East River Prefecture. At this speed, he should arrive in Xun Kingdom in another two or three days.

As usual, Li Fan moored his boat at a fishing village dock by the river that night. He set up an array and then flew out to find a place to Moon Worship and cultivate.

Fortunately, this time the Tai Su Realm went relatively smoothly, with plenty of meat to eat.

Pig.

Pigs are everywhere.

Li Fan could see that the ruins were covered with vines and moss, but he could still barely make out that they were a man-made city. However, there were no remains of human inhabitants to be found. The ruins, which were almost covered by forest, were filled with black-haired wild boars.

Another civilization wiped out? The world is far from peaceful...

This time, Li Fan didn't see any human remains either; they were probably all eaten by the wild boars. Humans are extinct, but these beasts have multiplied, and they're even glaring at him with red eyes, grunting as if they want to nuzzle him. Well, he won't be polite then...

Li Fan leaped forward, transforming into the form of a Qiongqi tiger in the sky. With a roar, he bit off the neck of a wild boar and began to devour it with relish.

These wild boars were large and plump, and completely defenseless. They could easily burrow into the Qiongqi's steel skeleton as if it were just a tickle, and a single swipe of their claws could break its spine. They were easy prey to hunt and eat.

Now Li Fan was no longer afraid of the Qiongqi Dao Body. He leaped back and forth, creating a whirlwind of destruction, and in an instant, he slaughtered a herd of thirty or forty pigs of all sizes. Then he ate to his heart's content. After finishing one herd, he would leap a couple of times to kill another herd and eat it all. He ate three or four herds, more than a hundred pigs, before he was finally full.

This time, Li Fan ate until he was stuffed. He ended up looking like a fat tiger preparing for winter, lying on the ground for a long time before finally getting up and turning back into a human with his belly bulging...

For some reason, even though I had a hearty meal, I still didn't hear the system's notification for the Qiongqi Dao Body breakthrough. Was it because I didn't eat enough? Or do I need to eat some Divine Beast? Wasn't eating the two tails of that nine-tailed tiger enough...?

Qiongqi devoured all the wild boars nearby and then transformed back into Li Fan to cultivate the Gui Xu Nascent Soul. However, this time, in this Tai Su World, there were no fragments of the extermination of the race. The Si Nan rotated at a constant speed, without any clear direction.

Was it disrupted? Or have the native inhabitants of this world not all become extinct? Well, the environment doesn't seem too harsh, and there's still so much pork to eat. Perhaps after the destruction of civilization, some survivors remained, and a new cycle has begun?

Life is truly tenacious...

Li Fan shrugged. No fragments, no fragments. He didn't know what use those things were for the time being anyway.

The purpose of this Moon Worship was achieved. When using the Qiongqi Dao Body to feast in the Tai Su Realm, the Gui Xu Nascent Soul was no longer effective, so his mood would drop slightly. However, once he returned to human form to cultivate, his mood would be fully restored. This up-and-down fluctuation replenished his energy.

Come on! Let's have a lucky draw!

'Prize has been delivered.'

Then a fan fell into Li Fan's hands.

Huh? Holy crap! I actually got some gear! What a lucky break!

Li Fan was overjoyed and picked up the fan to examine it closely. It was a folding fan, with ribs made of thin, white bone pieces stacked together. He couldn't tell if it was ivory or something else; there were nearly a hundred pieces stacked up. When unfolded, it resembled a screen, and when fanned, it emitted a unique fragrance. It was just like...

The sweet taste of blood, bone, and flesh that I just chewed...

The Qiongqi Hundred Bone Fan has been delivered. It is a prop made based on the analysis of the Four Fiends, specifically the Four Fiends.

The currently unlocked features are:

Firstly, it's passive; for each person eaten, one usable fan bone is gained.

Secondly, it is an active method that consumes one fan bone to unleash a powerful gust of wind, with the power equivalent to a full-force strike from the Qiongqi Dao Body.

Thirdly, it is an active method that consumes one fan bone to bear one curse, plague, poison, or black magic effect on behalf of the host.

Fourth, the functions of this equipment have not yet been unlocked. Please continue to explore and unlock new functions.

Seventh, the functions of this equipment are not yet unlocked. Please continue exploring to unlock new functions.

Li Fan stared at the fan in his hand, stunned for a long time.

What do you want to eat?