Brothers at War

Moths, their bodies shimmering with dark blue flames, darted through the formation, their wings sweeping like blades, slicing through the soldiers into pieces. The dark flames burned and scorched, scattering bones and ashes, obliterating 1,500 people into countless pieces, leaving not even ashes, all scattered in the storm of dark fire blades.

That wasn't some Divine Beast, Mobira, nor was it some kind of transformation. It was Xie Mingchen using his battle qi to manifest a dharma form, a battle formation killing move. It was far more efficient than simply slashing with swords and punching with fists. The Divine Transformation Netherfire Moth, wrapped in a gale and blade storm, circled the arena and slaughtered the private soldiers that the Gu Family had painstakingly raised.

Xie Mingchen was probably the typical type of person who always saved the best for last. He slaughtered all his enemies before finally landing in front of the stunned Gu Mo. Without a word, he beheaded him with a single stroke, ending the calamity.

Xie Mingchen, having avenged his great enemy, laughed heartily as he looked at his enemy's severed head. A burst of ghostly fire erupted from his hand, scorching Gu Mo's skull until only a skeleton remained. Then, with a single stroke, he shaved off Gu Mo's skullcap and used it as a wine dish. He took three wine cups from the gourd: one to offer as a sacrifice to the heavens, one to wash his blade, and one to drink himself. That was enough to settle his grudge.

Xie Mingchen's killing move was truly formidable; the Daoist techniques of Luo Feng Cave Heaven were indeed extraordinary. However, Li Fan, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel somewhat doubtful. After all, wasn't this Gu Family far too weak? They were practically powerless to fight back, getting utterly thrashed throughout—they were utterly pathetic...

Seeing that Xie Mingchen had calmed down, Li Fan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xie, is your enemy Gu, one of the four great clans of Xun Kingdom?"

Xie Mingchen handed the gourd back to Li Fan, holding up the skull in his hand and said, "That's right, Gu Mo is indeed the eldest grandson of the Gu Family. He is a talent favored by the Ruler of Xun Country, a trusted advisor to two Crown Prince, and he spends most of his time in the palace, with guards attending to him. He is also blessed with the nation's fortune, and there is an old ancestor in seclusion overseeing things. If he had been hiding in the capital, I wouldn't have had a chance to make a move."

Hahaha! I never imagined that this fool would become so arrogant because of the emperor's favor, getting himself involved in the succession struggle, openly defying the emperor, committing a grave crime of disrespect, being exiled from the capital, and finally being caught by me!

Heh, this fool has been arrogant and impulsive for too long. With just a little provocation and enticement, he chased me to foreign lands. Without the protection of official rank and divine position, and the blessings of heaven and earth, he is ultimately nothing more than a bookish scholar who only talks the talk. How could he not perish? He even dares to start a blood feud with me. He is simply courting death!

This is divine retribution! You reap what you sow! Hahaha!

So that's how it is. He follows the worldly path of the academy, right? That realm is quite ethereal. It's clear that Gu Mo isn't the type to personally engage in battle, and he doesn't seem to possess any supernatural powers or magic. He's probably a bureaucrat or civil official. Once he loses power, lacks the protection of his protectors, and doesn't have the blessing of good fortune, it wouldn't be surprising if he died at the hands of his enemies.

Li Fan stroked his chin, looking at the moths. "But there seem to be too few people here, don't you? A wealthy family like this couldn't possibly only have a hundred members, including the maids, right? And why isn't there a single child? Where did you tie them up? If you're not going to eat them, why not give them to me?"

"Hmph, there's only the eldest branch of the Gu Family here. The other branches are protected by their ancestor. It's just that Gu Mo got involved in the succession struggle himself, wanting to move his whole family to the Central Plains for refuge, which is why I took advantage of the situation."

As for his children, humph! I left them all to be raised by those barbarians of the mountains!

The Xun Kingdom has a history of slaughtering barbarians and enslaving them, so even its own children often suffer the taste of being enslaved! What do you think the expression would be on the Gu Family patriarch's face if he knew that his own direct descendants had been humiliated to death by the Xun Kingdom's court?

Hahaha! Hahaha! Ahahaha!

Holy crap, how could you come up with something so malicious... It really is a case of tit for tat...

"However, he was the eldest grandson of the Gu Family, a powerful clan, yet his whereabouts were easily exposed, and he was tragically murdered. Brother Xie, are you perhaps being used as a pawn as well?" Li Fan reminded him.

"Heh! How could I not know that? Gu Mo is the leader of the Crown Prince's faction. He's nothing more than a tool used by the Prince of Lu's faction to kill someone. But I'm not afraid of those four great families! Even the imperial family members will be wiped out sooner or later!"

Xie Mingchen didn't take it seriously and even sneered at the head, "If the Xun Kingdom could unite as one, even without the help of the Thunder Department, my Baiyue Mountain, which has been suppressed for many years, would indeed not be their match. But now they are fighting for the throne and in internal strife, committing suicide and destroying themselves. Isn't their fate about to end? It's truly heaven helping me!"

Today we'll annihilate the Gu family, tomorrow we'll exterminate Lu and Zhang! Sooner or later we'll slaughter all these traitors who usurped the throne, and wipe out the royal family! Finally, in front of the old Ruler of Xun Country, we'll kill all his sons and grandsons! To avenge our national humiliation and family feud! To make him taste the pain of losing his country and his son! Hahaha! Hahaha! Ahahahaha!"

Amidst Xie Mingchen's maniacal laughter, Li Fan glanced at the mess on the ground, the scattered blood and ashes, and the flickering ghostly flames, and shook his head.

These Twelve Countries are truly ruthless. Once they start vying for the throne, they turn against each other, fighting to the death, and even joining forces with foreign enemies to eliminate their rivals. They really stop at nothing.

Xie Mingchen laughed for a while before falling silent and regaining his composure. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Fan and said, "This unexpected encounter has made me feel like we've known each other for ages, Brother Li. I am deeply indebted to you and will certainly repay this kindness!"

However, I came here to settle a personal score, and I didn't bring any gifts with me. Also, I have some personal matters to attend to. If Brother Li has the time, please come to Baiyue Mountain in the future. I will certainly treat you to a drink."

Li Fan was taken aback. "So Brother Xie really came here specifically to seek revenge. Actually, I was sent by my sect to your esteemed sect to return the four evil fairies. I thought you were sent by your sect to meet me."

Xie Mingchen shook his head, not knowing. "There are six Heavenly Palaces in Luo Feng Cave Heaven, which are the inheritances of the six disciples under my lineage's ancestor, Luo Feng Patriarch. I am assigned to the Wucheng Heavenly Palace, responsible for guarding the defense of the North Mountain. This time, I have already neglected my duties."

Besides the Luofeng Six Palaces, Baiyue Mountain also has six tribes: the Mountain Yue, the Mountain Yi, the Barbarian Yue, and the Hundred Yue Creek Yi, as well as hundreds of scattered cultivators' caves. I wonder which one Brother Li is sending the goose to?"

"It's not that goose..." Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "It's a concubine under the command of Luo Feng Old Lord. A couple of years ago, a boy named Bai Ling came to ask for her. I don't know which palace or cave to send her to?"

Xie Mingchen finally understood, "So she's a maidservant under the Ancestor's command. She'll probably have to be sent to the Taiyin Heavenly Demon Cave..."

No problem, Brother Li, you can take my token and go straight into the mountain. Bai Ling belongs to the Jueyin Heavenly Palace and is the chief disciple of the Ancestor, and the servant boy of the Jueyin Shenjun.

The Ancestor is currently in seclusion, and all affairs, large and small, of Baiyue Mountain are being handled by the Jueyin Heavenly Palace. Since it is the Divine Lord's arrangement, Brother Li can simply pay his respects at the mountain; the Mountain Ghosts will not dare to stop you. Once I have dealt with my personal matters, I will return to the mountain to find you and fulfill my duty as host."

"Very well, Brother Xie, farewell then, see you another day."

So Xie Mingchen, carrying the corpse of his enemy, and a group of adopted sons, returned eastward under the cover of night, while Li Fan also flew back to the flying boat on his flying sword.

After a whole night of turmoil, and witnessing a bloody and gruesome murder within the Immortal Palace, Li Fan was now truly numb.

The Three Great Sects are really something else. While they're still waging a decisive battle against the Divine Cult, their vassal states are still causing endless trouble. Don't they get tired of it...?

However, judging from this situation, even the eldest son of one of the four great clans was exiled from the capital and his entire family was wiped out due to internal strife. It seems that the political situation in Xun Kingdom is perilous, and great chaos is imminent...

So when dawn broke, Li Fan, while keeping an eye on piloting the boat, noticed that Yang Sheng seemed to be in good spirits. He then inquired about the political situation in Xun Kingdom, lest he get caught up in their internal strife without knowing anything and end up in a mess.

Yang Si'an knew Gu Mo well. When asked if he knew Gu Mo, he immediately nodded, "How could I not know? Gu Mo is the Grand Master of Ceremonies, the head of the Nine Ministers of Xun Kingdom, and also the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Although he doesn't have the title of Prime Minister, he is in fact the current ruler of Xun Kingdom, and the next generation leader of the four great clans of Xun Kingdom. He is a role model for us scholars!"

Li Fan, "..."

Did you know that your role model was attacked last night...?

Is this person famous?

Yang Sheng spoke slowly and deliberately, "Naturally, in the Twelve Countries, the government is usually controlled by powerful clans. Most of the scions of these clans are just good-for-nothings who rely on their fathers' legacy. It's rare for them to produce any talent. Wouldn't it be better to put an awl in a bag and let its end show?"

Even among those from humble backgrounds who diligently pursued their studies, Gu Mo was a rare talent. People praised him for his meticulous mind and profound understanding, his exceptional talent, his virtue that earned him widespread respect, his keen insight and unparalleled clarity of vision, his keen sense of timing, and his ability to delve into the subtle and profound. He was highly regarded and respected. It was rumored that he could thoroughly investigate omissions in official documents and ledgers simply by observing and calculating, and that he could clearly judge the truth of legal disputes by listening and observing.

This is precisely the pillar of the Xun Kingdom, the Crown Prince's confidant, the king's henchman, and a first-rate talent among the aristocratic clans. He possesses the qualities of a prime minister and the abilities of one of the Three Dukes—this is the kind of person described. Even the Three Palaces know his reputation and have repeatedly tried to recruit him into office. It's just that the Ruler of Xun Country refuses to let him go."

Li Fan, "..."

Yang Sheng shook his head and sighed again, "However, people like Gu Mo are too arrogant because of their high talent, too ruthless because of their decisiveness, too outstanding because of their jealousy, and too capable because of their ability to handle affairs. He has been with his family's patriarch for a long time, assisting in the affairs of the prime minister and attending to the core military affairs. In recent years, he has been in charge of the affairs of the ministers and managing the national affairs on behalf of the government."

This person has such a prominent and important status, yet I've heard they love to show off and are used to having their way, so they've been rather careless in their actions.

I recently heard about the progress of the succession struggle in Xun Kingdom. Although the king accepted the petition from the four academies at the beginning of the year and established his third son as the Crown Prince, he also favored his fourth son, the Prince of Lu. Therefore, the succession is still unclear, and it is not yet a good time to place bets.

Gu Mo was originally an aide to the former Crown Prince, a trusted minister of the court, and the leader of the next generation of powerful clans. If he cannot be cautious in his words and actions and makes a premature statement, I think his misfortune is not far off...

The person suddenly asked for this person's name; perhaps something happened to him?

Li Fan nodded. "You're quite shrewd. You were absolutely right, he's dead."

Yang Si'an was indeed not surprised, but simply shook his head, "What a pity. He was a capable prime minister who could have held a central position. Even if he was demoted in name only and secretly protected, banished from the capital to exile, at least his life should have been spared for the new emperor's use. He actually died like that..."

It seems that the struggle for the throne has slipped out of the control of the Ruler of Xun Country. The fate of Xun is about to change, and it is not advisable to easily submit to it for the time being.

Now Li Fan began to look at Yang Sheng in a different light. Anyone can talk big, but to be so quick-witted and discerning, judging people based on rumors, this kid was no ordinary person.

Suddenly intrigued, and wanting to test the scholar's abilities, he rummaged through his Storage Jade and found the recommendation letter that Xiao Yushi had written for him when he had spent 100,000 strings of cash.

"Yang Sheng, you do have some insight. It doesn't matter if you look down on Xun Kingdom. I also have a letter of recommendation for the Prince of Poyang Zhen Country. I've heard he's a philanthropist, and Zhen Country is prosperous and wealthy. Why don't I give you this wealth?"

Yang Si'an smiled bitterly, "The Xiao Clan of Lanling, you probably don't know, Master, but I went to Zhen Country to study. The infighting and hidden dangers among the royal family, powerful clans, and commoners there are even more dangerous than in Xun Kingdom and Li Country."

The Ruler of Xun Country is currently quite decisive, at least he knows how to use both kindness and severity to win people's hearts, balance power and control, and use external and internal troubles to suppress powerful clans. His military power is also relatively stable. As long as he makes up his mind, the minor disputes over the succession can be resolved with a single word, and it won't cause too much trouble.

The ruler of Zhen Country was a man who admired fame and indulged in extravagance. Having ruled for a long time, he had grown fond of auspicious words, and rumors circulated that he was diligent in his duties, loved his people like his own children, selected virtuous and capable officials, and governed Zhen Country with peace and prosperity. However, he could neither fundamentally resolve the hidden dangers of powerful clans nor offer sufficient rewards to win over the common people. He only showed superficial kindness to the people, particularly those from Lanling, while imposing heavy taxes on the people of other provinces and turning a blind eye to the collapse of the bureaucracy. He was merely adept at painting a rosy picture of peace and prosperity.

Moreover, he deliberately courted independent sects and was overly lenient and indulgent towards the imperial family, even at the cost of ceding national interests. Such a character makes him more like a powerful clan head who uses the country to amass wealth than a true ruler.

The sons of the Xiao Family are all exceptionally shrewd, none of them willing to be subordinate to others, and many of them are hypocrites who appear loyal and virtuous. If a succession struggle were to break out, I doubt that the Zhen Country's ruler."

"Oh? You don't even respect these two rulers? What an arrogant brat!" Li Fan laughed heartily. "Then, among these Twelve Countries, is there any that catches your eye and is worth serving?"

Yang Si'an thought for a moment, "It is said to be Twelve Countries, but in fact, four of them are controlled by the Three Kingdoms. Now it is just an honorary title."

The eight vassal states either perished or descended into chaos. Those members of the royal family were either puppets controlled by the Three Great Sects, or, like the Zhen, Xun, Li Country, were usurped by powerful clans who seized control of the military. The first ancestor was able to govern diligently, but after a few generations, things declined.

After looking at it all, Li Country is still better. Alas, it's just a pity that that scoundrel Li Hongxian has ruined my future...

"Oh, that makes sense. You've gone to Changsi City to take the imperial examinations, so naturally you're optimistic about Li Country. But is Li Country really that good?" Li Fan scratched his head.

"Li Country has well-trained soldiers and ample provisions, and its population is substantial. Although it is not as large as Zhen Country Immortal Palace too close to the Three Realms, so any disturbance in the Li Country is just right, being deep in the mountains and forests, far away from the sky and earth, so the Immortal Palace cannot manage it even if it wanted to."

Moreover, in the local areas, assassinations of officials and emperors were commonplace, the people were fierce and chivalrous, and even powerful landlords dared not act too recklessly. Compared to the Central Plains, the administration was relatively clean and efficient, and the imperial court had few redundancies.

These are the ceremonial weapons for sweeping across the world, the foundation for achieving hegemony. As long as a wise ruler ascends the throne, the glorious era of the Immortal Venerable is by no means out of reach!

Li Fan was stunned. "You arrogant brat! I thought you only wanted to be granted a title and a high rank, but you actually want to dominate the Central Plains?!"

Wrapped up like a dumpling, Yang Si'an smile. "I'm already like this, can't I even think about it? Do you want a beautiful woman by my side? My yang energy is all depleted, I'm afraid my body can't take it..."

"Alright, then take good care of yourself and keep daydreaming."

Li Fan stopped bragging to Yang Si'an and disturbing his rest. He went out to instruct the two young disciples in their cultivation.

However, Yang Sheng's statement about the Li Country is not wrong. Strictly speaking, of the seven armies that attacked the Kun Country, the Sanyuan sent two armies, and the Li Country alone provided two armies. Considering that the Nangong Family had the ambition to take over back then, it is probably clear to discerning people that the Li Country is a treasure land where royal aura gathers.

If this were truly a game of vying for supremacy and coloring grids, Li Fan might even have the idea of using someone else's territory to become an emperor for fun.

However, besides the struggle for supremacy among dynasties, there are a whole bunch of other gameplay styles with different visuals, so simply pushing through maps and conquering the world isn't as appealing anymore.

With Yang Sheng's advice, Li Fan had a better understanding of the situation and knew that Baiyue Mountain would likely take advantage of the internal strife in Xun to launch a counterattack.

This is by no means a bad thing for Ink Bamboo Mountain. The more trouble the Three Great Sects, the Twelve Countries, and the demons and monsters from all over the world cause, the safer Ink Bamboo Mountain will be. Only when they are in complete chaos can one fish in troubled waters.

Given Li Fan's current unparalleled strength within his realm and his ability to consistently defeat opponents by leaping one realm, given enough time to reach the Transformation Stage, he could even challenge the Three Great Sects.

The two girls were still young and didn't have the mindset to practice the exercises. After sitting for a while, they couldn't stay still and ran to the side of the boat to look at the clouds.

So Li Fan didn't waste his cultivation time. He had previously witnessed Xie Mingchen's superb swordsmanship and deadly attacks, and he repeatedly replayed them in his mind, unconsciously gaining new insights. Unfortunately, his journey was smooth sailing, and he didn't encounter any foolish demons to practice against as soon as he Li Country the territory of Li Kingdom. On the contrary, as soon as he entered the territory of Xun Kingdom, Li Fan sensed two groups of people fighting. Moreover, from his Divine Sense, he could tell that both sides had battle formations and armored soldiers, clearly celestial soldiers from the Immortal Palace lineage, probably the troops of Xun Kingdom that were suppressing the savages of Baiyue Mountain.

Honestly, to avoid trouble, he deliberately took a detour, sneaking across towering mountains, only to stumble upon the Immortal Palace fighting amongst themselves. What's even more astonishing is that when Li Fan flew closer in stealth mode, he saw that the two armies seemed to be from the same battalion, with identical armor and equipment, and even had turbans tied to their arms for identification. Clearly, they were fighting amongst themselves!

Alas, it seems that, just as Yang Sheng said, the struggle for succession in Xun Kingdom has completely spiraled out of control.