Weizhou

Deep in the mountains and forests, a bald man sat by a pond, fishing with a chain.

Yes, this bald man is Li Fan. He shaved his head again and disguised himself as Master Fak. After all, there was no need to expose his other disguises in front of these Black Lotus Sect cultivators.

Oh, speaking of that Black Lotus Sect Wang Hong, he's now bait tied in chains...

"Have you had enough to drink?" Li Fan lifted his hand, and water gushed from the chains, pulling Wang Hong was bound to them, out.

Wang Hong, dejected and disheveled, muttered, "Let me die..."

Seeing him like this, Li Fan scratched his head helplessly.

Actually, Li Fan wasn't a sadist, but if he didn't keep this guy tied up, he would either try to play dead or try to escape. When he rescued him, the guy even slapped Li Fan, but the force of the rebound broke both of his arms. He groaned and struggled for a long time, and Li Fan had to help him set them back up. He was really a handful.

Seeing Wang Hong's meager abilities, Li Fan was speechless. He had wanted to see what skills the Northern Demonic Path possessed so he could imitate and learn from them, but this was the end of it...

Honestly, whether it's the Black Lotus Sect or the Luo Sect, their strength seems quite weak. Although their cultivation levels are there, their power is even inferior to the trash in the Immortal Palace. They have almost no supernatural abilities or techniques. No wonder those dozens of Divine Transformation cultivators were wiped out by the Three Great Sects...

"Fellow Daoist, don't be so pessimistic. How about this: if you really refuse to give me the mission, just tell me where the Black Lotus Sect's headquarters is, and I'll go find it myself."

Wang Hong continued wailing, "I told you I don't remember! Kill me if you want, or let me go!"

Li Fan shook his head repeatedly, "I can't just let you go like this. Not to mention that the Black Lotus Sect and my sect have a blood feud, I also know a little about your Daoist arts. They are not the same as Yellow Heaven Dao's. They are real demonic arts. If you practice them randomly, you will really get into trouble. You absolutely cannot be separated from them."

"Don't you know this yourself? If you don't want others to go astray like you, then stop hiding anything and honestly tell me the location of the Black Lotus Sect, and I'll give you a way out."

As a result, Wang Hong lowered his head and remained silent.

Faced with such a taciturn person, Li Fan was at a loss for what to do. He could only plan ahead and wait it out for a few more days. If things really didn't work out, he would just find a place to dump him. It wasn't worth killing someone over a little mood.

So Li Fan filled the guy's belly with water, then swung the chain around Wang Hong's neck, binding him into a dumpling again. He then cast a spell to immobilize Wang Hong's spirit and put the chain back into his sleeve.

He stood up, picked up the Si Nan, and examined it. Based on the information he had gathered from the two locals, Liu Zhuo Li Wugou, he estimated that he was almost at the territory of the Hengye Army.

The Ten Jiedu military governorates of Hebei were intertwined with each other, interspersed with various powerful clans and families, including the Buddhism. Furthermore, they were constantly engaged in warlord conflicts, annexing each other, changing flags, and creating a very complex map of separatism. Even the locals might not be clear about the details. It wasn't until Li Fan inquired about the geography from Yellow Heaven Dao that he understood that the current Gen Province, from south to north, was roughly divided into ten major armies: Qingyi, Hengye, Jinglue, Weiwu, Tianbing, Kelan, Kelan, Beiping, Jingsai, and Shuofang.

In terms of military strength, the strength of each military unit varied, but their financial resources were not particularly strong. Therefore, they maintained their military strength in normal times and did not easily launch large-scale military campaigns. As a result, the weaker Jiedushi had only 40,000 to 50,000 troops under their command, while the stronger ones had more than 100,000. Below the ten armies, there were also forty-eight vassal states like Dizhou, each of which could support tens of thousands of troops to support the military governors.

Moreover, everything has two sides. Although Yellow Heaven Dao was constantly besieged and attacked by the vassal armies and suffered greatly, and he hated them with a passion, the existence of certain systems must have its reasons.

The seemingly simple and honest people that Li Fan met in Dizhou City were not actually soldiers of the Heng Hai Army. Most of them were mercenaries who had lost their own vassal states and had come south alone. They were temporarily staying in Heng Hai, preparing to cross south to the Central Plains to make a living by risking their lives.

The soldiers truly raised by the regional military governors were all trained using the proper methods of the Ancient Immortal Palace guards. They were all trained in martial arts from childhood, with family-inherited body-refining techniques, equipped with their own armor, weapons, and swords, skilled in riding and archery, and ruthless elite soldiers. Even their daily supplies consisted of top-quality rice and meat specially supplied by the military governor. They spent their days either practicing martial arts or lifting weights. To be selected for battle, one had to have at least the Foundation Establishment Perfection and a genuine, powerful body cultivation.

From the generals and warlords to the soldiers in charge, all were chosen by the local troops themselves, earning their sincere respect. They were either the bravest warriors who led from the front or renowned generals known for their wisdom, courage, and outstanding achievements. Moreover, these were local soldiers fighting side by side, surrounded by their fathers and brothers. If they fled or collapsed in battle, they would not only implicate their fellow villagers but also face public scorn if they escaped back home. Therefore, unless they encountered extraordinary circumstances, these local troops were indeed worthy of fighting to the death. Their reputation as the strongest army in the land and the valiant men of Hebei have endured for a long time.

I'm afraid that even the guards of the Three Enclosures might not have the strength of the various vassal states in Hebei. But this is forced by the environment in the north. The Ten Jiedu. Everyone's territory is about the same. The weak will inevitably be annexed. If they don't want their cities to be breached, their families to be destroyed, and them to become refugees and bandits in Yellow Heaven Dao, then they can only muster all their strength and fight together.

This time, the Heng Hai Army suffered heavy losses in its siege of Yellow Heaven Dao within its territory. The three mountains of Gu She Kong Sang Tian Long, which it relied on, also failed in their killing spree and lost their destiny. The core members of the central government were wiped out. It is conceivable that in the near future, it will be attacked from both the northern vassal states and the southern imperial guards. It is even possible that it will be destroyed by the Po Jun army.

However, that's all for the future, because right now the Three Enclosures are fighting to the death with the Divine Cult, and the northern vassal states also have a major matter to attend to, so no one has time to deal with things in the south.

Indeed, this important matter is the preparation for the Northern Expedition in the spring.

Every spring, the Grand Commandant would wage Hu Barbarians against the northern barbarians. This was a rule established by the Grand Marshal because by the beginning of spring, the horses of the northern frontier, having been starved all winter, would be severely depleted and unable to run or charge into battle. Moreover, spring was the breeding season, and most of the people and livestock of the northern Hu Barbarians were pregnant, making it difficult for them to migrate north quickly to escape the onslaught of the Central Plains' troops. As a result, herds of cattle, sheep, horses, people, and livestock would fall into the hands of the various vassal states.

If we don't take advantage of the spring to strike hard against the Hu Barbarians, by autumn the northern frontier will be lush with water and grass, abundant with grain, and the horses will be strong and healthy. The Hu Barbarians will then take advantage of this to invade southward and vie for military supplies with the regional military governors. Gen Province is a vast plain with no natural defenses. At that time, it won't just be a few northern regional military governors who suffer; the bandits might even be able to plunder and roam all the way to the Gen River and into the territory of the Heng Hai Army.

If the northern vassal states are harassed by the Hu Barbarians and the autumn harvest is insufficient, war will have to resume, with the Yellow Heaven Dao forces fighting each other for territory and military supplies. The internal strife is too severe, and the North Suwei of the Three Enclosures are also watching closely. They might cross the river and attack you, which could trigger a chain reaction.

Therefore, the Ten Jiedu were not fools. Every spring, they would agree to a ceasefire and send a joint army beyond the Great Hu Barbarians. After all, the barbarians had been attacked for so many years, and they were not difficult to defeat. They could also seize cattle, sheep, horses, and women, so why not? And if any of them broke the rules and stabbed someone in the back while everyone was on Northern Expedition, then when the troops returned, they would have a righteous reason to join forces and deal with him. The immortals behind the scenes could not say much.

So by now, almost all the people who didn't follow the rules are dead, and fighting the Hu Barbarians in the spring has become a traditional custom of the Ten Jiedu Military Governors, just like celebrating the New Year. When Li Fan flew out of the deep mountains and forests and arrived at Weizhou under the Hengye Army system, he saw the local Hengye army reorganizing its troops and heading north out of the city.

A long procession emerged from the city across the plains, with oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages carrying bows, swords, and armor. Leading the procession was a hundred heavily armored cavalrymen, each a tall horseman, their clothes and armor gleaming and shiny. They wore mountain-patterned armor, carried iron-ringed swords at their waists, carried iron-rimmed bows on their horses, and held long spears with red tassels tied to the pommels. They also wore ostentatious cloaks and fur coats.

The leader of the vanguard did not carry a gun, but only an eight-foot-long bamboo pole covered with copper and inlaid with gold at the top, decorated with nine red feathers. Behind him, two others carried the banner of "Hengye Army Jiedushi," which fluttered in the wind. The hundred riders sped off, as fast as swallows, leaving no trace as they headed north.

That bamboo-like thing, that must be the 'jie' (节) that the Jiedushi governor carries. Damn, it actually looks kind of cool...

Li Fan estimated that following these cavalry envoys and the large army that had been gathering northwards, they would reach the Shuofang front. That was perfect; there was no need to worry about getting lost or asking around in the city. After all, Li Wugou was a grown woman, not someone who had been kidnapped, so what was there to worry about?

So, following the Si Nan's direction, Li Fan deviated slightly and flew southwest for a while. He wanted to see if there were any caves where he could settle down, and maybe pick up some side quests, opportunities, or magical treasures along the way, before preparing to Moon Worship.

After all, he's currently at full bloom with three flowers, and his mood limit is a whopping 28k, which is way too much. He needs to prepare, find a spiritual cave to set up Revered Heavenly Demon Dao Field, and cultivate a Dao Body or something to convert all that limit into cultivation. He can also hand over a bunch of Yellow Heaven Books to the system to see if he can enrich the prize pool and get some random toys out.

Guided by Si Nan compass, Li Fan flew to a forest southwest of Weizhou. From afar, he could see the auras of hundreds of cultivators gathered there. However, he didn't think there would be much of an opportunity this time, because Li Fan glanced at the group and found that there wasn't a single Nascent Soul Stage cultivator among them; they were all Golden Core or Foundation Establishment cultivators.

These people were gathered in the forest, and no one knew what kind of meeting they were having. Li Fan was bored, so he concealed his cultivation and sneaked over to observe for a while. He was surprised to find that these people were actually having a group sword fight, so he mingled into the audience to watch the excitement.

Many of the surrounding cultivators seemed to have come from the city to watch the show, and there was even a guide explaining it to them. So Li Fan also came over, pretending to be a wandering monk, and joined in the explanation.

It turns out that there are two major cultivation families in Weizhou City. Of course, "major" means that they have a 'Nascent Soul Stage Ancestor' and 'Disciples of the Profound Sect' in charge, so they are considered the 'leader families'. Ha, Nascent Soul Stage Ancestor...

Well, in short, these two major cultivation families are: one family is surnamed Zhang, Zhang Family patriarch was a disciple of Wangwu Mountain; the other family's patriarch was surnamed Gu, Gu Family his patriarch was also a disciple of Wangwu Mountain...

Damn, this idle person talks too much nonsense; it makes me want to punch him.

Li Fan patiently listened, skipping over much of the preamble, and finally understood the plot. It turned out that although both families were from the same sect within Wangwu Mountain had a much longer history. Besides its local immortal veins, the entire Xuanmen sect had supported the Grand Commandant's Northern Expedition, with various branches and lineages using the opportunity of the north to engage in magical battles, leaving behind their own branch lineages. If it weren't for the later internal strife, Wangwu Mountain might have long ago achieved the status of a Xuanmen headquarters like Yuntai Peak today. Unfortunately, later, by assisting the Gen Country the Gen Kingdom in their southern campaign, these local Xuanmen sects of Wangwu Mountain accumulated many blood feuds with other factions, thus forming their own independent sect and ranking among the Nine Great Xuan Sects.

It is precisely because there are many lineages of Daoist practitioners, who are not under each other's command and whose management is relatively loose that the old-fashioned Xuanmen cultivators of Wangwu Mountain only unite when foreign enemies invade. They do not have the absolute power of the Penglai Manifestation Sect, nor the cohesive force of the Hengshan Sect, who are determined to conquer the world. Even when a group of people gather in one place to cultivate, they can also develop grudges among themselves in order to seize Heavenly Treasure.

The Zhang and Gu families are typical local Cultivation Family. They are neighbors in the same area, and many of their disciples serve in the Hengye Army. They are comrades in battle, but in peacetime they form factions and often fight, sometimes even drawing blood. They only refrain from going too far because they are both cultivators from Wangwu Mountain.

However, since they were both their own disciples, Wangwu Mountain didn't want its two Nascent Soul Stage cultivators to fight over family matters. Therefore, they had their own mechanism for dealing with this. For example, when the two families wanted to compete for some benefit, they would agree to a sword duel and then send a letter to Wangwu Mountain requesting an immortal to arbitrate. Unless it was Heavenly Treasure, it usually wouldn't escalate to the point of killing. It was usually a best-of-three match, with disciples of the same generation from both families coming out to compete and fight for prestige and face. Wangwu Mountain would naturally send someone to act as a referee to prevent the two families from getting serious and causing trouble. Incidentally, if there were any promising talents, they would also have the opportunity to stand out and be selected to be trained within the mountain sect.

In this instance, the Hengye Army is about to march north. Usually, when they go to conquer the borderlands, not only can warlords plunder cattle, sheep, and people, but cultivators can also hunt down foreign demonic beasts, collect Heavenly Treasure, and obtain various opportunities and inheritances. Therefore, the Gu and Zhang families have agreed to a sword duel to compete for the quota of tribute to accompany the army on the expedition.

After listening to the explanation, Li Fan lost interest. What kind of opportunity was this? Boring, he decided to leave.

Just as he turned to flee, his spiritual sense stirred, and he sensed someone flying towards him on a sword. Turning his head, he saw a rare pink Sword Light that landed in the arena in an instant.

A young girl appeared, with dark eyebrows and a high bun, dressed in pink and red silk. A golden lotus was painted between her eyebrows, her cheeks were like peach blossoms, her lips were like cinnabar, her hair was adorned with pearl hairpins, her hands were adorned with gold bracelets, and her eyes were like leaping pearls, twinkling and exceptionally lively and cunning.

Huh? Isn't that so-and-so? He's already at the Golden Core stage! He's grown quite fast, girls really do develop earlier... Ahem, so it seems the competition between the Zhang and Gu families really does have a tiny bit of connection with Li Fan.

Indeed, this young woman was none other than Gu Panpan, who had once met Li Fan during the sword-stealing incident in the South China Sea. Four years had passed since they last met, and she had now achieved the Golden Core stage.

At this moment, she curled one leg under her bare, snow-lotus-like feet, leaned against the red silk, and half-reclined on the red silk, hovering in the air like a crane riding the wind. At the same time, she pressed a Daoist incantation with her orchid fingers, and the protective glow around her flowed, instantly converging into a shimmering pink-gold ball, which she held between her jade fingers.

"Ah! Kenmaru!"

"A Xuanmen Sword Immortal!"

"The Gu (Zhang) family respectfully welcomes the envoy!"

Although Gu Panpan was only at the Golden Core Foundation Establishment stage, none of the Golden Core cultivators present had ever seen such a precious item as a sword pellet. Moreover, she was currently dressed in a fairy-like robe, with radiant light protecting her body, so it was obvious that she was a master from the Xuanmen sect. Thus, the people from both the Gu and Zhang families bowed and prostrated themselves.

Gu Panpan giggled sweetly, ignoring everyone else in the room, and addressed the Gu Family head below, saying, "Uncle, why are you bowing to me? I'm Panpan! It's been years, don't you recognize me?"

Upon hearing this, the Zhang Family head's expression immediately changed. He probably thought to himself, "Oh no! The Gu Family actually had such a trump card hidden away! Golden Core, Sword Pill, and True Cultivator —what's the point of fighting now? Farewell, farewell..."

But to everyone's surprise, when the Gu Family head heard the term "elder uncle," he was first taken aback, and then when he heard the fairy call herself Panpan, his expression changed drastically! He broke out in a cold sweat, looking even worse than the Zhang Family head!

"You, you, you could be...?"

Oh? This reaction, is there some gossip involved?

Seeing that there was something to watch, Li Fan decided to stay and join the crowd to enjoy the spectacle.

Gu Panpan smiled and glanced at the Gu Family head, then swept her gaze over the Gu Family disciples. "Hehe, isn't this the eldest young master? You're here for the sword duel today? Huh? What's going on? It's been almost ten years since we last met, and you still haven't reached the Core Formation stage? You stole the spiritual medicine that saved my father's life to help Foundation Establishment, and this is all you've got? Sigh, then what about my parents? Did they die in vain?"

At this moment, a young man from the Gu Family suddenly collapsed to his knees and knelt down, lying prone on the ground.

The Gu Family head stammered, "Pan, Panpan, Panpan! You, you mustn't be impulsive. Xianxiu and the others, it's just that their fate wasn't right..."

Wow, you stole someone else's medicine and then said your dad died because of bad luck? That's incredibly shameless...

"How dare you! You call me Panpan? I am Gu Huiming, a true disciple of the Qingtang Sect of Wangwu Mountain! You old dog, how dare you call me by my childhood name and address my father by his given name!"

Gu Huiming was indeed enraged. His smile vanished, and he roared angrily. With a flick of his finger, the sword pellet at his fingertip swung down to the ground like a pink ribbon. It wrapped around the neck of the Gu Family head and hooked it, severing the old man's head cleanly from the neck.

The head of the Gu Family also possessed the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm, but unfortunately, a Sword Immortal was upon him at this moment, so he fell to the ground and died silently.