The Jingbian Convoy

Li Fan quickly checked the dead on the ship. These people had been pierced through the skull and heart meridian by magical artifacts resembling steel needles, all of them killed instantly. They were all silenced. The airship had also been tampered with and would soon deviate from its course and crash.

So Li Fan didn't linger. He released a Bright Light Talisman to leave a signal and sent a letter talisman to Nanzhen, which was not far away, before carrying his basket and fleeing south with Li Tangyuan.

Li Fan sensed something was wrong.

At first glance, it seems as if Nangong Wushuang and the Nascent Soul Stage attacked the flying boat were in cahoots, one restraining the other and the other capturing people, all targeting Li Tangyuan, but this doesn't make sense.

First, there's the issue of Li Tangyuan.

If the other side was already tracking Li Tangyuan's whereabouts and could even get Nangong Wushuang to intervene, why didn't they just intercept him at Peach Blossom Mountain? It would have been much easier to encircle and annihilate him with Nangong's army, wouldn't it?

Even if they didn't deal with him on the Nangong Family's territory, there were many opportunities in the past two days when Li Tangyuan was out of Li Fan's sight, allowing him to secretly take her from Lou Guan, right?

Furthermore, if they were truly after Li Tangyuan, wouldn't it have been simpler to just pack up and leave? Why go through all this trouble—attacking the airship, indiscriminately killing innocent bystanders, and then staging it as an accident?

Therefore, rather than a meticulously planned trap, Li Fan felt that it was more like a coincidence.

Yes, it was a coincidence. Because it was a coincidence, the other party subconsciously felt the need to clean up the mess.

This seemingly accidental situation was caused by Qingyue.

Given the current turmoil in the Liqiu Palace and the imminent death of the king, the moment the name 'Qingyue' appeared on the Daoist certificate of Lou Guan in Nanzhen, it was bound to attract the attention of a large number of people.

If Wei Hu could come up with a whole host of ideas to persuade him to take the throne, Wang Lang could ride up to him on horseback to ask his opinion, then naturally there would be a lot of eyes in the shadows watching Li Fan from behind, and even falling on the girl he carried with him, whose eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to his.

So, could it be that, by chance, someone saw some kind of 'opportunity'?

Finally, there's the question about Nangong Wushuang.

Honestly, what's wrong with Nangong Wushuang? Of course, Li Fan isn't trying to belittle his skill level; being bad is undeniable. But while someone can be bad, they shouldn't be stupid. So what was Nangong Wushuang's performance like?

Dressed flamboyantly and exuding an air of dominance, he looked like a cocky rooster, making no attempt at restraint or communication whatsoever. He didn't even mention a legitimate request like "Give me back my sister," but instead barked out, "Guan Nei Hou! I'm going to beat you up!"... What kind of delinquent high school student is this...?

Therefore, Li Fan subconsciously suspected that Nangong Wushuang might indeed have no idea that Li Fan had kidnapped members of the Nangong Family.

Of course, this is probably not the first time the Nangong Family has been used as a pawn.

In fact, Li Fan now strongly suspects that the purpose of the Nangong Family's existence to this day is simply to be used as pawns by others.

If anything is more useful than a brain-dead idiot who does all sorts of evil, then it can only be a whole family of brain-dead idiots who do all sorts of evil, right?

After all, it's understandable that Ink Bamboo Mountain wanted to sign a non-aggression pact with the Nangong Family to avoid fighting on multiple fronts. But why would the Nangong Family agree? Why let go of such a golden opportunity to strike at Ink Bamboo Mountain? Does that whole family of idiots really possess the same forbearance and strategic vision as Ink Bamboo Mountain?

As we passed by the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain, we saw that Nangong at the bottom was determined to go it alone. He was already sharpening his sword, ready to attack the city, even though he was just a Golden Core cultivator! But the advisors and generals at the top were very restrained. Despite Wei Hu's pressure, they took a step back and had no intention of breaking ties with Ink Bamboo Mountain.

Therefore, Li Fan speculated that either the Nangong Family's allies or their backers, in short, one side of the Nangong Family, definitely did not want to go to war directly with Ink Bamboo Mountain at this time.

Is it Mount Heng? Or a religious sect?

Li Fan wasn't sure, but the reality was that under their pressure, the Nangong Family had indeed ceased hostilities.

Therefore, this group must have a reason to maintain the 'no war' stance. Li Fan doesn't need to know what that reason is, but he does know that this group's enemy must have a reason to disrupt the 'no war' stance.

Xuan Tian, "So you think something happened?"

Li Fan pondered for a moment, "Nangong Wushuang didn't leave the camp recently; someone arranged for him to ambush me a long time ago."

Yes, I think their target is 'Qingyue', most likely to prevent 'Qingyue' from interfering in the change of the throne of Li Country. But 'Qingyue' is a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, a disciple of the Xuanmen, so ordinary people cannot take action against her.

However, because of Li Yi's relationship with the Guangling Heir, and because of the Guangling Heir's feud with Nangong Wushuang has the authority to personally deal with Qingyue.

It's possible that someone might try to take advantage of the chaos to kill 'Qingyue' and incite a conflict between the Nangong Family and Ink Bamboo Mountain, or it's also possible that Nangong Wushuang might genuinely give up three moves and spare 'Qingyue's' life, thus avoiding a conflict between the two families.

In short, even if someone really died, it was 'Qingyue' seeking revenge on Nangong Wushuang and overestimated herself, and it had nothing to do with her sect.

However, the other party did not expect that 'Qingyue' would not return with Yao the Supervisor's silk boat, and that she would carry an extra person on her back.

Tangyuan's identity was probably not part of their calculations, so just in case, or perhaps on a whim, they decided to kidnap him and investigate. Naturally, they had to clean up the mess and kill everyone on the airship.

But..."

Xuan Tian: "But Nangong Wushuang was defeated."

Yes, Nangong Wushuang has lost, so let's end it here.

Ultimately, this world is still ruled by the strong. All the scheming and plotting is useless if you can't win.

Even if Li Fan really did kill Nangong Wushuang on the spot, he could easily turn the tables and stage a "Li Yi avenging her father" scenario. After all, blood revenge is considered a form of justice in this world, which aligns perfectly with people's values and wouldn't necessarily break the non-aggression agreement between the Nangong and Ink Bamboo Mountain. It might even become a widely known tale.

But Li Fan did not want to avenge the Guangling Heir.

That's not a good thing either.

In short, this ordeal is over, at least temporarily.

However, considering that such a murderous plot awaited him as soon as Li Country, Li Fan was also quite annoyed.

He decided to skip Changsi City altogether, lest some self-righteous fools set him up and cause more bloodshed and trouble for his sect. He figured he could just take a detour. Anyway, once he was in Li Country, he wouldn't get lost. He just needed to follow the supply train, find the Li River, and fly upstream until he reached Lou Guan Tower.

Li Fan had no direct understanding of the wealth of the Li Country before, but when he flew through the sky and looked down at the bustling trade routes on the ground, he couldn't help but be amazed.

The population is too large.

Along the way south, villages and towns were everywhere. Cattle and sheep grazed among the crisscrossing fields and houses. Farmers, caravans, and migrants were Fourth Department. No matter where you flew, you could see people. The smoke from the chimneys stretched out in patches, looking down from above like a swarm of ants.

This is actually not abnormal, because although Li Country is still okay, the world has long been in chaos. The surging waves of chaos in the world, composed of tens of thousands of refugees from Kun Country and Xun Kingdom, have finally spread the voice of the chaotic world to Li Country in the South Border, and are pouring into the border islands in an endless stream.

Grand Commandant Wang E certainly wouldn't allow these refugees to linger in Nanzhen and disrupt military operations. The powerful clans of Li Country also couldn't accommodate so many servants, so their destination was actually the same as Li Fan's: Ink Bamboo Mountain.

Large groups of people often lead to chaos, so Li Fan followed a large group of refugees for a while and found... the situation was actually not too bad?

After all, refugee groups that manage to reach their Li Country have generally formed a certain degree of cohesion and grassroots organization, with a leader acting as their head to deal with the government. It's unlikely that they will engage in armed conflict with local residents.

The Li Country's court is full of scoundrels, but it cannot be denied that it also has a few advantages. Because this place is the forefront of the Immortal Palace's southward expansion, there has always been a policy of attracting refugees to open up new lands, so there will be no incidents of driving away or attacking refugees.

Moreover, people from the Central Plains actually saw the Li Country with their own eyes, and they could clearly see the difference between the 'Southern Barbarians' and the Central Plains.

There are many ships.

On the waterways of the rivers, dense fleets of ships come and go, and mechanical flying boats fly by from time to time; there are ships everywhere!

Ahem, after all, there aren't many livestock in the South Border. Cattle and horses are precious resources for farming and warfare, so the Li Country generally uses various mechanical boats and vehicles improved by Heavenly Craft Peak...

Of course, there was another reason: these ships were used to transport provisions for the large army on the border.

Conservatively estimated, 200,000 troops would consume 150,000 shi of rice and 200,000 shi of beans per month. This does not include meat and game, as well as the loss of bows, horses, armor, flags, camps, and various supplies. Apart from talismans and magical Magic Treasure which were transported by flying boats, all other supplies and provisions had to be allocated by the imperial court.

Considering that Wang E's army has been on campaign for several years and is almost worn down Li You, this enormous financial burden would be unsustainable for any other vassal state.

But the Li Country provided support, and it seems there are no problems.

Li Fan saw on the Li River, those massive, thousand-stone-long ships, reinforced with incantations, driven by mechanisms, and loaded and unloaded by wooden hands, forming a long train-like procession that traveled back and forth on the river, entering the newly dug canal to continuously transport the grain of the entire Li Country to the border islands. There, the grain was transferred to mechanical vehicles such as wooden oxen and flowing horses, and transported day and night to the Nanzhen camp.

Li Fan even asked the boatman, who said that this was called "Jingbian Gang," which means that a fleet of thirty ships in a row is called a Gang. It was used to pacify the border and support the army. Ink Bamboo Mountain Heavenly Craft Peak assisted in supervising the construction of twenty Gangs of new ships with a capacity of 1,000 shi each. They traveled back and forth between the north and south day and night to transport military supplies. The monthly transport capacity was 2.4 million shi, which actually far exceeded the needs of the 200,000 troops in the Southern Garrison.

However, there was no other way, since the original plan was a seven-pronged attack, and a considerable portion of the Celestial Immortal Palace army's supplies would have to be transported by the Li Country. Therefore, in order to carry out the "Pacifying the Borders" project, Ink Bamboo Mountain exempted the Li Country annual tributes and also used a portion of its revenue to subsidize the imperial court. In addition, with the donations from powerful clans and the military expenses allocated by the national treasury, they built ships and dredged canals, finally maintaining this supply line that ran through the Li River basin and reached the border islands.

Who the hell knew that Kun Country would actually lose the battle...?

In short, the situation in the north is now worse. The Nangong Family and Ink Bamboo Mountain have started to confront each other again. As a result, the "Jingbian Gang" has been on standby for almost five years. Military supplies and armories are piled up like mountains. The army has built four new warehouses to store military supplies. Moreover, Grand Tutor is also arranging for various troops to undergo rotational training, military training and land reclamation. The military farms have been closed down several times. He seems to be planning to retire here.

It would be uneconomical to return empty-handed after such a full cargo ship had been brought here, so a significant portion of the refugees boarded the ships directly and were settled in the South Border of Ink Bamboo Mountain.

They had stored grain to eat, boats to ride on, and for a time, they could even do work relief, helping Nanzhen dig trenches and repair city walls to earn a little money. The refugees from the Central Plains were greatly shocked by the strength of the Li Country. They were all quite peaceful. No one dared to gather and fight against the 200,000-strong army for grain.

Logically, with such a large quantity of supplies, there should be instances of embezzlement. Li Fan randomly infiltrated to inspect the supplies, but didn't find any major quality problems with the military rations and equipment. On the contrary... it seemed a bit too good...

Well, mainly in terms of military equipment, there are a lot of armor, a lot of it. It's clear they're mass-produced armor plates. The quality isn't as good as in the Immortal Palace, but armor is armor after all. Each shipment carries thousands of suits, and the armor wear and tear isn't that severe. So, this armor-wearing rate is really a bit exaggerated...

There were also crossbows, all kinds of crossbows, big and small, with bundles and bundles of arrows. Well, Li Fan remembered that he used crossbows to defeat the Immortal Party back in the day, and he was Gao Xing to see that Grand Tutor shared the same idea in this regard. After all, the proportion of cultivators in the Li Country's army was too small; what was the point of open field battles? It was better to defend the city and shoot arrows...

However, to use this level of preparation for attacking Nangong seems a bit excessive...

Xuan Tian said, "Ink Bamboo Mountain probably does indeed intend to swallow up the Kun Country."

No way... Isn't the abbot a pacifist...?

Xuan Tian said, "With this kind of strength, what you think in your heart is no longer important. The people around you will naturally push you to move forward. But it's really strange. It's one thing for those illiterate people in Mo Shan to be ignorant, but this Lou Guan Feng Qingniu, who cultivates and comprehends the Dao, refines talismans and pills, and even knows how to govern a country... Why have I never heard of such a polymath before..."

Li Fan: "... Hey, Xuan Tian went too far! Remember that jellyfish head? The world is vast, there are always wise men hidden in the countryside, you need to visit their thatched cottage three times to invite them out, understand?"

Xuan Tian said, "Where did I mention jellyfish heads... You'd better keep your eyes peeled, that abbot seems a bit off."

Li Fan was taken aback. The abbot was acting strangely? You must be joking! The abbot is such a good person, what could be wrong with him?

Xuan Tian said, "Of course something's wrong. Do you really believe there are good people in this world?"

Li Fan, "..."

Xuan Tian said, "It's not that I'm saying he's not a good person. Perhaps Feng Qingniu was indeed soft-hearted. Rarity isn't uncommon. But something so rare should be famous."

You know, the Three Great Sects have been fighting and killing each other for years. They would definitely inquire about each other's figures. When the younger generation grew up, they would have come into contact with each other to some extent. Therefore, they all know each other well.

But that Feng Qingniu seemed to have sprung from a stone. How could a Daoist with such extraordinary talent be hidden in a place like the South Border? If it were just Transformation Stage, that would be one thing, but a seed of enlightenment... it's impossible to hide it so well... only someone like that could be willing to endure and stay in such a remote and impoverished place... that's the real problem..."

This isn't some backwater anymore... although it certainly must have been a wild and untamed place before...

Li Fan frowned, admitting that it was somewhat strange. But perhaps the abbot had always been in seclusion, cultivating without desires or wants?

Xuan Tian said, "Hehe, look at what he's doing in Li Country. Is this what the Hidden Immortal Sect does? He's said to be without desires or wants. Hehe, there are no saints in this world. As long as you have a heart, you have selfishness; as long as you have desires, you have selfishness. He seems to be indifferent to the world, but that's just because he can't get what he wants right now, so he can only endure it."

Do you know that Yao Xuanzhou only respects me as a senior, but has never agreed to become my disciple?

Li Fan had guessed as much as he had, and it wasn't surprising. Lou Guan the next sect leader, didn't need to take on such a huge karmic burden as the Sword Sect.

Xuan Tian, "After he agreed to take charge of Ink Bamboo Mountain, he could arrange a Daoist Tradition for my Sword Sect to pass on its lineage, treating it as an alliance with those remnants of the rogue cultivators in Bamboo Mountain. He also promised to do his best to protect you in exchange for my Sword Sect's sword-forging techniques."

Heh heh, he actually treats my esteemed Beichen Sword Sect like some pathetic remnant of a massacred sect, like those rogue cultivators, only interested in my sword-forging skills?

Hehehe, it's one thing for you not to know how powerful my Sword Sect is, but he knew it perfectly well. How could he guard the Lou Guan Dao and not even give a second glance to my Sword Sect's secret manuals?

Hehehe, do you really think I don't know Lou Guan's background? If he had some extraordinary skill, why would he have been forced to come to the Southern Barbarians?

Hehehehehe... Yao Xuanzhou wasn't an arrogant person. He only learned the art of sword control and the art of sword forging because he really looked down on the others.

So you understand now, right? An ordinary, unremarkable person who doesn't compete with the world can't teach such an arrogant disciple."

... However, perhaps it was a special Cultivation Method passed down to Lou Guan by the Thousand-Faced Immortal...

Xuan Tian said, "Just give up already. Is there anyone in this world who can progress faster than you in the cultivation of the Tai Su Dao? Even the Thousand-Faced Immortal is already pestering you!"

Uh, that's true...

Xuan Tian said, "All I know is that those who show excessive favor and courtesy to others must have ulterior motives, and those who bestow too much favor may have to repay it with their lives."

He doesn't need your help to rebuild his true form or re-establish his sect, and you're not even Lou Guan's direct disciple, so why is he keeping saving you like this?

If I knew what he had done in the past and what his reputation was like, I could give him some pointers, but I don't know anything about him. Anyway, you'd better be careful yourself."

Well, Xuan Tian is just that kind of person, a lone wolf, prone to misjudging people and not easily trusting anyone, so it's not surprising.

Sometimes, Xuan Tian's experience is invaluable, but he has also been proven wrong quite a few times, so it can only be used as a reference.

Li Fan wasn't particularly worried; after all, could someone pretend occasionally but always? If they did, the pretense would become real. Even if the Abbot really did turn evil, he couldn't possibly be more sinister than the Manifestation Old Thief, could he?

However, since Xuantian had brought this up, Li Fan was indeed a little curious, wondering what the Abbot expected of him.

Is it enough to protect Ink Bamboo Mountain and pass on a single heart?

Although that's what he's doing now, and he's even shot down a cruiser, perhaps there are other things that might require his help?

Just like Xuantian said, the Abbot is so mysterious... he must have some epic mission in his hands, right?

In short, I'll ask them in person when I get back.