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"Sili is a seasoned warrior, well-versed in military strategy. What do you think the outcome of this campaign against the Demonic Sect was? Oh, wait, wait, should it be a minor victory, a moderate victory, or a major victory?"

"Hehehe, what Lord Yu said is true. With our heavenly army gathered and our fierce generals numerous, we are bound to win this battle. It's just a matter of how much we win."

Zhong Hui's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she pretended to be drunk. She dipped a jade pendant in wine and began to write and draw on the table.

"During the previous invasion by the Divine Sect, the Western Army of Duizhou suffered a blow. After the Ten Ultimate Formation, the Four Duhu Manor were already dead in name only. The court also recruited more Western soldiers to enter the pass to supplement the General of Anxi's army. So it is reasonable that Yu and Quanzhou were lost quickly this time."

However, as the saying goes, "One effort is enough, but a second will be weaker, and a third will be exhausted." The Divine Sect has marched a long and arduous campaign, and having reached the walls of Liangzhou, they should have already exhausted their strength. At that time, our Immortal Palace's army will be assembled, with all three armies working together, soldiers fighting bravely, and orders being obeyed without question. Victory will then be assured, and the matter will be settled."

"Wow, that's amazing! Absolutely incredible!"

Li Fan gave him a thumbs up and poured him another cup. "Truly worthy of an official," he thought, "Even when drunk, he can spout a bunch of nonsense that's basically saying nothing at all..."

"But the Divine Cult has mobilized a large army, with Ten Ultimate Venerables gathered here. I wonder what cultivation level this Governor Deng, who is now commanding the troops, possesses, and how he will deal with the Ten Ultimate Formation?"

Zhong Hui smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Governor Deng, hehe, Deng Fan is a skilled strategist and military expert. When he pacified Zhen, I stayed in his tent while he went out to battle. His most impressive skill is setting up defenses in the mountains and cultivating land on the spot. This time, the Grand Tutor appointed him as a general specifically to command the vanguard, cultivate land, prepare for war, and wait for the main army to assemble."

To resist the Demonic Cult's supreme leader and eliminate those evil spirits and demons, the Nine Palaces Master of Mount Song will naturally have to take action personally. Lord Yu, there's no need to worry. I'll give you a heads-up: at this gathering at Yuntai Peak, the two elders of Mount Song will rally the heroes of the Xuanmen sects to march west and meet the Demonic Cult again in Duizhou. Then, based on the achievements of this great battle, they will re-rank the Nine Great Xuan Sects.

Although Emei is gone, the Xuanmen sect still boasts countless masters, and this is a future battle for destiny; how can they not fight with all their might? The Demonic Sect leader has already lost his former Sect Leader and the Great Strength Dharma King, two particularly ruthless figures, greatly diminishing his strength. In this battle, he probably won't even be able to assemble the Ten Ultimate Formation. What is there to fear? Hahaha!

"Ah, right, right, hahaha."

Li Fan forced a laugh, wondering to himself whether the Divine Cult was doing a good job of keeping secrets and hadn't leaked the news of the Western Regions' demonic beast army, or if Zhong Hui was just playing a drunken prank on him.

But according to the traditions of the Xuanmen sect, fighting against the Divine Cult, overcoming great calamities, and striving for rankings sounds exciting, but why does he always feel that things might not be so simple?

Moreover, on the other side of the Divine Cult, the Duan family Sect Leader, knowing that two of his own disciples had lost their Daoist masters, still brazenly led the Western Regions army to launch an invasion. Wasn't that incredibly foolish? If he didn't have some trump cards and a sure chance of winning, who would believe it?

"How could I have imagined that in just ten short years, the Three Great Sects would once again launch a large-scale war and fight each other? The world is truly becoming more and more chaotic. I wonder how the Grand Tutor is doing these days. At present, the only one who can bring peace to the world is the Duke of Shouyang."

Zhong Hui knew Li Fan would definitely ask, so she smiled and reassured him.

"Lord Yu is devoted to the people and loyal to the court. He is a truly loyal minister. The Grand Tutor has always seen this and kept it in mind. You can rest assured that everything is under control. We will see the outcome at the Yuntai Peak."

It's unbelievable that I couldn't get any information out of him at all. No wonder he's been constantly hampered in his work at Sanyuan. Didn't he hear what people were saying? They've been watching him closely...

"In that case, I await good news. By the way, during the recent river dredging, some laborers told me they discovered many rat spirits. It's unheard of for monsters to have become spirits right under the emperor's nose. I don't feel comfortable interfering, so I've come to inform Sili."

"Is that so? Perhaps the Three Enclosures are overpopulated and have suffered a rat infestation. I, Hui, have only recently taken over the Sili government and am indeed not very clear on the matter. Thank you for informing me, Marquis Yu. I will arrange for my trusted confidants to investigate thoroughly."

Zhong Hui, as the Sili Xiaowei, also had other duties. He was to conduct a large-scale search of the Three Enclosures and arrest and kill the remaining followers of the General of Chariot and Cavalry General- ranking officials to intimidate the Jingji. So, he was content with just a little wine and went to confiscate their property before the effects of the alcohol wore off.

Having received a handwritten edict from Zhong Hui, Li Fan stamped his seal on the document and ordered the Imperial Guards under the command of the captain to beat the people indiscriminately with five-colored sticks, driving them out of the city.

Sigh, let him curse. He's witnessed the power of the Ten Ultimate Formation firsthand, but he can't afford to gamble. As for Zhong Hui, he doesn't seem to have any reaction to the rat incident. He probably only took over the position of Sili Xiaowei because of him. Hopefully, he'll keep it in mind and take precautions.

Li Fan had already spoken with Zhong Hui and was flying outside the city to settle the laborers when suddenly his nose twitched and he smelled a demonic scent!

Is it a mouse? No, it's something else... Oh, it's Amao...

Amao arrived at Sanyuan, accompanied by two beautiful female attendants, one in a white dress and the other in a blue robe. The two demons had clearly just received some great blessing, their cultivation had skyrocketed, and they had broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage, transforming into human-shaped Demon Race. At this moment, their demonic aura had not yet dissipated, and their allure was hard to dispel. They walked with a swaying, seductive gait, and no matter what they saw, they would laugh and giggle, making a fuss over nothing, which annoyed Amao so much that he scratched his head.

Li Fan sighed. It seemed Amao had persuaded those two Snake Demon again. Sigh, just as he expected... Hmm? Snake Demon?

Li Fan's eyes darted around, and after a quick calculation, he had an idea. He immediately transformed into the appearance of Li Yaoshi, descended from the clouds, and coughed.

"Ah! Island Lord!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Amao rushed over and smeared his snot and tears onto Li Fan's robe.

Li Fan sighed, "Amao, you've suffered."

"It's not bitter, it's not bitter, sob sob sob..."

After venting for a while, Amao calmed down, pulled a mirror from his pocket, and then helped the two demons who were limp and trembling on the ground behind him to their feet.

"Island, Island Master, these three are my Dao Companion. After parting ways with you, I cultivated in the Huan family, and later Penglai captured me..."

Li Fan listened with a smile, then quickly glared at the mirror. The Sumera Treasure Mirror realized what was happening and hurriedly changed the image of 'Li Fan' in the mirror to 'Li Yaoshi', daring not to do it again.

"I already know that after you escaped from Penglai, you were imprisoned by the Sanxiao Sect for ten years..."

"Oh, it's not as long as ten years," Amao said, counting on his fingers.

"Actually, after escaping Penglai, I suffered a shipwreck. First, I was rescued by Sister Hongjuan from Zhujia Village. Later, I encountered war and was kidnapped by the female leader of Phoenix Village. All three leaders wanted to force me to become the leader. After finally escaping, I was fortunately rescued by the heroine of the Xu Family Sword Manor. Later, I was drugged by the female thief Sai Hongchen and almost sold to a brothel. On the way, I was kidnapped by a sorceress to accompany her in refining elixirs. When I escaped from her cave, I happened to encounter Madam Lin's martial arts contest to find a husband..."

Why do you have so many unique side quests?! And it sounds like you're just moving from one idyllic haven to another, and you're not suffering at all, damn it!

"Alright, alright, we can talk about this another time."

Li Fan rubbed his temples and glanced at the two demons. "And who are you two? How did you manage to take human form in the Central Plains?"

Sweeping them with Divine Sense, the two Snake Demon stood up, then their bones went limp, and they prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing.

"My Lord, please witness! My name is Xiao Bai, and her name is Xiao Qing. We had absolutely no intention of harming you, young master!"

"Yeah yeah!"

"We were originally the spirit pets raised by the noble son of the Immortal Palace. We grew up in the manor and never harmed anyone. However, later, our young master entered the Xuanmen to cultivate immortality and could no longer take us, these demons, with him. The mistress also disliked our terrifying appearance, so she abandoned us to be raised in an outer manor. Later, when she saw that our young master had forgotten about us and even planned to kill us, skin us, and extract our elixir for medicine, we escaped!"

"That's right!"

"We were able to transform into human form in the mountains thanks to your help, young master. You lent us a hand and enabled us to survive the tribulation and take human form. You are our savior. Xiaobai and Xiaoqing are already your snakes, young master. How could we dare to have any intention of harming you? Please, Master, understand!"

"Witness this truth! Witness this truth!"

Li Fan glanced sideways at Amao.

Amao nodded quickly, "Island, island owner, they are also very pitiful."

"Do you feel sorry for every female you see and want to comfort her?" Li Fan couldn't help but tease him.

Amao nodded honestly, "Yes. A man should make a woman happy."

Li Fan was too lazy to argue with Amao; they couldn't reach a conclusion. He looked at the two snakes and asked solemnly.

"Leaving aside other matters for now, there's something I'm curious about, since you've lived in the Jingji for so long. I'd like to ask you two local strongmen about it."

Xiao Bai quickly replied, "Master, please ask."

Xiao Qing nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Excuse me, excuse me."

"Hmm... why are there so many rats here?"

Amao was stunned. "A mouse?"

The Sumera Treasure Mirror flew out of his arms and landed on the ground. The light and shadow in the mirror flashed through layers of rat holes and tunnels, revealing the rats underground.

Xiao Bai hesitated for a moment, but still spoke, "I dared not hide it from my master. After my sisters and I escaped, we ate those dried rat meats. But as for where they came from, I never really asked..."

Xiao Qing licked her lips, "Delicious, delicious."

Li Fan thought for a moment, then did some calculations, and said, "Amao, I have a task for you."

Amao quickly replied, "Please speak, Island Master."

"You and your Dao Companion, all three of you are at the Nascent Soul Realm, and with Ami, the Divine Transformation Realm Lord, protecting you, your fortune is profound. I want you to follow this underground rat path, killing your way in, and find the rat's nest within the Wang Jing. It would be best if you could catch the rat leader. Once you've caught him, report to me—no, report to the Sili Xiaowei's Office—and request the imperial court to send troops to suppress them. Consider this a test for you, an introductory task for my Tan Flower Island. Can you accomplish it?"

Amao patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me! By the way, Island Master, how did you know Ami's name?"

Li Fan: "... I predicted it."

Amao, "Wow, the island lord is truly amazing... Don't worry! Amao will definitely not let you down! Ami! Xiao Bai! Xiao Qing! Let's go!"

Xiao Qing, "Let's go, let's go!"

Xiao Bai: "... Yes, sir..."

Li Fan watched as Amao and his Dao Companion's team disappeared into the distance. He stood still, motionless, his shadow shrinking to a dot, his figure appearing and disappearing in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a column of smoke.

After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, a gentle breeze suddenly swept up, and Li Fan abruptly opened his eyes. The shadow beneath his feet suddenly bloomed, like blooming vines or the tentacles of an octopus, grabbing down the four shadows that were passing through the clouds above his head!

These were four masked swordsmen in blue robes, all at the Nascent Soul Realm. Each wielded a sharp sword, their blades concealed by thin, gossamer-like gray gauze, obscuring the gleaming Sword Light. They were chasing after Amao when, unexpectedly, the instant their flying escape technique passed over Li Fan's head, their shadows fell to the ground, and Li Fan's shadow caught them, instantly pulling them out of their escape technique!

Like a flying insect crashing into a spider web, the four swordsmen landed on the ground, completely immobilized. None of them could even turn around to see the faces of the people behind them, let alone understand what kind of magic had befallen them.

However, it was also clear that these four were seasoned veterans. They froze for a moment, then immediately realized that it wasn't that their escape technique was failing, but rather that they had fallen into some kind of strange formation. The Dao Breath energy in their meridians was invaded and suppressed by a strange force. So they immediately began to breathe heavily, trying to use the sword hidden in their abdomen to cut open their ribs, draw blood and energy to sharpen their blades, and break through their meridians to escape and ascend to heaven.

But then a bunch of arms stretched out from the shadows, climbing up the swordsmen's vital points, pressing on acupoints here and there, grabbing their heads and feet, reaching into their mouths and noses, and sealing the sword hilts hidden in their lungs and ribs. Then, the black hands pulled together and dragged the swordsmen into the shadows, making them disappear.

"I knew it. How could you be absent from your own base?"

As expected, they were exposed. How could Li Fan mistake the Sword Sect's secret manual? These assassins were sword attendants from the Hidden Sword Sect, former North Star Guard, and now death squads serving under Guardian General.

Amao and his group merely entered the rat hole to investigate, which triggered an opportunity that attracted these assassins to silence them. It seems that the reason so many rats could brazenly build nests in North Mang Mountain and dig holes right under the nose of the Sili Xiaowei was not because the people of the Immortal Palace were unaware, but because these rats and the great formation underground in the Three Enclosures were actually a scheme personally set up by the Grand Tutor.

But what exactly does he want to do?

Li Fan stood there for a while longer, blocking Amao's path. As darkness fell, more and more swordsmen, like owls falling from the night, gathered on the eaves opposite the alley where he stood.

Good heavens, are they setting up a sword formation? What grand project are those rats undertaking that Guardian General is taking so seriously?

Come on then.

Li Fan then stepped out from the shadows that had gathered together, stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the alley, and his shadow stretched out under the False Moon, moving the surrounding shadows and even stirring up the clouds in the sky, sweeping away a patch of clear sky under the moonlight, the radiance shining on the earth, like the dueling arena of Yuntai Peak.

Come, let's have a sword fight.

Unfortunately, none of these dared-to-stab tigers in front of the palace dared to step into the bright moonlight in his presence.

The stalemate between the two sides only changed when a crane flew out from the clouds, hovered above Li Fan's head, and dropped a scroll of talismans.

Upon seeing the crane arrive, the owls hidden in the darkness seemed to have found a way out, and scattered in all directions.

Li Fan shrugged, picked up the talisman book, and glanced at it. It was a letter of recommendation.

A fellow Daoist named Taiyi Dao Lord Wuyang recommended him to participate in the Grandmaster Arithmetic Examination at Yuntai Peak. Who is this? Oh, it's the Daoist title of the Grand Tutor...

This is also an invitation.

Once he passed the arithmetic master exam, he was qualified to participate in the Yuntai Peak Conference and attend the voting.

"Fine, let's see what you're up to."

So Li Fan took the letter, bowed to the Grand Tutor Manor, thanked him for the recommendation, rolled up his robe, and disappeared into the moonlight.