End of Leave, Lei Chong's Jealous Hatred, Patrol of Evil-Quelling Island, an Opportunity Gained!

When Li Xian Severed Palm Peak of cultivation, he felled trees to make bows and practiced Archery, reaching the Great Self Realm. In recent years, he has occasionally honed his skills, gradually accumulating proficiency. His martial arts realm is boundless, and his Archery continues to improve.

His wooden bow was simple; he casually shot two arrows and then returned to his room to rest. Beside his bedroom was a wooden window. Pushing open the window, moonlight streamed into the bed. A gentle breeze blew, making it a truly relaxing and comfortable place.

A little tune hummed softly.

Li Xian was still not sleepy. He picked up Yao Medical Classic the bedside and studied it carefully. He rubbed his two fingers together to make a golden light shine through them. When the golden light between his fingertips became conspicuous, he flicked it out and hit the jujubes in the yard, knocking the bright red jujubes to the ground.

While studying medicine, he would casually twirl golden light and practice flicking it. Accumulating proficiency was secondary; his main purpose was to pass the time. He found it quite interesting, and before long, he had scattered dates all over the ground. Then he took out his Wishful Treasure Sword and flicked it with his fingers.

As thin as a needle, it was inserted into the jujube. Li Xian then beckoned it back, and the bright red, round jujube was in his hand.

Exhaling fresh air washes away impurities. A bite reveals sweet juice and creamy flesh, filling the mouth and tongue. The most unique feature of Jujube-Pasture Residence is its fruit trees in the courtyard. They provide shelter from the wind in winter and shade in summer. The jujubes are sweet and tender, bearing fruit year-round.

The tree is lush and leafy. Sometimes there are too many ripe dates to eat, and they fall onto the grass. If not dealt with in time, they will rot on the ground, attracting decaying insects and flies, which is not good.

Then they can be put into baskets and given to neighbors to taste. Or they can go out into the street to sell or give them away. That is why the name "Muzaoju" (Jujube-Pasture Residence) comes from this.

It was almost deep summer. Jade City has four distinct seasons, and the summers are very hot. Cooling drinks are starting to appear. The jujube trees at Jujube-Pasture Residence produce large and sweet jujubes. We can first boil a pot of red sugar oil.

Wrap the jujube flesh in sugar and chill it in ice. When you take it out, the sugar coating will still be on the jujube flesh, and then sprinkle with spice powder. It tastes quite good. In the blink of an eye, Li Xian came up with dozens of ways to prepare jujubes.

If you have free time, cook it slowly.

Li Xian used his "Wishful Treasure Sword" for transportation, eating more than ten dates. He gently spat out the date shells, which flew out with a "whoosh" and embedded themselves in the soil. When he spat out the thirteenth date, a strange thought suddenly occurred to him, "When I travel the world, I often encounter masters of special hidden weapons. Although I can Flicked-Finger Golden Light and Archery at long distances,... if I have the opportunity, why not forge a hidden weapon of my own?"

He spat out the jujube core, which was about the length of a finger joint, sharp at both ends, and slightly wider in the middle. When held in his mouth and spat out, it already possessed considerable killing power, capable of catching people off guard.

If Li Xian were to unleash his "Iron Lung" ability and then deliver it with "Xun Wind Breath," the power of his spit would undoubtedly be even greater. However, Li Xian possesses superhuman strength, and if he were to flick his fingers, the power would be even more formidable. Spitting it out from his mouth would be somewhat of a waste.

Following the shape of the jujube heart, Li Xian continued to ponder how to improve the carving and create a unique throwing dart. He thought, "Since it's a concealed weapon, it must be easy to hide, yet also quite powerful, and ideally, it should be integrated with martial arts. But crafting throwing darts requires hiring craftsmen and purchasing exotic ores, which will be quite expensive. I'll draw the design first and then gradually improve it later."

He spread out a sheet of white paper and began to draw. As night deepened, he finally fell asleep. The next day, after Li Xian's rest period, he got up at Chen Hour, washed his face with clean water, put on his Tiger-Python Uniform, and donned his black armor. The armor was made of very light material, protecting his chest, shoulders, wrists, and the sides of his skirt.

The Tiger-Python Uniform complement each other, adding to its imposing and fierce appearance. A sword is worn on the left, and a token hangs on the right. The attire of the Gold-Seeking Guard the sword on the left for easy drawing with the right. The Tiger-Python Token emits a faint blue light.

As Li Xian accumulated military merits, the color of the Tiger-Python Token gradually changed. The stronger the blue light, the more military merits he accumulated. He then secured his long hair with a hair crown, put on a silver mask, and everything was in place.

As he passed the jujube tree in the courtyard, he suddenly thought, "I knocked down too many last night, but I only managed to eat a dozen or so. I should take the rest to Marquis Wu Station and give them to my colleagues." He immediately fetched a gray cloth bag, stood under the tree, Intent Infusion, striking the tree canopy from a distance. The canopy shook violently, and the jujubes fell like raindrops. Li Xian waved his arms, and his Pure-Gang Steaming Garment caught the jujubes.

Then put it into the cloth bag.

In just a short while, nearly a hundred plump red dates had been collected. Binds the Wind Feng hissed twice, smelling the aroma of the dates, and also wanted to taste them. Li Xian laughed heartily, grabbed five dates, used his Inner Steam steaming technique to shake out the pits, and threw them into the horse's mouth.

Binds the Wind ate heartily, then spurred his horse forward at full gallop. He traversed several main streets, descending Westwind Street, and soon arrived at Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station the street. His colleagues were coming out to patrol the streets one after another. Upon seeing Li Xian, they greeted him with various titles such as "Brother Li," "Brother Xian," "Brother," and "Old Li." Li Xian responded politely, grabbing a handful of red dates from each person and shouting, "Catch!" He then tossed them out. The Gold-Seeking Guard, none of them weak, caught them all. Seeing they were red dates, they immediately wiped them clean with their sleeves, popped them into their mouths, and the juice overflowed. They tasted very sweet, and they smiled, saying, "Thanks!"

He put the remaining red dates into a bag and took them out to relieve his fatigue while patrolling the streets. Li Xian quickly gave them all away. His colleagues who didn't receive any red dates scolded Li Xian for being Intent-Qi and favoring one over the other. But it was all in jest, and there was no need to get angry over red dates. Li Xian smiled and promised to come and give dates again next time.

They get along well.

Li Xian had been a formal Cavalier for a month. He first distinguished himself by striking a chorus of drums, then pursued and killed a villain to avenge Yu Hai. Gold-Seeking Guard valued powerful Aristocratic Clan, it also valued strength. In addition, Li Xian was usually easygoing and diligent, and his way of dealing with people had a winning quality. Naturally, he became one of the group, occasionally joking with them. Although they were just nodding acquaintances, they already had some respect for each other.

Lei Chong watched from afar, cursing under his breath, a deep sense of envy rising within him. He saw Li Xian's momentum growing stronger and his prestige increasing daily. He recalled how he himself hadn't been able to achieve such a feat back then. Although he was appreciated by Xu Shaoqian, he was always looked down upon by the Aristocratic Clan families. Yet, those from the Aristocratic Clan families of similar age to Li Xian Li Xian him with great courtesy, even calling him "Brother Xian" or "Brother Li," while those who were more familiar with him addressed him as "Old Li." Lei Chong couldn't understand this difference. In reality, people's temperaments differed greatly. Li Xian's [Turbidity-Avoidance] characteristic, his Pure Yang Body, and his [True Bone] characteristic, along with his numerous martial arts techniques, had undergone profound transformation, cultivating his character and temperament. Coupled with his open-minded and carefree nature, and his easygoing and cheerful personality, he naturally and gradually won over those around him.

Lei Chong became arrogant after gaining power, and would actively flatter and fawn upon the Aristocratic Clan families. He was narrow-minded in his actions. Although he was brave and admirable, and capable of accomplishing great things and achieving considerable success, he was not easily able to win over those around him.

Today, Li Xian was assigned to guard the criminals on "Evil-Quelling Island." Although major disturbances were rare in Jade City, minor disturbances were frequent. Evil-Quelling Island was located in a remote area and was one of the places used to suppress evildoers and troublemakers.

This is an extremely dangerous job. On ordinary days, patrolling the streets earns two military merits. Going to Evil-Quelling Island earns six military merits per day, and each trip requires staying for more than half a month.

Three others accompanied Li Xian: Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue. Zhang Qiusheng came from a poor family, Hong Dexin had connections with the Cauldron-Master Martial Academy, and Wang Jue came from a relatively wealthy family, though not a prominent clan.

Li Xian frowned slightly. Yesterday, during her secret meeting with her close friends, she had overheard "Han Niannian" mention "Evil-Quelling Island," seemingly saying that the place had been quite chaotic lately. Today, after her day off, she was sent to this island without prior notice. Could there be something fishy going on?

Li Xian thought to himself, "If I climb the ranks, I'll inevitably offend others and make enemies. Xu Shaoqian is only after the courtesan Tao Xiangrong, so he won't harm me. I'm the first to be affected, threatening Lang General Lei Chong. If I came from a respectable background, Lei Chong might not be angry with me. But we have similar backgrounds, both from impoverished families. Our rise to prominence is similar, and even our fortuitous opportunity for advancement were both due to Xu Central Lang General's favor. In this way, he will definitely see me as a major enemy. I must be very cautious on this journey."

turn out to be...

Li Xian took a three-day break. Lei Chong once suggested to Xu Shaoqian that Li Xian's promotion to Gold Steward was delayed due to his seniority. He suggested that Li Xian could go to Evil-Quelling Island for training, where there were countless vicious bandits. The longer he stayed, the faster his seniority would increase.

After taking this step, his seniority increased by several months. Although he was still relatively junior, his military achievements and strength were considerable. Promoting Gold Steward was now barely justifiable. Heavenly Pivot replied with an inquiry, and there was something he could say.

Xu Shaoqian found the suggestion reasonable and agreed to the trip. He arranged for Li Xian to rest and then head to Evil-Quelling Island. It just so happened that Evil-Quelling Island had been quite unstable recently, with a number of casualties, and reinforcements were needed to take over the guards.

And so, this journey came about.

Now, Li Xian, Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, Wang Jue, having received their important missions, each with a different expression, prepared their horses and set off. Time was short, and Li Xian suddenly learned of this, so he was unprepared and only brought his personal sword and silver spear.

Accompanying them to Evil-Quelling Island was a hundred-strong army, enough for the four of them to command. Li Xian naturally ordered the hundred-strong army to form neat ranks and prepare to depart. Zhang Qiusheng, however, called out, "Brother Li, don't rush. The journey to Evil-Quelling Island will be arduous. Let them rest a while longer."

Upon hearing this, Li Xian thought to himself, "Resting is not difficult, but this boy deliberately waited until I gave the order before deliberately contradicting me. Firstly, to show off himself, and secondly, to undermine my prestige. It seems that this person has a close relationship with Lei Chong, and he came here specifically to make things difficult for me. But I wonder to what extent he will go? Will he just slightly provoke me, or teach me a lesson, or make sure I can't return?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression calm, and observed secretly.

After a moment, Li Xian was about to give the order when he said, "Gentlemen, you've rested enough. If we're late, Lei Lang General blame us, and things will get complicated. Let's get up and head east!"

The hundred-man army rose in unison. Evil-Quelling Island was located within Jade City, in the western part of the city. It was mainly under the jurisdiction of Gold-Seeking Guard, but there would be Thirty-Two True Guards assisting in its suppression.

The army marched for about a quarter of an hour. They came to a fork in the road. Li Xian looked at the Terrain Map and headed to the left. In another half an hour, they would reach "Regret Lake," where Evil-Quelling Island was located.

This place is still "Gold Ingot Ward", but it is now adjacent to "Zhengshen Ward". The magnificent buildings and palaces remain the same. It is a beautiful place, and it is not far from Marquis Wu Station and Jujube-Pasture Residence.

However, Regret Lake is quite vast, and it is said that it was once a mine. After the jade mine was exhausted, an earthquake caused the ground to collapse, and after being washed by rainwater, it gradually accumulated into a lake.

Jade City has 360 wards... Each ward is vast. It is known as the Jade City within Stone, the Jade City within China, the Central Tower the Country, and the Sky within the Tower. Li Xian has been in the mortal world for a long time and knows that the mountains in this world are more towering, the lakes are more expansive, and the cities are more magnificent. But every time he glimpses a corner of the true face of the world, he cannot help but be amazed.

Li Xian intended to proceed to the left and issued the order. Suddenly, Hong Dexin raised his hand to stop him, shouting, "Wait! In my opinion, we should proceed to the right!" Li Xian frowned slightly, tossed the Terrain Map aside, and said, "Brother Hong, look at the Terrain Map. Proceeding to the left is faster." Hong Dexin smiled slightly, tossed the Terrain Map back, and said, "There's no need to look at the Terrain Map. I think the right route is wider, and even if it's a little longer, it's acceptable."

"Furthermore, it was Brother Li who gave the orders from the beginning. But I remember that this hundred-man army is under our joint command, so shouldn't they also be able to obey my orders?"

Li Xian thought to himself, "It seems Lei Chong has already resorted to underhanded tactics. Among these three, either they are all his lackeys, or they are people who dislike me and can't stand me. Dividing the command of the army among four people is actually an intention to prevent me from getting involved. Since that's the case, there's no point in fighting for it. Besides, since it's not under my control, their lives are ultimately up to them to decide, and I have no responsibility to take care of them. On the contrary, I'm relaxed and carefree." He cupped his hands and smiled, "Hong Dexin like to hear Brother Hong's great talent and strategy, please give me your guidance." Hong Dexin was even more annoyed when he heard the words "great talent and strategy" and "give me your guidance." He knew that Li Xian was secretly mocking him, but if he argued back, the power to command the army would inevitably be transferred back. So he just snorted coldly and ordered the hundred-man army to move to the right. After another half hour, they saw "Regret Lake". The lake was vast, with misty waves that shimmered and sparkled with colorful light, which was very beautiful. Looking further into the depths, there was a faint white mist that clung to the surface of the lake.

There were no boats traveling together.

Jade City home to many vicious bandits, Evil-Quelling Island can only imprison a portion of them. However, its notoriety is widespread, as many of the villains imprisoned there are at the Second Martial Realm. Travel to and from Evil-Quelling Island is only possible by boat.

Those at the Second Martial Realm sink upon contact with water. Even with considerable lightness skills, it's difficult to use the air to fly across the lake. Moreover, the lake contains "Color-Light Fish," a ferocious creature. Its scales reflect iridescent light, hence its name, but it is a ruthless character like a wolf or tiger.

Hong Dexin gave a call twice. A large ship gradually approached from afar. Li Xian, Hong Dexin, Zhang Qiusheng, Wang Jue, and others rode their horses and boarded the ship first, while the remaining hundred or so people lined up to board. Once everyone was on board, they sailed towards Evil-Quelling Island.

After about half an hour, the boat had entered the depths of the dense fog. Li Xian observed the lake surface and then scanned the fog. He vaguely sensed something unusual about the fog and thought, "Deep in Dongran Lake, there is also dense fog that lingers year-round. But that's because the lake area is too vast, and the moisture is very dense, so it naturally arises. Near the Water Altar, this dense fog is used by the Five-Elements Esoteric Escape Technique to form a natural barrier to resist external enemies. But the fog here doesn't seem to have arisen naturally; it gives me the feeling that it drifted from elsewhere."

"There must be something strange about Evil-Quelling Island, but if I go to ask the three of them, they will definitely give me false information or evade the question."

Li Xian's eyes flickered slightly, revealing his Double Pupils beneath his Silver Face as he scanned the layout of the ship. Suddenly, he saw Hong Dexin and Zhang Qiusheng push open the door and head towards Wang Jue's room. Li Xian had long known that the three were hiding something and had been secretly observing them. Seeing the three of them gathered at this time, he knew they must have something important to discuss.

Li Xian concealed himself and crept to the outside of the room. All three were at the First Martial Realm, so they naturally couldn't detect Li Xian. Li Xian thought to himself, "Since they're eavesdropping, I have a better way." He plucked a strand of hair and slipped it into the room through the crack in the door.

The hair was very short, and the room was dark, making it difficult to detect. Li Xian turned and left, peering through the hair to listen to the three men. Zhang Qiusheng said, "Brothers, have you felt uneasy since entering this place?" Wang Jue said, "Indeed, we feel very suffocated. If we breathe even slightly faster, our chests feel blocked. Could the rumors be true? This... this lake, is it really... is it really a demon?"

Hong Desheng said, "Nonsense! Don't scare yourself. Even if there are ghosts, if they dare to appear before me, we can easily cut them down with a single sword strike. Besides, why would someone like Lei Lang General try to deceive us?"

Zhang Qiusheng said, "I'm still a little uneasy. Several days ago, there were some ominous rumors about this place. Suddenly, a thick fog enveloped the area and hovered over the lake. It couldn't be blown away or driven away. I heard that Gold-Seeking Guard) died here. I originally thought it was just a coincidence; what was there to fear about a fog? But now that I'm here, the feeling is completely different. This fog... this fog..."

Hong Desheng, unable to remain defiant, said, "We only have about half a month to worry about all this. As long as we behave ourselves, we'll be fine. Besides... if we accomplish that task, the future looks promising!"

Wang Jue said, "This is a rare opportunity. Let's reiterate the plan and make sure we both remember it well. Once we enter the island, there's no need for further discussion, and we should even minimize our meetings. Lei Lang General has said that this young man is quite formidable; if we meet too frequently, he will surely notice and become suspicious."

Hong Desheng and Zhang Qiusheng both nodded. Wang Jue said, "This boy offended Lang General Lei and died here. It's no wonder the three of us died. He Second Martial Realm, and his strength was formidable, Non-Self ability to defeat. But precisely because of this, he had a weakness, which is why we chose this place to make him a water ghost!"

Hong Desheng said, "Lang General's general plan is for the three of us to split up and destroy the boat on the way back. Li Xian is Second Realm martial artist, and if the boat is destroyed halfway, it will inevitably sink to the bottom of the lake. In this way, even if he has great abilities, he will surely perish here."

Zhang Qiusheng said, "But if we blow up the ship on the spot, it will definitely be stopped. Therefore, the three of us need to secretly damage the keel of the ship within ten days on the island, taking advantage of the opportunity each day, and then glue it back together with 'iron glue'. In this way, when the Boat Guild halfway and is in the deep part of the lake, the iron glue will be soaked in water, the keel will completely fall apart, and the ship will be destroyed halfway. Such an accident is hard for anyone to predict. It is reasonable for him to die like this." Wang Jue said, "We also need to find a way to send a few Second Realm thugs onto the ship. When the ship is destroyed, we can blame it on the thugs and say that the thugs are looking for an opportunity to retaliate." Hong Desheng said, "Although we know lightness skills, if we are all on the same ship and fall into the lake with the ship, although we will not sink, it will still be very dangerous. Don't forget that there are strange fish in the lake."

Zhang Qiusheng said, "At this time, Lang General Lei arranged for me to feign illness and stay in bed a few days before the return journey, thus missing the return trip. After the ship is destroyed, I will then sail to rescue you. By then, the plan will be complete, and the lake fish will be ferocious, surely devouring everything. Although Xu Central Lang General values Li Xian, Xu Central Lang General may not take him seriously. To put it bluntly, if he dies, he's dead. In a few days, who will even remember him?"

Hong Dexin said, "Alright, let's plan it this way, and make the most of everything. Let's seize this opportunity to earn merit. When the thieves escape the island, we'll bravely capture them. That will be a great achievement. But for these ten days, we need to coordinate our daily duty rosters beforehand. We should first say how rampant the thieves are and which ones have disappeared. We need to make sure everything is arranged perfectly. Lei Lang General take the opportunity to show the duty rosters to the Central Lang General. Then, the three of us will have the same story, and the Central Lang General will compare it with the duty rosters. If he finds no lies, we'll naturally succeed."

Zhang Qiusheng said, "In the duty roster, we should also praise Li Xian's outstanding abilities and unwavering loyalty. This young man is indeed exceptionally strong. If we skip over him and the three of us praise each other directly, the credibility of the duty roster will be greatly reduced. Therefore, we must openly praise him and let his praise shine on us. His death in the shipwreck and our fight to the last moment with the thieves—we share in the glory—will highlight our contributions. Our rewards will naturally be greater."

Wang Jue said, "That's right. He was promoted by Xu Central Lang General, and his glorious death leaves Xu Central Lang General with no loss of face. He's in a good mood and will naturally reward us. This dead man may have some honor, but he lost his life here. We don't need to argue with him anymore."

Zhang Qiusheng said, "But just now, Brother Hong and that Li Xian seemed to be at odds. If he has already become suspicious because of this, it would be very bad."

Hong Dexin sneered, "This is a last resort. If this man gains military power, the soldiers will be loyal to him. But with more eyes and ears, there will be more variables. Therefore, it's best to divide and gather the soldiers as soon as possible. Those soldiers don't know his abilities and haven't convinced him yet. If we bring them under our command now, won't our safety be more guaranteed for the next ten days or so?"

Zhang Qiusheng said, "Absolutely, absolutely." Wang Jue said, "Alright, this is our last discussion. Let's all go back!" The three of them stood up and bowed to each other.

After a discussion, the three of them went over the division of labor and cooperation, comparing many details one by one. Li Xian listened to everything and found it extremely amusing. "It seems that Lei Chong really has murderous intent towards me. These three are no pushovers either. Although their martial arts cultivation is inferior to mine, they don't fight me head-on, but instead use this dangerous scheme to harm me. However, they never expected that I had already heard about it."

Li Xian pondered to himself, "I'll pretend I don't know anything for now. Their scheme, though insidious, isn't entirely without merit. Playing along with their plan will actually benefit me. Hmph, you're so eager to make a name for yourselves that you want to kill me. Well then, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Pretending not to know anything, he brandished his sword and knives in Class A, making the most of his time to practice martial arts.

Zhang Qiusheng, feigning leisure, walked out of the cabin, stopped a soldier, and asked, "Master Li, how long have you been practicing your sword here?" The soldier respectfully replied, "For a long time. I started practicing as soon as we entered the fog." Zhang Qiusheng asked, "You haven't left for a single moment?"

The soldier thought for a moment and said, "No."

Zhang Qiusheng nodded in satisfaction and left with his hands behind his back. Li Xian had already sensed something was amiss, but pretended not to, secretly sneering, thinking, "Lei Chong, Lei Chong, won't your risky plan help me ascend to Gold Steward? Since you're so kind, I'll gladly accept it!"