Ambushed on the Way Home

Several small rivers flowed into Dongyang Lake at the Liu Family Ancestral Land, and the Qingshui River was the largest among them.

Traveling by boat from Qinghe Town, one could sail downstream directly to Dongyang Lake.

The distance of five or six hundred li could be covered within a day by sailing downstream with a little spiritual power to propel the vessel, much faster than walking.

Liu Yuanchen nodded. "Then I'll trouble Sixth Uncle to make the arrangements."

An hour later, Liu Yuanchen boarded the family's cargo ship at the dock outside Qinghe Town.

The ship was around six zhang long and two zhang wide. It was built from low-grade spirit wood and looked rather crude.

A flag hung from the bow, bearing the words "Dongyang Liu Clan."

There were also two disciples from the Liu Family's distant branches aboard the cargo ship.

At that moment, a cultivator who looked to be around fifty emerged from the cabin.

Seeing Liu Yuanchen wearing the robes of the Azure Elixir Sect, he asked, "Fellow Daoist of the Azure Elixir Sect, are you here on official business?"

Liu Yuanchen cupped his hands. "Second Uncle, it's me, Yuanchen!"

This man was named Liu Qingsong, and he was also a member of the Liu Family's distant branch.

There were only a little over thirty cultivators in the Liu Family. Liu Yuanchen had met all these elders when he was young, so he naturally recognized them.

Liu Qingsong stared at him for a long while before speaking. "It really is you. We haven't met in seven or eight years, and you've grown so tall—more than seven feet.

"You resemble your father somewhat. Otherwise, I truly wouldn't have recognized you.

"But your vitality and blood are absurdly strong.

"I'm at the Eighth Qi-Nourishing Layer, yet the two of us are about evenly matched in vitality and blood."

Liu Yuanchen's heart tightened. Absorbing the life force of plants to cultivate had strengthened his vitality, blood, and physical body.

After opening his Blessed Land and changing cultivation methods, the improvement had become even greater.

Even a cultivator at the Eighth Qi-Nourishing Layer could see the problem. His vitality and blood would not escape the notice of true experts, so he would need to find a way to conceal it in the future.

He casually made up an excuse. "My vitality and blood have always been relatively strong ever since I began cultivating.

"Later, I often entered the mountains to gather herbs and found some spirit fruits. As long as they weren't poisonous, I used them to fill my stomach.

"Perhaps one kind of spirit fruit happened to strengthen vitality and blood."

He then changed the subject. "I heard from Sixth Uncle that Red Sand Wolves attacked the Salt Marsh and that my father was slightly injured.

"You often travel between the family's various properties, so you should know the situation there. How is my father now?"

Liu Qingsong did not pursue the matter. "I went to the Salt Marsh a few days ago. Your father only suffered superficial injuries and should have recovered by now.

"However, there is still some trouble at the Salt Marsh.

"The family sent people to hunt them down, but we failed to find the Red Sand Wolves' den.

"Among those Red Sand Wolves is a Wolf King at the late Spirit Devouring Realm. It won't be easy to deal with."

The Spirit Devouring Realm was the Demon Race's first realm, equivalent to the Human Race's Qi-Nourishing Realm.

At this realm, demon beasts possessed low intelligence and could only cultivate through instinct and by devouring spiritual objects.

Above Spirit Devouring were realms such as Qi Assimilation and Spirit Awakening.

Demon beasts at the Qi Assimilation Realm had somewhat greater intelligence and could already cultivate simple breathing techniques, actively drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. That was why the realm was called Qi Assimilation.

As for Spirit Awakening, it meant the awakening of intelligence.

At this realm, demon beasts were already as intelligent as relatively dim-witted humans. Speaking human language was no difficulty, and they could cultivate more complex cultivation methods and spells.

Liu Yuanchen knew nothing about the higher realms demon beasts could reach.

Red Sand Wolves were not particularly powerful demon beasts and generally could only cultivate to the mid Spirit Devouring Realm. A Wolf King could reach the late Spirit Devouring Realm.

Although Red Sand Wolves were low-grade and rather mediocre in combat against opponents of the same realm, they were extremely well adapted to the Red Wasteland's environment.

A Red Sand Wolf in its prime could survive for years in a barren desert without spiritual energy or water.

If they were determined to hide, they would be extremely difficult to find.

Moreover, these creatures were stubborn. Once they fixed their sights on a target, they would never give up until they succeeded.

The Salt Marsh had already been targeted by the Red Sand Wolves. Unless the entire pack was exterminated, it could be attacked again at any time for a long while to come.

Liu Yuanchen was worried. His father was stationed at the Salt Marsh year-round, and his elder brother was also a salt worker in the salt fields.

Until the wolf pack was eliminated, they would always be in danger.

His standing was too low to influence the family's decisions.

Trying to transfer his father and elder brother elsewhere would not be simple.

He chatted idly with Liu Qingsong as gusts of wind swept past his ears and the vegetation along both riverbanks sped backward.

Liu Yuanchen was somewhat curious. The ship was moving far too quickly. It could travel a little over two hundred li in an hour, nearly at full speed.

Normally, cargo ships returning from Qinghe Town to Dongyang Lake relied entirely on the current in order to save Spirit Stones.

At most, the family disciples would spend a little spiritual power helping propel the ship, and the trip back to Dongyang Lake would take a full day.

At their current speed, they would reach Dongyang Lake in a little over three hours.

Furthermore, an ordinary cargo ship did not need a cultivator at the Eighth Qi-Nourishing Layer to escort it.

Taken together, all these unreasonable details pointed to only one explanation: there was something rather important aboard the ship.

Returning quickly to the family could avoid many unnecessary troubles.

Of course, the item could not be outrageously valuable.

Otherwise, a Sea of Qi Realm cultivator from the clan would be escorting it personally.

Sixth Uncle had taken the initiative to offer him a place aboard the ship. It seemed he wanted to use Liu Yuanchen's identity as an Azure Elixir Sect disciple to intimidate rogue cultivators who intended to rob the vessel.

Thinking of this, Liu Yuanchen could not help but sigh inwardly. The people of the main branch really calculated everything down to the bone.

He had only wanted a convenient ride, yet he had somehow become a free bodyguard.

Even the news of his father's injury had probably been deliberately revealed by Sixth Uncle.

Now that he was aboard, it was too late to get off.

If he jumped ship and fled now, he would be completely falling out with the family.

He himself might not care, but his father and elder brother would likely suffer for it.

At this point, he could only do his best to protect the ship.

He closed his eyes and spread out his Divine Sense.

Everything within thirty zhang, every blade of grass and tree, came clearly into view.

Liu Qingsong sensed that he had released his Divine Sense to investigate the surroundings and stopped talking to him.

Before long, Liu Yuanchen sensed cultivators secretly watching the cargo ship from the vegetation along the riverbank.

He stood up, his eyes fixed on where the rogue cultivators were hiding.

The rogue cultivators saw Liu Yuanchen in the robes of an Azure Elixir Sect disciple and realized that he had discovered their hiding place.

Unable to gauge his true strength, they did not dare make a move.

Liu Qingsong cautiously asked, "Yuanchen, did you find something?"

Naturally, Liu Yuanchen did not wish to reveal his special methods. "I'm just being overly suspicious. It's nothing.

"Still, Second Uncle, you must be careful. You're carrying an important responsibility, so nothing must go wrong."

A look of surprise appeared on Liu Qingsong's face, but he quickly concealed it.

Liu Yuanchen merely smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Downstream on the Qingshui River, the channel became broad and shallow.

An hour after leaving Qinghe Town, they saw a marshland over ten li wide in the distance to the east.

The marsh was covered in reeds. Only a waterway around three zhang wide could accommodate the cargo ship, and it twisted and turned through the marsh.

The cargo ship could not pick up speed at all and could only weave through the dense reeds.

This place was practically tailor-made for ship robbers.

Looking at the marsh ahead, Liu Qingsong's face darkened like it could drip water.

Liu Yuanchen remained all smiles. "Second Uncle, Sixth Uncle tricked me into coming here.

"If what happens next is manageable, I'll give it my all.

"If things become impossible, I'll fight my way out with everything I have and return to the family to report it."

Liu Qingsong glanced at him but said nothing.

Liu Yuanchen could flee, but Liu Qingsong could not.

After all, Liu Yuanchen had never formally accepted the task of escorting the ship.

If the goods were lost, he would bear no responsibility.

Liu Yuanchen was prepared to flee at any moment. As for whether he could escape, he was fully confident.

This place was over two hundred li from Qingshui Town and less than four hundred li from Qingstone Mountain Blessed Land.

Even here, Liu Yuanchen could still receive spiritual power fed back by the Blessed Land.

It was simply a very small amount. The spiritual power fed back over a hundred breaths was only one three-hundredth of a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

That amount of spiritual power would naturally be far from enough for sustained combat against other cultivators.

But combined with his powerful physical strength, it still gave him a good chance of escaping at full speed.

Liu Yuanchen clenched both fists. Faint jade-green spiritual light flickered over his arms.

The Azure Silk Vine hidden within his sleeves rapidly grew after being nourished by spiritual power, winding around both his arms.

In just a few breaths, his arms had been tightly wrapped in Azure Silk Vine.

The vines continued spreading toward his torso. After more than ten breaths, everything below his neck was covered in vines.

The vines crisscrossed one another, somehow weaving themselves into a suit of Vine Armor.

Given the toughness of Azure Silk Vine, even a mid Qi-Nourishing Stage cultivator would have to expend considerable effort to break through this Vine Armor.

In just over twenty breaths, Liu Yuanchen had finished preparing for battle.

The robe concealed everything, so no clue could be seen from the outside.

Liu Qingsong's vitality and blood surged as killing intent enveloped his entire body.

The cargo ship sped onward and soon entered the marshland.

The Qingshui River's channel became winding and twisted. The ship slowed to the speed of an ordinary person running at full force.

Soon, a furtive figure entered Liu Yuanchen's range of perception.

The figure was too far away for him to determine its cultivation level.

More than ten breaths later, Liu Yuanchen sensed another three cultivators following behind the ship.

After the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, the cargo ship had reached the center of the marsh.

At that moment, there were a full ten cultivators within Liu Yuanchen's sensing range.

Crack—

A willow tree as thick as an adult's waist fell beside the waterway, blocking the channel completely.

The waterway here was narrow, making it difficult for the cargo ship to turn around.

If they forced their way through, the ship would most likely break apart.

Fortunately, the Liu Family disciple steering the ship was skilled. Before the cargo ship struck the trunk, he brought it steadily to a stop.

A burly man with a scar across his face sprang out of the reeds.

The man held a heavy sword, leaped high into the air, and cleaved down at Liu Qingsong.

Smiling, Liu Qingsong stepped forward quickly and drew a longsword, slashing upward toward the burly man's crotch.

The burly man hurriedly changed his move, sweeping his heavy sword sideways to knock aside Liu Qingsong's longsword and save his family heirloom.

However, before his feet could touch the deck, Liu Yuanchen charged at him from the side.

With an Iron Mountain Lean, he slammed heavily into the man's lower back.

The burly man screamed and flew off at an angle. His kidneys were probably finished.

Liu Qingsong pressed the advantage. With a sweep of his left hand, a golden throwing knife shot out.

Before the burly man could even hit the ground, the golden knife beheaded him.

Working together, the two of them had killed a rogue cultivator at the Sixth Qi-Nourishing Layer in an instant.

Liu Yuanchen cupped his hands toward the surroundings. "Liu Yuanchen, disciple of the Azure Elixir Sect's Shennong Hall, has urgent business at Dongyang Lake. I ask all fellow Daoists to please make way."

A hoarse voice came from somewhere nearby. "Aren't you the little lackey from the Azure Elixir Sect who guards Spirit Fields at Yujin Mountain?

"As long as we kill everyone on this ship and toss the bodies anywhere, would the Azure Elixir Sect really go to great lengths over one little lackey like you?"

Laughter rang out from every direction. There were at least twenty rogue cultivators robbing the ship.

Liu Yuanchen cursed inwardly. The main branch really was full of bastards. They took the benefits and made him take the blame.

Liu Qingsong used his longsword to lift the rogue cultivator's head high into the air. "My Liu Family has never gone out of its way to offend rogue cultivators, but neither are we easy to bully.

"If all of you attack with everything you have, the few of us certainly won't be your match. But taking a few lives with us would still be no problem.

"Is it worth throwing away your lives for a few Spirit Stones?"

At those words, several rogue cultivators approaching the cargo ship halted, clearly hesitant.

The hoarse voice sounded again. "Don't listen to his nonsense, fellow Daoists. The Liu Family obtained a spiritual item that can assist in breaking through to the Sea of Qi Realm."

Liu Qingsong sneered. "Now that's strange. Who would sell a spiritual item that can help break through to the Sea of Qi Realm?"

"You said the Liu Family had obtained a treasure. How did you know that?"

"Or do you bear a grudge against the Liu Family and want to use the blades of our fellow cultivators to kill members of the Liu Family?"

After saying that, he shot Liu Yuanchen a meaningful look.

Upon hearing this, all the independent cultivators stopped in their tracks.

Intercepting and killing Azure Elixir Sect disciples could bring pursuit from the Azure Elixir Sect in the future.

They did not know whether the Liu Family truly possessed a treasure.

If they did not, then they would have suffered a terrible loss for nothing.

"Fellow cultivators, this old bastard Liu Qingsong is spouting slander."

The hoarse voice's defense sounded somewhat feeble.

Liu Yuanchen slowly retreated into the cabin.

Then a flash of emerald light enveloped him, and he vanished from where he stood.

"Nothing to say now, huh? You deliberately framed the Liu Family and even made our fellow cultivators serve as sacrificial pawns."

"You hold such a deep grudge against the Liu Family. Fellow cultivator, were you hired by the Chen Household?"

"You..."

Before the owner of that hoarse voice could finish speaking, Liu Yuanchen suddenly appeared at his side.

The man wore a black robe and a veiled conical hat, concealing his face completely.

Liu Yuanchen swung his right arm in a wide arc.

He smashed it toward the man's head.

The black-robed man had been arguing with Liu Qingsong and had not expected Liu Yuanchen to fight so shamelessly.

In his haste, he could only raise an arm to block.

Smack—

After a crisp crack, the black-robed man was knocked back more than ten feet.