Li Qiang was well aware of the power of the Crystal Origin Bow; it was not something an ordinary mortal could withstand.
The young man, holding the Crystal Origin Bow, shouted, "Hey, this road is blocked!"
The people inside the pavilion rushed out in a chaotic rush.
The little girl also ran to the edge of the pergola, stood on a wooden bench, and looked into the distance.
Soon, a large troop of cavalry surrounded them, and the little girl exclaimed in surprise, "It's government troops!"
Li Qiang carried a wooden stool to the roadside, sat down, and watched the commotion with great interest, fanning himself with a folding fan.
The little girl jumped off the wooden stool and rushed to Li Qiang's side, saying, "Uncle, are you crazy? Hide quickly, the soldiers are coming!" After saying that, she ran into the shed.
The people in the pavilion all ran towards the riverbank, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.
The cavalry that arrived numbered about a hundred men; Li Qiang recognized them as the regular cavalry of the Gusong Kingdom.
Leading the group was a young general, carrying an iron spear. He pointed the spear at the young man standing on the ferry and shouted, " Lin Jibing! Give me back the Crystal Origin Bow!"
Lin Jibing said with a grin, " Lin Jizu, I won't give it to you! The old man is biased, why should he pass on the family heirloom to you! I say, brother, you should just go back obediently. After this ferry crossing, it's the territory of the Litang Kingdom. Do you want to cause a conflict between the two countries?"
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle. These two were actually brothers, and they must be Lin Fenghe's great-grandchildren. He just didn't know if Lin Fenghe was still alive.
Lin Jibing smugly boasted, "You know the power of the Crystal Origin Bow. If you dare come any closer, hehe, you'll get to try its power."
Lin Jizu said angrily, "Jibing! You... you've gone too far! If the Great Ancestor finds out, you'll be in big trouble! Give me back the Crystal Origin Bow right now!"
Li Qiang was overjoyed; it seemed Lin Fenghe was still alive.
The Crystal Origin Bow in Lin Jibing's hand flashed red.
Lin Jizu tightened the reins, and his mount circled on the dirt road. Seeing his angry and resentful expression, Lin Jibing laughed loudly, and the soldiers behind Lin Jizu couldn't help but clamor.
Lin Jizu shouted, "Ji Bing, what exactly do you want?"
Another commotion erupted. Someone shouted, "Look at the river!" The mist on the river had already dissipated, and a figure was walking on the water.
Li Qiang found it increasingly interesting. He knew that the one who came riding on the waves was a cultivator, whose cultivation level seemed to be very low. He couldn't fly and had to rely on the power of the water. However, in the eyes of people in the secular world, this was already quite remarkable.
The man quickly stepped onto the riverbank.
It was a tall, thin man dressed in magnificent brocade, who looked to be in his early forties with a pale face. He swaggered over to Lin Jibing's side and said, "Disciple, not bad, you got the Crystal Origin Bow, haha."
Lin Jibing said with a grin, "Master, I succeeded."
The man glanced at Lin Jizu and said in a sinister tone, "Luckily I arrived in time. These people cannot be allowed to live." He drew his long sword from his back and was about to step forward.
Lin Jibing called out, "Master, let them go."
Lin Jizu's face turned ashen, and he shouted angrily, " Lin Jibing, you actually colluded with the experts of the Litang Kingdom's Attendant Hall! I..."
The man sneered, "Now that you know, I can't let you live!" He rushed forward quickly.
With a twang of a bowstring, the soldiers of the Gusong Kingdom fired their crossbow bolts, and arrows flew in all directions.
The man brandished his sword; a flash of blue light followed, and with a series of sharp cracking sounds, not a single arrow could hit him.
Li Qiang smiled slightly. He knew that the soldiers' crossbow bolts could not harm the man. He quietly flicked a long arrow on the ground. The arrow flew close to the ground and suddenly pierced upwards when it got close to the man. The man screamed as the arrow pierced through his thigh and went straight to his buttocks.
Lin Jizu. He spurred his horse and charged forward, brandishing his iron spear.
Li Qiang sighed inwardly. With Lin Jizu's skills, even if that person was seriously injured, he would still be no match for him.
As expected, Lin Jizu's iron spear thrust straight at the man, and the power of this thrust, aided by the momentum of the galloping horse, was extremely fierce.
The man sneered, slashing with his sword. With a loud clang, the iron spear was severed in two. He slightly shifted his body, dodging the horse's head, and punched Lin Jizu off his horse. His longsword flashed, the tip already poised to strike Lin Jizu's chest.
Lin Jibing shouted, "Master, don't hurt him!"
With a thought, Li Qiang quietly used a burst of Divine Yi Power to protect Lin Jizu.
The man said viciously, "Ouch, my ass! Damn it... who shot me... I'll kill you!" He thrust his sword down, and Lin Jizu screamed in despair.
Lin Jibing also let out a scream, and the Crystal Origin Bow in his hand flashed red light as he shot an arrow.
The energy arrow fired from the Crystal Origin Bow went straight for the sword that the man was thrusting down. The man was quite skilled; even with an arrow in his thigh, he still nimbly flipped backward.
The energy arrow grazed Lin Jizu's chest and struck the base of a large tree not far away. With a deafening roar, it snapped the thick tree in half at the base, and the tree creaked and groaned as it crashed down at an angle.
Lin Jibing cried out, "Master, didn't you promise not to harm my family? Why did you kill my brother?"
Lin Jizu scrambled back to the cavalry, mounted his horse, and cursed, "I know! You're the Soul Chaser Yuchi Kang, a master from the Litang Kingdom's Attendant Hall! Shameless bastard! You're a cultivation expert, yet you attacked an ordinary person..."
Yuchi Kang shouted, "You cannot be spared, kill!" He shoved his sword back into its sheath and threw out a talisman.
Li Qiang could tell that this was a very ordinary Chain Thunderclap Lightning, belonging to the category of ordinary Yin Thunder.
Lin Jibing cried out in terror, "Master! Master... you..."
Li Qiang gently waved his folding fan, and the bolt of Yin Thunder immediately flew into the sky. A series of muffled thunderclaps resounded, and dazzling light shone from the ground all the way to the sky.
Yuchi Kang was horrified to realize something was wrong. He looked around and shouted, "Which scoundrel is hiding in the shadows causing trouble? Come out!" At the same time, he quickly retreated.
He retreated to Lin Jibing's side and snatched the Crystal Origin Bow. Lin Jibing was caught off guard and his hand was empty. Before he could speak, Yuchi Kang shouted, "Bastard, you even dare to hit your master! Get out of here!" He kicked Lin Jibing in the side of his leg, sending him flying.
Lin Jibing collapsed to the ground, completely stunned. He stared blankly at Yuchi Kang, muttering, "So what they said was true... it was all true. Master... Master... you only took me in for the Crystal Origin Bow?"
Yuchi Kang sneered, gritted his teeth, pulled out the long arrow stuck in his body, and leaped up to pounce on the water. But as soon as he moved, it was as if he had crashed into an invisible wall, and he fell to the ground with a "bang".
He suddenly realized that there was indeed a powerful expert hiding here, and he roared angrily, "Who's behind this? Who is it?"
Lin Jizu led his soldiers to surround Yuchi Kang. Lin Jibing was also tied up by several soldiers. He did not resist at all, but just lowered his head in pain, muttering something incessantly. He could not bear the blow of being deceived by his master. He never expected that cultivators would be so treacherous.
Yuchi Kang was not afraid of these soldiers, but he was terrified of the hidden master.
The soldiers who surrounded him were also afraid of Yuchi Kang. Because of his status as a cultivator, these soldiers were unwilling to lay a hand on him. The people of the Green Basin had boundless fear and worship of cultivators and would never dare to offend them easily.
Lin Jizu's iron spear had broken. He drew his waist knife and pointed it at Yuchi Kang, saying, "Put down the Crystal Origin Bow and you can leave. Otherwise, the cultivators of the Gusong Kingdom will not let you go."
Suddenly, Yuchi Kang flashed behind Lin Jizu, grabbed Lin Jizu by the neck, and brandished a gleaming flying sword, roaring, "Come out! Come out!"
Everyone stared at him dumbfounded, no one could understand what he meant by "come out" or "come out," except for Li Qiang, who knew that this kid was calling him out.
Lin Jizu's face was flushed red from being choked, and he said with difficulty, "Who are you calling out?"
He was calling me.
Li Qiang walked up, fanning himself with a folding fan.
The soldiers parted to make way, Li Qiang walked up to Yuchi Kang, pointing at him with his folding fan and saying, "Let him go. So what if you kill him? I know the owner of this bow, so leave the Crystal Origin Bow and leave immediately. I can't be bothered with your messy affairs."
Yuchi Kang said, his voice stern but his tone weak, "Let me go, and I'll let him go, but I must take the Crystal Origin Bow with me."
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "How can the cultivators of the Litang Kingdom's Attendant Hall be so unprogressive? They are a disgrace to the cultivation world. If you are still so greedy, I will reluctantly allow you to go and have some fun at the Attendant Hall of the Gusong Kingdom."
Yuchi Kang's face turned pale and then flushed. Finally, he roared, "I'll fight you to the death!"
Yuchi Kang thrust his 18-foot-long flying sword fiercely toward Lin Jizu's neck, but he suddenly found himself powerless and unable to move at all.
Lin Jizu struggled desperately, and suddenly felt Yuchi Kang loosen his grip. He struggled to break free, took a few steps and looked back. Yuchi Kang was still in the same position, one hand bent and the other holding a gleaming flying sword.
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "I told you, but you wouldn't listen. Fine, then have them take it back to the Attendant Hall of the Gusong Kingdom."
He tapped Yuchi Kang fan, sealing his power while also releasing the restriction he had just placed.
Poor Yuchi Kang encountered Li Qiang and was completely unable to resist. Suddenly, he felt he could move again, so without thinking, he rushed towards the riverbank. Holding a long flying sword, his menacing appearance frightened the soldiers into quickly making way for him.
This guy wanted to ride the waves, but he plunged headfirst into the water. He frantically thrashed about in the river, realizing he couldn't swim.
Li Qiang reached out and grabbed, and it was as if an invisible hand had scooped Yuchi Kang up from the water. He screamed and was thrown onto the shore, still clutching the 18-foot-long flying sword tightly in his hand. It seemed that the flying sword was his treasure.
Lin Jizu finally realized that Yuchi Kang was now just like an ordinary person, having lost his cultivation power. Without any politeness, he ordered his soldiers to seize him, take away the Crystal Origin Bow and the flying sword, and even take away the long sword on Yuchi Kang's back. Yuchi Kang was so angry that he shouted and yelled. In no time, he was tied up like a rice dumpling by the soldiers.
Yuchi Kang stared intently at Li Qiang, shouting resentfully, "Who are you? You must be a senior cultivator, why are you interfering in the affairs of our Litang Kingdom!"
Li Qiang walked up to him and sighed, "I didn't want to get involved in your affairs, but unfortunately, I gave this Crystal Origin Bow to Lin Fenghe. Besides, I 'Gusong Kingdom. Tell me, should I interfere?"
Lin Jizu was standing next to Li Qiang. He knew who Li Qiang was as soon as he heard his name and immediately knelt down with a thud. "Jizu greets Your Highness."
Seeing that the young general had knelt down, the surrounding soldiers also knelt down in unison. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Yuchi Kang was immediately paralyzed; he now knew who Li Qiang was.
In these countries of the Green Basin, almost everyone knows that the Gusong Kingdom two extremely powerful figures: one was the Holy King Hou Pijing, and the other was his brother Li Qiang.
Li Qiang laughed and said, " Lin Jizu, there's no need to bow to me. Take your soldiers back to camp. Also, release Lin Jibing. If he goes back, he'll probably be in big trouble."
He pointed his folding fan at Lin Jibing, and the ropes binding Lin Jibing's body shattered.
Lin Jibing knelt down in front of Li Qiang with a thud and burst into tears.
Lin Jizu stood up and said, "Your Highness, the Great Ancestor has always missed you. He deeply regrets not following you in cultivating immortality." Li Qiang knew that Lin Fenghe was still alive because he had taken the Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill and knew some cultivation methods, but it was too late for him to cultivate immortality now, as he was too old.
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Is Fenghe alright? Give him my regards when you get back. It's a pity he's too ambitious for fame and fortune; he's not suited for cultivation." Lin Fenghe was already a prince at this time. Because of his outstanding military achievements, the Lin family had become a famous and powerful clan in the Gusong Kingdom. Countless of his descendants and disciples had become officials. He was considered a meritorious figure in the Gusong Kingdom.
Lin Jizu respectfully replied, "His Majesty the Great Ancestor is in good health, Your Highness..."
Li Qiang interrupted him, saying, "Ji Zu, don't call me Your Highness. I, as a prince, have never been involved in any affairs."
Lin Jizu, quick-witted, immediately changed his words, saying, "Grandfather, may I invite you to my home? Grandfather misses you very much. He has said many times that if he could see you again, he would die in peace."
Li Qiang sighed inwardly. Of his old friends, only those who cultivated immortality were still around; the others were unlikely to be alive today. Lin Fenghe willing to cultivate immortality back then, he wouldn't have refused.
He said, "Jizu, I won't be going to the capital for now. Here are three elixirs for your great-grandfather to take. Perhaps we'll have another chance to meet again. You may go now."
Lin Jizu dared not say another word. He knelt down, kowtowed, and bid farewell. Then he got up, mounted his horse, and galloped away with his soldiers and Yuchi Kang. He did not say another word to Lin Jibing from beginning to end.
Lin Jibing looked at Li Qiang pitifully; he had stopped crying.
Li Qiang gently tapped his head with his folding fan and said, "Come with me." He turned and walked towards the shaded pavilion.
People hiding in the reeds by the river also walked towards the gazebo.
After Li Qiang sat down, he said, "Ji Bing, what do you plan to do?"
The people in the pavilion didn't know Li Qiang's identity. They had all kept their distance. They only knew that Li Qiang and Lin Jibing were very powerful people because they were sitting in the pavilion unharmed.
The little girl struggled to carry a large plate over, and Li Qiang quickly reached out to take it and placed it on the table.
The little girl said, "Uncle, this is some dry food I prepared for you."
Lin Jibing nodded absentmindedly and said, "Little sister, you go ahead and get busy."
After a long silence, Lin Jibing smiled bitterly and said, "Where can I go? Alas, I'm determined to cultivate immortality, but the Great Ancestor doesn't agree to me going to the Attendant Hall. He insists I take the imperial examinations... so..."
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "For the sake of cultivation, are you willing to betray your entire Lineage?"
Lin Jibing lowered his head in shame and whispered, "I was born out of wedlock, so I have no status in the Lineage..."
Li Qiang didn't understand and asked curiously, "What do you mean by illegitimate child?"
Lin Jibing said bitterly, "She was born to a concubine... sigh... after my mother passed away, no one respected me..."
Li Qiang, a cultivator from modern society, had no concept of the powerful Lineage of the past and couldn't understand the feelings of an illegitimate child within such Lineage. Although he wasn't lacking in money, he had no status. He said, "Ji Bing, no matter how the Lineage treats you, you shouldn't collude with outsiders to steal the family's treasures to cultivate."
Lin Jibing said helplessly, "Master... sigh, he promised me that he would teach me cultivation as long as I got the Crystal Origin Bow. Who knew he was using me to steal the Crystal Origin Bow? If the Great Ancestor finds out, I will definitely be punished to death by family law. I can't go back." He looked blankly at Li Qiang, not knowing how Li Qiang would deal with him.
Li Qiang thought for a moment and said, "Since you are so eager to cultivate immortality, I will teach you a cultivation method. Come with me." He got up and walked outside the pavilion.
Lin Jibing could hardly believe his ears. He had devoted himself to cultivation, even fighting against his entire Lineage, but in the end he gained nothing. Now, he didn't have to do anything, and his great-great-grandfather was willing to teach him the methods of cultivation.
He paused for a moment, then followed with great delight.
The water of the Qingwei River is clear and bright, and you can clearly see the fish swimming underwater from the shore. There are large patches of reeds on the sandbar, and wild ducks take flight from time to time. The world is peaceful.
Li Qiang, hands behind his back, gazed at the floating clouds on the horizon and slowly said, "Ji Bing, your purpose in wanting to cultivate immortality might be to prove something, or to change your lowly status. Let me tell you... those are all empty words. Do you really want to cultivate immortality?"
Lin Jibing knelt down with a thud, his knees sinking into the mud and sand on the bank. He said urgently, "I want to cultivate immortality! I'm not doing this to prove anything; I just want to escape the entanglements of the world. I beg my Grandmaster Uncle to teach me the methods of cultivation."
Li Qiang was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Lin Jibing to have thoughts of renouncing the world. Hadn't he had the same idea back then? He turned around and said, "Alright, meeting is fate. Here's a cultivation Method Formula. I'll only say it three times. Whether you can remember it or not depends on your fate."
He slowly recited the cultivation Method Formula once. It was a very simple Method Formula that he had compiled, and Lin Jibing concentrated intently, forcing himself to memorize it.
After repeating it three times, Lin Jibing dared not speak, desperately memorizing it repeatedly in his mind.
After a while, Li Qiang began to explain the contents of the Method Formula. After exchanging some questions, Li Qiang gave him twelve mid-grade Immortal Stone, saying, " Immortal Stone are used for faster progress in Foundation Establishment."
Li Qiang turned to the reeds on the bank and said, "Little girl, stop hiding, come out."
The reeds rustled, and the little girl in the shade came out. She said shyly, "Uncle, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Oh, you're afraid I'll leave without paying, is that right?"
The little girl blushed deeply, unsure of what to say.
Li Qiang smiled and asked, "What's your name?"
The little girl lowered her head and whispered, "My name is Yezi, and my nickname is Wawa."
Before Li Qiang could speak again, Yezi blushed and asked, "Uncle, what is Heart Formation?"
Li Qiang was taken aback and asked, "Did you hear everything we just said?"
The Yezi nodded.
Li Qiang asked, "You... you can remember all of that?"
Yezi proudly raised her head and recited the Method Formula that Li Qiang had spoken word for word.
Lin Jibing exclaimed, "My God, this little girl is truly remarkable..." He realized that he had misremembered several parts.
Li Qiang squatted down and explained the principles of the Heart Formation.
Yezi then asked, "If I don't use Immortal Stone to Foundation Establishment and only rely on Method Formula, will it be very slow?"
Li Qiang smiled and nodded, saying, "With Immortal Stone, you can quickly Foundation Establishment; without them, your progress will be much slower. How old are you? Have you ever been to school?"
Yezi shook her head and said, " The Wawa is thirteen years old this year. Grandpa taught the Wawa to read, Wawa has never been to school."
Li Qiang thought to himself, "No wonder the little girl could understand. Judging from her intelligence, her grandfather must be no ordinary person."
He took a liking to Ye Zi and, showing his appreciation for her talent, also took out twelve mid-grade Immortal Stone, handing them to Yezi and saying, " Wawa, these are for you. If you want to cultivate, you can use these to Foundation Establishment. If not, you can sell these Immortal Stone; consider it your dowry." He couldn't help but make a joke.
Although Yezi was young, she was extremely clever. Blushing, she said, " Wawa don't want to get married. Wawa want to stay with Grandpa."
The old man who used to boil water in the shade shack walked over unsteadily and said, " Wawa, what are you doing by the river? Go back and pour tea for the guests."
Yezi hurriedly hid the Immortal Stone in her bosom and shouted, "Grandpa, I'm coming right away!"
Lin Jibing stared blankly at the old man, then suddenly said, "No wonder... no wonder... he's from the Privy Council..."
The old man glanced at him and said, "Sir, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just an old man selling tea. Wawa, go back now."
The old man carried the Yezi toward the shade, and the little girl happily waved goodbye to Li Qiang.
Li Qiang said, "Ji Bing, everyone has their own fortuitous opportunity. Find a place to live in seclusion and cultivate slowly. If you succeed in your cultivation, you can go to the Ancient Sword Academy on Sealed Fate Planet. Just say that I introduced you there."
Lin Jibing listened with a half-understanding, and asked in confusion, "What Ancient Sword Academy on Sealed Fate Planet? Where is it?" He had no concept of planets at all.
Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh. He patted Lin Jibing on the shoulder and said, "Kid, the world is vast. You'll only truly understand it when you reach that level of cultivation. Alright, go on your way."
Lin Jibing looked at Li Qiang carefully and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, Jibing will never forget you. Rest assured, Jibing will definitely succeed in his cultivation." After saying that, he kowtowed three times heavily, turned around and ran to the pavilion, mounted his horse and galloped away.
Li Qiang smiled slightly and stepped towards the river.
Yezi saw it from inside the pergola and exclaimed, "Grandpa, look!"
The people in the pavilion were amazed. They saw Li Qiang, dressed in white, gracefully walk towards the opposite bank of the Qingwei River. The clear river water seemed like a wide road. Li Qiang walked further and further away and soon disappeared into the reeds on the opposite bank.
Grandpa whispered, "That's a cultivator, an extraordinary person."
Yezi's eyes lit up, and she secretly made up her mind that she would also cultivate immortality.
She touched the Immortal Stone in her arms, a slight smile appearing on her face.
Li Qiang continued walking aimlessly forward, still unsure of what to do next. Unconsciously, he walked out of the Green Basin.
Gradually, the surrounding scenery became more and more desolate, greenery became scarce, large chunks of rock were scattered on the ground, and the terrain became uneven.
Li Qiang didn't care about the environment at all. He had seen even the harshest planets. He subconsciously walked forward, still thinking about how to find information about Xinbo Cape and how to deal with the people from the Immortal Realm.
A distant roar could be faintly heard, and soon after, the roar sounded again, this time much clearer.
Li Qiang turned around and walked towards the direction from which the roar came.