The Fight for Life Begins

Green Mountain Pass, inside the Marshal's Residence, the rear hall was still as empty as ever.

In the silence, that muffled, booming voice suddenly echoed, "Senior Brother, are we just going to keep waiting like this? The initiative is not in our hands, and unforeseen changes may arise at any moment."

Dazzling sunlight slanted in through the doorway, bathing the hall in brightness. Hong Linying sat in a broad chair, shifting his gleaming bald head.

"This brat is not only cautious, but slippery as well. The past several times, he only used a few verbal messages from Liu Chengyong and letters he brought to verify matters with us before conveying his intentions. Liu Chengyong's messages were usually only a few crucial words, while the letters never mentioned cultivation techniques or escape. They merely said that if there was good wine next time, he would bring his family's secret cured meat. He is cautious to the extreme, afraid that if the letters fell into Ji Wenhe's hands, they would become evidence against him."

"The initiative really is in his hands now. Last time, we gave him a way to escape, yet he rejected it."

"That was for him to enter the city again, after which I would send people disguised as assassins who had secretly infiltrated from the Meng Kingdom to assassinate important figures on our side. By chance, they would run into him on the street and recognize him as Ji Wenhe's disciple. They would first deal with Chen An and Li Yin on the street, then hide him in a secret passage for one or two months. Once Ji Wenhe had searched for a long time and could do nothing about it, he would hand over the cultivation technique to me, and I would secretly send him away from this place. But he flatly refused. That also cut off our plan to seize him first, then proceed with threats and inducements."

"Senior Brother, when he enters the city next time, why not let me disguise myself as an assassin and directly take him? Then we can find a chance to bring him to the secret chamber."

"I considered that as well, but there are problems with it. If we forcibly seize him, will he cooperate? Will he give us the cultivation technique? Would we have to torture him then? And who can guarantee he will not bear a grudge? If he alters a few parts of the technique, then for the cultivation of an internal cultivation method, it would be a calamity from which there is no return."

"This will not do, that will not do—it truly is infuriating. I refuse to believe that under my Tendon-Severing Bone-Grinding Hand, he would dare not speak the truth."

"Junior Brother, calm yourself. Let us wait a while longer. If it still does not work, we will have no choice but to do it this way." Hong Linying patted his bald head.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. A moment later, they stopped beyond the main doors, followed by a voice. "Marshal, Captain Liu requests an audience."

"Oh? He has come. Quickly, summon him in." Hong Linying straightened in his seat. After pondering for a moment, a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

Chen An and Li Yin looked at Li Yan, who was galloping ahead on horseback, their faces full of shame. Helplessly, they slapped their mounts and chased after him amid clanking and rattling.

After entering the city today, Li Yan had not only bought some clothes, but had also taken quite an interest in certain things from Liu Chengyong's army. In the end, Chen An and Li Yin's horses were laden with helmets, armor, and military boots. Most unbearable of all, a large pot and ladle even hung from the horses' hindquarters. Under the malicious gazes in the military camp, Chen An covered his face and fled in embarrassment toward the north gate amid a chorus of clanging.

After entering the Strategist's Residence, they headed toward the inner valley under countless astonished and sighing gazes.

This time, they were even leading the horses inside. The moment they entered the valley, a strand of Divine Sense swept over them. When it scanned the two warhorses, it immediately trembled, then shrank back as though it could not bear to be seen.

Li Yan walked in front. Sensing the Divine Sense withdraw, a cold smile curled onto his lips. Behind him, Chen An and Li Yin lowered their heads and led the horses into the valley, looking as though they wanted nothing more to do with him.

Go ahead and scan. Every time I come back, I'll bring even more things for you to scan properly.

Then he turned back carelessly, pointed outside his room, and said, "Put everything we bought today there."

Chen An and Li Yin looked over, then said with mournful faces, "Young Master, your doorway is almost blocked already." Before Li Yan's stone room stood two or three wooden cabinets, their doors wide open and stuffed with farming tools such as plows, harrows, shovels, and stone mortars. Leaning beside the door was a candied-hawthorn stick, still skewered with quite a few dried candied hawthorns. That was from the last time Li Yan entered the city on a whim and brought back an entire candied-hawthorn vendor, pot and all.

"Why are you talking nonsense? I told you to put them there, so put them there. Should you put them inside the room instead? Then how am I supposed to sleep?" Li Yan looked at the two of them with an unfriendly gaze.

"Yes, yes, we'll put them down right away." Chen An and Li Yin shuddered and hurriedly agreed. Then, amid a clatter of metal, they unloaded everything onto the ground before quickly leading the horses away, covering their faces.

From beginning to end, there was no movement from the first stone room, nor did anyone come out.

Li Yan nodded in satisfaction. He circled the pile on the ground a few times, picked up a helmet and a suit of armor to compare against himself, then, after a while, seemed dissatisfied. With a casual clang, he tossed them back into the pile. Muttering a few words, he turned and walked into his room.

After entering, Li Yan poured himself a cup of water and took a sip before lying down on the bed. He lazily closed his eyes, looking utterly content, though his heart was already in turmoil.

More than half a month had passed since he made his decision. Today, he had entered the city, found Liu Chengyong, and handed him a letter. The letter said that in a little over a month, during the farming season, his uncles would bring Li Yan's family's ancestral secret cured meat. At noon, he would first go collect the meat, and with travel time included, it would take about one shichen. He asked Liu Chengyong to prepare fine wine in advance so they could drink together at a tavern. If the wine was not good, he would take the cured meat back to enjoy himself.

These were also several code phrases he had agreed upon with Hong Linying. They meant, "He planned to escape a month and a half later, on the day farming began. At noon, Hong Linying needed to find an excuse to send Strategist Ji away from his side for about one shichen. Then Li Yan would find Liu Chengyong and act. If all went smoothly, he would hand over the cultivation technique."

Once he truly made the decision, his heart began to tighten. After returning, he lay on the bed with his eyes closed, soothing the surging waves in his heart.

He absolutely was not planning to escape alone. He was planning how to take Strategist Ji's life. He had repeatedly plotted it out for several months, but even now, his chances of victory were still extremely slim. When he thought of Strategist Ji's terrifying martial arts—no, they should be called immortal arts—he had no confidence at all. Though he had never seen immortal arts like Wood Thorn Art, Fireball Art, or Wind Blade Art, merely thinking of those names filled him with helplessness.

But he absolutely could not wait another half year or year. By then, before he could think of a solution, Strategist Ji would come for him. Facing someone who knew immortal arts and had already decided he must die, he would truly have no chance at all. But if he struck when Strategist Ji was caught off guard, perhaps there was still a chance to seek life amid death. At worst, he would only die. If he truly died before Strategist Ji, then Strategist Ji likely would have no mind left to deal with his family.

After lying on the bed for a long while, Li Yan felt somewhat calmer. He stood and headed toward the pond outside. His task for now was still cultivation—cultivation, and endless cultivation.

As time passed, willow catkins began to drift on the wind, and the sun grew warmer by the day. A hundred flowers bloomed in the valley, while some trees had shed their dark leaves and put forth tender green buds.

Strategist Ji gazed over the valley, rubbing his forehead. The valley truly was filled with blooming flowers. Li Yan had transplanted wildflowers from around the valley in great swathes. Now, from the pond southward to the foot of the mountain, and northward from the pond to several zhang before the stone rooms, colorful wildflowers were everywhere—large and small, tall and short. Their mingled fragrance was so rich in the spring air that it made one dizzy. Even inside his room, every breath was filled with floral scents.

He shook his head and looked at the pond amid the flowers. There, Li Yan cultivated with steady breathing. By now, his aura showed signs of breaking through the early stage of the first level of Qi Condensation.

"Fine, do as you please for now. At this rate, perhaps another year will be enough for you to break through to the late stage or peak of the first level of Qi Condensation. At that time, whether or not you reach the peak of the first level, I must give it a try. Right now, even using more than thirty percent of my spiritual power is a problem. In another year, I estimate I will only be able to use twenty percent. Twenty percent of spiritual power is already the minimum requirement for dealing with the late stage of the first level of Qi Condensation. If I delay any longer, who knows who will be able to suppress whom then?" A trace of savagery appeared on Strategist Ji's face, where black qi threaded like wisps of smoke.

Half a shichen later, around the hour of the dragon, Li Yan emerged from the pond. After returning to his room to change into a clean black robe, he came before the first stone room.

"Teacher, I would like to enter the city today. I still have not brought last month's silver to my family."

"Very well, go." A voice came from within the room. Strategist Ji had grown accustomed to Li Yan leaving the valley every half month or month. After every return, Li Yan's cultivation would improve for a time, and his mind would remain stable for a while as well.

Li Yan bowed, intending to return to his room and take some silver before leaving. But just then, Strategist Ji's somewhat hesitant voice came from behind him. "Disciple, when you enter the city this time, try to leave more silver for your family. Do not waste it all on useless things. Every time, you bring back bags and bags of things, yet I have not seen you use much of any of it."

Li Yan froze for a moment, then smiled in understanding. He turned back again and replied, "Teacher, rest assured. I will not buy too much."

"Oh." The room fell silent.

Not long after, a commotion of squawking chickens and barking dogs rose outside the valley as Chen An and Li Yin led their horses away amid shouted calls.

Time passed little by little. At noon, inside the Strategist's Residence, someone said, "My lord, someone from the city has come to see you. Marshal Hong requests that you go over, saying he has an important matter to discuss."

"Oh? At such a time of day, what important matter could there be?" Strategist Ji was meditating inside, regulating his breathing. Since returning from Great Green Mountain half a year ago, he had changed from visiting the army once every few days to going once every ten days or even half a month. Usually, he remained in the valley meditating and regulating his breathing. He had only entered the city two days ago to discuss the Meng Kingdom's military defenses. Why was he being summoned again today? Could something major have happened? Though he did not wish to go, he still needed this place for the time being, so he could not simply ignore it.

With that thought, Strategist Ji rose to his full height and walked outside.

Li Yan looked at the sun, then smiled at Li Yu and Li Shan at the same table. Today, only the three of them sat together; they had not invited anyone else. Chen An and Li Yin could only sit at a separate table nearby.

"Li Yu, over the past half year, your cooking skills have truly improved greatly. You have risen from a helper to a prep cook. I had hoped to taste a dish you cooked yourself, haha."

Li Yu blushed. "Brother Yan, I still have a long way to go before I become a cook who stir-fries dishes. Well, maybe in about another year, I will be able to start learning. Then I'll cook whatever you want to eat."

"Good. Brother Yan will definitely come eat then." As he said this, a faint loneliness flickered across Li Yan's face, so subtle that it was hard to notice.

Li Yu and Li Shan truly did not notice that slight change. Half their attention was focused on dealing with the delicacies on the table. Whenever Li Yan entered the city, he would always treat them to a good meal, which delighted them greatly.

Li Yan paused only briefly before smiling at Li Shan again. "Li Shan, did you buy the belt I asked you to get last time?"

With his cheeks stuffed full, Li Shan looked up and smiled. "Yes, yes, it's here." As he spoke, he fished into his robes with one hand, took out a belt, and handed it to Li Yan.

Li Yan accepted it. It was a purple belt as wide as a palm. Somewhat pleased, he rose to his feet, untied the black belt around his waist, and fastened the purple one instead. Paired with his black robe, it truly gave him a touch of handsome elegance.

Chen An and Li Yin glanced over, then lowered their heads and continued drinking. They were already utterly speechless over this master's shopping obsession. Whenever the madness struck, he wanted to buy everything. Yet after bringing it back, he could not use more than a few items.

Li Yan hesitated, then handed the black belt he had been wearing to Li Shan. "Li Shan, give this and the silver I gave you earlier to Uncle when he enters the city next time. Have him bring them to my father and mother." By the end, his voice had grown somewhat low.

Li Shan and Li Yu looked up at each other. They felt that Li Yan seemed somewhat off today.