The Feng Household's Young Master
For a moment, the youth was at a loss for words. He stammered for a while before saying, "Fellow Daoist, since you've come to Jingxiu Mountain at a time like this, you must have an old grudge against the Mo Household! Our young master has already befriended more than a dozen experts at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer. Pooling everyone's strength and ideas is far better than wasting your efforts here alone!"
Mo Wen pondered for a moment, then nodded. "You've got a way with words, fellow! Very well, I'll go meet your young master. A little delay won't make any difference anyway!"
Only then did the youth breathe a sigh of relief and lead Mo Wen to a camp several li away.
The camp covered a considerable area, roughly a hundred zhang across. More than a hundred stone houses stood inside, all built with earth-element Law Techniques and looking quite sturdy. In addition, the camp had a first-tier, middle-grade formation. Although its defensive power was not particularly strong, it served well enough as an early warning system.
Only after entering the camp did Mo Wen discover that more than forty cultivators lived there, the weakest of whom had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.
Mo Wen was inwardly startled and gained a better understanding of the young master's methods. In any case, someone who could recruit so many Rogue Cultivators was certainly no ordinary person.
Just then, a handsome, imposing young man wearing a jade crown and moon-white Dharma robes came out to greet them.
"I am Liu Feng. Greetings, fellow Daoist!" The handsome young man cupped his hands in greeting, his manner natural and friendly.
"Liu Feng? Could you be from the Liu Household of Venomous Dragon Valley?" Mo Wen's heart stirred, and he cupped his hands in return.
"Might I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist?" Liu Feng asked.
"My surname is Wen, and my given name is Zhong," Mo Wen said.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Wen." After a few polite words, Liu Feng led Mo Wen into a stone house.
Once the two had taken their seats as host and guest, a maid promptly served spirit tea.
Mo Wen paid the tea no mind and got straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Liu, what exactly do you want with me, bringing me here?"
"You speak frankly, fellow Daoist. I admire that." Liu Feng took a small sip of spirit tea and continued, "Those of us who came to Jingxiu Mountain either have old grudges against the Mo Clan or covet its resources. Since we share the same aims, we can naturally join hands and attack the Mo Clan together."
Mo Wen glanced at Liu Feng and sneered. "Fellow Daoist Liu, those words might fool others, but don't show them off in front of me!"
Liu Feng did not get angry. "What do you mean by that, Brother Wen?" he asked calmly.
"The Mo Clan has developed Jingxiu Mountain for over two hundred years. Both its second-tier, middle-grade Spirit Vein and its high-grade spirit fields are rare resources that could serve as the foundation of a Lineage. Now that Mo Yifeng has passed away in meditation and the Mo Household no longer has a Foundation Establishment cultivator holding down the fort, several surrounding Households have long viewed it as a juicy piece of meat they can't wait to swallow in one bite!"
"With those Households watching, even if people like us gain some benefits, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep them! If we lose our lives over a few resources, wouldn't that be utter folly?"
When Mo Wen finished, he stared intently at Liu Feng, as though he had already uncovered everything about him.
At those words, the calm finally vanished from Liu Feng's face. He raised his teacup and slowly took a sip of spirit tea before saying in a low voice, "You're a perceptive man, Fellow Daoist Wen. But with your strength, I'm afraid you can't stir up much of a storm!"
Before he had finished speaking, an overwhelmingly powerful pressure suddenly burst from him and bore down heavily on Mo Wen. It was the pressure of Qi Refining Great Perfection, even stronger than that of an ordinary Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator.
Mo Wen sat upright in his chair, letting the pressure fall upon him, yet not even a corner of his robes stirred.
Liu Feng's expression finally changed at the sight. He truly had not expected the Rogue Cultivator before him to be so unfathomable. It was almost like facing a Foundation Establishment High Person.
Naturally, he did not know that Mo Wen had now far surpassed the so-called Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivators. In particular, Mo Wen could now extend his Divine Sense beyond five zhang, comparable to half that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator with the weakest foundation.
A Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator like Liu Feng, with his solid foundation, could suppress ordinary people with pressure well enough. But against Mo Wen, he was like an ant trying to shake a tree, laughably ignorant of his own limits!
"Forgive me, Senior. This junior had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I did not know a Foundation Establishment High Person had graced us with his presence, and I have been discourteous!" Liu Feng rose and bowed respectfully.
"You're a clever junior. Which Household are you from?" Mo Wen asked calmly.
"This junior is Feng Jin, unworthy though I am, the young master of the Feng Household. To behold Senior's honored countenance today is a blessing earned over three lifetimes!"
"So you're from the Feng Household of Ink Cloud Ridge. No wonder you have such strength!"
Mo Wen laughed inwardly. These people were rather amusing. They impersonated one another, each dumping a basin of filth on someone else's head!
Unfortunately for you, no matter how sly a ghost you are, this old man will still have you spinning in circles!
His expression stern, he continued questioning Feng Jin about the cultivators gathered at Jingxiu Mountain.
Feng Jin did not dare conceal anything and gave him a full account of the true situation.
As it turned out, ever since Ancestor Yifeng had passed away in meditation, four cultivation Households had set their sights on the Mo Clan, intending to seize Jingxiu Mountain for themselves.
These four were the Liu Household of Venomous Dragon Valley, the Feng Household of Ink Cloud Ridge, the Zhang Household of Cuiwei Lake, and the Hu Household of Heavenly Horse Mountain. Of these, the Liu Household of Venomous Dragon Valley was the strongest. It had three Foundation Establishment Ancestors, the strongest of whom, Ancestor Yupu, had reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Peak and was only a hair's breadth from the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. The other two ancestors were at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Both were in their prime and possessed considerable strength.
Second was the Feng Household of Ink Cloud Ridge, which had two Foundation Establishment Ancestors, both at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. The Household passed down its expertise in formations, and its strength could not be underestimated either.
As for the Zhang and Hu Households, each had only one Foundation Establishment Ancestor. Although each had its own methods, they were the weaker side and could only join forces against their enemies.
The four Households had split into three factions, each sending its elite members to employ various methods at the foot of Jingxiu Mountain and recruit stronger Rogue Cultivators, intending to claim a larger share of the spoils when they divided up the Mo Household.
After several months of rivalry and struggle, the three factions had gradually reached an agreement and were preparing to launch an attack on Jingxiu Mountain soon.
This had also indirectly intensified the competition for the many Rogue Cultivators, and the four Households had even begun to resort to unscrupulous means.
The moment Mo Wen showed himself today, Feng Jin had set his sights on him. He had eagerly invited Mo Wen into the camp, hoping to overawe him into submission in one stroke and make him work for the Feng Household. But he had never expected to invite in a god of slaughter and land himself in a dangerous situation instead.
"Senior, as long as you cooperate with my Feng Household, this junior can guarantee that you will obtain rewards to your satisfaction!" Feng Jin promised solemnly.
"Oh? Is that true? Since reaching Foundation Establishment, this old man has lacked a territory in which to cultivate. If your Household can give me Jingxiu Mountain as my cultivation ground, I could lend you a hand!"
Mo Wen was also painting a grand pie in the sky for Feng Jin. He had finally obtained this opportunity, so naturally he intended to fleece him for all he was worth!