Three Battlefronts

"Hey, Second Senior Brother, none of them managed to escape either." After meeting with Yuan Jin and the other two, Jiang Qing pointed to the disheveled Foundation Establishment beside him and laughed easily.

Behind him were Xiu Ming and Wang Wu, whom he had picked up earlier while passing by. As for the Yuan family's Yuan Household attack team that had attacked Ingenious Craftsman Fort, they had all fallen under Jiang Qing's sword.

With just a simple draw and sheath of his sword, he produced a dozen or so thumb-sized Storage Bag hanging from his waist, a colorful and rather messy array.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator captured by Jiang Qing had a red mark on his forehead, and his injuries were much lighter than those of the Blood Shadow Foundation Establishment who fought Kang and Duan. Hearing the two chatting and laughing, he was naturally indignant, so he took advantage of his remaining strength to shout and curse loudly:

"You one-armed brat, don't be so smug. Once my ancestor has pacified the Zheng Household and taken over White Sand County, none of you cowardly rats from the Chongming Sect, who are willing to be lackeys of the Immortal Dynasty, will survive."

The moment this fellow finished speaking, the cheerful atmosphere in the room abruptly froze.

Yuan Jin's face darkened with anger, while Jiang Qing's eyes turned cold. Before the two elders could lower themselves and refute him, Kang Rongquan seized the opportunity to say, "You're just a servant of the Yuan Household family, what are you pretending to be a Yuan Household for?"

The red-spotted Foundation Establishment suddenly changed color, about to retort, when he heard Kang Rongquan speak again, "Don't flatter yourself. When my great-uncle takes my young mistress to the Jingnan Yuan Household for her homecoming, he'll probably be seated at the main table. Won't he be closer to Yuan Buwen than you, this filthy wretch?"

"Rongquan, speak properly." Duan Anle felt it was inappropriate to say certain things that involved an elder, so he tugged at Kang Rongquan's sleeve and whispered.

Unexpectedly, both Yuan and Chiang laughed when they saw Kang Rongquan's speechless expression as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat regarding the red-spotted Foundation Establishment. However, despite their amusement, they did not put aside their serious business.

With a cold face, Yuan Jin pulled out a ruler and with just two "smacks" on the front and back, knocked out two rows of the red-spotted Foundation Establishment's good teeth.

"If you can't speak properly, then shut up. I don't want to take your life yet, so don't try anything to seduce me!"

With a flick of his wrist, Yuan Jin sent a wisp of pure energy drifting over and attaching itself to the ruler, cleaning away all the bloodstains. His voice now carried a greater hint of hatred than before, making the red-spotted Foundation Establishment even more disheveled, and he immediately buried his head in fear.

Jiang Qing actually felt quite pleased, but he just shook his head and said, "He's just a clown, why should Second Senior Brother bother with him?"

Yuan Jin remained silent with a cold expression, only asking, "So, of all the scoundrels who rushed in, only these two groups were discovered?"

Jiang Qing frowned and replied in a low voice, "We've only found these two groups in a short time, and their methods are rather rudimentary. Logically, if the Yuan Household really wanted to send people to harass the border region between the two states, they should have selected their elite forces. This is rather puzzling."

Yuan Jin lowered his voice and said softly, "I didn't understand at first either, but when I thought about how our senior brother insisted on calling us brothers back at this time, I seemed to understand a little better."

Jiang Qing's expression turned serious, followed by a look of sudden realization.

Kang Rongquan was puzzled, but Duan Anle seemed to understand something. "Master ordered Rongquan and me to come back with our two senior uncles to wipe out the Yuan Household cultivators who had infiltrated the area, probably because he was afraid we would suffer losses on the Old Ox Mountain battlefield."

In other words, Master knows that the Yuan Household sent only mediocre fighters, none of whom are truly formidable. Was the Jingnan Yuan Household merely going through the motions? And Master seems to know this as well?"

"I wonder what the situation is like on Old Ox Mountain now?" Jiang Qing sighed softly, flicked his finger, and a stream of light appeared on the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword, which was very dazzling and beautiful.

"As my senior brother said, there are enough people waiting to die, so the situation is becoming clearer." Yuan Jin that Jiang Qing regretted missing the fierce battle that was taking place. After he Foundation Establishment, his temperament was no longer as violent as before, and he even offered some words of advice:

"Don't think too much about seeking revenge. Senior Brother already has so many things to deal with. Managing sect affairs has even delayed his own cultivation. Don't let him worry about you anymore. Whatever Senior Brother asks us to do, we'll do it."

"Yes, Junior Brother understands." Jiang Qing pondered for a while, then sheathed his sword.

After instructing Jiang Qing, Yuan Jin turned to Xiu Ming and Wang Wu, saying, "It's too dangerous for just the two of you to travel ahead. Ming-ge and this young friend Wang should come with us. I'll speak to Fellow Mo Wen; I'll make sure you don't get scolded."

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle/Senior."

Xiu Ming readily agreed. His family had a deep connection with the Chongming Sect, and he was happy to spend more time with the two elders, whom he rarely saw.

After Old Sect Leader He all inherited some of his generous and unrestrained nature. Even the most shrewd and calculating Sect Leader Kang Da was, in the eyes of outsiders, a person of impeccable manners. Xiu Ming knew that by being with these elders, he would naturally enjoy some benefits.

Wang Wu felt rather embarrassed while expressing his gratitude. He was clearly a few years older than Yuan Jin, yet the latter had referred to him as a "young friend," which was quite awkward.

Yuan Jin didn't notice the strange look in Wang Wu's eyes, but instead turned to instruct his disciples:

"In any case, we must complete the task our senior brother assigned us. Let's rest here for a while to prevent any more fools from sneaking out through the fence. There's no need to worry about Old Ox Mountain; news will arrive soon."

Duan and Kang dared not utter a word, while Jiang Qing, having grown accustomed to the arrangements made by his two senior brothers since childhood, nodded and agreed.

The group found a low hill, and the four juniors volunteered to carve out its general outline with various Law Artifact artifacts that sparked everywhere; they then used a number of Daoist spells to carve out a cave abode.

Yuan Jin assigned corresponding duties to the four people, while he and Jiang Qing focused on cultivation.

His Dao Foundation has reached the green stage, and his future is not bright, but his foundation after reaching the Foundation Establishment is quite solid among those of the same level. This is also the reason why Sect Leader Kang Da agreed to let Yuan Jin and Jiang Qing go to Old Ox Mountain together.

Compared to Ye Zhengwen, Foundation Establishment earlier, it was still more reassuring to place Yuan Jin here.

While the former cannot be considered weak among those of the same level, he certainly cannot accomplish the task of slaying a Foundation Establishment. On a battlefield of the level of Old Ox Mountain, Jiang Qing might have to be distracted to take care of him, which would contradict the original intention of Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, even as the two were engrossed in their discussion, they couldn't help but feel worried.

"I wonder how your talk with Yuan Buwen went, senior brother?"

---- Ding Prefecture Camp

"I wonder what Kang Dabao wants to discuss with Yuan Buwen?"

Despite being rumored to be severely injured, Yue Lin was gazing at the fierce battlefield in the distance with a ruddy complexion. Tie Liuyun stood beside him, replying with disdain, "Just a clown, Senior Yue need not take him to heart."

Yue Lin looked at the severed limbs, blood, and gore flying everywhere on the battlefield, but a faint smile appeared on his face, "Assistant Commissioner Tie, there are only a handful of cultivators in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture who can gain the Lord's favor. I'd advise you not to underestimate Kang Dabao; it won't benefit either of our families."

Despite Yue Lin's seemingly nonchalant words, which appeared to contain no blame, Tie Liuyun's expression immediately turned serious upon hearing them, and he respectfully replied, "Senior is right. Underestimating Kang Dabao is of no benefit to us."

Yue Lin raised her eyebrows slightly, her smile fading even more, and continued, "In my opinion, it's nothing more than coercion and bribery."

If Kang Dabao could also bring the Jingnan Yuan Household from the Two Instruments Sect, given the current situation where Golden Core are not emerging, the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court's offensive would likely be unstoppable.

"Using Yuan Xiyue to coerce her is something Kang Dabao is really capable of doing, but what good offer does he have to entice the Yuan Household?" Tie Liuyun's words were full of doubt.

Yue Lin didn't explain further, but shook his head and said softly, "I don't know about that. Perhaps taking a Golden Core Formation Pill from the state court would be enough to entice Yuan Buwen to rebel."

Yue Lin's words made Tie Liuyun nervous, because even in the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, the Golden Core Formation Pill was a rare and precious thing.

If the Yuan Household were to actually take one, wouldn't Tie Liuyun's chances of obtaining this spiritual item become even lower?

Not to mention, if the Yuan Household were to be granted amnesty, wouldn't their achievements in Jingnan Prefecture be even more outstanding than those in Ding Prefecture? Tie Liuyun had finally gained a slight advantage in the conflict between the local and the ethnic minorities while Fei Nanying was in seclusion, wouldn't it all be overshadowed by Kang Dabao's limelight soon?

Tie Liuyun hardened his heart, his tone becoming even more fierce, and said bluntly, "Absolutely not! Senior, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Yue Lin took in Tie Liuyun's slightly deranged appearance and sighed inwardly:

"Back then, Tie Liuyun was such a shrewd and capable man, a truly competent official among all the officials of the Immortal Dynasty in the entire Shannan Circuit. Yet now, because of matters involving Core Formation, he has lost his reason and his heart. How pathetic, how laughable!"

However, Yue Lin did not think this was a bad thing. After all, a loyal dog without brains is the most useful. As long as the big plan succeeds, he would not mind giving Tie Liuyun a helping hand.

After all, the Xiezhi Iron Guard alone, trained by the latter, was enough to make the Han City Yue Household invest heavily in winning them over.

"In that case, Assistant Commissioner Tie, we should not hold back." Yue Lin used these dozen or so words to give a warning. Tie Liuyun showed a hint of pity on his face and called over Tie Xishui to give him the token.

After the latter left the main camp, a team with brightly colored armor and waist badges adorned with xiezhi (mythical beasts) appeared on the battlefield.

They numbered only a hundred, but each of them possessed the cultivation level of the Late Qi Refinement Refining stage, wore ordinary weapons, and practiced the same Dao techniques.

They lined up in order, forming the shape of a mythical beast in the open space. The mere hundred Qi Refinement, when they formed an array, had already gathered into a Xie Zhi image several meters tall.

This giant beast was covered in thick, dark fur, had golden horns on its forehead, and exuded an imposing aura even without anger.

With just one roar, the hearts of both sides, who were locked in a fierce battle, trembled simultaneously.

Thus, it became clear who had the stronger willpower to gain the upper hand. In just that brief moment of distraction, at least dozens of cultivators had benefited greatly, using all sorts of methods to quickly defeat their troublesome opponents.

At this moment, two cultivators from the Ding Prefecture Sect, who were at the stage of False Core- Hongyi Sect, frowned upon seeing the Xie Zhi dharma image. They thought to themselves, "Tie Liuyun has indeed trained this Daoist army quite skillfully over the years. No wonder he finds himself unusually lonely in the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, and even dares to provoke someone like Fei Nanying."

The suddenly appearing image of the Xie Zhi was so powerful that no one could subdue it for a time.

The reason was that the Foundation Establishment from various families who were conscripted were all scattered and disorganized, so no one could stop them. However, when the ten Foundation Establishment from the Hongyi Sect formed an array to resist, they only lasted for ten breaths before the Second Tier array plate was shattered into a pile of gravel by the Xie Zhi Dharma Image.

The ten Foundation Establishment were terrified and immediately scattered like birds and beasts, exposing the even weaker Qi Refinement cultivators to the claws and fangs of the Xie Zhi dharma form.

The two False Core wanted to make a move, but fearing that Yue Lin was lurking in the shadows, Yixin to lure them out, they could only suffer the humiliation of the lower-level disciples in the arena, while the enormous Xie Zhi dharma image swaggered around.

Seeing this, Yue Lin secretly regretted it. If these two had truly believed that he was faking his injury, he could have at least made a profit. Then he turned his gaze to Tie Liuyun, who was constantly urging the Xiezhi Iron Guard and shouting fiercely.

He secretly thought that the latter had truly put all the wealth he had accumulated over the years in Cloud Horn Prefecture to good use. Otherwise, his army would not have been able to possess such power.

Those who are family know their own situation. Tie Liuyun's ability to challenge someone like Fei Nanying over the years cannot be entirely due to the influence of his Yue Household.

It should be noted that his own rank is only Green Leaf, and his cultivation Cultivation Method is only of the Vast-Tier Lower-Grade. Even his Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation was achieved by exploiting various families after he came from the state court.

However, even with these conditions, he could only be considered ordinary among his fellow Foundation Establishment.

This Xiezhi Iron Guard is his life's work, his means of survival, and the foundation for his pursuit of Core Formation; naturally, he cannot afford to be careless with it.

Every cultivator in this team was a carefully selected talent, and it took him nearly sixty years of painstaking effort to even begin to take shape. Losing any one of them would break his heart.

This is also the fundamental reason why Tie Liuyun was reluctant to send his elite troops to the battlefield.

At this moment, in Yue Lin's view, one after another neat and orderly square formations were broken by the Xiezhi Iron Guard. The other teams under the jurisdiction of the state government followed suit, becoming spirited and fearless, killing the Ding Prefecture cultivators and causing chaos and defeat.

However, the two False Core from the Hongyi Sect turned tail and shrugged off, urging the troops to turn back, thus abandoning this crucial point in Ding Prefecture.

Yue Lin sheathed his sword, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart.

A hint of indifference lingered in his aged eyes as he thought to himself, "Once this great undertaking is accomplished, I can simply trap you all inside the Hongyi Sect's gates and kill you all; it will be the same."

--Outside Old Ox Mountain

"Zhu Tong, Fei Liu, Gun Shilu may stay. The rest of you, leave immediately. I am discussing matters with Kang Dabao; it is not your place to overhear."

Yuan Buwen faced a thousand troops alone with only his halberd, yet he showed no sign of cowardice. Instead, he shouted in a stern voice, as if he regarded the two False Core, dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one or two thousand cultivators in the arena as nothing.

"You!" Zhu Tong was furious and was about to retaliate when she heard Yuan Buwen shout loudly from the other end:

"If you, pale-faced gentleman from the capital, dare to make a move, I'll slice off your head before I leave."

The words paused there. Yuan Buwen pointed at Granny Liu and Gun Shilu before speaking softly and indifferently, "The two of them can't protect you, do you believe it or not?!"

Zhu Tong felt a chill run down his spine, and his face turned extremely ugly. He was expecting Fei and Gun to say something, but when he saw that the two of them Orthodox God and on high alert because of Yuan Buwen's words, he understood seven-tenths of what Yuan Buwen had said.

He was quite straightforward, simply shouting loudly, "The rest of you, step back!"

"Wait!" Yuan Buwen's expression grew even colder as he suddenly spoke. He pointed at the three people whose names had just been called, "I've changed my mind. You can all get out now."

"Yuan Buwen, don't push your luck! If we all leave, do you think you can keep this boy alive?" Although Granny Liu still disliked Sect Leader Kang Da, she had to protect her son-in-law in front of outsiders and would never entrust him to Yuan Buwen.

Yuan Buwen coldly shouted, the gleam of his halberd seemingly piercing the brows of everyone from afar. "You are not obliged to leave. This Kang brat is indeed more difficult to kill than that arrogant young man who spoke so rudely before. You can try to save him from under my halberd."

Kang Dabao never expected that Acting Sima Gun, with whom he had previously had a fairly good relationship, would remain silent, but it was this old lady, with whom he had some previous grudges, who would speak up for him.

He immediately felt grateful to the old woman and said respectfully, "Grandma, please go back first. I know what's important. Senior Yuan is famous throughout several states. He wouldn't harm a nobody like me. It would be a laughing stock if word got out."

Having found a way out, Zhu Tong simply whispered a word to be careful before turning away nimbly; Acting Sima Gun remained silent as usual; only Granny Liu glanced sideways at Sect Leader Kang Da, her tone still unfriendly as she spoke, "He knows he has to give face to my She Mountain Hall, of course he wouldn't dare touch you."

Not content with just this warning, Granny Liu turned her head and stared directly at Yuan Buwen, coldly saying, "Minor squabbles are one thing, but Fellow Daoist Yuan, you should know your limits."

The latter's tone was equally unfriendly, retorting in kind. "Fellow Daoist, you can't say such things. Wait until your Fei Nanying Core Formation before you try to scare me."

"Well."

The pursuing force from the state court arrived quickly and left just as fast. Apart from Gun Shilu and Granny Liu, who hadn't gone far, the others disappeared in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Your courage is even better than I expected." Yuan Buwen's tone remained unfriendly, but he began with praise as soon as he spoke.

"Senior, you flatter me. I was unable to pay my respects last time I visited. Today is the perfect time, and I am fortunate to receive your instruction in person." Kang Dabao's usual cheerful demeanor returned, but inwardly he was lamenting. If he had known Yuan Buwen was so cunning, he should have kept his abilities hidden earlier.

"Smooth-tongued and glib, that's not how a man behaves." Yuan Buwen frowned and said, "Return Xiyue to me, and I will withdraw my troops."

"Once the senior accepts the amnesty and withdraws the clan's troops, Xiyue will be able to Gui Household to visit her family." Kang Dabao remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

"Ha, do you really think I can't kill you?" Yuan Buwen raised his short halberd slightly. The Granny Liu in the distance couldn't help but try to help, but Gun Shilu stopped her first, urgently saying, "Senior, don't panic."

"Senior Yuan, why are you unwilling to serve the state government?" Sect Leader Kang Da asked, unfazed.

Upon hearing Yuan Buwen's face immediately showed disdain. "Ha, you juniors, how could you possibly know how heartless and ungrateful the Kuang Household is? How could you trust them?"

"Can we trust the Two Instruments Sect?" Yuan Buwen didn't even bother to answer Kang Dabao's question. He sheathed his short halberd, made a move to leave, and turned his back, saying loudly, "It's alright. If they don't want to send it now, I'll kill a few more False Core until Kuang Liuting feels the pinch. He'll make you send Xiyue Gifts back then."

"Senior, even if I were to return Xiyue, would the Two Instruments Sect truly agree to your noble family sending a Golden Core cultivator? Even if it's just Golden Core cultivator to sit on the Great Snow Mountain as a decoration?!"

Yuan Buwen stopped in his tracks and stared directly at Kang Dabao, like a tiger about to be released from its cage, making the latter shudder and almost think that he had said something wrong.

At this critical moment, he mustered his courage and shouted again, "This junior can guarantee that Your Excellency has the magnanimity to welcome the Yuan Household to produce a True Core, forever guarding Jingnan."

"Ha, you little rascal."