Breaking the Deadlock
---- Mountain North Circuit Camp
News of Joyful Sight Mountain's collapse and the disappearance of True Person Cloud Trust quickly reached this place.
News also came from the Two Instruments Sect. Pu Honggu claimed that the Two Instruments Sect was now sandwiched between Xuanwei City and Joyful Sight Mountain. If reinforcements could not be dispatched from Mountain North Circuit to return to Rosy Lake Mountain, he might have no choice but to lead his disciples to the front lines in Mountain North to avoid the enemy's advance.
However, if that were the case, the fertile prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Pavilion, including Tengwen Prefecture, would soon be taken over by the Fei Household's army.
At that time, the balance of power will shift, which will be a great harm to the army.
Under such circumstances, even Bai Canhong, who had initially remained calm, felt a sense of unease, while Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant opposite him, was even more uneasy.
The central tent of the Mountain North Circuit camp was deliberately opened a crack, and the howling cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in, causing the flames in the bronze spirit fire basin to sway this way and that, making the shadows of the two people inside the tent flicker violently on the tent wall.
Bai Canhong's fingers, pressed against the map, turned white. The words "Joyful Sight Mountain has collapsed" felt like a lump of ice in his chest, making it hard for him to exhale properly for a long time.
The combined efforts of the two families were a crucial step in Supreme Unity Temple's decision to expel the Office of the Duke of Qin from the Three Southwest Circuits.
During this period, strategists who received instructions from Supreme Unity Temple were almost everywhere in the twenty-seven sects of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and among the thirty-two Nascent Soul sects, where were there not fence-sitters observing the situation?
At this moment, whichever side shines brightest will be more likely to rouse people's hearts.
To understand the magnitude of the shockwaves that Kuang Liuting's actions—killing Golden Core and showing no regard for True Person —had on various factions, one need only look at how Kuang Zefu, the Prince of Great Wei, could swagger southward with his Imperial Guards.
Along the way, each family, if not offering food and drink, would at least send out a prominent figure to pay their respects, ensuring the dignity of the imperial family.
Do not dismiss this change as insignificant; it is a rare sight since the reign of Great Wei, when members of the royal family attacked and framed each other, causing the central authority to fall into the wrong hands.
The significance of Kuang Liuting's Upper-Grade Golden Core elixir appearing out of nowhere within the imperial family is evident.
Therefore, on this battlefield Mountain North, from Kuang Liuting down, no one in the Office of the Duke of Qin's Mansion didn't want to end this rotten war.
However, it was different for Bai Canhong, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion. The Supreme Unity Temple True Person Qingxuan of Taiyi Temple had written to him several times, all urging him to stir up trouble on this battlefield and keep the True Person of the Office of the Duke of Qin from leaving, so that he could coordinate with the other sects to launch an uprising.
This is a very serious matter, and it may take up to ten years; it is still not ready yet.
Now that Joyful Sight Mountain has been breached, the whereabouts of True Person Cloud Trust are unknown, and it is also unclear where Tiger Spring has been hidden, or whether he is alive or dead.
If we consider the worst-case scenario, True Person Tiger Spring also escapes and falls into the Office of the Duke of Qin's formation, then our side's True Person and Demon Lieutenant will have to face the combined forces of six True Person on the other side.
Even if none of them could compare to Bai Canhong, it's true that no matter how arrogant the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion is, one knows that the odds of winning are not high.
In other words, the balance of power has shifted, Star-Picking Pavilion has become the side that is less inclined to continue fighting.
Even Bai Canhong was overwhelmed with worry, so Fengwen Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant was sitting opposite him, had long lost all of his usual calm demeanor.
This fellow was burly and thick-waisted. Even after transforming into human form, he was still over 12 feet tall. His broad shoulders and thick back made his black iron scale armor bulge out, and there were still blood scabs left from the battle with the True Person of the Duke's Mansion a few days ago stuck in the crevices of the armor.
He deliberately left a messy head of bright red hair at the back of his head, as if it had been ruffled by a strong wind, with each hair standing on end and a few strands of dry grass seemingly still tangled at the ends;
His face was bronze, covered with scars of varying depths, the most prominent being the one on his left forehead, which ran diagonally from his brow bone to his jaw, the flesh of the scar rolled up, and had a dark purplish-red hue.
His pupils were a cloudy, dark yellow, and the openings were not round but narrow, horizontal slits; when he glared, they looked like two bronze lamps gleaming with a fierce light.
Two short, thick tufts of red hair stood upright at the tips of his ears, trembling slightly with his breath, occasionally releasing tiny fluctuations of spiritual energy, as if they contained some Dao Rhyme flowing out.
However, the words spoken by this seasoned Demon Lieutenant at this moment were so crude that they were somewhat unseemly.
"Damn it! How could Joyful Sight Mountain collapse so quickly?! Also, didn't Cloud Trust boast that he had cultivated a wonderful technique and that after advancing to the mid-stage, he wouldn't be inferior to you Bai Canhong?!"
"Damn it, my little husband, he's so unreliable with his words! I wonder where that thieving bald guy from the Original Buddha Sect came from, and he managed to expose his true colors!"
Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant, slammed his hand on the table, causing the flames in the tent to flicker. Sparks landed on his red mane, but he was oblivious. He stared intently at Bai Canhong, his dark yellow pupils filled with anxiety.
"Old Ghost Bai, didn't you say that the Fourth Tier grand formation of Joyful Sight Mountain was as stable as Mount Tai and could not be broken by anyone less than a Nascent Soul?! Only a few days have passed, how are you going to explain this now?!"
He spoke with a rough, hoarse voice, spittle splattering onto the map on the table, leaving a small damp patch. Bai Canhong frowned and stepped back, but didn't rush to refute him. Instead, he spoke to himself first:
"What a beast! He can't stand being spoken to nicely. I'm not afraid he'll get even more aggressive if he keeps arguing, especially since we're already in a bad situation."
"What's the use of being anxious?" Bai Canhong suppressed his temper and pointed to Tengwen Prefecture on the map. "The most important thing now is Tengwen Prefecture. Now that the Fei Household family has broken through Joyful Sight Mountain, their next target might be Tengwen Prefecture."
Once Tengwen Prefecture is lost, our Mountain North Circuit force will be isolated. Not only will it be difficult to produce and transport supplies, but our sects Aristocratic Clan will also be placed under the command of others.
Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant his disheveled red mane, his dark yellow pupils shrinking, and his tone suddenly turned somber. "A lone army? I can't be a lone army. In that case, let's disband. I'll lead my men back to Cold Crow Mountain myself."
"You think you can just leave whenever you want? Do you think this is a porridge shop?"
"What do you intend to do? The bandits are powerful. At worst, I'll take those hundred or so disciples with me. Don't worry, my demon lands are vast and boundless; there's plenty of place for you to stay."
Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant this, and Bai Canhong's expression changed immediately. He saw that the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion had a silver chain on his hand, and his two burning eyes were so intense that even the Fourth Tier Demon Lieutenant had to turn his head slightly and not dare to look directly at him.
"Ha, you think you can take me into Cold Crow Mountain to be a traitor? You mule probably don't even have that kind of ability!"
"Old Bai, say something again!!"
"Even if I say it a thousand times, you, Fengwen Demon Lieutenant, are still just a mule!" Bai Canhong cursed for a while, his fierceness undiminished, before continuing:
"Let me make this clear first: if all you're thinking about is taking the spoils and skilled people from this fertile land back to Cold Crow Mountain so you can continue fighting with those other fools and abandon this place..."
Upon hearing this Demon Lieutenant, Fengwen Demon Lieutenant felt his entire body tense up, but he dared not move, hoping that Bai Canhong would speak again. However, when the latter spoke again, his tone had softened considerably:
"Then you can try and see if I can clean up this Demon Lieutenant."
"You Demon Lieutenant!" Fengwen Demon Lieutenant was so angry that he could hardly maintain his human form, but his furious expression gradually subsided under Bai Canhong's cold gaze.
The old demon lowered his head and became slightly more obedient. "Lord Bai, the situation is irreversible, and the fate of Mountain North Circuit is sealed. It's truly beyond our control. Even if we don't leave, what can we do?!"
Bai Canhong seemed to have been preparing his speech for quite some time. After putting away the silver chain and pondering for a while, he finally spoke:
"You still have demon soldiers within your barrier; send them all out, leave none behind. Qingxuan and the Supreme Unity Temple Master are surely aware of this situation, and they certainly won't stand idly by and watch us fall into defeat and the situation deteriorate."
"'Send them all here, leave nothing behind'?" Fengwen, Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant, felt his teeth ache upon hearing this, and retorted:
"Master Bai, the Cold Crow Mountain is not a paradise on earth. If we lose an inch today, we will have to pay with the lives of thousands or even tens of thousands of Demon Beast tomorrow to make up for it. If you really do what you do, you will lose my place of refuge."
"Then what do you suggest?!" Bai Canhong glanced at him, a hint of impatience in his eyes. "If that's the case, then go and ask a few more Demon Lieutenant to come and help, is that alright?"
"This"
Fengwen, Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant, darkened. He had practically flown in stealth, precisely to avoid attracting the attention of other Demon Lieutenant who might try and share the spoils. Inviting another Demon Lieutenant to join him now would be...
"That would mean giving away all of my wealth to others!" Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant jumped up, his black iron scale armor clanging against the tent poles. His disheveled red mane stood on end even more, and his dark yellow vertical pupils were filled with a fierce light.
"What I've invited won't be reinforcements, but a pack of hungry wolves scrambling for food!" he said, reaching for the glass cup on the table and taking a large gulp. The wine dripped down his chin, soaking the scales on his chest armor.
"Crack!" The glass cup shattered and shards flew everywhere. Fengwen Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant his hand on the table. The edge of his black iron scale armor scraped against the wooden table, leaving several deep marks. His disheveled red mane trembled slightly with excitement.
Bai Canhong traced the edge of the map with his fingertips, his tone remaining calm:
"Fengwen, you Demon Lieutenant, now is not the time to fight for benefits. Joyful Sight Mountain has fallen, and we only have one True Person and one Demon Lieutenant left. If you are unwilling to part with the bottles and jars in your home, and cannot summon reinforcements to save our lives, then we will truly be defeated."
Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, Demon Lieutenant panting heavily. His thick, dark fingers gripped the corner of the table so tightly that his knuckles were almost embedded in the wood. "So what if we lose! But I don't believe that old ghost Bai will really not run away. When the time comes, I'll run after you, and you can't blame me then!"
"At worst, I'll take my kids back to Cold Crow Mountain and live off our own Spirit Vein. That's better than losing everything and letting some other Demon Lieutenant profit from it!"
"You've got a good plan, haven't you?" Bai Canhong shook his head and sighed, but even he was speechless upon hearing these disheartening words. He simply offered another word of advice:
"Then let's hold our formation. The enemy's news won't be any slower than ours. If we crumble at the first touch, you probably won't be able to bring back many of your cubs. Those left outside the barrier will be captured, skinned, and eaten."
"Then I'll go peel a few clean ones to satisfy my cravings first!" The old demon said fiercely, turning his back on Bai Canhong's cold gaze, and left the tent on his own.
When Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant, lifted the tent flap and stepped out, the wind and snow were raging. Snowflakes clung to his disheveled red mane, instantly freezing into tiny ice shards.
Upon reaching the enclosure where human animals were kept, a horned Demon Officer tea and admiring the snow. Seeing it emerge, it hurriedly rose to pay its respects, only to be dismissed by the Demon Lieutenant Demon Lieutenant Fengwen with a disdainful shout, "Get lost! Don't get in my way!"
The demon soldiers dared not utter a word, shrinking back and inching away into the distance.
Fengwen Demon Lieutenant squinted and scanned the area inside the enclosure, which was densely packed with human victims abducted by Demon Beast. There were people of all shapes and sizes, men and women, young and old.
Beside the fence stood a large cauldron and a set of cooking utensils. The Demon Officer had learned the skills of a chef and was quite adept at cooking human sacrifices.
However, at this moment, Fengwen Demon Lieutenant had little interest in eating the exquisite spiritual food. He licked his lips, and a bloodthirsty light gleamed in his dark yellow vertical pupils.
The anger he had been holding back in the tent and the anxiety he felt about Cold Crow Mountain now turned into ferocity. His footsteps stomped heavily on the snow, making a "crunching" sound, as he walked straight toward the fence.
The human sacrifices in this column are all made from century-old Solomon's seal and ginseng fruit that are less than half a year old, which are at their peak of flavor.
The cultivators in the cage shrank into a ball in fright when they saw him coming. Fengwen Demon Lieutenant raised his hand, his dark nails growing half an inch longer, and with a "crack," he crushed the wooden bars of the cage. He then reached out and lifted out the boy he had chosen earlier.
The cultivators inside the enclosure huddled together, while the ten-year-old boy clutched the basket of spirit herbs, his face as pale as paper.
He trembled with fear the moment he caught a glimpse of the Demon Lieutenant's dark yellow vertical pupils. "What are you howling about?" Fengwen's rough voice shattered the wind and snow. He reached out and his iron-like fingers gripped the boy's neck, lifting him into the air.
The child's cries were stuck in his throat, and his little hands scratched wildly, but he only grasped at a cold piece of air.
Fengwen's fingernails had pierced through his collar, the tips gleaming with a dark, cold light. With a light scratch, blood seeped from his neck, dripping onto the snow and spreading into small red dots.
"If my son doesn't survive, you little brat won't have a good time either!" He grinned, revealing his yellowed, sharp teeth, and raised his other hand to grab the boy's chest.
Just as the fingertips were about to touch the boy's clothes, a figure staggered over against the wind and snow—it was a Daoist priest in a blood-red robe.
He carried a beast bone talisman in his robes, its corner stained with blood. Seeing this scene, he felt no pity, nor did he care to disturb his lord's peace of mind. His voice trembled as he cried, "My lord! Quickly! The journey in the mountains is urgent; there is no time to waste!"
Fengwen's movements suddenly stopped, a hint of impatience flashing in his dark yellow vertical pupils, but the strength in his hand loosened slightly.
"What the hell is this? Can't you see I'm busy?" He glared fiercely at the blood-robed Daoist, but still threw the boy onto the snow. The boy fell to the ground, huddled up in fear, and didn't even dare to cry out.
The blood-robed Daoist hurriedly handed over the beast bone talisman, his fingertips still trembling. "Zeng An, the Demon Officer left behind, rushed out through the breach in the barrier. He claimed that all the demon soldiers in his household had been routed, and almost none were alive!"
"Daoist Peng!! Do you even know what you're saying?!"
In his rage, Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, was utterly devoid of reason. He could barely maintain his human form, and with a giant claw, he snatched the bone talisman from Daoist Peng's hand, tearing off a piece of flesh.
The surrounding Demon Officer paled at the sound, yet Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, still had to shout at them.
But once it could decipher the demonic script, its eyes, the size of teacups, were instantly filled with bloodlust. A trace of fear rapidly spread across its disheveled face, causing a hint of cowardice to spill from its voice. "Go back, go back! I don't believe Bai Canhong can truly take my life!!"
Just as Fengwen Demon Lieutenant gave the order, the opening in the barrier behind him that had been opened closed at lightning speed.
At this moment, just as astonished as the creature was the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, who had arrived carrying a magical treasure. He muttered incessantly, "The Kuang Household... the Kuang Household, how cunning, how cunning! They've endured for so long."