Chapter 71 The Entire Sect Descends the Mountain to Uphold Justice

“What? The Demonic Sect has such great capabilities?” Zhang Yuchun’s eyes widened as he asked in a hushed voice.

The Prefectural City was the largest center of power in a prefecture. In times of chaos, it would be the royal city of a regional lord. The Prefectural Citys of the Great Li Dynasty’s prefectures held immense power, capable of conscripting soldiers with only a report to the imperial court. This was a rule left by the high ancestor, simply because the Great Li Dynasty’s territory was too vast for the emperor to fully control all the prefectures.

For a Martial Forest School to want to capture a Prefectural City was too absurd.

It was certainly not difficult for a Prefectural City to house a hundred thousand elite troops.

Liu Fanzhou said helplessly, “I’m also puzzled. I heard that the Prefectural City’s army rebelled because they were incited by a fiend. There’s a fiendish Daoist in the Demonic Sect who played a crucial role. As for the specifics, I’m still waiting for news.”

Fiendish Daoist!

Zhang Yuchun frowned. Ever since he started cultivating with Li Qingqiu, he had become increasingly convinced of the existence of ghosts and gods. He wasn’t afraid of Martial Forest experts, only these mysterious Daoists and sorcerers.

“Brother Liu still has such connections in the Prefectural City?” Li Qingqiu asked curiously.

The Prefectural City had been blockaded by the Demonic Sect, yet Liu Fanzhou could still wait for news.

This merchant was not simple!

Liu Fanzhou wiped his sweat again and said, “I’ve been trading in Guzhou Prefecture for many years, so naturally, I have some connections. Many people on the legitimate side of the Prefectural City are my brothers.”

Hearing the word ‘brothers,’ Zhang Yuchun couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Li Qingqiu said, “The imperial court must have a plan for the Prefectural City’s affairs. Let’s wait and see. Such matters of the world are not something a few of us can interfere with. Brother Liu, you should also go see your daughter.”

Liu Fanzhou nodded, and Li Qingqiu turned and left.

With his back to Liu Fanzhou, Li Qingqiu’s expression turned cold.

This matter seemed to have no direct connection to the Qingxiao Sect, but in Li Qingqiu’s view, the Demonic Sect was setting a trap to lure the Qingxiao Sect in.

The Demonic Sect Protector and the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect had all died within the Qingxiao Sect. These were all important figures of the Demonic Sect, and the hatred between the two sides was irreconcilable.

The Demonic Sect occupying the Prefectural City might be to do the emperor’s bidding, but once they gathered their forces, they would certainly not let the Qingxiao Sect off.

Li Qingqiu developed the Qingxiao Sect without ever provoking other forces, yet people always came to provoke them.

He was not in a hurry to act, preferring to first see what intelligence Liu Fanzhou could obtain, and he also wanted to see how the imperial court would play this act… Guzhou Prefecture Prefectural City, military camp training ground.

A high platform was built on an open space. In front of the platform knelt soldiers with their hands and feet bound. Around them, many Demonic Sect experts wearing evil ghost masks guarded them. The soldiers all looked at the figure on the high platform with trepidation.

Only one person stood on the high platform. This person wore a bamboo hat, with white hair fluttering. He also wore an evil ghost mask, a dark purple robe, a tight belt, and a precious sword. The wind and sand blew against him, making his robe billow violently, yet his posture was as steady as Mount Tai.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at the hundreds of soldiers below, his eyes beneath the mask utterly cold.

The setting sun hung on the horizon, twilight approaching, stretching the shadows of the hundreds of soldiers.

A Demonic Sect Martial Artist quickly ran from afar. He used a light footwork technique, covering several zhang with each step, and swiftly arrived at the high platform. He bowed and cupped his fists, saying, “Reporting to the Sect Leader, Daoist Wei claims that seeking immortality consumes too much mental energy and he is too tired. He will not participate in tonight’s events.”

The mysterious white-haired man standing on the high platform was precisely the Demonic Sect Leader, known as the Devil Emperor by those in the Martial Forest.

Hearing his subordinate’s words, the Devil Emperor’s eyes beneath the mask remained cold, without any change. He slowly said, “This Seat understands.”

His voice was hoarse, making it difficult to discern his age.

That Demonic Sect Martial Artist immediately retreated.

The Devil Emperor raised his right hand, and in an instant, the Demonic Sect experts guarding the hundreds of soldiers all drew their blades. The sound of weapons being unsheathed converged, sending shivers down one’s spine.

The hundreds of soldiers immediately became frantic. Some cried and begged for mercy, while others cursed angrily.

“Spare me, I was wrong, I won’t run anymore, I really won’t run anymore…”

“Devil Emperor, may you die a terrible death! The imperial court will never let you off!”

“You’ve killed so many people, aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

“I’ll wait for you in the Yellow Springs. I’ll curse you forever, so you’ll never find peace!”

“Demonic Sect, your fate will only be worse than ours!”

Facing the clamor of the hundreds of soldiers below, the Devil Emperor lowered his raised hand. The Demonic Sect members immediately took action, beginning to slaughter the group of soldiers.

The sounds of blades cutting through flesh and grinding against bones continuously rang out, while the Devil Emperor watched everything before him with indifference.

After all the soldiers fell in pools of blood, the Demonic Sect experts began to clear the bodies. A gaunt Demonic Sect Martial Artist came to the front of the high platform and waited.

“Spread the word that the Demonic Sect invites all Martial Forest Schools in Guzhou Prefecture to gather and discuss the great cause of the world. Two months from now, any School that has not arrived, regardless of size, will suffer the pursuit of the Demonic Sect and the Prefectural City’s army.”

The Devil Emperor spoke. Hearing this, the Demonic Sect Martial Artist below the high platform immediately took his leave.

Looking at the bodies below the platform, a flicker of disgust crossed the Devil Emperor’s eyes. He looked up at the twilight sky and muttered to himself, “It seems the heavens do not exist.”

…Seven days after Liu Fanzhou went up the mountain, the news of the Demonic Sect occupying the Prefectural City had completely spread. The people of Guzhou Prefecture were in a state of panic, and the Martial Forest was even more turbulent. The threat of the Demonic Sect hung over the heads of the various Martial Forest Schools like a knife.

The Qingxiao Sect Disciples were also shocked by the Demonic Sect’s actions. They asked their respective Masters, and the response they received was to maintain the status quo and await further instructions.

This was a catastrophe affecting the entire Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest. Some were righteously indignant, some were terrified, and some even fled directly, wanting to get away from Guzhou Prefecture.

No Qingxiao Sect Disciples fled, but they would discuss the matter in private.

Zhang Yuchun sent Disciples down the mountain to gather intelligence, and Liu Fanzhou’s intelligence also continuously reached the mountain. The Demonic Sect’s threat, forcing the various Schools of Guzhou Prefecture to go to the Prefectural City, cast a huge pall over the Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest.

Days passed, and although Qingxiao Mountain was not invaded by the Demonic Sect, the Disciples could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere. No one was wandering around the mountain anymore.

Inside a guest courtyard.

Su Xiling entered the courtyard and came before Zhu Yan, who was playing the zither. She gritted her teeth and said, “The news is all true. Now, every day, a large number of bodies are dumped outside the city of the Prefectural City. Skeletons pile up like mountains, a sight too gruesome to behold. The methods of those Demonic Sect beasts are incredibly cruel. I even suspect they are not human, but fiends wearing human skin.”

Zhu Yan’s hands stopped. She looked at Su Xiling and asked, “What about the imperial court? Is there any news?”

“No news. Guzhou Prefecture seems to have been abandoned…”

Su Xiling’s expression was grave. In all her years, she had never encountered such a horrific human tragedy. What chilled her most was the absence of imperial court troops coming to suppress the Demonic Sect. Down the mountain, every rustle of leaves sent shivers, and even children in the villages were kept indoors by adults.

Zhu Yan’s eyes grew cold, and she said in a strange tone, “The strongest power in this world is imperial authority. If the heavens disregard the people, the people will never find peace.”

Su Xiling asked, “Young Miss, should we leave? Guzhou Prefecture is no longer a pure land. Even if we survive this calamity, it will take many years to recover its Origin Qi.”

Zhu Yan shook her head slightly and said, “No, we won’t leave. We’ll just watch this decaying world from the mountain.”

Su Xiling was silent. She also felt terrible inside. Thinking of those rumors, a fire burned in her heart.

In another guest courtyard, Zhao Linglong also told Li Yang what she had heard.

After the previous setback, Li Yang was not so impulsive. After hearing about the situation down the mountain, he remained silent.

“A letter from home advises you not to interfere in this matter,” Zhao Linglong said to Li Yang earnestly.

The Li Clan of Linchuan, with influence spread throughout the world, had informants in every county of Guzhou Prefecture, making communication easy.

Li Yang did not reply. He merely looked at the long spear in his hand, murmuring to himself, “Who exactly am I fighting for?”

Zhao Linglong sighed, then got up and left.

News reached the mountain daily now, and she was also very concerned about the situation in Guzhou Prefecture’s Prefectural City.

Several more days passed. It was noon on this particular day.

Inside Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu and his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters sat around a table, waiting for the food to be served, exchanging their cultivation experiences.

Qin Ye quickly walked into the courtyard, coming straight to the long table. He looked at Li Qingqiu and said, “Master, news has come from down the mountain: the Heavenly Saber Sect gathered its Disciples from various places and attacked the Prefectural City. After half a day of fierce fighting, they were completely annihilated.”

At these words, everyone was somewhat surprised.

The Heavenly Saber Sect Leader had once poisoned Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng, forming an enmity with the Qingxiao Sect. Later, Jiang Zhaoxia went for revenge, forcing a change in the Heavenly Saber Sect Leader’s position. Various grievances had led them to always look down on the Heavenly Saber Sect, yet unexpectedly, at this moment, the Heavenly Saber Sect was the first Martial Forest School to stand up against the Demonic Sect.

Perhaps the Heavenly Saber Sect, living in the secular world, cared more about the common people than the Schools in the mountains.

“Hmm, sit down and speak,” Li Qingqiu nodded, his expression calm, seemingly unmoved by the news.

Everyone began to ask Qin Ye if there was any other news. Qin Ye recounted everything he had heard down the mountain, describing only the Demonic Sect’s atrocities and the terrifying scenes outside the Prefectural City.

Bodies lay everywhere, bones formed forests.

Every day, the bodies of common people were thrown out of the city. It was said that the Prefectural City was already shrouded in dark clouds, as if a symbol of soaring grievances.

“It’s been so long, and the imperial court still hasn’t sent troops. Could it really be the work of the dog emperor?” Li Sifeng gritted his teeth. He didn’t consider himself a good person, but hearing these things, it was hard not to be angry.

No one could answer him, only curse along with him, but cursing the emperor and the Demonic Sect here was meaningless.

Li Qingqiu remained silent. After the food was served, he ate in silence.

The heroic actions of the Heavenly Saber Sect also spread within the Qingxiao Sect. Most of the Disciples were still young, at the age of vigorous blood, and they all admired the Heavenly Saber Sect’s actions, even wanting to go down the mountain to participate in the battle. More and more people went to find Zhang Yuchun, asking what the Sect Leader’s intentions were, and all were placated and sent back.

Yang Jueding, usually impulsive and chivalrous, uncharacteristically did not seek out Li Qingqiu. He simply practiced martial arts in the forest in silence.

Five days later.

The king of thieves, Cheng Canghai, returned to the Qingxiao Sect. He found Li Qingqiu alone, and the two chatted for a while. That day, the mountain bell of the Qingxiao Sect rang.

This was built by Li Qingqiu, imitating the Seven Peaks Alliance. From the mountain peak to the foot of the mountain, there were twelve bells along the way. In case of an emergency, the bell sound would travel from the foot of the mountain to the peak. But this time, the bell sound came from the peak, and the Disciples all understood what it meant.

Xuanxin Hall meeting!

All the Disciples on Qingxiao Mountain began to rush towards Xuanxin Hall. The Disciples who arrived early discussed inside the hall. They all knew that the School was going to talk about the Prefectural City’s affairs, and they were also very curious about the Sect Leader’s attitude.

“In all dynasties, such horrifying things have never happened. What ‘prosperous age’ are they talking about? This is even more terrifying than a chaotic era!”

“I heard that the Demonic Sect has already started plundering children from other cities. How many people does this Demonic Sect actually have? They can defend the Prefectural City and also send people out. Is this really a Jianghu force that the imperial court has already annihilated?”

“In my opinion, the Demonic Sect might just be the imperial court’s lackeys! Otherwise, why hasn’t the imperial court sent troops yet?”

“Don’t speak nonsense. The Great Li Dynasty’s territory is vast, so it’s understandable for reinforcements to arrive slowly. The main reason is that the Prefectural City was breached too easily. I’m afraid there were Demonic Sect spies inside, working in concert.”

“Then why didn’t the neighboring prefectures send troops?”

The Disciples’ discussions grew increasingly heated. They also had families down the mountain, and they feared their families would be harmed by the Demonic Sect, making it difficult to control their emotions.

Half an hour later, Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, and other high-ranking officials walked into the hall. The Disciples quickly lined up, their gazes fixed on them.

The hall was silent, with only the footsteps of Li Qingqiu and the others echoing.

Li Qingqiu walked up the steps, while the Elders stood below the steps, facing the Disciples.

Standing on the steps, Li Qingqiu surveyed the more than three hundred Disciples in the hall, his expression unreadable. He slowly spoke:

“There is no retreat, no further tolerance. The entire School will descend the mountain and act on behalf of Heaven.”

Boom!

The blood in all the Disciples’ chests ignited. Li Qingqiu didn’t say much extra; these sixteen short words had already made everyone’s eyes turn red.