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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 5 (149): [Encounter in Zhizhou]
(5th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi stepped forward and tapped the Ember Spirit on its body with the back of his knife.
The Ember Spirit on the ground, its body formed like clay from wood ash, crackled with sparks whenever struck.
Zen Hai Guanwu examined Chi Yongsheng's corpse, saying, "Ember Spirits aren't Dead Spirits in essence, but a type of Malevolent Demon. Of course, they possess intelligence. This method of disposal... resembles the Ye (Night) Clan's techniques."
"What do you mean?"
Li Weiyi quickly moved to her side, finding Chi Yongsheng already dead, with no trace of Life remaining.
"Ask your Master Guan. He knows more about the Ye (Night) Clan better than I do."
Zen Hai Guanwu approached the Ember Spirit, her five fingers hovering above its head. Spiritual Light threads shot from her fingertips, piercing its body in an attempt to seize its soul and uncover hidden answers.
Master Guan's voice echoed, "The Yuwen Clan of the Ye (Night) Clan are descendants of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor, Ye Huang. A thousand years ago, they were an Ancient Myriad Clan, comparable to the Jiu Li Clan."
"Wu Huang (Mist Emperor) just said that after Chi Yongsheng died, an Ember Spirit possessed his corpse, and the method used to dispose of the body came from the Ye Clan, called the Human Skin Demon-Binding Technique."
"From the outside, there are no visible wounds on the corpse, nor any leakage of demonic qi."
Li Weiyi said, "I heard that the Night City Cavalry, one of the Three Great Barbarian Bandits of the Southern Territory, is hiding within the Nether Realm of the Dead, led by Yuwen Yan. Could this barbarian bandit group be descendants of the Ye (Night) Clan from a thousand years ago?"
"Most likely," Master Guan replied.
The more Li Weiyi thought about it, the more something felt amiss.
"Strange. This isn't even the Ashen Region, so why would Ember Spirits appear here? And how did the people of Night City get involved with them? Could they be ambushing young Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Major Powers?"
" Crack!"
The Ember Spirit, ensnared by the Spiritual Light threads, burst into flames, its mouth letting out a piercing scream.
It quickly burned to ashes.
Zen Hai Guanwu frowned slightly, remaining silent as she approached the other four Ember Spirits.
"Crack! Crack!"
.....
After she tormented the remaining four Ember Spirits until they burst into flames and turned to ash, Zen Hai Guanwu finally stopped, concluding, "Their soul spirits were all rigged. Any forceful intervention would trigger their self-combustion."
"So we gained nothing?" Li Weiyi asked.
Zen Hai Guanwu replied, "How could I have come up empty-handed after personally intervening? These Ember Spirits originated from the Far Western Ashlands and were summoned by Night City and the San Chen Palace. They seem to have a secret partnership. The young Martial-Mystic Cultivators nearby were not part of their original plan."
Li Weiyi frowned: "Are you sure it was the San Chen Palace? Those three old men are all Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the San Chen Palace."
"So what? The true value lies in dead Martial-Mystic Cultivators becoming vessels for the Ember Spirits," Zen Hai Guanwu said.
Li Weiyi's expression turned serious.
"If the San Chen Palace dared to conspire with the Sui Sect to seize an entire province, backed by Night City and the Ember Spirits, it makes sense."
Zen Hai Guanwu shook her head gently.
"You underestimate the Far Western Ashlands. They're not just after Li Province. They're after the entire Lingxiao Realm."
Li Weiyi said, "This is a huge problem! Inside the Lingxiao Realm, the major Human Race powers are at each other's throats, and the Demon Race is fanning the flames, ready to join the fray at any moment. Outside the realm, in places we can't see, an even more dangerous storm seems to be brewing. We need to get this news back to the Jiu Li Clan immediately!"
Zen Hai Guanwu, far more relaxed and carefree than Li Weiyi, replied, "What does it have to do with you? Even if the Nether Realm's storm blows in, it's not your place to worry about it, little one. For us, the most important thing is to quickly improve our cultivation and strength. Don't let other matters distract you."
She leaped back onto Zouwu's back.
Li Weiyi finished searching the corpses, collecting various spiritual artifacts and treasures, then leaped onto the Zouwu as well, disagreeing.
"How can it not concern me? Every man has a duty to his country's rise and fall. Even if we set that aside, how can we avoid war and danger if we don't pay attention to the world's affairs?"
"Fine, you're right! Your magnanimity surpasses even mine, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor. You're truly remarkable."
Zen Hai Guanwu turned to him: "Why are you standing so far away? We agreed to explore the possibility of falling in love. Don't you even have the courage to stand close to me?"
Li Weiyi remained unfazed, his voice calm.
"Why would I stand close to Li Ling? To take advantage of a girl barely in her teens? Let's wait until you can separate your true body. Then we can take our time. No need to rush. No need to rush. No need to rush..."
After traveling another hundred miles, an Ashen Region appeared at the foot of the mountains.
As far as the eye could see, everything was covered in black dust and fine sand. Sand dunes rose in heaps, and ribbons of flame snaked deep into the Nether Realm, stretching for over ten miles without end.
"Has the Ashen Region spread to the Mangshan Mountain Range?" Li Weiyi's heart sank.
The Ember Spirits of the Ashen Region seemed even more dangerous than those of the Nether Realm of the Dead, and their ambitions were vast.
Zen Hai Guanwu observed for a moment, then gazed into the depths of the Ashen Region, her expression grave: "No, this isn't the Ashen Region!"
"But it looks exactly like the Ashen Regions I've seen before," Li Weiyi protested, utterly baffled.
Zen Hai Guanwu ordered Zouwu to shrink to the size of a kitten. Handling the Azure Yin Banner with extreme caution, she commanded, "We must leave this place immediately, as quickly as possible."
Li Weiyi had never seen her so tense before.
Alarm surged through him, and he immediately made himself completely invisible.
After traveling dozens of miles away from the Ashen Region, Zen Hai Guanwu finally spoke: "That was a Dao Heart Manifestation! A powerful Ember Spirit from the Far Western Ashlands must have been nearby. Its inner vision projected into the real world, transforming into that Ashen Region and obscuring the original landscape."
Li Weiyi couldn't even begin to imagine the level of existence Zen Hai Guanwu was describing. Her words were already beyond his comprehension.
The two continued their journey.
Li Weiyi asked, "What level of power do you truly possess? Do you have the Nine Springs and Five Seas within you?"
If anyone else had asked such a question, she would have ignored them completely, never revealing any information.
Zen Hai Guanwu pondered for a long time.
"My situation is unique. My power is more determined by the price I'm willing to pay. For example, this newly formed physical body, including Li Ling's body, actually restricts me. So do the profound Laws of Life and the order of the Yang Realm. You must understand that in my prime, I, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor could have shattered half of Li Province with a single bone fragment from his body."
Li Weiyi stopped in his tracks, his scalp prickling with shock at her words.
"Of course, a thousand years have passed. My bone body no longer holds such immense energy. How can the dead compare to their prime? Those glorious days are just memories now!" Her voice was ethereal, like a wisp of wind from a snowy mountain peak, a ray of light from an Immortal palace.
After encountering the unknown Ember Spirit powerhouse, the two had been traveling at full speed, desperate to escape the Nether Realm of the Dead as quickly as possible.
After six days of travel, they had crossed a thousand miles and finally reached the northernmost edge of the Mangshan Mountain Range, where they saw a faint light on the horizon.
Upon entering Zhi Prefecture, one of the Seven Southern Provinces, Li Weiyi's initial elation at seeing the light of day quickly faded as he witnessed the true horrors of a decade-long war.
For two days, they walked through dozens of towns and villages, all but deserted. The few survivors were frail, elderly men, their bodies withered like dry wood, their worth long gone.
There were no young men to be seen - they had all been slaughtered. The women had been captured.
As for the children, they had either been served as meals or left to starve by the roadside.
The fields were barren, overgrown with tall weeds and trees, creating a desolate landscape.
After walking over two hundred miles, Li Weiyi's mood grew heavy and oppressive.
He finally understood why the Jiu Li Clan would rather pay tribute to Coffin Mountain year after year than risk war.
The brutality of war was something no one who hadn't experienced it could ever imagine.
After another day and night of travel, around noon, they reached "Tianchi", a large town teeming with people and noise - a welcome change from the desolation they had witnessed.
Tianchi Town was only forty miles from Li Province. With a large mine nearby and the Shui River running through it, the town thrived in commerce and transportation.
The town had only one main street, built along the Shui River, but it had everything one could need: restaurants, taverns, cloth shops, brothels, rice stores...
Li Weiyi had been walking for three days, his mood as heavy and gray as the sky. He was desperate for a bowl of noodles to revive his spirits.
In such a bustling town, noodle shops were plentiful.
He decided to postpone all other matters until after he had eaten.
Li Ling was completely cloaked in black robes, her hood drawn up to conceal her face. She didn't want her Pure Immortal Physique to attract unnecessary attention.
She sat across from Li Weiyi, waiting patiently without ordering any food.
"Half of Zhi Prefecture has already fallen," she said, "It's been seized by the Li Clan, the strongest local power. The imperial army and the Li Clan's Rebel Army have been locked in a perpetual cycle of attacks and counterattacks, raiding each other's territories. The war is still ongoing. Neither Li City nor the Zhi Prefecture capital is a safe place to go."
Li Weiyi, slurping his noodles, replied, "The young Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the major powers left Tianchi Town four days ago. They were fighting each other as they traveled, so they moved much slower than we did. Now, they've all boarded ships and are heading to Qiu Prefecture!"
"Not everyone left!"
Li Ling spoke softly, gazing at the bustling street.
Li Weiyi followed her gaze, his initial shock quickly turning into delight.
Yin Shi San, dressed in plain cotton clothes and sporting an ordinary, round face, blended seamlessly with the local crowd as he hurried down the street.
"Whoosh!'
With a flash, Li Weiyi appeared before him.
Yin Shi San's spiritual Qi surged, nearly sending out a palm strike. But when he saw Li Weiyi's face, joy flooded his heart. He quickly followed him into a noodle shop and ordered a bowl for himself.
He transmitted his voice through spiritual energy: "I heard from Yin Jiu that you were captured by a terrifying old hag and disappeared into the depths of the Mangshan Mountain Range. He sa6 you might be taken to the Nether Realm to become her captive husband."
Li Weiyi, unaware that the person above the canyon that night was Yin Jiu, was speechless: "Is he spreading such rumors just to become a Divine Hidden One?"
Yin Shi San was stunned, then nodded.
"Yin Jiu has been a bit incoherent lately, unlike his usual calm demeanor. It's probably due to his injuries. Even if such a hag existed, she'd go after Pure Immortal Physique males, not plain-looking mortals like us."
Li Weiyi said earnestly, "I have something important to report to the Hidden Lord immediately. Do you have a way to send the message back?"
Yin Shi San glanced at the woman sitting nearby, completely shrouded in a black robe.
Li Weiyi, out of habit, hadn't avoided Zen Hai Guanwu while speaking. Realizing his grave mistake, he quickly corrected himself: "Never mind, no need to avoid her. Her ears... you know."
Yin Shi San's expression immediately relaxed. He stopped using spiritual energy transmission and chuckled softly: "My current mission is to cover the departure of a group of important court officials from Li Province to Qiu Prefecture. They'll disembark at Tianchi Town to purchase supplies. I can't leave to deliver the message myself, but I can arrange for someone to deliver it. It depends on how urgent your information is."
Li Weiyi relayed the most crucial details.
"What? The San Chen Palace is backed by Night City and the Ember Spirit?"
Yin Shi San immediately grasped the gravity of the situation, his anxiety mounting like an ant trapped on a hot pan. If the Jiu Li Clan underestimated the San Chen Palace's strength, they were bound to suffer a devastating defeat.
"Why must this news be relayed back to the Jiu Li Hidden Sect? Simply spreading this information would swiftly disseminate it throughout Li Province, sowing suspicion between the San Chen Palace and the Sui Sect," Li Ling said calmly.
"That's a good strategy."
Yin Shi San slapped the table in admiration, then suddenly realized something and pointed at Li Ling.
"She... isn't she deaf?"
"When did I ever say she was deaf?"
Li Weiyi shot Zen Hai Guanwu a helpless glare before continuing, "Alright, fine! Actually, she's Cang Li's younger sister. She's one of us and can be trusted."
Upon learning she was Cang Li's sister, Yin Shi San's lingering doubts vanished instantly.
As the one in charge of the Hidden Sect's Five Seas Realm affairs and a Wind Agent who gathered information from the outside world, he had personally met the Hidden Lord. And he was also aware of his true identity.
The Hidden Lord's daughter, at least to some extent, could be trusted.
Of course, he would never reveal this secret to the two people before him!
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END OF CHAPTER
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