"What? The Demonic Sect has that kind of power?"
Zhang Yuchun's eyes widened as he lowered his voice.
The prefectural capital was the center of power for an entire province. In troubled times, it was equivalent to the royal city of a regional lord. Within the Great Li Dynasty, each prefectural capital held enormous authority, with the right to conscript soldiers and report only afterward to the imperial court. This rule dated back to the founding emperor's era—because the Great Li's territory was too vast for the emperor to fully control every province.
For a martial sect to capture a prefectural capital—it was absurd.
Inside the capital were 100,000 elite soldiers; it was no easy feat.
Liu Fanzhou sighed helplessly. "I find it strange too. They say the garrison troops were bewitched by a demonic warlock from the Demonic Sect. That warlock played a crucial role. I'm still waiting for more details."
'A demonic warlock…'
Zhang Yuchun frowned. Ever since following Li Qingqiu on the path of cultivation, his belief in the supernatural had grown. He feared no martial master—but those mysterious warlocks and Daoists unsettled him deeply.
"Brother Liu, you still have connections in the prefectural capital?" Li Qingqiu asked curiously.
The entire capital had been sealed off by the Demonic Sect, yet Liu Fanzhou could still receive news. This merchant was no simple man.
Liu Fanzhou wiped sweat from his forehead again and replied, "I've traded in Guzhou for many years. Naturally, I've built some connections. Many men of the prefecture's orthodox circles are my sworn brothers."
Hearing the words "sworn brothers," Zhang Yuchun's lips twitched involuntarily.
Li Qingqiu said calmly, "The court surely has a plan for this matter. We'll watch for now. Such affairs of the world aren't ours to meddle in. Brother Liu, go check on your daughter."
Liu Fanzhou nodded. Li Qingqiu turned and left.
Once his back faced Liu Fanzhou, Li Qingqiu's expression turned icy.
This matter might seem unrelated to Qingxiao Sect—but in his eyes, it was clearly a trap laid by the Demonic Sect to lure them in.
The Demonic Sect's Guardians and the Seven Fiends had all died within Qingxiao Sect's territory. Those were no small figures—the hatred between both sides was beyond reconciliation.
If the Demonic Sect had captured the prefectural capital to assist the emperor, fine—but once they gathered their forces, they would certainly not spare Qingxiao Sect.
Li Qingqiu had always avoided provoking other powers, yet trouble always found him.
He wasn't in a rush to act. He wanted to see what intelligence Liu Fanzhou could gather—and more importantly, how the imperial court would perform its next act in this farce.
In Guzhou's prefectural capital, within the military encampment—
A tall platform had been built over an open field. In front of it knelt hundreds of soldiers, bound hand and foot. Around them stood numerous Demonic Sect experts, each wearing a ferocious ghost mask. The soldiers trembled in fear as they looked up at the figure standing atop the platform.
Only one person stood above. He wore a wide bamboo hat; white hair streamed behind him, and a ghost mask covered his face. A deep purple robe clung tightly to his tall frame, a sword hanging at his waist. The harsh wind blew sand across his body, whipping his robe violently, yet his stance remained unshakable as Mount Tai.
His hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at the hundreds of kneeling soldiers. Behind the mask, his eyes were colder than steel.
The slanted sun dipped toward the horizon, casting the soldiers' shadows long across the bloody earth.
A Demonic Sect martial artist sprinted over from afar, his light steps covering several zhang with every leap. He reached the platform, bowed deeply, and said, "Reporting to Sect Master—the Daoist Wei claims he's too exhausted after seeking immortality and won't take part in tonight's affair."
The white-haired figure atop the platform was none other than the Demonic Sect's Master himself—the one the martial world called the Demon Emperor.
At the words, the Demon Emperor's eyes behind the mask remained as cold as before. His tone was hoarse and hard to place in age. "I know," he said slowly.
The subordinate immediately bowed and withdrew.
The Demon Emperor raised his right hand. In that instant, every Demonic Sect expert surrounding the soldiers drew their blades in unison. The clanging of steel rang together like a chorus of death.
The bound soldiers panicked—some wept and begged, others shouted curses.
"Please! Spare me! I was wrong! I won't run again, I swear!"
"Demon Emperor, you'll die miserably! The court won't let you live!"
"You've slaughtered so many people—aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"I'll wait for you in the Yellow Springs! I'll curse you till you never know peace!"
"Demonic Sect, your end will be worse than ours!"
The Demon Emperor's raised hand dropped.
The next moment, the Demonic Sect members moved.
The sounds of blades slicing flesh and cracking bone echoed through the air. Blood sprayed across the sand as the Demon Emperor stared on, indifferent.
When the last soldier fell silent in the spreading pool of red, the sect members began clearing the corpses. A thin, wiry man approached the platform and waited.
The Demon Emperor said coldly, "Spread the word. The Demonic Sect invites all martial sects of Guzhou to a grand assembly to discuss the future of the realm. In two months, any sect that fails to appear—no matter its size—will be hunted down by both the Demonic Sect and the prefectural army."
The man bowed and hurried off.
The Demon Emperor looked down at the corpses below, his eyes flashing with disgust. Then he raised his head toward the twilight sky and murmured, "So Heaven truly doesn't exist."
Seven days after Liu Fanzhou had ascended the mountain, news of the prefectural capital's fall to the Demonic Sect spread across Guzhou.
The people were terrified. The martial world trembled. The Demonic Sect's threat hung like a sword over every sect's head.
Even the disciples of Qingxiao Sect were shaken. They asked their masters what to do, only to be told to stay calm and await orders.
This disaster touched every martial sect in Guzhou. Some were furious, others frightened, while a few simply fled—hoping to escape far from Guzhou.
Qingxiao Sect had no deserters, but behind closed doors, whispers filled the air.
Zhang Yuchun sent disciples down the mountain to gather intelligence. Liu Fanzhou's reports kept coming—confirming that the Demonic Sect's message was true: all sects were ordered to come to the prefectural capital, or face annihilation.
Days passed.
Although the Demonic Sect hadn't invaded Qingxiao Mountain, the disciples could clearly sense the oppressive atmosphere. No one wandered the mountain paths anymore.
Inside one of the guest courtyards…
Su Xiling entered the courtyard and stopped before Zhu Yan, who was playing the qin. Clenching her teeth, she said, "The news is true. Every day now, the prefectural capital throws countless bodies outside the city. The corpses pile up like mountains—it's unbearable to even look at. The Demonic Sect's beasts are unimaginably cruel. I don't even think they're human anymore, but monsters wearing human skin."
Zhu Yan's hands froze above the strings. She looked up at Su Xiling and asked calmly, "And the imperial court? Still no word?"
"None. It's as if Guzhou has been completely abandoned…"
Su Xiling's face was grim. In all her years, she had never seen a tragedy so horrifying. What chilled her most was that not a single imperial troop had come to destroy the Demonic Sect. The land below the mountain was filled with fear; even the children in the villages had been locked inside their homes.
Zhu Yan's gaze turned cold as she said in a low, strange tone, "The greatest power under heaven is the emperor's. If Heaven turns its back on the people, then the people will never know peace."
Su Xiling asked, "My Lady, should we leave? Guzhou is no longer a pure land. Even if this calamity ends, it will take many years to recover."
Zhu Yan shook her head slightly. "No. We'll stay here and watch this broken world from the mountain."
Su Xiling fell silent. Her heart felt heavy, and whenever she thought about the rumors, anger burned inside her chest.
In another guest courtyard, Zhao Linglong shared what she had heard with Li Yang.
After all that had happened, Li Yang was no longer impulsive. He listened quietly to the situation below the mountain and said nothing.
"There's a letter from your family," Zhao Linglong said, her voice gentle but serious. "They advise you not to get involved in this matter."
The Li clan of Linchuan had influence all across the Great Li Dynasty. Their spies were in every county of Guzhou, so sending messages was easy.
Li Yang didn't reply. His eyes only stayed fixed on the long spear in his hands. After a moment, he murmured to himself, "Who am I really fighting for?"
Zhao Linglong sighed softly and left. She, too, was worried about the prefectural capital's situation.
Several more days passed.
At noon that day, in Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu sat at a long table with his junior brothers and sisters, waiting for their meal while chatting about cultivation insights.
Qin Ye came running in, walking quickly to the table. Looking at Li Qingqiu, he said, "Master, news from the foot of the mountain—Heavenly Saber Sect gathered its disciples and attacked the prefectural capital. After fighting fiercely for half a day, they were completely annihilated."
Everyone was stunned.
The Heavenly Saber Sect Master had once poisoned Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng, creating deep enmity with Qingxiao Sect. Later, Jiang Zhaoxia had gone down the mountain to take revenge, forcing the sect to change leaders. Because of all that, they had always looked down on Heavenly Saber Sect. No one expected them to be the first martial sect to stand up and resist the Demonic Sect.
Perhaps a sect living among the common people cared more for the suffering of the world than those who hid in the mountains.
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Sit down and speak."
His expression stayed calm, showing no hint of emotion.
Everyone began asking Qin Ye if there was more news. He told them everything he had heard below—about the Demonic Sect's atrocities and the horrific scenes outside the prefectural city walls.
Corpses littered the fields. White bones filled the land.
Every day, commoners' bodies were thrown outside the city. It was said that dark clouds hung permanently over the prefectural capital, like a physical manifestation of the endless resentment of the dead.
"How long has it been, and the court still hasn't sent troops? Could it really be the doing of that dog emperor?" Li Sifeng gritted his teeth. He didn't consider himself a good man, but hearing this made even his blood boil.
No one could answer him. They could only curse along with him. But cursing the emperor or the Demonic Sect here changed nothing.
Li Qingqiu remained silent. When the food was served, he ate quietly without a word.
News of the Heavenly Saber Sect's sacrifice spread through Qingxiao Sect. Most of the disciples were still young, their blood hot and righteous. They all admired the sect's bravery and wanted to join the fight. Many went to Zhang Yuchun, asking what the Sect Master's decision was. Each was persuaded to stay calm and return to training.
Even Yang Jueding, who was usually impulsive and chivalrous, didn't seek out Li Qingqiu this time. He just buried himself in the forest, practicing martial arts alone.
Five days later—
Cheng Canghai, the King of Thieves, returned to Qingxiao Sect. He went straight to Li Qingqiu, and the two spoke privately for a while. That same day, the mountain bells rang.
It was a system of 12 bronze bells built by Li Qingqiu, modeled after the Seven Peaks Alliance's warning system. The bells stretched from the mountain base to the peak. In emergencies, the sound would travel upward from bottom to top. But this time, the bell rang from the top—everyone knew what that meant.
A council in Mystic Heart Hall!
All disciples across Qingxiao Mountain began rushing toward the hall. Those who arrived early whispered among themselves. They knew the meeting was about the prefectural capital and were curious what stance their Sect Master would take.
"Not once in all dynasties has such horror occurred. How can anyone still call this a prosperous age? This is worse than chaos!"
"I heard the Demonic Sect has started abducting children from nearby towns. How many people do they even have? They're guarding the prefectural capital and still sending forces elsewhere. Can such a power really be one the court already 'destroyed'?"
"If you ask me, the Demonic Sect is probably working for the court! Otherwise, why hasn't the court sent soldiers?"
"Don't speak nonsense. The Great Li Dynasty is vast—slow reinforcements are understandable. The problem is the prefectural capital fell too quickly. There must be traitors within, colluding with the enemy."
"Then why haven't neighboring provinces sent help either?"
The discussions grew more heated. Many disciples had families living below the mountain. They feared their loved ones might fall victim to the Demonic Sect and couldn't keep their emotions in check.
Half an hour later, Li Qingqiu entered the hall with Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, and the other senior members. The disciples immediately fell into neat rows, their gazes fixed on their leaders.
Silence filled the hall. Only the sound of Li Qingqiu's footsteps echoed across the floor.
He walked up the steps while the elders stood below, facing the disciples.
From atop the dais, Li Qingqiu looked down at the more than 300 disciples gathered before him. His face showed no expression as he spoke slowly and clearly:
"There's no more room to retreat. We've endured enough. The entire sect will descend the mountain—to uphold Heaven's will."
Boom.
In that instant, every disciple's chest burned with fire.
Li Qingqiu said no more.
Just those 16 words were enough to turn all their eyes blood-red.