Without Liu Xiang's interference, the City Lord of Nanhai City, with his normal reasoning, indeed dispatched over a thousand elite soldiers to quell the rebellion in Wangyang Sea.
This troop departed from Nanhai City and traveled south, arriving at the official road not far from Sisui Town.
Heifeng, having received prior notice, had already laid an ambush here. From a distance, he saw a majestic cavalry troop approaching.
The three generals at the forefront wore helmets, making it impossible to discern their identities.
As they drew nearer, Heifeng gave the order.
"Fire!"
Countless arrows flew from the woods, piercing horses, arms, and thighs, or striking hearts.
In an instant, horses stumbled and men fell, the clash of swords and arrows echoing through the valley.
After the arrow volley, Heifeng led the charge, like a hungry wolf descending from the mountain. The bandits and strongmen surged forward, hacking and slashing indiscriminately.
Amidst the melee, only the shouts of their own side and the desperate counter-attacks of the enemy could be heard.
Heifeng, killing and stabbing to his left and right, then rolled to the front of a general and swung his sword, knocking off the man's helmet.
"Gan Ye!"
He looked in disbelief at his former subordinate standing before him.
Gan Ye's hand trembled, his saber falling to the ground. With a thud, he knelt down.
Enraged, Heifeng grabbed his collar and demanded, "Why, why did you join Nanhai City and help others fight your own people? If I had known this would happen, I should have run you through with my sword back in Heishan."
Gan Ye looked up dejectedly, tears streaming down his face as he cried, "Young master, I did this not for myself, but because I hoped to help you."
Heifeng kicked him to the ground, his face contorted with anger. "You did an excellent job. You have helped me."
Just then, a strong wind blew, followed by a sharp bird cry. From afar, a large black bird flew in.
The bird soared over everyone's heads, and a master leaped from its back. With a wave of his sword, the master sent both friend and foe on either side crashing to the ground.
"Li Xingye!"
Heifeng called out involuntarily, gazing at the man. This man, who couldn't even defeat a demon king, was now here causing trouble, and it was likely that everyone present would perish at his hands.
Li Xingye landed slowly, then flicked his sword sideways, sending it flying towards Heifeng.
Gan Ye, with all his might, pushed Heifeng aside. The Seven Star Sword pierced through him and returned to Li Xingye's hand.
"Gan Ye!"
Heifeng, lying on the ground, shouted in horror.
Gan Ye slowly turned his head to look at him, a smile of ultimate happiness gracing his face. He spoke each word, expressing his long-held hopes. "I... have always... always... been... waiting... for you."
Then, he collapsed to the ground.
Heifeng, disregarding everything, lunged forward, embracing his body and weeping profusely. He finally confessed his true feelings. "I know, I know you did all this for me. I know everything."
Li Xingye glanced indifferently around. Seeing that the Heishan forces were still struggling and not yet dead, he raised his sword again, preparing to strike.
At that moment, the three great protectors of the Mermaid clan, along with a group of mermaid warriors, arrived in haste. The three protectors flew out and engaged Li Xingye in battle.
Li Xingye raised his sword, intending to kill them all, but then remembered Liu Xiang's instruction to "teach a lesson" by simply causing chaos. He turned and unleashed a sword qi. Qing Yu immediately threw out the Azure Water Pearl, forming a barrier. The sword qi and the Azure Water Pearl canceled each other out with a "clang!" The Azure Water Pearl shattered.
Li Xingye turned back, about to leave, when he suddenly saw Yu Jiao standing not far behind him. Yu Jiao's worried yet understanding gaze filled him with regret and self-blame. He flashed past and quickly pulled her away. When the others recovered and looked again, the man had vanished.
Mu Han looked at the Azure Water Pearl, now reduced to powder, and the fallen soldiers of both Heishan and Nanhai City. He deeply felt Li Xingye's terrifying strength and couldn't help but exclaim, "Such terrifying power."
"Was this person sent by Nanhai City?" Wang Yuan asked doubtfully.
"It doesn't seem like it. It appears this is not just a battle between the Ten Thousand Demon King and the Four Cities, but a battle for the entire world," Qing Yu stated, revealing the truth of the conflict.
...
On the other side, Li Xingye brought Yu Jiao to the riverbank. He remained silent, simply sitting by the river, his gaze lost in the distance. Recalling Li Xingye's terrifying demeanor from earlier, Yu Jiao felt he was a stranger. She sadly voiced her inner thoughts, "I don't know who you're fighting for. I only know that the Li Xingye who came and went freely, unconstrained, is no longer here."
"You wouldn't understand..." Li Xingye replied faintly.
Yu Jiao knew he had his own burdens and didn't force him to comply with her wishes. Instead, she began to recount past events. "My father died when I was young, my mother when I was a child. I followed my uncle, traveling far and wide, but my uncle couldn't withstand the daily toil and eventually died of exhaustion in the wilderness. I wandered alone in the wilderness for a long time, and was later taken in by a family. Not long after, that family was mistakenly killed. Later, I became a wanderer on the streets. Everyone who got close to me met with an accident. Eventually, I was inexplicably labeled the Drought Demoness. It was then that I met you. You gave me money and food under the peach tree, and you were the first person I didn't bring misfortune to. It was then that I realized I wasn't as unlucky as people said. Since meeting you, I vowed to follow you wherever you go, never to be separated for all eternity."
"Why are you telling me this?" Li Xingye asked, somewhat confused.
Yu Jiao then revealed her thoughts about him. "I know you've always been a free-spirited person. If you hadn't owed someone a debt of gratitude, you wouldn't willingly be at their beck and call. Even so, you've done so much for him; this debt should be repaid, and it's time for you to live the life you desire." Yu Jiao slowly walked closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder, and continued, "Soon, the entire world will be engulfed in the flames of war. We can't control who is in charge. Instead of getting caught in endless conflict and becoming a killing weapon in someone's hands, it would be better to retreat to the mountains now. For the thousand years you've waited, I've longed every moment to live a peaceful life with you."
Li Xingye looked back at her thoughtfully, only to see a tear of longing fall from Yu Jiao's face. Li Xingye's heart trembled slightly. In a daze, he regained some of his former self, recalling how, after being saved by Liu Xiang, he had inexplicably followed him, gradually forgetting himself and Yu Jiao. If not for Yu Jiao's unwavering devotion, he would have remained merely a killing tool. He got up in a daze and embraced Yu Jiao. "Stop working for others. Come and live in seclusion with me in the mountains."
Yu Jiao, who had waited a thousand years, finally spoke the words she had long held back. Li Xingye pondered for a long time before making a decision and agreeing. "Alright."
Yu Jiao was overjoyed and couldn't believe it. Excitedly, she shared her dreams with him. "That's wonderful, Xingye, truly wonderful. I've heard of Xuexiang in the extremely cold regions of the north. They say people there live in ice houses, surrounded by snowscapes. It's so beautiful. And there's also Wan Hua Town in the southernmost part of Xizi Kingdom, where every household grows flowers. When the flowers bloom, the entire town will be submerged in a sea of blossoms. We must go and see them."
Li Xingye gently stroked her face, no longer wavering, and nodded. "Alright, I'll accompany you." Yu Jiao was ecstatic and hugged him tightly again.
...
That day, after seeing the elite soldiers of Nanhai City leave the city, Liu Shinian and the others sensed the opportune moment. They divided their small team into four groups. One group, led by Can Xue from Xiqi Mountain during the Xi Li operation, along with Hua Jian and eight others, was responsible for taking the East Gate. Liu Shinian, along with Tian Lishi, Gao Xuewei, and ten others from the Xi Li operation, would lead the main assault on the North Gate. Xue Gucheng's team would attack the West Gate, and Yan Wushuang's team would attack the South Gate. They secretly agreed to use chopsticks as a signal to transmit this message to their scattered brothers, awaiting the cover of night.
In the dead of night, Liu Shinian led his team to the North Gate. As the North Gate was a crucial city gate leading to Beishen Capital, it was heavily guarded. A direct assault would be disadvantageous; they had to outsmart them. Liu Shinian observed that there were twenty-six sentries on the city walls, with thirteen patrol teams on each side, and dozens of guards at the gate below. The only passages leading to the platforms on the left and right were each guarded by two men.
Liu Shinian pondered for a moment and devised a plan. A person from outside the city would knock on the gate to attract their attention. Then, they would take the opportunity to knock out the guards on the left passage, change into their clothes, infiltrate the city, and await news of Muyu's expedition. He gestured to his companions, and they understood his intentions. They couldn't leave the city now, but there were brothers waiting outside to receive them. Liu Shinian picked up a stone, wrote down the plan, and threw it out of the city. The stone flew into the woods, and soon a hurried traveler appeared below the city gate and began knocking.
The guards on the city wall heard the commotion and looked down. They were displeased to see someone knocking so late and shouted, "Hey! What are you doing!"
"Brother, I am a passing merchant. Because of the long journey, I only reached the city gate now."
"Nanhai City is closed at noon. Don't you know? Go back quickly."
The merchant persistently knocked on the city gate, pleading, "Brother, please let me in."
The people on the city wall became impatient and shouted sternly, "Get lost! Or you'll regret it!"
While they were talking, Liu Shinian, with a few companions, knocked out the men on both the left and right passages, dragged them away, and changed into their clothes. Afterward, their other brothers carried the bound men away and hid them in a corner. Xue Gucheng and the other two teams also successfully infiltrated the city walls, awaiting the signal for the expedition.
...
Meanwhile, in the great hall of Heishan, I, Lin'er, the four elders, along with Daolang and Feixiong, were discussing the important matter of attacking Dongyue Town tomorrow.
"Have the people from all the mountain peaks arrived?" I asked Lin'er.
"Reporting to the Demon King, they have dispatched their troops and are now at the foot of Heishan, awaiting the Demon King's command," Lin'er replied.
"Good. Daolang and Feixiong, call the main forces to the foot of Heishan tonight to rendezvous with the various mountain peaks. We will depart early tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
"Go and do it now."
"Alright."
After Daolang and Feixiong left, I said to the four elders, "To prevent anyone from betraying us and acting against us on our advance, I need a select group of rear-guard eyes disguised behind the main army. Anyone who rebels will be immediately executed without mercy. I want to entrust this matter to the four elders. Additionally, Heishan needs a backbone. After the four elders select suitable candidates, they will remain in Heishan to preside over the overall situation."
"Alright."
"Let it be so. The four elders may go and make arrangements."
"Yes."
As the elders reached the doorway, they encountered Tian Long, Yue Yao, the Four Great Evils, Yue Jiu Cong, and Liu Mei. They entered the great hall, and Ye Changfeng smiled at me, saying, "Muyu, do you remember that day we pretended to be attacked? I told you that if I survived, we would be eternal friends."
I was somewhat confused as to why he would suddenly say this, but I replied, "I remember."
"Now that you are about to attack Dongyue Town, I admire your boldness and ability. Therefore, as a friend, I am willing to lend you a hand."
The other three evils also said, "We are willing too."
I was overjoyed. I was worried about lacking manpower, and unexpectedly, they volunteered to join. It seemed the Ten Thousand Demon King had already seen through everything.
"Good, then you will accompany us tomorrow."
"I want to go too," Yue Yao also said.
I looked at her and shook my head, indicating, "You can't. You, Tian Long, and Brother Liu, along with Miss Liu, will remain at Heishan and await our news."
"I can help," I still shook my head.
"After we capture it, I will send people to pick you up."
Yue Yao was about to say more, but Tian Long interrupted, "Demon King, go with peace of mind. I will definitely guard Heishan for you."
"Good, thank you for your trouble."
"This is the only thing I can do for Heishan."
"Thank you, Grand Protector. Alright, it's very late today. Everyone go back and rest. A tough battle awaits us tomorrow."
"Yes."
After everyone withdrew, the Ten Thousand Demon King suddenly emerged from my shadow, saying triumphantly, "See? It was destined that they would become part of my Heishan. This is not something you or I can decide."
"Perhaps you are truly right. Since they have chosen me, then I will lead them to forge a new path."
"Truly a rare treasure of the world, an emperor for the ages. It seems the world will truly be decided by the young." With that, he transformed into black mist and returned into my body. I knew that when necessary, he would return to the shadows and become my deadly weapon.