Chapter 470: Chapter 188 Night Raid
Shen Hou left, leaving the two with solemn expressions.
Elder Tianpeng had not expected such an incident to occur on the ancestral land of the Jiang family, and Jiang Li inwardly sighed at the other party’s endless tactics.
Beyond intimidation, they wanted to create momentum, forcing Jiang Li to make a choice—either rush to the rescue or lose all reputation.
However, Jiang Li had already taken precautions. Now, he could leave the matter of Emperor Yan’s statue in Shu County while handling the Jiang family’s issue through Tianxuan. This strategy achieved two goals at once—he could rescue without taking risks.
By relying on the Gongsun Family, was he, Jiang, not doing so for love’s sake and to catch a good breeze that could lift him to the heavens? If he failed to leverage this opportunity, wouldn’t he have squandered his comfortable position?
Thinking this, Jiang Li was about to share the inside story with Tianpeng.
"Wait a moment."
Tianpeng waved his hand, saying, "Let us go to the Divine Farmer Hall, better not linger here."
His body still pulsated with the energy of the Purple Thunder, constantly vibrating, obviously wary of the place where Shen Hou had stayed.
And his wariness was not without reason.
[Since Jiang Li’s own Qi Shu had substantially diminished due to direct confrontation with Shen Hou, it was indeed unwise to stay here any longer.]
Since the Karma Collection had outlined the situation, Jiang Li naturally did not plan to stubbornly linger.
Thus, the two men and a dog left Xuanyuan Hall, and before leaving, Elder Tianpeng casually performed the Daoist Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Spell to remove the ominous energy.
Elder Tianpeng was adept with this spell, displaying an elegance like flowing clouds and smooth water, which indeed refreshed Jiang Li’s opinion of him. He had thought Elder Tianpeng was only proficient in the Thunder Technique.
After all, this elder had even cheated while playing chess with Elder Kaiyang, making it hard not to doubt his mastery of magic.
Then, the two proceeded from Xuanyuan Hall to the Divine Farmer Hall.
Before the Divine Farmer Hall, nearly a hundred Taiping Sect believers kneeled, but they had all lost their breaths. Clearly, this was the accountability offered by the Taiping Sect.
"They all committed suicide." Jiang Li discerned the cause of death at a glance.
"A foolish belief, taking human lives."
Elder Tianpeng glanced over and said, "Later, let’s arrange for their burial."
The two entered the Divine Farmer Hall and discovered that the statue of Emperor Yan was no longer there; presumably, it had been moved by people from the Taiping Sect.
After all, with the statue being decapitated, it was problematic to keep it there indefinitely.
"As Shen Hou, the Daoist, said, the matter of the ancestral land might be a trap. Consider yourself uninformed about it," Elder Tianpeng said, "Moreover, since the Taiping Sect intends to eradicate the worship of Emperor Yan, even if you stop them here, troubles might arise elsewhere. Staying here to ensure our ancestral spirits are undisturbed is appropriate."
"For the next few days, you should also avoid going out. Just stay in the temple and meditate."
This was a counsel of prudence, not only suggesting he stay in Liangzhou Province but also remain isolated, to prevent the opposition from employing more schemes.
"Disciple understands," Jiang Li nodded, "Regarding the matter of the ancestral land, the disciple has already sent a letter to inform my master, and she will send someone to handle it."
"It was last night’s Qing Ji..." Elder Tianpeng suddenly said,
Obviously, he wasn’t entirely unaware of Qing Ji’s arrival last night.
While speaking, Elder Tianpeng couldn’t help but give Jiang Li a meaningful look.
This young man was indeed very steady.
"Young people should indeed be more spirited."
He shook his head, then said, "Let it be, then. If things go well, the water disaster should resolve in a few days."
Naturally, this resolution referred to the assassination of Wuzhiqi.
Four fourth-rank attackers, three of them were truly close-combat fighters, which meant the chances of success were quite high. Still, Wuzhiqi was formidable; even as a fourth-rank facing four opponents, it would be difficult to escape unharmed.
Now, all that was left was for Elder Kaixiang to arrive.
Given Jiang Li’s understanding of Elder Kaixiang, there was a high likelihood he would agree.
Then...
When it was almost nightfall and Elder Kaixiang had not yet arrived, there was also no word from Yun Jiuye and Ling Wujue.
As night fell, rain began to patter outside, growing heavier quickly until it threatened to become a downpour again.
At this moment, Elder Tianpeng’s brow was tightly furrowed.
There was no doubt something had gone wrong.
Although Elder Kaixiang could be somewhat unorthodox, he was generally reliable in major matters. Even if he had wanted to trouble the Kunxu Immortal Palace, he would not have failed to send even a message by now.
"Could it be that this guy has fallen into the traps of Kunxu Immortal Palace again?" Elder Tianpeng muttered to himself.
Thinking this, Elder Tianpeng’s face grew tense, his whiskers bristling with emerging evil Qi.
"Master Uncle, should we go search for Elder Kaixiang?" Jiang Li asked.
However, if they were to go out searching, whether Jiang Li should accompany them was an issue.
If he went along, Jiang Li would undoubtedly be a vulnerability. If something capable of ensnaring Elder Kaixiang was indeed laying in wait, at least a fourth-rank force, Jiang Li, merely a sixth-rank, would hardly survive the ordeal.
If he did not go...
"In novels, when faced with similar situations, the one who is left behind invariably faces danger. Perhaps I should take you with me to search for Kaixiang," Elder Tianpeng mumbled, deciding with a rather obscure thought process and stood up.
Compared to Jiang Li facing dangers alone, it would be better to face them together with him, at least allowing him to offer some protection.
However, in the next instant, there was no need for Elder Tianpeng to worry further, as someone had already made the choice for him.
A sudden burst of light shot into the temple from outside, landing on Jiang Li and causing his figure to slightly shift and blur, appearing disjointed and fuzzy.
"Divine Farmer’s Cauldron!"
Immediately, Jiang Li activated the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron, always ready within his sleeve, using its suppressing power to stabilize his form.
With his sharp eyesight, he could clearly see ripples forming in the space around him, indicating his position was being shifted.
Fortunately, this sort of displacement was nothing to Jiang Li, who possessed the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron.
Having learned from Cui Jue’s recent fate, Jiang Li was determined not to become the second victim. Since Cui Jue’s death, Jiang Li had worked hard in this area, striving to become a man with no vulnerabilities.
He couldn’t help it; it was just his nature.
However...
The suppressing power of the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron emerged only briefly before suddenly calming down, becoming as ordinary as any small cauldron and losing its connection with Jiang Li.
At that moment, the flash of light disappeared, taking Jiang Li, along with his dog and wheelchair, vanishing in an instant, and Elder Tianpeng’s outstretched hand returned empty.
"Who is it?"
His face thick with murderous intent, his eyes fierce as a tiger’s, he turned toward the source of the light, and an ancient mirror caught his sight.
The ancient mirror was held by an elegant figure, revealing the identity of a woman.
"Kunxu Immortal Palace!"
Without any need for further guesswork, Elder Tianpeng recognized at once the origin of his opponent—that ancient mirror, he knew it. Years ago, it was precisely because of that mirror that Elder Kaixiang had been taken away by someone from the Kunxu Immortal Palace.