Chapter 693 503 Dili Family_2

"Princely Heir, we have arrived at the Great Jue Court."

The young man in the carriage, cloaked in a cape, with boots resting on the cooled stove, was carefully reading a scroll. Chen Yan, honest and meek, kept his gaze low, not daring to look at the contents of that scroll.

The Fetal Breathing at the Fifth Layer of the Yujing Wheel is a major pass within Fetal Breathing, and he had just managed to touch upon the edge of the Yujing Wheel these past two years. Li Zhouwei's cultivation level had already caught up with him.

When they first met, they fought a battle, and he could claim that he was caught unprepared, and Li Zhouwei, relying on the advantage of his weapon, subdued him. Now, with his Halberd Technique refined, far surpassing his own half-baked swordsmanship, and day by day practicing in matches, he was no longer an opponent, let alone daring enough to challenge.

Upon hearing his words, Li Zhouwei put away the book in his hands and carefully looked out from the front of the carriage. The towering ancient city had already appeared before their eyes.

The city gates were full of mottled signs of age and had been opened wide. Along both sides of the road knelt densely packed Shanyue nobles, all bowing their heads, with many mimicking the Easterners by coiling their hair on top of their heads, whispering to one another as they knelt.

He stood silently for a moment, then gave the command,

"Enter the city."

As the sound of Li Zhouwei's voice fell, the carriage did not stop in front of the crowd of kneeling Shanyue nobles; instead, it rode past briskly, driving into the city in one breath, kicking up high splashes of mud and water, causing the crowd to scatter.

Li Zhouwei stayed silent, and a group of clan soldiers also coldly stepped inside, sealing off both sides of the road tightly.

Chen Yan, standing at the forefront of the carriage, looked down at the mass of heads bowing in submission and felt a sense of exhilaration. But now he was one with Li Zhouwei, and his sly nature resurfaced as he reminded,

"Princely Heir, we have less than one month to recruit soldiers here... We might still need these people, perhaps we can win over a few."

Chen Yan's words held reason. These people were the descendants of subordinates from the Fei Luoya era, holding power and prestige here, and for decades had been exploiting the commoners, each with their own followers. The Li Family naturally did not need to fear them, but with their help, consolidation would be much easier.

After all, Li Chengliao hadn't provided any support in the form of Spiritual Objects or provisions— the Great Jue Court was already their own territory. Raising an army here should be done by the family, and failing to do so would be a sign of incompetence.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the rustling of Li Zhouwei lifting the carriage curtain behind him, then heard the Princely Heir say,

"These are all condemned men, no need to bother with them."

Chen Yan gently raised an eyebrow, and his mind quickly grasped the implication. He chuckled and said,

"I understand, my lord."

Li Zhouwei stepped out of the carriage and quietly observed the great city before proceeding towards the grand but outdated main hall and continued striding in, stopping next to the high throne.

He tapped his embroidered boot twice, stepped up beside the throne, and after a casual glance, he turned around and said,

"Kill all the families within the city, none are innocent. Seize their goods and distribute them to the followers, and start mobilizing a group of people."

Chen Yan nodded, but Li Zhouwei eyed him for a moment and thought,

"Father said this man is cunning and brave but lacks the capacity to engender loyalty. It may be difficult to divide the spoils and suppress resistance, and if he goes alone, discontent might rise, leading to chaos."

He didn't fully trust this man. Taking the Long Halberd from the carriage, he donned his armor and shook the cloak behind him, mounted his horse with a frown, and said,

"Follow me."

Chen Yan rode behind him. Li Zhouwei took out a list, from which he picked a clan with many followers but fallen on hard times, mounted a Spiritual Horse, and called out loudly,

"To the Dili Family!"

The ground within the city was riddled with holes and bumps, but once he mounted the heavy Spiritual Horse, it was as if he were on level ground, swiftly leaping out of the city.

In less than half the time it takes for a pot of tea to brew, he found a large camp at the edge of the city. From afar, he could see people coming in and out. He reined in his horse, not advancing, waiting for a group of guards to catch up before pulling up the border rope, and looked towards the camp from a distance.

'Barbarians still need barbarians to lead; it's necessary to have loyal followers from poor and humble origins to serve as the knife.'

...

The Dili Family camp.

Dili Youjie had been panicking all night, pacing frantically in circles in front of the camp since early morning, his bow and animal bone accessories clinking in disarray, looking utterly flustered.

The Dili Family had toiled in this place for years, with many people and soldiers but too few shamans. They were considered a lower class and could only establish stockades outside the city, sending tributes of flesh and blood to the Vudaimu day after day.

Later, this place fell into the hands of Fei Luoya, who wreaked havoc for a few years. The Dili Family missed their opportunity and remained a lowly breed. Only after being handed over to the Li Family did their days improve significantly.

It was because the Li Family had not really governed the Great Jue Court before, since most of Fei Luoya's men had settled here. The Li Family could not interfere much, merely sending representatives to inquire about the distribution of the Spiritual Fields. To say they ruled would be more like a loose control.

But as of this morning, upon hearing that the Li Family's troops had entered the city, and Dili Youjie still lacking the qualifications to meet them, he was left pacing within the stockade, truly at a loss.

"Dong dong dong..."

As the unkempt man from Great Han pondered with a distant gaze, he suddenly heard a thunderous noise. Dili Youjie, known among the Shanyue for handling strong bows and mighty horses, immediately recognized the sound. He was slightly startled and exclaimed:

"Cavalry?"

He abruptly looked up, only to unfasten a horn from his belt as a massive shadow flew over the towering gate, eclipsing the blazing sun and casting a twisting shadow below.

Dili Youjie caught a glimpse of a chillingly gleaming Long Halberd slicing through the air, its dark gray Armor emitting a metallic sound, reflecting a sheen of fine steel that the Shanyue could not forge even in several generations.

"Huff... hiss..."

The hooves of the horses hit the ground, kicking up sand and dust that rose high into the air. The breaths and neighs of the steeds merged into a chaotic chorus, leaving the onlooking clansmen of the Dili Family spellbound. Dili Youjie couldn't help but take a step back, the color draining from his resolute face.

"Clang!"

The Long Halberd struck the ground, revealing flashes of cold light amidst the dust. Before he could get a clear look at the newcomer, the sound of metal crashing was heard, and the stockade's gate was torn to shreds. The iron-clad easterners entered in an orderly fashion, flowing in one after another.

A few clan members who thought of resisting were like helpless lambs before these men, quickly subdued into submission. Dili Youjie recognized them as the troops of the Li Family at a glance, not daring to resist, and could only stand there, fists clenched, waiting.

"Hm..."

Dili Youjie thudded to the ground as several in Jade Armor pinned him down, and a series of cold blades were pressed against his neck, radiating a chilling light. He was immobilized by a dozen iron spears.

In a mere instant, the entire Dili Family was under control. Dili Youjie kneeled on the ground, not daring to move an inch, disheveled and feeling a piercing chill throughout his body.

The sunlight was intense, and before him shone a golden light as beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled incessantly off his brow, hitting the ground. Dili Youjie slowly adjusted his position and lifted his head, catching sight of a pair of narrow eyes faintly glimmering with gold.

The youthful gaze swept over him casually before surveying the surrounding men, seemingly estimating the number of males present. Then, holding up a piece of cloth, he pronounced:

"Dili... Youjie?"

His voice was steady and carried a youthful clarity. Dili Youjie, a top hunter and feared young leader of a ten-li radius tribe, couldn't meet his gaze and hoarsely responded:

"This humble one has seen the Immortal clan... the Immortal Lord."

This man, covered in sweat, felt compelled to bow his head under the intense gaze while his throat was threatened by the cold blades.

Then he saw someone dismount from a spirit horse behind him, a cold gaze enveloping him as the figure circled around. The man, with long eyebrows and gray-black eyes, regarded him as if inspecting livestock and murmured:

"Your Highness... Can this man be of use?"

The youth on horseback did not respond but simply laughed, then asked:

"Dili Youjie, the letter says you are young and promising. Here's your chance at an overwhelming fortune. Can you seize it?"

Dili Youjie, known for his ruthless actions since childhood, had never had such clarity of mind. In a split second, he pieced together everything before him, and with a trembling voice, he said:

"This humble one thanks the Princely Heir!"

He finally mustered the courage to look into those eyes, as if staring into a pair born to play with the hearts of men, a dark gold flowing within them, causing his legs to go cold.

Dili Youjie listened as the youth tugged at the reins. The sound of iron hooves clanged against the ground. The Princely Heir used a riding crop to separate the cold blades from his neck and said tauntingly:

"Go gather your Dili Family and head into the city to kill!"