Chapter 721 518: The Secret Room

Secret Forest County.

The Green Pond Sect didn't make too many demands regarding the governance of County City; the cities varied in size. Secret Forest County, set up as a minor county by Yuanwu back in the day for Yu Muxian with a single statement, had always been under the jurisdiction of Yuanwu Peak.

Li Zhouwei rode his horse into battle and consecutively captured several cities. The defenses of these cities crumbled upon contact, and the cultivators stationed within were all hedonists who had halted their progress in cultivation, hence they lingered in such a spiritless place below the mountain to bully and boast.

When they saw the fire from the south and the surging blood qi, those with some insight had already turned tail and ran, while others, unable to escape, fell to their knees. Li Zhouwei rode past, and the cultivators following behind him naturally tied up these kneeling figures one by one.

Only a spattering of figures rushed to the city gates in a fury, their faces filled with rage as they began to curse out loud.

This middle-aged man's complexion was pale, reeking of alcohol. It was unclear whether he was truly loyal to the Noble Families or simply foolish. His robe appeared hastily thrown on, and the jade bottle at his waist teemed with surging blood qi. He shouted:

"Which family's fool from Secret Forest dares to kill like this! Qingdu has decreed no killing among each other, how can you slaughter so recklessly? Aren't you afraid the Shang Clan will hold you responsible..."

He had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the black and red light surged on Li Zhouwei's long halberd, and with one thrust, it pierced through his chest, bringing a trail of blood to the ground.

"Da da da..."

The urgent sound of horse hooves followed. His expression calm, Li Zhouwei did not pause as he rode past, the middle-aged man still hanging from his halberd, silent and lifeless. With a flick of his wrist, Li Zhouwei flung him to the ground, followed by the sound of bones breaking.

"Audacious, daring to secretly refine blood qi at Wangyue Lake."

He shook off the blood and entered the city at the foot of Immortal Peak. Dust filled the air, and waste was scattered across the streets in disarray. Emaciated citizens littered the ground, each of them kneeling; occasionally they would lift their heads, their sporadic gazes piercing like arrows.

If one were to truly examine the situation, the common folk living on the lands of the various families weren't faring too badly under the warning of the Li Family. At the very least, they had food to eat and hemp clothes to wear, yet the looks they gave were still fervent.

After all, the citizens under the Li Family's rule lived exceedingly well.

The families all lived intertwined with mortals, and even with their lives hanging by a thread, their daily existence was subject to someone else's whims. How could they compare to the Li Family, under whom Li Zhouwei rode his horse swiftly on the road, only seeing heads bowed low and numerous withered hands worshiping on the ground, densely packed.

When they arrived at the foot of the Lu Family's Immortal Peak, the Qi Cultivation Family Head of the Lu Family came forward, bound, with a group of followers kneeling behind him. The person holding the Array Plate behind them spoke respectfully:

"This humble one greets the Family Head!"

The Li Family had covertly dispatched forces, and not only Li Zhouwei's troops were mobilized; to prevent these families from absconding with Array Plates, Spiritual Objects, and Cultivation Techniques, seven armies were dispatched simultaneously, with Foundation Establishment cultivators suppressing from the sky, not allowing a single person to escape.

The Li Family, like a lion hunting a rabbit, went all out, but overestimated these Noble Families. The foremost and strongest amongst the families, the Lu Family, were the first to open their array and welcome the attackers, making themselves extremely submissive.

Li Zhouwei's halberd still dripped with blood, and he looked somewhat disappointed. He nudged his magic artifact forward, hooking the Array Plate and letting it float into his hands, giving it a close look.

"Qi Cultivation, Medium Grade."

After examining it, he took out a Talisman from his chest and threw it into the sky, where a streak of golden light suddenly rose.

The Lu Family Head trembled, not daring to say more. Li Zhouwei swept a look over the assembled clan members behind him, then looked up at the sky. After the time it took an incense stick to burn, more golden lights rose one after another.

"Three hours."

Li Zhouwei planted his halberd on the ground, counting exactly six more lights rising; within a single night, Secret Forest County had fallen into his family's hands.

The Yu Family grew from the corpses of the Jiang Family but eventually split and evolved into today's Secret Forest Noble Families, with the Lu Family at the helm. Each family's mountain gate dimmed, and they were extremely fearful.

A few families didn't even have a single Foundation Establishment member, and their backer, Jiang Heqian, had disappeared without a trace. Even seeing the faint golden light in the south, they had no clue what had happened, and their inquiries for information were vague and incomplete.

The sudden aggression from the Li Family, with Li Zhouwei donning armor and spearing through on horseback, left the closest families in terror once they realized an incident was unfolding. Escape was no longer an option.

He surveyed the area and said softly:

"Seal the cultivation of these remaining Yu descendants and send them back to Qingdu to await their fate."

The Lu Family Head turned pale immediately, hearing Li Zhouwei refer to them as the remnants of the Yu Family, fearing that the accounts of the Yu Family would be settled with his own. He wanted to speak in defense, but the Jade Courtyard Guards gagged him and dragged him away.

Li Zhouwei rested his halberd on his horse, his hand shimmering with light as he wiped away the bloodstains.

He and his father had long discussed the fate of these foreign-named Yu descendants; there was no chance they would be allowed to stay in these lands. These people had deep-rooted local influence, and they possessed secret methods for cultivating blood qi in the shadows.

They had also nurtured many landlords, and even most Loose Cultivators played a significant role during the disintegration of the Yu Family, deeply entangled. Naturally, they could not be simply suppressed.

"If it's a local bully... then relocate."

Though most of these people had consumed blood qi, with so many cultivators, this wasn't something that could be resolved with a single slaughter. The major trend was to relocate them to the south first. Once removed from their native land, they would find it much more difficult to employ any schemes.

...

In the sky.

Li Xijun had people send Bai Rong back as he watched the large Secret Forest County suddenly filled with golden Talisman light, letting out a sigh of relief:

"It seems everything was handled properly, and no family created obstacles."

It was expected, after all. Tang Jin Sect to the north was too busy with its own affairs, the Fei Clan on the North Shore dared not make a move, and the great mountains to the west demarcated by Green Pond and Jin Yu set boundaries. The small temples and Taoist He Cong on the West Bank always kept to themselves once they closed their doors, each preoccupied with their matters, so they had no way to interfere.