Chapter 149

The day after paying their respects to Li Lingyun, Qi Fei, Gu Yinzhang, and Li Yuyao left Diancang Mountain and headed straight for Qingzhou City. They entered the city that evening and successfully reunited with Feng Liyao and the others.

That evening, Qi Fei told Feng Liyao about Li Lingyun’s body disappearing. After hearing the story, Feng Liyao couldn’t figure out the reason for it, so she put the matter aside.

The next morning, Feng Liyao led everyone on a non-stop journey towards the capital.

Halfway there, a light rain began to fall. The autumn rain brought a cool breeze, but fortunately, everyone was a martial arts master with internal energy protecting them from the heat and cold, so they didn’t need to add any clothes.

Several days later, the group arrived in the capital city without incident.

Upon arriving in the capital, Qi Fei had expected Feng Liyao to launch a strong attack on the palace. However, she led everyone directly to a residence in the capital and settled in, showing no intention of attacking at all. This made Qi Fei very curious.

This residence was purchased by Feng Liyao. It is very large and is usually cleaned and looked after by servants. The house is spotless and the courtyard is decorated with flowers and plants. It is located in the western part of the city, very close to the palace, and can be reached in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

After the meal, Qi Fei followed Feng Liyao closely. When he saw her sit down on the swing in the yard, he quickly went over to help her push the swing.

“Mom! When are we going to storm into the palace and wipe them out without leaving a single one alive?” Qi Fei’s lewd hands kept groping Feng Liyao’s round, plump buttocks.

Feng Liyao swung back and forth on the swing, and said with a faint smile, “Fei’er, don’t always shout about fighting and killing. You need to use your brain first in everything you do.”

Qi Fei said, “I know, it’s all about outsmarting them! I just think it would be more imposing to storm the palace directly…”

Feng Liyao said, “When both sides are well prepared, the side that takes the initiative to attack will definitely suffer greater losses. Therefore, we should wait for the enemy to come to us, gradually wear down their strength, and minimize our losses.”

Qi Fei thought about it and agreed that it made sense. Every single person from Kun Kingdom who came to the capital this time was a top expert and the core strength of Kun Kingdom. Losing any one of them would be an unbearable price to pay. A steady and cautious approach was the best choice.

However, with Feng Liyao and others making the arrangements, Qi Fei didn’t need to use his brain at all; he just needed to follow their instructions.

Looking at Feng Liyao’s graceful figure, he felt a strong urge to eat. He grabbed the swing, hugged his beautiful mother from behind, and said, “Mom, I want to eat your big steamed buns…”

Feng Liyao patted his hand, her pretty face slightly flushed, and said, “Prepare for battle properly, and don’t let your mind wander!”

…………

While Qi Fei and his group were arriving in the capital, the imperial court had already received the news.

Wang Tianlong immediately summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures, and then mobilized a large number of experts from the imperial court, mainly three thousand imperial guards, as well as experts from the Great Zen Temple and the Shaoyue Sect, which still constituted a very strong force.

In this discussion, Wei Dongxiang, who was known as the “Nine Thousand Years Old” of the Great Gan Dynasty, surprisingly did not express any opinion and remained very silent. He agreed to all of Wang Tianlong’s decisions.

After everyone dispersed, Wei Dongxiang went straight out of the main hall. Wang Hongyu walked out of the main hall and saw Wei Dongxiang’s figure. His eyes flashed and he thought to himself, “This old man seems to be acting a bit strange today… Oh well, let’s deal with Consort Qi first.”

For days, Wang Hongyu had sent people to keep an eye on Qi Tingqin’s every move, but he couldn’t find any fault with her. She had been behaving normally all day, spending her time playing with birds, enjoying the scenery, and spending her time with the other concubines in the harem. At night, she stayed in her palace and never went out.

Until yesterday, after learning that the people of Kun Kingdom had entered the capital, Wang Hongyu suddenly heard a report from his subordinates that pigeons had flown out of the inner palace, most likely released from the palace where Qi Tingqin was staying.

Upon learning the news, Wang Hongyu immediately went to check the clues, but there was no sign of pigeons in Qi Tingqin’s palace, only some bird droppings and a bird feeder, which were used by the parrots that Qi Tingqin usually kept.

Nevertheless, Wang Hongyu was almost certain that the pigeons had flown out of Qi Tingqin’s palace, and that her purpose in raising birds was likely to deceive others.

“Is Consort Qi here?” Wang Hongyu asked the palace maid at the gate as they quickly arrived at the inner palace. The maid hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, Consort Qi has just left the palace.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Hongyu’s expression changed: “What did she go about?”

“They said they were going to the city to buy jewelry, and Consort Xiang and Consort Yun were also going with them.”

“Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on her?!”

“If Her Majesty wants to leave, we can’t stop her…” “Useless!”

Wang Hongyu slapped the palace maid across the face, then turned around with a gloomy expression and led his men away quickly.

The palace maid fell to the ground, covering her swollen face, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes flashing with intense hatred.

While Wang Hongyu led the palace guards to chase after Qi Tingqin, Wei Dongxiang also left the palace.

As soon as Wei Dongxiang left the palace, he changed his clothes into a white robe and held a feather fan. Taking advantage of others’ inattention, he went to a teahouse on West City Street. After entering, he was led into a private room.

The private room was already full of people, all of them top-notch masters.

Upon seeing who was sitting in the private room, Wei Dongxiang’s eyelids twitched, and he thought to himself, “This is incredible!”

Seated in the main seat was a young man in black, holding a folding fan. He was quite handsome, about twenty years old, and his face was full of a haughty and noble air. This was Xia Yushu.

On either side of Xia Yushu sat several experts, each radiating a powerful aura, none of them inferior to Wei Dongxiang.

When Wei Dongxiang entered, no one stood up to greet him; they just looked at him arrogantly. Only Xia Yushu smiled and said, “Eunuch Wei has arrived. Please have a seat.”

“Young Master Xia.” Wei Dongxiang sat down without any ceremony.

Xia Yushu said, “Let me introduce you to Eunuch Wei. This is Ye Taixuan, the former second master of Red Leaf Manor. You have met him before.”

“I have naturally met Master Ye of Red Leaf Manor.” Wei Dongxiang raised his wine glass.

Ye Taixuan smiled slightly and raised his cup in return: “Who in the world doesn’t know Eunuch Wei, the ‘Nine Thousand Years Old’ who has caused trouble for the court?” Xia Yushu added: “This is Ye Jingyun, the direct descendant of Red Leaf Manor, and also my sworn brother, Xia Yushu.” “Young Hero Ye.”

“Eunuch Wei.”

The two greeted each other.

Xia Yushu continued, “I’m also very familiar with this Eunuch Wei. I don’t think I need to introduce him. He’s my right-hand man.”

Wei Dongxiang followed Xia Yushu’s gaze and saw a strange man to his left. He had fair skin, a prominent chest, and a tall, thin figure. His eyes had an eerie light, and he looked neither male nor female, making it difficult to tell. He was none other than Yao Ye, the leader of the Yin Yang Sect.

Wei Dongxiang said, “Master Yaoye, how have you been?”

Yao Ye sneered and said, “My young master wanted to ask Eunuch Wei to serve him before, but Eunuch Wei refused. Why have you changed your mind this time?”

Wei Dongxiang chuckled: “It is my honor that Young Master Xia thinks highly of me. However, I am not willing to serve just anyone. I need to consider it carefully before making a decision.”

These two used to be evenly matched rivals, having fought to the death many times. Now, sitting at the same table, they were filled with hostility. Xia Yushu tried to smooth things over, saying, “Alright, now we’re all family. Family doesn’t speak like outsiders. We must unite to achieve great things.”

He then pointed to the four men on his left and said, “I’m sure Eunuch Wei has heard of these four men.” “Their reputation is legendary.” Wei Dongxiang looked at the four men solemnly and slowly raised his cup.

These four were none other than the “Four Elders of Heaven and Earth” under Jiang Yuangong’s command: three old men and one old woman, namely the Old Man of Dongsheng, the Old Man of Nanshan, the Old Ancestor of Xitian, and the Old Woman of Beihai.

The four men rose to fame forty years ago. They were contemporaries of figures such as Zen Master Kongming, Taoist Master Xuantian, and Nun Xueshan. They were about the same age as Wei Dongxiang, all in their seventies or eighties.

They were mainly active in the Western Rong Kingdom.

At this time, he followed Xia Yushu’s side as his protector, ready to be dispatched at any time.

Old Man Dongsheng glanced at Wei Dongxiang with some disdain and said, “‘Nine Thousand Years Old’ Wei Dongxiang’s name is quite famous, but I wonder how skilled he really is?”

Just as Wei Dongxiang was about to speak, he suddenly felt a powerful aura rushing towards him, and his vision blurred as countless fist shadows struck him.

Wei Dongxiang remained calm and unleashed his signature move, “Netherworld Ghost Claw.” Thousands of claw shadows appeared out of thin air, colliding with the opponent’s fist shadows. A series of explosive sounds rang out, and everyone felt as if the space in front of them was distorted.

In an instant, both sides stopped fighting.

“He does have some ability after all.” Old Man Dongsheng narrowed his eyes and looked Wei Dongxiang up and down again.

“I wouldn’t dare. When you’re out in the world, how can you not have some self-defense skills?” Wei Dongxiang smiled modestly.

He knew that the Four Elders of Qiankun were very strong and he also wanted to test their martial arts. Judging from the previous exchange, the old man from Dongsheng was slightly inferior to him in skill. However, his fist technique was extremely strange, and Wei Dongxiang almost fell for it. Fortunately, he was experienced in fighting and was able to resolve the situation.

Wei Dongxiang was secretly astonished. Any one of these four masters was a top figure in the martial arts world. The two of them together could easily fight him to a draw. If all four of them attacked together, even a Heavenly Realm expert would probably not dare to say that he could defeat them.

While toasting the four elders of Qiankun, Wei Dongxiang glanced at the seven experts surrounding Xia Yushu and thought to himself, “It seems the rumors are true. Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Xuantian were not mistaken. Xia Yushu and the four elders of Qiankun must have been learning the ‘Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Demonic Art.’ Xia Yushu is indeed colluding with the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Demonic Art. The martial world is likely to be plunged into unimaginable bloodshed in the future. The world is not far from chaos.”

The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends are legends that have been passed down for three hundred years. Many people think they are just fictitious legends, but Wei Dongxiang knows very well that they are real stories from the past of the martial arts world, and a pain for everyone in the world.

Compared to the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, the conflict between the Great Gan Dynasty and the Kun Kingdom seemed less important.

However, Wei Dongxiang didn’t care about the safety of the world. He was already a man destined for death. What he cared about was how long he could live. Compared to his own life, nothing else mattered.

Wei Dongxiang put down his wine cup and said to Xia Yushu, “Young Master Xia, we have an agreement: I will risk my life for you, and you will teach me martial arts.”

Ye Jingyun sneered, “My elder brother is a man who does great things, why would he lie to you!”

Xia Yushu waved his hand and chuckled, “Don’t worry, Eunuch Wei, I guarantee you can learn the world’s most advanced martial arts, just like me, and have a lifespan beyond your imagination. Let alone seventy or eighty years old, it’s not impossible for you to live for three or five hundred years!”

“Alright, with Young Master Xia’s words, I’m relieved!” Wei Dongxiang gritted his teeth. Yao Ye sneered from the side, “Still calling me ‘Young Master’?”

“Master!” Wei Dongxiang stood up and bowed to Xia Yushu.

“Haha… Sit down, Eunuch Wei. From now on, you and Yao Ye will be my right and left arms!” Xia Yushu laughed loudly.

Since returning to the Da Gan Dynasty and beginning his plans to restore the country, Xia Yushu has been thinking about how to recruit more experts, including poaching talent from within the Da Gan Dynasty and the Kun Kingdom.

Therefore, he sent people to invite Wei Dongxiang several times, but the other party refused each time. It was not until this time that Wei Dongxiang agreed to join the group, which made Xia Yushu overjoyed.

Wei Dongxiang’s plan was also very clever. He knew that there was no hope of continuing to follow Wang Tianlong. He would only be used by him until death and would never be able to learn the “Dragon God Skill”. Now that Wei Dongxiang was following Xia Yushu, he had a chance to learn the legendary “Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Demon Skill”. After thinking it over again and again, he finally decided to join!

Yao Ye said, “Old Wei, isn’t it a bit unruly of you to come empty-handed?”

Wei Dongxiang chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, although I don’t have a pledge of allegiance, I can tell you everything about the current situation of the Daqian court and even the Kun Kingdom. Aren’t they our current enemies?”

Xia Yushu’s eyes lit up, and he said, “Tell me quickly.” Although he had spies planted in the Da Gan court and the Kun Kingdom, they were ultimately not as well-informed as Wei Dongxiang, a core figure in the Da Gan court.

Wei Dongxiang took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, his face flushing. He said, “Now, Empress Feng Liyao of Kun Kingdom has used a scheme to kill Bai Xifeng and has brought a large number of experts into the capital. Wang Tianlong is currently mobilizing troops and gathering experts, planning to launch an offensive against them, strike first, and wipe them out in the capital.”

“What kind of experts are there?”

“The Great Gan region has Wang Tianlong and his son, myself, Snow Mountain Divine Nun, Grandma Honglian, Abbess Suyin, the Seven Immortals of Shaoyue, the Four Vajras and Eighteen Arhats of Dachan Temple, and three thousand imperial guards…” Wei Dongxiang listed all the experts who had helped the Great Gan region.

Xia Yushu smiled disdainfully and said, “With Bai Xifeng dead, these people are completely useless! Since even Bai Xifeng couldn’t beat Feng Liyao, Wang Tianlong definitely can’t either. Da Gan is doomed to lose!”

Ye Jingyun said, “Brother, then our opportunity has come, hasn’t it?” All eyes were on Xia Yushu, waiting for him to speak.

Xia Yushu laughed and said, “That’s right! Our chance has come. When Da Gan and Kun Kingdom are both exhausted, it will be a good opportunity for us to fight for power. We will watch the battle from the shadows, and if there is an opportunity, we might as well help Wang Tianlong and make Kun Kingdom suffer even greater losses. That way, after Wang Tianlong is defeated, it will be much easier for us to deal with Kun Kingdom!”

Ye Taixuan warned, “It is said that there are many experts in Kun Kingdom nowadays, so we cannot be careless!” Xia Yushu smiled and said, “Uncle, don’t worry, I will ask my master to take action at the critical moment!”

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with awe! Wei Dongxiang was even more filled with longing for this legendary figure. He really wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of extraordinary person could live for more than three hundred years!

Xia Yushu looked at Wei Dongxiang and frowned, saying, “Eunuch Wei, I suddenly remembered something. My master needs my help to find someone, and I hope you can also keep an eye out for him.”

Wei Dongxiang hurriedly said, “I wonder who Senior Jiang is looking for. I have been in the business for decades and have quite a few connections.” “It’s someone called ‘Holy Mother of Yaochi,’ a woman. That’s all I know.”

“The Holy Mother of Yaochi… I’ve never heard of her…” Upon hearing this, Wei Dongxiang squinted and thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. “That’s right, I’ve heard people mention that the Empress of Kun Kingdom’s bathhouse is called ‘Yaochi.’ Could the ‘Holy Mother of Yaochi’ that Senior Jiang mentioned be Feng Liyao?”

“Oh?!” Xia Yushu was overjoyed upon hearing this. “Now that Eunuch Wei has said that, it’s not impossible! I ask you, anyone who can catch my master’s eye must be no ordinary woman. After counting them, Feng Liyao is the only one in the whole world who is qualified!”

At this point, Xia Yushu stood up, raised his glass to Wei Dongxiang, and said, “Today, to have Eunuch Wei serve me is truly a great fortune for me, Xia Yushu. I toast you!”

“How dare I!” Wei Dongxiang quickly stood up.

…………

Qi Fei rested in the courtyard for a day, but he couldn’t stay there any longer the next morning.

Since returning to Kun Kingdom and following Feng Liyao, Qi the Hero has completely changed his low-key style and let himself go. He spends his days either with women or venturing out into the martial world, determined to make a name for himself as the “Invincible Hero Qi.”

With Feng Liyao present in the capital, none of the women dared to be overly intimate with him. Feeling bored, Qi Fei decided to go for a walk.

After having breakfast, Qi Fei went to the outhouse, and then, taking advantage of everyone’s inattention, secretly slipped out of the mansion and headed straight for Qinglong Street, the most bustling street in the capital.

Along the way, I saw vendors selling vegetables, steamed buns, and jewelry, with all sorts of shouts and calls. Young men and women strolled around, fortune tellers, storytellers, street performers, monkey trainers, and various shops and stalls lined up one after another, creating a scene of prosperity and grandeur.

“Fun!” Qi Fei, dressed in a green robe, carrying a long sword on his back, crossed his arms and strolled around, feeling that the world was incredibly vibrant. This was the atmosphere he liked best.

“The storyteller’s teahouse? This is it.” Qi Fei saw the storyteller’s teahouse by the street and stepped inside.

He had been to this teahouse once before, to ask Bai Xiaosheng a question, but was kicked out. However, Qi Daxia didn’t care about such things, especially now that his martial arts had greatly improved, he was confident that he could go anywhere in the world.

“Please come in, sir…” A waiter came forward to greet you.

Qi Fei entered and found the place already full, causing him to frown. The waiter smiled obsequiously, “Young hero, I see you’re also a member of the martial arts world. How about sharing a table with that great hero?”

He pointed to a table on the right, where only a middle-aged man with a full beard sat. Although he was not carrying any weapons, his hands and feet were thick and long, and he was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with a cloak. He exuded a powerful aura and had an extraordinary appearance. It was clear at a glance that he was a person from the martial arts world, and perhaps even some unknown master in the martial arts world.

Qi Fei glanced at it and said somewhat indifferently, “That’s fine too.”

He walked over, sat down, and ordered a plate of peanuts and a pot of tea.

The burly man with the thick beard glanced at Qi Fei but didn’t say anything. He just sipped his tea and watched the storyteller on the stage with a somewhat indifferent expression.