Chapter 17: Powder_1

"Hm?!"

Voices came from outside, and the hall suddenly fell silent.

Everyone frowned and turned to look, only to see a line of people calmly walking into the hall.

The one at the forefront was a fair-skinned, handsome young master.

This person, with a folding fan lightly flicking, walked ahead, followed by a group of oddly shaped attendants that included monks, Taoists, literati, and warriors, yet seemed to be none of these, even including a pair of enigmatic children of indeterminate gender.

"Who is he...?"

"A Shaolin renegade, the poison monk Yuan Xing!"

"And the ghost-headed monk Zhang Tao!"

"Aren't those two the Yin and Yang Children?"

"That old fellow is the emaciated Taoist Wang Yuan Spirit!"

"Where did this band of demons and monsters come from?"

"Boy, who are you?"

"No, this is a Western goods seller!"

"What's the background of this sissy, to have so many evil path experts following him?"

Seeing the motley crew of followers behind the young master, everyone in the hall, especially the leaders of the various sects, were taken aback and did not dare to act rashly.

Those from the Hundred Broken Mountains faction were also frowning, looking at the uninvited young master: "Who might you be, and what brings you here?"

"Nicely put, nicely put!"

The young master smiled and revealed his background: "I am Li Shaobai of the Sacred Fire Sect. Today, I lead the left and right envoys of the Sacred Sect, the four Spell Kings, and the eight Altar Masters to personally ascend the Hundred Broken Mountains, to congratulate Heavenly King Li on his long life of a hundred years!"

"You...!"

"Audacious!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples of the Hundred Broken Mountains immediately boiled with rage, and Miao Fang, the chief escort of the East-bound Escort Agency, was even more furious, kicking a wine jar toward the other party.

"Audacious!"

Unexpectedly, someone behind the intruder also shouted angrily, and with a palm strike from a distance, shattered the flying wine jar with a thunderous crash, not harming the young master in the slightest.

Seeing this, the young master cared even less, shaking his fan and laughing: "We come to present our congratulations, yet this is how the Hundred Broken Mountains treats its guests. Heavenly King Li's name resounds around the world, yet he doesn't know how to teach his people some manners."

"You're seeking death!"

This remark enraged the people of the Hundred Broken Mountains even more, and they were about to attack him, but they were stopped by the head steward, Zhou Hai, with a wave of his hand.

Zhou Hai stepped forward with a light laugh still on his lips: "So it's the young leader of the Sacred Fire Sect in person. With such an entourage ascending the Hundred Broken Mountains, may I inquire as to your purpose?"

"Hahaha, it's said that Zhou Hai of the Hundred Broken Mountains is astute and resourceful, the capable right hand of Heavenly King Li. Seeing you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved!"

Li Shaobai gave a salute but did not continue to provoke. Instead, he turned to the people of the martial world: "Everyone in the world knows that Heavenly King Li is just and benevolent, not only a hero of the ages but also a grandmaster. These so-called reputable clans dare to come here on Heavenly King Li's hundredth birthday to stir up trouble, truly seeking death."

Having said this, before the representatives of the various sects could recover, he changed the subject back to Zhou Hai: "Steward Zhou, would you trouble yourself to report to Heavenly King Li, saying that our Sacred Sect intends to form an alliance with the Hundred Broken Mountains, henceforth joining our two houses together in strength and loss, sharing the world equally, and governing the martial world together..."

"Witch!"

"How dare you!"

"Demon Sect fiend, how dare you be so bold!"

At this point, the representatives of the various sects finally snapped back to reality and burst out in shock and anger, interrupting him.

Li Shaobai, undisturbed, with flirtatious eyes fixed on Zhou Hai, said: "As long as the Heavenly King agrees, today our two families can join forces to kill these hypocritical reputable clans here on the spot, elevate our two families' prestige, and from then on in the martial world, only our two families will be revered. Wouldn't that be delightful?"

"You..."

"Demon Sect fiend, delusional fool!"

On hearing these words, the sects were even more shocked and enraged, with some even causing an uproar.

"Well, I was wondering what gave the Hundred Broken Mountains the confidence to challenge the martial world. Turns out you're in cahoots with the Demon Sect fiends."

"Fellow daoists, this is a trap. Let's fight our way out together!"

"Let's go all out against these Demon Sect fiends!"

"..."

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control...

"Base figures skulking in the shadows, impostors deceiving the world, how dare you use the name of our Sacred Sect to trick the heroes of the world!"

A long, powerful shout suddenly came from outside, accompanied by a strong blast of True Qi that quelled the scene; a figure somersaulted into the room.

"Hm?!"

The crowd furrowed their brows and focused their eyes, only to see the newcomer was a young man of noble presence and striking elegance, exuding an authoritative aura that commanded respect.

As soon as this person landed and stood firm, a crowd of people rushed in and stood behind him, supporting the scene.

"This..."

"I am Li Shaobai of the Sacred Fire Sect, greeting the heroes of the world."

In the midst of the crowd's astonishment and uncertainty, the young man announced his name, also claiming to be Li Shaobai.

"Li Shaobai?"

"Sacred Fire Sect?"

"How is there another Li Shaobai?"

The crowd was baffled by his words, with only that cross-dressing young master showing a cold expression.

The youth who claimed to be Li Shaobai paid no heed and, facing the crowd with a clasped fist, said, "I am the true Li Shaobai, as for this person, they belong to those who deceive the world and steal names. Gentlemen, do not be fooled by her deceit."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the young master and coldly exposed their identity: "This person is not a member of our Sacred Sect but rather the daughter of the imperial Yang King, Princess Qingpin, who today has impersonated the name of our Sect to incite discord between Hundred Broken Mountains and various major Sects. This is a conspiracy by the imperial court, orchestrated to have us in the Martial World slaughter each other. Everyone, you must not fall for their trick!"

"This..."

"The imperial court?"

"Yang King?"

"Princess?"

At these words, the crowd was even more astonished, looking towards both factions with uncertainty.

"Indeed, I am the daughter of the Yang King, the imperial appointee, Princess Qingpin!"

Seeing that her identity had been exposed, the young master no longer pretended and, immediately clasping her fist towards Zhou Hai, said, "But the actions I have taken today were not meant to incite discord between Hundred Broken Mountains and the warrior sects. It is indeed the diabolic ambition of this Sacred Fire Sect, which has turned to rebellion!"

While pointing at Li Shaobai, she continued, "This Demon Sect has vast ambitions, desiring to rebel tonight and swallow the foundation of Hundred Broken Mountains. Having learned this information, I intended to warn the Heavenly King, but feared the word without proof would not be believed, forcing me into this desperate course of action. I hope the Heavenly King will forgive me, besides..."

Princess Qingpin then shifted her gaze towards the heads of the major Sects: "Although everyone in the Martial World claims to fight against the Sacred Fire Sect, in truth, it is not so. Behind it stand many powerful supporters, and various major Sects have backdoor dealings with them to oppose the imperial court for personal gain. Today's incident is the culmination of their conspiracies!"

"You..."

"Gentlemen, do not listen to her nonsense."

The crowd was startled and angered, ready to speak up, but Li Shaobai stood out again: "Our Sacred Sect harbors no such intentions. The current imperial court is unjust, the foolish sovereign and treacherous officials are colluding, and the common people suffer bitterly. Our Sacred Sect stands as a banner for the people of the world!"

He then pointed at Princess Qingpin again: "What she says is all slander. She is the one with malicious intent; the imperial troops have already been secretly mobilized and encircled below the mountain, intending to capture Heavenly King Li along with all the heroes of the world in one fell swoop. I implore everyone to discern the truth!"

"Nonsense."

Princess Qingpin, not to be outdone, pointed directly at Li Shaobai, saying to Zhou Hai, "Steward, do not believe his words. The imperial court has no intention of troubling Hundred Broken Mountains and Heavenly King Li. On the contrary, it is this Demon Sect that has defied the authority, aspiring to snatch the foundation of Hundred Broken Mountains to establish its base. Not only did it collude with various major Sects, but it also mobilized a large army to besiege us. My father, upon learning of this information, dispatched troops..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The two engaged in a heated verbal duel, unyielding in their debate, while the crowd from Hundred Broken Mountains and the Sect leaders stood by, utterly dumbfounded.

What's going on?

The imperial court and the Demon Sect have both arrived, each with an army, now surrounding Hundred Broken Mountains?

This was supposed to be a Martial World affair. How did the imperial court get involved, turning the situation into such a mess?

"This..."

"Where is the Grandmaster?"

"Such a situation can only be resolved by the Heavenly King!"

"The troops are at the foot of the mountain, what should we do?"

The scene was one of complete chaos, with hidden agendas all around.

Meanwhile...

On Heavenly King Peak, in a room at the back of the mountain.

The candlelight was bright but couldn't dispel the encroaching shadows of twilight.

An old woman with white hair, lying weakly on the bed, looked with blurry eyes at the young man sitting beside her and said with difficulty, "Brother, it seems, I can no longer be with you."

The young man, with black hair like ink and a stern face, exuded a majestic aura from inside out, sitting beside the bed gripping the old woman's hand without a word.

Li Hongyu also gripped his hand tightly: "Brother, over the years, you have taken on too many burdens. I'm useless, unable to master martial arts or handle accounts, not only failing to help you but also dragging you down. I'm sorry, so sorry..."

Xu Yang shook his head: "That's not true."

Li Hongyu managed a difficult smile, looking relieved and relaxed at him: "I know, you are no ordinary person. That my second brother and I could follow you is the greatest fortune of our lives. Now, we have enjoyed that fortune. If there is an afterlife, I'd still wish to be your little sister, is that okay?"

"..."

It took a while for Xu Yang to respond: "Agreed!"

"Then it's a promise, don't deceive me!"

Seeing Xu Yang agree, Li Hongyu relaxed further. Her eyes, gazing upward, began to grow hazy as she murmured, "Brother, look, second brother has come to meet me, and there's dad, mom, even Dahuang..."

Her voice trailed off softly as her blurry eyes gradually lost their sparkle, and her tightly gripping hand slackened.

"Miss!!"

"Ancestor!!"

Seeing this, the Li Family members behind her immediately knelt down and cried in unison.

Xu Yang remained silent, sitting quietly beside the bed. After a long time, he reached out his hand and gently closed those lifeless eyes.

He then rose and walked away without paying any heed to the openly weeping crowd, whether their grief was genuine or feigned.

Time is merciless, and on the road to immortality, there are bound to be regrets.

Xu Yang did not want those regrets to last forever, nor did he want to remain powerless.

Thus, he sought to become stronger, grasp power step by step, and take control of his destiny!