NFBE Chapter 129 Raising a World Peace Token, a Miserable Stalker with an Ambush
Chapter 129 Raising a World Peace Token, a Miserable Stalker with an Ambush
Winter City, Lord's Mansion, Backyard.
Hundreds of feet underground, there exists a huge cave formed by snow accumulated over millions of years; the cave walls are naturally formed with dazzling ice crystals, reflecting a bright but not dazzling light, as if stars have fallen to earth.
Jiang Li slowly walked through a winding glacial tunnel and arrived at a palace.
This is an underground palace constructed from extreme ice.
This palace is the Jiang family's most secret cultivation sanctuary, containing two worlds within.
These two worlds were originally pure worlds, but because the Heavenly Dao was polluted by boiling turbid air, the entire world fell into evil worlds, with a time interval of 277 years between them.
Back then, the Python Sparrow Royal Family called on all the city lords of the empire to form legions and jointly cross the 'borderland' to conquer the new world.
These two worlds are the spoils of war that the Jiang family's ancestors obtained through countless bloodshed and merits.
Generally speaking, there are three ways to deal with a conquered new world, depending on the specific circumstances.
The first approach is forgiveness, which means accepting the new world, expanding the territory of the Python Sparrow Empire, and then enfeoffing the land and population to new city lords for management, or having the royal family send their own members to manage it.
The second method of disposal was looting. During the first hundred years after the initial surrender, the armies under the command of each city lord were allowed to plunder and loot at will. After the century of turmoil subsided, the new world, which was already devastated, was formally returned to the empire and redistributed to the city lords or the royal family.
The third option is to destroy the world, to wipe out the entire world completely.
The entire world was completely erased of all life, whether it be immortals or mortals, all were destroyed, mountains were leveled, seawater was drained, and natural resources were wiped out, leaving it a silent and lifeless world.
Such a world of death would then be bestowed by the royal family upon city lords who had rendered outstanding military service.
City lords often choose to transform this desolate world into a breeding ground.
Then, the world of nurturing is sealed within a powerful magical artifact.
Then resources and population were injected, and the children were carefully nurtured.
Until life in this world is revitalized and gets back on track.
Once the breeding world is on track, the city lord can then focus on harvesting cultivation resources.
For example, the Four Fiend Fates required to advance to the Fiend Realm are extremely rare, but for a city lord who controls one or even two breeding worlds, collecting a set of Four Fiend Fates is not difficult.
Possessing power in two realms and accumulating a profound foundation spanning six hundred years, this is the symbol of the Jiang family's strength in Cold Winter City.
They use the world as their field, sowing hope and reaping the resources needed for cultivation from the souls, bones, flesh, desires, suffering, and destiny of mortals, thus forging the glorious path of their family step by step.
Jiang Li calmly entered the palace, her gaze instantly locking onto Jiang Xun, who was diligently cultivating in the center of the altar. Then she respectfully clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Father, the plan has made progress."
Two world gates, as deep and unfathomable as black holes, stood prominently on either side of the altar.
When they open, countless desires of millions of living beings intertwine and entwine from them.
Like a richly colored painting, it is both magnificent and complex.
These desires, originating from the hearts of beings in different worlds, condensed in the void into invisible resources for cultivation. Like a rushing river flowing into Jiang Xun's body, they were devoured one by one and transformed into his own cultivation and power.
Jiang Xun stood high above, his face majestic, like an ancient, supreme demon god, slowly opening his eyes, which surged with the colorful torrent of desires of billions of living beings: "What progress?"
Jiang Li clasped her hands in response: "Tomorrow at noon, in Youxue Valley, Zhou Qingfeng will meet with other forces to sign an alliance agreement."
Jiang Xun said calmly, "Is the intelligence accurate? Could it be a trap?"
Jiang Li said decisively and confidently, "The intelligence is absolutely true. I have verified it from multiple sources. I am here to see you, Grandpa, to seek your permission to take action. Tomorrow I will lead my men to completely shatter Zhou Qingfeng's illusions!"
Jiang Xun said calmly, "That's very good. Tomorrow, you will be in charge of the Imperial Guards, the Wolf Guards, and the Cold Cicada Spy Team."
"Thank you, Master." Jiang Li clasped his hands in a salute, slowly retreated to the palace entrance, and then turned to leave.
The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye. Outside the mansion of the treasure-hunting delegation, a large number of civilian cultivators were lining up to challenge Jin Wei in order to gain the qualification to cooperate with Zhou Qingfeng in the treasure hunt.
However, the treasure-hunting delegation closed its gates today and hung up a sign of truce.
Many folk cultivators, not understanding what was going on, whispered among themselves and discussed the matter.
"What's going on? It's not like two armies are at war, why are they putting up a truce sign?"
"I don't know, maybe they're just tired from playing, after all, they've been playing for so many days."
“That makes sense. Since they’re taking a day off, we should take a day off too. After all, they can’t run away.”
"Okay, let's disperse." The many folk cultivators scattered like birds and beasts.
Diagonally opposite the gate of the mansion, there is a teahouse.
"Old Xing, how long are we going to keep an eye on this?" Chai Ronggui ate sunflower seeds out of boredom. After finishing the seeds, he used the shells to make the character "苦" (bitter) and "逼" (forced) on the table. He was utterly bored.
Meanwhile, Xing Cishu, who was even more bored, was sitting opposite. Xing Cishu was playing with words by piecing together words with melon seed shells. When Chai Ronggui asked him a question, Xing Cishu took a sip of tea, looked at the gate of the treasure-hunting delegation's residence, and shook his head, saying, "I don't know."
Chai Ronggui inquired, "Has Jiang Li not said anything to you these past two days?"
Xing Cishu said helplessly, "No, Jiang Li doesn't like me. She would never tell me anything about certain core secrets. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent me to do this arduous task of keeping an eye on people."
Chai Ronggui scratched his head and couldn't help but complain, "So we're just going to wait here like this?"
“It’s been so many days. Zhou Qingfeng does nothing but eat, drink and have fun in his mansion. We’re here exposed to the wind and sun, sleeping on the streets at night. My brothers are about to break down from this miserable life.”
Seeing this, Xing Cishu comforted him, "Brother Chai, we have to endure it whether we want to or not. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Now, all actions are decided by Jiang Li, and even I have to obey her."
Chai Ronggui sighed, recalling the grand ambitions he had made that day, vowing to overthrow the Sword Tower and avenge his family. But now he could only waste his time here, doing menial tasks.
Xing Cishu noticed the dejection on Chai Ronggui's face and patted the back of Chai Ronggui's hand: "Alright, don't overthink it. Although keeping an eye on people is tough, it's not all for nothing."
“As long as we keep a close eye on him, Zhou Qingfeng will inevitably slip up. Once we catch him red-handed, it will be a great achievement, and you will reap the rewards.”
Upon hearing this, Chai Ronggui finally perked up a little.
Xing Cishu and Chai Ronggui stared anxiously and aimlessly at Zhou Qingfeng's mansion gate.
Jiang Li didn't tell the two of them anything about Zhou Qingfeng's upcoming alliance with other forces that day.
There are two specific reasons.
Firstly, Jiang Li harbored deep resentment towards Chai Ronggui and Xing Cishu. Xing Cishu had once leered at her buttocks, resulting in a severe beating and subsequent assignment as a garrison commander at Gancaobao, from which he would never have the chance to return.
However, Xing Cishu unexpectedly made a comeback by taking advantage of the Xi Yi treasure.
Forced by Jiang Xun's orders, Jiang Li had no choice but to use this person despite her disgust.
Chai Ronggui was even more disgusting to Jiang Li. He was a traitor to the Sword Tower and a person who broke his promise. As the prospective ruler, Jiang Li could not tolerate any such behavior. In her eyes, all traitors deserved to be skinned alive.
These two were assigned to Jiang Li's subordinates. How could Jiang Li possibly give them important positions? It's not like the Jiang family has no one else to rely on.
Secondly, not telling them would make their observation of Zhou Qingfeng more natural. Acting is more realistic when the actor himself doesn't know the truth. If they were told directly, it wouldn't matter if they lost him.
If the two actors' acting is not realistic enough and they deliberately lose track of Zhou Qingfeng, it will backfire.
So these two clueless guys are still miserably staking out and keeping watch.
At this moment, a wandering monk rushed into the teahouse and whispered a few words in Chai Ronggui's ear.
Chai Ronggui immediately perked up, quickly stood up and patted Xing Cishu's arm: "Quick, Lao Xing, your chance to make a contribution has come! Zhou Qingfeng just led a large group of men out the back door."
"Quickly, after them!" Xing Cishu's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly followed Chai Ronggui toward the back gate of the treasure-hunting delegation's residence.
Zhou Qingfeng and his group of forty-two people ran quickly ahead.
Xing Cishu and seventy-seven ronin were chasing after them.
One after the other, chasing each other.
The two groups sometimes traversed crowded, bustling streets, and sometimes passed through dark, deserted alleys.
Xing Cishu was like a mad dog, biting and refusing to let go. No matter how Zhou Qingfeng and his group tried to shake him off, they couldn't get rid of him until Xing Cishu stopped outside an abandoned house.
"General Xing, Boss Chai, I personally witnessed Zhou Qingfeng and his group entering this abandoned mansion." A wandering cultivator clasped his hands and gave a brief report to Xing Cishu and Chai Ronggui, who had caught up from behind.
Chai Ronggui asked, "Does this abandoned house have a back door?"
The wandering monk clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "No, the back door has been sealed off by the wall. Only this main door is accessible. Moreover, our people are keeping watch around this mansion to make sure no one has come out again."
Chai Ronggui frowned slightly: "Strange, what are they doing in this abandoned house?"
Xing Cishu didn't think too much about it and said with a smile, "Old Chai, what's there to think about? We'll just go in and see. Maybe Zhou Qingfeng has arranged to meet someone else here."
Upon hearing this, Chai Ronggui nodded slightly and gestured for his seventy-six brothers to gather around.
Then, the seventy-seven ronin followed Xing Cishu and strode into the abandoned house.
The midday sun was shining brightly, yet this abandoned house on the edge of the city was still shrouded in an eerie and gloomy atmosphere, as if the sunlight could not penetrate the deathly silence and desolation around it.
Even though the sunlight was as bright as gold, shining directly on the abandoned house, it could not dispel its eerie atmosphere; instead, it only highlighted its loneliness and decay.
The abandoned house, bathed in sunlight, has mottled walls covered with vines and moss, like the skin of a withered old man, etched with the merciless marks of time.
The rusty iron gate reflected a cold light under the midday sun, as if resisting the noise and warmth of the outside world.
Through the half-open doors and windows, the interior space is dimly lit, and the once magnificent decorations have become decaying ruins, silently telling the story of past prosperity and present desolation.
The flowers and plants in the courtyard had long since withered and decayed, leaving only some tenacious weeds swaying gently in the breeze, as if whispering the story of life that once took place here.
The midday sun shines through the dilapidated roof, casting slanted shadows on the ground, creating patches of light and shadow. In those shadows, one can almost see the figure of the former owner lingering.
Despite the bright sunshine outside, this abandoned house was like a corner forgotten by the sun, always shrouded in a cold, deathly aura that sent chills down one's spine.
The sunlight here is merely a pale and powerless witness, witnessing the rise and fall of this abandoned house, witnessing the departure of life and the eternity of death.
Xing Cishu and his group walked heavily into the courtyard, where a strong, somber atmosphere immediately enveloped them.
Ye Tingxiu stood tall and straight, with six gleaming blades hanging at his waist. He leaned against the top of the artificial hill in the courtyard, looking down at Xing Cishu. His face was as cold as frost, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent: "Xing Cishu, you've come. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
As the words fell, the quicksand at the entrance of the abandoned house suddenly transformed, writhing as if alive, and actually turned into Xiao Hongyun standing there.
At the same time, Xiao Hongyun held a delicate throwing knife fan in his hand, and with a forceful snap of his wrist, the gate of the abandoned house was tightly closed, as if announcing the arrival of misfortune for Xing Cishu and his group.
Inside the quiet, abandoned house, the sound of the door closing was like the tolling of a death knell, making Xing Cishu's heart tighten suddenly.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, sensing an impending crisis. He decisively pulled out two short axes from his storage bag, his alert gaze sharp as an eagle's: "What exactly do you intend to do? Where is Zhou Qingfeng?"
The fact that no one responded to him intensified his overwhelming fear.
Xing Cishu, though outwardly fierce, said weakly, "This general warns you, do not act recklessly. Let us go immediately, or if a battle breaks out here, a large number of experts from Winter City will arrive in the blink of an eye and completely suppress you!"
Xiao Hongyun unfolded his fan and chuckled as he strolled along the dilapidated courtyard corridor: "You shouldn't worry about where Lao Zhou went. You're all barely able to take care of yourselves right now. You should be thinking about how to survive until tomorrow's sunrise."
From the shadows, Zhiqi, leading five cultivators at the Fiend Realm and thirty cultivators at the Calamity Realm, gradually appeared, their presence undoubtedly making the situation even more dire.
Witnessing this scene, Chai Ronggui knew the disparity in strength was too great, and without hesitation shouted, "Old Xing, retreat quickly! There's an ambush here!"
Xing Cishu reacted quickly, knowing that the situation was unfavorable and that choosing to temporarily avoid confrontation was a wise move. Under the cover of the seventy-seven ronin, he immediately withdrew.
Holding a long-handled reverse-blade sword, Chai Ronggui rushed towards the gate and kicked it with all his might, but an invisible spatial barrier blocked his attack.
Upon seeing this, Chai Ronggui immediately led his men back to the courtyard, intending to use their qi to ascend into the sky and escape. However, they found that they could not fly at all, and even walking became extremely difficult, as if they were trapped in a vortex of gravity and could not break free.
He was utterly astonished, his fear evident in his expression. He turned his head angrily, the tip of his blade pointing directly at Ye Tingxiu and the others in the distance: "Four Fiends Absolute Domain Formation! You actually set up such a formation here in advance, deliberately luring us here with the intention of trapping and killing us?"
Ye Tingxiu watched their efforts go futile and smiled mockingly: "You do have some knowledge, though."
Xiao Hongyun said calmly, "Chai Ronggui, you remnants have escaped with your lives by sheer luck. This is a blessing from fate. From now on, you should live in anonymity, like rats in the sewers."
"But you don't know how to cherish it, and you even dare to collude with outsiders to scheme against us. That's just courting death."
"Alright, kneel down and accept your fate. Today is your death day."
Chai Ronggui's face turned pale and then purple. He stepped forward, brandishing his knife at Xiao Hongyun, and roared angrily, "Bullshit! What gives you the right to judge me on behalf of fate? Who do you think you are?"
Faced with Chai Ronggui's questioning, Xiao Hongyun remained calm and composed, as if he had already seen through Chai's fate.
Chai Ronggui ripped off his robe, revealing the green-scaled snake armor he was wearing. He looked around at the brothers standing beside him and began to boost morale: "Today we have nowhere to run. The only way to survive is to fight to the death."
“I, Chai, have said that we do not seek to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year. If any of my brothers manage to walk out of this place alive, we must never forget our oath.”
Deeply moved and filled with fervor, the seventy-six wandering cultivators also removed their outer garments, revealing their armor, drew their weapons, and roared in unison: "Overthrow the Sword Tower, avenge our grievances! Overthrow the Sword Tower, avenge our grievances!"