Chapter 1331: Demonic Disciple (II)

It took half a day for the Capital Immortal Dao to respond. Footsteps sounded outside the hall as the messenger entered, removed the concealment from his face, and said in a low voice, "Greetings, family head."

Li Jiangqian’s brows rose as he said, "Rise."

This man had thick brows and large eyes. He had an air of seasoned composure, and a blade at his waist. He was none other than Gongsun Baifan of the Capital Immortal Dao.

He obediently knelt on one knee and paid his respects before rising. "Our lord has already received the family head's letter and deeply recognizes the viciousness of Guo Hongjian... He loathes him bitterly..."

He spoke a string of agreeable words, yet it was merely lip service. Li Jiangqian neither confirmed nor denied them, instead carefully observing the man before him. His eyes were dull and sunken, while his face was pale, with faint traces of wounds visible on his face and neck. They had a grayish hue, as if he had fought desperately at the brink of life and death and nearly lost his life.

Li Jiangqian inwardly cursed the situation as bad and said gravely, "Guest Cultivator Gongsun... what happened to you?!"

Gongsun Baifan had suffered such serious injuries, yet the Capital Immortal Dao had not allowed him to recuperate properly and still sent him to deliver a message to the lake. This immediately made Li Jiangqian sense intense danger.

Sure enough, the saber cultivator replied with a bitter expression, "I was injured by someone..."

"My lord, regarding the matter you asked about, my family's lord is also deeply perplexed. The killing of the Locust Soul Hall's cultivators was extremely abrupt and occurred at the very heart of the Locust Soul Hall. Our Dao lineage is overwhelmed and no longer has the energy to investigate it.

"As for the river... there are hardly any people left. I ask your esteemed family not to issue challenges, lest it lead to awkward incidents."

Li Jiangqian put on an expression of shock and anger and asked, "How could it have come to this?!"

Gongsun Baifan had always been a steady figure and had even once received praise from Li Zhouwei, yet even someone as composed as him spoke of this matter with fear and lingering dread, "Family head, a demonic disciple has appeared within our domain... It is unknown what inheritance he obtained. He rose among minor sects and families and suddenly broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, first killing the city lord, slaughtering the guards, and seizing spirit items...

"Not all of our cultivators were on the river. Several were stationed within our territory. When formations shattered and spirit talismans flared, they immediately went to as reinforcements. Who could have imagined... that they would be killed by this demonic disciple who had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm?!"

Li Jiangqian could not help but pause in shock as he asked, "What happened next?"

Gongsun Baifan shook his head, fear still lingering on his face, and said quietly, "I arrived first. I never expected him to throw three talismans right at me. Their power was terrifying. Had I not diligently cultivated spell arts over the years and possessed deep cultivation, I would not have survived!

"Such ancient talismans are treasures even my lord's household would reserve for their direct lineage. Yet the three he threw out seemed like ordinary, mass produced items. They were used without the slightest regret, allowing him to escape.

"At present, our cultivators have dispersed and are combing the entire White Ye Stream inch by inch just to find this person. Since our sect master was short on manpower, I was sent here."

Li Jiangqian felt a chill run through his heart as he listened,

This must be an important figure drawn out by a True Monarch. By the time he was discovered, he was already at Foundation Establishment Realm. Back then, a mere Qi Cultivation Realm Xu Xiao threw our family into disarray. This one waited until Foundation Establishment Realm to emerge. That is truly deadly!

What is more, this person's intentions are unknown. If he seeks ties with a True Monarch, the Capital Immortal Dao will suffer a severe blow to its vitality and pay dearly for it!

Li Jiangqian clicked his tongue inwardly as he examined Gongsun Baifan's ashen expression. He knew that the Capital Immortal Dao, being situated in Jiangbei, would have more troubles than his own family, but he had not expected matters to be so fierce and dire.

He questioned, "Then what does your lord intend..."

A hint of resolve appeared on Gongsun Baifan's face as he said gravely, "My lord has said that this person will not have gone far and must still be in Jiangbei. If an opportunity arises, he hopes that your esteemed family can offer timely assistance and lend us a hand!"

No wonder the message brought by Guan Gongxiao had cursed Guo Hongjian so thoroughly. It turned out that the Capital Immortal Dao had also run into a crisis. A demonic disciple had emerged within their territory and the river was empty and undefended, yet Guo Hongjian was still provoking the Li Family on another front. If the Li Family truly grew enraged and crossed the river to kill, they would be assaulted on multiple fronts...

It was only because Guan Gongxiao had always possessed a good temperament that he still had the presence of mind to write letter after letter. If his disposition were worse, he would have been enraged to the point of spitting blood!

As a result of this turmoil, even Guan Gongxiao's request for help became awkward. How could Li Jiangqian want to wade into this muddy water? Letting both anger and disappointment flash across his face, he sighed and said, "I understand that the teeth grow cold when the lips perish, and that we should support one another. Yet your gate and Crimson Reef are of one heart. How could Guo Hongjian understand this? Now that he holds a set of concealed dharma artifacts, how would my family dare send anyone out?!"

Gongsun Baifan was not a thick-skinned person to begin with and appeared somewhat ashamed. Li Jiangqian did not give him a chance to interrupt and said regretfully, "The Guo Family daring to emerge from the Eastern Sea into the Wilderness already made me suspect that something would happen in Jiangbei. This letter was meant as a warning. I did not expect that it would still be one step too late!"

He shook his head and said, "However, rest assured. My family also has many troubles on its hands and will not take the opportunity to cross the river. You should return first. Let news from Jiangbei come frequently so that our two families can assist each other at any time."

Gongsun Baifan nodded repeatedly at his words and saluted. "Many thanks to the family head for your understanding..."

After speaking, he withdrew. Li Jiangqian saw him out of the hall and watched him leave, pondering inwardly.

In truth, Guan Gongxiao was not afraid of the Li Family crossing the river to seize territory. Jiangbei was currently being roasted over fire. What benefit could there be? What he feared was that Li Jiangqian might act to vent his anger and truly start a fight. Once there were casualties on both sides, unpredictable changes could very well occur.

As for sending the heavily injured Gongsun Baifan to deliver the letter, I suspect it was not because they lacked manpower. It was to have the badly wounded cultivator travel back and forth. He is bait to lure out the fleeing demonic disciple... That is also a form of calculation.

Fortunately, the Capital Immortal Dao still has Guan Gongxiao... He knows when to lower his head and can maintain some control over the situation. Without Guan Gongxiao, both families would be in serious trouble right now.

He had just turned around when a black-clad youth descended before the hall amid the torrential rain. His expression was grim as he knelt on one knee and reported, "Family Head, the Locust Soul Hall has crossed the river."

Li Jiangqian abruptly raised his head and let out a heavy sigh inwardly as he thought,

As expected, it could not be avoided. Trouble has arrived at last.

He asked urgently, "How many forces are there? Is Daoist Bai personally leading them over?"

Chen Yang wore a grave expression and nodded as he said, "Daoist Bai is indeed leading them across the river. They are currently within the Wilderness territory!"