Chapter 574: Zhong Qian (II)

The two descended, and Li Xuanfeng paused briefly before the formation. The elder caught on immediately, taking a formation token glowing with an earthy yellow light from his waist. The formation appeared to be operating at full capacity.

After taking control of the formation, Li Xuanfeng deactivated it with a light command. "With me on the island, there is no need for such heavy defenses."

"Yes!" The elder led him down with a respectful bow, introducing himself, "I am Yuan Huo'e, at your service, General."

Li Xuanfeng glanced at him and asked, "The Yuan clan of Mushroom Forest Plain?"

"The very same!" Yuan Huo'e answered.

Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly, recognizing the connection between their families. Wasting no time, he got straight to the point, "What is the situation with the water ape?"

Yuan Huo'e shook his head and sighed. "This creature is part of the dragon clan... it has some backing and does not fear us. Its strength is formidable, and it has beaten us so badly we do not dare step off the island... this has been dragging on for nearly half a year, disrupting our business considerably. We have already evacuated all unrelated personnel from the island."

"A member of the dragon clan?" Li Xuanfeng was slightly surprised, but recalling Yuan Su's earlier words, he immediately considered,

Could it be that Yuan Su intends for me to serve as a pawn to provoke the dragons and ultimately throw me under the bus to take the blame?

Running through his thoughts quickly, Li Xuanfeng felt a surge of doubt, his initial judgment beginning to waver. He thought to himself,

Something is not right... This market isn't Ning's property; it's a sect-owned business, and at most, it could be considered a Chi Family asset. Why would Yuan Su go to such lengths to help others for no gain?

Settling his mind, he asked, "Why is this water ape giving you such trouble without reason?"

Yuan Huo'e, noticing Li Xuanfeng's contemplative expression, had initially held his tongue. Now, he replied in a low voice, "We asked that very question some time ago. The water ape claimed that someone stole his precious herbs and is hiding in the market... He demanded that we deactivate the formation so he could search freely. But how could we allow that? If we opened the formation, he would do whatever he pleased."

Li Xuanfeng paused, then said quietly, "Take me down. Prepare a report detailing all the water ape's Immortal Foundation abilities, dharma artifacts, and techniques."

Yuan Huo'e led him to the most lavish hall, vacating it for his use. He handed over a small note, then, seeing Li Xuanfeng wave him off, wisely took his leave.

Li Xuanfeng read the note aloud, "Water ape... brutal by nature, with a fondness for human flesh, and his Dao foundation is

Secret White Mercury

... rather unusual... capable of concealing himself, lurking in the sea, with a body like polished silver and skilled in spells... no wonder he caught the attention of the dragon clan."

Yuan Su's exact words were that the water ape is the primary target of this mission. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to survive; there's no path to reconciliation.

Li Xuanfeng held the note in silence, mentally reviewing Yuan Su's arrangements and deducing,

The water ape likely misread the situation. This claim of stolen herbs hidden on the island is probably true... and that makes the situation clear.

He flew up from the hall, ascending above the island, and retrieved a small, blue mirror the size of his palm from within his robes, the

Glimmering Inquiry Mirror

.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Is this mirror meant to search for the water ape? I doubt it.

Li Xuanfeng activated the mirror, closing his eyes as bright blue light streamed from its surface, sweeping across the island. This mirror was certainly not as refined as his family's mirror; he had to channel his mana for several breaths before the scene below became clear.

The island was now occupied solely by Azure Pond Sect cultivators, all wearing green robes. In the center of the island, at the spot with the densest spiritual energy, a lone figure sat cross-legged—a young man in deep meditation.

A peak Qi Cultivation Realm...

If his instincts were correct, this young man was undoubtedly the one the water ape had been hunting. Noticing the youth's cultivation level, Li Xuanfeng muttered under his breath, "Peak Qi Cultivation Realm? Stole precious herbs? He must have a thread of fate."

As he pondered, clarity settled in his mind. "It seems the water ape does not understand the situation. It has foolishly entangled itself, trapping this young man on the island and delaying the affairs of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Yuan Su sent me to kill it, to clear the path for this youth."

He nodded slightly. As for the water ape... it was likely that its fate had become entangled in some way. Perhaps its backing had chosen to ignore it, or it had unknowingly offended someone, or it was caught in a factional struggle after the fall of its demon king, now destined to serve as a sacrificial pawn.

His gaze returned to the mirror in his hand, and a sense of doubt rose in his heart,

There was no need to give me this mirror... I could simply eliminate the demon. Yuan Su's intention... is likely to offer me an opportunity.

With this thought, the black-gold armor on Li Xuanfeng's body began to manifest, and the golden bow appeared with a fierce glint. He descended on the wind, landing silently beside the young man.

Quite the choice—this is one of the best cultivation spots on the island.

He remained silent, standing quietly with his hands clasped behind his back next to the youth.

The young man had a refined face and sharp eyes, dressed in neat attire. Though not particularly handsome, he possessed a striking presence. Li Xuanfeng observed him briefly, thinking to himself,

The nature of fate is truly extraordinary... what sort of power must it be to allow someone to repeatedly avert danger?

The youth's eyelids twitched slightly before he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was deep, but upon seeing Li Xuanfeng, he froze, his face paling in shock and disbelief, "W-what!"

He had merely been meditating, yet suddenly, a middle-aged man clad in black-gold armor, with an eagle-like gaze and imposing mid-Foundation Establishment Realm aura, had appeared before him. Terrified, the youth instinctively leaped up, though his usual composure faltered for a moment.

But almost immediately, his mind raced, and he dropped to one knee in respect, speaking in a steady voice, "Junior Zhong Qian greets Senior! I entered this blessed land by mistake... I beg for your forgiveness!"

Having quietly occupied someone else's cultivation ground, only to be caught red-handed, Zhong Qian found himself in an incredibly awkward situation. Unable to come up with any smooth words, he could only state his case plainly, subtly gripping a talisman in his sleeve and scanning his surroundings with his spiritual sense in vigilance.

Zhong Qian mused,

This is troublesome... this formation could protect me... or trap me within.

Li Xuanfeng regarded him calmly and said quietly, "There is no need to be tense... and as for that talisman, you do not need to clutch it so tightly. I am not like those weak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators; even an ancient talisman would not last two strikes against my arrows."

Zhong Qian, shocked at being so easily seen through, replied respectfully, "I truly had no other options, which is why I took shelter in this blessed land... I am willing to offer a spirit item as compensation..."

Cautious one, this little guy,

Observing the youth's taut stance, ready to flee at any moment, Li Xuanfeng spoke again, "You did well... That water ape crossed your path and was fated to meet this calamity."

So, he is an enemy of that demon! No wonder!

Relieved, Zhong Qian also sensed a certain meaning in Li Xuanfeng's words and respectfully replied, "I am not a disciple of any prestigious sect... merely a rogue cultivator from the Eastern Sea. That water ape devours humans daily. When I accidentally entered its cave dwelling and took its precious herb, it pursued me all the way to your market. I have been unable to leave since."