Looking at the emaciated child with her frigid gaze, Chen Ping’an felt a genuine sense of revulsion, even though she was just a child, far younger than someone like Zhu Lu.

Chen Ping’an averted his eyes, turning towards the back door of the residence. There, the seemingly amiable and frail old steward was leading his young master across the threshold. As they turned towards Chen Ping’an, their gazes met. Chen Ping’an gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, and the old man, after a moment of hesitation, returned the courtesy.

Everything was understood without a word.

If Chen Ping’an hadn’t appeared today, this withered child would have quietly perished.

Moreover, the old man was clearly willing to extend goodwill to a fellow cultivator whose depths he couldn’t fathom, choosing to forego punishing the ungrateful little wretch and leaving her fate to Chen Ping’an’s discretion.

Chen Ping’an retracted his gaze and said to the child, “Don’t come here again, or you will die.”

The little girl grinned, but remained silent.

Chen Ping’an turned and left.

The gaunt girl spat vehemently in the direction Chen Ping’an disappeared, not forgetting to also spit at the high walls and gate.

However, after performing these two small acts of resentment, her already famished stomach growled even louder, and she felt lightheaded. She retraced her steps, keeping close to the walls. She wouldn’t dare venture into the center of the road, or even let the passing carriages and pedestrians give her a second glance. Provoking them would truly lead to her demise.

As for the man in the snow-white robe, she wasn’t afraid.

From a young age, she possessed a keen intuition for malice, knowing exactly who she could provoke and who she couldn’t.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t gone far, in fact he was secretly observing the thorny little girl.

She walked and rested intermittently, moving weakly. Along the way, after careful observation and a moment of waiting, she skillfully scaled a wall and pilfered some pickled vegetables from a household, devouring them ravenously before hurrying out of the alley. Thirsty, she again climbed over a wall, tiptoeing to scoop water from a cistern. Before replacing the lid, she quickly grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and scattered it into the water, then quietly departed.

Chen Ping’an could see that the emaciated little girl had a slight limp and often rubbed her ribs, likely from past punishments while committing these misdeeds.

Just as Chen Ping’an was about to leave, the little girl arrived at a dilapidated alley filled with chicken coops, barking dogs, and manure. A group of men with slouching postures were waiting there, as if expecting her arrival. The men were not old, some were teenagers of thirteen or fourteen, the oldest barely in their early twenties, all of them lounging about, exuding a roguish air. One of them, upon seeing the gaunt girl trotting towards them, kicked out a leg without a word, showing no restraint. If the kick had landed squarely, it could have sent the little girl flying. Fortunately, the girl seemed to have anticipated it. She didn’t dodge, but rather intentionally slowed down her pace during the run, so that she was struck, but not severely. Then, she fell backward in a seemingly flawless motion, struggling to stand up with a look of utter misery, her eyes and demeanor filled with a feigned subservience and flattery that seemed innate.

A burly thug, presumably the leader, didn’t want to waste time and ordered the little girl to lead the way.

The group twisted and turned, taking considerable time to find a dilapidated old residence that had long been abandoned. The little girl secretly pointed inside with her finger, and the thug leader grinned menacingly, “If you lead us astray, we’ll break your legs!”

She shook her head vigorously, then timidly held her hands to her chest in supplication.

The thug first made a gesture indicating the black market, and his companions began to surround the residence.

He didn’t join in. He tossed seven or eight copper coins into the little girl’s hands, saying in a chilling voice, “Little bitch, about the other half of the copper coins, unfortunately, I didn’t bring them with me. Want to wait until we finish the business and come home with me to get them?”

The little girl shook her head vehemently, trembling, and slid all the copper coins into one palm. With the other hand, she picked up three and handed them to the thug.

The thug was overjoyed. The little brat was quite perceptive. He waved his hand, and some of the thoughts of continuing to tease her vanished.

The little girl retreated, bowing deeply to the man several times before turning to run.

From behind the little girl, a deafening wail erupted from the residence.

The little girl merely ran while quickly opening her palm, looking at the few copper coins. Her childish, yet sallow, face suddenly bloomed with a smile.

Longquan County, where the sky descends and the earth meets, was like a blessed land rich in spiritual energy, attracting covetous eyes.

Tens of thousands of demons and spirits in the surrounding area, after more than two years of migration, gradually began to attach themselves to various mountains, and the situation was stabilizing.

Among them, there were three great demons in the Golden Core Realm alone, each of whom had been a formidable figure in their own right. As for whether there were Nascent Soul Realm demons lurking in the shadows, unwilling to expose themselves too soon, it was temporarily unknown.

Due to various reasons, nearly a thousand had died prematurely, died violently, or were suppressed and killed by the Great Li Dynasty for violating the rules. However, the number of deaths among the middle five realms of demons was not large, mostly those who had just embarked on cultivation and acted solely on their fierce nature.

Among the demon race, very few were qualified to obtain the “Peace and Tranquility Talisman” issued by the Great Li Dynasty.

To this end, demons who were attached to various mountains, serving as offerings or mountain gate protectors, either paid out of their own pockets and racked their brains to curry favor with the government, or prayed for the owner of the residence to show goodwill to the Great Li. In the end, it all boiled down to “money makes the mare go,” a revenue stream that made the Great Li Ministry of Revenue grin from ear to ear, and incidentally began to ease the somewhat strained relationship with the Ministry of War. After all, the forces of the Yuan and Cao families, the two great Supreme Pillar States, were located in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue respectively, and the century-long feud between the Yuan and Cao families, with their constant clashes, was well known throughout the court and the countryside.

As the sage of this small world, Ruan Qiong, who came from the Wind and Snow Temple, founded the Longquan Sword Sect, which controlled a vast territory, including Divine Show Mountain and many other mountains. However, the number of direct disciples was still pitifully small. A woman who had been abandoned by the Wind and Snow Temple and had cut off her own thumb was in charge of the old sword shop outside the town. She rarely entered the mountain of the Sect and was named Xu Xiaoqiao.

There was a taciturn young man who wore only black clothes all year round, named Dong Gu.

There was also a long-browed teenager who came from the Li Pearl Cave, Xie Ling.

Even with the addition of Ruan Xiu, the only daughter, the Longquan Sword Sect was still shockingly desolate.
However, Ruan Qiong seemed unfazed by such matters, only concerning himself with visits to the Dragon Slaughtering Terrace stone cliff on Dragon Spine Mountain, and interactions with his maternal family at the Wind and Snow Temple, as well as True Martial Mountain. He paid no heed to mundane affairs, rarely acknowledging the Prefect Wu Yuan, or even Wei Bo, the Righteous God of the Northern Peak. He was even more indifferent to the instruction of his disciples, generally leaving it to his daughter, Ruan Xiu, to oversee.

On Divine Embroidery Mountain, today the sea of clouds billowed, and the great sun hung in the sky, illuminating the heavens and the sea with crimson splendor.

A girl with a single ponytail, or rather, she could no longer be called a girl. Compared to when she first entered the Li Zhu Cave, she was now slender and taller, her features having matured. The young lady Ruan Xiu had blossomed into a graceful beauty.

Standing beside her were the three disciples Ruan Qiong had personally taken: Xu Xiaoqiao, Dong Gu, and Xie Ling. It was a rare occasion for them to meet. Among the three, Xu Xiaoqiao addressed Ruan Xiu as Senior Martial Sister, while Dong Gu called her Miss Ruan, but with a respect that came from the heart. The young Xie Ling, however, always preferred to call her Sister Xiu Xiu.

At Ruan Xiu’s feet lay a hound. Originally, this was an old dog, listless and waiting to die by the roadside in town. Now, it was full of energy, its eyes filled with spirituality. This was thanks to Ruan Xiu’s habit of tossing it pills, all of them extraordinary and worth a fortune. Once, a passing cultivator witnessed this scene and felt a pang of despair, feeling that he was worse off than a dog. He almost lunged forward to compete with the dog for food.

Within the magnificent sea of clouds, a few sparse peaks pierced through, towering high like islands.

Ruan Xiu pointed to one of the peaks. “My father said that as long as you reach the Golden Core Realm, he will bestow a mountain peak upon you, proclaiming it to the world with an Inauguration Ceremony.”

Then she looked at Dong Gu, “Although you are a spirit by birth, breaking through is more difficult for you than for us. However, with your longevity, your foundation is solid. You reached the Dragon Gate Realm early on, and it’s time to try.”

Dong Gu hesitated.

He clearly lacked confidence. The Golden Core Realm, in the Middle Five Realms, was the most difficult to break through, having stopped countless Dragon Gate Realm cultivators. The reason Dong Gu left his homeland, abandoning his guise as a Grand Tutor of a kingdom, as well as worldly riches, was to use the extraordinary spiritual energy of the Li Zhu Cave to increase his chances of reaching the Golden Core Realm. As for the quality of the Golden Core and the number of images in the Core Room, he dared not hope for too much.

*To form a Golden Core, and become one of us.*

This phrase had drawn countless cultivators in the world, year after year, ignoring worldly affairs, and diligently pursuing cultivation.

“During your breakthrough, I will use some methods, drawing on the mountain and water aura of our own mountains to help you stabilize the formation.”

Ruan Xiu pointed to Xie Ling, “Your junior brother recently obtained a treasure that is almost an immortal weapon, a exquisite pagoda, bestowed by a master. It can reduce the risk of your breakthrough.”

The long-browed youth Xie Ling wore a mournful expression, as if he wanted to jump off a cliff and die.

*Oh, my Sister Xiu Xiu, that’s my trump card, a great secret! How could you just casually reveal it?*

Dong Gu, whose face was usually as stiff as a mask, finally showed a hint of excitement. He bowed to his junior brother Xie Ling and said, “Thank you, Junior Brother! I will never forget this kindness! I will repay you in the future!”

With a few words, Ruan Xiu dismissed the gloomy-looking Xie Ling, “Since you have such a good thing, you should make the most of it. Don’t always think about hiding it and laughing to yourself. The path of cultivation, in the end, is to cultivate oneself. Relying too much on external objects, whether in battle or in temperament, will cause great trouble. Many old Nascent Soul cultivators have died in seclusion simply because they placed too much emphasis on magical treasures during their cultivation.”

Ruan Xiu recited these words like a rote lesson, all in one breath. Xie Ling laughed.

Xu Xiaoqiao and Dong Gu also looked at her with a strange expression.

Ruan Xiu sighed, a little discouraged, “These principles are all what my father wants me to memorize, which is killing me.”

Xie Ling couldn’t stop laughing.

Xu Xiaoqiao and Dong Gu smiled knowingly.

Ruan Xiu instructed, “Dong Gu, choose a blessed place and an auspicious day. I and Xie Ling will be there on time.”

Dong Gu nodded vigorously, his heart surging with emotion.

Ruan Xiu took out a piece of embroidered silk wrapped in a sleeve, without opening it, and said to the three of them, “Go back now.”

Xie Ling lived on the mountain, while Dong Gu cultivated in a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain. Xu Xiaoqiao lived in a sword shop on the Dragon Beard Riverbank. Ruan Qiong had established a rule that cultivators were not allowed to fly freely. Therefore, the poor Xu Xiaoqiao and Dong Gu had to walk down the mountain. Ruan Xiu casually said, “The disciples of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect can fly with the wind and control their swords as they please. Who cares about these rules in their own territory? My father? He doesn’t care about these things. He only cares about whether you can reach the Golden Core Realm, and whether you can become a cultivator in the Upper Five Realms in the future.”

Ruan Xiu added, “These words are my own, not taught by my father.”

The three dispersed.

Ruan Xiu squatted down, picked up a piece of peach blossom cake, and put it in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons with a smile, and then she opened her eyes wide, trying to make herself look serious. She looked at the hound, her cheeks bulging, and said indistinctly, “You have to cherish the good days now. Don’t always shout at people on the street, showing off your power. Is it fun? I heard that you almost bit a passerby once. You should stay at home and guard the house. Why did you run up this mountain without permission? Do you want me to protect you?”

Ruan Xiu raised a hand, “Do you believe that I can slap you to death with one palm?”

The hound immediately prostrated itself on the ground, whimpering for mercy.

Ruan Xiu still had a cold expression, and glanced at it. “If it weren’t for his sake, I could have eaten stewed dog meat for several days.”

The dog’s back trembled.

Ruan Xiu stood up and pointed to the road down the mountain, “Even those cultivators have to behave themselves. You are just a dog. Do you want to rebel? Go down the mountain and guard the house!”

With a *swoosh*, the hound ran away as fast as it could.

Before, with its slightly developed intelligence, it thought she was cute and kind. Only at this moment, based on its instinct, did it realize that she had never had any pity or affection for it.

Ruan Xiu chewed on the second piece of peach blossom cake, her hand propped near her cheek, lest the crumbs fall to the ground.

This delicious food, she never tired of it.

She wondered if the future river deities would taste as good as peach blossom cake.

Her father said that their golden bodies were most beneficial to her own cultivation.

*Crunchy!*
The young woman, identified as Miss Xiu Xiu, seemed to have a bit of a sweet tooth, quickly wiping the corner of her mouth.

As one of the earliest vassal states of the Lu Dynasty, prior to the rise of the Great Li Dynasty, it endured countless humiliations and periods of forbearance. Successfully eliminating the seemingly invincible Lu Dynasty marked a significant turning point in both national strength and confidence. After the conclusion of that grand and protracted war, an unparalleled sense of confidence took root within the Great Li Dynasty, from high-ranking officials in the imperial court, both civil and military, to border soldiers, and even ordinary citizens.

This served as the greatest source of confidence for the Great Li cavalry’s southward campaign.

However, during this period, some unexpected events occurred, leaving the battle-hardened border generals and the strategists in the capital’s Ministry of War somewhat amused and exasperated. Initially, the lower-ranking soldiers, and even some mid-level officers, harbored reservations about the southward campaign, displaying the caution of seasoned veterans.

First, the Great Li’s primary enemy to the north, the Great Sui Dynasty under the Gao clan, retreated and avoided battle. Then, several vassal states, including the Huangting Kingdom, had their emperors and rulers proactively leave their cities to surrender their imperial seals to the Great Li generals astride their warhorses. With only sporadic resistance in various places, the formidable Great Li border army felt somewhat perplexed, as if they had no use for their skills.

Further south, battles became more frequent. Significant numbers of enemy troops would either gather their elites in open terrain to engage in decisive battles with the Great Li border army or defend strategic passes and heavily fortified towns, refusing to yield. Occasionally, several smaller kingdoms would form alliances to jointly resist the unstoppable Great Li forces.

In response, Great Li, aside from a few head-on clashes in major battles outside cities and siege warfare, primarily employed a strategy of “using wolves to devour tigers.” During this time, countless Great Li agents and spies, who had been lying dormant in various countries, played a crucial role. Countless families turned against each other, close friends brandished swords at each other, and waves of martial arts organizations rose up in rebellion within the kingdoms. One after another, pillars of the state, both civil and military officials, suddenly met untimely ends.

Thus, Great Li’s southward campaign yielded countless victories, and the once-unthinkable feat of annihilating nations seemed within reach.

One elite Great Li force after another advanced simultaneously from the northern borders of Treasure Bottle Continent, sustaining themselves through warfare and growing increasingly unstoppable.

The Great Li Emperor issued a secret decree, which was delivered to the tents of the various great generals.

Until they reached the northern border of the Colorful Garment Kingdom in the middle of Treasure Bottle Continent, the Great Li forces’ sieges and land seizures were to be carried out at the discretion of the commanding generals, without requiring written approval from the Ministry of War.

“Gentlemen, let your horses’ hooves trample southward! As for the celebration, let us first use enemy heads as bowls, their blood as wine, and build Jingguan (mounds of enemy skulls) as tables for a hearty feast!”

The Emperor, who rarely displayed genuine emotion, used such emotive language in the imperial decree.

How could this not ignite the blood of the Great Li generals who were already battle-crazed?

Following the thunderous advance of the Great Li cavalry, Prince Song Changjing led his elite direct lineage army, advancing slowly and steadily.

Further behind, the Imperial Advisor Cui Chan secretly marched south, personally responsible for assigning Great Li civil officials to the newly conquered cities that had changed their flags.

The northern countries of Treasure Bottle Continent were like a pile of mud, trampled into a mess.

A heavily fortified town, gathering the elite forces of the Northern Western River Kingdom, was finally breached.

This battle had lasted for three months, and the Great Li border army had fought hard. Of the troops that had joined the ranks along the way from other countries, along with the mixed forces that had surrendered from the Northern Western River Kingdom, less than thirty percent remained.

However, with the capture of this, the foremost border town of the Western River Kingdom, the fate of the Han clan’s dynasty was sealed. This was a fact.

After a hard-fought victory, the atmosphere within this Great Li army was somewhat somber. It wasn’t just about the casualties; another Great Li army, led by a certain Supreme Pillar of State, had taken advantage of their efforts in cracking the Western River Kingdom’s toughest nut. It had crossed the border into the Western River Kingdom and, with lightning speed, seized a dozen empty cities in one fell swoop. It was said that they were about to march straight for the Western River Kingdom’s capital.

No one was happy about being used as stepping stones for others.

Many blood-soaked generals went to the main general to complain, but the main general only listened to their grievances without expressing his own opinion.

Escorted by a team of several dozen elite guards, a man wearing the standard light armor of an ordinary cavalry soldier slowly entered the city. Looking at the scene of smoke and fire everywhere, the man’s expression was determined, and he was not affected by the grumbling of his subordinates.

This military commander was called Song Feng.

He was a relative of the Great Li imperial family, only thirty years old. This young Duke was actually quite distantly related to the current Emperor’s direct lineage, but he had an excellent reputation. He had joined the army nearly ten years ago and rarely returned to the capital since then.

Song Feng was not the kind of fierce general who personally charged into battle. After all, his noble status was there, and even if Song Feng himself was willing to take risks, his subordinates would probably stop him at all costs. If Song Feng died, no one could afford the consequences. Fortunately, Song Feng didn’t care about such empty fame and never made things difficult for his subordinates in this regard.

Over the ten years of his military career, his surrounding generals, who now held great power, might have started out as mere squad leaders. It was no exaggeration to say that they were willing to shed their blood for their commander, Song Feng.

In this siege battle, cultivators on both sides also fought fiercely.

Of the more than thirty Qi Refinement cultivators under Song Feng’s command, including the military cultivators arranged by the Great Li court and the enshrined retainers he had recruited himself, nearly half had died.

This kind of painful loss was almost equivalent to all the previous battles in the southward campaign combined.

Currently, only two figures resembling Qi Refinement cultivators were closely escorting Song Feng.

One was a burly, bare-chested giant, nine feet tall, with an eye-catching Great Li “Peace Talisman” hanging from his waist. He wielded two city-smashing hammers, and his mount was much larger than the warhorses of the heavy cavalry. In addition to the jade talisman, the giant also had two bloody heads hanging from his waist, trophies from the siege battle. The owners of the heads were once well-known Qi Refinement cultivators in the Northern Western River Kingdom.

Compared to the giant’s imposing appearance, the other person was much less noticeable. He was a man who looked even younger than the main general, Song Feng, wearing a drab cotton robe, with a handsome, fox-like face. He always had a smile on his face, and two swords, one long and one short, hung from his waist. The scabbards were black and white.

The young man in the cotton robe had his hands tucked into his sleeves, shrinking his neck and appearing lazy.
From the far distance of the city, a sword light shot towards the sky. The brawny man laughed heartily, spurring his horse forward, turning his head to Song Feng and saying, “The battle is decided! It’s rare to find any stragglers, if we’re late, there won’t even be scraps left! General, take care, don’t fall off your horse!”

This cultivator, who held himself with great importance, had recently joined the army. Rumor had it that he was a confidant of some powerful figure in the imperial court. However, due to that figure’s fall from grace, he had no choice but to leave the capital to earn some military merit. Having seen the power and influence in the capital, he did not hold a Song family member who had been stationed on the border for many years in particularly high regard.

The burly man’s gaze shifted, looking at the lone rider beside Song Feng. “Little pretty boy Cao, if you wash your backside and come find me, I’ll give you the military merit I’m about to get, how about it?”

The young cultivator who had been so humiliated merely smiled, waving his hand at the man, indicating that he should hurry to the battlefield and not waste time.

The brawny man burst into laughter, lifting his posterior high on the saddle, reaching behind to pat it hard, shaking a few times before returning to his seat, and galloping wildly towards the source of the sword light.

The elite cavalry around Song Feng were all furious.

Only Song Feng and the man in cotton clothing did not take it to heart.

The cavalry slowly headed towards the Grand General’s mansion in the city.

In a simple shop near the city gate, three men had chosen to hide their presence from beginning to end during this great battle, not participating in any fighting, allowing the city gate to be breached, allowing the bastards of the Great Li Dynasty to enter the city and kill anyone who dared to hold a weapon.

One of them was the number one cultivator in this northern giant town. Before the Great Li army besieged the city, the defending general had long claimed to go to the capital to seek help from the emperor. The other two were the leading figures of the mountain sects in the West River Kingdom, and the other was a royal offering from a neighboring country, a Golden Core cultivator!

A Golden Core immortal and two Dragon Gate realm cultivators secretly hid here. This situation was not to save the military town, and in fact, could not be saved.

The West River Kingdom and the six nearby small countries had secretly planned this time to assassinate Song Feng!

To kill a royal descendant of the Great Li Song family on the battlefield!

Once successful, even if the country was destroyed, it could greatly boost morale, allowing countless volunteers to stand up bravely on the lands of the six countries, even if they were crushed by the Great Li iron hooves. It could definitely exhaust these beasts of Great Li, giving them no peace and preventing them from smoothly digesting the foundations of the six countries in a short period of time and turning them into resources for the southward advance.

As for whether their assumptions could really achieve their expectations, the three people present and the monarchs of the six countries were probably unwilling to think deeply about it.

Things have come to this point, they can’t care anymore. Mountains and rivers are broken, and lives are ruined, they always have to do something!

Once successful, they will become famous and leave their northern foundation, fleeing directly to the south, where they will become highly sought-after guests of the great dynasties, what difficulty is there?

With no hope of breaking through and their lifespan coming to an end, they should do something grand before they die after shrinking back on the mountain for three hundred years.

The three mountain people present had their own thoughts.

In the team, Song Feng seemed relaxed and casual, but the palm holding the horse whip was actually sweating.

The handsome man with a fox-like face smiled at Song Feng and said, “With me, Cao Jun, here, you won’t die.”

The man who called himself “Cao Jun” suddenly asked, “If I help you this time, you, Song Feng, must also help me once. It’s not difficult, just add a Qi Refining cultivator to the battle damage list reported to the imperial court, how about it? It’s very simple, just say he died at the hands of the hidden enemy cultivators, loyal to the master, and died heroically.”

Song Feng nodded.

Cao Jun drew his hands from his sleeves, pressing them on the hilts of the long and short swords respectively, slowly pushing the swords out of their sheaths.

With a loud bang.

The mount’s spine broke, and it died on the spot.

Cao Jun had already dashed away, his figure disappearing instantly.

Two long rainbows of lingering light still hung in the air.

A quarter of an hour later.

When the last Golden Core cultivator with broken hands and feet had to choose to shatter his Golden Core in grief and anger, the sword cultivator, whose combat power was so powerful that it was abnormal, had not even stained his cotton robe with a single drop of blood. When the Golden Core Qi Refining practitioner committed suicide, he rode away on his sword in a carefree manner. The houses within a hundred feet radius of his feet were instantly razed to the ground, and the flying dust covered the sky and the sun.

Song Feng looked up, relieved.

Then he felt relieved and spurred his horse forward.

Hesitating for a moment, he did not go straight to the Grand General’s mansion, but went to the battlefield where the sword light had soared earlier.

When he arrived there, in the ruins, he found the Great Li cultivator who used a pair of city-destroying hammers, his body lying in a pool of blood, a long spear piercing through his buttocks and nailing him down. The handsome sword cultivator in a cotton robe stood on the top of that spear, yawning. Seeing Song Feng, he smiled and waved.

After that day, the sword cultivator named Cao Jun voluntarily joined an ordinary scout team and no longer stayed by Song Feng’s side.

A Dragon Gate realm genius cultivator who roamed around, with minor but continuous achievements, used this insidious method on the battlefield where another Great Li army was advancing south in a neighboring country, constantly and quietly reaping the lives of the Great Li border army scouts. Every time he struck, he stopped at the right point and did not reveal his identity. In just half a year, he killed one hundred and sixty Great Li elite scouts.

It should be known that every Great Li border army scout was the elite among the elite.

Due to the previous short-range engagements not being concentrated on a certain battlefield, this young military strategist cultivator did not attract the attention and encirclement of the Great Li cultivators. However, the Great Li side gradually became alert and continuously increased the number of accompanying cultivators, hiding among them, hoping to have a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. But after two Sea Gazing realm accompanying cultivators were killed, the senior officials of the Great Li army finally took this guy seriously. However, this military strategist cultivator ran away directly, took a big detour, and transferred to the West River Kingdom battlefield led by Song Feng.

Cao Jun met him by chance.

He met Cao Jun out of a kind of inevitability. If you walk by the river often, how can you not get your shoes wet.

Cao Jun watched him kill seven scouts next to him, and then he killed him.

It seems easy for a cultivator who is good at killing to join the army, establish meritorious deeds, and be enfeoffed as a marquis and general.

There is always someone better.
Cao Jun, mimicking the brawny warrior wielding the city-razing hammer, severed the head of the Dragon Gate realm cultivator, who had possessed such a promising future. But instead of hanging it from his waist, he suspended it from his saddle. Then, he rode south alone, intending to emulate that man further, venturing alone to assassinate the military generals of the Western River Kingdom.

He didn’t believe his luck would be any better than the owner of the head beside his saddle.

But the only difference between them was that Cao Jun had a Dao Protector. With someone shielding him, he didn’t have to worry about his safety, only focusing on the exhilarating battle, never needing to consider retreat.

He chuckled, reaching down to pat the unseeing eyes of the head, the blood already dried and the hair as brittle as straw. Cao Jun grinned, “Too bad you didn’t.”

A voice sounded, laced with a hint of dissatisfaction, “Why didn’t you save those scouts? On the battlefield, we are all brothers in arms.”

Cao Jun laughed, “If I wasn’t there, their deaths would be meaningless. With me present, at least someone avenged them. Shouldn’t they be thanking me?”

Immortals are often dispassionate.

Cultivating on mountains, far removed from the mortal realm, for too long, the distance too great.

Naturally, over time, many cultivators become indifferent to humanity, at most refraining from causing them trouble, but never expecting to treat them with kindness.

In the capital city of the Southern Garden Kingdom, a ragged little girl stood before a steamed bun shop, drooling as she stared at the steaming bamboo steamer baskets, layered upon layered, exuding fragrance.

The shopkeeper, a burly man, frowned at her, annoyed by her presence, and angrily shooed her away. The little girl straightened her back, opened her palm, indicating she had money.

Five copper coins, five coppers.

The man didn’t even glance at her, still telling her to scram. Seeing she was unwilling to leave, he picked up a stool, intending to hit her.

Startled, the little girl quickly ran away.

After running some distance, the little girl glared at the shop with a sullen look, grimaced, then turned and walked towards a flatbread stall, buying two large flatbreads, leaving her with one copper coin.

She could actually make it through the day with just one flatbread. At first, she indeed only ate one.

But as she walked, she began to struggle with herself, and finally, she found a wall corner and devoured the flatbread that was originally meant for tomorrow.

After finishing it, she seemed somewhat regretful, and pinched her arm hard. But after getting up, the little girl, rarely with a full belly, began to prance about, running wildly, occasionally looking up at the kites in the sky above the capital, filled with envy.

That night, she didn’t return to her “home,” that small hovel. The summer night was cool and refreshing, sleeping anywhere was the same, it wouldn’t kill her, just that the mosquitoes were numerous and rather annoying.

There was a wealthy family, whose doorway was adorned with a pair of clumsily crafted stone lions, and the shape was peculiar, not in a sitting posture, but on all fours, gazing upwards, the stone lions neither too high nor too low, just right for the little girl to climb onto their backs. She first sat on one and watched the summer night sky for a while, then took out her only remaining copper coin.

Looking at the vast starry sky through the small square hole.

At that moment, her face was full of smiles.

After that, she hid the coin, lay down and fell into a deep sleep, soon emitting soft snores.

On the stone lion next door, Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged, turning to look at the soundly sleeping little girl, his brows furrowed, unable to let go of what he had seen.

Chen Ping’an stopped dwelling on it and began to close his eyes, practicing the Sword Furnace Stance.

The little girl lay on the back of the stone lion, sleeping sweetly.