The commotion was enormous, the approach aggressive. Most importantly, the opponent’s posture didn’t seem like a friendly visit to Misty Mountain.

Embarrassingly, Misty Mountain didn’t seem to have any immortal swordsman friends with such a distinguished aura.

Without hesitation, Misty Mountain activated its protective formation, using the Ancestral Hall as the core. The already heavy rain and dark sky were further obscured by white mist rising from the mountain’s base, enveloping the peak. From the inside, the mountain’s visibility was clear as day; from the outside, ordinary woodsmen and hunters saw only a vast expanse of white, obscuring the mountain’s outline.

Furthermore, several streaks of white light, dozens of feet long, shot out from the Ancestral Hall, weaving through the mountain mist and rain.

Full alert.

Many of Misty Mountain’s ruling cultivators had left their residences and gathered at the Ancestral Hall, secretly hoping that the approaching, awe-inspiring sword immortal was a friend, not a foe.

Lu Yundai, the Misty Mountain sect leader, and his son, Lu Tingjiao, were both well-known figures in the Colored Robe Kingdom, one through his cultivation, the other through his father.

Surrounding the father and son were dozens of Misty Mountain’s esteemed old cultivators, direct disciples of the Ancestral Hall, and guest elders, most with heavy hearts.

They could only watch as the golden streak drew closer and closer to Misty Mountain.

They couldn’t exactly go out and greet him, could they?

The poorest yet richest of sword cultivators in the world, and ranked first among the mountain’s four most troublesome characters, was troublesome because of his great killing power and speed, not to mention his quick escape – though it was important to understand that the majority of these escapes happened after a killing.

In the past, Misty Mountain might have been fearful, but not to the point of looking like they were attending a funeral. The situation simply wouldn’t allow it. The pillars of the court and the battlefield had been broken, and the courage of the mountain’s cultivators had been shattered. The alliances with neighboring peaks for defense, the corresponding aid of mountain and water deities, or the mobilization of troops from below the mountain had all become things of the past, no longer possible.

After all, times had changed.

Many immortal rules that had stood firm for thousands of years had suddenly become useless.

Because they now had to deal with natives from Great Li on a regular basis, the mountain paradises of the Colored Robe Kingdom and the dozen other surrounding nations realized that their realms and power were basically paper tigers.

The Great Li iron cavalry’s southward advance had punctured many embroidered pillows.

Now, both on the mountain and below, almost everyone was as jittery as a startled bird.

On the battlefield, the Colored Robe Kingdom’s supposed military strength, once touted as the best among the central nations of the continent, including the heavy armored infantry of Ancient Elm Kingdom, the swift cavalry of Pine Stream Kingdom, and the mountain warfare specialists of Comb Water Kingdom, proved either motionless or utterly defeated when facing the Great Li iron cavalry. Even the desperate last stands of the nations further south, such as Stone Bristle Kingdom and Plum Glaze Kingdom, vassal states of the Scarlet Flame Dynasty, which gave Su Gaoshan’s and Cao Ping’s Great Li iron cavalry considerable trouble, only served to highlight the weakness of the border armies of the Colored Robe Kingdom and the other nations, which had become a great joke. It was said that one renowned general of Comb Water Kingdom, previously known for his achievements, claimed after a crushing defeat that his military strategies were all learned from Song Changjing, a Great Li prince, but his skills were lacking. His greatest wish in life was to meet Song Changjing and humbly seek his expertise in military strategy, resulting in a tale of “recognizing one’s roots.”

But one brother shouldn’t laugh at another. The Colored Robe Kingdom was no better. The Colored Robe Kingdom, claiming to have the strongest armor and soldiers, didn’t fight a single battle. Moreover, the Colored Robe Kingdom’s royal family had always liked to claim that a Golden Core Earth Immortal was stationed in the capital, often spreading vague and mysterious rumors to make people unsure of the truth, leading other peaks from the dozen surrounding nations to look down on them.

But when the Great Li iron cavalry arrived, the Ancient Elm Kingdom at least symbolically mobilized over ten thousand border troops as an elite field force to fight a head-on battle with a Great Li iron cavalry regiment, although the result was inevitable. The Great Li iron cavalry’s little finger was thicker than the Ancient Elm Kingdom’s thigh, and the Ancient Elm Kingdom paid a heavy price for it. The Colored Robe Kingdom, seeing the situation, surrendered even earlier than the Ancient Elm Kingdom. Before the Great Li envoys even entered the country, they dispatched a delegation led by the Minister of Rites to actively seek out the Great Li iron cavalry and willingly become vassals of the Song family. This wasn’t all. Great Li then investigated the genealogies of various countries and mountains, and people discovered that the Ancient Elm Kingdom was surprisingly deep, hiding a Dragon Gate Realm sword cultivator of the Scarlet Flame Dynasty, who was jointly annihilated by a group of Great Li military scribes in a heroic battle. On the other hand, if Lu Yundai hadn’t broken through to the Dragon Gate Realm and slightly saved face for the Colored Robe Kingdom, the Sight Gazing Realm would have been the leader of a country’s immortal masters. Not only did the Ancient Elm Kingdom’s court and people despise the weak Colored Robe Kingdom, but the cultivators and heroes of the neighboring Comb Water Kingdom almost laughed their teeth out.

Lu Yundai was a well-groomed old man wearing luxurious robes and a tall crown.

Lu Tingjiao, on the other hand, was a handsome young man with slightly sunken eyes. He had good looks, and with the help of fine clothing, wore a snow-white robe, a high-grade spiritual artifact called “Reed Flower.” At the age of thirty, he looked like he was in his early twenties. Whether through divine coins or natural talent, he was at least outwardly a Fifth Realm cultivator, and he enjoyed traveling and often befriended the sons of nobles in the Colored Robe Kingdom. So, in the Colored Robe Kingdom, he wasn’t bad. In the mortal dynasty, he could indeed be called promising and charming.

However, in the eyes of true cultivators, especially the few Mid-Fifth Realm Immortals and Mountain Gods in the Colored Robe Kingdom, Lu Tingjiao was naturally nothing. His desire to seek the Dao was not firm, and he liked to indulge in carnal pleasures, wasting his time on women. He was unlikely to succeed. If Lu Yundai really wanted to hand over Misty Mountain to his son, it might lead to an internal strife.

However, in recent years, a rumor had been quietly spreading, saying that the reason Misty Mountain had successfully secured a connection with a powerful military general from the Great Li Song family and was expected to become the next state preceptor of the Colored Robe Kingdom was because Lu Tingjiao had helped his father, Lu Yundai, make the connection. If true, then he was truly a man of hidden talents.

An old cultivator, aged and leaning on a cane, asked softly, “Sect Leader, forgive my old eyes, but I can’t see the true realm of the visitor. Is it… a legendary Earth Immortal?”

Lu Yundai looked calm and smiled, “An Earth Immortal sword cultivator?”
The old cultivator seemed to realize he was overreacting, what with the array protecting them and being right at the ancestral hall’s doorstep. He shouldn’t have lost his composure like that. Embarrassed, he muttered, “Even so, that’s too earth-shattering. Surely it won’t be so.”

A beautiful woman, a sword hanging at her hip, sneered, “So what if it’s a passing sword cultivator from the Middle Five Realms? Dares he force his way through Misty Mountain’s array? Does he truly think Misty Mountain is some pushover, to be trifled with at will?!”

Lü Tingjiao glanced at the woman’s mountainous bosom, his eyes narrowed, but he quickly averted his gaze. This female retainer’s cultivation wasn’t particularly high, only in the Cave Dwelling Realm, but as a cultivator, she was proficient in the sword control techniques of martial world swordsmen. She once performed a grand feat, using her masterful sword control to impersonate a Cave Dwelling Realm swordsman and scare away a Sea Gazing Realm grand cultivator from Shuishui Kingdom. It was a pity she was so hot-tempered and lacking in romantic sensibilities, wasting such a fine figure. Lü Tingjiao felt a pang of regret. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given up so easily back then; he should have invested more effort. However, after the situation in Colorful Garb Kingdom stabilized, his father confided in him that as long as he reached the Cave Dwelling Realm, his father would personally arrange a marriage for him, allowing Lü Tingjiao to have the reality of being a Dao Companion without the title. In essence, it was a matter of taking a concubine within the sect.

A young direct disciple with decent talent asked softly, “Won’t those aloof Great Li cultivators do anything about this?”

Although he had managed to join this gathering tonight, standing here among them, his seniority was low, so his position was relatively far back. He was the disciple of the sword-wielding Cave Dwelling Realm woman, carrying a sword gifted by the ancestral hall. Because he was a sword cultivator, but only in the Third Realm, the nascent form of his natal flying sword, painstakingly nurtured by his master’s savings, was still weak. Thus, witnessing the grandeur of the sword immortal arriving with wind and thunder, the young cultivator felt both longing and envy, wishing the person would crash headfirst into Misty Mountain’s protective array and be torn apart by the flying swords. Perhaps the longsword beneath the sword immortal’s feet would become his personal item. After all, he was the only sword cultivator in Misty Mountain; if it wasn’t given to him, would it just be left in the ancestral hall to gather dust?

The golden line at the end of the sky grew clearer and clearer.

The opponent’s sword flight through the sky, accompanied by rumbling thunder, was too imposing, even shaking the spiritual Qi of Misty Mountain’s mountains and rivers. The six array-protecting flying swords even trembled slightly, their originally precise trajectories, following the movements of stars in the sky, beginning to falter.

Lü Yundai said softly, “If he’s willing to stop outside the array, it’ll be fine. It’s probably not a grudge match.”

The others nodded in agreement.

The decrepit old cultivator with a walking stick tried his best to widen his eyes and peer into the distance, hoping to discern the opponent’s approximate cultivation level, so he could assess the situation. However, he didn’t expect the sword light to be so dazzling that even a dignified Sea Gazing Realm cultivator felt his eyes ache. The old cultivator was so startled that he almost shed tears, and he quickly turned his head, afraid of being mistaken as a provocation by the sword immortal. Otherwise, he would be chosen as a sacrificial lamb, dying unjustly. He quickly switched to leaning on his dragon-headed red sandalwood cane, bent over, lowered his head, and muttered, “How can there be such sharp sword light in the world? From dozens of miles away, it already possesses such brilliant aura. It must be a celestial treasure! Sect Leader, how about we open the gates and welcome him? Lest we add unnecessary flourishes. Originally, it was just a passing sword immortal, but Misty Mountain happened to activate its array, which he’d view as a provocation, and he would strike with a single sword…”

The old cultivator, growing more timid with age, rambled on, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s, barely audible to those with poor hearing.

Lü Yundai, as a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator, a leader among the cultivators of a kingdom, of course heard his martial uncle’s attempt to appease both sides. He smiled and said, “Martial Uncle Hong, he’s clearly coming for Misty Mountain. There’s no doubt about that.”

That Martial Uncle Hong was still unable to directly look at the golden sword light, let alone the young sect leader Lü Tingjiao, the Cave Dwelling Realm woman, and her proud disciple.

In the end, only Lü Yundai could gaze at the sword light.

Lü Yundai seemed to be reminding everyone, but also talking to himself, “He’s here.”

The brilliant sword light, illuminating the rain-soaked sky and earth like daylight, grew increasingly fast as it approached Misty Mountain. The unknown sword immortal, riding the sword, clearly didn’t place a protective mountain array in his eyes, showing no hesitation or pause. The sword light suddenly shone even brighter. At this moment, even Lü Yundai had to squint, avoiding the dazzling sword light that exploded outwards.

With a single sword, he broke through Misty Mountain’s defensive and offensive protective array, like slicing tofu, in a straight line, crashing towards the ancestral hall atop the mountain.

The six array-protecting flying swords, which had contributed greatly to Misty Mountain, couldn’t even stop him, and seemed to be instinctively afraid of the longsword beneath the sword immortal’s feet, shaking and swaying, on the verge of collapse.

The most terrifying thing was that after the sword broke through the array, the golden line stretching from the horizon to Misty Mountain still didn’t dissipate.

This length of sword Qi, this intensity of sword intent, was simply shocking.

Wind and rain were brought along with the person and the sword. The gale atop the mountain raged, and the spiritual Qi boiled, causing most of the Misty Mountain members, except for the Dragon Gate Realm old immortal Lü Yundai, to feel unstable in their souls and have difficulty breathing. Some cultivators with insufficient cultivation even staggered backward, especially the young man who was standing outside the ancestral hall solely because of his sword cultivator aptitude. If his master hadn’t secretly tugged at his sleeve, he probably would have fallen to the ground.

At this time, Misty Mountain was finally able to clearly see the appearance of the uninvited guest. He wore a green robe, had a slender figure, and was young.

He landed gracefully, and the longsword beneath his feet swept into its scabbard, all in one smooth motion.

Chen Ping’an stood with his hands clasped in his sleeves, slowly walked forward, glanced at the relatively calm Lü Yundai, and the white-clothed Lü Tingjiao with shifty eyes, and smiled, “Today’s visit to Misty Mountain is to tell you one thing: I am the protector of Zhao Luan of Rouge County in your Colorful Garb Kingdom, understand?”

The Hong surname old cultivator, who used a cane and lived in seclusion, had already resigned himself to fate, handing over all authority. He was just relying on his status as the sect leader’s martial uncle to live out his old age in peace, ignoring worldly affairs. At this moment, he quickly nodded, not caring whether he understood or not, he would pretend to understand first.

The Cave Dwelling Realm woman, proficient in swordsman sword control techniques, had a dry mouth, and was clearly frightened. Her previous confidence and spirit, believing that “a foreigner can do nothing to me”, had vanished at this moment.
The esteemed disciple behind her, who was “also a sword cultivator” according to the visitor, lacked even the courage to meet his gaze.

Lu Yundai narrowed his eyes, a hint of bewilderment in his heart, yet his face remained plastered with a smile. “Sword Immortal Senior, what do you mean by this?”

The distance between them was no more than twenty paces.

Chen Pingan chuckled, “Your Misty Mountain is quite amusing. You feign ignorance when you don’t understand, and feign ignorance even when you do. It matters not…”

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping past the crowd, “This is your ancestral hall, is it?”

Lu Yundai was still inwardly weighing his options, but his expression was one of sudden anger. “Senior, are you truly going to act unreasonably, wanting to use your power to suppress others without explaining anything?”

Chen Pingan turned his head slightly. Lu Yundai’s facade was unconvincing. Chen Pingan was familiar with it – a false show of strength to mask inner weakness, all while trying to seize the moral high ground. What Lu Yundai truly wanted to say, but left unspoken, was that Colorcloud Nation was now under the jurisdiction of Great Li, and Chen Pingan should carefully consider his actions. With most of Treasure Bottle Continent now under the Song clan of Great Li, how long could a “sword cultivator” act so arrogantly?

Chen Pingan then addressed Lu Yundai in the official dialect of Great Li, “I am a citizen of Great Li. So your backing, if it happens to be the iron cavalry of Great Li, might not be of much use. Of course, believe it or not is up to you. And my relationship with the Great Li court is, in truth, rather ordinary.”

Lu Tingjiao cursed inwardly.

With such vague and misleading words, how could the fence-sitters on Misty Mountain possibly form a united front?

Lu Tingjiao was indeed useless when it came to cultivation. The rumors were all true, and his father was helpless to change it. But his ambition wasn’t to achieve immortality on the mountain – that was far too unattainable. He would settle for being a Mountain Lord who didn’t have to engage in direct combat. Lu Tingjiao believed he was more than capable of that.

Chen Pingan’s following words were direct and to the point, effectively barging in and making his demands known to Misty Mountain. “As Zhao Luan’s protector, this visit to Misty Mountain is not to waste words. I only ask you, father and son, whether you still covet Zhao Luan’s aptitude for cultivation, and lust after the young girl’s beauty. All you need to say is, yes, or no.”

Lu Yundai’s face darkened.

He hated this kind of blunt, straightforward approach more than anything.

Lu Tingjiao was about to speak, hoping to salvage some reason and face for Misty Mountain.

Unexpectedly, the green-robed swordsman was already smiling. “One last reminder. Your oily words and so-called reasoning – the kind that insists Zhao Luan is a gem for cultivation, that Misty Mountain would treat her with utmost respect and care, with absolutely no ulterior motives; that if she truly doesn’t wish to join the mountain, you won’t force her, much less use Wu Suowen’s relatives to coerce her; and furthermore, that a gentleman is naturally drawn to a fair maiden, and since Lu Tingjiao hasn’t actually done anything to Zhao Luan, how can he be convicted, and that Great Li prohibits internal strife on the mountains, or else there will be repercussions – I understand all that nonsense. You have plenty of time to waste, I am busy. So now, I’m only asking you the previous question. Answer yes, or no.”

Chen Pingan reached out from his sleeve and rubbed his cheeks, self-deprecatingly saying, “No, I can’t have this habit of being a chatterbox during a fight. Otherwise, how am I different from Ma Kuxuan back then?”

Chen Pingan waited quietly for a moment.

Nodding slightly, Chen Pingan said, “Then I understand.”

Chen Pingan extended his hand.

The Sword Immortal within its scabbard hummed and vibrated, eager to be unleashed, and was grasped firmly in his hand.

He swung his sword forward with effortless grace.

The strike appeared casual, but the sword energy contained within the Sword Immortal was anything but.

The Misty Mountain ancestral hall was cleaved in two.

It was fortunate that it didn’t completely collapse.

Those with more combat experience didn’t dare to turn their heads.

Only mountain novices like the young third-realm sword cultivator stiffly turned to see the aftermath of the strike.

Chen Pingan raised his arm, sheathing his sword.

At that moment, Lu Yundai seemed to sense something and attempted to ascertain it, a hand subtly moving within his sleeve.

The summit of Misty Mountain shook violently, but not from the ancestral hall. Instead, the ground where the green-robed swordsman had been standing shattered, but he was already gone.

The instant Lu Yundai made his move, Chen Pingan had already pinched a Square-Inch Talisman hidden in his sleeve.

Twenty paces.

These Misty Mountain cultivators were indeed bold, brazenly standing so close to a pure martial artist who had nearly exchanged lives with Grandmasters of the Distant Wanderer Realm?

Were Dragon Gate Realm bodies truly so indestructible?

A thunderous crash echoed.

Chen Pingan stood near where Lu Yundai had been. The Misty Mountain Sect Leader and Colorcloud Nation Immortal Master had been sent flying like a kite with a severed string, blood streaming from his orifices, landing dozens of feet away.

Everyone within Chen Pingan’s sight, including the Elder Hong and Lu Tingjiao, began to retreat.

Chen Pingan patted his Sword-Nurturing Gourd. The impatient flying swords, First and Fifteenth, shot out one after another, two streaks of light piercing the sky, embedding themselves in Lu Yundai’s palms, triggering a series of wails.

In Chen Pingan’s view, this Dragon Gate Realm cultivator must have grown accustomed to smooth sailing in Colorcloud Nation and hadn’t endured hardship in a long time, making him so vulnerable to minor injuries.

Was he similar to Pei Qian in that regard?

Chen Pingan looked towards Lu Tingjiao and asked, “You are also one of the main culprits, so you tell me.”

Lu Tingjiao stammered, filled with fear and anxiety, “Since Sword Immortal Senior is Zhao Luan’s protector, all of us at Misty Mountain, whoever it may be, will certainly give Zhao Luan a wide berth in the future!”

Chen Pingan laughed. “You’re certainly saying it, but not meaning it in your heart. You’re thinking that you still have trump cards you haven’t used. It’s fine. I’ll be waiting in Rouge County of Colorcloud Nation for a few days. Either send someone, or send a letter, but give me a sincere response. Otherwise, I’ll have to make another trip back to Misty Mountain.”

Chen Pingan glanced at the ancestral hall, which could still be repaired, his gaze profound. The Sword Immortal in its scabbard vibrated joyfully, as if two dragon roars were echoing each other. Golden light flowed from the scabbard, and sword Qi trickled like water. The scene was bizarre and even more intimidating.

Chen Pingan took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and said slowly, “Don’t delay my cultivation!”
Chen Ping’an turned, taking a single stride. His form became a wisp of azure smoke, darting off the mountain peak. He plummeted, a sword immortal unsheathing his blade, then abruptly soared, piercing the clouds.

In the eyes of the Misty Mountain cultivators, this sword immortal employed some unknown art, scattering the protective formation’s attacking flying swords in a chaotic, pitiful mess.

This stranger in azure robes, who had cleaved through Misty Mountain’s array with a single strike, arrived on a sword and departed on one.

The sword immortal was gone, but lingering strands of bone-chilling sword qi still swirled around the mountain peak outside the Ancestral Hall.

The young prodigy of the Third Realm sword cultivators collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat.

The woman of the Cave Realm hastily helped him up. Her face, too, bore traces of lingering panic, yet she still consoled her prized disciple with high hopes, lowering her voice, “Don’t wound your sword heart. Above all, don’t let your mind be thrown into chaos. Quickly soothe your natal flying sword, or you’ll stumble along the Great Dao in the future… But if you can suppress that fear and tremor, it will be a good thing. Though I am not a sword cultivator, I have heard that sword cultivators subdue inner demons as a means of sharpening their natal flying swords. Since ancient times, there has been the saying of ‘grinding the sword by the heart lake’…”

The disciple’s eyes were unfocused, but fortunately, his master’s words jolted him awake. No longer in a daze, neglecting the abnormal phenomena within the natal acupoint where he nurtured his flying sword, the young sword cultivator quickly chanted the Misty Mountain Ancestral Hall’s direct lineage incantation in his mind, circulating his spiritual energy, striving to calm his mind.

No one paid attention to this master and disciple pair anymore.

Because everyone had gathered around Sect Master Lü Yundai. Lü Yundai’s face was as pale as gilded paper, but he hadn’t suffered any fundamental injury. A few years of careful recuperation would restore him to his peak. This was the silver lining in the misfortune. If he had just reached the Dragon Gate Realm and been struck back to the Sea Gazing Realm, coupled with the Ancestral Hall being cleaved in two, signifying the invisible fate and fortune, Misty Mountain would truly be frightened out of its wits.

Lü Yundai waved his hand, saying, “You all return first. Regarding today’s upheaval, we will discuss it tomorrow in the Ancestral Hall… in my Misty Haze Manor.”

The crowd dispersed, each with their own thoughts.

Lü Tingjiao accompanied his father towards the Ancestral Hall. Someone still had to close the protective mountain array, or it would consume a Minor Heat Coin every incense stick’s worth of time.

On the path, a line as thin as a finger extended outwards, cleaving the Misty Mountain Ancestral Hall before them in two.

Lü Yundai stopped outside the Ancestral Hall’s gates and asked, “Did you see anything?”

Lü Tingjiao shook his head.

Lü Yundai’s tone was flat. “Such heavy sword qi. A casual strike, yet the sword mark is so even. How did he do it? Generally speaking, he must be a genuine sword immortal. But I feel like something is off. The facts prove that this person is not some Golden Core Sword Immortal, but someone… who doesn’t play by the usual rules of cultivation. His technique is that of a martial arts grandmaster, but his aura is that of a sword cultivator. His exact origins are difficult to say at the moment, but it’s more than enough to deal with a Misty Mountain that only lords over the Colored Garment Kingdom. Tingjiao, since your success in establishing relations with that General Ma of the Great Li Dynasty came about from your efforts years ago, you now have two choices.”

Lü Tingjiao smiled bitterly, “Please speak plainly, Father.”

Lü Yundai clutched his chest, coughing incessantly, waving his hand to signal his son not to worry. He slowly said, “They are both gambles, actually. First, gamble on the best outcome. That backer is General Ma, from one of the Great Li Dynasty’s upper pillar surnames. He is willing to take the money and get things done, taking swift and decisive action according to our standards, using the word ‘rules’ to quickly kill that young man. What does the death of a Wu Shuowen matter then? Zhao Luan will be your woman, and Misty Mountain will gain a junior with the potential to become a Golden Core Earth Immortal. If we do this, you should go down the mountain with that Hong fellow to find General Ma now. Second, gamble on the worst outcome. We’ve provoked a tough nail we shouldn’t have, and can’t afford to provoke. We’ll admit defeat and quickly send someone to Rouge Prefecture to offer an apology and admit our fault. Pay whatever is necessary without hesitation. Vacillation and indecision are the greatest taboos.”

Lü Tingjiao’s expression was bitter. “As it concerns the survival of the sect and the incense of our Lü family’s Ancestral Hall, Father, shouldn’t you make the decision?”

Lü Yundai shook his head. “I can’t see the situation clearly now, just like how you were rejected by me back then, forced to bet on the Great Li martial general alone, relying only on yourself, behind Misty Mountain’s back. What was the result? The entire Misty Mountain was wrong, and only you were right. I feel that in this chaotic world, it’s no longer a matter of who has the higher realm, whose words are necessarily effective. So I’m willing to believe in your intuition once more. Lose all, lose everything. Win big, win everything. If we lose, the incense is extinguished. If we win, you will have become a true friend to General Ma. As for before, it was merely you borrowing his influence, and him bestowing it. Perhaps in the future, you can even use the opportunity to curry favor with that upper pillar surname.”

Lü Tingjiao softly said, “What if that person is truly from the Great Li Dynasty?”

Lü Yundai scoffed, “So what if he is one of us? Is that Hong Shishu of ours utterly loyal to Misty Mountain and my Ma family? Are the Yuan and Cao families, the Great Li Dynasty’s two upper pillar surnames, on harmonious terms? Does that General Ma not have any unpleasant rivals in the military? Killing a sword immortal who doesn’t follow the rules to establish his authority, even if General Ma gains a foothold in the Colored Garment Kingdom and stands out from the several supervising ministers of similar rank, isn’t that still a gamble!”

Lü Tingjiao tentatively asked, “From Father’s tone, you are leaning towards the first option?”

Lü Yundai sighed. His son’s flaws, aside from his mediocre talent and hopelessness in cultivation, were that he was too cunning, too clever. This was usually a good thing, but at certain times, it was hard to say. He could be ambitious and enterprising, or he could assess the situation, but when people were too clever, they were often afraid of death, very afraid of taking responsibility. The reason why Lü Yundai had held his breath, risking his life to break through and reach the Dragon Gate Realm, was because he worried that Lü Tingjiao would be unable to command respect in the future, and that the Lü lineage would lose power in Misty Mountain. For example, that woman with the sword cultivator disciple, or that Hong Shishu who might suddenly become interested in power again one day. Many of the newly arrived offering guests were not easy to deal with. Otherwise, the number of people who appeared outside the Ancestral Hall this time should have been seven or eight more.

Lü Yundai suddenly spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood, which looked frightening, but was actually a good thing.

His mind seemed to broaden with it, and the qi within his body was no longer so stagnant and unresponsive.