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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 46 (73): [The Shi Shi Dharma King]
(46th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The intermittent sounds of the argument from the front courtyard were chaotic.
The younger generation's heroes and heroines hadn't left yet. They gathered around like spectators, turning the situation into the family scandal Li Songgu had predicted.
However, news of Li Songlin's discovery of the rare medicine tainted with Immortal Haze quickly spread throughout Yaoguan City.
.....
Li Weiyi had to admit to himself that he wanted the rare medicine, but it wasn't essential. Whether or not it aided him, he was determined to risk everything to break through the Nine Springs Ancestral Field.
He had followed Li Songlin to Zaomei Manor for two reasons: to cherish the Cangli First Commander's care and because his identity had been exposed in Yaoguan City. He needed the Cangli Tribe's power and influence to escape safely.
Therefore, the argument over the rare medicine echoing from the manor's front courtyard didn't concern him much.
Guided by an elderly servant, Li Weiyi arrived at a room specially cleaned and prepared for him. It was impeccably tidy.
After thanking the servant, he closed the door.
"Fourth Uncle is right. Though the Cangli Tribe is vast and powerful, it's riddled with internal strife. Everyone is vying for power, each trying to gain an advantage."
Li Weiyi lit a bone lamp on the sandalwood table and smiled. He ultimately felt unsuited to the bustling Zaomei Manor and had no desire to be drawn into the Cang Li Clan's power struggles.
Such entanglements would only exhaust him mentally and physically, leaving no room for peaceful cultivation.
His pursuit was the Great Dao of Immortality.
His gaze fell on the paper, brush, ink, and inkstone on the table.
He sat down.
Even if he had to leave, he couldn't simply slip away without saying goodbye.
That would be too rude.
"Fourth Uncle, Weiyi must leave Yaoguan City now to seek my own path. Consider the rare medicine already received. I will remember this kindness for a lifetime..."
....
After finishing his farewell letter, Li Weiyi folded it carefully and pressed it down with his seal.
It was still early, the sky only just beginning to darken. The streets were crowded and bustling.
He would have to wait.
Li Weiyi retrieved the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors from the Buddha's Relic, placing each one into an Insect Tube.
He then sliced off a pound of Cistanche Meat to feed them.
As he did so, he pondered his future path.
Besides heading to the Hidden Sect, he needed to sell his Spiritual Artifacts and Otherworldly Coffin as soon as possible to purchase high-grade Precious herbs.
If these seven little ones grew to the Five Seas Realm, he alone could sweep through the Changlin Gang.
"First, I'll sell Murong Xiao's Giant Bow!"
"The Three-Headed Serpent Bracelet requires a blood sacrifice using my own blood, which is too evil and harmful. I can sell that too. But according to Senior Spirit Tablet's analysis, it's a high-grade Spiritual Artifact worth over a hundred million... I'll have to be cautious when selling it."
"Yaoguan has many powerful experts, but the older generation would never lower themselves to take action. With Cang Li in the city, the younger generation of Five Seas Realm experts likely wouldn't dare make any rash moves either."
Li Weiyi calculated and realized he was remarkably safe in Yaoguan City. Only a Surging Spring Realm cultivator could harm him without angering the Cangli Tribe.
The arguing outside gradually reached the back courtyard.
A middle-aged woman's sharp voice cut through the air: "Fourth Brother, are you really determined to give the chance to break through to the Nine Springs to an outsider? Changfeng is your own nephew, and he's already at the Eighth Spring. Why shouldn't it be him?"
"Changfeng can't break through to the Nine Springs. He has no chance," Li Songlin replied bluntly.
"And this outsider definitely can? I heard he's just a mortal, already twenty years old. Even if you won't give it to Changfeng, why not give this rare herb to one of the Pure Immortal Physiques in our tribe?" a deep, aged male voice rumbled.
Li Songlin remained calm but firm: "Eldest Brother, I gathered this herb. I'll decide who takes it. I don't need anyone else to make that decision for me."
...
After finally seeing off the two elders, Zaomei Manor was besieged by over a dozen more groups of people seeking herb. They were all elders from various Jiu Li tribes, pleading for rare medicine for their exceptionally gifted descendants.
After an hour of frantic chaos, Li Songlin was utterly exhausted. His expression grew increasingly cold and stern as he turned to Li Ling.
"Fourth Girl, go fetch Weiyi. Tell him to take the herb immediately. We can't have everyone staring at him like this."
Originally, Li Songlin had planned to let Li Weiyi cultivate in the Eight Springs Realm for a few months before taking the rare herb to break through to the Ancestral Field.
But given the current situation, keeping the herb any longer would not only drive Li Songlin mad but also place immense psychological pressure on Li Weiyi.
After moments later, Li Ling returned at lightning speed, her legs trailing blue mist light.
She held a letter in her hand, her voice urgent and worried: "Fourth Uncle, something's wrong! He's gone, leaving only this letter. I'm going after him!"
After handing the letter to Li Songlin, she rushed toward the door.
"Come back!"
Li Songgu, seated in the main seat, pointed his index finger. A long strand of Spiritual Light Qi Lock shot out, binding Li Ling before she could escape the hall.
He then stood up, his voice earnest, "That boy left without a sound, not even I detected it. He must be quite skilled at hiding and escaping. Do you think you can find him?"
Li Ling's body was wrapped seven times by the Spiritual Light Qi Lock, making escape impossible. She desperately wanted to tell her father that she could find him.
But the Chan Hai Guanwu within her body was her greatest secret. It was this unparalleled opportunity that allowed her to break through realms and become a Great Mind Master at an astonishing speed.
Now, she was inextricably linked to the Chan Hai Guanwu - their fates intertwined. Such a secret, enough to shake the entire Lingxiao Realm, could never be revealed to anyone.
Initially, her proximity to Li Weiyi was a mission assigned by the Chan Hai Guanwu.
However, after spending time with him, she genuinely found him to be a remarkable person. He possessed his own principles and boundaries, as well as a compassionate side. At the very least, he was a worthy friend to make.
She was genuinely worried that Li Weiyi might get into trouble if he left alone. With a pleading gaze, she turned to Cang Li and Li Songlin for help.
Cang Li strode out the door, declaring, "Spread the word to every Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the city: I, Cang Li, guarantee Li Weiyi's life! Any assassin, any Martial-Mystic Cultivator from the Yang Clan or the Sui Sect who ignores this warning will face my wrath - I will kill them, without exception!"
He couldn't control those above the Dao Seed Realm.
And he didn't want to bother with those below the Five Seas Realm.
Li Songlin finished reading the letter with a long sigh. Turning to Li Songgu, he said, "He asked me to look after the young ones cultivating at the Clan Academy. He claims that even without rare medicine, he can still cultivate an Ancestral Field, so I shouldn't worry. Second Brother, now you can see what kind of person is this child, right?"
"I'll send someone to look for him myself," Li Songgu replied.
....
Li Weiyi had used the Ghost Banner to slip away from Zaomei Manor unnoticed.
Of course, the primary reason Li Songgu and Li Songlin, two martial arts and Mind Master experts who had advanced far in their respective fields, hadn't noticed was that they were preoccupied with the endless stream of people seeking herb, their attention completely diverted from him.
It was late at night, and the streets of Yaoguan were growing deserted.
Li Weiyi moved swiftly through the shadows of the buildings, determined to leave the city overnight and head straight for the Jiu Li Hidden Sect.
Within the Jiu Li Tribe, even the Clan Chiefs of the Nine Great Tribes didn't know the Hidden Sect's exact location. Their only responsibility was to select one or more exceptionally talented youths each year and send them to a specific place at a specific time.
But as the former leader of the Jiu Li Tribe, Master Coffin naturally knew where the Jiu Li Hidden Sect was located.
Li Weiyi moved with incredible speed, a phantom in the night.
The street ahead was completely dark, with not a single pedestrian in sight.
He had reached the edge of Yaoguan City, and beyond lay the untamed wilderness of the Mangshan Mountain Range.
Suddenly, he stopped abruptly, glancing back over his shoulder. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed.
"What's wrong? Am I just being paranoid?"
Li Weiyi had just turned around when a plump teenager, no older than fifteen or sixteen, suddenly appeared before him, standing three paces away and grinning foolishly.
The boy had fair, delicate skin, thick, dark eyebrows, and stood only about five feet tall.
A long braid, woven with colorful threads, hung from the top of his head. He wore straw sandals, his wide trousers exposing most of his calves.
It was the same boy Li Weiyi had encountered at the noodle stall earlier that day.
In the brief moment Li Weiyi had turned around, the boy had materialized out of thin air.
This wasn't just terrifying speed; his ability to conceal his presence without a sound was even more frightening. Li Weiyi realized he had stumbled upon a formidable master tonight.
"Brother Tian Shu, what a coincidence! Where are you headed? Can I tag along?" the boy asked, flashing a row of pearly white teeth.
Li Weiyi replied, "How did you find me? Did you do something to me at the noodle stall earlier today?"
"It was Spiritual Qi! I have a wisp of it, and it accidentally clung to you earlier."
The boy opened his small, tender hand, and a nearly invisible, colorless wisp of air - as fine as a strand of hair - flew from Li Weiyi's sleeve and returned to his palm.
Li Weiyi was shocked, but he knew the newcomer meant no good. His hand slowly reached for the Yellow Dragon Sword strapped to his back.
"Are you looking for this sword?"
Shi Shi, the chubby boy, took out the Yellow Dragon Sword from behind his back. He channeled his Spiritual Power to activate it, but the sword remained unresponsive.
His thick, dark eyebrows furrowed: "Strange. Why can't I activate it?"
Li Weiyi could only force a bitter smile, realizing the vast difference in their cultivation levels.
If the boy could accomplish so much without a sound, he could also take Li Weiyi's life just as silently.
"Tell me," Li Weiyi said, "who are you really?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? My name is Shi Shi."
Shi Shi tossed the Yellow Dragon Sword back to Li Weiyi, "Come with me! We're such good friends. You even treated me to noodles. There's no need for violence, is there?"
He turned and walked into the night, toward the Mangshan Mountain Range.
But the darkness ahead felt like a monstrous abyss, its gaping maw ready to swallow anyone who dared enter, crushing them to dust.
Li Weiyi caught the Yellow Dragon Sword, secretly weighing his options: could he summon the giant camel to escape? Or would he have a chance of pulling Shi Shi into the Blood Mud Space using the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish?
But the other person was too fast, and Li Weiyi needed time to activate his Spiritual Artifact.
If he failed and exposed both items, he might truly have no way out today!
Li Weiyi asked, "You're not here to kill me?"
"Why would I kill you? We have no grievances. Would I really stoop to killing you for the paltry bounty offered by the Five Burials Temple? That's so beneath me. If anyone found out, they'd laugh me to scorn."
Seeing Li Weiyi still standing rooted to the spot, the chubby man turned to face him.
"Relax. I'm here with good news. Look at me. Do I look like a bad guy?"
Li Weiyi said, "Why don't you tell me what this good news is first?"
The chubby man sighed: "Initially, my Ninth Brother wanted to find you. You should know him. He said you met in Burial Immortal Town."
Li Weiyi's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes changed. No wonder the other man wasn't afraid of the Cangli Tribe. He gasped, "You mean Shi Jiuzhai? Are you from the Earth Wolf King's Army?"
"That's right. I'm Shi Shi, full name Shi Shishi," the chubby man replied.
Li Weiyi was completely stunned. The last glimmer of hope for escape was crushed.
The fact that the man could use Shi as his family name and be ranked tenth among the Ten Great Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King's Army meant he was undoubtedly a figure of immense power.
His cultivation was far too profound to be merely at the first or second stage of the Five Seas Realm.
Where did his path to survival lie today?
What did the other party truly intend?
Li Weiyi stared into the innocent, smiling eyes of the chubby boy. Finally, as if resigned to his fate, he followed him, leaving a shallow footprint in the ground.
"That's right! If I had to capture you myself and outsiders found out, they'd say Shi Shi is being too rough. No one would invite me to dinner ever again!" Shi Shishi said.
Li Weiyi wanted to gather more information to increase his chances of survival: "Why did the Shi Jiuzhai Dharma King seek me out?"
"After recognizing you from the Shui River Blood Battle a month ago, Ninth Brother wanted to find you. But today, it's actually me who's looking for you. I need you to help us with a major task. I think you've got the strength and brains for it."
Shi Shishi added, "Oh, right! Ninth Brother said you promised to follow him in Burial Immortal Town, but then you vanished like smoke. You didn't keep your word."
As they left Yaoguan City, they were surrounded by a dense, pitch-black forest.
Li Weiyi suddenly stopped: "Not good, a sudden stomachache has struck. Could I take a moment to relieve myself?"
Shi Shishi chuckled: "You're not trying to escape, are you? Don't let my size fool you, I'm actually quite fast."
"As a Surging Spring Realm cultivator, how could I possibly escape from a Dharma King?" Li Weiyi replied, "I know my limits."
"Alright, but don't wander too far," Shi Shishi said.
Li Weiyi quickly entered the dense forest, walking dozens of steps until he reached the base of a cypress tree as thick as a water bucket.
He wasn't actually suffering from a stomachache; he was preparing to store some of his most important Spiritual Artifacts in his Blood Mud Space.
Shi Shishi seemed uninterested in Spiritual Artifacts, or perhaps he simply didn't believe Li Weiyi possessed any of high value.
However, if Shi Jiuzhai were to touch the Evil Camel Bell, the Ghost Banner, or the Scripture Belt and casually activate them with his Spiritual Power, he would immediately recognize their true worth.
Li Weiyi needed to protect his life, but he needed to protect his Spiritual Artifacts even more.
Only after safely storing all his crucial Spiritual Artifacts in the Blood Mud Space did Li Weiyi emerge from behind the tree, stretching comfortably.
"See? I didn't run. I'm a man of my word."
The two continued deeper into the forest.
By a stream in the valley, a bonfire crackled merrily, its flames casting flickering shadows on the surrounding trees.
Shi Jiuzhai sat alone on a moss-covered boulder beside the fire, his long hair slightly curled. The yellow flames danced across his chiseled features, giving him the rugged, masculine appeal of a sculpted statue.
Hearing footsteps, Shi Jiuzhai looked up into the darkness to see Shi Shishi and Li Weiyi approaching.
He smiled: "So, the person you were looking for is actually him."
Shi Shishi sat down on the ground beside the fire: "Didn't you want to find him a month ago? Hey, Sixth Brother still hasn't returned?"
"Him? He's probably been bewitched by some stunning beauty!"
Shi Jiuzhai's gaze fell on Li Weiyi. A hint of amusement flickered in his icy eyes: "You know who I am, right?"
"Do you know the price of deceiving me?"
"Shi Shi, while his strength is decent, it's still far from that of a Nine Springs Martial-Mystic Cultivators."
Li Weiyi had been listening and analyzing.
The Earth Wolf King's Army seemed to be looking for someone to help them with a task.
In other words, as long as he remained useful, he would survive today.
No matter how intimidating Shi Jiuzhai acted or how much he wanted to punish him, that fact remained unchanged.
Li Weiyi said, "The Shi Jiuzhai Dharma King's name resounds throughout the Southern Territory. How could I not know it? I believe that if a great figure like you were deceived by a mere Surging Spring Realm junior, you wouldn't have anyone to blame but yourself for your poor judgment."
Shi Jiuzhai's eyelids lowered, and a cold wind seemed to swirl in his pupils, as if blades and swords were constantly flashing within.
How could a prisoner be so arrogant?
Had the name of "Shi Jiuzhai Dharma King" lost its power to intimidate in the Southern Territory?
"Ninth Brother, I think he has a point," Shi Shishi said, "If I were tricked by a four- or five-year-old, I'd slap myself first."
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END OF CHAPTER
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