Behind Shen Xiaoyi were more than ten people in short, black attire, dressed like guards from an escort agency.
Finally, Li Qingxian’s gaze fell on a middle-aged man behind Shen Xiaoyi.
The man had a wide forehead and narrow eyes. He was dressed in simple, coarse brown clothes with a sword on his back. Though he seemed unremarkable in every way, Li Qingxian faintly sensed a powerful aura emanating from him, like another Zhou Henn.
"Rest assured, Brother Li. You’ve done us a great favor by vouching for us, so we will certainly not cause you any trouble." As Shen Xiaoyi spoke, he handed over a square token of pure gold. "This is a token from the Jiangnan Trading House. Take it to the officials. If any of them know what it is, they won’t make things difficult for either of us."
"Alright."
Li Qingxian took the golden token and walked over to Fei Yan.
Yui Qingchen blended in with the main force, not involving herself in command. The other High-Grade masters were also just following orders. The true commander was Fei Yan, the Military Supervisor of the Hall.
Several Grade-Entering Officials from the Beichang Guard, Divine Capital Prefecture, and Night Guard stood beside Fei Yan, all of whom said they had seen Qiu Ye before.
Li Qingxian recounted what had happened at the inn and the conversation they just had. He then presented the golden token, saying, "Lord Fei, I’ll leave this matter for you to decide. I can only vouch that Qiu Ye is likely from the Liuyang Duke Mansion, and that Shen Xiaoyi is indeed the Excellent Young Master."
Fei Yan took the Golden Token, clicked his tongue in admiration, and handed it back. "This thing is a real treasure. I’ve met Qiu Ye once. He is indeed a young master from the Liuyang Duke Mansion, and might even be the next Duke Liuyang, so we can’t afford to offend him. However, we are on a military campaign, so we can’t just let them leave. How about this: We’ll assign a squad to ’protect’ them. They can follow behind us, and we’ll send them on their way once the fighting is over. What do you think?"
"That sounds more appropriate," Li Qingxian said.
Li Qingxian walked back and relayed Fei Yan’s decision.
Shen Xiaoyi nodded. "This is the best possible arrangement. It’s our own fault for running into such a monumental affair."
Qiu Ye said, "It is everyone’s duty to root out these rebels. I hold an official position myself. If you have need of me, I will gladly offer my services."
"Don’t you two worry. As long as you don’t do anything out of line, we have no reason to make things difficult for you. However, this journey is perilous, so you must all be extremely careful. We’re all in the same boat now. If we end up fighting the Nether Mountain Sub-Branch, they won’t spare any of you either."
Qiu Ye said, "Rest assured, Brother Li."
Li Qingxian nodded, then turned and left to arrange for men to keep a close watch on the group.
The column of troops continued onward. The High-Grade masters of the Allied Army gathered together, conferring in low voices.
Jing Guan said, "Our people have made some identifications. Both Qiu Ye and Shen Xiaoyi check out. The man in brown with the wide forehead and narrow eyes is Lin Cong, the Snowlight Sword of the Celestial Mountain Sect. He has a feud with the Demon Sect and was later forced to join the Jiangnan Trading House. He’s a Fourth-Grade Expert. As for the others, aside from those belonging to the Jiangnan Trading House and the Liuyang Duke Mansion, they are indeed from the Divine Capital Far-Reaching Escort Agency. The constables from the Divine Capital Prefecture recognize them. There don’t seem to be any major issues."
"Still, they’re a potential complication. We can’t let our guard down."
"Rebels have infiltrated everywhere. It’s normal for trading houses and escort agencies to have their people among them."
"If they make a single suspicious move, kill them on the spot!"
"Even if those two were rebels, they wouldn’t be part of the Nether Mountain faction. Shen Xiaoyi has an excellent reputation, Qiu Ye is constantly busy with affairs for the Duke’s Mansion, and that Lin Cong is known to be quite chivalrous. They don’t seem as tyrannical as the Nether Mountain lot."
The group continued onward. Along the way, Shen Xiaoyi and his people made no suspicious moves. The Factory Guard began to relax but still kept them under strict watch, forbidding them from using any Magical Artifacts or Communication Talisman Discs.
The column advanced in fits and starts. Li Qingxian continuously used his Life-Seeking Skill to search, but he was unable to pinpoint the exact location.
For three days straight, they made no progress, and morale began to waver.
The early morning sky was clear. Atop a small hill, Li Qingxian, covered in dew, concluded his Life-Seeking Skill. He frowned as he gazed at the vast mountains and ancient forests before him.
"Any luck this time?" Fei Yan asked.
"The enemy has a Seventh-Grade Fate Master who is using a Fate Skill for concealment. I suspect they have an Upper-Grade item suppressing the Trend Formation, which is preventing me from making an inference," Li Qingxian said.
"Then what do we do?"
Li Qingxian closed his eyes. The map of Magic Text he had recorded earlier appeared in his mind. Amidst a stretch of verdant mountains, faint golden lines emerged, marking the paths of his own team and two other squads.
In addition, some black lines appeared—the paths of the Ministry of Justice’s forces.
The numerous paths crisscrossed, forming a dense web. They had already scoured the entire nearby mountain region. It seemed impossible for anyone to have slipped through the net.
After a long while, Li Qingxian opened his eyes. "There’s only one path left to take."
"What method is that?" Qiu Ye asked.
"Engage their Fate Master in a contest of Fate Skills. In the Fate Skill Realm, it’s called a Celestial Destiny Chessboard. On a small scale, it’s known as a Fate Skill Duel; on a large scale, it’s called Heroes Competing for the Deer," Li Qingxian explained.
"I’ve heard of it. They say the ’Heroes Competing for the Deer’ among masters is spectacular, though it’s difficult for outsiders like us to truly appreciate it." Fei Yan’s eyes lit up.
Li Qingxian said, "That’s right, but duels between us Low-Grade practitioners are much more common. Unfortunately, I’m only Ninth Grade, so initiating a Celestial Destiny Chessboard right now would be difficult. I might need Shen Xiaoyi’s help."
"Can he really help?" Fei Yan asked.
"I’ll go and see."
Li Qingxian walked toward Shen Xiaoyi, who was a short distance away with his head lowered, reading an ancient book. When Xiaohua saw Li Qingxian approaching, she gently tapped Shen Xiaoyi on the shoulder.
Shen Xiaoyi lifted his head and looked over. The morning light illuminated his face, revealing skin as fine and fair as jade, as cool as ice.
Shen Xiaoyi closed the scroll and smiled. "Is something the matter, Brother Li?"
"Yes. I want to engage the Nether Mountain Fate Master in a simple duel, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to lend me your aid, Brother Shen?" Li Qingxian asked.
Shen Xiaoyi froze, then said with hesitation, "Normally, helping with a duel is a small matter. But the opponent is a rebel leader. If I were to help... I’m not afraid for myself, but I worry the Jiangnan Trading House could be implicated."
Li Qingxian looked at Shen Xiaoyi with a knowing smile. "You’re already on the chessboard."
Shen Xiaoyi’s body stiffened. A moment later, realization dawned on him, and he said with a helpless sigh, "Perhaps I am..."
"So, will you help?" Li Qingxian asked.
"However, I cannot act directly against Nether Mountain." In the morning light, a glint appeared in Shen Xiaoyi’s eyes.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. "Lending me your Life Artifact should be acceptable, right?"
A blush flashed across Shen Xiaoyi’s face, as if from the morning light, and vanished just as quickly. "A Life Artifact cannot be lent out casually."
Beside them, Xiaohua covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh.
Li Qingxian said with a sigh, "Then... how about we discuss Life-Seeking Skills? I’m preparing to use the Life-Seeking Sect’s ’Six Phases of Destiny Seeking.’ However, this Fate Skill requires one to be at the Middle Grade to perform. I’ll need to borrow Magical Power from a Daoist Cultivator, which means I can’t cast it multiple times. I want to succeed on the first try. Do you have any insights into this particular Life-Seeking Skill?"
"Don’t tell me the Technique. Just describe the casting process and the Life Materials," Shen Xiaoyi said.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment before replying, "For the Six Phases of Destiny Seeking, there are many phases to choose from. The six strongest phases in this area should be earth, water, wind, wood, grass, and light. I plan to draw upon the power of these six phases, combined with soil from the shoe of someone who was recently near the Nether Mountain Sub-Branch. I will then gather some local Life Materials: a white stone, running water, something to catch the wind, tree branches, green grass, and a sunflower."
"You can’t borrow from the phases of insects and birds?"
Li Qingxian shook his head. "No, the wood and grass phases are my limit. I’m not yet capable of borrowing from the insect and bird phases."
Shen Xiaoyi pondered for a moment. "The light phase is strong, but they’re likely hidden deep within a cave, so you won’t be able to draw upon its power. It would be better to switch to the insect phase. Although the insect phase is generally too powerful, it’s early morning, so the insects are still dormant. This is when the phase is at its weakest."