The season had turned to cold winter and the weather brought heavy rains, so darkness fell particularly early. It was just past 3 p.m. and outside was already pitch black, devoid of any light.
The rain continued to pour down harder and water from the gutters began to overflow, covering the ground, and the water level was still rising.
At the edge of Hundred-Year Pond to the south of Shu County, rows of houses were neatly arranged. On the second floor of one of these houses, Zhang Daoyi pushed open the window and saw the torrential rain and overflowing pond, leading him to make an unfavorable guess, "If this continues, Shu County might also suffer a disaster."
The Dinghu Sect had been received by King Shu and thus had found a good place to stay. The Daode Sect, however, was unwelco and did not interact with the Taiping Sect. Moreover, wishing to avoid drawing attention, they rented a house outside the city to quietly observe the situation.
As for a Daoist temple, there was none, at least not in Shu County.
The only establishnts here were temples dedicated to Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang, so the Three Pure Ones Sect had no way of spreading their teachings in this area.
However, it was precisely because they lived outside the city that they could clearly observe the changes in the environnt.
If the situation continued this way, even with a Golden Dam to divert and drain the flooding, it would be only a matter of ti before water demons gathered a formidable force.
Once the waves surged high enough to overflow the embanknt, and considering Shu County lay in a low-lying area, a flood would subrge the entire city.
"It won’t be that easy for a disaster to strike."
The Daoist within the room was unfazed. After hearing Zhang Daoyi’s words, he remained seated, not even opening his eyes as he said, "Although the Golden Dam is spread across three locations, it is actually an integrated whole, like a formation, like an instrunt, carrying the power of a Third Grade Dao Fruit. It is itself akin to a Dao Artifact. Wuzhiqi may be formidable, but flooding the Golden Dam is extrely difficult."
"You can tell by the lack of urgency from King Shu’s side that the situation is still within control."
"A Third Grade Dao Artifact?" Zhang Daoyi turned to look at the Daoist, "May I know which Dao Fruit possesses such power that it can suppress the floods stirred by Wuzhiqi? I beseech my Senior Brother Wen Xu to dispel my confusion."
After all, a Dao Artifact is no match for a cultivator who has harnessed the power of a Dao Fruit. Even with ten third-rank Dao Artifacts in hand, they would not be as effective as a single cultivator at the third grade. Moreover, Wuzhiqi had been renowned for nearly two hundred years and had reached the fourth rank over a century ago. One could imagine his current strength.
Theoretically, a third-rank Dao Artifact would absolutely be unable to fend off the floods caused by Wuzhiqi. Rather than relying on the Golden Dam for defense, it would be more gratifying to take the initiative and decapitate Wuzhiqi directly.
Inside the room, the Daoist with slender eyebrows and fluttering beard opened his eyes and spoke word by word, "The Third Grade Human King, Yu."
Upon hearing this title, it was as if a unique magic power had erged; the sound of wind and rain seed to vanish into the distance, and the water disaster no longer seed a threat.
"Yu King’s Dao Fruit possesses the ability to suppress and guide floods, and the Golden Dam was specifically constructed to harness this Dao Fruit Ability. Even the court took nearly nine years to build the Golden Dam, which speaks to the significance of this project. The Golden Dam might be the only Dao Artifact in the world capable of fully unleashing the power of a Dao Fruit."
Daoist Wen Xu looked towards the open window and slowly said, "Situated above the river, it is akin to having a third-rank strong person present. If nothing unexpected occurs, Wuzhiqi won’t be able to breach the Golden Dam."
"But there are others besides Wuzhiqi who are attempting to dig through the Golden Dam," replied Zhang Daoyi.
Such as the one from the Taiping Sect...
"But he is at the third grade," stated Daoist Wen Xu with a more solemn deanor, smiling, "Don’t you see why Sect Leader Zhang has yet to make much of a move until now? Isn’t it because he fears that if he acts, a group of third-rank strong people would join forces to attack him? Until he can clear himself of any suspicion of advancent, he cannot act. By the ti he is able to, it will be too late to reverse the situation."
Because that would signify that Zhang Zhixuan and other third-rank individuals, at least the majority, have reached a basic consensus that destroying the Golden Dam is not just one person’s wish. Unless a supre strong person intervenes, such montum would be unstoppable.
Therefore, it is necessary to eradicate as much of the Taiping Sect’s living force as possible before Zhang Zhixuan takes action.
If the Taiping Sect could be significantly weakened, then without the foundation for rebellion, there would be no need to contemplate attacking the Golden Dam.
However, at present, all parties are still exercising restraint. The main contradictions are with the Devil Cultivators and Wuzhiqi; the Taiping Sect has not yet truly co forward.
Currently, it is the Devil God Sect that has taken on everything, becoming the great enemy threatening Liangzhou Province.
Shu County is still relatively peaceful, but in other parts of Liangzhou, Devil Cultivators lurk everywhere, stirring up trouble amidst natural disasters. Eradicating these devils is the main course of action right now.
"Since neither of us can change the current trends, instead of worrying about the Golden Dam, we should think about how to find Senior Brother Li’s incarnation," said Daoist Wen Xu with a stretch and in a more relaxed tone.
That was what they should be doing now.
"Senior Brother Li Qinglian is elusive; he’s not that easy to find," Zhang Daoyi sighed, "We were only a step away from him before, but still, we missed him. Now, to find him is even more difficult."
Zhang Daoyi never would have guessed that soon after he had t with Jiang Li, Li Qinglian would seek her out.
If it weren’t for the many traces left by their battle, which attracted many cultivators, Zhang Daoyi would have remained unaware that Li Qinglian had t with Jiang Li.
"It’s not difficult, at least not now when there’s a clue," Daoist Wen Xu smiled mysteriously, "Jiang Li has co to Shu County."
Jiang Li had t with Li Qinglian, and the two must have contested with one another. Through Jiang Li, perhaps they could learn a bit about Li Qinglian’s whereabouts.
But now a problem arose; the Daode Sect and Jiang Li were enemies.
Yuan Zhen had died at the hands of Jiang Li, and even if it had been a fair duel, death was still death, and the conflict could not simply be covered up. Zhang Daoyi would not approach Jiang Li on behalf of Li Qinglian to seek his help.
But Li Qinglian, he didn’t care much. Yuan Zhen was, after all, his disciple, but while he naturally regretted Yuan Zhen’s death, he bore no grudge for it and found interacting with Jiang Li unburdened.
Thinking of this, Zhang Daoyi furrowed his brow deeply.
Daoist Wen Xu, experienced in the ways of the world, naturally noticed Zhang Daoyi’s worries and imdiately smiled, "Jiang Li certainly attracts more attention than either of us, and he is involved in a host of karmic entanglents. Once he appears, even if he doesn’t actively seek trouble, trouble will find him, and we will have no shortage of opportunities to make contact."
"All we need to do is wait."
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Ti gradually reached the latter half of the night.
At 3:45 AM, Jiang Li, who was ditating, suddenly opened his eyes, and Xiao Tian, lying beside the bed, felt his master’s movent and also stood up. In the darkness, a pair of red dog eyes, and a pair of intricately patterned eyes, shone brightly together.
’Hoofbeats.’
Clear and distinct, Jiang Li identified the sound that suddenly arose.
Moreover, the sound was approaching rapidly, quickly arriving nearby, even close to the front of the side room.
"Clang—"
With a thought from Jiang Li, the door opened, and the outside wind, carrying a downpour, continued unabated.
It was in this storm that the sound of hoofbeats grew nearer, entered the archway in front of the side room, and a small shadow appeared in both man and dog’s vision.
In the pouring rain, a small yellow horse pulled an equally petite carriage, a combo barely over ten inches long. The carriage on top held a yellow canopy, and within it was a tiny person driving the carriage swiftly towards them.
He appeared to be just a few inches tall, dressed in yellow, wearing a yellow crown, and appeared quite noble. However, the diminutive stature made the nobility less striking and instead added a touch of cuteness.
Tiny and quite cute, wasn’t it?
"Qing Ji?" When Jiang Li saw this small figure, he dredged up the corresponding term from his mory.
The information in the Karma Collection was updating simultaneously.
"Those who have dwelled for hundreds of years, in valleys never barren, and waters never dry, produce Qing Ji. The Qing Ji look like humans but are four inches tall, wear yellow clothes, don a yellow crown, wear a yellow cover, ride small horses, and like to race. If you call their na, they can deliver a thousand-mile ssage in a day."
"This is considered a type of essence monster, a rare mber of the Monster Clan, and as far as Jiang Li knew, there would be Qing Ji Dao Fruits..."
Innate Qi gushed out from inside the room, forming a giant hand that grabbed the little yellow-clothed person along with the horse and brought them into the room.
"What ssage does the Clan Elder have to deliver to ?" Jiang Li’s eyes glead with a dim light, and a dark color invaded the Qing Ji’s mind in an instant, sweeping through and making sure there was no ill intent before he asked.
The Qing Ji’s sole ability was to travel a thousand miles in a day and return; they were professional ssengers. Though they lacked the combat power of the Divine Travel Grand Protector and the Law Order of the Taiping Sect, they specialized in their craft. When it ca to long-distance speed, they even surpassed the other two.
Most importantly, the Qing Ji were inconspicuous. The sonorous hoofbeats were actually only audible to the recipient as a signal that a ssage was arriving.
Such Qing Ji Dao Fruits were exclusive to the Jiang family; the Qing Ji were specifically raised by the Jiang family’s main house for their service.
Although the Jiang family could also deploy the Divine Travel Grand Protector, many matters were not ant for outsiders. Thus, the Qing Ji were brought into existence.
After the main house moved overseas, within the Jiang family, it made sense that only the Clan Elders would have a Qing Ji to command.
The little yellow-clothed figure was shocked by this sudden action, but then, upon seeing Jiang Li, he dismounted from the carriage as if he had seen his master. He bowed down on the great hand ford by Innate Qi, raised his hands, and a letter larger than himself appeared in his hands, offering it up to Jiang Li.
"Reporting to the Young Master, the Clan Elder has a sealed letter, instructing to deliver it to the Young Master with all speed."
He must not have seen Jiang Li before, but he recognized Jiang Li’s identity imdiately upon eting him, which must be due to so Dao Fruit Ability or a special cultivation thod by the Jiang family.
But in the mont, Jiang Li had no desire to delve into it and just took the letter, opened it, and read the content.
Then, the darker shade in Jiang Li’s eyes deepened even more.
’mbers of the Jiang family in Yong Province have been assassinated, and dozens have died. All the surviving family mbers have now hidden in the ancestral lands, awaiting rescue...’
Sending a thousand-mile ssage to inform of a crisis in the ancestral lands at such a ti...
’Sure enough, as soon as I appeared, troubles followed one after another. Only, the angle of this entry... Looking at the ti, soone died shortly after I left the Divine Capital.’
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