sinovels Chapter 143 Joining Forces
Chapter 143 Joining Forces
Chapter 143 Joining Forces
The Tingyu Pavilion branch in Linglong City is hidden underground. Although it is not as grand and secluded as the one in the imperial city, it is still a unique place.
But there were still quite a few assassins, all looking at Li Qingyi with scrutinizing eyes.
Li Qingyi remained fearless in the face of these gazes. With a flick of her sleeves, she sat down calmly, her back as straight as a sword.
Although the black-robed cultivator hadn't mentioned it, Li Qingyi could guess that he was the leader of this branch.
There were quite a few assassins in the arena, most of whom were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, with only a handful at the late-stage of Qi Refining.
"Xuanze City is ultimately a small place," he thought to himself, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"Mu Chunfeng, having reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, is already a leader, yet even ordinary assassins here possess mid-stage cultivation—when will I have truly usable manpower under my command?"
As my thoughts drifted by, time slipped away unnoticed.
The only light inside was the faint glow of the fluorite, casting flickering shadows.
Li Qingyi remained calm. Finally, two hours later, the black-robed leader returned.
Without saying much, he led Li Qingyi to a secret room to the side.
"Tell me, what's the situation?"
Li Qingyi lay comfortably on a large chair in the secret room, looking leisurely at the black-robed leader.
The black-robed leader stood still like a subordinate and began to report: "Young Master, after extensive investigation, I have confirmed that Zhenyang Tower intends to annex the Zhang family's assets and bring them under its control."
"I have learned that Zhenyang Tower is secretly preparing a plan. The deputy tower master of Zhenyang Tower, Tianpo, has come to negotiate how to swallow up the Zhang family without bloodshed. If that fails, they will resort to their usual dirty tricks."
"Oh?" Li Qingyi raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know their usual methods?"
"It's all thanks to the clues revealed by Huanzhulou when they declared war," the black-robed leader replied. "My subordinates followed the trail and discovered the despicable ways Zhenyanglou has acted over the years. It was precisely because of these rumors that the Zhang family's hostility towards Zhenyanglou has deepened, and recently, Zhenyanglou's reputation in Linglong City and even the surrounding cities has plummeted."
Li Qingyi's eyes narrowed; this was not good news for him.
This also explains why Zhenyanglou sent people to probe Huanzhulou's background near Xuanze City.
But the primary task is to kill Tianpo; only by becoming stronger can we be unafraid of these conspiracies and tricks.
After the black-robed cultivator finished reporting the general situation, Li Qingyi immediately stood up, intending to go and have a chat with the Zhang family patriarch.
He got up to leave, but the leader in black robes moved half a step to the side, blocking the doorway.
"Young Master," the voice remained calm, "I have taken the liberty of arranging a meeting for you with the Zhang family patriarch. The specific details can be discussed in person."
Li Qingyi stopped in her tracks, a faint, ambiguous smile slowly curving her lips.
The answer is here.
"My Listening Rain Pavilion is truly a place where dragons and tigers dwell."
He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife. "I never imagined that the direct descendant of the Zhang family would be the leader of my Linglong City branch."
The face beneath the black robe suddenly stiffened, a subtle change that Li Qingyi's divine sense detected perfectly.
"This subordinate does not understand what the young master is saying."
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"Lead the way, Chief Zhang," Li Qingyi said, enunciating each word clearly and calmly.
The man in black robes froze on the spot, clearly not expecting his identity to be exposed so easily.
Li Qingyi said no more, and simply stood with her hands behind her back.
After a few breaths, the black-robed leader finally couldn't help but ask, "How did you know, Young Master?"
Li Qingyi casually made up a story: "As the young master of the pavilion, I should know at least a little about the backgrounds of the important figures in the pavilion. Otherwise, how can I command all directions?"
These words, though half true and half false, perfectly captured the almost instinctive awe and imagination that subordinates held for their superiors within the strict hierarchy of Tingyu Pavilion.
The man in the black robe remained silent for a moment, then finally raised his hand and slowly removed his hood, revealing a handsome face that concealed a hint of worry.
He bowed deeply and gave a solemn salute: "Zhang Ruoju of the Zhang family pays respects to the young master."
When I returned to the island in the middle of the lake, dusk had already fallen.
Tianpo had already left, leaving only Zhang Niancheng sitting alone in the pavilion. The unfinished game of chess on the stone table remained untouched, the black and white pieces crisscrossing.
A gentle evening breeze swept across the lake, creating delicate ripples.
The small boat docked. Li Qingyi stepped onto the damp mud, her shoes sinking slightly.
Zhang Ruoju followed closely behind, having already reverted to his original appearance.
Inside the pavilion, Zhang Niancheng looked up.
His gaze lingered on Li Qingyi's face for a moment before landing on Zhang Ruoju, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
After bringing Li Qingyi to the scene, Zhang Ruoju stood to the side.
Li Qingyi sat calmly in front of Zhang Nian. Now that his strength had greatly increased, he no longer needed to be as cautious as before when facing cultivators who had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
Picking up a black stone at random, Li Qingyi could still sense a trace of the aura left by Tianpo.
"Ruoju," Zhang Niancheng began, his voice deep and slow, "the one you speak of who will break this deadlock, is he the young master of Tingyu Pavilion?"
"Indeed." Zhang Ruoju stepped forward. "Ancestor, the young master is quite interested in Tianpo's head."
"What?" Li Qingyi raised his eyes, his gaze clear and cold, yet a faint smile played on his lips. "Does Patriarch Zhang think that I, Li, am too young and lack the power to shake Zhenyang Tower?"
There was a hint of displeasure in Zhang Niancheng's eyes as he looked at Li Qingyi, but he hid it very well.
"Young Master, please don't be offended. I've heard that your esteemed master is far away in Youyue Kingdom, beyond my reach. As for the Master of Zhenyang Pavilion—"
—He is a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If he were to come in a fit of rage, even if we joined forces, I fear we would struggle to withstand his thunderous attack. Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment are ultimately worlds apart.
"Is that so?" Li Qingyi chuckled softly, her laughter sounding particularly clear and distinct in the twilight lake breeze.
The next moment, his expression suddenly turned cold.
Without warning, the black stone between the index and middle fingers of his right hand transformed into a streak of dark light, shooting straight through the air! With an extremely sharp whistling sound, it tore through the air and headed straight for Zhang Nian's face.
Zhang Niancheng's pupils suddenly contracted.
He had no idea that the other party would suddenly launch an attack at this moment.
In a moment of haste, he swiftly raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and made a grasping motion in mid-air, attempting to catch the chess piece.
As soon as the chess piece was placed in hand, a terrifying force, as powerful as a mountain torrent, erupted along the piece.
"Huh!?" Zhang Niancheng groaned, his body trembling violently.
With a "rip," several tears appeared in the sleeve of his right arm as he caught the chess piece, and with a "crack," the futon he was sitting on was instantly torn to shreds by an invisible force.
Before the aftershocks subsided, the hard jade floor behind him exploded with a loud "boom," sending shards of stone flying everywhere.
Zhang Niancheng steadied himself, looked at his slightly numb right palm, and then suddenly looked up at Li Qingyi. His eyes were no longer filled with disdain, but only with solemnity.
"Young Master—what a profound foundation!" He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
When he looked at Li Qingyi again, he saw that a dark purple talisman had appeared in his hand.
Zhang Niancheng's pupils dilated as he felt the oppressive aura emanating from above.
Even Zhang Ruoju, who was standing next to him, had an expression of disbelief on his face.
They both exclaimed in trembling voices, "A Purple Mansion level talisman!"
Li Qingyi chuckled lightly, carefully putting away the Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman. "Does Patriarch Zhang have anything else to say?"
At this moment, the gloom on Zhang Niancheng's face vanished, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.
"Ruoju, quickly prepare the feast! Tonight, the young master and I will drink until we drop!"
Li Qingyi raised her hand to interrupt, "The banquet is unnecessary. Patriarch Zhang has set up protective measures on the island to prevent the aftermath of our battle from affecting the Zhang family."
Li Qingyi's words were full of confidence, clearly indicating that she regarded this place as the battlefield for besieging and killing Tianpo.
After all, leading them to other places would be too deliberate; this is the perfect ambush site.
Zhang Ruoju glanced at Zhang Niancheng, then at Li Qingyi, and slowly said, "Father, I request to participate in this battle!"
Zhang Niancheng frowned and rebuked, "Nonsense! Tianpo is a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivator, infamous for his ferocity! How dare you, a mere mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, get involved in such a life-or-death struggle? Step back!"
Zhang Ruoju, however, did not back down.
He took a deep breath, and the aura he had been so carefully concealed suddenly burst forth.
Qi Refining Level Nine!
Li Qingyi was not surprised by this; he had already used his divine sense to find out everything.
Zhang Niancheng, on the other hand, was full of surprise. "Ruoju, what's wrong with you—"
"A few years ago, I had a fortuitous opportunity," Zhang Ruoju said, lowering his eyes to avoid his father's probing gaze. He remained vague, "I will explain the details later."
Zhang Niancheng froze in astonishment, his gaze sweeping over his son's face in disbelief: "Ruoju, when did this happen—"
Given the current situation, some things can indeed be examined later.
A flicker of excitement flashed in Zhang Ruoju's eyes: "Father, Young Master, since it has been agreed upon, why don't I personally go and invite Tian Po over? I'll tell him—Father has thought it through and is willing to discuss it with him in detail."
Zhang Nian hesitated for a moment, then looked at Li Qingyi. Seeing that Li Qingyi did not object, he nodded and said, "That's very good. Be careful not to give anything away."
"Your son understands!" Zhang Ruoju bowed and turned to leave, his steps light and quick, as if he were not going to lure and kill a powerful enemy, but to attend a long-awaited grand event.
Watching Zhang Ruoju walk away, Li Qingyi frowned: "Something's wrong with Zhang Ruoju; he seems a bit too excited."
Li Qingyi asked casually, "Patriarch Zhang, when did your son seek your advice to join forces with me?"
Zhang Niancheng looked thoughtful and began to recall the scene before, "Half an hour ago, he said a few words to me and then left in a hurry."
Li Qingyi felt a chill run down her spine. Something was wrong—I had waited for two whole hours. What had he been doing all that time?
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