A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 423: Chapter 381: Plotting Against the Enemy

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While Zhao Cang was embroiled in indecision about what the future should hold, Wang Yu, already accompanied by two corpse puppets, embarked again with Yang Jiye on their journey.

After a brief respite in the marketplace, they retrieved the Hanging-Winged Falcon, and the four continued north to their final destination.

Qingzhou, Quyang County.

The alluring Yun Mountain Treasure Land, the birthplace of the Ancestral Court, lies herein!

It’s a pity that this mist-veiled, lush Spirit Mountain, along with the Third-Level Mid-Tier Spirit Vein coursing through the mountain and a Spiritual Spring replenishing and purifying the essence, have been occupied by Qingling Sect, a Golden Core Major Sect of Quyang County. Reclaiming it in a short time is unlikely.

Of course, Wang Yu and Yang Jiye’s goal was not to reclaim Yun Mountain.

It was about collecting corpse puppets for Wang Yu and reclaiming a blood debt, both principal and interest!

The current progress deviated from prior plans. Originally, their target at Shengyi Sect was only Qian Ji, and upon arriving in Quyang County, they planned for only one corpse puppet of Qian Ji. But now, there’s an additional Sun Hong, meaning they already had four Foundation Establishment combatants.

The current target for the four is the Yunshan Sect’s two blood enemies in Quyang County: the Wang Family and Ziluo Mountain.

Under Lu Qian’s leadership, the Yunshan Sect has achieved brilliant accomplishments; the elders, disciples, territories, population, wealth, Dharma Gates, Hundred Arts, and foundations have all comprehensively surpassed the previous Yunshan Sect before its downfall.

Lu Qian, the fourth-generation Sect Leader, has fully exceeded the second and third generations, with merits that rival those of the founding ancestor.

In recent years, some Yunshan disciples born in Chongming County even feel that the current Yunshan Sect is a new Cangzhou Sect, and the time is ripe to change the sect’s name and raise a new banner. Naturally, Sect Leader Lu Qian should become the founding ancestor of the new sect.

However, such thoughts have yet to elicit any response, existing only as idle chatter over tea and meals.

Despite this, at the mention of the calamitous extinction of the sect, remembering that blood-red night, the desperate fleeing, the relentless pursuit, and the sight of fellow disciples tragically dying before their eyes, the elders of Yunshan Sect become utterly furious and gnash their teeth. The new disciples, having received ideological education and learned the historical heritage of Yunshan Sect since joining, are also filled with grief and indignation, yearning for vengeance.

Several years ago, after the Sect Leader achieved Foundation Establishment, they plundered Xiangshou Mountain Workshop, burned Ziluo Mountain to the ground, and killed all the remaining cultivators of Ziluo Mountain, venting some pent-up anger. But now, it’s time to reclaim another blood debt.

The four once again stored the Hanging-Winged Falcon at the marketplace and then separately started investigating intelligence on the Wang Family and Ziluo Mountain.

The Wang Family has flourished in recent years, with the Patriarch advancing to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment. Currently, there is one cultivator at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, one at Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, and over two hundred cultivators.

Meanwhile, Ziluo Mountain is in dire straits, first having its marketplace merchandise plundered, then the entire mountain gate scorched to barren land. Three hundred and fifty years of operation obliterated overnight!

Zhuo Wuying vomited blood and fainted on the spot, with the remaining ninety or so people standing in terror atop the charred mountain top.

Upon waking, Zhuo Wuying was overwhelmed with anxiety regarding the necessities for the ninety people, and again spat blood, wishing he could dissolve the sect altogether.

But what could be done? Life must go on.

Thus, Zhuo Wuying organized a fundraising event on-site, urging everyone to open their wallets and contribute their personal savings to rebuild the mountain gate.

One hundred from one person, fifty from another, barely accumulated after much effort; it was a drop in the ocean. Zhuo Wuying had to lower his dignity and scavenge for funds everywhere. Fortunately, he was a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar, and with elites still within the sect, typical Qi Cultivation minor sects dared not deny him a loan.

After borrowing once or twice like this, upon seeing Zhuo Wuying’s Escape Light from afar, minor sect leaders changed color: ”Close the door, the beggar is here again!”

The bitterness truly elicited a chuckle from listeners and a hearty laugh from those who witnessed it.

Finally, it was due to the Upper Sect face that Qingling Sect, failing in their bandit suppression, provided a sum of money to help Ziluo Mountain rebuild their mountain gate.

In these years, Ziluo Mountain had been tightening its belt, even halving and delaying the monthly provisions of disciples, inciting grumbles among them.

Under such conditions, Ziluo Mountain’s overall strength was recovering slowly, let alone having spare money to hire a Foundation Establishment Honored Guest. Hence, until today, Ziluo Mountain still only had Zhuo Wuying at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, along with more than a hundred disciples.

”Strike while they’re down!” Yang Jiye angrily said, ”Since they are struggling so much, let’s grant them eternal bliss!”

Yet even with Ziluo Mountain like this, a frontal assault was still unwise.

”Zhuo Wuying’s cultivation at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, if he fights desperately, can completely hold off two people,” Wang Yu analyzed. ”The remaining two of us dealing with more than a hundred disciples and Ziluo Mountain’s Mountain Protection Grand Array is basically impractical.”

Yang Jiye frowned: ”Should we lure him out layer by layer like Shengyi Sect?”

Wang Yu shook his head: ”Shengyi Sect had two Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus the sect was chaotic and disorganized, hence it succeeded. Ziluo Mountain has only one Sect Leader here; luring him easily is unlikely, if not causing a snake to be startled. The Wang Family mountain gate is less than three hundred miles from Ziluo Mountain; if alerted, the two could mutually assist in defense, causing us much trouble.”

While Yang Jiye was pondering deeply, Wang Yu suddenly continued.

”Maybe, we can find a way to add another Foundation Establishment corpse puppet before attacking Ziluo Mountain.”

”Where to find another Foundation Establishment corpse puppet?” Yang Ji instinctively sensed trouble.

”Let’s identify a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar target in the marketplace, and then secretly follow them, until they leave the marketplace and kill them in a secluded place,” Wang Yu said coldly, ”Or if we run into a Feather Scholar on the road, determine if they’re a loose cultivator and take them directly.”

Yang Jiye’s heart sank gradually, filled with anger, disappointment, and disbelief, he looked at Wang Yu: ”Junior Brother Wang, you’re not joking, are you? Such thoughts are very dangerous.”

Yet Wang Yu was indifferent: ”Senior Brother, don’t worry, with our four Foundation Establishment combatants attacking in unison, the target won’t even have a chance to cry for help. Once the corpse puppet is made and traces are erased, who would know it was us? Even if someone investigates, they’ll start with the target’s enemies, not possibly implicating a few passing cultivators like us?”

”Junior Brother Wang! I’m saying your thoughts are dangerous, you’ve fallen into the Demon Dao!” Yang Jiye stood up, his face full of anger, ”How can you treat human lives as tools, as child’s play? If according to your ideas, why did the Sect Leader have us travel ten thousand miles to specifically come here to kill the enemy? Why must the people for your corpse puppet be only these specific few targets?”

Yang Jiye suddenly erupted, and Wang Yu was momentarily stunned.

”You refining adversaries into corpse puppets can be accepted by all of us; but if you lack respect for life, you are a wanton killer demon. The cause you sow will yield the cause! Killing today, and being killed another day - such karma might even implicate the entire Yunshan Sect!”

”Perhaps a great disaster for the sect will start because of you! Can you be deemed a qualified Yunshan disciple like this?!”

Wang Yu listened, his heart battled internally, wavering violently, but suddenly a chilling cold surged up, swallowing everything.

He snorted, intending to refute, when his expression shifted suddenly.

Someone was interacting with the array on the inn’s room door, attempting to contact those inside.

Yang Jiye quelled his anger, waved his hand to disperse the array: ”Who is outside?”

From outside came a crisp female voice: ”Small Sect Leader, greetings to the two Upper Envoys.”