Free Web NovelChapter 163: Chapter 163: Acting Separately
The disciples from Beast Taming Peak weren’t there, so no one could question the Hengyuan Bird.
For the bird, bringing back the ambusher’s little trinket instead of crushing it in a rage was already quite remarkable.
A moment later, the giant Hengyuan Bird once again soared into the sky.
Bai Mo squinted his eyes against the violent gust of wind.
Before they flew off, his blurry vision caught sight of a scene of chaos not far below—toppled trees, and men and horses mired in a swamp.
Zhao Jingyu demanded loudly,
"Brother Mo, who attacked us?"
Mo Tianshu tilted his head slightly, unperturbed, as if he couldn’t care less.
"Who it was isn’t important."
"The Fire Cave Dynasty currently has two armies at a standoff. On top of that, there are hidden dragons stirring the pot."
"If we really tried to get to the bottom of these undercurrents, we’d never find the truth."
Zhao Jingyu’s eyebrows shot up, and he said viciously,
"When we get to the Fire Cave Dynasty, we’ll have the royal court back us up and raise hell!"
At this, even Bai Mo and the others turned their heads away, unwilling to even look at him.
Mo Tianshu paused for a moment before speaking.
"When we arrive, we won’t be entering the royal court. We’ll travel among the common folk first, see what’s what, and then decide our next move."
The others were stunned.
Wan Shenxiu frowned. "The Fire Cave Dynasty’s royal court is under siege. The situation is dire."
Mo Tianshu shook his head.
"Who said I’m here to save the royal court? After more than 260 years of support, the debt we owed them from our predecessors’ time has long been paid."
"Besides, they’ve started to have ideas of their own. If we find a suitable replacement, I see no problem with putting someone else on the throne..."
「They traveled day and night.」
With no further incidents along the way, the group finally reached the border of the Fire Cave Dynasty.
It was dusk.
The giant Hengyuan Bird swooped down, landing on the reddish-yellow earth.
Even at dusk, the sweltering heat made them break into a sweat instantly.
Mo Tianshu singled out Wuyin and the quiet Qi Yang.
"You two will come with me."
"The three of you who are left can go check out the so-called rebel army and see what they’re made of."
Ignoring their wide-eyed stares, he glanced at the sky.
"I hear the Fire Cave Dynasty has a place called Moyun Peak, a scenic wonder. Let’s rendezvous there."
Zhao Jingyu stepped forward.
"Brother Mo, you’re not taking the three of us with you?"
Mo Tianshu was astonished.
"Take you for what? This is just a tiny country. With your cultivation, you’re practically grand Cultivators here—strong enough to establish your own sects."
"Especially you, Junior Brother Bai. You’re a Cultivator who fought his way up from the streets; you’re not some sheltered novice."
Bai Mo rubbed his nose.
’Actually, I’m not that worldly. Most Pill Masters prefer being holed up in their Alchemy Rooms.’
Wan Shenxiu said with a sigh, "Even so, is it really necessary to split up?"
Mo Tianshu stated frankly,
"The Fire Cave Dynasty has no Golden Core patriarchs, just Foundation Establishment Cultivators vying for power."
"This is the perfect time for me to show what I can do."
"If I brought more people along, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee your safety. It’s better this way."
As he spoke, a silver-white sword pellet appeared in his hand. He gave it a flick, and it flashed with a starlike brilliance.
"Let’s go!"
’There’s a decent Cultivator in that garrison town up ahead. He can probably give me some information.’
The silver pellet shot from his hand like a bolt of lightning, transforming into a silver thread.
Mo Tianshu’s figure blurred as he leaped up, following close behind.
Seeing this, Wuyin and Qi Yang had no time for goodbyes. They quickly executed their Body Techniques and did their best to keep up.
...
The Fire Cave Dynasty was not a major power in the world of cultivation; the vast majority of its population were mortals.
Within the torch-lit garrison town, soldiers in black armor patrolled the streets.
Their crisscrossing paths left almost no opening unguarded.
Inside the heavily guarded quarters of the army’s supervising Cultivator, a man with a long beard snapped his eyes open, his gaze piercing.
He felt a heart-pounding sense of dread he had never experienced before.
He had spent half his life in the army, and premonitions like this had saved his life more times than he could count on both hands.
CLANG!
A crisp, urgent metallic ring sounded and then vanished.
Without a second thought, the long-bearded Cultivator leaped from his bed. Dressed only in his undergarments, he dove straight out the window.
Soldiers were already reacting, rushing toward the site of the attack with weapons drawn.
A line of silver light flashed over their heads, followed by a leaping man. No one could stop him.
A military strongman drew his bow and fired an arrow.
But the moment the arrow neared, the sword pellet’s edge sliced it apart, splitting it from tip to tail into several pieces that fanned out and embedded themselves nearby.
The long-bearded Cultivator’s instincts screamed in warning. Catching a glimpse of his pursuer out of the corner of his eye, he circulated his qi and blood, executed a Body Technique, and fled in the opposite direction.
’Damn it! I should’ve set up a decoy tent!’
’Who is that? A rebel general? I’ve never heard of them having a Cultivator this powerful nearby...’
He still had a chance. If he could just escape for another thirty li, he’d reach the garrison town where his comrade was stationed.
With their combined strength, they might just be able to hold their own against that man!
...
Bai Mo watched the commotion building in the garrison town.
"Brother Mo is so direct. He doesn’t even know who he’s up against."
"I bet there are still quite a few people in the Fire Cave Dynasty who are loyal to the sect..."
Wan Shenxiu beside him sighed.
"We should get going, too. From the looks of it, Brother Mo hasn’t killed anyone."
Since Mo Tianshu had made up his mind, there was nothing more to say.
The rebels’ stronghold was in the southern part of the Fire Cave Dynasty.
After rising up, they had swept through the country in just nine months, advancing all the way to the royal court.
It was clear that the Fire Cave Dynasty’s power had decayed to a pitiful state.
Wan Shenxiu explained, "The sect values the Fire Cave Dynasty because its lands are rich in Fire Lacquer Stone, a top-grade material for Artifact Refining."
"Nearly twenty percent of the Cultivators at North Canal Water prefer to use Fire Lacquer Stone."
That’s why the Xuandao Sect spends a fortune every year to acquire it.
For an ordinary dynasty, the payment from the Xuandao Sect would have been a substantial source of cultivation resources.
Heaven only knows how the Fire Cave Dynasty mismanaged things so badly to end up in this state.
Zhao Jingyu piped up. Now that it was just the three of them, he realized this was his chance to take charge, and his expression became quite smug.
"Listen up, you two Junior Brothers. I joined the sect a few months before you did, and I’ve heard a lot of advice from our seniors."
"So when it comes to missions like this, I’d say I have a pretty good handle on things. Just follow me."
His face was full of self-satisfaction.
He reached into his robes and, to their surprise, pulled out a detailed map of the Fire Cave Dynasty.
"This route leads straight south. It’s heavily patrolled, but there are no major strongholds, so there shouldn’t be any high-level Cultivators."
"With my Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation, leading you two will be no problem at all!"
Bai Mo and Wan Shenxiu came up beside him, examining the map in his hands.
After just a moment, Wan Shenxiu shook his head.
"We shouldn’t take this path."
"Our main goal is to sound out the rebels’ attitude and see if they’re willing to align with the sect."
"This route is lined with military outposts. They’re focused on military matters, not civil governance. We won’t learn much of value there, and we might just stir up trouble."
Bai Mo glanced back, pointing to the silver thread and the figure glowing with explosive qi and blood, still a brilliant sight in the darkening sky.
The two figures were moving with incredible speed, zipping further and further away.
"How can a layman possibly understand military deployments?"
"Brother Mo has the power to capture someone that effortlessly, but we can’t handle a grand Cultivator like that."
"We wouldn’t even need a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A skilled military officer could probably stop us."
Zhao Jingyu’s expression flickered through several shades. In his moment of distraction, Wan Shenxiu snatched the map from his hand.
Wan Shenxiu’s finger slid across the map.
"Junior Brother Bai, what do you think of this route?"
Bai Mo took a look and nodded in agreement.
"It’s a longer route, but it passes through many prosperous areas. It’ll be a good chance to see how well the rebels can govern."
"We can also gauge the attitude of the local influential families toward the sect. It’s a much more prudent route."
What the Xuandao Sect needed was a stable Fire Cave Dynasty that could reliably supply Fire Lacquer Stone.
Without that, the Fire Cave Dynasty was worthless to them.
