Chapter 153: "Chance encounter"

Chapter 153: “Chance Encounter”

It was as if the end of the world had arrived.

Amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, even Green Mountain had turned red.

Only carrion birds sat atop it, seemingly unaffected, pecking at the bones of those once high and mighty cultivators.

Countless years of cultivation, just like that, turned into mouthfuls of flesh and blood, gnawed upon by wild beasts.

Inside Green Mountain, Jin Buhuan coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Even Si Lao appeared somewhat dispirited, his injuries seemingly quite severe.

“Phew, that was close, but what Li Qi said was actually true,” Jin Buhuan said with a smile.

He wasn't worried about his own safety, which was why he dared to come back.

This was Green Mountain, his old home.

Here, he could lose, but he would never die; his father would surely sense it the moment before he died.

Others had to hold back three parts of their strength to survive, but only he and his brothers could go all out without restraint. How could the opponent fight against that?

So, after a fierce battle, Jin Buhuan's plan unfolded exactly as he intended.

Si Lao had already concealed his weakness, returning to his usual demeanor: “This item is indeed real, but just as the other party said, it requires a neutral and harmonious Qi to mediate it, so that Yin and Yang can operate smoothly and merge into one.”

“However, there’s one problem, Young Master. How did Li Qi know so much, even about the Divine Weapon appearing tonight?” Si Lao asked cautiously. “Clearly, even I don’t understand such things, so how could a mere ninth-ranker like him know?”

“It doesn’t matter. Everyone has their own methods; why delve into those? This person, though provoked by me earlier, remained calm and even befriended me, showing he doesn’t intend to conflict with me.”

“If he knows so much, he must also know that my father is on the verge of a fifth-rank Breakthrough. With my father’s immense killing power, if he can achieve a fifth-rank Breakthrough, even Shaman God Mountain will likely send envoys to bestow a title upon him. At that time, he won’t just be a mere pillar of a country, but a great god renowned throughout the entire Baiyue Shiwan Mountains, ranking among the top Di Qi (Earthly Qi) in Baiyue.”

As Jin Buhuan spoke, his face was filled with arrogance: “His willingness to befriend me with such information after being provoked shows that he knows of my father’s Divine Might.”

Jin Buhuan had always been a sensible person, but when it came to trusting his father, he had never wavered.

Throughout his entire life, from birth until now, no matter where he was or whom he faced, his father had always been that tall and unyielding figure. In his mind, the concept of ‘my father failing’ had never existed.

He had never even thought about it.

His father was invincible. Even now, at the sixth-rank, he could directly withstand the frontal attacks of fifth-rank powerhouses in the outer realms, with the residual combat energy even destroying two miniature heaven and earths.

Jin Buhuan, who had followed his father to the outer realms, had personally witnessed his father display his Divine Might on the outer battlefield.

So majestic, so powerful.

So powerful that he simply couldn't imagine anyone defeating his father.

Jin Buhuan took several deep breaths, wiping the blood from his body: “Since the other party intends to show goodwill, it’s time to mend our relationship. Tonight, after I return, I will visit him again.”

Jin Buhuan concluded: “This time, if I mend our relationship, perhaps my foundation in Qingwu City can advance further. I believe he can also clearly discern the situation.”

After all, compared to the aging Green Mountain Kingdom Lord, who hadn't made progress for an unknown period, the Green Mountain Mountain God, who was about to achieve a fifth-rank Breakthrough, was clearly a more worthy target to curry favor with.

Starting from his own logic, Jin Buhuan could clearly reach this conclusion.

“Young Master is wise. Shall we depart now?” Si Lao asked.

“Yes, let’s go, back to Qingwu City,” Jin Buhuan said.

Then, he wiped the Jin Qi (Metal Energy) he had seized, prepared to fly and ascend the clouds, leaving this place to return to Qingwu City.

— — — — — — — — — —

It was already nearing dawn, but Li Qi was still bustling throughout the night, moving between various factions.

In one night, Li Qi, using the Qingwu Sect Master’s spell, traveled throughout the city, lobbying everywhere.

This was the method Li Qi had conceived.

Where did Jin Buhuan’s power and influence lie?

Li Qi’s analysis concluded three points.

Firstly, his own strength. He had two eighth-rank powerhouses, Yan Jun and Si Lao, under him. This was already a formidable force in Qingwu City. He himself controlled an eighth-rank Jin Qi (Metal Energy). Although he was ninth-rank, his strength was extraordinary. Relying on the might of his weapon, he could briefly contend with an eighth-rank and quickly eliminate a large number of ninth-rank cultivators.

Moreover, he had many retainers, with hundreds of ninth-rank combatants. This was already a terrifying force.

Cultivators who had entered a rank were already one in a thousand in terms of combat power.

Now that Li Qi stood at a high vantage point, he could see the whole picture clearly.

Every ranked subordinate controlled some resources, just like Li Qi’s former Boat Towmen gang, and things like ‘Caitou’ (gang leaders).

Several hundred ranked ninth-rankers represented several hundred city ‘Caitou’ (gang leaders), Boat Towmen gang leaders, and labor gang leaders—such prominent figures. These were Jin Buhuan’s grassroots forces, his tiny tendrils controlling the city.

This was the first priority of Jin Buhuan’s power, and his foundation.

This was the first point.

Secondly, his supporters.

Through various means, be it bribery, coercion, or exchanges of interest, Jin Buhuan had a group of forces firmly clustered around him.

These forces were even more deeply entrenched; they were the natives of Qingwu City, the local strongmen.

These forces could only coalesce because of Jin Buhuan himself, built upon his prestige, or rather, his Family.

Only with Jin Buhuan present could these people temporarily unite their efforts; even Jin Buhuan’s brothers couldn't achieve this.

To disperse these forces, Jin Buhuan himself had to be eliminated.

Then they would naturally scatter.

Finally, the third point was the existence of the Green Mountain Mountain God.

Why could Jin Buhuan gather his own forces and simultaneously attract a group of allies?

Aside from his own methods, it was due to the backing and background of the Green Mountain Mountain God.

Without the Green Mountain Mountain God, it would be difficult for him to establish a foothold in Qingwu City.

To dismantle Jin Buhuan’s forces, all three points needed to be addressed simultaneously. Li Qi called these Jin Buhuan’s three legs.

The first, his direct forces, those tendrils—Li Qi had already arranged for a group of people to handle this.

These were the people Li Qi had gathered, whom he had persuaded through the Qingwu Sect’s promises.

So tonight, Qingwu City would likely see a bloody storm.

These forces would break ties and suppress Jin Buhuan’s tendrils.

As for Jin Buhuan’s high-end forces beyond the tendrils, namely the two eighth-rankers plus Jin Buhuan himself.

These would be handled by Li Qi himself.

For the second leg, the forces attached to Jin Buhuan, Li Qi entrusted them to the Qingwu Sect.

Yes, these were local strongmen, difficult to deal with.

But when it came to local strongmen, who could compare to the Qingwu Sect?

The reason Li Qi sought out the Qingwu Sect Master was to ask her to suppress these forces for one night. By tomorrow morning, after Jin Buhuan’s death, these clinging vines would naturally scatter as the tree fell.

Finally, the third leg was the prestige of the Green Mountain Mountain God.

There was no good solution for this. It was precisely because of this great god’s existence that neither the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord nor the Qingwu Sect Master had taken action against Jin Buhuan.

After all, Jin Buhuan was an extension of this great god’s power, his means of checking Qingwu City. Jin Buhuan’s existence signified that he also had a place in Qingwu City.

In Li Qi’s view, Qingwu City was actually a chess piece used by the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord to check the Green Mountain Mountain God.

If the Qingwu Sect or the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord directly moved against Jin Buhuan, it would mean the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord was directly declaring war on the Green Mountain Mountain God. The two great powerhouses of Green Mountain Country would completely break ties, leaving no room for mediation, and possibly even leading to immediate civil war and fragmentation.

Therefore, Li Qi was needed.

Li Qi voluntarily took on the role of the sharp knife, attracting the Green Mountain Mountain God’s wrath. As an outsider, his appearance signaled the intervention of other forces.

When two tigers face off, one must die, but when three tigers contend, there are many more variables.

With this layer of lubrication, if the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord stepped in to protect Li Qi, the conflict would not be as intense, and he could also protect Qingwu City, which was originally meant for checking purposes.

That being said, that only applied to the conflict between the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord and the Green Mountain Mountain God.

And Li Qi, this sharp knife himself, would inevitably have to directly face the Green Mountain Mountain God’s wrath.

The sharper the knife, the easier it breaks.

This was why the Qingwu Sect Master was suspicious of Li Qi’s motives. In her view, Li Qi was simply seeking his own death.

The Green Mountain Kingdom Lord could protect Li Qi afterward, but in that very first instant, Li Qi would directly face the wrath of Green Mountain Mountain God Jin Chi.

That instant had to be faced by Li Qi himself.

The Qingwu Sect Master believed it would be certain death.

A ninth-rank facing a sixth-rank, and one who was already among the strongest sixth-rankers, Jin Chi... there was no way to imagine survival.

The disparity between them was already indescribable.

When Li Qi, then a ninth-rank, faced the Curse Demon Great King, merely seeing his true form almost completely shattered him, crushing his body and Spirit Soul.

To truly face and endure a momentary strike from the opponent, there was no reason to survive.

Nor was it possible for the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord to prepare an interception in advance, otherwise, wouldn't that confirm that Li Qi was sent by the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord?

In other words, Li Qi had to rely on himself to withstand the Green Mountain Mountain God for at least an instant, and then the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord could step in to protect him. This would create a situation of three tigers contending.

If Li Qi couldn't even withstand an instant, it would mean he had no one backing him, and there was no third fierce tiger at all.

Although, in reality, there truly wasn't one.

But conversely, as long as Li Qi held on.

Then, Jin Buhuan’s third leg would also be cut off. With the appearance of a third tiger, allied with the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord, they would withstand Jin Chi’s pressure.

From then on, with all three legs broken, all of Jin Buhuan’s forces in Qingwu City, including his own life, would vanish into thin air, turning to dust.

Jin Buhuan would truly be considered ‘overthrown’.

All traces of this young master would be erased.

Even if others were to take over later, they would be his other brothers, and it would have nothing to do with Jin Buhuan.

Li Qi had said he would overthrow Jin Buhuan.

From the root.

Breaking down the goal of overthrowing Jin Buhuan meant cutting off his three legs. Further subdivision led to the things he did tonight, bustling around and lobbying.

Ultimately, two tasks fell upon Li Qi.

First, eliminate Jin Buhuan himself and the eighth-rankers around him. Moreover, the Qingwu Sect would not provide assistance. This was to prove that Li Qi was indeed acting on his own, not at the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord’s behest, creating the situation of three tigers contending.

Second, directly face the Green Mountain Mountain God for at least an instant, also without assistance, for the same reason.

Pondering all of this, Li Qi headed outside the city after leaving the last faction.

He sat on a rock outside the city, waiting quietly.

As he waited, the surrounding weather also gradually changed.

The influence of the Human Body miniature heaven and earth gradually spread.

The wind became calmer, the land more even, and the surrounding Qi began to gradually change to adapt to Li Qi.

This was a method of using the Human Body miniature heaven and earth to alter the surrounding weather. If a Great Shaman were to use this technique, their mere presence could force a region to yield, making all surrounding rules revolve around them.

Around Li Qi, the sunlight shone down, the colors clear and empty, the blue sky reflecting like deep autumn waters.

The atmosphere of the entire world became more peaceful, more gentle.

Li Qi took a deep breath, adjusting his state.

Jin Buhuan was not an easy opponent.

He also had Si Lao and that maid by his side.

In other words, one eighth-rank and two ninth-rankers.

To be honest, Li Qi wasn't 100% confident.

However, what could ever be 100% certain?

An hour later, the first rays of sun rose.

Li Qi opened his eyes.

A voice came.

“Brother Li, why are you here so early in the morning? Cultivating?” Jin Buhuan asked Li Qi with a cheerful smile, descending from the sky, fanning himself.

“Not exactly cultivating, mainly I came to wait for Brother Jin. After all, I’m also very curious whether Brother Jin succeeded or not?” Li Qi stepped forward, asking with a smile.

“Thanks to you, everything went smoothly. After today, I will definitely host a banquet to thank Brother Li for the guidance. Without your reminder, this item really would have fallen into my brother’s hands~” Jin Buhuan replied with a smile.

“It’s good that everything is fine, truly good. I still have something to discuss with Brother Jin. May we move forward a bit?” Li Qi asked.

“Haha, no problem, we’re all our own people, no need to hide anything,” Jin Buhuan said nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned.

“No, no, no, this matter is too important. Otherwise, why would I specifically come all the way here to wait for you?” Li Qi said earnestly.

Jin Buhuan frowned and then stepped forward.