novellhall Chapter 175 - 149: The Best Attack Is on the Mind
Chapter 175 - 149: The Best Attack Is on the Mind
An hour later, as the Spiritual Power within the Five Elements Monster Talisman faded, the monsters it had summoned let out a mournful cry and gradually vanished into nothingness.
The Five Elements Monster Talisman in Fang Qingyuan’s hand subsequently crumbled to dust. As powerful as the talisman was, it was a single-use item. Those without deep pockets would never bear to use it.
Fang Qingyuan, however, was not among them. Having already swindled Yuan Chujun, he now had Zhao Erchang in his grasp as well. All that was left was to deal with the members of the Li Family hiding in the Scripture Pavilion, and this entire venture would be a success.
However, the array inside the Li Family’s Scripture Pavilion was surprisingly sophisticated. When Patriarch Li saw that the Array Talisman Disc wasn’t absorbing Spiritual Power from Spirit Stones fast enough, he led the others to desperately channel their own Spiritual Power into the disc. Through their combined efforts, they had managed to withstand the frenzied bombardment from the Five Elements Monster Beast and over a hundred Qi Cultivation Cultivators. Although the array seemed on the verge of collapse, it stubbornly remained standing.
Breaking the Scripture Pavilion’s array was only a matter of time, but Fang Qingyuan was unwilling to just wait around like a fool. ’After all, I already consider the Spirit Stones being burned to maintain this array my own property.’
So, Fang Qingyuan had his men halt their attack. He dragged the bound Zhao Erchang before the Scripture Pavilion and had Liao Wenlamp call for their surrender.
"Listen up, everyone inside! The reinforcements from Jiuye Square have been driven back by our incomparably valiant and cunning Mountain Master Fang! Don’t think anyone is coming to save you. If you know what’s good for you, surrender now. We will only execute the chief culprits—the Li Family. We won’t make things difficult for anyone with a different surname."
Liao Wenlamp was clearly trying to flatter Fang Qingyuan, but his choice of words made Fang Qingyuan cringe. ’These White Mountain Cultivators are so uncultured.’
After Liao Wenlamp finished, a commotion erupted from within the Scripture Pavilion, perhaps because his words were too shocking. Then, Patriarch Li’s voice rang out in rebuttal.
"Don’t believe him, everyone! It must be a lie! How could a dozen-plus Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Jiuye Square be stopped by a bunch of Qi Cultivation Cultivators?"
Seeing their disbelief, Fang Qingyuan removed the Sealing Power from Zhao Erchang’s mouth. He drew his Magic Sword and stabbed it through Zhao Erchang’s arm, causing the man to cry out in pain and immediately start cursing.
"You Barbarian from Yuanling Mountain! We only killed a few of your mortals, and for that you disregard all rules and pursue us so relentlessly? You’re so tyrannical! Sooner or later, you’ll..."
Before he could finish, Fang Qingyuan sealed his mouth again. The seal on Zhao Erchang had been placed by Heiye, a Golden Core Spirit Beast. A mere early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Zhao Erchang was completely at Fang Qingyuan’s mercy.
After that outburst, Fang Qingyuan called out to the Scripture Pavilion.
"Surely you recognize Patriarch Zhao’s voice, Patriarch Li? It wasn’t long ago that you were plotting against my Yuanling Mountain together. Have you forgotten so soon?"
A dead silence fell within the Scripture Pavilion. Fang Qingyuan waited patiently outside, anticipating a change of heart from within.
Many of the Cultivators hiding in the Scripture Pavilion were not members of the Li clan. They were Guest Ministers, like Liao Wenlamp, or distant relatives. When the Li Family was at its peak, they all shared in the prosperity. But now, facing disaster and the threat of death, how many would be willing to stick with the Li clan to the bitter end?
’Besides, the Scripture Pavilion is indefensible. Their reinforcements are gone. If they continue to hold out, the array will be shattered sooner or later. When that happens, the Cultivators inside will have their Spiritual Power drained, their very essence depleted, until they become nothing more than withered corpses.’
The Cultivators inside naturally understood this. A moment later, the array around the Scripture Pavilion suddenly deactivated. Patriarch Li emerged, his face covered in blood. He casually tossed down the head of a Cultivator whose eyes were still wide open in death, then looked at Fang Qingyuan.
"I was blinded by greed," he said. "I have wronged your Yuanling Mountain. But it was just a few mortal Servants and a couple of Qi Cultivation Cultivators. Is it really worth all this?"
Fang Qingyuan looked at Patriarch Li, who resembled a cornered animal, and shook his head.
"You don’t understand a thing. How did you ever become the Patriarch of the Li Family? Do they just pick whoever has the highest cultivation, without checking if they have a brain?"
Fang Qingyuan’s words made Patriarch Li’s face flush. He had indeed risen to his position for that very reason. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator lived more than a century longer than a Qi Cultivation Cultivator. He could become the most prestigious member of the clan simply by outlasting everyone else, to say nothing of his superior strength.
But age doesn’t grant everyone wisdom, and Patriarch Li was a prime example. He said to Fang Qingyuan:
"What will it take for you to spare the Li Family? Name your price. If I have it, it’s yours."
"Fool! Once you’re dead, all of this will belong to Yuanling Mountain anyway."
It was Liao Wenlamp who had spoken up from the side. His chastisement drove Patriarch Li to despair. He summoned a second-tier, top-grade Flying Knife and faced Fang Qingyuan.
"Since you won’t give me a path to survival, then I’ll drag you down with me, even if I have to self-destruct!"
A defiant spirit suddenly erupted from Patriarch Li. Influenced by him, the twenty-odd Li Family disciples who had followed him out were filled with desperate grief and indignation, ready to make a final stand.
At that moment, however, Fang Qingyuan suddenly spoke.
"Take your own life."
Patriarch Li couldn’t believe his ears. He sneered.
"Why should I? In your dreams..."
"You take your own life, and I will spare these disciples of your Li Family. They are still young; they have futures ahead of them. You are the mastermind behind this. If you die, I will not pursue the others."
Fang Qingyuan stated his terms, cutting Patriarch Li off. On the faces of the Li Family disciples who had been ready to fight to the death, a desperate desire to live suddenly surfaced. After all, if one could live, who would choose to die?
Patriarch Li’s expression froze, and he hesitated. After a few moments, he burst into laughter.
"Trying to trick me into killing myself so you can take down the Li Family with ease? Dream on! Disciples of the Li Family, carve a bloody path out of here with me!"
Fang Qingyuan sighed. With a wave of his hand, She Xi Yu led the numerous She Family disciples charging forward. The Cultivators from the other families also raised their banners and swarmed toward the Li Family like a dark tide.
The Li Family disciples had been fired up, ready to risk everything. But after Fang Qingyuan’s ploy, their resolve to die had faded. The way they looked at their Patriarch had subtly changed. In such a state, how could they possibly stand against Fang Qingyuan’s assembled forces?
In a matter of moments, the Li Family disciples were either killed or had surrendered. Only Patriarch Li remained, locked in a desperate struggle with She Xi Yu.
Surprisingly, She Xi Yu was on the back foot. If not for the She Family disciples running interference from the sidelines, he would have been defeated already.
This was because She Xi Yu was merely trying to contain Patriarch Li, whereas the Patriarch was fighting for his very life. He was circulating his Spiritual Power so violently that blood sprayed from his skin, but he paid it no mind.
Just then, Heiye, who was concealed in the surrounding darkness, whispered in Fang Qingyuan’s ear.
"Want me to step in and finish him for you? If this goes on any longer, he’s going to self-destruct."
Fang Qingyuan heard the suggestion and understood Heiye’s real meaning. This Golden Core Uncle was looking to earn a little extra.
So, Fang Qingyuan played along.
"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Uncle."
The moment Fang Qingyuan finished speaking, Patriarch Li, who had been fighting like a man possessed, suddenly froze. An instant later, his head toppled from his shoulders.
"Done. Remember to add five Top-grade Spirit Stones to my pay."
Heiye’s excited voice echoed in his ear. Fang Qingyuan gave a slight nod to show he understood.
She Xi Yu was barely holding on when, in the next instant, Patriarch Li dropped dead on the spot. His heart leaped, and he almost obliterated the man’s corpse in a reflexive strike. Fortunately, Fang Qingyuan had given orders before the battle to leave the bodies intact if possible, to grant them a dignified end.
With the death of Patriarch Li, the battle at Jiuye Square finally came to a close. The Cultivators on Fang Qingyuan’s side erupted in cheers, chanting the name of Yuanling Mountain in unison.
"Yuanling! Yuanling!"
They had followed Fang Qingyuan to breach the Mountain Gate of a Foundation Establishment Clan, beat back several hundred Qi Cultivation Cultivators, intimidate the reinforcements from Jiuye Square, and even force them to pay reparations. These achievements greatly boosted Yuanling Mountain’s fame and made the name Fang Qingyuan well-known throughout the Southern Border Territory.
After this battle, Fang Qingyuan and Yuanling Mountain would be the talk of countless Cultivators in the Southern Border Territory for a long time to come.
The fighting was over. All that remained was cleaning up and, most importantly, reaping the rewards. The three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones promised by Yuan Chujun were still nowhere to be seen, but the distribution of rewards on their side had to begin immediately.
The many Cultivators who had come to Fang Qingyuan’s aid had done so for two reasons: one, they were pressured by Zhao Liangde, and two, they coveted the post-battle rewards.
If Fang Qingyuan proved to be stingy with his Spirit Stones, the next time he tried to rally these Cultivators, he would find out what it meant to have people show up but not lift a finger.
There were eight families and sects who had come to help, each contributing a dozen or so Cultivators. Fang Qingyuan awarded them based on merit, giving each group between ten and twenty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. This sum was equivalent to three or four years of net income for these smaller organizations.
When Jiang Kui, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had first arrived at Yuanling Mountain, her own annual income had only been a little over twenty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Furthermore, the battle had been remarkably easy, taking only three to five days in total. The Li Family hadn’t been a particularly formidable opponent, and while there were some casualties, the fight had been a walk in the park.
Aside from those families and sects who relied on the Beast Taming Sect, there were also the Loose Cultivators Fang Qingyuan had recruited himself. He gave each of them over two thousand Spirit Stones and allowed them to choose any one of the confiscated First-tier Magical Artifacts.
With that, the rewards for those two groups were settled. Everyone was satisfied, proclaiming Fang Qingyuan to be exceptionally generous.
That left the thirty members of the She Family and the dozen or so fellow disciples from the Beast Taming Sect. They couldn’t be rewarded so casually.
The She Family had contributed the most to the battle. She Xi Yu alone, as the key allied Foundation Establishment Cultivator, deserved a handsome reward.
The fellow disciples led by Zhao Xiangchen could not be treated lightly either. As disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, they had come purely out of respect for Fang Qingyuan’s status. ’My status has become my greatest asset,’ Fang Qingyuan reflected. ’Without it, no matter how furious I was, I could never have assembled such a force.’
「Three days later.」
Fang Qingyuan publicly executed the Foundation Establishment Cultivator Zhao Erchang before the Li Family’s Mountain Gate. Executed alongside him were the three Wen Family brothers and a few remaining members of the Li Family.
The mass execution of over a dozen Cultivators attracted thousands of spectators from Jiuye Square. Even people from the Yuanling Mountain Marketplace came over to watch the grand spectacle.
Fang Qingyuan had led his forces a great distance to stand up for Yuanling Square Marketplace. This act had made a name for Yuanling Mountain. Immediately, many Loose Cultivators were tempted, thinking of renting a shop to do business in Yuanling Square Marketplace.
As for Jiuye Square, they were in the wrong to begin with and didn’t dare have a complete falling out with Fang Qingyuan, so they could only grit their teeth and endure the humiliation. From that day on, a feud was forged between the two powers, and they were openly at odds.
But Fang Qingyuan had no time to worry about Jiuye Square. He was busy packing up everything on the Li Family’s Spirit Mountain.
With the Li Family wiped out, all their possessions became Fang Qingyuan’s spoils of war. However, the family had been established for a century; the contents of their Spirit Mountain couldn’t be cleared out in just a day or two.
After Fang Qingyuan had lingered in the area for half a month, Yuan Chujun of Jiuye Square finally grew anxious. He arrived bearing three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones.