northernbook Chapter 107 Falling out
Chapter 107 Falling out
Upon hearing this, Li Guangling was taken aback and immediately asked, "Where is Master Zhuge now?"
"For Qu Qianchou's sake, I advise you to seek refuge with your father-in-law as soon as possible, so you won't be homeless in the future!" Elder Qingyang said, seemingly ignoring the question.
Li Muling's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stepped forward and bowed, stubbornly asking, "Elder Qingyang, I hope you can tell me the whereabouts of my Master Zhuge!"
"He's probably not coming back. You all better take care of yourselves!" Elder Qingyang said, then prepared to leave.
During the voyage, the disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect who were stranded in the Yuan Kingdom sent him a letter saying that Kongming and Zhao Yun were being pursued by Li Xin and were eventually forced to flee into the Death Desert.
Putting aside the fact that Li Xin was a terrifying existence ranked sixteenth on the Great Yuan Golden Core Peak Ranking, the fact that the two of them escaped into the Death Desert already sealed his fate.
For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to want to survive and walk out of the Death Desert is nothing short of a pipe dream, so Qingyang thought of taking all the credit for it.
"No...impossible..." Upon hearing this, Li Muling's vision went black, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
Li Guangling hurriedly helped Li Muling up, then stopped Elder Qingyang, "Please explain more clearly, Elder Qingyang!"
"Hmph! Haven't I made myself clear enough? Get out of the way!"
Elder Qingyang said coldly, and then left.
"Brother, what he said isn't true. Brother Kongming will be alright!"
After Elder Qingyang left, Li Muling said with red eyes.
"Mu Ling, I believe Master Zhuge will be alright..."
Li Guangling comforted him, though he was actually feeling no better than Li Muling. Although he often secretly cursed Kongming as a sorcerer, he knew that Kongming had never asked for anything in return for helping him.
"I'm going to the Yuan Kingdom to find my brother Kongming. I'll bring him back alive or dead!"
Tears streamed down Li Muling's cheeks as she choked out her words.
"Mu Ling, don't be impulsive. I'll send someone to Yuan Kingdom to investigate immediately. If it's true, I'll go with you, okay?" Li Guangling said with a determined look in his eyes.
The group returned to their temporary lodging with somber expressions.
Nothing happened that night. The next day, Li Guangling gathered the several thousand personal guards he had brought from Jinshan County and prepared to transport the warhorses back to Jinshan County.
"The elders are discussing important matters; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter!"
When he arrived at the temporary encampment of the Jade Cauldron Sect, he was stopped outside the tent by a disciple.
"Please inform the Immortal Master that this is King Yuliang, and we have come regarding the handover of warhorses."
Ji Yizhi, standing to the side, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the disciple and said.
"Are you deaf? The elders are discussing important matters, wait a bit..."
The disciple shouted impatiently.
Upon hearing this, Li Guangling frowned slightly, but did not react. He knew that as someone living under someone else's roof, he had to be patient and could not let Kongming's previous efforts go to waste.
“Mr. Ji, let’s wait here for a moment,” Li Guangling said softly to Ji Yizhi, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.
Back when Kongming was alive, the Jade Cauldron Sect treated him quite politely, and even sent cultivators to protect him.
Now that Kongming's whereabouts are unknown, the situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse, and even the disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect dare to be so negligent.
Time passed slowly, and the sunlight gradually became more intense. Li Guangling and the others stood quietly outside the tent. Occasionally, disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect would pass by, casting unfriendly or scrutinizing glances.
Finally, footsteps were heard from inside the tent, and then Qingyang and several other elders slowly walked out.
To Li Guangling's surprise, his father-in-law was also in the tent.
"Li Guangling, what brings you here?" Elder Qingyang glanced at the group and said with some displeasure.
"Reporting to Elder Qingyang, I have come here to hand over the warhorses!" Li Guangling bowed and then said.
"It seems you didn't listen to a word I said yesterday!" Elder Qingyang's tone was stern as he scrutinized Li Guangling.
"What does Elder Qingyang mean by this?" Li Guangling asked, puzzled, since everything had been agreed upon beforehand.
"What do you mean? If it weren't for the fact that you're General Qu's son-in-law, do you think you'd even have the right to speak to me here?"
Elder Qingyang's eyes held a hint of impatience and warning.
Upon hearing this, Li Guangling glanced at Qu Qianchou behind him, but seeing that Qu's gaze was evasive, he had a bad feeling.
“My dear son-in-law, we’re like father and son, what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours, right?” Qu Qianchou finally spoke.
Li Guangling glanced at him, then looked at Elder Qingyang, "I don't know where I went wrong, and I hope Elder Qingyang can enlighten me."
snort!
Elder Qingyang snorted coldly, waved his sleeve, and said, "You have colluded with Leizhou in an attempt to control my Yuding Sect. From this day forward, take your soldiers and go back to Yuliang County. Only by obeying me will you be spared!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Yizhi's eyelids twitched. They had finally gained a foothold in Jinshan County, but now they had been brought back to square one.
Isn't this clearly a demand for them to hand over all their troops and then be placed under house arrest in Yuliang County as their puppets? How is this any different from what Empress Wu did back then?
However, he immediately gave Li Guangling a wink, then shook his head slightly, signaling him not to act rashly.
Li Guangling trembled all over, wanting to resist but powerless to do so.
He was filled with mixed feelings. Although he was a prince, he knew that if he did not have a powerful cultivation force backing him up, he would never have any say in the matter.
He felt both a sense of the fickleness of human relationships and a deep concern for Kongming's safety.
Li Guangling clenched his fist, but his face still maintained a degree of rationality and composure. "Your Highness obeys!"
"That would be best. Also, leave the military funds allocated by Empress Wu and proceed to Yuliang County immediately. Do not leave without permission!"
Upon hearing this, Li Guangling's face darkened immediately. "This military pay was secured by Master Zhuge's efforts; I cannot comply!"
"Zhuge Kongming is dead. Do you want to go down and join him?" Elder Qingyang's expression turned cold as he sternly asked, his eyes half-closed.
"That's just your side of the story. I can give you the troops, but the military pay can only be controlled by Master Zhuge!" Li Guangling said boldly, arguing his point.
"presumptuous!"
Qingyang roared angrily, his hand already gathering magical power. A mere mortal dared to contradict him; he was simply courting death.
Upon seeing this, Qu Qianchou immediately stepped forward and said, "Elder Qingyang, please calm down. If you strike me with this palm, my poor daughter will be widowed!"
Then, he pulled Li Guangling aside and whispered, "Li Guangling, are you out of your mind? If this continues, I can't protect you!"
"Your Highness, as long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. We all started from nothing, didn't we? It's no big deal."
Seeing this, Ji Yizhi also came over to offer his advice.