Chapter 480: Great Show of the Dynasty

Seeing the dust had settled, the old beggar made a suggestion to Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji," he said, "they've stopped fighting over there. They just needed to vent, and with the Jiufeng Mountain people there, they certainly won't start quarreling again. Let's leave; there's no need to encounter them."

Even as he spoke, the two factions and the cultivators from Jiufeng Mountain had already noticed Ji Yuan and the old beggar.

Their presence had initially been obscured by the raging winds, lightning, and thunder during the skirmish, making them difficult to spot. But now, with the clouds cleared and the sky serene, a small white cloud that had remained became conspicuous. With two figures standing atop it, it was impossible not to notice them.

"Grand-Martial Uncle! Grand-Martial Uncle!"

Before the old beggar could even move to depart on his cloud, shouts echoed from the distance as two groups of people, one after the other, approached on their spiritual artifacts.

Led by an elder, a group of cultivators from the Qianyuan Sect drew near the old beggar and Ji Yuan, bowing with cupped hands in salute.

"We, the juniors of Qianyuan Sect, greet our Grand-Martial Uncle!"

The old beggar turned his body, refusing their bow. After a brief glance, he waved his hand and said, "Oh, please, don't bow to an old beggar like me. The Qianyuan Sect is far too grand for the likes of me. You must have the wrong person. Mr. Ji, just look, their clothes are so splendid, even prettier than yours. What do I look like, an old beggar? You're definitely mistaken."

The leading elder of the Qianyuan Sect straightened up, glancing from the old beggar to Ji Yuan, a wry smile on his face.

"Grand-Martial Uncle, after all these years, are you still holding a grudge? Grandmaster, he..."

"No... no, no. Mr. Ji, let's leave. If I'd known, we should have concealed ourselves earlier."

The old beggar turned with a flick of his sleeve, intending to depart on the cloud. However, when the cloud remained still, he immediately looked at Ji Yuan, noticing that Ji Yuan had just retracted a finger he'd subtly moved in the air. He instantly knew Ji Yuan had interfered.

Ji Yuan smiled slightly, openly admitting his actions to the old beggar.

"Indeed, I immobilized the cloud," Ji Yuan confessed. "So, Old Mr. Lu, you are from the Qianyuan Sect? As your junior, I offer my sincere respects. Let them say a few words before we go."

In truth, Ji Yuan was completely unfamiliar with the Qianyuan Sect. The old beggar had always been mysterious about his immortal sect affiliation, but now it seemed there was quite a story behind it.

"What method did you use?"

The old beggar was even more surprised by Ji Yuan's method. Ji Yuan claimed he'd immobilized the cloud, yet the old beggar hadn't detected any of Ji Yuan's spiritual energy permeating it. After struggling with a bit of force, the cloud returned to his control. It seemed Ji Yuan had only intended a momentary block, not a prolonged obstruction.

The old beggar deliberately ignored the Qianyuan Sect members and tried to change the subject, but it was to no avail.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist, for holding back Grand-Martial Uncle."

The Qianyuan Sect members first thanked Ji Yuan, then bowed sincerely to the old beggar once more.

"Grand-Martial Uncle, although Grandmaster doesn't say it openly, he truly hopes you'll return to the sect. Since you've come to the Immortal Gathering this time, why not come back with us once it's over? Even just a visit to the sect would be wonderful!"

They had expected a cold reception from the old beggar, but to their surprise, he suddenly turned around and looked at the elder.

"Wait, what did you just say?"

The elder True Master of Qianyuan Sect paused, a look of delight spreading across his face.

"I said, Grandmaster doesn't say it openly, but..."

"No, no, the sentence before that!"

"Before that?"

The old True Master of Qianyuan Sect frowned in thought, then looked hesitantly at Ji Yuan.

"I thanked this fellow Daoist."

The old beggar clapped his hands with a "pat," looking at the bewildered Ji Yuan, then at the elder True Master of Qianyuan Sect.

"What did you call me?"

"Grand-Martial Uncle."

"And what did you call him?"

"Uh, fellow Daoist?"

"Heh heh, that's right!"

The old beggar chuckled, then immediately adopted a stern expression and reprimanded them.

"No respect, just spouting nonsense! Heh heh, Mr. Ji, my apologies. These juniors downgraded your seniority. You won't hold it against them, will you?"

Ji Yuan paused, then shook his head with a smile. This old beggar was truly a unique character, getting so particular about a mere title.

"Ah, whatever pleases you," Ji Yuan replied. "I, Ji, have no particular feelings about titles. We are fellow cultivators; being called a 'fellow Daoist' is perfectly acceptable."

"Hmm, see, that's the wisdom of a senior!"

The old beggar felt he had gained an advantage over Ji Yuan, and his mood brightened considerably. Whether Ji Yuan truly didn't care or was merely pretending, the old beggar was pleased.

In good spirits, he was also happy to offer a few pleasant words; at least his tone was no longer so abrupt.

"Alright, you little rascals, you've been fighting here, stirring up quite a storm. But you've also shown some improvement. Just now, Mr. Ji praised your and the Great Wind Valley cultivators' miraculous control over wind, which carries significant weight. Go back soon; Mr. Ji and I will be leaving first."

"Ah, Grand-Martial Uncle..."

The Qianyuan Sect cultivators instinctively reached out, but the spiritual cloud had already transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance, moving faster than a sword flight.

On the white cloud, Ji Yuan observed the old beggar. Though he had spoken curtly to the Qianyuan Sect cultivators, Ji Yuan knew he was merely cold on the surface, his heart still warm and concerned for the sect.

Ji Yuan mused that even if he hadn't been present, the old beggar would have come to the coast anyway. He might have claimed to be watching the spectacle, but in reality, he would have been concerned for the younger generation, fearing the skirmish might get out of hand.

The white cloud flew for a considerable time, with neither Ji Yuan nor the old beggar speaking. After another moment, the old beggar finally spoke, his voice faint.

"Mr. Ji, do you have anything to ask me?"

Ji Yuan, however, did not look at the old beggar. His gaze was fixed on the landscape beneath the cloud. Though somewhat blurry to his sight, he had long developed his own method of discerning features, using patterns and condensed qi to identify things with remarkable accuracy, even from high altitudes.

Below, amidst the jumbled sights, more signs of vitality were rising, and combined with certain regular and distinctive features, he could largely determine it was a human settlement.

"What country is below?"

The old beggar glanced at Ji Yuan, then looked down. Since Ji Yuan didn't bring up the previous topic, he was content to let it drop. After a careful observation, he replied, "While I'm not deeply familiar with this area, I do know some of the notable mortal kingdoms. Geographically speaking, that should be the Great Xiu Dynasty, one of the prominent imperial dynasties in the southern part of Heng Province in the Northern Realm."

Fearing Ji Yuan might not fully grasp the significance, the old beggar added, "This is quite different from the Da Zhen Dynasty in Yunzhou. While the common folk are similar, this imperial dynasty has true cultivators guarding its interior, and its high-ranking officials even maintain subtle connections with the divine path. For a mortal dynasty, this is truly remarkable."

Ji Yuan nodded, a look of sudden realization on his face.

"Oh, so this is the Great Xiu Dynasty! Old Mr. Lu, do you know who the current Imperial Preceptor of the Great Xiu court is?"

The old beggar scoffed. "I only said the Great Xiu is remarkable, but Mr. Ji, don't take it too seriously. For cultivators of your and my level, what does it matter how grand an imperial dynasty's dominion is? Of course, I don't know who the Imperial Preceptor is, nor do I need to know."

"True enough. Old Mr. Lu, you may return on your own for now. I, Ji, am making a detour. I know the way to Jiufeng Cave Heaven; I won't get lost."

With that, Ji Yuan stepped out of the cloud. His body slowly drifted downwards, and after descending several dozen feet, a gentle breeze swept under his feet, carrying him toward a town below.

"What are you going to do, Mr. Ji? Is it something secretive? Is it convenient for this old beggar to follow?"

"Come if you wish."

"Then you could have just said so earlier. Why fly away on your own?"

The old beggar chuckled and quickly followed suit. However, he dispersed his white cloud and likewise rode the wind.

Ji Yuan had initially intended to visit a nearby large city to inquire about something. However, as he descended on the wind, a subtle stir occurred within his spiritual mind. His gaze drifted toward the slightly distant wilderness, and with a thought, he altered the wind's direction, guiding himself and the old beggar toward the location his intuition pointed to.

The old beggar's brow furrowed slightly as he glanced toward the city, then at the distant direction they were now heading. A thoughtful expression crossed his face, but he said nothing further.

Before long, Ji Yuan could hear the distinct sound of hoofbeats and see dust rising from the distant wilderness, clearly indicating many riders were advancing. By this point, the old beggar had also sensed something.

Outside Pozi Mountain, in Pozi Forest, two hundred riders on tall horses galloped furiously. Each rider was spirited, splendidly dressed, and proudly mounted, clad in leather armor studded with iron rings, with bows and arrows on their backs and long spears by their sides. Leading them was a military officer adorned in gleaming silver chainmail.

The rhythmic thud of hooves reverberated across the ground. The thunderous sound of hooves, causing the earth to tremble slightly, accompanied the general's powerful roar, which resonated through the entire contingent.

"Hup... hup... come on... everyone keep up! Don't let them escape!"

"You, take your men to the right flank! You, go further ahead and set up a net formation!"

"Understood!" "Understood!"

The cavalry split into two groups, circling around from the left and right.

The military officer looked ahead, letting out a cold snort. He unslung his exquisite large bow from his back and drew an arrow from the quiver at his horse's side.

"Think you can run? Not a chance!"

The officer gripped the horse's flanks with his legs for balance, drawing his bow to a full moon with both hands. His internal qi subtly flowed into the arrow. After a brief aim, slightly to the left, he immediately released the shot.

"Got it!"

The bowstring twanged with a 'thwack,' followed by the arrow's whistling 'whoosh.'

"Ah—"

The next moment, a sharp shriek echoed a hundred zhang ahead.

The officer's stern expression remained unchanged. Another arrow was already nocked on the bowstring. After drawing it to a full moon, he aimed slightly to the left once more, then released the arrow.

"Got it!"

The bowstring twanged, followed by a whistling whoosh.

"Ah—"

As expected, another shriek echoed from ahead...