463 Qi State's Landscape Enters the Battle - Map 3
Brother Guo cautiously looked around and nodded slightly.
The person next to him said softly, "Have these managers gone mad lately? They act like everyone owes them money."
I've heard recently that quite a few servants have died. A few days ago, Brother Ling was kicked in the chest by the steward for saying something out of turn, and a large bowl of blood gushed out.
Brother Guo nodded and whispered, "Shh, don't say anything. Otherwise, if we run into someone who looks bad, they'll definitely take it out on us. If we're talked to and someone hears us, they'll cause trouble. Remember, don't say anything carelessly."
The man beside me, dressed in gray with a dark face, looked around nervously, his hands covering his mouth.
Thinking of how Brother Ling was required to chop a thousand catties of firewood the next day, and wouldn't be given food if he didn't finish, and how the others dared not help, he died on the mountain that afternoon and never returned.
The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.
Brother Guo asked in a low, puzzled voice, "Shi Ping'er, have you noticed lately that the spiritual energy in these mountains seems to be dwindling?"
Shi Ping'er, who was dark-skinned beside him, thought for a moment in low voice, then said softly in surprise, "Brother Guo, I didn't even notice until you said it. No wonder these people have been searching all over the mountain lately. They even searched the outhouses."
I even saw the butler thoroughly inspect the latrine; he came out looking utterly disgusted. The smell lingered for ages.
Listening to Shi Ping'er's increasingly disjointed words, Brother Guo nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I heard it from them too. They say the spiritual energy is scarce, and the medicinal herbs aren't growing properly. That's why the sect leader is angry, and the disciples are doing their best to investigate. We've been used as scapegoats."
On the imperial green stone platform, the person sitting upright is Mo Taizhen, the leader of the Xuanji Sect. He wears a magnificent brocade robe with intricate and complex patterns. At his waist is a palm-sized jade stone with strange and complex patterns that are faintly visible.
His face was very pale, like a sky covered with dark clouds, gloomy and oppressive, with a hint of annoyance and anger showing on his face.
Dong Mingzhen reported in a low voice, "Sect Leader Mo, in the past few days, the annual tribute from the foot of the mountain has been more than double the usual amount. This is just the beginning. After a while, the tribute will definitely be continuous."
"Our sect leader is wise. By taking advantage of the situation and eliminating the King of Qi, half of the Qi kingdom will be brought under the control of our Xuanji Sect. With the Qi royal family acting as a shield, we have not violated any ancient rules."
Seeing that Master Mo's condition had not improved, she sighed inwardly.
For some reason, the spiritual energy has been thinning from the main peak onwards. You have to understand, this mountain-protecting formation has been operating for almost a thousand years, so it's impossible for it to break down so easily.
Recently, even the sect leader was summoned by the patriarch to inquire about this matter. If it cannot be resolved and can only be supported by spirit stones, it will obviously lead to the destruction of the Xuanji Sect.
Starting from the main peak, we initially thought it was the other peaks that were secretly causing trouble. However, after just over a month, the spiritual energy on the other peaks also began to decrease, and the sect's precious herbs suddenly became scarce.
Even common herbs suddenly became scarce. Elder Dongming couldn't believe it at first. How could such a large country like Qi be in such a shortage? Even ginseng was becoming scarce, and the trading company couldn't get many medicinal materials at all.
After a long investigation, the ultimate reason turned out to be a small force in the border region that was buying up medicinal herbs on a large scale. To call it a small force was just a matter of one person.
The ants, which could have been crushed with one hand, were not crushed because of the dynasty's location. The Xuanji Sect itself was also feared by the King of Qi.
Qi Wang's actions naturally could not be hidden from the Xuanji Sect, not to mention the Taishang Mansion. The Xuanji Sect was powerful and influential, and Qi Wang was very wary of it. On the contrary, the Taishang Mansion was arrogant and independent, with little power.
The sect's strength is not great, which means it doesn't have many lower-level disciples, but it does have quite a few elite disciples, especially the sect leader, who is on par with the Supreme Elder in terms of combat power and spends most of his time in seclusion.
King Qi ruled for several years, and his actions in this manner not only broke his own limbs but also destroyed the foundation and maintenance methods of the aristocratic families.
They seized the wealth of the powerful families, and their influence grew stronger and stronger, spreading from the Qi King's Palace to all directions, gradually affecting even more distant places, including the Xuanji Sect.
Furthermore, with the recent loss of spiritual energy, the sect leader speculated that Prince Qi had stolen the Xuanji Sect's fortune. He planned to kill Prince Qi.
Unexpectedly, the Red King's emergence was accompanied by a mad and domineering approach. He was plotting with the sect leader, Mo Taizhen, and after some scheming, he waited for the Red King to make his move, which was a seemingly reasonable and forceful attack to help him kill.
As expected, the Red King made his move, and it was incredibly fast. There was absolutely no hesitation. He was still the same person he always was, with the same personality: domineering, decisive, and ruthless. Most importantly, he was truly powerful.
It's unbelievable that the dead can be reborn and even stronger.
Mo Taizhen's eyes turned slightly cold, revealing an indescribable majesty. After a moment, his expression calmed down without a trace of emotion.
He said in a deep voice, "The weakening of spiritual energy isn't just happening on the main peak; it's affecting the other peaks as well. There must be something fishy going on."
His brows furrowed slightly, and he continued coldly, "The matter of the Prince of Qi was something we planned, but the decisiveness and martial prowess of the Prince of Hong were something we had not anticipated."
The Red King is ultimately a major threat. He wants my Qi state to submit? We'll have to see if he has the ability.
Master Dongming nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "What the sect leader says is true. The Red King's combat power was indeed extraordinary, as I witnessed the other day, but it's still inferior to the sect leader's."
Upon hearing Elder Dongming's blatant flattery, Mo Taizhen's anger subsided considerably. He chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Elder Dongming, please don't do this. Although I am not afraid of the Red King, we are evenly matched."
The Red King recently broke through to the next level, and like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, his youthful vigor is understandable, and his strength should not be underestimated.
After pausing for a moment, he said softly, "The Supreme Palace has also agreed to assassinate the Prince of Qi. It seems that something has happened to the Supreme Palace, and their situation may be similar to ours."
But now that King Qi is dead, and we have occupied half of the land, why hasn't the loss of spiritual energy been alleviated? The reasons behind this are worth pondering.
Master Dongming nodded in agreement and smiled gently, "Sect Leader, please rest assured. Half of Qi Kingdom belongs to us, and the matter of medicinal herbs should be resolved soon."
However, it's unexpected that such a hidden dragon would emerge from this border region.
Mo Taizhen shook his head and exclaimed in a deep voice, "He's no longer a hidden dragon, he's a true dragon now. His strength, according to our scouts, is at least that of a Martial Emperor. Thus, he's another Red King."
Dongming frowned slightly, chuckled softly to himself, and said with a self-deprecating tone, "If I had known this would happen, I should have killed this brat back then. I never expected him to become a problem."
Then he said softly, "Sect Leader, should we launch another attack?"
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