Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 171: Looting on the Road

In April, the weather in Bianxia Town is pleasant, with birds singing and grass growing.

The sky was clear and cloudless. High in the sky, two flying magic vehicles carried several disciples of the Hunyuan Sect and slowly moved towards Bianxi City.

The leader was Lu Yuan, and riding on the magic weapon with him was Zheng Xuan, with a large box placed between the two of them.

On the flying magic weapon flying alongside them on their left, there were also two people sitting upright. The leader was a young man dressed in the clothes of the Luoyun Sect. He sat in front of the magic weapon with an expressionless face, his eyes slightly closed, as if he was in a trance.

Sitting behind the magic weapon is the disciple Zhang Yong, who is dressed in the clothes of Hunyuan Sect. There is also a large box in the middle of the magic weapon.

This trip was to Qingfengfang in Bianxi City to deliver Yuxiangdan, and the two large boxes contained this item.

Every once in a while, a batch of newly refined Yuxiang Dan will be sent to Bianxi City for sale.

Although pills are not large items, each Jade Fragrance Pill is packed in a small wooden box. This batch contains more than a thousand Jade Fragrance Pills, and the storage bag is too empty to hold them all, so they have to be packed in a large box.

Fortunately, the high-level flying magic tool has a decent load-bearing capacity and a relatively large space. In addition, the wooden box is light in itself, so it can be placed on the flying magic tool and carried forward without having to be carried on a camel.

As the two flying magic vehicles were moving, suddenly, a huge green Canglan bird appeared from behind, with about ten monks in Qixia Mountain uniforms sitting on it, chasing towards them.

"Senior Brother Lu, look behind, it's not coming for us, is it?" Zheng Xuan, who was behind the magic weapon, saw the Canglan bird chasing after him and felt a little worried.

Lu Yuan looked back and frowned immediately: "Don't worry, we'll act according to the situation."

After saying this, he looked at the man from Luoyun Sect sitting beside him and said, "Friend Mo, the people chasing us are the independent cultivators from Bianxia Town. I don't know if they are coming for us. If they want to hijack the Jade Fragrance Pill, I hope you can step in."

The man surnamed Mo then turned around and looked at the Canglan bird behind him without saying a word.

Soon, the Canglan bird caught up with several people, and its huge body blocked the two magic weapons. Many cultivators on them picked up the magic weapons.

"Stop, stop right there." The leader of the crowd was a burly man in his fifties, with the cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining. He swept his eyes over Lu Yuan and the others, and finally stopped at the man named Mo who was wearing the clothes of the Luoyun Sect.

Their purpose of this trip was to rob the Jade Fragrance Pill and use it to extort a large sum of money from the Hunyuan Sect to ease the financial pressure on the sect.
Therefore, they had already conducted an investigation and knew that the Hunyuan Sect would transport supplies to Bianxi City, and they also knew their routes. Therefore, they calculated the time and hid observers near the Hunyuan Sect mountain gate and the road leading to Bianxia City. When they saw two flying magic tools leaving the mountain gate and heading towards Bianxia City, they guessed that they were the team transporting the Yuxiang Pill.

After learning the news, Qixia Mountain immediately sent people to chase after them. Since they had figured out the route, and the speed of the Canglan Bird was faster than that of the flying magic weapon carrying two people and a large box, even though they set out late, they still caught up with them in the end.

I just didn't expect there would be a cultivator wearing Luoyun Sect clothing accompanying them. This was not mentioned in the intelligence! The leading man was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do.

The Qixia Mountain cultivators who were hiding near the mountain gate of Hunyuan Sect and observing the movements could only see two flying magic vehicles taking off from the mountain gate and heading towards Bianxi City. Considering the time point, they inferred that they were the team transporting the Yuxiang Pill, but they could not see who was on the two flying magic vehicles.

"There has never been any grudge between my sect and yours. Why are you blocking our way?" The two flying magic weapons had to stop. Lu Yuan asked in a deep voice, his eyes looking at the Luoyun Sect disciple who was in the lead.

Although this person was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, he immediately became the central figure in the scene because of the Luoyun Sect disciple's attire he was wearing. Everyone's eyes were focused on him, waiting for him to express his opinion.

"A few hours ago, our people were kidnapped by unidentified monks while transporting a batch of supplies. Please let us check the contents of the boxes." The man leading the Qixia Mountain had a flash of inspiration and came up with this excuse.

Originally, he didn't intend to waste time talking. If these Hunyuan Sect disciples refused to submit, he would just forcibly seize the batch of Yuxiang Pills and rob them of everything. Apart from anything else, these two top-grade flying magic weapons alone would be worth a fortune.

But the situation took an unexpected turn. A person who was suspected to be a disciple of Luoyun Sect appeared in the team transporting Yuxiang Dan. Luoyun Sect was not someone they could afford to offend, so they had to have a legitimate reason.

"What a joke! What does the theft of your sect's property have to do with us? You want to search our things? Fine! Ask this Daoist Mo from the Luoyun Sect if he agrees. This is the Luoyun Sect's property. If Daoist Mo agrees, I'm fine with that."

Seeing that the Luoyun Sect disciple remained indifferent, watching coldly without saying a word, Lu Yuan simply brought the conversation back to him and forced him to speak.

He also deliberately emphasized that this was the property of the Luoyun Sect. Originally, 30% of this batch of Yuxiang Pills belonged to Wen Yiren, so it was not wrong to say so.

"The property of Luoyun Sect? May I ask your name? I am Huang Jin from Qixia Mountain." The big man who was in charge of Qixia Mountain asked politely.

This is because the man was wearing the black clothing of Luoyun Sect, which is the clothing of inner disciples. There are thousands of disciples in Luoyun Sect, and the number of inner disciples is less than 20%. They either have backgrounds or outstanding talents, but no matter which one, they have a certain status within Luoyun Sect, which is not comparable to outer disciples.

The man surnamed Mo was originally dissatisfied with the task of escorting the Yuxiang Pill to Hunyuan Sect. Who was the Hunyuan Sect that was worthy of him traveling thousands of miles to escort these goods for it?
But since Xiao Ling had come forward and brought up Wen Yiren, he had no choice but to come. However, he was furious. They clearly treated him like a nobody! Therefore, he kept a dark face and said nothing along the way.

"Qixia Mountain, what a great background!" The man surnamed Mo only opened his eyes at this moment, and spoke in a stern voice: "What? Are you still going to search our sect's belongings? Who gave you the guts? Get out of here! If you keep talking nonsense, I will report you to the sect and wipe you out."

The leading man was so embarrassed by the merciless scolding that his face turned red and white, but he really couldn't afford to offend the Luoyun Sect.

The forces of independent cultivators have always been looked down upon by such large sects. Qixia Mountain is a moderately powerful force in Bianxia Town, but in the eyes of the disciples of Luoyun Sect, it is a veritable mob.

"Let's go." The big man gritted his teeth, and the voice seemed to be spitted out from between his teeth. The Canglan bird flapped its wings and carried everyone back the same way.

"Friend Mo, thank you so much this time." Looking at them going away, Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there were disciples from Luoyun Sect accompanying him this time. Otherwise, not only would he lose the Yuxiang Pill, but his life would even be in danger.

There was no doubt that Qixia Mountain came specifically for these few people, and the lie about their property being robbed was just an excuse. Lu Yuan naturally understood this.

"Let's go!" The Luoyun Sect disciple ignored him and closed his eyes again.

"Junior Brother Zheng, let's escort the Yuxiang Pill to Bianxi City. You go back to the mountain gate immediately and inform the headmaster about this matter. Be careful not to be discovered by the Loose Cultivator Alliance." Lu Yuan turned around and said to Zheng Xuan with a serious expression.

Qixia Mountain's move was clearly premeditated; otherwise, such a chance encounter wouldn't have been possible. It could intercept the Yuxiangdan team, potentially attack other disciples or assets within the sect, or even launch an all-out war against the sect.

"Okay." Zheng Xuan also knew the seriousness of this matter, so he responded and jumped down from the magic weapon.

In the main hall of Guzi Peak, upon hearing Zheng Xuan's report, Song Xian's expression suddenly became solemn and dignified.

He originally thought that the Loose Cultivator Alliance would not take action against him for at least a year, because it was still besieging the Qingyuan Sect.

He didn't expect that Qixia Mountain would rob the Yuxiang Pill at this time. Fortunately, he asked the disciples of Luoyun Sect to escort him just in case.

It was a coincidence that this Luoyun Sect disciple was sent to escort the Jade Fragrance Pill for the first time, and he encountered a robbery by the Qixia Mountain cultivators.

If Qixia Mountain had taken action a few months earlier when a batch of pills were being transported, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Qixia Mountain must not have known that he had asked the disciples of Luoyun Sect to protect him, so he failed.

Although this batch of Yuxiangdan luckily escaped the disaster, the trouble was not solved and had just begun.

Apart from anything else, the black arrowfish raised in the mud pit are likely to fall into their clutches. If the black arrowfish are harmed and they cannot deliver so many goods this year, the Beastmaster Sect will punish the Hunyuan Sect without mercy.

Not only that, every time the sect’s disciples go out in the future, they will face great risks.

The most important thing for now is to figure out whether Qixia Mountain is acting on its own or the Loose Cultivator Alliance is determined to deal with them as well.

Song Xian immediately called Zhong Wenyuan, and after a discussion, they decided to split their forces into two groups.

Go all the way to Luofeng Valley to visit Xu Quan to get the situation. If Qixia Mountain insists on going its own way, ask Luofeng Valley to mediate.

If the Loose Cultivator Alliance is targeting us, we must understand their motives. Do they want money? Or do they want to interfere with the Jade Fragrance Pill industry?
Although Hunyuan Sect stood on the side of Qingyuan Sect, it had never had a head-on conflict with the forces of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, and it had not reached the point of life and death. Moreover, Luofeng Valley had come to negotiate with him twice on behalf of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.

The other group went to the Ding family, persuaded Ding Wenxiang to form an alliance, and started peace talks with the independent cultivator forces.

Originally, Song Xian thought that he would feel more confident after the disciples of Qingyuan Sect arrived before trying to negotiate with the Loose Cultivator Alliance. However, he did not expect the situation to change suddenly and he could no longer wait until then. If he did not take action, who knows what would happen.

.........

At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In the spacious and bright hall of the Ding family mansion, Ding Wenxiang walked in with a smile on his face. Song Xian stood up and bowed to him. The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then sat down as host and guest.

"It's been a while since we last met. I didn't expect that Fellow Daoist Song would come to visit today. I heard that your sect has taken over several industries of the former Qingyuan Sect. How is everything going?" Ding Wenxiang asked after taking a seat in the main seat.

"This is the first year, and I don't know if I can complete the task assigned by the Beast Taming Sect by the end of the year. If I can't fulfill the contract, then we will be in big trouble."

"Your sect is really quick to act! To be honest, I was originally thinking of taking over, but after asking around, I found out your sect has already taken the lead. When Qingyuan Sect took over these three industries, I also asked Fellow Daoist Hu about this matter, but he was very evasive and evaded the question. To be honest, I'm still quite curious. I wonder how much profit the Beastmaster Sect has made from these industries? Of course, if Fellow Daoist Song is not comfortable answering, then forget it."

Song Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I'm afraid Fellow Daoist Ding will be disappointed. The total annual profit from these three businesses is only three thousand spirit stones. It's far less than what your sect would earn from taking over the market."

"Only three thousand spirit stones?" Ding Wenxiang was also a little surprised. "The profit shouldn't be this low! Although black arrowfish, beast soul incense, and Xuanbu spirit liquid are not high-value items, there is so much demand, and the sales channels are stable. How can we only make three thousand spirit stones a year?"

"To be honest, the profit is indeed not low. The net profit is about 10,000 spirit stones, but after all the arbitrage, I only get 3,000 spirit stones. I don't need to explain this. Fellow Daoist Ding should understand. Your sect is so capable of taking over the Fangshi industry. It must have taken a lot of arbitrage! I don't think all the profits that the Fangshi deserves can fall into your hands!"

Although Song Xian didn't know what kind of connections the Ding family had used to be able to replace the Qingyuan Sect and take over the management of the market so quickly, it must have cost them a lot. The big bosses behind the Nanyuan Valley Market, Luoyun Sect, Yushou Sect, and the Kong family must have all been involved.

It is not enough to just give some spirit stones at once. We must take out a certain percentage of the profits every year.

Ding Wenxiang smiled slightly: "That's true. For us small sects, it's not that easy to pick up some food from the sieves of others. To put it bluntly, these people are all cannibals who don't even leave bones behind!"

"Fellow Daoist Ding, I never come here without a reason. Today I'm here because of the Qingyuan Sect. Wang Xuan, a disciple of the Qingyuan Sect, came to our sect and wanted us to unite and negotiate with the Loose Cultivator Alliance. What do you think?" Song Xian skipped the small talk and went straight to the point.

Ding Wenxiang had already guessed his intentions. "Since Fellow Daoist Song has come personally, I won't hide anything from you, considering our relationship. In my opinion, this is impossible. The feud between the Loose Cultivator Alliance and the Qingyuan Sect has reached a point of life and death. As long as the Qingyuan Sect exists, they will never be at peace."

"Given our influence, it's impossible for them to reconcile their conflicts. Unless a major force like the Kong Family, the Luoyun Sect, or the Beast Taming Sect steps in, we should just stop trying."

With these words out of their mouths, there was no room for maneuver. The Ding family's attitude was clear: they didn't want to interfere in the affairs of the independent cultivators and the Qingyuan Sect. This was consistent with Song Xian's previous judgment: the Ding family and the independent cultivators had already reached some kind of agreement privately.

"But if the Qingyuan Sect completely collapses, our lives won't be easy either. Who knows if the Loose Cultivator Alliance will come after us next?"

Ding Wenxiang put away his smile and said seriously, "I'll tell Fellow Daoist Song this. The Qingyuan Sect suffered this fate entirely because of their own actions."

"It gained the most from conquering Lingyun Mountain and annihilating Yunfeng Trading Company. Although the establishment of the Loose Cultivator Alliance later posed a certain threat to it, we are united, and the Loose Cultivator Alliance will not dare to act rashly, thus maintaining peace in Bianxia Town."

"But he's greedy and still not satisfied with taking all the resources and territory from Yunfeng Trading Company. He even teamed up with the Rising Sun Sect to attack Qixia Mountain. What's even worse is that he did this behind our backs even though we're allies."

"He was the one who instigated the whole thing. Now the situation is out of control and the outcome is hopeless. Thinking about peace talks is not that easy."

"Let me tell you the truth! I've already contacted the independent cultivators about this matter. Their attitude is very firm. They won't give up until the Qingyuan Sect is completely wiped out."

"As for your sect and my palace, Brother Song, don't worry. We have no grudges against the independent cultivators. They won't have any benefit from dealing with us."

"Just in case, and I mean just in case, if the independent cultivators want to attack your sect, based on our friendship, I will definitely help your sect."

(End of this chapter)