The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 50: Life and Death Agreement
Zhou Yan and Li Zhiwei stared blankly at each other in their shared dream.

Li Zhiwei blushed slightly, but quickly composed herself and controlled the embarrassment caused by her earlier mistake. She carefully pinched her cheek, feeling no pain, but her self-awareness remained clear.

"So, you are awake, and I am awake too. There's something wrong with this dream."

Zhou Yan nodded.

He doesn't have enough understanding of the extraordinary world.

In his memory, Zhou Yan simply took Shen Cangming away from Wuyin Peak, found Hu Erniang and the others he had met before, and successfully treated Shen Cangming. After that, Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief and then drifted off to sleep.

Then I entered the dream.

Everything was white, and various things were faintly visible in the mist.

Zhou Yan has a certain sense of control over this dream and can guide the various things that appear in the dream.

Before he could figure out what was going on, Li Zhiwei suddenly appeared in front of him. In the dream, Li Zhiwei seemed to be much more lively and curious than in reality. She slapped Zhou Yan's face with both hands.

And so it is now, the two of them are looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Then, Zhou Yan."

Li Zhiwei gently tapped her brow, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind. After considering all the possibilities she knew, she asked, "Have you done anything recently that would bring us into contact?"

Zhou Yan immediately thought of the matter of bestowing the title of Mountain God.

Not only did they use the thumb ring given to them by Li Zhiwei, but they also used Li Zhiwei's blood.

Li Zhiwei said, "If it's inconvenient to say..."

Zhou Yan shook his head and said frankly, "There's nothing inconvenient about it. Strictly speaking, I borrowed your things; I'm indebted to you." Then, his mind stirred, and the white dream suddenly changed.

A scene appeared before Li Zhiwei's eyes—a fragment of Zhou Yan's memory, presented from a first-person perspective. Li Zhiwei froze, looking at Zhou Yan, who, thinking it worked as expected, said:

"It will be clearer if you look at it this way."

Zhou Yan materialized his own experiences.

Inappropriate parts are covered up or blurred.

Even though Li Zhiwei was already considered audacious and arrogant, she was still stunned as she watched Zhou Yan draw his sword and fight, watched him hold the Buddhist lamp, watched the souls disperse, and watched the resentment turn into the mist and rain that shrouded the mountains.

Looking at the young man holding the lantern, Li Zhiwei suddenly thought of the time when the raging fire burned the demon. Her expression softened unconsciously when she was wearing a mask and disguise.

Experiencing life and death always reveals a person's true colors.

However, what we see before us is truly outrageous.

Li Zhiwei's initial thought was that something must have happened that caused this.

But what do you mean by "you stumbled upon a ghostly demon planning to ascend to godhood"?

What do you mean by saying you killed that guy and even helped eighty souls find peace?

And what about encountering the Nine Provinces Inspector of the Azure Netherworld Monarch, so he had no choice but to forge an imperial edict and succeeded?

They even used the mountain god's decree to unleash a fierce wind that turned over a hundred monsters into dumplings.
The girl watched these scenes with great interest, as if she herself had experienced a thrilling adventure. Finally, when Zhou Yan stopped the dream, she looked at him with a lingering sense of satisfaction and said:

"So, you're saying you've bestowed upon yourself the title of Lord Chengshan?!"

"Still using my name?"

"You actually got it done, and you're still alright?"

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes."

He paused for a moment, then said, "At least, for now."

Li Zhiwei sighed. At this moment, she really wondered if she was dreaming.

First, he put down the teacup, then carefully tugged at his lips.

Yes, I'm dreaming.

But he was still conscious.

Looking at Zhou Yan's face, she had an urge to pull it, but she restrained herself.

Finally, Li Zhiwei took a small breath, looked at the images, and said:

"It's truly unbelievable!"

"So, I guess there should still be a little bit of that mountain god's edict left. Zhou Yan, why don't you try to summon the mountain god's edict into your dream?"

"it is good."

Zhou Yan was also curious. With a thought, the white mist in the dream surged like a tide, and the Mountain Lord's decree slowly emerged, but it was not clear, not real, and only a little bit remained.

Li Zhiwei observed carefully and said with certainty:
"It was the mountain spirit you encountered that helped you solidify the mountain lord's decree."

“Mountain gods and local deities have the supernatural power to send messages through dreams, which is why we were able to sense and connect with each other in our dreams.”

"Because the mountain god was appointed through me, he eventually formed a connection with me. However, although the mountain spirit stabilized the edict, it was ultimately a fake edict from the beginning."

"There is still a possibility that it can be affected by luck."

“There’s a monster with the Azure Netherworld Monk, and it seems there are pursuers as well. Zhou Yan, you’re not in a good situation right now.”

Zhou Yan thought about his current situation.

Although it was a temporary escape, Shen Cangming is now injured, and it's uncertain whether the Empire's pursuit will continue. The Qingming Fangzhu, who appears in several monster stories, is even more mysterious and unpredictable.

I wonder if the mountain king's edict will have any backlash.

The world is like a spider web, and Zhou Yan felt he was already entangled in it. He heard the hidden meaning in Li Zhiwei's words and raised an eyebrow slightly: "So, what are your thoughts, Miss Li?" Li Zhiwei said, "I think perhaps we can cooperate?"

Zhou Yan asked in surprise, "Cooperation?"

Li Zhiwei said confidently, "Yes, I am in Chang'an now. Although it is difficult at every step, Chang'an is still Chang'an. I can find out a lot of information. And my father is the Prince of Guangping and the marshal of the allied forces."

"I know some things that ordinary people don't."

"It might even be able to solve your problem of being pursued."

Zhou Yan said, "Then how can I trust you?"

Li Zhiwei gazed at him, knowing that the two of them currently had an irreconcilable 'distrust'. The young man in front of her should be considered a wanted person, while she herself was a princess of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Zhiwei did not try to persuade Zhou Yan with words, but instead made a firm decision and said:
"Then let me do the first thing."

The girl stood up, looked at Zhou Yan, and said seriously:

“There is a possibility that the decree on you now might backfire. The Black Wind Demon is backed by the Azure Netherworld Master. Such a powerful demon is very capable. You might be discovered by that demon. I guess she won’t give up her position as a Mountain Lord.”

"Your Uncle Shen needs protection, and you also need some strength as a trump card to protect yourself and deal with the Qingming Fangzhu's pursuers."

Zhou Yan looked at her and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Li Zhiwei said:

"Of course, it's to solidify your position as the [Mountain Lord]."

The white clouds surrounding Li Zhiwei also shifted, seemingly transforming into a jade crown. The young girl cradled the crown in her fingers and gently placed it on Zhou Yan's head. Their eyes met, and she said:

"Then, Li Zhiwei personally bestowed the title of Mountain God upon a fugitive. If you fall into prison, Li Zhiwei will also find it difficult to protect himself. We share the glory and the loss. Let us establish this agreement that transcends worldly conventions."

"If you don't trust me, then I will first show you my heart, let your dagger be pressed against my heart, and I will give you this dagger only in the hope of gaining your trust."

"By then, you should be able to trust me!"

Zhou Yan looked at Li Zhiwei, somewhat moved, and said:

Why go this far?

Li Zhiwei lowered her eyes, a hint of vulnerability appearing on her radiant face.

She pursed her lips and said softly:

"Because I want you to help me find my mother."

........................

With a swift slash, demonic blood dripped down. Li Zhenyue exhaled a breath of turbid air. Of the Tang soldiers, only five remained standing; the rest were either severely wounded and unconscious, or dead.

In contrast, the monster in front became a pool of flesh and blood.

Black Wind, the Nine Provinces Travel Envoy under the command of Qingming Fangzhu, lay there with his eyes wide open.

He was not reconciled.

Its cultivation, methods, and magical power are all stronger than any of the Tang soldiers here. Even Li Zhenyue is no match for it. However, after the Tang army formed a battle formation, the different Xuan officials cooperated with each other.

After suffering nearly half its losses, the monsters led by Hei Feng were still wiped out. Li Zhenyue's arm was almost torn off. His gaze was cold as he dragged his sword and walked up to Hei Feng.

Black Wind was hit by the Mo family's crossbow.

There were also talismans, a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, his demonic power suppressed, blood flowing from his mouth, and he cried out, "Shuofang Army!!!"

Li Zhenyue held the knife in one hand, cold and indifferent.

The horizontal blade pierced straight through the black wind monster's mouth, embedding itself firmly in its belly, and then with a forceful horizontal slash, the black wind's head was cut in half.

Unless one possesses truly divine abilities, whether one is a celestial being or a demon, it doesn't matter.

He went it alone, but encountered a team of Xuan Guan (mysterious officials) who could cooperate with each other.

Even if someone has a higher level of cultivation, they will still be targeted and surrounded for killing.

No one is perfect, but we can make good use of resources.

Li Zhenyue gripped his knife, exhaled, and gazed at the distant mountain mists. Finally, he sheathed his knife and said, "I encountered wicked villains who sought the throne of the Mountain Lord and slaughtered all living beings."

"He has been executed."

"Submit to the law."

"The traitor Shen Cangming."

He sheathed his sword with a crisp, chilling sound, just like Li Zhenyue's indifferent face: "...disappeared."

"Whether he is alive or dead, we do not know."

........................

When Zhou Yan opened his eyes, the sunlight was slightly warm, and there was a knock on the side door. It was Hu Erniang: "My lord, my lord."

Zhou Yan opened the door and saw her outside.

He was also holding something in his arms.

It seems to be——

A sword case?

(End of this chapter)