In the end times, many children bring more blessings. I pick up a goddess every day.

Liu Yang and Su Qingyao circled around the steep slope on the west side of the mountain forest, avoiding the search range of the Li family cultivators. The two kept their aura low, their feet lightly touching the ground, moving silently like forest cats—after Su Qingyao broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, her movements became even more agile, and with Liu Yang's Yin-Yang spiritual power to conceal themselves, they could easily avoid even patrolling low-level cultivators.

Half an hour later, the outline of Qingyang City appeared faintly in the distance. The city wall was made of grayish-blue stones and was more than ten feet high. People were coming and going at the city gate, but there was more vigilance than usual. Several cultivators dressed in family robes stood guard on both sides of the city gate, their sharp eyes scanning the pedestrians coming and going. The character "Li" on the token at their waist was particularly conspicuous.

“The city gate is controlled by the Li family; going in directly would easily expose us.” Liu Yang pulled Su Qingyao behind a low slope, condensing a wisp of Yin-Yang spiritual energy at his fingertips and probing towards the city gate. When the spiritual energy touched the air near the city gate, he sensed a faint fluctuation of a restriction. “They’ve also set up a simple spiritual energy detection restriction; anyone above the Foundation Establishment stage entering the city will most likely be detected.”

Su Qingyao frowned slightly: "Then what should we do? We can't stay outside the city forever. We still need to find out about the Zhao family's situation and why the Li family is so obsessed with the Ice Thunder Token."

Liu Yang pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on a teahouse not far away. The teahouse was built beside the official road on the outskirts of the city, where merchants and cultivators were sitting around a table drinking tea, their occasional conversations drifting over. "Let's go check out the teahouse; perhaps we can hear some news," he said, taking two gray cloth robes from his storage bag and handing one to Su Qingyao. "Put this on, conceal your aura, and disguise yourself as an ordinary cultivator."

The two quickly changed their clothes and used their spiritual power to slightly alter their appearances—Liu Yang let his bangs fall down to partially cover his eyebrows and eyes, while Su Qingyao suppressed the aloofness of her ice-type spiritual power, giving her face a more peaceful, worldly appearance. Once their disguises were complete, the two walked slowly towards the teahouse and chose a corner by the window to sit down.

"Shopkeeper, two bowls of tea, please." Liu Yang placed a low-grade spirit stone on the table, deliberately keeping his voice low.

The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man, saw that the two were dressed plainly but spent lavishly, and quickly agreed with a smile, bringing over two bowls of hot tea. The teahouse was noisy, with several cultivators who looked like merchants talking loudly at the next table, their topic revolving around the situation in Qingyang City.

"Have you heard? The Zhao family has been in serious trouble for the past two weeks. First, the patriarch Zhao Qian went missing, and then the Li family joined forces with the Wang family to suppress them. Several spirit mines in the west of the city were robbed!"

"That's not all! I passed through the east of the city yesterday and saw the Zhao family cultivators being beaten up in an alley by the Li family. They didn't even have the strength to fight back. I heard that the Zhao family doesn't even have many late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators left, so they can't hold out for long."

"Tsk tsk, back in the day, the Zhao family was the head of the four great families, holding the Ice Thunder Token in their hands, how glorious they were, but now they've fallen to this state..."

Upon hearing the words "Ice Thunder Order," Liu Yang and Su Qingyao exchanged a glance and both subtly pricked up their ears.

The two cultivators at the other table spoke in even lower voices, their tone tinged with apprehension: "Tell me, where did Zhao Qian go? Some say he was killed by his enemies, while others say he obtained a great treasure and secretly ran away."

“I heard from a friend of the Li family that Zhao Qian was killed by a cultivator named Liu Yang! Liu Yang also stole the Ice Thunder Token and ran away with a female cultivator from the Zhao family—the Li family is now searching for them everywhere, saying that as long as they catch them, they can get the Ice Thunder Token, and then the Li family will be the boss of Qingyang City!”

"Really? An unknown cultivator could kill Zhao Qian? Zhao Qian was at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage!"

"Who knows! But the Li family is making quite a stir right now. They've not only taken control of the city gates, but they've also sent people to search the mountains and forests on the outskirts of the city. I heard they've even won over the Wang family. They're just waiting to find Liu Yang and get the Ice Thunder Token."

Su Qingyao's fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, a flash of anger crossing her eyes—the Li family had fabricated such a rumor to seize the Ice Thunder Token, pinning Zhao Qian's death entirely on Liu Yang. Clearly, they wanted to use the pretext of "avenging Zhao Qian" to legitimately steal the Ice Thunder Token.

Liu Yang gently patted the back of her hand, signaling her to calm down. He looked at the two cultivators who were talking about the Li family, and quietly condensed a wisp of spiritual energy at his fingertips, which spread along the table—this wisp of spiritual energy would not harm the two people, but it would allow their voices to reach his ears clearly.

One of them continued, "There's something even more outrageous! I heard that Li Hong, the head of the Li family, went to Black Wind Valley a couple of days ago, apparently to seek cooperation with the loose cultivator alliance there. The people of Black Wind Valley are all desperate criminals. If the Li family invites them, the other families in Qingyang City will probably all suffer."

"Looking for Black Wind Valley? Has Li Hong gone mad? Those rogue cultivators are hard to control; what if we let wolves into our house..."

"Who knows what he's thinking! Maybe he's in a hurry to get the Ice Thunder Token and get rid of Liu Yang as soon as possible, so he took this risk. I heard Li Hong even said that whoever captures Liu Yang, no matter who it is, will receive a reward of one hundred high-grade spirit stones!"

"One hundred high-grade spirit stones?" Su Qingyao was shocked. This amount was a huge sum for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, enough to make many rogue cultivators take risks.

Liu Yang's eyes flashed even colder. He had originally thought the Li family only wanted to compete for power within Qingyang City, but he hadn't expected them to collude with the rogue cultivators of Black Wind Valley—Black Wind Valley was located a hundred miles northwest of Qingyang City, a valley teeming with wicked rogue cultivators who frequently robbed passing cultivators, earning them a terrible reputation. The Li family's actions were clearly aimed at obtaining the Ice Thunder Token, and they were willing to stop at nothing.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the teahouse. Several cultivators dressed in black, their "Li" character tokens at their waists gleaming in the sunlight. The leader, with an arrogant expression, surveyed the people inside the teahouse and said coldly, "Listen up! The City Lord's Mansion has issued an order: recently, there have been thugs causing trouble near Qingyang City. Anyone who discovers a cultivator acting suspiciously must immediately report to the Li family. Anyone who conceals such activity will be treated as an accomplice!"

The cultivators inside the teahouse nodded in agreement, none daring to object. Seeing this, the Li family cultivators turned their horses around and headed towards the city gate.

After the Li family cultivators had gone far away, Liu Yang and Su Qingyao got up and left the teahouse. The two walked along the grass beside the official road towards a village on the west side of Qingyang City—it was far from the city gate and mostly inhabited by ordinary villagers and low-level rogue cultivators. Perhaps they could find a more secluded way to enter the city there.

"Master, the Li family has colluded with Black Wind Valley and has offered a bounty for our capture. What should we do next?" Su Qingyao asked in a low voice as they walked. She knew that with their current strength, they could deal with the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family, but if the rogue cultivators of Black Wind Valley arrived, the situation would be dangerous.

Liu Yang pondered, "First, we need to find a place to establish a foothold and find out when the people from Black Wind Valley will arrive. The Li family is powerful now, but the Wang family and other families may not be truly convinced of their authority—if we can find something to hold against the Li family, we might be able to sow discord among them and reduce the pressure on us."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the edge of the village. The village was small, with only a few dozen households. Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several villagers were sitting on stone benches chatting. Liu Yang observed for a moment and, finding no cultivators stationed in the village, led Su Qingyao to the door of a farmer's house that seemed relatively kind, and knocked on the door.

An old woman opened the door. Seeing that the two were dressed plainly, she smiled and asked, "Are you two cultivators passing by? What can I do for you?"

Liu Yang cupped his hands and said, "Old man, we are wandering cultivators from out of town. We would like to stay in the village for a few days and inquire about the situation in Qingyang City. Do you have any spare rooms?" As he spoke, he handed over two low-grade spirit stones.

The old woman took the spirit stone, her smile widening: "Yes, yes, yes! My husband went up the mountain to chop firewood, and there's a spare room. Come with me."

The two followed the old woman into the courtyard. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. The old woman led them to the west wing, brought two bowls of hot water, and then sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. She began to chatter on about the affairs of Qingyang City: "Alas, things haven't been peaceful in the city lately! The Li family is arresting people at the city gate every day, saying they're looking for some kind of villain. Many independent cultivators are afraid to enter the city. A couple of days ago, some cultivators from the Li family came to the village to search, asking if anyone had seen a male and female cultivator. The man was in his twenties, and the woman was very pretty..."

Liu Yang and Su Qingyao felt a chill run down their spines, realizing that the old woman was referring to them.

The old woman continued, "I heard from Wang Er in the village that the Li family seems to be looking for something called the 'Ice Thunder Token,' saying that it's in the hands of a villain. Also, last night I saw many black-clad cultivators passing by outside the village, heading towards Qingyang City. Those people looked fierce and didn't seem like good people, so you'd better be careful."

"Black-clad cultivators?" Liu Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Old man, do you know where those black-clad cultivators come from?"

The old woman shook her head: "I don't know, but Wang Er said that those people might have come from Black Wind Valley, because he had previously gone to the vicinity of Black Wind Valley to collect herbs and had seen cultivators dressed similarly."

Having confirmed that the people from Black Wind Valley had arrived near Qingyang City, Liu Yang's vigilance intensified. He thanked the old woman, then led Su Qingyao into the west wing and closed the door.

“The people from Black Wind Valley have arrived, and the Li family will probably make a big move soon,” Liu Yang said in a deep voice. “We can’t wait any longer. We must find out the Li family’s specific plans as soon as possible, and it would be best to find evidence of their collusion with Black Wind Valley.”

Su Qingyao nodded: "But how do we get into the city? There are restrictions at the city gates, and the village might be under surveillance by the Li family."

Liu Yang walked to the window, looked in the direction of Qingyang City, and a resolute look flashed in his eyes: "Tonight we will sneak into the Li family's residence. The Li family is currently busy plotting with the people of Black Wind Valley, so their defenses may not be tight. Moreover, their residence must have records of the plan. As long as we can get the evidence, we can make the Wang family and other families wary of the Li family."

Su Qingyao was somewhat worried: "There must be many high-level cultivators at the Li family's base. What if we're discovered..."

"Don't worry, after I broke through to the Golden Core stage, my control over spiritual power is stronger. In addition, the Yin-Yang spiritual power can conceal my aura. As long as I don't encounter any Golden Core stage cultivators, there won't be any problems," Liu Yang comforted him. "You stay here and wait for me. If I haven't returned by midnight, you should immediately leave the village and hide deep in the mountains. Wait until things calm down before trying to find me again."

Su Qingyao bit her lip, took out the Ice Spirit Pendant from her storage bag, and handed it to Liu Yang again: "Master, take this with you. It will provide an extra layer of protection if you encounter danger. I will wait for you here. You must come back safely."

Liu Yang took the Ice Spirit Pendant, tied it around his waist, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, I will definitely come back."

Night fell quickly, and the village was silent except for the occasional bark of a dog. As the night deepened, Liu Yang activated his Yin-Yang spiritual power, completely concealing his aura, and leaped out of the window like a ghost, heading towards Qingyang City.

The Li family's residence on the west side of Qingyang City was brightly lit. A faint spiritual energy barrier surrounded the mansion, and several mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators patrolled the entrance. Liu Yang circled around to the back of the mansion, avoiding the patrolling cultivators. He condensed a wisp of Yin-Yang spiritual energy at his fingertips and gently touched the barrier. The moment the Yin-Yang spiritual energy touched the barrier, it silently penetrated it like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

He leaped into the courtyard, hugging the wall as he made his way deeper into the mansion. Inside, figures moved about, and the occasional chatter of cultivators could be heard, mostly concerning the search for Liu Yang and Su Qingyao. Liu Yang evaded the patrolling cultivators, finally stopping outside a brightly lit hall—from within came several rough, hoarse voices, the very voices of the rogue cultivators from Black Wind Valley.

Liu Yang held his breath, circulated his spiritual power, and clearly heard the conversation inside the hall.

A rough, hoarse voice said, "Li Hong, we have arrived with fifty brothers as agreed. When will you give us the promised five hundred high-grade spirit stones?"

Another authoritative voice rang out; it was Li Hong, the patriarch of the Li family: "Leader Black Wind, rest assured. As long as we capture Liu Yang and obtain the Ice Thunder Token, the spirit stones will be given to you immediately. However, before that, you must cooperate with us to seal off all exits of Qingyang City. We absolutely cannot let Liu Yang escape."

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me that!" the Black Wind leader said coldly. "We've already laid a trap around Qingyang City. If Liu Yang dares to show himself, he won't leave alive. But I've heard that Liu Yang killed Zhao Qian, so he's quite strong. Are you sure you can handle him?"

Li Hong laughed and said, "Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. Tomorrow, I will summon the Wang family and other families to the Li family's residence under the pretext of a 'City Lord's Mansion meeting.' If Liu Yang dares to come, we will work together from the inside and outside to take him down. Even if he doesn't come, we can still use the meeting as an excuse to test the Wang family's attitude. If the Wang family dares not to cooperate, we will deal with them as well!"

The Black Wind leader laughed loudly, "Good! We'll do it your way! Tomorrow I'll have my brothers lie in ambush around the camp. As soon as Liu Yang appears, we'll make our move!"

Liu Yang, hiding outside the hall, felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected Li Hong to use the pretext of a meeting to eliminate him and the Wang family in one fell swoop. He knew he couldn't wait any longer; he had to tell Su Qingyao the news as soon as possible, and then find a way to inform the Wang family and disrupt Li Hong's plans.

He silently withdrew from the Li family's residence and sped towards the village. In the darkness, his figure moved like a shooting star, with only one thought in his mind—he must stop Li Hong's conspiracy before tomorrow.