The Elder of the Jiang Clan was utterly shocked. This person, who usually excelled at managing his emotions, couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.

Since when has Zhao Qianli had such powerful backing?

He couldn’t discern the cultivation level of any of these people before him. They had concealed their true strength, yet could instantly kill several of his subordinates, all of whom were seasoned cultivators with at least six fully developed meridians!

Someone had even managed to wound his eyes with a star-powered blade during his Eight-Eyed Scorpion Demon Gaze. Anyone who could move faster than his eight-eyed demon gaze was certainly no ordinary person.

But why were these people…

“Wait.” The Black Fox Mask standing on the wall suddenly let out a curious sound, crouched down, and pointed at the blood-covered Qianli, asking, “Who’s this?”

“Huh?”

The White Fox Mask worn by Fu Yuan turned his head to look, “What nonsense are you talking about, isn’t this…”

After looking clearly at the person lying on the ground, he fell into an odd silence before asking, “Who is this anyway?”

The Jiang Clan people: “…”

The Elder of Jiang Clan rapidly turned his thoughts, trying to analyze the current situation, and cautiously replied, “He is Zhao Qianli, a member of the Zhao Clan from Zhu Que State.”

Fu Yuan asked, “Is he alone here?”

The Elder of Jiang Clan answered gravely, “Only him.”

Fu Yuan used his sword to lift open Qianli’s clothes, saw the Seven Star Command fragment, and collected it with a wave of his sleeve. The remaining star lines dissipated in his hand—it was indeed Zhou Zixi’s unique mark.

It seemed he had given his Seven Star Command to this young man.

The Gold Fox Mask standing on the wall whispered, “What do we do if we killed the wrong person?”

The Black Fox Mask scratched his head and also whispered, “Don’t panic, so many people bullying one young brother—they can’t be good people no matter how you look at it.”

The Elder of Jiang Clan sensed something was amiss and probed, “Gentlemen, have you perhaps found the wrong person?”

Fu Yuan turned back to the Elder of Jiang Clan and said, “Since he summoned us, our answering the call doesn’t mean we found the wrong person.”

A flash of insight struck the Elder of Jiang Clan, and he asked with a trembling voice, “Could you all be… people from Bei Dou?”

The Gold Fox Mask chuckled upon hearing this.

The Elder of the Jiang Clan had already made his decision. Staring at the leading White Fox Mask, Fu Yuan, he said, “The Zhao Clan and our Jiang Clan have an irreconcilable blood feud. Years ago, our Jiang Clan, because of the God-Killing Arrow, agreed to banish them to the farthest city of Ji Dan Guo in Zhu Que State. If they remained in Ji Dan, living in obscurity and never setting foot outside that world, we would spare their lives. Now, as you all have seen, it was the Zhao Clan who broke the agreement first, coming from Ji Dan into Zhu Que State City.”

“Oh, I remember,” said the Black Fox Mask, holding his sword. “That was the first arrow she shot with the Divine Wood Bow, indeed fired toward the south.”

“Since he’s someone my junior sister protected with the God-Killing Arrow and my junior brother with the Seven Star Command—” Before Fu Yuan could finish, the Elder of Jiang Clan interjected, “But she’s already dead!”

The moment these words left his mouth, the Elder of Jiang Clan regretted them. The Fox Masked individuals, who had seemed somewhat relaxed after discovering the person below wasn’t Zhou Zixi, now all turned to look at the Elder of Jiang Clan. In the silence, a spreading sense of pressure silently added several degrees of killing intent.

The Elder of Jiang Clan immediately tried to remedy the situation, “What I mean is that this agreement has already been broken by the Zhao Clan!”

Fu Yuan let out a light snort and, with a wave of his hand, together with the others, cut the iron chains binding Qianli’s limbs, freeing him. The slightly shorter Red Fox Mask turned around, took out a medicinal pill, and fed it to Qianli.

The Black Fox Mask on the wall spoke in a measured tone, “It’s simple, then let’s make a new agreement.”

Fu Yuan pointed his sword at the Elder of Jiang Clan: “New agreement—if no one can snatch him from my hands, after dawn, the Jiang Clan will retreat to Ji Dan Guo City and may not set foot in Zhu Que State City. How about that?”

The Jiang family members all changed expression upon hearing this, never imagining the other party would be so arrogant.

“You’re dreaming!” someone gnashed their teeth and cursed. “After all, this is our southern matter, what does it have to do with you, Bei Dou people!”

The Gold Fox Mask laughed playfully, “Why so fierce? We came in response to the Seven Star Command, how is it not our business?”

“He’s right.”

A deep female voice came from above. Though the person hadn’t yet arrived, the overwhelming star power filled the entire street.

The Jiang family members looked up in shock, never expecting that tonight’s events would attract this master as well!

Cui Yaocen arrived from the void, standing in mid-air, looking down at the Bei Dou disciples below, and said calmly, “He is my Nan Que disciple, under Nan Que’s guardianship, and won’t allow Bei Dou people to interfere.”

The star power she deliberately released carried a strong sense of aggression, intimidating everyone below. However, while the Jiang Clan people couldn’t help but tremble, lowering their heads or bending their waists, the Bei Dou disciples still stood straight-backed, looking up at the Nan Que Pilgrim in the sky.

“Hey,” the Gold Fox Mask sighed, “This star power… is truly powerful.”

The Black Fox Mask said, “Stay focused, whoever gets scared into kneeling will be expelled from the sect on the spot.”

Fu Yuan spared a glance at the Jiang Clan people, finding that they were also intimidated by the star power and were surprised and frightened by Cui Yaocen’s arrival. It seemed this young man wouldn’t fall into the Jiang Clan’s hands tonight.

And he hadn’t expected that this guy was a Nan Que disciple.

How vexing.

So Fu Yuan sheathed his sword and said quietly, “Let’s go.”

The Purple Fox Mask, who hadn’t spoken all along, stepped over Qianli as they left, crushing out the medicinal pill that had been fed to him earlier, which was then shattered by the Red Fox Mask with a flick of the finger.

Since he was a Nan Que disciple, he didn’t deserve to eat it.

After they had gone far enough, the Gold Fox Mask scratched his head fearfully, and the Black Fox Mask asked him, “Scared? Even if you’re scared, you’ll still be expelled on the spot…”

The Gold Fox Mask pointed at the red and purple pair, saying, “I’m afraid these two might treat me the same way in the future! Hey, I’m undercover in Nan Que, not really a Nan Que disciple, you two understand, right? You won’t treat me like that kid, right?”

The red and purple pair stood coolly to the side without saying a word.

The Gold Fox Mask exclaimed in frustration, “Say something, will you!”

The Black Fox Mask looked at these three childish fellow disciples with exasperation.

Fu Yuan flicked the forehead of the Gold Fox Mask’s mask, “Alright, hurry back, and be careful not to be discovered.”

The Gold Fox Mask said, “Don’t underestimate Nan Que’s new members this year. Besides me, there are three others with eight meridians awakened, one of whom completed the mountain challenge with just a single fully developed meridian, not like a genius, more like a monster.”

“That formidable?” The Black Fox Mask was a bit surprised. “Completing Nan Que’s mountain challenge with a single fully developed meridian.”

Fu Yuan was also somewhat surprised, pointing at the Gold Fox Mask, saying, “While they’re still new, try to find a way to win them over.”

The Gold Fox Mask sighed, “That won’t be easy. She’s in the same group as that Zhao kid just now.”

After speaking, he turned back to the red and purple pair, gesturing at them, “I mean, you, if you give someone something to eat, let them eat it! Why make him spit it out! If you let him eat it, at least you could sell it as a life-saving favor, couldn’t you!”

Fu Yuan put his arms around the red and purple pair, saying, “Well done.”

The red and purple pair looked up provocatively at the Gold Fox Mask.

Gold Fox Mask: “…”

*

Only after the Bei Dou people had left did Cui Yaocen turn her eyes to the Jiang Clan Elder.

The Jiang Clan Elder hadn’t expected to attract such an important figure, and the sweat on his forehead grew increasingly dense. He stepped forward and respectfully bowed his head to Cui Yaocen, “Great Saint Cui, this child is…”

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Cui Yaocen wore a mocking expression. “How is it that my Nan Que disciple has come under Jiang Clan’s management?”

The Jiang Clan Elder felt the surrounding star power intensify again, pressuring him until his breath stalled. Even if a Pilgrim did nothing but stand there silently watching, the released star power was enough to make people unable to bear it, forcing them to kneel or directly crushing them to death under the pressure.

His nerves were taut as he tried to use his eight meridian power to resist, but still couldn’t withstand it. The Jiang Clan members knelt before Cui Yaocen one after another.

The Elder gritted his teeth and said, “The Jiang Clan dares not overstep.”

Cui Yaocen coldly snorted, “Then let him return to where he came from. The person you brought out, you’re responsible for taking back.”

The Elder felt his bones emitting subtle crisp sounds. If he persisted any longer, the result would be a gruesome death. The fear in his heart had already surpassed family honor, and internally, he urgently wanted to agree to her demands immediately, but speaking was incredibly difficult. “We will certainly comply.”

Only then did Cui Yaocen depart.

The star power that had filled the entire street instantly withdrew.

The Jiang Clan members kneeling on the ground all breathed sighs of relief. Some couldn’t help but gasp for air, as if they had just regained consciousness from a state of suffocation.

The Jiang Clan Elder stood up, supporting himself on his knees, his gaze sinister.

He had thought that after the marriage alliance with Nan Que, the Jiang Clan would be the sole dominant force in the entire south, able to command the entire southern territory. But Cui Yaocen’s actions tonight made a statement: the Jiang Clan’s delusion.

Even if Cui Yuanxi did marry Jiang Ying, the Jiang family could only submit to Nan Que.

With Cui Yaocen’s warning, the Jiang family had no choice but to personally escort Qianli back to Nan Que. This Pilgrim’s intention was very clear—to humiliate the Jiang Clan.

Tonight, they not only gained nothing but also lost several men, as well as the Scorpion’s eyes. His most impressive skill was the Eight-Eyed Demon Gaze, which could restrain many people, but now it had been blinded by a single sword strike from a Bei Dou disciple.

The Jiang Clan Elder’s face turned ashen with anger, the veins on his temples pulsing. Suppressing the urge to curse loudly, he pointed at Qianli and said through gritted teeth, “Take him… back to Nan Que.”

*

Ming Li rushed to the incident site as soon as she sensed Zhou Zixi’s Seven Star Command breaking, and although she knew it was most likely the piece Qianli carried, she still harbored a small hope in her heart.

But her timing was unfortunate, arriving almost simultaneously with Cui Yaocen.

Upon realizing this, she reacted swiftly, hiding in a corner, only catching a glimpse of the White Fox Mask standing in front of Qianli.

Disciples who responded to the Seven Star Command would wear fox masks or other masks when they didn’t want to reveal their identity or when it was inconvenient due to ongoing missions.

Ming Li knew there were Bei Dou disciples in Zhu Que State City, but didn’t know who they were until tonight when she saw this White Fox Mask.

Only the senior disciple Fu Yuan from Tian Ji Academy was particularly fond of this White Fox Mask.

Fu Yuan’s appearance here was most likely also due to sensing Zhou Zixi’s Seven Star Command.

But she couldn’t make contact with them now—any action would be detected by Cui Yaocen. By the time Cui Yaocen left, the Bei Dou disciples had long disappeared.

However, thinking that there were reliable people from her sect in Zhu Que State City, Ming Li felt somewhat reassured.

She followed in the shadows, watching the Jiang family escort Qianli back to Nan Que. Disciples from the Jing Xiu Academy were already waiting at the foot of Nan Que Mountain. After Qianli appeared, they didn’t return him to the group of new disciples but took him directly to Jing Xiu Academy, to Academy Master Yumei’s quarters, to treat his injuries.

Qianli’s face was deathly pale, with hardly any color visible. The iron chains that had pierced through his four limbs’ flesh and bone had not yet been cleaned out.

Some disciples were helping to clean his wounds and prepare medicinal herbs to apply.

Yumei stood by the bed, looking at Qianli and sighing softly. Fortunately, he was still alive; otherwise, she would have broken her promise to his mother.

Her senior disciple said softly, “Master, your health is not good. Please go rest first; we’ll watch over him here.”

Yumei shook her head and said, “Let’s wait until he wakes up.”

She went to sit at the table, focusing her mind and continuing to brew tea.

This wait lasted until dawn.