Returning to the pavilion where he was staying, Han Li found his senior brother Lü Luo and the Fire Dragon Child in the hall on the first floor, with Mu Peiling seated nearby as if she were the lady of the house.
When Han Li entered, she immediately stood up and asked with concern, “Young Master, Senior Lü and Senior Lan have been waiting for you for quite some time. Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing. You may go upstairs and rest. I need to have a proper discussion with my two senior brothers,” Han Li replied with a rare smile, his tone gentle.
“Yes, Young Master.” Mu Peiling obediently curtsied and went upstairs without another word. Watching her retreating figure, Han Li was quite satisfied with her intelligence, but thinking of Nangong Wan, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“What’s this? Has Junior Brother Han grown sentimental?” Lü Luo teased, clearly pleased to see Han Li return.
“Haha, Senior Brother jests. Senior Brother Lü and Fellow Daoist Lan must be here regarding today’s council meeting,” Han Li said with a faint smile, sitting down beside them calmly.
“Indeed, Junior Brother is correct. It concerns the Mulan people. We’ve already sent word to the alliance and informed other fellow Daoists from the Heavenly Dao Alliance in the city. Most understand the principle that ‘when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.’ They are willing to assist the Nine Nations Alliance in holding off the Mulan vanguard until reinforcements arrive. Of course, for Nascent Soul cultivators to take action, some compensation in spirit stones is unavoidable. I doubt the Nine Nations Alliance will be stingy, given that the Mulan are a threat to all, but the Nine Nations Alliance bears the brunt of it,” Lü Luo explained slowly.
“If that’s the case, what else is there to discuss? Though I’ve only recently advanced, I will contribute my strength to repel the enemy,” Han Li nodded, slightly puzzled.
“Fellow Daoist may not know, but the Righteous and Devilish Paths suddenly sent envoys to us with a proposal. I find it reasonable and something we must guard against,” the Fire Dragon Child interjected, his expression slightly grave.
“What proposal? Could it be that they fear the Nine Nations Alliance might use this opportunity to weaken the three major factions?” Han Li’s eyes flickered as he chuckled, his tone half-mocking.
“Oh! Junior Brother Han is indeed sharp-witted to guess it so quickly. However, it’s unlikely the Nine Nations Alliance would act against all three factions at once. More probable is that they might secretly ally with one or two to target another. That’s something our Heavenly Dao Alliance cannot allow. Otherwise, even if we repel the Mulan, the cultivation world won’t stabilize. We must prevent any imbalance among the major factions,” Lü Luo said with a bitter smile after a moment of surprise.
“I see. So, what do you two propose?” Han Li asked, his lips curving slightly.
“It’s simple. While we may temporarily follow the Nine Nations Alliance’s command, we must ensure they don’t exploit this to weaken us. We’ve discussed this with the Devilish and Righteous Paths and plan to propose feasible regulations at tomorrow’s council to prevent such a scenario. At the very least, the Nine Nations Alliance must match the number of high-ranking cultivators we deploy and not withhold their own elders. We’ll need your support, Junior Brother Han, and others to ensure this,” the Fire Dragon Child said coolly.
“No problem. I’d rather not fight the Mulan while being secretly undermined,” Han Li agreed without hesitation.
“Good. Besides you, we’ll also rally other allies. By then, the Leaf Sect and the Transformation Sect won’t be able to oppose this. Let’s hope this war ends swiftly, or who knows how many fellow Daoists will perish in the South Sky!” Lü Luo sighed deeply, his voice tinged with melancholy.
“Heh! With our cultivation, as long as we’re careful, we can survive the war. Last time the Mulan invaded, I slaughtered quite a few of their spellcasters. It seems I’ll have to do so again,” the Fire Dragon Child sneered, a flash of killing intent crossing his face.
Han Li glanced at him in surprise. Despite his childlike appearance and early Nascent Soul cultivation, the Fire Dragon Child carried far more bloodlust than his peers, suggesting he had taken many lives.
Lü Luo and the Fire Dragon Child discussed further details about the next day’s council and speculated about the sudden appearance of the giant beast and unfamiliar Mulan spellcasters before taking their leave.
As Han Li escorted them to the pavilion’s entrance, Lü Luo hesitated before turning back to ask, “Junior Brother Han, how did your meeting with that old acquaintance go today?” His gaze fixed on Han Li’s face, searching for any reaction.
“Nothing happened. We merely reminisced about the past,” Han Li replied without blinking, his expression unchanged.
“Good! That puts my mind at ease.” Lü Luo’s worries dissipated, and with a smile, he exchanged a few more words before departing with the Fire Dragon Child.
Han Li stood at the door, watching them enter another nearby pavilion, likely to rally more cultivators. It seemed they held some official positions within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, given their involvement in both the council and negotiations with the other factions.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Han Li turned and reentered his pavilion.
The next day, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators attending the council had nearly doubled, including not only elders from the Righteous, Devilish, and Heavenly Dao factions but also a few rogue cultivators.
This caught Leaf Sect’s Kunpeng and Transformation Sect’s Lady Qi off guard. Regardless of whether the Nine Nations Alliance had ulterior motives, they were forced to agree to the cultivators’ demands. The primary condition was that all four major factions must contribute equally to any high-risk missions to prevent any faction from scheming against another.
Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s council of Nascent Soul elders, after receiving Lü Luo and the Fire Dragon Child’s report, decided that each sect would send either one Nascent Soul elder or several Core Formation cultivators to reinforce Tiancheng City. Due to the distance, these reinforcements would take time to arrive, so those already present—like Lü Luo—would temporarily follow the Nine Nations Alliance’s orders to delay the Mulan advance. Once reinforcements arrived, those who had already contributed could return, their duties fulfilled.
After the council, the Fire Dragon Child, Lü Luo, and others were assigned tasks and dispatched to various fronts.
Han Li and two other Nascent Soul cultivators—along with seven or eight Core Formation disciples—were sent to reinforce a strategic stronghold at the border of Yu Country, protected by a grand formation. This was one of several key points the Mulan had to capture to secure their advance.
The Nine Nations Alliance lacked the strength for a decisive battle, so they relied on terrain and formations to slow the Mulan’s progress. Otherwise, the Mulan’s high-ranking spellcasters could reach Tiancheng City in just over a month.
Though the Mulan hadn’t yet attacked Han Li’s destination, its current defenders—a single Nine Nations Alliance Nascent Soul cultivator—would struggle against the Mulan’s current ferocity.
Han Li’s companions included an elderly, refined-looking man from the Righteous Path’s Vast Expanse Pavilion, surnamed Ma, and the green-robed, vulture-faced elder from the Beast Taming Sect, Gu Shuangpu. Though Han Li only saw one spirit beast pouch on Gu’s waist, the aura it emitted unsettled him, hinting at something extraordinary inside.
Both were early Nascent Soul cultivators, so none held authority over the others.
Fearing the Mulan might strike before reinforcements arrived, the three Nascent Souls left their Core Formation subordinates behind and sped ahead at full speed.
On the journey, Elder Ma proved quite talkative, chatting amiably with Han Li as if they were on a leisurely outing rather than heading into battle. Gu Shuangpu, however, remained sullen and silent, lost in thought. Han Li maintained a polite demeanor, occasionally engaging Elder Ma in conversation, giving the impression of a refined scholar. Given his recent advancement, neither of his companions regarded him as particularly formidable.
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