Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Three Immortals Mountain
Liangzhou consists of eight prefectures and seventy-two cities, each city’s lord is a disciple of the Yuncang Sword Sect, controlling the entire Liangzhou, continuously sending wealth and resources to Yuncang Mountain.
The reason the Yuncang Sword Sect is called the overlord of Liangzhou is not just because they can hide in the mountains.
The magnificent palace atop Jade Immortal Peak, with intricate carvings, glazed tiles, and white jade, requires immense manpower and resources.
As for the pills consumed by the elders and disciples, especially those used by the elders for cultivation, each pill is priceless.
Without consuming the resources of the entire Liangzhou, it would be impossible to cultivate so many elder-level powerhouses.
Martial cultivation is not something that can be improved by simply sitting cross-legged; the essence of Inner Strength cultivation is the polishing of one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit—transformations of form and spirit. The higher the realm, the more precious the resources needed.
If Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo held the Yuncang Token, they could traverse the entire Liangzhou without obstruction, receiving hospitality along the way, as the identity of a True Disciple is a distinguished golden signboard in Liangzhou, akin to the royal children of the Southern Kings, with a high status.
Yet when Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo descended the mountain, they concealed their identities, even changing out the conspicuous Snow Trampling Steed midway, opting to ride a regular Liangzhou horse.
Upon reaching the border of Liangzhou, at the intersection with Yan and Qingzhou, lies a mountain range known as the Three Immortals Peak, a place once infested by bandits and thieves.
Beneath Three Immortals Peak is a stretch of water, and the mountain is lush with vegetation and steep terrain, easy to defend and hard to attack. Once familiar with the terrain, it becomes hard for outsiders to trace those hiding within.
Occasionally, large merchant groups from the Central Capital conduct trade at Three Immortals Peak, exchanging loot taken by the bandits and thieves into grain, weapons, and pills through them.
However, these so-called bandits and thieves are secretly controlled by the Celestial Ghost Sect, Cyan Simurgh Sect, and Iron Banner Association, who manipulate Three Immortals Peak to plunder the three states.
Meanwhile, actions that openly offend the overlords of the three states are handled by those at Three Immortals Peak, so even if trouble arises, the Three Great Sects won’t suffer much loss and won’t tear faces with the three state overlords.
Since the massive loss of experts from the Three Great Sects at the Yuncang Sword Sect, Youdu decisively dispatched three Half-Step Celestial Human Realm Marshals to forcefully suppress the Three Great Sects, assimilating their resources entirely, extending their reach into Yan and Liang states.
Three Immortals Peak is no exception, having secretly changed ownership long ago.
"Senior Brother, Three Immortals Peak has long had three masters openly, each having cultivated True Intent in martial arts, gathering hundreds of bandits, thieves, and fugitives from the various states, a formidable force."
Rushing onwards for seven days, Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo arrived at the territory of Three Immortals Peak, both changing into outfits that made them appear as wandering Martial World travelers.
"If the information is correct, the one really in charge of Three Immortals Peak now should be a Youdu Commander, equivalent in status to the Inner Peak True Inheritance of a sect."
Both Li Mo and Lu Chengfeng were dressed in rough, gray-brown short clothes, wielding long sabers, with disheveled hair and bodies covered in dust, looking quite worn out and desolate.
Approaching Three Immortals Peak, they immediately abandoned their horses and headed towards the mountain stronghold.
Lu Chengfeng discreetly observed the entire Three Immortals Peak; Zhu Yuxian’s plan was indeed meticulous, but he intended to execute it even more thoroughly; with Gifted Talent, he could do it seamlessly.
Before departure, he had already entrusted Zhu Yuxian to use sect resources to investigate the Youdu disciple who suppressed Three Immortals Peak, who was cultivating Youdu’s Secret Skill, the Impermanence Killing Sword, and has reached the Twentieth Layer.
It was not a coincidence but rather Lu Chengfeng’s deliberate search for Youdu disciples cultivating the Impermanence Killing Sword; if Three Immortals Peak hadn’t such a person, he wouldn’t be here now.
This Youdu disciple’s open identity at Three Immortals Peak is the Third Master, known as Handsome Yama, skilled in Flying Sabers, fond of beauties, frequently descending the mountain to plunder women. If tired of them, he sometimes gifts them to mountain brethren.
The very reason Lu Chengfeng had this thought is due to this; if luck isn’t too bad, he has a seventy to eighty percent chance of replacing him, donning a new disguise.
Soon after, they arrived at Three Immortals Mountain’s water body, where two cold arrows whizzed into the ground before them.
Only to see from the woods on both sides, a dozen burly men wielding long sabers and bows emerged, fiercely shouting, "Who are you two? Why are you approaching my Three Immortals Mountain?"
"Good men, calm down; my brother and I have come from Liangzhou, specifically to seek refuge at Three Immortals Mountain," Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo called out loudly.
The dozen burly men were not surprised by this; Three Immortals Mountain was renowned outside, and it wasn’t uncommon for people to come seeking refuge.
They already had a complete procedure for dealing with outsiders; immediately, three or four men approached and shouted, "Since you are here to seek refuge, then drop your weapons and follow us."
Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo exchanged glances and directly dropped their knives onto the ground.
The approaching burly men tossed ropes to bind them tightly.
"Damn it, you’re really causing trouble for me!" One of them cursed and kicked them both.
"Boss, what about these two guys?"
They were dragged by the ropes and pulled in front of the leading thug.
The leading thug didn’t even look at them, saying casually, "What else to do? According to old rules, let them fish in the lake for three days; if they survive, send them to the mountain stronghold, where someone will naturally take care of them."
Li Mo shouted desperately, "Spare us, good men, spare us! My brother and I came specifically to seek refuge."
"Don’t give me that crap; is my Three Immortals Mountain so easy to enter?" A burly man beside him slapped him directly and kicked him again.
"We have rules here; everyone coming to seek refuge must show if they are tough enough. We hang them in the water for three days, only those who survive have the right to stay."
"Hahaha!"
The group of burly men laughed, their words still crude.
They joked and moved as they did, indeed hanging Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo directly onto a wooden stake in the water body, most of their bodies submerged with only their heads remaining above for breath.
Lu Chengfeng knew this was coming, he couldn’t help but curse in his heart: these Three Immortals Mountain bandits are truly perverse.
They put all newcomers seeking refuge through this ordeal, then integrate them into the outer stronghold, forbidding access to the mountain or the core area, gradually assimilating them through repeated looting until their hands are stained with blood.
They never check incoming refugees’ backgrounds, nor do they care or fear spies.
As long as one behaves obediently, kills, and loots in the outer stronghold, they don’t care where you’re from.
"Bear with it!"
Lu Chengfeng took a deep breath, closed his eyes, conserved his strength, quietly circulating his Inner Cultivation Heart Method.
Soaking in water for three days is tough to endure; people with weak constitutions may die inside, even martial world travelers with skills will end up swollen all over.