Chapter 666

Chapter 666: How Many Remain Loyal to Me?

Three days later, Old Demon Granny sent Li Hui off from the water palace, watching as he rode a line of water away, her eyes filled with confusion and wonder.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind: “Granny, you seem to place a lot of importance on Li Hui. Are you planning to bring this boy into the Yan Department with the help of your dark guards?”

“Hehe, such thoughts of mine can never escape the prince’s gaze,” Old Demon Granny slightly bowed to welcome a young man with green hair.

“I must return now. Bi You’s identity is suspect; he has exceptional swordsmanship, which requires further observation. Li Hui came seeking help, and it’s a good opportunity to provide him a favor, sending him to Mufeng City to deal with Hao Yue Lin and the sinister hands of the Nine Phoenix Sect. To be honest, the city lord of Mufeng City is indeed worth nurturing; his identity should be fine; otherwise, those old fellows from the Hao family wouldn’t allow him to inherit the first city of the Hao family.”

“The prince is correct. I will keep an eye on Bi You, hoping to bring him and the city lord of Mufeng City into the Yan Department, allowing them to become partners and keep each other in check, helping you rule the Yin Moon Dynasty in the future.”

“Understood, I’ll observe more; perhaps they won’t meet the requirements after all." The young man turned and vanished into thin air in an instant.

Old Demon Granny stood at the entrance of the water palace, unsure where to focus her gaze, murmuring to herself, “The Dharma Demon world! It is the origin of all calamities and the key to repairing the Heavenly Dao. Perhaps… perhaps it might truly open a new era.”

At that moment, Li Hui was walking on the waves, thinking, “Where does Old Demon Granny come from? She is definitely not a pure Nine Maangs Practitioner. From the faint traces, it seems she intends to meddle in the Yin Moon Dynasty. Tsk, tsk, just like a mantis stalking a cicada while a yellow bird lays in wait. In the future, when the Yin Moon Dynasty descends upon the mortal realm, who knows how many will covet the vast ghostly realms? Truly, heaven’s killing intent rises, calamities cycle—today you kill me, tomorrow I kill you…”

After a moment of reflection, Li Hui confirmed one thing: Old Demon Granny intended to bring him into her fold.

“If someone targets the Yin Moon Dynasty with intentions straightforward enough, I can join and lend a hand. After all! I am a mortal enemy of the Yin Moon Dynasty.”

About two hours later, Li Hui landed in a mountainous area.

The scenery here was delightful, filled with countless rare birds and strange beasts. Plump ground dragons scurried about, careful not to trample on the nests of the cloud mice. In the air, a buzzing sound rang out as groups of Qiong Bees took flight, signaling the time for brewing their precious nectar each year.

“Russell, tell your little friends to clear a path! At this rate, I won’t reach your cave until dark,” Li Hui called out loudly.

A voice echoed back from the distant cliff: “Is that you, Brother Li? What brings you here?”

“Just the winds from the east, west, south, and north. Enough with the small talk; I need your help with a minor task,” Li Hui moved forward cautiously.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the air, long green hair cascading down to his waist, causing Li Hui to roll his eyes. “I say, old Ro, every time you close your eyes in meditation, your hair goes wild. From behind, one might mistake you for a woman. And about the hair color—could you possibly change it? Sometimes from a distance, it’s difficult to tell the difference between blue and green.”

“Cough, cough…” The green-haired man was furious at this remark and almost fell from the sky.

“Don’t get worked up; after all, you don’t have a partner, so no one will criticize the color of your hair,” Li Hui said with an innocent smile.

“Stupid kid Li, every time you come, you end up teasing me. Just say what you need and hurry back if it’s nothing,” the young man with the flowing green hair shouted. He was none other than Russell, who had just left Old Demon Granny’s residence.

“Let’s stick to the topic; I’m not teasing you!” Li Hui chuckled, waving his hand to calm his old friend. “So, listen! I need you to make a trip to Mufeng City. I hired the Three Cultivators from Old Demon Granny. From what the old lady described, they are incredibly powerful, consistently killing formidable ghostly creatures in the Yin Moon Dynasty, honing their guaranteed kill techniques. Although each can only use one move, it can instantly wipe out a late-stage Traveling Realm cultivator. The three of them combined can take down a late-stage Traveling Realm cultivator without leaving any future troubles; it’s a guaranteed kill.”

“Hmph, why am I being sent to Mufeng City?” Russell turned his back, and the birds and beasts up ahead quickly cleared the path.

“Hahaha, my bad! Let’s sit down, drink, and talk,” Li Hui laughed boisterously, taking out the wine gourd and letting out a waft of wine aroma.

“A three-thousand-year rare brew?” Russell furiously exclaimed, “This wine has most of its ingredients taken from my stash! Last time and even the time before that, you got me drunk, you…”

“A man doesn’t speak of being drunk; you must help your brother out,” Li Hui settled down on the ground, took out a big bowl, and poured the wine. “There’s some trouble brewing in Mufeng City; things are developing in directions I don’t wish to see. Old Demon Granny gave me some advice, and I specifically came to you. I have business in the Extreme Huan Continent and can’t be away for long.”

Russell raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh? It’s rare for you to ask me for help, so I guess I’ll get something from this…”

“Hold on, I know you want to ask for a lot, but I’m broke!” Li Hui said pitifully, “I’m so poor that compared to you, I am basically a beggar. Here’s the deal! I have a few loyal confidants in Mufeng City. If they are still alive and kicking, maybe I can gather some sort of compensation.”

Russell waved his sleeve, ready to leave. “I’ve never seen someone so stingy. From what I know, the Hao family ranks fifth among the ten Great Families in the Nine Maangs, and Mufeng City is the foremost city of the Hao family.”

Li Hui quickly stopped him, “Don’t go! It’s because I’ve been away for too long; as the saying goes, ‘When people leave, the tea cools.’ Even if they haven’t changed their hearts, after so many years, they’ve likely been pushed out! Brother Ro, you need to help me identify who is trustworthy and who is not.”

“Too demanding; I’m not going!” Russell straightened his neck defiantly.

“Ro, you’re not a woman, so why act so proud?” Li Hui’s single remark defeated the green-haired man. It seemed that even the most gentle cultivator would lose their temper when encountering this guy.

“Let’s talk about my subordinates! Please take a directive back with you and see how they operate, to judge the bonds of loyalty.”

Years ago, Li Hui had helped many cultivators in the Heavenly Realm, but his soul was damaged, putting him into a deep sleep for three hundred years. After entering the Extreme Huan Continent, he practiced hard for two hundred years. Together, that made five hundred years. To him, it felt like nothing. As time moved toward his era, it became increasingly easier. However, for others, entangled causes and effects might yield unpredictable results.

“This…” Upon hearing Li Hui’s description, Russell felt the journey would be fraught with difficulties. Old Demon Granny intended to bring this fellow into the Yan Department; it could turn out poorly, and he might even lose everything.

“Ah! Not this, not that!”

Li Hui exhaled alcohol fumes and said, “You must be careful; they were all at least at the Profound Law Stage or even late Profound Law Stage years ago, and there are two arrogant members of the Qingfu tribe named Tianyi and Tianzhu. I wonder if they have grown stronger over the past five hundred years. While I slept due to my injuries, I’m really curious how many remain loyal to me.”