novelraw Chapter 228 - 141: Betrayal, the Cultivator’s Hidden Move
Chapter 228 - 141: Betrayal, the Cultivator’s Hidden Move
Although Cyan Gate Mountain and the Iron Back Sect had ancient lineages, they kept a low profile and rarely made their presence known.
They had caught Li Chang’an’s attention for three reasons.
The first was that the two Sects’ lineages were so ancient that Li Chang’an couldn’t find their origins, even after scouring every historical text he could find from the modern era.
The second was that these two Sects were far too obscure.
Despite possessing such long-standing lineages, a search through the annals of history revealed that the two Sects had left almost no mark on the Jianghu.
They never fought or vied for anything, instead playing the part of silent witnesses to history.
They watched one power rise,
and they watched it fall.
But the problem was that the Li Yang Martial World was never some children’s play-pretend game.
Before Li Chang’an had shifted the focus of conflict toward the Cultivators, hundreds, even thousands, of Sects in Li Yang were wiped out every year.
For disciples, for territory, for cultivation resources... or even just for pride, for the title of number one—the Martial Artists of the major Sects would beat each other’s brains out.
Under such circumstances,
how did two seemingly unremarkable Sects manage to live in such serene tranquility?
Either one of these points alone wouldn’t have been enough to make Li Chang’an suspicious.
But when taken together, they became glaringly incongruous.
Of course, that wasn’t the most critical point. What was truly key was that Li Chang’an had discovered that ever since he had publicly revealed the existence of Cultivators, these two major Sects had suddenly changed their ways. They began quietly sending their disciples out to wander the lands.
They traveled everywhere, spreading good words about the Cultivators.
They also secretly lobbied and incited various great families, obstructing the search for any trace of Cultivators.
All these signs aroused Li Chang’an’s deepest suspicions.
After noticing this, Li Chang’an deliberately pretended not to see, turning a blind eye and letting them be. He wanted to see what these two major Sects were truly up to.
After so many years of this intentional leniency,
they had actually managed to accomplish quite a bit.
The two major Sects had gathered a number of conspirators with ulterior motives, intending to establish a new Martial Arts Alliance outside of Li Chang’an’s authority—one led by the two Sects themselves.
These people promoted the Cultivators as great saviors who would deliver the Li Yang Continent from suffering and give it hope. Li Chang’an, on the other hand, was painted as a tyrannical dictator who enslaved and ruled the Jianghu.
Although their narrative had yet to cause any major waves, it had indeed sparked considerable discussion within smaller circles.
If they were allowed to continue on this trajectory,
it likely wouldn’t be many years before the Jianghu’s attitude toward Cultivators became split into two factions.
At first, Li Chang’an didn’t understand their strange behavior.
But after observing for a long time, he finally figured it out. He smiled at the two brothers, Cao Tianlong and Cao Dilong, who had come to report to him, and said, "You two no longer need to keep an eye on these Sects!"
Cao Tianlong and Cao Dilong were now Innate Masters who had trained in the *Martial Scripture*, their combat strength equivalent to that of a Grandmaster of old. They were in charge of the intelligence department for the Greed Wolf Organization, gathering information from all over the world specifically for Li Chang’an.
Seeing that Li Chang’an was telling them to stop investigating the two Sects,
the two brothers grew anxious. "Those two dogshit Sects are up to no good, calling black white and white black! Their intentions are wicked enough to warrant death! How can we just stop watching them?"
Li Chang’an stood up and smiled. "Because they will soon cease to exist!"
Hearing this, both brothers were stunned for a moment.
Then, expressions of immense joy spread across their faces.
In recent years, Li Chang’an, the nominal Martial Arts God, had rarely taken action himself. Although the Jianghu still held him in deep reverence, they had long since forgotten his iron-fisted methods.
If Li Chang’an was willing to act personally,
it would surely force the world to once again recognize the true state of affairs.
Li Chang’an rose to his feet and, in the blink of an eye, vanished from the Imperial Palace.
...
「Shanghang Prefecture, outside Cyan Gate Mountain.」
Hundreds of Martial Artists had gathered to witness the first-ever Martial Arts Conference, spearheaded by Cyan Gate Mountain and with the full support of the Iron Back Sect.
The Sect Leader of Cyan Gate Mountain was an old woman with an ethereal, sage-like bearing.
Amidst a welcoming path formed by the Jianghu Martial Artists, the old woman leaned on her cane as she walked to the center of the venue. Her tone was placid as she announced, "Your presence at this conference today is a sign of your recognition for my Cyan Gate Mountain. Someone, come! Distribute one Dust-removing Body Tempering Pill to each of our esteemed guests!"
With a wave of the old woman’s hand, several young attendants holding trays of elixirs came forward and gave one to each person attending the conference.
Upon receiving the elixirs, the crowd couldn’t help but reveal their delight.
This so-called Dust-removing Body Tempering Pill was a specialty of Cyan Gate Mountain. It could cleanse an adult’s body of impurities once, enhancing their cultivation talent.
Even across the entire Li Yang Continent, no other power was capable of refining such an elixir. Its value was immense.
And yet, the old woman handed out these precious elixirs as if they were candy. Any power willing to foster good relations with Cyan Gate Mountain could occasionally receive a few.
The old woman saw that nearly everyone had arrived and had received their elixirs.
Only then did she clear her throat. With a somber expression, she said, "Everyone, after consuming this Dust-removing Body Tempering Pill, not only can it advance your cultivation, but it can also cleanse your sinews and bones and elevate your innate talent. Such a miraculous elixir... I imagine none of you have ever heard of such a thing before, have you?"
Hearing the old woman’s voice, everyone in the crowd nodded in agreement.
A faint smile touched the corners of the old woman’s mouth as she continued, "To tell you the truth, the recipe for this Dust-removing Body Tempering Pill was passed down to Cyan Gate Mountain by the Cultivators!"
Upon hearing this, the faces of all the Martial Artists in attendance changed.
The old woman paid no mind to the commotion below the stage.
She continued in her unhurried manner, "In recent years, certain upstarts of dubious origin have slandered the Cultivators, treating them as vicious predators and even shamelessly boasting of making enemies of them..."
"Little do they know that each time the Cultivators descend upon this world, it is an opportunity for us that comes once in a thousand lifetimes!"
"If any of you doubt my words, this very Dust-removing Body Tempering Pill is a treasure that I myself purchased from the Cultivators the last time they appeared!"