novelraw Chapter 164: Vow to Hold Immortal Grove Hollow
Chapter 164: Vow to Hold Immortal Grove Hollow
Qi Xiu sent the disciples scattering through Black River Market to gather whatever scraps of rumor and intelligence they could snatch. Then he locked himself in a back room, sat cross-legged on the bare floorboards, and closed his eyes.
Return to Immortal Grove Hollow—or don’t. Throw in with the Lu family—or stick with Wei.
This wasn’t sect against sect anymore. This was the Wei family facing Lu Shilu plus every rule-breaking, backstabbing rogue cultivator in White Mountain who smelled blood. Lu Shilu had played the board perfectly. The decennial tournament, after twenty years of Guanghui Pavilion investment, had become the closest thing White Mountain had to a festival. Streets outside were shoulder-to-shoulder with people. Right now, thousands upon thousands of rogues milled through Black River Market alone. One single proclamation from Lu Shilu might actually crack the Wei family’s foundation wide open.
All those carefree shoppers, gossiping lovers, and idle drinkers—once the scent of easy profit hit their nostrils, how fast would they turn feral? Qi Xiu thought of Huang Shao Neng. Duoluonuo. Shen Gu. A shiver crawled down his spine. For these people, murder and plunder were as natural as breathing. And hadn’t he done exactly the same? Wiped out Green Stream Mountain for a handful of spirit stones? The irony tasted like bile. Retribution arrived so swiftly it almost felt fair.
But… the fatal flaw in Lu Shilu’s plan was obvious. He had no answer for Wei Xuan and that giant flood dragon—two apex threats. Never mind Huo Hu possibly stepping in for a third time. Immortal Grove Hollow sat on the western flank of Shandu Mountain. Lu Shilu’s sequence—breaking the accord, seizing Tianyin Mountain, issuing the summons—was executed with surgical precision. Yet the window he’d opened cut both ways. Rogues lacked the logistics for rapid, long-distance campaigns. They couldn’t swarm Immortal Grove Hollow overnight.
And then there was Yu Denou, still holding the fort alone…
“Return,” Qi Xiu said aloud as he opened the door.
Bai Muhan burst in before he could finish the sentence. “Several pieces of bad news.”
“Prices for combat-grade artifacts, pills, talismans—everything’s skyrocketing. Rogues are already moving.”
“Lu family announced they’re offering their original Artifact & Talisman Alliance mountain as collateral to hire Green Robe Elder—late-stage Golden Core rogue from White Mountain. They’re also using a family heirloom secret treasure to bring in Nan Kun from the Southern Fire Alliance—early Golden Core.”
“Several White Mountain rogues have been loitering around our shop downstairs. We’re being watched.”
“Bastards.” Qi Xiu strode to the window. Sure enough—small clusters of rogues drifted past, some pretending to chat, others openly staring and pointing at anyone entering or leaving.
“Sect Leader Uncle!” Shen Chang sprinted in, breathless.
Qi Xiu met him halfway. “Good news or bad?”
Shen Chang blinked. “One of each.”
“Spit it out.”
“Good news: the Wei family dragged Great Zhou Academy into the open. They’re declaring that since Lu Shilu quit the alliance he no longer qualifies to found a sect—only to operate as a clan. If the Lu family starts absorbing large numbers of outsiders, Great Zhou Academy will not stand idle.”
“Bad news: the Lu family just announced formation of the ‘Punish Wei Alliance.’ They’re explicitly stating they have no intention of claiming all Wei territory for themselves after the war.”
One side flexing deterrence, the other retreating strategically to win hearts. Wei trying to scare off the fence-sitters still shopping in Black River Market. Lu giving ground publicly to prove they weren’t greedy land-grabbers—just avengers.
Qi Xiu resumed pacing. Kong Wen stepped inside slowly, voice calm.
“Try thinking from a different angle. If I were an ordinary White Mountain rogue, what would I do?”
Qi Xiu froze. The insight hit like cold water.
“Right!”
He almost laughed at how obvious it suddenly became.
“If I’m just some rogue cultivator, even if I seize Immortal Grove Hollow, Great Zhou Academy’s clan laws block me from joining the Lu family proper. I can’t found my own sect either. So I risk my neck raiding a well-defended mountain gate, only to end up with a pile of loot I can’t truly hold—while the real prize stays out of reach. For what? A handful of uncertain spirit stones? White Mountain rogues are selfish to the bone. They’ll gang up to bully the weak. They don’t form armies to crack hard targets. Never have.”
Decision crystallized.
“We go back.”
“Not just back—we bring every disciple, every valuable item, every last scrap. This is do-or-die. No half-measures.”
No one questioned him. The entire sect sprang into motion.
Qi Xiu ignored the watchers outside. Inside Guanghui Pavilion’s jurisdiction they wouldn’t dare act openly. He strode out and headed straight for South Chu Sect’s largest property in Black River Market.
…
“Make it quick. Preferably important.”
The tournament was one of the decade’s biggest events. South Chu Sect had naturally sent a Golden Core overseer—the same one who’d once stopped Chu Youguang from tormenting Bai Xiaosheng in public. Chu Shen.
Qi Xiu begged, pleaded, name-dropped his secret connection to Chu Duo, and finally got a private audience.
“Venerable Ancestor, I beg you—lend us one beast mount. Just fly our people under your banner back to Shandu territory. That’s all.”
“That’s it?”
Chu Shen remembered exactly who Qi Xiu was. He barked a laugh. “You—a South Chu disciple—run off to grub in Wei territory, slap us in the face, and now you come begging favors over something this trivial? Do you want to die?”
The reaction told Qi Xiu everything: Chu Shen knew nothing about the private deal with Chu Duo. But time was bleeding away. The Wei family had only one second-tier beast ship docked here—still waiting for reinforcements. If Lu Shilu and his two hired Golden Cores intercepted them over Death Marsh, everyone died. Speed and safety demanded the thickest thigh available. South Chu’s leg was plenty thick.
Qi Xiu met the man’s eyes. “Exactly this. Me grubbing in Wei territory? That was Chu Duo Ancestor’s direct order. I can’t reveal why. But if Chu Duo were here, he would help me without hesitation.”
Chu Shen studied him for a long moment.
“You’re betting I can’t check with him because he’s in seclusion… Fine. You wouldn’t dare lie to me.”
…
The watchers were still outside. Qi Xiu memorized every face. Back at the shop he gathered every Chu Qin soul—disciples, mortals, luggage—and loaded them onto the second-tier spirit bird South Chu provided. Not a cargo beast—a pure riding mount. Everyone squeezed in; only a handful of seats remained empty.
Qi Xiu hurried to the Wei family compound in Black River Market. No one dared loiter openly outside their door. Inside he found Wei Yong in charge.
“You finally came to your senses? Conditions aren’t as generous as before, you know.”
The place was packed—Wei disciples who’d come for the fights and sightseeing. Relaxed by the three-party accord, they were now trapped, surrounded by thousands of opportunistic rogues and two hostile Golden Cores. Awkward didn’t begin to cover it. Other minor sects who’d bet on Wei were crammed in too.
Wei Yong lounged, voice lazy but sharp.
Qi Xiu cut straight through. “I’ve borrowed a South Chu flying mount. A few seats left. Anyone you want me to take back?”
“You can fly people out right now?”
Wei Yong shot upright—serious for once. Paced twice. “How many?”
“Five comfortably. Squeeze and maybe seven or eight.”
“Good. The Wei family will remember this.” Wei Yong spoke with rare gravity. He summoned eight young cultivators—late-stage Qi Refining teens or very youthful-looking Foundation Establishment—and sent them with Qi Xiu.
…
Outside Black River Market, dozens of rogues watched the South Chu spirit bird streak southwest—toward Shandu territory. A Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator started to give chase.
“Idiot!” The late-stage leader snarled. “Have you forgotten what happens when a Nascent Soul gets angry? Remember Bai Xiaosheng’s story?”
Over Death Marsh, interceptors appeared—some blocking the path ahead, others trailing behind. The South Chu beast handler cursed the entire way. Yet no one dared strike. They crossed unscathed.
At the Shandu Mountain bend, Qi Xiu offloaded the Wei group. Wei Yong had chosen carefully: either peak Qi Refining youths or suspiciously young-looking Foundation Establishment cultivators. Future seeds. The Wei family had already lost faith in certain victory.
When the protective array light of Immortal Grove Hollow finally appeared—no rogue scouts in sight—Qi Xiu finally exhaled.
He bid the South Chu handler farewell and began issuing orders without pause.
“Yu Jing, Li Tan, Shen Chang, Yu Shang—round up every third-generation relative of our disciples and bring them inside the mountain gate for shelter.”
“Minniang, Qi Zhuang—organize the servants. Build temporary housing inside the gate for the incoming families.”
“Shishi—take the rest and get every backup defensive array operational as fast as possible.”
“Muhan—coordinate defense strategy with Master Kong Wen. Inventory everything we brought back. Report usable items to me afterward.”
As the words left his mouth he spotted Yu Denou approaching—followed by three familiar Wei faces: Wei Minming, Wei Liuxian, and his personal debt-collector nightmare, Wei Chengqian.
“Sect Leader Qi!”
Wei Chengqian wore his usual sleazy grin—ugly despite decent features. “Given the urgency, perhaps we should settle our outstanding—”
Qi Xiu slapped him hard enough to spin him to the ground.
He turned to Wei Minming as though nothing had happened. “What brings you three?”
Wei Minming swallowed. “The Ancestor fears our defenses are spread too thin. He sent us—one or two per allied sect—to… assist.”
Help. Surveillance. Same difference.
Qi Xiu nodded once. Since he’d already chosen to stand with Wei, let them watch. He assigned the pair to help Minniang with housing construction.
They left without a backward glance at their unconscious cousin. Wei Chengqian clearly had no friends in his own family.