Chapter Eighty-Six Blood Feud

At that moment, the first pale light of dawn had only just touched the horizon, and a thin new moon still hung above the mountains.

In the tent of the deputy commander in the military camp, Ye Feng had just finished his training and was reading a military treatise.

Yet his heart could not be stilled; how could any book of war enter his mind now?

All along, he had regarded Li Xiong as though he were his own brother, and more than that, Li Xiong had once saved his life.

But Li Xiong had pursued Tuo Li Bao for four days and still had not returned. Not even the cavalry captain he had sent out had come back. A vague, ominous foreboding had begun to stir in his chest.

Was Li Xiong alive or dead? And for what purpose had Tuo Li Bao broken out of the camp?

Ye Feng could not help but dwell on it.

The enemy forces left at Falling Wild Goose Ridge, though their morale was low, had suffered no crushing defeat and were still not to be taken lightly.

Since Tuo Li Bao had dared to force his way into the camp at this moment, he must have gone to fetch reinforcements. But who were these reinforcements, what power did they possess, and why had Tuo Li Bao himself to go and invite them?

If Li Xiong truly encountered the reinforcements Tuo Li Bao had summoned, then even setting aside his seniority before Tuo Li Bao and the air he liked to put on, he would not be ordinary. How could Li Xiong possibly be his match?

Then things would be dangerous.

As Ye Feng pondered, a soldier outside the tent suddenly announced, "Report! Deputy Commander Ye, a grey-robed elder has arrived outside our camp and is hurling insults at the enemy and challenging them to battle. Marshal Mu Rong requests your presence to discuss a response!"

"Oh? Such a thing?!"

On hearing this, Ye Feng's brows knitted tightly. He asked at once, "Who else came with him?"

The soldier replied, "Along with him are the Left Chancellor of the Demon Kingdom, Tuo Li Bao, and the demon generals from Falling Wild Goose Ridge!"

Hearing this, Ye Feng drew a sharp breath.

He had not expected Tuo Li Bao to return so silently and without a trace. It seemed he had truly invited a formidable expert.

Needless to say, the grey-robed elder was the very expert Tuo Li Bao had brought back.

Human demon slayers relied on willpower to control enchanted artifacts and fly upon them. But for demons, flight was much more difficult. Aside from those born with wings, to fly through the air by sheer power required at least two thousand years of cultivation.

For the grey-robed elder to have brought Tuo Li Bao through the skies, his demonic power must have exceeded three thousand years.

With that alone, who in the loyalist camp could withstand him?

If Li Xiong had truly run into this grey-robed elder, then the odds were perilous beyond measure.

The moment Ye Feng thought of Li Xiong, his unease deepened.

"Deputy Commander Ye, Marshal Mu Rong requests your presence!"

The soldier's report interrupted Ye Feng's thoughts. Ye Feng hurriedly replied, "Understood. Tell the marshal I will arrive shortly!"

As he spoke, he quickly changed into armor and hurried toward Mu Rong Yan's command tent.

When he arrived, he saw Mu Rong Yan already fully armed and seated upright in the marshal's chair.

Many officers stood on either side, each imposing and stern.

Ye Feng straightened his armor, brushed off the dust, and stepped forward to bow. "This subordinate Ye Feng pays respects to the marshal!"

Mu Rong Yan looked kindly upon him and said, "No need for ceremony, Deputy Commander Ye. Come, sit down."

Ye Feng bowed deeply again. "Thank you, Marshal."

He strode forward and took a seat beside Mu Rong Yan.

Once Ye Feng was seated, Mu Rong Yan swept her gaze across the assembled officers and called loudly, "All officers!"

The men below answered in unison, "Yes!"

Their voices were vigorous and ringing.

Mu Rong Yan asked in a clear voice, "Now that a grey-robed elder is outside the camp cursing and challenging us, should we not go out and meet him in battle?"

The officers replied with confidence, "Of course! We should kill him so completely that not a shred remains!"

Lu You Xiong even stepped forward eagerly and clasped his fists in report. "Marshal, there is no need to butcher a bull to kill a chicken. I am willing to do the task! What great skill can an old man possibly have? Let me seize him!"

Mu Rong Yan laughed softly and praised him, "General Lu's courage is admirable indeed. He is truly a model for us all."

Lu You Xiong was delighted and replied with clasped fists, "Many thanks for your praise, Marshal!"

"But do you know this grey-robed elder's name, or where he comes from?" Mu Rong Yan asked. "As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. This marshal sees that this elder was able to enter the enemy camp, surrounded on all sides, without anyone noticing. His abilities are surely extraordinary. Therefore, from now on, all officers are forbidden to act rashly. Strengthen your defenses and be cautious in your response!"

Lu You Xiong was left awkwardly speechless and could only retreat in embarrassment.

The other officers fell silent as well.

Mu Rong Yan then turned to Ye Feng and asked, "Deputy Commander Ye, what should we do next? I would also like to hear your opinion."

Ye Feng hurriedly rose, clasped his fists, and bowed. "Marshal, your decision just now was wise beyond measure. This subordinate admires it deeply! Now that the enemy has come to challenge us outside the camp, why not meet him on the ramparts and at least test his strength?"

Mu Rong Yan nodded repeatedly. "Exactly what I had in mind!"

At once, Mu Rong Yan led the officers to the ramparts above the camp and looked down carefully from on high.

In the distance before the camp stood a tall old man. His long face seemed a full two feet in length. His eyes were half closed, and white brows drooped from the corners of his eyes, nearly half a foot long. Three wisps of grizzled beard drifted over his chest. A massive purple robe wrapped his lean frame from head to toe, revealing only half his face. In his left hand he formed a spell seal, and in his right he held a fly whisk. The whole man looked dark and murky, yet from him radiated a murderous air that made one’s hair stand on end.

Ahead of him, two soldiers were already cursing. They held nothing back, choosing the foulest words they could find, and their abuse made the officers seethe with anger.

"You... hey! Old man across from us, who are you to aid Tuo Li Bao and come to our camp cursing and challenging us? Do you not know this is aiding tyranny and courting your own destruction?"

Mu Rong Yan shouted her challenge in a ringing voice.

The Purple-Robed Demon Lord was at that moment standing before the camp with his eyes closed, resting.

At the cry, he opened them slightly and looked. Ah, such a lovely woman. Could she be the Mu Rong Yan his disciple had mentioned?

He quickly replied in a loud voice, "This old man is the master of Tuo Li Bao, the Purple-Robed Demon Lord. My disciple lacks sufficient skill and has repeatedly suffered defeat at your hands, so he had no choice but to beg me to come out of seclusion. I have cultivated in the mountains for many years and had no wish to concern myself with the petty matters of the world. But I cannot forgive your ignorance of right and wrong. First you killed my prized disciple Lang Mu Xi, and then you recklessly set fire to the mountains. Helpless, I was forced to descend into the mortal world and meet you myself, to see what abilities you possess that make you so arrogant and ignorant!"

Mu Rong Yan heard this and wondered in confusion. Who set the mountains on fire? Our righteous army has never done such a thing. Could this old man have misunderstood?

She hurriedly said, "Honored immortal, it is true that your disciple Lang Mu Xi was slain, but only because he aided tyranny and attempted to assassinate this marshal! That too was an act we were forced to take. As for setting fire to the mountains, I fear you have been misled. Our righteous army has always refrained from killing and arson. How could we do such a thing? I ask you to examine the matter carefully!"

The Purple-Robed Demon Lord gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Is the young lady opposite Marshal Mu Rong? You are considered a famed female hero in the demon-slaughtering world, yet how can you speak such nonsense and flatly deny the facts? Your wild boy admitted it himself. What more is there to argue? Come quickly out of the camp and face me in a real struggle. Let us decide life and death, victory and defeat!"

When Ye Feng heard the Purple-Robed Demon Lord mention Li Xiong, he asked anxiously, "Honored immortal, you say you encountered my brother Li Xiong. What have you done to him?!"

The Purple-Robed Demon Lord looked Ye Feng up and down, admiring him inwardly. A learned general in white robes, eh? They say he and that little Mu Rong girl have something going on. Well, they really do make a pair.

He quickly said, "Is the speaker Deputy Commander Ye Feng? As the saying goes, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times, yet seeing you is even better still! Truly, heroes emerge young. As for this Li Xiong you mention, who is he?"

Ye Feng knew that in his haste he had not made clear that Li Xiong was the wild boy the other man had mentioned. He hurriedly explained, "Honored immortal, the Li Xiong I speak of is the very wild boy you referred to. He had no idea how high the mountain was, offended you, and I ask that you forgive him. But never believe a single word he says. He is only a foolish lad. Why take him seriously?"

At this, the Purple-Robed Demon Lord burst into laughter. "Oh, so you mean him! He was already struck down by this lord and likely has long since passed into the netherworld. You say he is a foolish lad and that his words are not to be trusted? Yet everyone in the world knows that it is precisely because some people are foolish that they do not lie and deceive. Besides, did my fire at Rooster-Crow Mountain burst into flames for no reason at all?"

Hearing this, Ye Feng felt as though a knife were twisting in his heart. His vision went dark. With a cry of "Ah!" he toppled rigidly to the ground.

The officers hurried forward and helped him up.

Mu Rong Yan's eyes filled with tears, like rain striking pear blossoms, as she kept calling, "Brother Feng, wake up! Wake up!"

After a while, Ye Feng let out a miserable cry and slowly came to.

He cried out, "My foolish brother, my good brother, you died such a tragic death!"

In an instant, tears poured down like rain.

The officers were filled with grief and fury.

With sharp metallic cries, swords and blades were drawn one after another.

"Let's fight that old demon to the death!"

They all rushed toward the wall and prepared to charge out of the camp to duel the Purple-Robed Demon Lord.

Ye Feng grew anxious and tried to rise to stop them.

But as soon as he struggled, he felt his head grow heavy and his feet light, and he collapsed weakly back to the ground.

"M...Marshal, quickly... quickly call them back!"

He urgently told Mu Rong Yan in a feeble voice.

Mu Rong Yan nodded and shouted, "Stop! All of you, come back at once!"

The officers looked toward her and pleaded one after another, clasping their fists. "Marshal..."

Before they could finish, Mu Rong Yan's delicate face darkened and she barked, "If anyone dares to rush out of the camp and fight on their own today, I will have him executed without mercy!"

All the officers had nowhere to vent their anger. Their teeth ground with a harsh creaking, and their clenched fists made crackling sounds like frying beans.

"Mu Rong Yan, Ye Feng, you cowards! This lord has slain your beloved general. What can you do to me? If you have the guts, come out and fight!"

Outside the camp, the Purple-Robed Demon Lord's arrogant challenge rang in again. The officers clasped their fists and begged once more to be allowed to fight.

"Marshal, staying in camp is suffocating us! We can't just let that old demon get away with it! No matter how skilled he is, he is only one man. Even if he were a bar of iron, how many nails could be beaten from him in a furnace? If all of us brothers rush him together, we need not fear him showing off his strength!"

Mu Rong Yan widened her almond eyes and shouted sternly, "Outrageous! I say we do not fight, and that means we do not fight! Have you all forgotten the battle with Meng Ke Shou outside Black Soil City? Let the mistakes of the past guide the future. We can no longer act on impulse and rush headlong into danger!"

The officers fell silent at once and retreated in obedience.

Seeing that the men still felt unwilling, Xu Yao Zu stepped forward from the side. "Brothers, disperse, disperse. Go back to the camp. As the saying goes, a true man does not suffer needless humiliation. And as another saying has it, revenge may wait ten years and it is still not too late. Once the commander and deputy commander have devised a plan, we will strike again without delay. Then we can slaughter the Purple-Robed Demon Lord and avenge Brother Li Xiong!"

At those words, the officers withdrew one by one in silence.

Only Ye Feng and Mu Rong Yan remained.

Ye Feng looked at Mu Rong Yan and said with relief, "Sister Yan, you have matured. You are no longer that sharp-tongued, willful, reckless girl from before."

Mu Rong Yan gave a bitter smile and teased him, "Brother Feng, and have you not changed as well? You are no longer that frail little scholar either, but a brave, decisive, and resourceful great general."

Thinking back on who they had once been, both of them could not help but smile with quiet amusement.

Years of war had made them grow.

At this time, the military physician came to administer acupuncture and medicine to Ye Feng, and he was carried into the infirmary.

For days, Mu Rong Yan had been brooding over how to resist the enemy, her brow never clearing.

Then one day, a burst of hearty laughter sounded outside the tent, and Xu Yao Zu, belly protruding, strode inside.

Mu Rong Yan hurried forward to greet him.

Xu Yao Zu said in his booming voice, "Yan'er, are you still worrying? Is that so? Your master has an idea that can drive back that Purple-Robed Demon Lord!"

Mu Rong Yan was overjoyed and asked quickly, "Master, what brilliant plan do you have now? Tell me quickly! With Deputy Commander Ye gravely ill and recovering, I have been left to worry myself to pieces!"

Only then did Xu Yao Zu reveal his ingenious plan, which led to the emergence of the founder of the Fire faction, the Flame Immortal Lord. Only then would the Five Elements demon-slayers gather together, break the Dark Underworld Ten Thousand Demons Great Formation, and defeat Tuo Li Bao for the third time.