Chapter 265: Chapter 198: Bestowed Marriage

Li An and his group waited in the valley for three days before the array of Mist Valley finally opened.

Outside the valley, along with Lady Shee, two demon generals in golden armor returned!

“By order of the Vermilion Bird King, from today onwards, Shee Anrong will assume the position of Mountain Master Bai. Everyone under his command will be led by Shee Anrong!”

A demon general in golden armor announced the command of the Vermilion Bird King.

Inside the valley, everyone’s expressions were complex.

Those who initially had other ideas were now completely disheartened.

Since the Vermilion Bird King had acknowledged it, no one could stir up any trouble from now on.

“Greetings to Mountain Master Shee—”

Someone spoke, and immediately everyone present paid their respects.

In reality, for most people, it made no difference who was the mountain master.

But there was a small number of people who were extremely fearful.

For instance, Zhou Libai, at this moment, her face was utterly grim!

Before this, relying on the affection of the Great Lizard demon’s offspring, she behaved arrogantly, always suppressing Lady Shee, and now… Lady Shee directly ascended to the position of mountain master?!

In the future, how difficult their days would become…

“Everyone, return to your positions. From now on, we must work wholeheartedly for the Vermilion Bird King!”

Lady Shee smiled slightly.

…

In the following month or two, Mountain Master Shee used an iron-fisted approach to make several reforms under Mountain Master Bai’s command.

Xiaoli and Xiaoying, among others, stayed behind to continue serving the new mountain master, while the Great Lizard demon’s offspring unexpectedly met their demise.

Everyone knew the reason behind the Great Lizard demon’s death, but no one cared.

As the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, Mountain Master Shee needed people, but she wouldn’t use just anyone, and those who needed to be retaliated against would not be spared.

Zhou Libai and others were exiled to inferior Grade D spirit veins.

The confidants who followed her and her sisters were, of course, heavily utilized.

Li An first received a reward of a large amount of spirit stones, totaling three thousand upper-grade spirit stones!

There were also many third-grade artifact refining materials, magic treasures, pills, and so on.

His expenses in the secret realm were fully compensated with interest.

The spirit vein was also changed, and from today onwards, Li An officially returned to Spiritual Serenity Peak for cultivation.

In addition, Li An and several others were also appointed as commanders, each with twenty to thirty True Core cultivators under their command.

After becoming a commander, they were considered part of the ruling class of this mountain range.

Li An couldn’t help but marvel at the benefits of following a rebellion.

When the emperor ascended, those who served him closely would naturally rise and could then oppress others as they had been oppressed.

…

Returning to Spiritual Serenity Peak.

“Commander Lin, from now on, we will follow you, please guide us, my lord—”

More than twenty True Core cultivators were already waiting here for him, led by Gu Xuanting, who was full of sycophantic enthusiasm.

Li An glanced over and even saw Zhou Libai!

Clearly, Lady Shee had intentionally arranged this, as everyone knew Li An and Zhou Libai were foes. It was considered a gift from Lady Shee, giving Li An a chance to take revenge and satisfy his grievances.

In the crowd, Zhou Libai looked haggard. In just a few days, she seemed to have aged ten years, feeling utterly desolate and waiting in silence.

Since being integrated into the servant army under the Vermilion Bird King, the Loose Cultivators in the Celestial Killer Mountain range were no longer as free as before, coming and going as they pleased.

Previously, the mountain master and other cultivators were like landlords and tenants; if tenants didn’t want to rent, they could leave at will, and the mountain master had no means to stop them. But now, everyone willing to stay was enlisted in the demon army. The demon army was undergoing reforms, and it wouldn’t be long before all human cultivators no longer had to pay rent and could instead receive resources like spirit stones.

Consequently, the constraints were becoming even more stringent, and hierarchical relationships were increasingly distinct.

Under the control of the demon army, the Celestial Killer Mountain was heavily fortified, and anyone wishing to leave needed a pass from the demon generals, or they would be intercepted and annihilated.

Because of this, people like Zhou Libai had no choice but to stay.

Otherwise, with Mountain Master Bai’s downfall and the death of the Great Lizard demon, she would have fled long ago.

“Commander, currently, the army is searching for places heavy with evil qi to find the Celestial Demon Secret Realm. In my opinion, why not assign Zhou Libai to this task?”

Seeing Li An’s focus on Zhou Libai, Gu Xuanting immediately spoke up.

He knew Li An likely wanted to suppress Zhou Libai and ruin her.

So, he took the initiative to help Li An propose the idea.

Going to a place heavy with evil qi was extremely dangerous.

But Li An slightly pondered and said, “Fellow Daoist Zhou,”

Zhou Libai looked at him woodenly.

“Commander Lin needs to refine some treasures recently and plans to go into seclusion for a while, so I would like to ask you to temporarily manage mundane affairs, would you be willing?”

Everyone was surprised when Li An spoke.

Weren’t the two of them enemies?

Even Zhou Libai was a bit stunned, being asked to help manage affairs?

Wasn’t this something that should be done by Li An’s confidant…

“Am I…suitable?”

In her eyes, a glimmer of hope seemed to reignite.

“Suitable.”

Li An smiled, “You and I are old friends, having been together in Spirit Charm Mountain for many years, I trust you.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Libai was filled with immense gratitude and hurriedly bowed to Li An, saying, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lin, thank you, Fellow Daoist Lin!”

Li An helped her up, saying, “Commander Lin has few friends in this Celestial Killer Mountain range. I hope you, Fellow Daoist Zhou, will not disappoint Lin, nor disappoint Mountain Master Shee!”

The reason he did this was straightforward.

As a manager, cultivating confidants is always the top priority.

Of course, he could have chosen Gu Xuanting or others.

But he could also choose to give a hand to those who had fallen to rock bottom.

The loyalty returned would undoubtedly be different.

Moreover, the most important thing was, Li An knew Zhou Libai inside out. Her mind and scheming were actually average, easy to control.

If it had been Jiang Ribai, Chen Qingling, or Xu Qiuhui, those types were crushed, he would never extend a hand but would take the opportunity to strike ruthlessly.

One should never give an opportunity to an ambitious person; they must be thoroughly eradicated.

Zhou Libai lacked the ability and scheming of a schemer.

After giving her this chance, she would surely be loyal to Li An because, apart from him, she had no other options.

Managing subordinates requires a touch of artistry.

And Li An was not lacking in that.

“From now on, Libai will undoubtedly follow Commander Lin, even if it means going through fire and water－－”

Zhou Libai was deeply grateful.

Li An had Zhou Libai take the people and leave, leaving Gu Xuanting alone.

Gu Xuanting looked quite displeased; he didn’t expect to flatter only to hit a nerve.

“Brother Gu is someone I trust the most,”

Li An said calmly, “There are several important matters that I can only entrust to you, I can’t trust anyone else.”

Gu Xuanting was momentarily stunned, then a look of joy appeared in his eyes!

…

At this moment.

“Reporting to the master, I have already had people check. Here is a list of cultivators who have recently entered places heavy with evil qi, there aren’t many people.”

In the great hall of Mountain Master Bai, the now-replaced Mountain Master Shee respectfully presented a list to Tan Qingxue.

Tan Qingxue took the list, her delicate jade fingers sliding over each name, and suddenly pointed to one, “Lin An?”

“Has he been in Yunqi Valley for so long?”

Shee Anrong said, “Yes, initially to test whether his bird was the Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow, I had Anqi go with him to Yunqi Valley to investigate. As a result, Anqi was seriously injured saving him, and it was he who brought Anqi back.”

“This person values sentiments greatly, and to repay Anqi’s kindness, he stayed in Yunqi Valley for a long time, trying to find the Celestial Demon Secret Realm for Anqi, but in the end, there was no gain…”

Tan Qingxue suddenly said, “I’ll go take a look.”

Soon after.

She had already arrived at the entrance of Yunqi Valley, easily entering, while Shee Anrong could only wait outside.

Within the valley, layers of evil qi overlapped, Tan Qingxue expanded her divine sense, carefully observing everything around, but she found nothing; Li An had left no trace when he departed.

But soon, she landed in front of a pit.

This pit had once been a pond, connected to the Celestial Demon Secret Realm. Before Li An left, he destroyed the entire pond and covered it with many decaying leaves, so even under a full moon, no abnormalities could be detected.

But she lingered there for a long while.

“So it truly was you.” Beneath her long eyelashes, there seemed to bloom an inexplicable delight in her eyes.

Leaving the valley.

“Master, did you gain anything?”

Shee Anrong asked respectfully.

Tan Qingxue did not answer but asked instead:

“This Lin An, does he have a good relationship with your sister?”

Shee Anrong said, “Quite good, to be honest, Anqi… seems to have feelings for this person.”

Tan Qingxue’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked at Shee Anrong, “How about him towards your sister?”

“Very well, when Anqi was injured in Yunqi Valley, this person repeatedly concocted Beauty Pills for Anqi. Later, in Mist Valley, I also had Anqi seek his help, and he agreed without hesitation, performing admirably.”

“Beauty Pill? It seems he is very concerned about your sister’s appearance…”

Tan Qingxue’s voice trailed off, silently stopping, gazing back at Yunqi Valley for a long time before saying:

“It seems he must like your sister… then let them be together.”

Shee Anrong was a little puzzled; why would Master suddenly concern herself with Shee Anqi’s marriage… Moreover, the expression on Tan Qingxue’s face at this moment was something she had never seen before, as if it was a mix of longing, release, and loss…

“Yes.” Shee Anrong replied.

…

In just two short months, Li An had already managed those under him with absolute obedience.

Both Gu Xuanting and Zhou Libai had become his trusted aides, and their performance left Li An very satisfied, carrying out tasks with the utmost dedication.

With these two, Li An could save a lot of effort in affairs and focus on cultivation.

“Commander Lin, the mountain master seeks you－－”

Today, one of Mountain Master Shee’s close attendants arrived, his face filled with joy.

Li An asked, “Brother Cao, what does the mountain master summon me for?”

The attendant’s face broke into a mysterious smile, “A great blessing, Brother Lin, let me congratulate you in advance－－”

Li An grew even more suspicious, but he had no choice but to follow.

Arriving before the former great hall of Mountain Master Bai.

“You’re here, Mountain Master Shee has been waiting for you quite a while.”

Xiaoying was still there; she hadn’t been killed; instead, she had also become one of Mountain Master Shee’s people, yet her face was evidently a bit gloomy.

“Here, eat this, and after a while, I’ll bring Xiaohong to find you for fun.”

Li An smiled, handing her a bag of spiritual food, and then entered.

Inside the great hall.

Behind the beaded curtain, the former Mountain Master Bai had been replaced, it was hard to see Mountain Master Shee clearly, while in the hall, Shee Anqi was already seated and waiting.

Today, she was without a veil; Li An glimpsed her, seeing her icy skin and jade bones, her appearance completely restored, even more delicate than before.

Seeing Li An enter, her face inexplicably turned red, and she bowed her head, leaving without greeting him.

Li An bowed, “Lin An pays respects to the mountain master.”

“No need for formalities, Lord Lin,”

Mountain Master Shee said calmly, “The reason I summoned you today is to discuss something with you.”

Li An said, “Please, Mountain Master Shee, give your instructions－－”

Mountain Master Shee smiled, “What do you think of Anqi?”

Li An was stunned for a moment, what did Shee Anrong mean by this?

Could it be they want to set him up with Shee Anqi?

After pondering, Li An replied, “Fellow Taoist Anqi has shown great benevolence towards Lin An, and Lin An has always greatly respected her.”

His answer was both advancing and retreating.

Lady Shee said, “Besides respect, if Anqi is to be betrothed to you, would you be willing?”

Quite straightforward.

Li An was suddenly taken aback.

He quickly thought it over; actually, this was something he had thought about, and after weighing the pros and cons, he was already prepared in his heart.

As long as it benefits his cultivation, marrying Shee Anqi was not something he resisted; there was no objection to selling himself, it was all just for use anyway.

But now, for some inexplicable reason, he felt a bit wary and gently sensed… Then he noticed, there wasn’t just Shee Anrong behind the curtain!

Tan Qingxue was there too!

Was this Shee Anrong’s idea or Tan Qingxue’s?

What exactly did Tan Qingxue want to do?

Li An suddenly felt… as if standing on the edge of an abyss!

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep