CHAPTER 363: CHAPTER 358: PRINCELY HEIR

After the crowd left, Li Fan bowed in the direction of the distance and said, "Thank you, Senior."

"It’s nothing, but you will need to be cautious in the future." A faint voice responded from afar, and in front of Li Fan, an elder from the Cui family said, "That Daoist earlier is of unusual identity, his master Cold Crow Taoist is a Seventh Realm cultivator of Myriad Phenomena, also the person you saw during the burning of the talisman. This Daoist has many methods and is rumored to be a person who walked out from Great Li’s First Daoist Temple Taiping Temple, although he is a discarded disciple, the truth of this is unknown."

"Great Li’s First Daoist Temple Taiping Temple?" Li Fan quietly noted in his heart, but earlier, when that disciple of Cold Crow Taoist engaged, that young Daoist had many techniques, and the talismans were extremely peculiar, capable of nurturing various spell attacks.

"This Cold Crow Taoist is active again in Qinghe County and has grown quite close to Prince Qinghe. He sent his disciple to seek demons this time, who knows what his intentions are." The person from the Cui family said, "In any case, be cautious, this Cold Crow Taoist is not a benevolent character, it is said that he has a strange temperament and bears grudges."

"Understood, thank you for the warning, Senior." Li Fan replied.

Cui Shan gave Li Fan a serious look and said, "Your combat power is impressive, perhaps we can spar sometime."

From the distant direction, Xie Lingxuan also looked at Li Fan. They had all seen the battle just now, the Daoist’s methods were certainly not weak, and even for them, it would not be easy to handle. Li Fan managed to force the opponent into a corner, which speaks to the strength of his combat power.

They were somewhat itching for a fight, for while sword cultivators have strong attacking power, truly top-notch geniuses in Sword Dao are few.

Li Fan did not respond, even though Cui Shan was considered a prodigy of the Cui family, he did not see him as his opponent, or rather, he did not believe he had any competitors in the Condensed Core realm.

After Cui and Xie’s families left, Wang Yuyao looked at Li Fan with increased curiosity. The other party became more mysterious in her eyes, with extraordinary talent, powerful in battle, and even daring to kill when facing a court cultivator. If not for that talisman, that Daoist would have been slain by his sword.

After Cui Shan and others returned, they went to the inner courtyard of the Cui family to see the Cui Family Ancestor.

"Patriarch, do you have something to instruct?" Someone asked softly.

"Yes." The elder nodded, "Recently, Qinghe County is unsettled, major events are likely to happen."

The crowd showed a different expression. The matter of Divine Wood Mountain Villa and the appearance of the Old Hound were already major events since the ancestors of the Cui and Xie families had suffered various degrees of injury.

But clearly, the major event the ancestor referred to was not just this.

So, what else will happen?

"Please enlighten us, Patriarch."

"Over the years, that Prince has indulged in pleasures but he is not as simple as he seems. The sudden appearance of Cold Crow Daoist must have a reason." The Cui Family Ancestor said, "The court over there is likely to make use of this, and this calamity of demons will be the fuse."

"Of course, there’s another thing concerning that young talented sword cultivator."

"What problem does he have?" Cui Shan asked.

The Cui Family Ancestor gazed into the distance, a segment of memories seemed to flicker in his mind, recalling scenes seen in the past, that elegant, supreme sword master.

"Sword cultivators excel in attack, have strong combat power, but their numbers are relatively declining, truly top-level talents in Sword Dao are even rarer. His origins are likely unusual, furthermore arriving at such a time." The Cui Family Ancestor said, "Keep an eye on this person, avoid conflict with him, I hope it’s just my overthinking."

With that, he turned to leave, leaving the Cui family members looking at each other, not understanding what the Patriarch meant.

Who exactly is that young sword cultivator?

"Extraordinary origins?" Cui Shan murmured softly. A Sword Dao power that even the Patriarch paid such attention to, implies at least a place with a Seventh Realm Great Sword Cultivator.

Not many such places exist in the Great Li World.

In the following days, the court continued the hunt for demons, even dispatching a large army to the wilderness to slay demons. Many people heard loud sounds from the outskirts, as if a great battle had erupted.

Soon, news spread that Prince Qinghe had already captured the Manor Master of Divine Wood Mountain Villa, apprehending him alive.

Subsequently, Prince Qinghe invited various forces to a banquet at the Prince Manor to discuss the matter of demon extermination, intending to execute the old demon of Divine Wood Mountain Villa during the banquet, along with many captured demons.

Once the news spread, Qinghe County was greatly excited.

The events at Divine Wood Mountain Villa were extremely vile, and now the court, with the might of a thunderbolt, is sweeping away the demons and capturing the chief culprit, naturally uplifting the people’s spirit.

After hearing the news, Li Fan felt somewhat strange.

Did the court truly apprehend the old demon of Divine Wood Mountain Villa?

And since they’ve announced a public execution, it naturally cannot be false, so this matter has nothing to do with the court?

Yet, he felt something was odd, why did the court delay such measures, waiting for the explosion of the Divine Wood Mountain Villa incident, resulting in the tragic deaths of many cultivators before intervening?

So, was it intentional? Suppressing Yu Kun Academy and the Qinghe County family’s influence?

But then, how can the court ensure it can capture the old demon afterward?

All these things left Li Fan puzzled.

"Are you going to the banquet?" Outside the courtyard, Wang Yuyao asked Li Fan.

"I’ll go and take a look around the city." Li Fan responded.

Wang Yuyao was thoughtful and said, "But, about that day..."

"I have my own discretion," Li Fan replied. The junior brother had also come to Qinghe County, so what exactly was in Qinghe County?

Upon hearing Li Fan’s words, Wang Yuyao did not say more.

......

Qinghe County City was extremely prosperous, with many cultivators, as it was, after all, a city in the heart of the kingdom.

Inside a tavern in the city, Li Fan and his companions were drinking, listening to the surrounding people chat.

"It’s said that the Prince Manor captured over a hundred demons this time, all above the Fifth Realm, and even a Sixth Realm Great Demon was caught in the city. I really didn’t expect demons were right among us."

"Demons refined into spirits can shape-shift, indistinguishable from humans. And since there are forces among humans that raise demons, as long as they don’t cause trouble, they generally live among humans without issue. But this incident caused them to reveal their true forms."

"The court is indeed the court, striking with thunderous means, eradicating Qinghe County’s demons in such a short time, even capturing the Old Demon. Previously, I thought the Commandery Prince was a good-for-nothing, seems we misunderstood him."

The surrounding chatter was filled with praise for the court.

Li Fan listened quietly, able to perceive from the discussions around him that after this incident, the court’s prestige had skyrocketed. In contrast, the Cui and Xie clans and Yu Kun Academy were not mentioned.

After all, not only did they gain nothing this time, but they also suffered heavy losses.

Just as the crowd was discussing, a commotion was heard, and everyone’s attention turned in one direction, only to see Cui Shan stride in, followed by a number of cultivators, with Xie Lingxuan among them.

These people were all practitioners from Yu Kun Academy.

"Lu." Cui Shan’s gaze immediately fell on Li Fan as he walked up and sat nearby. Those around him were curiously sizing up Li Fan, was this the Sword Cultivator who dared to kill court cultivators?

According to Cui Shan, this Sword Cultivator’s strength was extraordinary.

"Why is Cui here?" Li Fan asked curiously as he looked across.

"I heard Lu was here, so I came to take a look," Cui Shan replied. Li Fan raised an eyebrow slightly, and Cui Shan seemed to understand his thoughts, explaining, "Lu, don’t misunderstand, this tavern is a property of my Cui family, I didn’t intentionally spy on Lu’s whereabouts."

"No worries," Li Fan said indifferently. With the Cui family’s influence in Qinghe County, it was impossible to hide his presence anywhere, let alone at their tavern.

As they spoke, violent tremors occurred outside, a shout echoed, and a group of people perceived with their Divine Senes, causing Cui Shan and others to have a change in expression.

"Is the Sword Cultivator and demoness in the tavern?" a frivolous voice came, and Li Fan frowned, then sensed a powerful gust approaching, shaking the tavern in an instant.

"Those uninvolved, leave quickly," a booming voice ordered, prompting everyone in the tavern to rise and leave.

Cui Shan and the others also stood up and walked outside.

Li Fan glanced at the trembling ceiling of the tavern, then stood and headed outside as well.

On the street, Cui Shan and Li Fan emerged to see a group of figures riding monsters, led by an incredibly young person with sharp eyes, disheveled hair, exuding arrogance, seated atop a unicorn.

The people on the street stopped and looked over; was it the prince’s infamous playboy?

"An Shicheng," a Yu Kun Academy cultivator murmured, referring to the notorious playboy of the Prince Manor, whom they despised. Beside him was the very Daoist who had been injured by Li Fan the other day.

An Shicheng glanced at Li Fan, then eyed Lu Yuan, Yue Qingqiu, and the others with a brazen gaze that made Lu Yuan frown, releasing a faint chill.

An Shicheng seemed to notice her displeasure, but instead smiled, addressing them, "You all have some nerve."

Daring to come into the city?

But this female demon is quite alluring.

How could one bear to kill such a demon?

"An Shicheng, the previous matters have already been explained by my Cui family," Cui Shan said, looking at An Shicheng astride the monster. In Qinghe County City, he was unwilling to clash with the Princely Heir.

"Did I ask you?" An Shicheng smiled at Cui Shan, "What is your Cui family worth?"

An uproar erupted around them; everyone said An Shicheng was a playboy, but they hadn’t imagined this level.

Cui family, worth nothing?

The atmosphere instantly grew tense, sensing the aura emanating from Cui Shan and the others, An Shicheng looked at him, eyes gleaming with an inexplicable excitement.

They said Cui Shan of the Cui family was a prodigy with exceptional talent.

So, just how high was his talent?