Chapter 514: Assembly
Li Lian walked through the military camp, weaving past rows of tents as she thought about all the things she wanted to tell Xiao Fang. Only a few days had passed, but it felt as if something new was happening everyday.
The thoughts continued until she reached the southern inner perimeter. A red tent stood apart from the rest, its surroundings unusually quiet compared to the bustle elsewhere.
She stopped when she saw it, and the first person she recognized was Xiao Hei.
Sitting cross-legged atop a supply crate, Xiao Hei impatiently chewed on something sweet, but the moment Li Lian turned the corner, Xiao Heiās ear twitched before she turned to face her. Seeing who it was, Xiao Hei stuck her tongue out at her mockingly before turning her attention back to her sweets in her hand.
Li Lian sighed before walking up to the tent, to which she eventually saw Xun Wei standing outside of the tentās entrance as if she was guarding it.
Her arms were folded, her face was as hard to read as ever, but the moment she saw Li Lian, her eyes lit up just a bit.
"Lian, youāre here," Xun Wei said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"I wouldāve arrived sooner," Li Lian replied with a faint, wry smile, "but I ran into a bit of a setback."
"What kind of setback?" Xun Wei asked.
Li Lian gave them a brief account of her clash with Chen Li back at the Black Paradise sect.
Xun Wei frowned. "To think someone like that was hiding in the Inner Court... Do you really believe sheās connected to this war?"
"The Song Family Clan has been causing trouble for us for quite some time," Li Lian said slowly. "But for them to suddenly grow this aggressive... I have a feeling she played a part in it."
"We ran into trouble too," Xiao Hei interjected half-heartedly. "They attacked us not long after we left the sect."
Li Lian raised a brow. "Who did you fight?"
"Someone far stronger than Chen Li," Xiao Hei replied dismissively as she hopped down from the supply crate. "Iām going to look around the camp. Let me know when Fang comes out."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and wandered off.
Li Lian shifted her attention back to Xun Wei.
"Did the three of you really fight someone?" Li Lian asked, unmistakable interest lacing her voice.
Xun Wei sighed softly. "We did. On the way here, we were attacked by three Heavenly Fate disciplesātwo Divine Realm, and one Heavenly Realm."
Li Lianās expression stiffened. "Then the bodies found outside the Black Paradise Sect..."
"...were because of us," Xun Wei confirmed.
Li Lian had suspected as muchābut hearing it aloud still sent a chill through her body. The Heavenly Fate sect had been the rulers of this country for thousands of years, it was said that not even the combined strength of the Chaos sect and Divine Sword sect could challenge them. Their abilities were still a mystery to her, but she knew they couldnāt have been easy opponents to go up against.
Li Lian felt it againāthat quiet, unsettling sense that the distance between her and Xiao Fang was growing faster than she could chase.
"To defeat a Heavenly Realm cultivator from the Heavenly Fate Sect... just how strong has he become?" she murmured.
Thinking back, the last time they had fought, he hadnāt even broken a sweat. Forcing him to draw his sword had taken everything she had.
"I know itās hard to believe," Xun Wei said, her voice pulling Li Lian out of her thoughts. "But I saw it myself. He defeated the Heavenly Realm cultivator in a single breath."
Li Lianās brows knit tightly. "How?"
"Do you remember the spear he told us about?"
"The Dragon Dynasty Spear he obtained in Jadepeak City?"
Xun Wei nodded. "Thatās the one."
She went on to explain the battle in detailāhow Xiao Fang baited his opponent, manipulated their assumptions, and struck at the one moment they least expected it.
As she listened, the tension in Li Lianās chest slowly eased.
So he hadnāt won through brute force alone.
It wasnāt raw power that decided the outcomeāit was judgment, preparation, and insight.
That realization didnāt erase the gap between them... but it made it feel a little less insurmountable.
Li Lian exhaled slowly. "So thatās what happened..."
Most of what she knew about the Heavenly Fate Sect came from rumorsāstories exaggerated by fear and distance. Yet now, hearing this from someone she trusted, she understood how dangerous they truly were.
Confidence in her own strength had never been something she lacked, but the Heavenly Fate Sect was no ordinary opponent.
She clenched her fist, a flicker of frustration passing through her eyes. She wished more than anything that she couldāve been there to fight alongside them.
Unexpectedly, Li Lian heard Li Xianyuās voice again from deep within her soul sea.
"This Xiao Fang they speak of is quite remarkable," the ancestor said thoughtfully. "I would like to meet him."
Li Lian nodded inwardly because she was itching to see him again too.
"Is Xiao Fang inside?" she asked.
"Yes," Xun Wei replied, "but he asked me not to let anyone disturb him. Heās in seclusion right now."
Li Lian frowned slightly. "Now of all times...?" She exhaled, then shook her head. "Iāll wait."
She remained beside Xun Wei, and the two soon fell into quiet conversation. As time passed, Xun Wei began recounting their encounter with Yu Qiuyanāwhat she had taught them, and the truths they had learned along the way.
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"Fascinating," Li Lian murmured, absorbing every word.
Before long, a deep war horn echoed across the camp, its sound rolling over the tents like a wave.
Xun Wei looked up, "What was that for?"
"Itās the call to assemble," Li Lian answered. "Theyāre gathering everyone."
Turning to leave, Li Lian paused before saying,
"My father wanted me to tell Xiao Fang to come to the assembly, he probably wants him to lead a small team. Can you tell him when he gets out, that my father is waiting for him."
Xun Wei nodded. "Iāll tell him."
"Thank you, Wei."
Seeing Li Lian begin to leave, Xun Wei hesitated, a question forming in her mind.
"Whatās the point of dividing everyone into teams?" she asked herself aloud.