Chapter 530 - 456: True or Fake Demon Seed (2)

Chapter 530: Chapter 456: True or Fake Demon Seed (2)

The young man had found him three months ago, claiming to be the legendary Holy Seed.

At first, of course, he didn’t believe it.

As a high-ranking member of the Demon Sect, he knew the Holy Seed was just something mentioned in passing in the fragmented words of the Demon God.

Legend has it that the Founding Ancestor of the Demon Sect once told his disciples, "Though my body may die, my spirit will not be extinguished. It will become a seed, reincarnating throughout the world."

And so, the legend of the Holy Seed has been passed down ever since.

However, most sect members treated it as nothing more than a myth. In the last few centuries, it was scarcely ever brought up.

Until that Profound Person appeared...

Mr. Yuan had single-handedly rebuilt the Demon Sect. Though not a powerful warrior himself, he possessed the ability to help others achieve breakthroughs. The Sect Leader himself had broken through his own limits thanks to Mr. Yuan’s assistance.

It was also Mr. Yuan who first brought up the concept of the Holy Seed.

"What did that man say about me?"

The young man suddenly spoke.

The Tianxin Sect Leader was pulled from his reverie. He spoke calmly, "Mr. Yuan once said that the Holy Seed would be the most intelligent person in the world. He who has the makings of a Holy Master is the Holy Seed."

He did not continue.

Because according to Mr. Yuan, anyone who could break through to the Martial Saint Realm would be the Holy Seed.

They didn’t even need to be a member of the Demon Sect.

That was why Bai Yuan was chosen as the Holy Seed.

The Tianxin Sect Leader gave the young man another deep look.

This young man’s name was Mo Tian.

The reason he was so convinced that Mo Tian was the Holy Seed was rooted in the young man’s very bones.

These were bones the likes of which he had never seen before.

It wasn’t because their potential was monstrously high, but because Mo Tian’s bones were ancient.

Right!

Ancient...

Incredibly ancient—so ancient it was beyond the Tianxin Sect Leader’s comprehension.

Upon reaching the realm of Divine Connection, one could perceive a person’s root bones at a glance. And Mo Tian’s root bones, aside from being exceptionally gifted, bore the marks of five thousand years.

Five thousand years!!

The Tianxin Sect Leader had never seen such ancient root bones. It was simply beyond his comprehension.

And the Demon God had also appeared five thousand years ago.

So when Mo Tian said he was the Holy Seed, he didn’t have a shred of doubt.

’Besides the Holy Master, who else could live for five thousand years?’

Mo Tian spoke again, "By the way, what’s the name of the person Mr. Yuan mistook for me?"

The Tianxin Sect Leader replied, "Bai Yuan."

...

「Huanglong Prefecture, Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.」

The main hall of the Government Office was filled with people.

Most of them were from the Cao Bang, having come from Jiangnan.

The Cao Bang Leader took a sip of tea, then gently set the cup down and sighed. "Lord Bai, how do you plan to handle this matter?"

He was here precisely because of the issue with the Northern Plains caravans.

The profits from the Northern Plains were even greater than he had imagined, accounting for a full thirty percent of the Cao Bang’s profits. Moreover, the risk was much lower than dealing with those two emperors; at least he didn’t have to worry about them defaulting on their debts.

Upon learning that the Cao Bang caravans had been ambushed several times in a row, he could no longer sit still. He had brought his men to Ling Province to find Bai Yuan and seek a solution.

Han Jiu, seeming to realize his tone was off, quickly added, "Lord Bai, I’m not here to call you to account. You have a fifty percent stake in this yourself. We can’t just stand by and watch a cooked duck fly away, can we?"

Bai Yuan said, "Han Bangzhu, I understand what you mean, but this matter involves the Demon Sect. We cannot act rashly."

Hearing the words "Demon Sect," Han Jiu’s expression hardened.

His own intelligence network was much slower than that of Bai Yuan, who was based in Ling Province.

He hadn’t expected the culprits to be the Demon Sect, the very same one that had fought the Xuan Yang for years.

"If the Demon Sect is really behind this, then we’re in serious trouble."

Han Jiu grew even more anxious.

What kind of entity was the Demon Sect, after all?

They were a force that had given the Xuan Yang Court headaches even at its peak. Even if the Cao Bang joined forces with all four provinces of Shuofang, they would be no match for the Demon Sect.

Han Jiu, of course, was unwilling to accept that his business was about to go up in smoke.

Bai Yuan said, "Han Bangzhu, I’ve already sent people to the Northern Plains to investigate. Word is, someone claiming to be the Demon Seed has teamed up with the Tianxin Sect Leader to try and retake the southern part of the Northern Plains."

Hearing this, Han Jiu actually breathed a sigh of relief.

If it was only the Celestial Heart Sect, things were much better than he’d feared.

It was well-known that the Demon Sect was split into two branches: the Celestial Heart Sect and the Soul-Chasing Tower. The methods of the Celestial Heart Sect were nowhere near as cold-blooded and cruel as those of the Soul-Chasing Road. Perhaps there was still a chance for things to turn around.

"Demon Seed?"

Han Jiu looked at Bai Yuan in confusion. "Lord Bai, wasn’t the Demon Seed already killed by experts sent by the Court?"

He clearly remembered the incident. The affair of the Demon Seed had caused a massive uproar in Ling Province back then; even he had heard the news.

In the end, it was Grand Protector Yan Shao’an and a Grand Celestial Master from the Dragon Tiger Sect who had joined forces to kill the Demon Seed.

He never expected another to appear after all this time.

Bai Yuan nodded. "That’s right, the Demon Seed. Whether this one is real or an imposter, I cannot say."

Han Jiu sighed again.

The situation in the Northern Plains was far more complicated than he had anticipated.

If it were just some Barbarian People or monsters who weren’t afraid of Big Beard’s Bone Order, there would have been plenty of solutions. But now that both the Demon Seed and the Demon Sect were involved, the matter was far more difficult to handle.

The Cao Bang wasn’t even considered a top-tier power in the Xuan Yang, how could they dare to provoke a behemoth like the Demon Sect?

But he was truly unwilling to just give up the profits within his grasp and let it all go to waste.

"Since you’re already here, Han Bangzhu," Bai Yuan said, "we might as well wait together. Perhaps more news will arrive."

Han Jiu nodded.

"It seems we have no other choice."

It wasn’t just Han Jiu. Bai Yuan had no desire to see the daily river of gleaming silver dry up either.

Although he now controlled the Northern Territory, collecting taxes was a major problem.

The Northern Territory had just found stability. Raising taxes now would surely incite a rebellion, which would be entirely counterproductive.

But trying to support both the Northern Garrison Army and the Zhenxi Army on the meager tax income of the Northern Territory was no easy feat.

The entire Xuan Yang could only afford to support four such armies. For him to support two in the Northern Territory alone, one could imagine the difficulty.

As the saying goes, even a hero can be felled by a single coin.

Bai Yuan was a great warrior, but martial prowess couldn’t be exchanged for silver and supplies.

Thus, his business with the Cao Bang had become the best way to bridge the gap. He was barely managing to maintain his forces with the Cao Bang’s money; if that income stream were severed, his armies’ combat strength would inevitably suffer.

The Red Turban Army, after all, had always been eyeing the Northern Territory covetously.

The moment the Northern Territory showed any weakness, the Red Turban Army would swoop in. War would engulf the land, and there would be no peace to be had.

...

Bai Yuan and Han Jiu waited in Ling Province for news about the Demon Seed.

Before their scouts returned from the Northern Plains, however, a secret letter arrived from Emperor Li Dai.

"For Yuan’s eyes:

Xuan Yang is in great turmoil. The Northern Demon Sect shows signs of resurgence. If the Demon Sect marches south once more, it will surely plunge the world into chaos. We hope that you, Our beloved minister Yuan, will defend the Northern Territory and protect the realm. We shall be eternally grateful..."

The letter was not long, and its contents were not hard to understand.

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’I’ve underestimated Li Dai. I didn’t expect him to get intelligence from the Northern Plains so quickly.’

Those who had personally faced the Demon Sect knew its power intimately. Li Dai had once served as the Military Supervisor for the Northern Garrison Army, and Grand Protector Yan Shao’an had led troops against them himself. They knew the Demon Sect’s strength all too well.

That was why he had contacted Bai Yuan with a secret letter.

His request was simple: he wanted Bai Yuan to lead his troops and halt the Demon Sect’s advance in the Northern Territory.

Li Dai also made it clear in the letter: if Bai Yuan agreed to hold back the Demon Sect, then once he secured his throne, he would make Bai Yuan the King of the Northern Territory, with a fiefdom of three provinces of his choosing.

A Prince of this rank hadn’t been seen since the founding of the dynasty.

Of course, Li Dai’s offer seemed tempting, but it was really just an empty promise.

Never mind Li Kang, who was entrenched in the Central Plains; the Red Turban Army, backed by Xuankong Temple and the Zhengyang Sect, was no easy opponent either.

The victor had yet to be decided.

If Li Dai could actually win the throne, and if Bai Yuan could successfully hold back the Demon Sect, thus providing a stable environment for the Xuan Yang Dynasty, then the title of a Prince over three provinces wouldn’t be excessive at all.

’Li Dai’s calculations are quite shrewd.’

Bai Yuan calmly put the letter down.

’It seems the Demon Sect’s reemergence has rattled everyone in the Central Plains. Li Dai’s letter is likely just the beginning. Many more people will soon become restless.’

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’They want me to send troops? Fine. But a single piece of paper is far from enough!’