The Lizard’s Tail

The western peak of White Pool Mountain was larger than Han Li had imagined.

Atop the summit sat not only an ancient temple but also over a dozen stone pavilions of varying sizes. Small groups of cultivators could already be seen in deep discussion within them.

Outside the pavilions and the temple courtyard, a scattering of cultivators milled about, coming and going.

It seemed some attendees for this gathering at White Pool Mountain had grown impatient and arrived early.

After surveying the peak from above for a moment, Han Li circled once before landing in a secluded corner of the summit.

He then led Qu Hun casually toward a few nearby stone pavilions.

With the strength of his spiritual sense, it took him only a short while to clearly overhear the conversations of the cultivators within each pavilion.

One pavilion in particular drew his attention. Inside, four cultivators were speaking with animated gestures.

Han Li paused to listen. Their topic was the war between the Seven Great Sects of Yue and the Devilish Dao. His interest piqued, he no longer hesitated and walked over.

“This crushing defeat at the hands of the Devilish Dao hasn’t just forced the Six Sects of Yue to flee their homeland. Our nations, Yuanwu and Zijin, are in for a calamity as well. The question now is whether the Devilish Dao will strike our Yuanwu first, or Zijin.” The fair-faced, middle-aged man among the four sighed as he spoke.

“True. That last great battle crippled the strength of the Six Sects. Even the cultivators from our two nations who went to assist lost fifty or sixty percent of their forces. Sects like Heavenly Star will be tearing their hair out now,” a young man in his twenties interjected with a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

At the youth’s words, the other two old men among the four remained expressionless, showing no reaction. But the middle-aged man who had first spoken could only force a bitter smile. He opened his mouth to add something.

Just then, a voice came from beside them.

“I’m afraid it’s not just major sects like Heavenly Star that will be in dire straits. We rogue cultivators and immortal clans will be hit much harder. The Devilish Dao operates on a philosophy of the strong devouring the weak. We won’t have this kind of ease for much longer.” Han Li walked over slowly, giving voice to the unspoken sentiment behind the middle-aged man’s bitter smile.

Startled by the approach of an outsider, the four immediately fell silent.

After a moment, realizing they could not discern Han Li’s cultivation level, a flicker of unease passed over their faces. They all rose and respectfully saluted him. The middle-aged man, especially quick to react, hurriedly tried to deflect any offense from the youth.

“Senior, my young friend Yu was only speaking casually. He meant no disrespect toward any sect. Please do not take offense, Senior!”

They had mistaken Han Li for a high-ranking cultivator from some immortal sect in Yuanwu Nation.

The youth’s expression likewise tensed.

“Haha, good friends, you misunderstand. I am merely a rogue cultivator as well. I just happened to overhear and thought to chime in.” Han Li smiled gently, offering a mild explanation.

Hearing this, the four relaxed. Though they were unsure of the truth behind Han Li’s claims, it was clear he intended no punishment for their careless words.

Welcomed by the four, Han Li took a seat at the stone table within the pavilion.

“It is an honor for us, Junior, that a Senior has come here. But if I may be so bold, with your level of cultivation, why would you attend a gathering of this scale?” asked the red-faced old man, who had the highest cultivation among the four, somewhat formally.

His surprise was understandable. A local, small-scale gathering like this one at White Pool Mountain rarely attracted Foundation Establishment cultivators. High-level cultivators had their own exclusive assemblies for exchange.

“I’ve been cultivating in a desolate mountain not far from here for some time. It was only recently, upon hearing of our nation’s cultivators’ defeat in Yue, that I sensed a major shift coming in the cultivation world. I came out to gather information. Do any of you have the latest news on the Devilish Dao and the state of Yue?” Han Li explained lightly.

At his words, the four exchanged glances. After a moment, three of them simultaneously looked toward the remaining gaunt old man.

“When it comes to being well-informed, none of us can compare to Brother Ding. After all, the Ding Clan has many worldly businesses directly in Yue,” the red-faced old man said with a dry chuckle, his tone light.

The other two quickly echoed their agreement. A glint of peculiar light flickered in Han Li’s eyes.

Seeing this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on the surnamed Ding old man’s face. He could only speak reluctantly.

“Our Ding Clan’s juniors in Yue have indeed recently sent back some of the latest intelligence from the country. The clan would rather this information not spread, but since you three are my close friends, and this Senior wishes to know, I will share a little. However, I ask that you do not divulge it lightly.”

Hearing this, the other three perked up, quickly affirming their cooperation. Han Li also gave a slight nod.

So, the old man cleared his throat and began to speak slowly.

“According to news received a few days ago, Yue is in a state of chaos. Though the Devilish Dao shattered the alliance of the Six Sects, many defeated cultivators from the Six Sects have not left Yue. Instead, they are using the terrain to harass the Devilish Dao forces. I’ve even heard there are several Core Formation cultivators among them who haven’t withdrawn. This is keeping the Devilish Dao men busy. After all, Core Formation cultivators are not so easy to deal with. Add to that the deep-rooted influence of the Six Sects after years of ruling Yue, and the Devilish Dao is finding it somewhat troublesome to fully take over the Yue cultivation world.”

“As for the immortal clans in Yue, they have split into three camps. One faction switched sides immediately upon seeing the Six Sects’ defeat, willingly submitting to the Six Devilish Dao Sects. Another faction, having been too closely tied to the Six Sects and fearing future retribution, has chosen to withdraw from Yue entirely, just like the sects themselves. The last faction is still waiting, adopting a watchful stance.”

“As for the sect headquarters occupied by the Seven Sects for so many years, I’ve heard that aside from Moon-Masking Sect and Giant Sword Sect, which haven’t been breached yet, the other four sects have all been completely taken. However, it is said that the spoils seized were minimal. Most of the rare and valuable items were carried away by the retreating disciples of the Six Sects.”

“As I see it, until the Devilish Dao can stabilize Yue, they won’t attack our nation or Zijin. Even with their numbers, simultaneously occupying two small countries and one medium-sized one likely stretches them thin. That’s why they are temporarily helpless against those troublemaking cultivators from the Six Sects.”

The old man slowly recounted the above, interspersing his own insights.

“Brother Ding, what do you estimate? How long of a reprieve will the Devilish Dao give us? Can our nation’s sects withstand an attack now?” the red-faced old man beside him couldn’t help but interject.

“Hard to say. What I know is just surface-level news. What the true situation is, only the high-ranking officials of the various sects probably know.” The surnamed Ding old man shook his head, casting a stealthy glance at Han Li.

He clearly still harbored suspicions that Han Li was a cultivator from one of their own nation’s sects, making his words cautious.

Then, seeming unwilling to continue on this topic, the surnamed Ding old man suddenly smiled and brought up a piece of news that startled Han Li.

“This time, the Six Sects of Yue, forced to retreat in haste, all seemed to adopt the ‘lizard cuts off its tail’ strategy. They only took their high-aptitude, elite disciples with them, leaving many others in the dark to be sacrificed. The most ruthless of all, I hear, were the high-ranking officials of Yellow Maple Valley. To ensure their truly trusted elites could escape Yue safely, they sacrificed two batches of disciples in succession! That accounted for nearly all their disciples who weren’t part of the evacuation. Hmph, quite a ruthless tactic.”

Though the old man spoke casually, Han Li’s heart sank heavily. His expression flickered slightly.

Fortunately, no one dared to stare at Han Li directly, so his unusual expression went unnoticed.

“Fellow Daoist Ding, you said Yellow Maple Valley sacrificed two batches of disciples. Can you elaborate? I’m quite interested.” Han Li suppressed the shock within him and asked with an unchanged expression.

“Heh, since Senior asks, this Junior will naturally speak the truth. It’s said that upon receiving news of the front’s defeat, Yellow Maple Valley’s top brass immediately devised a scheme to ‘slough off the mortal shell.’ They first ordered one batch of disciples to withdraw ahead of the others, but secretly leaked this information to the Devilish Dao’s spies, claiming these disciples were Yellow Maple Valley’s elite carrying a large amount of spirit stones and raw materials. This completely distracted the Devilish Dao pursuers. Meanwhile, back at the sect, they left another batch of disciples completely in the dark, using them to man the grand formation and confront the remaining Devilish Dao forces. With these two batches of disciples occupying the enemy’s full attention, the upper echelons of Yellow Maple Valley allowed their truly trusted elite disciples to retreat with the sect’s thousand-year accumulated wealth via an entirely different route.”

“It is said that although Yellow Maple Valley had the smallest number of successful evacuees, their retreat was the smoothest of the Six Sects. The other five sects, though they concentrated their forces for the retreat, were still caught by pursuers and had to fight desperate rearguard actions. Much of their wealth fell into the Devilish Dao’s hands. This matter, because it left the Devilish Dao outwitted, has become widely circulated in the Yue cultivation world.” The old man did not dare to be negligent in his detailed account to Han Li.

“Oh. So that’s how it was. Those Yellow Maple Valley disciples who were abandoned really were quite foolish.” Han Li’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke slowly in a low voice.