Chapter 413: Master, Your Righteousness is Admirable!

The two men walked side by side, Li Wuxing remaining silent while Xu Sanyan chattered incessantly.

“My Senior Brother is kind and honest. Don’t you dare take advantage of him, or you’ll face my wrath!”

Li Wuxing simply ignored him.

Upon entering the prefectural office, which was deserted at this hour, Xu Sanyan acted as if he were in his own home, casually leading the way to the inner courtyard. He raised his voice and shouted, “Senior Brother, someone from the prefectural city has arrived!”

A voice echoed from within the residence, but before Yu Huisheng could emerge, two figures darted out from a side room.

Both were middle-aged men dressed in standard black robes, their waists cinched with purple-gold jade belts. Their faces were stern and unsmiling as they strode toward Li Wuxing, clasped their fists in salute, and declared, “Your subordinates pay their respects, Master.”

Li Wuxing nodded slightly. “Hmm, what’s the situation?”

The two men exchanged glances. One of them replied, “We’ve found no leads. The thief operates with meticulous secrecy, never striking the same place twice. Their motives remain unclear, and their timing is unpredictable, making them exceedingly difficult to track down.”

Li Wuxing remained silent, his gaze fixed on Yu Huisheng, who hurried out to greet him.

Yu Huisheng’s face beamed with a practiced smile as he bowed deeply from afar. “This humble official, Yu Huisheng, greets you, Master.”

He then turned to Xu Sanyan. “Junior Brother, what brings you back with Master?”

Xu Sanyan rolled his eyes and retorted, “You’d better ask him. I was happily drawing formations when he dragged me here to see you.”

Yu Huisheng quickly cautioned in a low voice, “Junior Brother, show some respect.”

Xu Sanyan’s expression remained defiant, but he refrained from arguing. Inwardly, he marveled at Yu Huisheng’s acting skills, recalling the old saying:

The best actors become officials; the worst end up in Hollywood.

Li Wuxing’s gaze flickered as he scrutinized Yu Huisheng’s face. “Is he truly your junior brother?”

“Yes, this is absolutely true.”

“Is your junior brother a formation master?”

“Yes.”

“Did you entrust him with setting up the formations for Zhangzhi City?”

“Yes.”

Yu Huisheng explained, “As the magistrate of Zhangzhi City, I naturally wish to serve its people. It so happened that my junior brother came to visit, so I asked him to establish the formations.”

Li Wuxing remained noncommittal, pressing further, “Are you aware that maintaining a Great Formation requires immense financial resources? Zhangzhi is merely a small city—how could it possibly afford such an undertaking?”

“Hah, ignorant fool,” Xu Sanyan scoffed, cutting off Yu Huisheng’s explanation with a disdainful laugh. He turned his head away, as if unwilling to waste any more words on him.

“Audacious!”

“How dare you disrespect Master!”

Before Li Wuxing could react, his two subordinates erupted in furious reprimands.

Li Wuxing waved a hand to silence them, a flicker of genuine interest in his eyes. “This official has little understanding of the Formation Dao. I was just about to seek enlightenment.”

Xu Sanyan sneered, “Hah, you think just because you ask, I’ll teach you? Who do you think you are?”

Yu Huisheng broke out in a cold sweat. Though this defiance was part of their plan, he hadn’t anticipated such reckless audacity. This was the Junior High Priest, a Soul Refinement Cultivator and a fourth-rank official! If they angered him, a single palm strike could mean their deaths.

He quickly intervened, “Junior Brother, show some respect. Since Master wishes to hear it, you should explain.”

Xu Sanyan finally glanced at Li Wuxing, grudgingly relenting. “Fine, since Senior Brother insists, I’ll enlighten you today.”

“The art of formations lies in the harmonious combination of the formation base, formation patterns, formation core, and other elements. The formation base and core must complement each other. For example, the west corresponds to metal, harnessing its sharpness. A metal-attribute magic artifact placed in the west serves as the formation core. Conversely, the east corresponds to wood, drawing upon its vitality. A wood-attribute magic artifact placed in the east serves as the formation core. These cores are then connected by formation patterns, forming a cohesive whole…”

Xu Sanyan, fearing they wouldn’t understand, picked up a twig and began sketching diagrams in the dirt as he spoke. Li Wuxing and the others squatted down, listening intently like curious children.

As time passed, Li Wuxing became increasingly certain: despite his youthful appearance, this man was undoubtedly a great master of the Formation Dao!

Though he himself knew little of formations, his status and connections had exposed him to some. He could still discern true skill from mere pretense.

Xu Sanyan casually tossed aside the twig, stood up, and clapped his hands.

“Explaining it too deeply would only confuse you. Let me put it simply: the formations you mentioned that require maintenance are those with formation cores that need constant spirit energy to keep the formation patterns active. Such formations are typically top-tier offensive and defensive Great Formations. Even if I could set one up, you couldn’t afford to maintain it.”

Xu Sanyan cast them a haughty glance.

“Therefore, this small town is protected by a wood-attribute formation that regulates feng shui and saturates the area with wood qi. Next year will undoubtedly bring a bountiful harvest. To maintain this formation, simply plant spirit plants in the locations I’ve specified. The plants will nourish the formation, and the formation will reciprocate by nurturing the plants. This symbiotic relationship requires minimal maintenance—only periodic checks.”

“I see! Your benevolence is truly admirable, sir!” Li Wuxing clasped his hands in a respectful bow, deeply impressed by both Xu Sanyan’s profound mastery of the Formation Dao and his noble character.

Since embarking on his cultivation journey, Li Wuxing had encountered countless cultivators, and he had come to a sobering realization: the vast majority of cultivators no longer regarded ordinary people as human beings. They treated them like livestock, devoid of empathy. Even many righteous path cultivators held this view, though they rarely voiced it. Li Wuxing could see it in their eyes.

Thus, cultivators like this young master, willing to serve ordinary people, were exceedingly rare.

It’s not about what people say, but what they do. Though this young master’s words may be sharp, his heart remains kind.

“Tch, sucking up won’t get you anywhere,” Xu Sanyan scoffed, still harboring resentment from their earlier encounter.

Anyone subjected to such an unwarranted interrogation would lose their patience.

The Golden Blade Envoy beside him frowned. “If this method works, why do the sects still spend vast amounts of spirit stones maintaining the Great Formations? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just plant more spirit plants?”

“Hah!” Xu Sanyan’s smile dripped with mockery. “How naive! It’s like a bowl of rice. It might fill a baby, but would it satisfy you?”

The Golden Blade Envoy lowered his head, offering no rebuttal. I don’t even need to eat rice… he thought silently.

Li Wuxing, however, understood the point. Great Formations, especially those designed for offense and defense, required immense spiritual energy. The meager amount provided by spirit plants simply wouldn’t suffice.

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier, Young Master. Please forgive my transgression,” Li Wuxing said, bowing in apology.

The two Golden Blade Envoys exchanged glances before lowering their heads in acknowledgment of their error. With their leader bowing, they couldn’t afford to remain stubborn.

Seeing such sincerity, Xu Sanyan felt a pang of embarrassment. “Alright, alright, I forgive you.”

“May I ask your name, Young Master?”

“Liang Yongzhuo. I studied under Huai Qingzi. After my Master’s passing, I became a disciple of Daoist Yunshan. Having recently completed my training, I came to visit my Senior Brother.”

The Daoist Yunshan mentioned by Xu Sanyan was none other than the author of the Beauty Scroll Compendium, which Li Wuxing had obtained from a secret realm fruit long ago. The daoist had been dead for tens of thousands of years.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Li Wuxing said politely. He could tell that Liang Yongzhuo responded better to kindness than force. Dealing with such people was simple: treat them well, and they’d reciprocate.

(End of the Chapter)