Chapter 805: Tie Clan
The old turtle wanted to leave after taking Li Qiye to his destination. He naturally wished for Li Qiye to spare him. However, Li Qiye didn't say anything and he was too afraid to ask, so the turtle had to keep on carrying Li Qiye forward.
The ruins ahead were quite large. One could easily imagine that this was once a grand city. Li Qiye shook his head and thought that the Tie Clan had fallen. Even a stronger clan wouldn't escape the fate of eventual decline.
In the Heavenly Flame County, many people knew the Tie Clan. The older generation would always say positive things when talking about the Tie Clan: "The Tie Masters have always been good people across the generations. It is our county's blessing to have such great rulers."
The county’s people only knew that the Tie Masters were kind and merciful because the county was the land of the Tie Clan. At the same time, the tax here was the lowest in the entire Ox-Herder Country! Because of this, the county was a good place to live.
They didn't know about an even more illustrious and ancient past of the Tie Clan. Very few people in the present did since that time was long gone.
Back in the distant past, there was a Heavenly Flame Goddess who was renowned across the nine worlds and stood at the peak. She was adored by countless geniuses in her generation. Back then, she pledged loyalty under the Dark Crow's banner and was one of his generals with many meritorious contributions. Not only was she beautiful, more importantly, her cultivation was earth shattering.
After countless expeditions, the goddess grew weary. Eventually, Li Qiye as the Dark Crow allowed her to leave, no longer working under him.
He bestowed generous rewards to her. Eventually, she settled down in the Stone Medicine World. She had a family that she passed her torch to, the mighty Tie Clan!
Lamentably, the name "Heavenly Flame Goddess" had been forgotten along with the glory of the Tie Clan.
The old turtle carried Li Qiye further into the ruins. After entering the central area, they found that there were still several mansions standing intact without any damage. These mansions were quite grand and majestic.
However, they were old and no longer as brilliant as before. Only traces of their glory were left from their lofty appearances.
There was an eye-catching stone tablet in front of these mansions. It must have been carved from an unknown type of rock to be so large and heavy. There was only one word on top of the tablet — "Tie". 1
Just this word "Tie" alone showed the clan's previous prestige. Just this word alone was enough to deter countless people in those years.
No one knew who wrote this word, but it soared like a dragon and phoenix with an overbearing momentum, seemingly looking down on the nine worlds and myriad realms.
Unspeakable emotions rose in Li Qiye's mind as well after seeing this "Tie".
Back then, he was the one who gave her this tablet. Although there were also other reasons, it was to give the Tie Clan another form of defense. This word "Tie" came from his own hand and made countless people come to bow down in worship!
After millions of years, this tablet was still here, the word "Tie" was still here, but the Tie Clan had fallen.
"Pluff!" While Li Qiye was looking at the stone tablet and reminiscing, a flying spear suddenly pierced the ground in front of them.
"Scram! The Tie Clan does not welcome you!" A cold and fierce voice came.
A woman adorned in a martial arts robe could be found standing in front of the mansion. It was very tight which highlighted her especially alluring figure. Her expression was cold, a murderous glimmer in her eyes. She had a decisive and war-like atmosphere just like a powerful general.
Behind her was a series of spears that all emitted cold glints. Although this woman had a strong aura with explosive amounts of blood energy, she was only a regular human and at best a martial artist; she wasn't a cultivator.
Li Qiye looked at her and spoke with a blank expression: "Miss, I came bearing no malicious intentions."
"Malicious or not, get the hell out of here!" The woman coldly declared: "None of the Qilin Marquis' lackeys are good people! Scram now or I won't be so polite anymore."
Li Qiye shook his head in response: "I'm afraid you are misunderstanding something. I don't know this Qilin Marquis at all. I only came for sightseeing."
"Even if you are not one of his lackeys, my Tie Clan still does not welcome you. Leave now!" The woman uttered with a voice as cold as ice.
Li Qiye looked back at the mansions behind her. It was empty without another soul. It seemed that she was the only person left from the Tie Clan. Although her vitality was still plentiful, she was only a martial artist without any cultivation.
"Miss, acting polite towards me would be beneficial for you." Li Qiye had a rare moment of good temper and flatly said.
At this point, the woman took out another spear and coldly said: "No need for pleasantries, I don't need anything from you. Just leave already!" She was ready to throw it at any time! She was the current master of the Tie Clan, Tie Lan.
The people in the county would all praise her: "The master is brilliant and shows that women are no less than men."
Tie Lan was the best master that the people of the county could ask for. She was obsessed with martial arts and waived the taxes of the county! Many citizens here supported her. In fact, she was very famous across the entire country as well, at least in the mortal world. At a young age, she had already defended the borders and made numerous great contributions. She was even bestowed the rank of general by the country's ruler.
"So aggressive." Before Li Qiye could reply, a loud laughter accompanied by derisive clapping resounded.
A young man came at this time with more than ten followers behind him. His blood energy was very powerful. It was clear at a glance that he was a cultivator.
"Qilin Marquis!" Tie Lan's expression sank after seeing the young man and she coldly uttered: "You and your lackeys, scram right now or else I won't be so polite anymore!"
"A mere mortal dares to act like this in front of me?!" With a cold expression, the young man declared: "If I wasn't considerate of the Ox-Herder Royal Lord Su Mingchen, I would have killed you already! Be smart and sell this land to me; otherwise, I will no longer give the royal lord any face and take it by force!"
"Don't even dream about it!" Tie Lan shouted: "I would rather die before I sell the Tie Ancestral Land!"
"Killing you is beyond child's play." The Qilin Marquis snorted: "Killing you is simply like stepping on an ant. I am only offering to buy this land to give a little bit of respect to the Royal Lord."
"She told you to scram, so scram. The Tie Clan's land is not for sale." Li Qiye gently waved his sleeve as if he was swatting away a fly before Tie Lan could defend herself.
The young man's gaze fell upon Li Qiye and noticed that he seemed quite ordinary. There was no point caring about this young man or the turtle below him.
"Hey, we have a white knight here." The young man looked at Li Qiye and smirked: "Looking at you, you must be a cultivator. Defending girls is good and all, but you also have to look at who you are going against!" 2
Li Qiye looked at the young man and replied in a dismissive manner: "I've never given a damn."
"Such a big tone." The Qilin Marquis laughed then sneered: "Do you know who I am? You don't even know yet you're still trying to act cool, how courageous!"
"What's the difference?" Li Qiye leisurely said: "I don't care who you are since you are only a stray dog on the street, that's all."
The marquis was basking in his greatness, but after hearing this, his face paled: "Stray dog? Little brat, do you know who I am? I am a disciple of the Heavenhoof Ravine! My senior brother is the Bird King of the Feather Country and my first brother is the Golden Crow Prince!"
The marquis felt proud after mentioning his background. He was a lizard demon and called himself the Qilin Marquis. He was indeed a disciple from the ravine, but only an outer sect disciple. 3
A behemoth with two emperors like the ravine had many outer disciples. Of course, there was one thing the marquis was very proud about, and that was his backing was the second brother of the ravine, the Bird King!
He often boasted to others about being a disciple in addition to his second brother being the Bird King and his first brother being the Golden Crow Prince! This kind of talk made it seem like he was a big shot at the ravine.
Li Qiye was too lazy to look at the boasting marquis, so he contemptuously waved his hand: "Don't know, never heard of you before."
This attitude left the marquis enraged as his face became quite unsightly!
"Young Master, let us teach this fool a good lesson. You can go take care of the girl." The ten followers behind him immediately jumped forward.
They had a fierce look and headed for Li Qiye with an aggressive momentum.
Li Qiye didn't bat an eye in the face of this oncoming attack. He pointed with his finger and unleashed a strike. All ten followers immediately turned into a bloody mist.
This scared the soul out of the marquis. He knew that he had kicked an iron wall this time. He wanted to run, but he couldn't even take a single step before Li Qiye had him gripped by the neck.
"You… do you know who I am? I am a Heavenhoof disciple! My second brother, the Bird King, wants this land. I came under his orders. If, if you dare to touch me, then you would be opposing my second brother and the ravine!"
805 TeaserThe old turtle wanted to leave after taking Li Qiye to his destination. He naturally wished for Li Qiye to spare him. However, Li Qiye didn't say anything and he was too afraid to ask, so the turtle had to keep on carrying Li Qiye forward.
The ruins ahead were quite large. One could easily imagine that this was once a grand city. Li Qiye shook his head and thought that the Tie Clan had fallen. Even a stronger clan wouldn't escape the fate of eventual decline.
In the Heavenly Flame County, many people knew the Tie Clan. The older generation would always say positive things when talking about the Tie Clan: "The Tie Masters have always been good people across the generations. It is our county's blessing to have such great rulers."
The county’s people only knew that the Tie Masters were kind and merciful because the county was the land of the Tie Clan. At the same time, the tax here was the lowest in the entire Shepherd Country! Because of this, the county was a good place to live.
They didn't know about an even more illustrious and ancient past of the Tie Clan. Very few people in the present did since it was now gone.
[collapse] Tie means Iron. ↩ Flower Envoy is the raw meaning of "protector of women", but more often than not, it's said in a derisive tone, and white knight fits so well. ↩ Lizards are close to qilins/dragons. ↩Chapter 806: Tie Lan
The aghast marquis quickly called out his backings and hoped that this would deter Li Qiye.
Li Qiye glanced at him before throwing him on the ground: "Go tell your second brother, first brother, and even the ravine to scram. Don't let me see any of you at the Tie Clan again, or else I'll trample your ravine!"
"Fine, just you wait, I will definitely let them know." Although the marquis wanted to add some stronger words, he saw Li Qiye's cold eyes and couldn't help but quiver. He quickly fled and only left behind the one sentence before disappearing.
"Great immortal, this is, this is opposing the Heavenhoof Ravine." The old turtle shivered. His head shrank back into the shell during the fight. He wanted to dig himself a hole in the muddy ground.
This cowardly turtle was completely different from Tie Yi. Although Tie Yi acted as a coward, it was just that, an act. In contrast, this turtle was truly scared. This was part of his instinct; as a vagabond cultivator, he had always been hiding at the bottom of the river. No matter whether it was a big or small event, he would instantly hide there.
He was truly scared after hearing that Li Qiye wanted to fight against the ravine. He wanted nothing more than to run from this place back to Quicksand River.
Li Qiye nonchalantly replied: "So what?" He didn't care for this sort of thing.
The frightened turtle quickly added: "Great immortal, do you know the origin of the ravine? It is an imperial lineage with two emperors! They control over ten countries in the southern region of the Beast Realm, and many other minor nations are its vassals. After existences like the Alchemy Kingdom, the Jianlong Clan, and the Beastmaster Citadel decided to live reclusively, the ravine became the strongest in this world."
Li Qiye looked at him.: "It seems that you know a lot despite hiding at the bottom of the river."
The old turtle laughed then said while being quite pleased with himself: "Although I hide at the bottom of the river, I still try to listen to worldly news."
He quickly recomposed himself and added: "Great immortal, we should still run away before the ravine comes with killing intent. If that were to happen, we would die without a grave. You should run back to your sect and I will go back to my Quicksand River."
One didn't have to guess to know that upon the first sign of danger, this old turtle wouldn't give a damn about Li Qiye's life and would certainly be the first to flee.
"Who says we have to run? We will stay here for a while longer." Li Qiye said.
The old turtle's neck shrunk back a bit as he whimpered: "Great immortal, this lowly one has carried you here so my task is finished. Can I leave now?"
"Not a chance." Li Qiye purposely teased the turtle and smirked: "It is not easy for me to find an appropriate carrier, so how could I let you go so easily?"
The turtle's expression twisted after hearing this. If he knew this would be the case, he wouldn't have shown such a good performance. He bitterly said: "Great immortal, I am only an insignificant ant while you are the ruler of the nine worlds. An ant like me staying by your side would only ruin your image and reputation…"
"Okay, stop your load of rubbish. If I say you can leave, then leave. If I don't, then obediently stay here or else I'll make a soup out of you." Li Qiye gently waved his hand.
The frightened turtle immediately shut its mouth and didn't dare to utter another word. It obediently stayed behind Li Qiye.
Li Qiye gazed at the tall tablet while gently sighing in his mind. He went closer, but suddenly, a popping sound came about. Tie Lan attacked before he could reach the tablet. A spear aimed straight for Li Qiye's throat like a venomous serpent, swift and merciless.
Tie Lan naturally couldn't hurt Li Qiye. The spear was caught by Li Qiye before it could pierce his throat.
"You should be thanking me." Li Qiye looked at the cold Tie Lan and calmly said: "If I didn't help you chase them away, one can easily imagine your fate."
"Mind your own business!" Tie Lan didn't feel any gratitude and uttered: "You are not a good guy either. You came to my clan for our treasures!"
"Your Tie Clan's treasures?" Li Qiye couldn't help but chuckle. Was there anyone else who knew more than him about the clan's treasures besides the Heavenly Flame Goddess?
"All cultivators are evil; they only wish to steal my clan's treasures! If you wish to do so, then you have to do it over my dead body!" She harshly declared.
Li Qiye glanced at her and asked: "If your clan actually had a treasury, would you still be alive right now? Would you, alone, be able to protect it?"
Although Tie Lan, who was obsessed with martial arts, was a young and powerful master, she was nothing compared to a cultivator.
She stubbornly replied with a cold glimmer in her eyes: "Even if you cultivators are strong, I will use my Tie Clan's Stormpetal Spear to protect every inch of this land!"
"The prominent Tie Clan only has the Stormpetal Spear left and a weak branch of martial arts. Do you really think your clan has something that others covet?" Li Qiye smiled and gently shook his head.
"Don't be so presumptuous!" Tie Lan was furious to see Li Qiye looking down on her most powerful martial arts. She cried out and let go of the spear that Li Qiye caught. Another spear from her back aimed straight for him at lightning speed.
"Clank!" Li Qiye effortlessly flicked his finger and shot away her spear.
"Die!" Tie Lan was a headstrong person who didn't know when to back down. She cried out as the spears behind her flew forward at once. It was as if she had many hands controlling several dozen spears all at once. In the blink of an eye, the cold glint of steel rushed upward then descended like a torrential storm of flower petals.
One had to admit that she was a top martial artist. This move of hers could kill cultivators of the Palace Foundation and even Palace Expansion realms. However, she was but an ant before Li Qiye.
"Pop!" Li Qiye simply waved his sleeve to shatter all of her spears. However, he did not hurt her.
He leisurely looked at her and said: "I came to the Tie Clan this time to take away one item, not to make it hard for you! Plus, this item does not belong to your Tie Clan!"
"In your dreams! Don't even think about taking a single blade of grass from my clan before I am dead!" Tie Lan shouted and rushed forward with her bare hands. She was ready to bare her fangs with great ferocity.
However, Li Qiye simply swung his sleeve again and swept her flying away. She fell to the ground and struggled to stand back up.
"Unless I'm dead… I won't let any of you get what you want!" She coldly uttered while trying to get up from the ground.
Li Qiye simply pointed with his finger and froze her in place. He glanced at her and dryly said: "If I wanted to, killing you would be easier than killing an ant!"
"Even if you kill me and take away my clan's items, I will haunt you forever!" She wasn't afraid of dying. Her personality was stubborn to the extreme!
While staring at Tie Lan, Li Qiye found that she had a semblance of the Heavenly Flame Goddess in her. Wasn't the goddess a stubborn girl as well?
Although his patience was wearing thin, his expression suddenly softened again. After remembering the goddess who was completely loyal to him, who contributed great merits and was the first to rush forward on any battlefield, he gently sighed.
Out of consideration for the loyal goddess back then, Li Qiye didn't want to be too harsh on Tie Lan. He commanded the turtle: "Carry her away and persuade her. My patience is limited!"
The old turtle had seen Li Qiye's brutality, so how could he not listen? He carried the immobilized Tie Lan away while persuading her at the same time: "Young Miss, the great immortal is only trying to be kind. Think about it, if he was malicious, then he could have killed you by waving his hand. He is a great man and perhaps will even teach you in the future…"
The old turtle was only a minor character, a vagabond cultivator. Despite being a Heavenly Sovereign, he was patient even in carrying out the most menial of tasks. He didn't mind wasting time carrying out Li Qiye's command to persuade Tie Lan. Even she got tired of listening to this old turtle who went on and on and was about to go crazy. What an incessant old turtle!
Li Qiye ignored the two as he gently placed his palm on the tablet to feel its beat. Eventually, he was able to determine that it was the right time to take the item from here.
After he confirmed it, he sat down before the tablet and began to chant verses in a very meticulous manner.
This scripture was very complex and profound. No one could understand the contents of the verses. It seemed to be an archaic language not found in present times.
In the past, when the goddess wanted to go into reclusion, Li Qiye had sealed an item and personally handed it to her. Later on, the goddess settled down in this place to begin her new life.
The nine worlds were vast, so the goddess had her own reasons for picking this location. One of them was that she liked the scenery here. Another was because the item the Dark Crow handed to her required gestation from the Beast Realm.
She was completely devoted to him, so even in her retirement, she chose to help him one last time and hid the sealed item inside the Tie Clan.
This secret was unknown to even the disciples of the Tie Clan for millions of years! In fact, no one was privy to this outside of the late goddess and the Dark Crow.
Chapter 807: Ox King
Li Qiye chanted to the stone tablet for a long time each day during his stay at the Tie Clan.
The old turtle's nagging eventually bore fruit. Although her attitude was still very cold towards him, Tie Lan no longer tried to chase Li Qiye away. Her expression clearly stated that she did not welcome this guest at all.
Of course, Li Qiye didn't mind the lack of hospitality as all of his thoughts were fixated on the stone tablet. On the other hand, Tie Lan found it quite strange with Li Qiye either standing in a daze or chanting to the tablet all day long.
Although there was a rumor that their clan had a hidden treasury, no one knew the truth. In fact, Tie Lan herself didn't believe this either.
This was due to the fact that the rumor was spread by her prodigal father, but he had died a very long time ago! Even those who heard him first-hand were skeptical.
She bore some grievances with her father. The last fortune of the clan was wasted by him. Moreover, this rumor of his was harmful to the Tie Clan even after he passed away.
In the past, she didn't mind this treasure business. Even the robbers who tried to steal treasures from their ruins were chased away by her. However, things hadn’t been calm for her clan recently. The second brother of the ravine, Sheng Fei, took note of the Tie Clan's territory and asked to buy it.
Tie Lan knew that the only reason Sheng Fei didn't forcefully seize it was out of consideration for the Ox King. She also understood that she wasn't a match for the ravine. However, her unyielding character did not allow her to take a step back despite knowing that she didn't stand a chance.
Li Qiye stayed here for more than ten days. On this day, auspicious clouds suddenly appeared in the sky. With the accompaniment of the roar from a bull, someone suddenly emerged from the horizon.
"His Majesty is here in person at our Heavenly Flame County…" Many people saw the person in the sky and quickly prostrated on the ground.
"His Majesty must be here to see General Tie." Some immediately guessed the reason for his arrival.
Li Qiye also noticed this event. He lifted his head and saw an old man walking into the ruins.
The old man was tall with a big pair of ox-like eyes. He wore an imperial robe while emitting a mighty aura.
Even the cold Tie Lan who didn't care for anyone came out to greet him. She bowed once and said: "Please excuse this general for the late welcome, Your Majesty."
This old man was indeed the Royal Lord of the Ox-Herder Country, or Ox King Su Mingchen. He was a buffalo demon that ruled over the entire country. Moreover, he was a Heavenly Sovereign as well.
"Rise." Su Mingchen gently waved his sleeve.
After Tie Lan stood up, Su Mingchen gently sighed: "Tie Lan, why the need to be so stubborn? Your Tie Clan has fallen and the Bird King is paying a high price for this place, so why won't you sell it to him?"
Tie Lan stood there in silence. Su Mingchen was the person she respected the most. He used to be best friends with her grandfather. After her prodigal father spent all of their family's wealth, the king was the one who took care of their Tie Clan.
Su Mingchen tried to persuade the stubborn Tie Lan: "Tie Lan, you certainly don't think that your clan still has a hidden treasure, right? Your prodigal father was a drunkard and his nonsense is not trustworthy. Back then, after wasting all that money, he told other people that there was a hidden treasury in order to increase the clan's value!"
The king gently sighed in lamentation after bringing this up. He was best friends with Tie Lan's grandfather since their youth. They grew up and went on many arduous adventures together.
Although the Tie Clan was in decline during his best friend's generation, it still had some wealth left.
Unfortunately, her father was useless, a complete young master that only knew how to spend. He often stole items from the clan to sell. Ultimately, he even angered his own father to death.
After his father's death, this black sheep grew even more untethered. Eventually, he sold every last bit of the clan, causing the clan to fall apart.
It was a blessing that Tie Lan never gave up. Although she did not cultivate, she trained hard to become a martial arts master and contributed greatly to the country to become a general.
Although her strength was enough for her to enjoy the splendor of life, it was impossible to revive a lineage. Since the Tie Clan had nothing left, she couldn't do anything by herself.
"Your Majesty, I know this, but this is the home of my clan." Tie Lan firmly replied after a long period of silence.
The truth was that she felt very grateful towards the Ox King. Back when her prodigal father pawned off their clan, it was the king who reclaimed it.
"I know that you want to protect the Tie Clan." Su Mingchen said: "But there is nothing for you to protect here! Why the need to provoke the Bird King over these ruins?"
The king turned serious at this point: "You must know that the Bird King is the Royal Lord of the Feather Country. He is also the second brother of the Heavenhoof Ravine, so his backing is quite frightening. If you provoke him, then even I would be powerless if I wanted to protect you."
"Your Majesty, I do not dare to involve you." Tie Lan said: "I know I am weak and can't fight against cultivators, but I will never abandon my roots!"
"Oh, Tie Lan. You are courting death." The Ox King shook his head: "If you are willing, I will bestow the Eastrest County to you! You have been guarding the borders in the recent years so you have earned it. The Eastrest County has great sceneries with gentle people, a good location for you to retire. Why not leave this place full of bad memories and start anew?"
The Ox King took care of the Tie Clan very well due to his friendship with Tie Lan's grandfather. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so protective of her.
"No, Your Majesty, I will not stay anywhere but the Tie Clan." Tie Lan remained headstrong and shook her head: "I was born into the Tie Clan so I shall die and become a ghost in the Tie Clan. I will never abandon it even if I am the only one left!"
The Ox King had no solution to Tie Lan's stubbornness. He shook his head and knew that he couldn't protect her when she had offended the ravine!
During this helpless moment, the king looked towards the mansions and his eyes fell upon Li Qiye and the old turtle. He didn't really pay attention to Li Qiye since this young man seemed very ordinary.
However, the moment he saw the old turtle lying flat on the ground, his mind trembled. Since when did the Tie Clan have such a powerful expert?
Both the king and the turtle were Heavenly Sovereigns, so this couldn't escape his eyes. The sudden appearance of a sovereign at the Tie Clan startled him.
"May I ask where you are from, sir?" The king came forward and cupped his hands together to greet the turtle.
The turtle quickly shook his head: "Ox King, you are mistaken. This turtle is only a minor character, this great immortal here is the real boss." The timid turtle wanted less trouble. He was a vagabond cultivator after all, so he didn't want to show himself and pushed everything to Li Qiye instead.
The king was shocked to hear this. A Heavenly Sovereign being so respectful to this inconspicuous junior was surprising to say the least. The king was an experienced person, so despite Li Qiye's humble appearance, the king wondered if he came from an imperial lineage. This possibility meant that the king couldn't afford to offend or despise him. He cupped his hands as well towards Li Qiye: "May I ask for Young Noble's name? I am Su Mingchen from the Ox-Herder Country."
His attitude was very polite. Of course, if the old turtle was respectful of this young man ahead, then he didn't want to offend such a big character either.
"Li Qiye." Li Qiye slightly nodded. Since Su Mingchen was so polite, he also treated him with propriety.
"Li, Li, Li Qiye…" The Ox King stuttered with fear and almost choked on his own saliva.
He felt his quivering legs losing strength as he almost fell down to the ground. The name Li Qiye truly frightened him.
"Young Noble, you, you are the Alchemy Realm's Deity Li Qiye." Aghast, he swallowed and felt his mouth drying up! 1
The Ox King was a smart man. People had been referring to Li Qiye as Fierce, but this title could be construed as too aggressive. He naturally wouldn't call Li Qiye this to his face, so the king instantly began calling Li Qiye a Deity instead. 2
"Deity?" Li Qiye couldn't help but chuckle. He slightly shook his head: "No need to embellish my title; just Fierce is fine. Of course, as far as I know, I am the only one named Li Qiye."
The king quivered after finding out that this ordinary-looking young man was Li Qiye. He felt his scalp tingle as if his head was about to explode.
He secretly lamented about his lack of fortune at this moment. Why did this ominous star choose to visit his country?!
Same words as Jikong Wudi's title, remember? It has been so long now. Not a title in this case. ↩ Both Deity and Fierce have the word "man" and an adjective before it. In this case, Brute would be a better title for Li Qiye to fit the context, but we've been going with Fierce. ↩Chapter 808: The Sly Ox King
After eventually managing to calm down, the king took a deep breath and bowed towards Li Qiye: "Young Noble Li's visit is an honor to our country; your presence brings light to our humble dwelling. We did not know you were coming, so our reception has been lacking, please excuse us."
The king knew that this Li Qiye was quite notorious, earning him an illustrious reputation recently. This being the case, the king couldn't help but feel afraid.
As the ruler, he had heard about the recent events in the Stone Medicine World! Not long ago, Li Qiye's fame had surpassed the number one celestial being, Ye Qingcheng.
Killing Cao Guoyao, destroying the Xian Clan, defeating the white hair alchemist, fighting against the Alchemy Kingdom… any of these events would have shocked the entire world, so Li Qiye was titled Fierce by others in a short period of time.
Thus, when this man suddenly came to his country, how could he not be nervous? This ferocious monster even dared to fight against the Alchemy Kingdom. A little country like his simply couldn't withstand this torture. He wanted to know why Li Qiye suddenly appeared in this location, but he didn't dare to ask.
Li Qiye gently nodded as a response to the politeness: "Since you are so polite, I can say that I am only here for a bit and have no hidden intentions toward your country."
How could Li Qiye not guess the king's thoughts after seeing his expression?
Su Mingchen wryly smiled and quickly cupped his hands together once more: "It is our honor to be graced by Young Noble's presence. Please stay as a guest and let me know if you need anything. As long as it is within our capabilities, we will certainly do our best to satisfy you."
He was certainly very smooth and tried to please Li Qiye from the outset. In fact, he was very experienced in this regard. His country was only a tiny one and could barely be considered a second-rate power. The strongest expert in the Ox-Herder Country was himself.
How could such a lineage be arrogant at all? If they wanted to survive between the great powers, they had to tuck their tails between their legs and please them!
Thus, despite being a Heavenly Sovereign, he was not arrogant at all. He did everything calmly with exquisite planning.
Disciples from the great powers couldn't compare to him in this regard. Those great powers that had been strong always had disciples who were very arrogant and held their heads high as if they were the best in the world.
On the other hand, Su Mingchen was polite to any character that he encountered. Because of this, his country managed to survive.
Li Qiye's eyes narrowed and he revealed a smirk after hearing Su Mingcheng. He leisurely said: "Since Royal Lord Su mentioned it, I won't be reserved. I do have something that requires your assistance."
Su Mingchen was scared out of his mind. Although Li Qiye had yet to reveal his request, he already had an ominous feeling. Of course, he had no other choice, so he had to bite his tongue and say: "What does Young Noble Li need? As long as it is within my power, I shall do my best."
Li Qiye smilingly said: "Only a small matter, no need to be so alarmed. You just need to send out a message for me."
"Do tell, Young Noble Li." Su Mingchen's scalp was tingling. How could he not be alarmed? This monster even dared to fight the Alchemy Kingdom. His little country was nothing in Li Qiye's eyes.
Li Qiye spoke slowly: "Here's the deal. I heard that this whatever Bird King wants to buy the Tie Clan's territory. Royal Lord Su can tell this king in my stead that the Tie Clan shall be under my protection from now on. If they dare to have any ideas about the Tie Clan, I will hang their heads on top of the Heavenly Flame County's gate."
Tie Lan, standing to the side, only scowled after hearing this. Without a doubt, she did not accept Li Qiye's decision.
The Ox King, on the other hand, felt his mind collapsing after hearing this. This was simply wanting to take his life!
"Young Noble Li… this, can you rethink it…" Su Mingchen didn't know what to say at this moment.
"Oh, Royal Lord Su, is this little matter too difficult?" Li Qiye glanced at him.
Su Mingchen took a deep breath and responded: "Young Noble Li, I really want to carry this out for you, but this is indeed a bit problematic for me. Young Noble Li must know that my Ox-Herder Country is only a weak nation."
He paused for a bit before continuing: "We are only an insignificant lineage attached to the Heavenhoof Ravine and require its protection. However, Bird King Sheng Fei is not only a royal lord, he's also a disciple of the ravine with the elders as his backing on top of being the junior brother of the Golden Crow Prince."
"Thus you are afraid of him." Li Qiye stated.
Su Mingchen responded with a bitter expression: "Young Noble Li, I am a nobody, and the same applies to my country. We only wish to survive and have food to put on the table. A grand character like Young Noble Li and a behemoth like the ravine are both peak existences while I am but an ant. If I'm not careful, I could be crushed at any time."
He was very frustrated after bringing this up. Although he didn't know why Sheng Fei wanted these ruins, Sheng Fei had started pressuring him. Both Sheng Fei and the people behind him were not something the Ox-Herder Country could afford to provoke.
Tie Lan not selling the Tie Clan was truly troublesome. However, he had ways to make Tie Lan back down. But now, a brute like Li Qiye stepped in and simply wanted to play hardball with Sheng Fei while he was stuck in the middle. This was not a good feeling at all.
Li Qiye chuckled: "Do you think it is easier for me to crush you or that Bird King to death?"
Su Mingchen wryly smiled and helplessly responded: "Young Noble Li can crush me like an ant, but I still hope that you will show mercy and spare my life."
These words were very sincere. A royal lord of a small nation between big countries needed to bow down at times.
"Your words are so pitiful that I'm a bit reluctant to take you down." Li Qiye glanced at the king and smiled.
Su Mingchen quickly smiled in response: "Although I'm not in a position to warn the Bird King for Young Noble Li, we are organizing a little banquet at my palace soon. The Bird King will also be there as a guest. If Young Noble Li is willing, then I can introduce you two. This will be a rare chance to reach a compromise."
He naturally wished for the two to talk since a peaceful resolution was the best outcome for him. Otherwise, the flames of war could burn his country into rubble.
Li Qiye touched his chin and smirked before responding: "Since Royal Lord Su has such good intentions, I'll just take a trip there then."
"Nothing could be better." Su Mingchen became happy after hearing this: "The doors to my country are always open to Young Noble Li."
He was relieved after seeing Li Qiye's attitude. At the very least, he was not like the rumored legendary brute that would kill people at first sight. There seemed to be some reason left in him. It made the king have hope that the two might sit down and have a good chat.
He didn't know that Li Qiye's killing intent was very selective. He was the type that preferred soft treatment over hard retaliation. The more arrogant the enemy was, the more he would want to kill them!
In the end, Su Mingchen made some more small talk before saying goodbye to Li Qiye and left.
After he left, Tie Lan coldly stared at Li Qiye and uttered: "What do you want with my Tie Clan? What item are you trying to get?"
Li Qiye looked at the cold Tie Lan and chuckled: "Even if I wanted something, what can you do? I can kill you with a single finger. Plus, your Tie Clan doesn't have anything that I want. I'm simply taking back what belongs to me."
She coldly countered: "My clan doesn't have anything that belongs to you!"
"How do you know that there isn't such a thing? How much do you know about your ancestors or the past?" Li Qiye shook his head: "Stop repelling people from far away. I am here to help you since you alone can't protect your clan. Do you think Su Mingchen can help you? These are harsh words, but when necessary, he will be more than willing to sell you before opposing the ravine. Do you think you are more important than the country to him?!"
"You…" Tie Lan's expression sank. She could have guessed such a thing, but she was in denial. After taking a deep breath, she coldly said: "My Tie Clan does not need someone with an unknown origin and hidden intentions to help."
Li Qiye glanced at her and smiled: "Kids shouldn't think too highly of themselves. Your strength alone can be considered unfathomable among mortals, but in my eyes, you are simply an insect. I am only helping the Tie Clan, not you!"