Lee Fan's Onslaught

Great Xia, Beimang Province.

The harsh winter had arrived, and the freezing wind cut like a knife, stinging the face.

This was a land eternally favored by wind and snow. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but boundless white and deathly gray.

On the surface of the wide canal, a thin layer of floating ice was ruthlessly smashed apart by a behemoth, emitting crisp cracking sounds that echoed far into the silent world.

Li Fan stood at the bow of the ship, wrapping his fox fur coat tightly around himself, his hands gripping a map so worn that its edges were fraying.

His eyes were bloodshot, and deep within them lay profound anxiety.

It had been an entire month.

Ever since Su Ji gave him the order to forge the Heavenly Dao's voice transmission, he had not rested for a single moment, day or night.

That was the voice transmission of the Heavenly Dao!

To deceive all the cultivators in Great Xia, and even make mortals believe it without a shadow of a doubt, was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Even though he was now the acting sect master of the Lovesickness Sect, and even though he had mobilized all the resources at his disposal, rushing about day and night to set up arrangements one after another across the map of Great Xia.

But with the deadline approaching, this final link was still just a little bit short.

Damn this weather...

Li Fan cursed under his breath, his exhaled white breath instantly condensing into frost on his eyebrows.

He looked down at the map in his hand.

The densely packed red dots on it had already connected into a vast network, leaving only the northernmost tip, a place called Mang, as a glaring blank spot.

Just this one place left...

Li Fan muttered to himself, tapping heavily on the blank spot. As long as I place the final array flag at the Heavenly Pool in Beimang and trigger the earth vein dragon aura, the grand array will be complete.

When that time comes, the forged Heavenly Dao's voice transmission will echo through every corner of Great Xia.

He absolutely could not mess this up.

Rumble—

A rhythmic tremor came from the deck beneath his feet. Accompanied by a roar like the panting of a giant beast, thick black plumes of smoke spewed from the smokestack on the roof, torn apart by the cold wind and dissipating into the gray sky.

This was a ship named the Wind and Snow Boat.

It was about a hundred rods long, its entire body crafted from iron-hard Banxu hardwood. On both sides of the hull were not the usual oars, but two massive, constantly rotating paddle wheels. Every time they struck the water, they kicked up waves dozens of feet high.

Near the ship's waterline, a ring of thick refined iron bars reinforced the hull, engraved with crude but practical defensive runes.

This was a steam-powered ship.

He had mustered his courage, used Su Ji's name, and borrowed it from the Heaven Puppet Holy Land.

Although this thing had a slew of problems.

The noise was as loud as a lightning strike, the vibrations were strong enough to shake out a person's breakfast, and the boiler room at the bottom was as hot as a steamer; even slightly weak workers couldn't endure half an hour down there.

Furthermore, the ship was clumsy at turning. If it encountered massive winds and waves, it still had to rely on the spare sails on the roof to save their lives.

But it was still the fiercest behemoth on the water today.

As long as the fire in the boiler did not go out, and as long as the whistle was still blowing, it could tirelessly break through the wind and waves, traveling a thousand miles a day.

The reason Li Fan chose this ship was for its speed, and because it could carry enough array materials to brave the wind and waves...

He was, after all, only a pseudo-Golden Core cultivator...

He simply couldn't carry a massive amount of array materials across the ocean himself...

However.

The more he wanted to avoid trouble, the more likely trouble was to find him.

Wooo!!!

A sharp, piercing whistle tore through the sky without warning.

Immediately after.

Thud!!!

A muffled, massive crash echoed, as if a great mountain had viciously slammed into the bow of the ship.

The Wind and Snow Boat, which had been traveling at high speed, seemed to have suddenly hit an invisible wall and came to a violent halt!

The tremendous inertia caused the hull to shake violently. From the cabin came the chaotic sounds of collapsing boilers, shattering objects, and the panicked shouts of the workers.

Li Fan's body swayed, but with a slight surge of spiritual energy beneath his feet, he nailed himself firmly to the deck.

His face darkened, and he abruptly looked up ahead.

He saw that on the previously empty river, a white figure had appeared at some unknown time.

It was a woman.

She wore a pure white dress like snow, quietly hovering in the air three feet above the water. The river beneath her feet stopped flowing because of her presence, even beginning to form thick layers of frost.

She held one hand up in the air.

That seemingly slender and delicate palm now appeared to contain the power to hold up the sky, forcefully stopping the bow of the Wind and Snow Boat, which weighed tens of thousands of tons!

The paddle wheels of the steam behemoth were still spinning madly, emitting groans of being overwhelmed, yet the ship could no longer advance a single inch.

Golden Core...

Li Fan's pupils contracted slightly.

He wasn't some ignorant bumpkin.

This ability to walk on air and halt a ship with one hand could only belong to a Golden Core cultivator.

But this was Beimang!

The most remote, desolate, and bitterly cold land in Great Xia!

In a place full of outstanding figures like the Central Tang Province, a Golden Core cultivator could establish a sect and dominate a region.

In this godforsaken Beimang Province, how could such an almighty figure suddenly appear?

And why did she have to block his path of all things?

This is trouble...

Li Fan sighed in his heart.

What he lacked most right now was time, and what he feared most was trouble.

If it were any other time, encountering such a roadblock, he would definitely exchange a few blows with the other party to let them know he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

But now...

Less trouble is better than more.

Li Fan took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his facial expression.

He put away the arrogance of a Golden Core cultivator, replaced it with a slick, worldly smile, and walked briskly to the bow.

Oh my!

Li Fan respectfully made a deep bow to the white figure, his voice loud and brimming with enthusiasm.

Fairy, what incredible divine abilities! What an imposing aura!

I am Li Fan, a humble traveling merchant passing through your treasured land. I wonder how I might have offended you, Fairy, to trouble you to personally take action and block my path?

The cold wind howled.

The woman in white did not answer immediately.

She just slowly raised her head.

It was an extremely beautiful face, yet as cold as the ice and snow of Beimang.

Especially those eyes, cold and sharp, as if they could see through the deepest secrets in a person's heart at a glance.

She cast a faint glance at Li Fan.

Stop the ship.

The woman's voice was not loud, but it clearly overpowered the surrounding sounds of wind, snow, and roaring machinery, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Search for someone.

Crisp and decisive.

The smile on Li Fan's face stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

He rubbed his hands together, revealing a troubled expression.

Fairy, this... I'm afraid that might not be very convenient, right?

Li Fan lowered his voice and pointed secretively at the cabin behind him.

To tell you the truth, I am a merchant from the Central Tang Province. I came to Beimang this time at the private invitation of our Lord Governor of Beimang Province.

This ship is fully loaded with treasures meant as a tribute for the Lord Governor.

When mentioning the word treasures, he deliberately emphasized his tone, giving the other party a you know what I mean look.

These things... are not meant to see the light of day.

If they are seen by irrelevant people, disrupting the treasure's aura, or if word leaks out... when the Governor blames us, my small frame won't be able to bear the consequences.

Li Fan's words could be described as watertight.

First, he brought up his identity as a merchant from Central Tang State to show he wasn't a local, didn't want trouble, but wasn't afraid of it either.

Then, he brought out the big shot, the Governor of Beimang State.

Who was that? That was the nominal local emperor of Beimang!

Finally, he used the words not meant to see the light of day to hint that there were shady, secret transactions on board.

Normally, when ordinary cultivators heard this, most would feel apprehensive or find it too troublesome, turning a blind eye and letting them pass.

After all, who would want to offend a state governor over such trivial matters?

Li Fan's trick of borrowing the tiger's might logically shouldn't have gone wrong.

However.

This time, he clearly hit a brick wall.

Governor?

Hearing this, the woman in white showed no intention of backing down; instead, she sneered.

Even if the Governor came in person, I am definitely searching this ship today.

Boom!

A tyrannical fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from her body.

The originally calm river surface instantly boiled, and countless water columns shot up into the sky, condensing in mid-air into crystal-clear ice dragons that coiled behind her, emitting a terrifying chill.

She stared at Li Fan, slowly taking out a token made of neither gold nor jade from her waist, and waved it at him.

Beimang Immortal Department, Executive Inspector Lin Shuangxue handling a case.

I will say this one last time.

Stop the ship and submit to a search!

Otherwise... you will be charged with resisting the law and killed on the spot!

Killing intent instantly filled the air.

Li Fan looked at the token, then at Lin Shuangxue's emotionless eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.

Beimang Immortal Department?

Before coming here, he had inquired about the situation in this area.

Unlike the strict separation between immortals and mortals in Central Tang State.

Beimang was simply too small.

So small that immortals and mortals had to live together.

Perhaps the seemingly amiable old man next door was a deeply hidden cultivator.

And the Beimang Immortal Department was the official agency specifically in charge of governing cultivators and handling special cases. It held immense power and was notoriously difficult to deal with.

Especially this Lin Shuangxue, who looked exactly like the type who was stubborn and only followed the rules.

Meet force with force?

Li Fan weighed his options.

Although they were both at the Golden Core stage and he might not lose in a real fight.

But this was her territory. Once a fight started, it would attract more experts from the Immortal Department, and his mission would be completely ruined.

For the senior's grand plan...

I'll endure it!

Li Fan let out a long sigh, and the expression on his face instantly collapsed.

Alright, alright, you are the official, I am the citizen, you have the final say.

He turned around, waved his hand at the group of sailors behind him who were already shivering with fear, and shouted weakly:

What are you all staring at? Didn't you hear Lord Lin's words?

Drop the anchor! Stop the ship! Put out the fires!

Let Lord Lin search! Search it from top to bottom!

Along with a harsh sound of metal friction, the giant iron anchor was thrown into the water.

The roar of the steam engine gradually subsided, leaving only the faint heat radiating from the residual warmth of the boiler.

Seeing this, the spiritual energy fluctuations on Lin Shuangxue's body slowly converged.

She tapped the water surface lightly with her toes, and her whole body drifted down onto the deck like a light snowflake.

That chilling aura that warned strangers to stay away instantly dropped the surrounding temperature by a few degrees.

The sailors didn't even dare to breathe heavily. They all lowered their heads, wishing they could shrink their heads into their crotches.

Lin Shuangxue didn't even glance at them, walking straight toward the cabin.

Li Fan quickly followed, an apologetic smile plastered on his face, but his mind was frantically calculating how to smooth things over if the array materials were discovered later.

Inside the cabin.

The temperature here was much higher than outside, and the decoration was quite luxurious. The floor was covered with thick wool carpets, and the walls were hung with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, which fit Li Fan's persona as a wealthy merchant.

Lin Shuangxue frowned slightly, her gaze sharp as lightning, and she quickly scanned the cabin.

She didn't find any suspicious spiritual energy fluctuations.

Finally, her gaze fixed on the deepest part of the cabin, a back room obscured by heavy silk curtains.

What is inside?

Lin Shuangxue pointed at the silk curtain and asked coldly.

Li Fan's heartbeat skipped a beat.