Chapter 125: The Right Person

"I thought you wouldn't be able to get out." A familiar voice drifted into his ears on the road.

Li Yunji didn't even turn his head; he knew it was Gu Xian'er.

"Do you really think a mere 'Instant of Eternity' could hold me?" Li Yunji replied with a disdainful laugh.

"How did you break the formation? Tell me about it." Gu Xian'er quickened her pace, floating in front of Li Yunji, her face full of curiosity.

"Go ask Yuntian later." Li Yunji was too lazy to explain.

Glancing at the bundle on Gu Xian'er's shoulder, he chuckled, "Why aren't you leaving?"

Her intentions exposed, Gu Xian'er pursed her lips and said, "I was planning to."

"But then I got halfway, realized you'd broken the formation, and decided to come back."

She paused, then added, "It seems you really do have some tricks up your sleeve."

"Yun Zhengxin was right. The crisis at He Mountain might truly be something only you can resolve."

Li Yunji smiled faintly. "You trust me that much?"

Gu Xian'er sighed softly and replied candidly, "Right now, besides you, who else would be willing to wade into these muddy waters?"

Li Yunji smiled but said nothing, accelerating into a sprint.

Upon returning to the Prince of Beiling's mansion, the others were already poised for action. Su Qingmeng’s expression darkened slightly when she saw Gu Xian'er, though she didn't show it too obviously. After all, Gu Xian'er’s arrival meant an extra pair of hands.

"Doctor Gu," Li Yunji said, turning to her with a serious tone. "I recall there is a technique among the Tiangang Arts for concealing one’s aura, is that correct?"

"That is correct," Gu Xian'er nodded.

"Could I trouble you to use that technique to mask the auras of us all?"

Gu Xian'er paused for a moment before nodding. Once the barrier was broken, Tuoba Mu would certainly sense it. By masking their auras, they would have the advantage of remaining in the shadows while the enemy stayed in the light.

As her slender hands wove through a series of intricate seals, green lights manifested around her. The lights enveloped the group, and they felt a wave of refreshing coolness.

"It is done," Gu Xian'er said, clapping her hands. "However, the technique only lasts for a day. I will need to recast it tomorrow to maintain the concealment."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Li Yunji closed his eyes to sense their surroundings; he could no longer detect anyone else's aura, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"No time to waste. Let’s move out," Li Yunji said firmly.

"Wait," Yuntian suddenly asked, "Just us?"

Li Yunji scanned the group. "And who else?"

"Didn't you go to the Zhou mansion to borrow troops?" Yuntian asked, clearly puzzled. If they could secure the hundred thousand elite soldiers under Zhou Li, their chances of victory would be much higher.

Li Yunji shook his head, his expression grave. "If Zhou Li's army shows any sign of movement, my uncle's two hundred thousand elite troops will not let them pass easily. I fear that before we even address the trouble at the He Mountain Poetry Gathering, a civil conflict will break out in Beiling City."

The others nodded, agreeing that Li Yunji made sense.

With that said, Li Yunji was about to set off when he noticed a golden light erupting behind him. He turned to see Su Xiyan drawing runes in the air with her bare hands. Li Yunji recognized it instantly: it was the "Star-Shift Talisman" of the Taihu Academy! The golden energy radiating from the runes was nearly identical to the strokes Gong Qingfeng had displayed in Jiangnan, carrying the same weight as the thick, thunder-bolt talismans he had seen back then. *A true genius,* Li Yunji marveled inwardly.

"What is happening?" Yuntian froze, staring at Su Xiyan’s innocent, dazed expression, his mind full of questions. *This quiet little girl has this kind of supernatural power? Li Yunji really is surrounded by hidden dragons and crouching tigers!*

Li Yunji stepped forward, meeting Su Xiyan’s eyes, as if reading her expression. "Are you asking me where our destination is?"

Su Xiyan nodded adorably.

Li Yunji pointed to the north, his expression sharpening. "Six hundred miles north, He Mountain!"

Su Xiyan beamed, her fingertips tracing the final strokes of the rune.

Just then, Chuxi carefully squeezed to the front. Knowing full well that Li Yunji had no intention of bringing him along, his face was filled with pleading.

"Don't join in the fun," Li Yunji turned and laughed. "If you leave, who will guard the mansion for me?"

Chuxi sighed, his expression dejected, and voluntarily stepped back from the group. As the weakest in combat, he knew that coming along would only be a burden. With a long sigh, he forced a smile and said, "Young Master! I will wait for you at the mansion!"

Li Yunji gave a slight nod and signaled to Su Xiyan. The girl nodded, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

*Whoosh—*

The golden light vanished, and the figures of the group disappeared instantly. The vast mansion was left with only Chuxi standing alone, appearing quite desolate.

***

At the foot of He Mountain.

With three days left until the poetry gathering, students were arriving one after another. Most were new to the path of literature, or of low rank and lacking in supernatural abilities. Unable to travel ten yards in a single step, they had to climb the mountain on foot. The great scholars on the mountain called it a "test," but to Li Yunji, it was nothing more than being difficult. Even so, they scrambled to climb; it was a once-in-a-decade literary grand event, and for many, it was the only chance to catch a glimpse of the great scholars. All who practiced the literary path yearned for it.

Li Yunji hid with his group in a forest near the mountain path, observing the students filing past.

"Young Master, why are we hiding here?" Eleven asked after squatting for a long time.

"Waiting for someone," Li Yunji replied in a hushed tone.

"Waiting for whom?" Yuntian was equally confused.

"Waiting for the right person," Li Yunji replied evasively, his eyes fixed on the crowd.

Suddenly, a white-robed student with a build similar to his appeared, catching his eye. Li Yunji grinned, vanished in a blink, and reappeared in the same spot. The only difference was that he was now dragging the white-robed student he had targeted.

"Brother, do we know each other?" the student asked, shrinking his neck, looking completely bewildered.

"No," Li Yunji answered without hesitation.

"Then what are you doing?" The student looked at the hand gripping his collar, asking the question from the depths of his soul.

Li Yunji didn't answer, simply sizing him up until a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Take off your clothes," Li Yunji said with a wicked smile.

Thinking he had run into a pervert, the student instinctively clutched his robes. "There are so many people here, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Li Yunji sighed softly and struck the student with a chop to the neck, knocking him unconscious. "I told you to take them off, why so much nonsense?" As he spoke, he began undoing the student's garments. "Don't just stand there, everyone—find yourselves a fitting set of clothes to change into before we head up the mountain."

The group finally understood what he meant by "the right person." Eleven was the first to act, quickly returning with a set of robes. Gu Xian'er followed, and Su Qingmeng trailed behind, helping Su Xiyan acquire a set as well. They retreated into the bushes to change.

Li Yunji smoothed out his new attire and looked at Yuntian, who remained unmoved. He poked his shoulder. "Kid, you're the only one left."

"Isn't this a bit rude?" Yuntian resisted.

*For heaven's sake, what time do you think it is to be talking about manners?* Li Yunji felt like slamming his fist into him. He took a deep breath and said with airy detachment, "It is indeed rude. In that case, go ahead and walk up in those fancy robes so everyone can recognize you instantly. I'm leaving."

With that, he turned and headed toward the back of the mountain, leaping away.

Yuntian snorted in disdain. "The Yun family of the South Sea always acts with integrity and honor; we would never engage in such underhanded, dog-thieving behavior!"

No one answered; only a few crows flew past...

"Wait for me!"