Chapter 18

On one hand, when Li She completed the *Beiming Divine Art* and destroyed the Fairy Sister statue, Duan Yu in the Dali Prince's Palace suddenly developed a high fever, which then turned into a serious illness. Dao Baifeng and Prince Duan were so frightened that they were in a flurry. Finally, after inviting the masters from Tianshulong Temple to perform exorcisms, Duan Yu gradually recovered.

Fate is determined by heaven, and naturally, stealing the sky and replacing the sun would have an impact. Whether an emperor, a beggar, or an ordinary person, their lives of wealth or poverty are planned by the will of the world. Taking away someone's destiny naturally disrupts the will of the world's plans. Therefore, the will of the world, a product of the laws, must reset. Duan Yu's life was tragically rewritten by Li She.

After this serious illness, young Duan Yu's health remained frail. Prince Duan sent him to Tianshulong Temple to study Buddhism and martial arts with the masters to strengthen his constitution. This began a new chapter in Duan Yu's life.

On the other hand, Li She, who had stolen Duan Yu's destiny, was now walking confidently on the road from Dali to the Song Dynasty. Riding a tall horse, dressed as a scholar, and playing with a folding fan, he caught the attention of passing women.

Last time, when he traveled to the world of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*, absorbing lightning energy allowed him to survive for over a year. This time, the 'dragon blood' energy absorbed from the jade seal was many times stronger than the lightning, so the spirit of the artifact said extravagantly, "You can stay here for three or four decades without any problem."

Naturally, Li She began to plan slowly. Last time, he was alone and dared not provoke major sects like Wudang. This time, with three or four decades, Li She was confident he could build a force.

A force or organization is far stronger than an individual. No matter how strong an individual is, they are still insignificant compared to the state. No matter how ruthless a person is, the territory they control is never as large as that of a force. Territory not only represents wealth but also resources. This is the world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, where hundred-year-old ginseng and polygonum are abundant. If one person were to search for them, how long would it take? Would they have to dig through the entire Changbai Mountain like Qiao Feng?

These things are not much in the world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, but in the modern world, they are invaluable.

After touring and learning about the local customs, Li She did not idle for a month. He visited every wealthy household along the way, stealing silver bills and gold bars. By the time he reached the Song capital of Bianliang, he had accumulated nearly a million taels of silver in bills.

The reason Li She came to Bianliang was that the martial world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* is different from that of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*. The Song Dynasty had not fallen, and the martial forces had a national character.

The Central Plains martial world, led by Shaolin and the Beggar Sect, supported the precarious Song Dynasty. Xixia, Tubo, Dali, and Khitan all had their own martial forces, and ambitious figures like Murong Bo sought to incite war. The hidden forces were also considerable, such as the Lingjiu Palace with its tens of thousands of members, sometimes rivaling an army. The Xingxiu Sect in Xingxiu Sea, the Tianshulong Temple in Dali, and various martial families made the martial world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* more complex and chaotic than that of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*.

After arriving in Bianliang, Li She quickly bought a large mansion with his silver. Although he had never done business before, as a modern person, he could easily become wealthy with a bit of ingenuity. Gradually, he acquired several brothels and taverns, forming a chain. He named it "Heaven on Earth." The girls in the brothels were managed humanely, receiving a share of the profits, regular health check-ups, and a retirement package. This was unimaginable for the long-oppressed women. The taverns employed widows and orphans, with women serving as waiters. He also introduced high-proof distilled liquor, which became famous and was named "Immortal Drunkenness."

This quickly made Li She's "Heaven on Earth" a success in Bianliang. By plagiarizing poetry and befriending scholars, Li She rapidly improved his social status in the Song Dynasty, where literati held power.

After bribing some eunuchs, he presented "Immortal Drunkenness" to the emperor, who, after getting drunk, bestowed a plaque reading "The Best Wine in the World" to Li She's "Heaven on Earth." This made Li She's wealth flow in.

Many scholars of the time considered Li She a kindred spirit. In the Song Dynasty, officials visiting brothels was common and even celebrated by the common people as romantic tales.

Because of the high-proof distilled liquor, "Heaven on Earth Tavern" became a gathering place for martial heroes. News from all walks of life and the winds of various countries were collected by Li She.

To deal with martial heroes, Li She could not use poetry like he did with scholars. The simplest and most practical way to deal with these rough men was to spend money.

Li She decreed that any martial hero in need could stay for free and would receive some travel money upon departure. This earned him the gratitude of many destitute heroes, and his reputation as the "Timely Rain of Bianliang" spread far and wide.

Three years passed quietly. Due to his long luxurious life, Li She's skin was fair. Starting at fourteen, he had built a fortune in the world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*. However, in this era, a man without a beard was considered immature. At seventeen, Li She grew a small mustache, similar to Lu Xiaofeng's.

Despite his leisurely life, he did not neglect his martial arts. After three years of nourishment from hundred-year-old ginseng, polygonum, and lingzhi, his internal energy became more profound. The Beiming True Qi had grown to match the Nine Yang Cleansing Qi. The extreme yang energy generated extreme yin, making the Beiming True Qi extremely cold. Using the *Buddha Light Illuminates All* technique, his left hand could melt gold and jade like a hot iron, while his right hand could emit cold energy to freeze water. His left palm could ignite plants with hot energy, while his right palm could freeze them with cold energy.

The two extreme energies in Li She's dantian formed a stable balance like the Taiji. Li She named this technique *Ice and Fire Art*. He also perfected the *Buddha Light Illuminates All* palm technique and named it *Ice and Fire Palm*. The energy from the *One Yang Finger* was no longer just the original hot red Nine Yang energy but also included cold blue energy, making the *One Yang Finger* even more unpredictable. He renamed it *Ice and Fire Finger*.

Morning sunlight streamed into Li She's luxurious room, filled with Song Dynasty porcelain and Tang Dynasty tri-color pottery. On the golden-threaded nanmu bed, Li She embraced two beautiful women. These women were originally the daughters of the Minister of War, but after his defeat in battle, the whole family was implicated. The two daughters were reduced to slavery, and Li She bought them for their understanding nature. The elder sister was named Lan Yun, and the younger sister was named Lan Xuan.

Stretching lazily, Li She smiled at the beautiful women. Such beauty, if in the modern world, could make them international superstars. But in the male-dominated Song Dynasty, women's fates were tragic. Hadn't Su Dongpo's story of trading a woman for a horse shown that sometimes a woman was worth less than a horse?

As Li She moved, the two women woke up. After being exhausted by Li She's activities until dawn, they still got up to help him wash and dress. For Lan Yun and Lan Xuan, Li She was their sky and earth. If not for Li She, they would have faced a life of degradation. Now, they were well-fed and served as personal attendants to the wealthy Li She, making them cherish their lives and be obedient to him.

After getting ready, Li She went to his secret room in the mansion. The 600-square-meter secret room became his favorite place. Here, he could practice martial arts and review the intelligence gathered by his subordinates. Practicing in the secret room also hid the fact that he knew martial arts.

"December 3rd: Qiao Feng became an eight-bag elder of the Beggar Sect. He is 32 years old. He led 8,000 Beggar Sect members to repel 2,000 Khitan cavalry. Known as Northern Qiao Feng!"

"December 9th: Left Jiangnan, eliminated eighteen water bandits along the way, all killed by famous martial arts. Achieved the reputation of Southern Murong."

"January 4th: Star Sect leader Ding Chunqiu went to find Cong Bian, purpose unknown."

"January 9th: Dali Prince Duan Zhengchun's son Duan Yu achieved the *One Yang Finger* at Tianshulong Temple, reaching the fourth level."

"Four Evils of Xixia's First-Class Hall moved south to the Song Dynasty, committing six crimes."

Li She looked at the notes in his hand and smiled satisfactorily. After three years of development, his "Heaven on Earth" had spread throughout the Song Dynasty and even into Tubo, Xixia, Dali, and Khitan. Each manager of "Heaven on Earth" was a homeless person Li She had secretly recruited, loyal to him. These "Heaven on Earth" establishments served as Li She's eyes and ears.

Since Qiao Feng had not yet become the leader of the Beggar Sect, the plot of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* had not officially begun. This made Li She prepare to target Wang Yuyan, one of the main female characters in *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*.

Not only did the beauty of Fairy Sister make Li She yearn, but the title of "encyclopedia of martial arts" made him unwilling to let her go easily.

Qiao Feng became the leader of the Beggar Sect at 33 and formed a brotherhood with Duan Yu at 35. This meant that the true beginning of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* was still three years away.