Pulling the Firewood from Under the Cauldron

Gao Yang Wuji sighed, speaking with a tone of someone who had met the wrong person, "The 'Ghost and God Three Kingdoms: Wei Kingdom Chapter' is one of the novels in his 'Ghost and God Three Kingdoms' series. Although it's a novel, the intrigues and power struggles within it are enough to form an excellent military treatise. In the Wei Kingdom chapter, there's a plot where the protagonist, Cao Mengde, after defeating his mortal enemy Yuan Shao, didn't rush to hunt down his sons. Instead, he listened to the advice of his strategist Guo Fengxiao and chose to remain inactive. After some time, Yuan Shao's sons fought amongst themselves for the position of family head, wasting military resources. In the end, Cao Mengde dealt with the three of them without lifting a finger. Don't you think this plot is remarkably similar to the current situation?"

Fu Feng was utterly shocked, his mouth agape. He slowly said, "You mean, Si Ming had already guessed that we would set a trap for him, so he deliberately hid his whereabouts to throw us into chaos?"

"That's right, I hadn't thought of that at first. But after hearing what that person said, I realized it was all a setup he had set up from the beginning!"

Gaoyang Wuji said with a hint of admiration, "He first made a high-profile entrance, attracting everyone's attention with his domineering actions and making himself a public enemy. When everyone joined forces to deal with him, he suddenly disappeared. As a result, everyone lost their target and wasted a lot of time. Next, they will inevitably fight among themselves to gain points. Once such infighting occurs, it will sow the seeds of suspicion. If we want to form an alliance against him in the future, it will just be a joke."

Fu Feng swayed, his face turning pale, and muttered, "Impossible! How could he possibly come up with such a far-sighted plan! Judging from his behavior, he's clearly a reckless, impulsive man who believes in the supremacy of force and trusts his intuition more than his thinking. He has absolutely no connection to a wise man who can see through people's hearts!"

Gaoyang Wuji said, "That's what makes him so terrifying. He's clearly a wise man, yet he pretends to be a brute. I suspect he started this scheme from the very beginning, deliberately creating the image of a brute so that you and I would underestimate his wisdom, think he's someone we can easily manipulate, and lure us into a trap."

Then, he said with a wry smile, "Actually, if you think about it, it's easy to understand. How could an author who can write a book like 'The Gods and Ghosts of the Three Kingdoms' be a reckless brute who doesn't understand strategy?"

"This is impossible... How could this be...?"

Fu Feng couldn't accept this. The other party was already powerful enough, but now he was being told that their intelligence was also enough to manipulate him at will, and he didn't even have the slightest chance of getting revenge. How could he accept this?

"Whether you understand it or not is up to you. I'm leaving with my men now."

Gaoyang Wuji figured he didn't have any irreconcilable grudges with Si Ming, and even had a bit of a "favor" to him, so he could easily extricate himself without fear of being resented. "I advise you to leave quickly too. I reckon if you wait any longer, the remaining people will realize they don't have enough time, it'll be only a matter of time before they launch a sneak attack on their companions. And once someone makes a move, it'll be like detonating a powder keg, and it'll quickly turn into a chaotic melee."

Chapter 662 Drawing the Fire from Under the Cauldron

Since the start of the Martial King Cup, the expression on Sun Zaizhi's face at Sun Wu University has gone through a series of changes, from rain to gloom, and then back to sunshine. From initially keeping people at arm's length, he now greets everyone he meets. Most people understand the reason for his change: he is not concerned about scarcity but about inequality.

Initially, Sun Wu University was a laughing stock, often ridiculed and mocked, with people saying that "its century-old reputation was lost in a single day, and it served as a stepping stone for others." Guests from other countries naturally did not hesitate to laugh, and even people in Nation of Valor who were not graduates of Sun Wu University joined in the mockery, causing Sun Zaizhi to angrily denounce these people as traitors, not citizens, and lacking in unity.

However, as Yan Jinghong's disciple displayed extraordinary prowess in the Martial King Cup, defeating other contestants like autumn leaves in the wind, including some direct disciples of Spirit Transformation experts, Sun Zaizhi gained the confidence to retaliate when mocked, and his expression immediately brightened.

Everyone is equally vulnerable, "Doing all the work for others." So, eldest brother shouldn't laugh at second brother. Of course, he should laugh back at those who laughed at him before, since Gaoyang Wuji and his group, recommended by Sun Wu University, are still in the running and are clearly superior.

Compared to Sun Wu University being defeated by one person, it's certainly more sensational to see the disciples of numerous Spirit Transformation stage experts defeated by one person. In terms of the number of experts, the former cannot compare to the latter. Sun Zaizhi has already secretly ordered people to spread this matter to cover up Sun Wu University's shameful defeat. "Look, even with so many Spirit Transformation stage experts joining forces, they couldn't defeat this person. It's not surprising that Sun Wu University was defeated."

Sun Zaizhi knew very well that publicizing this matter would make the Son of Light Si Ming, even more famous. However, when faced with two evils, he chose the lesser. Compared to the greater fame of his enemy, it was of course more important to protect his own reputation. Moreover, the greater Si Ming's fame, the less his own family would be affected. Just as losing to an opponent of the same level is a very shameful thing, losing to a powerful enemy far superior to oneself is nothing to worry about.

"Oh, Lord Baili Azure Dragon, you're also participating in this Martial King Cup with a group? This dashing young man beside you must be your esteemed disciple. What a pity, if it weren't for encountering the Son of Light, with your disciple's strength, he should have had no difficulty making it to the final day."

"Isn't this the Azure Sea Swordsman? Your two disciples have also been eliminated? No, no, no, I have no intention of mocking you. Your disciples are not even eighteen years old yet, and they managed to persist until the third day, already defeating three-quarters of the contestants. This achievement is something to be proud of, and I imagine the two of them will shine brightly in the next Martial King Cup."

Sun Zaizhi teased a few well-regarded Spirit Transformation, but didn't mock the entire audience. After all, doing so would invite too much hatred, and some petty people might hold a grudge. He understood the importance of knowing when to stop.

"Eh, Lord Thunder King didn't come to watch the battle today?"

Sun Zaizhi searched around but couldn't find Xing Daozhuang, which greatly disappointed him. Although Xing Daozhuang wasn't Si Ming's master, he was still the elder leading the team, essentially a guardian. Using him as a topic of conversation would easily attract everyone's attention and divert their hatred.

However, he didn't find it strange. Spirit Transformation Grandmasters weren't usually that free, and very few of them attended every day. On the other hand, Spirit Transformation disciples were almost never absent. Even if they were eliminated, they would still go to the audience area to watch the battle, since battles between martial artists of the same level had great reference value.

At this moment, a commotion suddenly arose at the entrance. Sun Zaizhi turned his head and saw a handsome man in flowing robes walking into the venue surrounded by a crowd of people. This man had long, black hair, and his eyes were as dark and deep as the water in an ancient well. He had a faint smile on his face and greeted each guest.

The guests reacted differently. The Nation of Valor were generally polite and reserved, exchanging greetings but not engaging in further conversation. While they didn't dislike him, they didn't want any deeper interaction. The guests from other countries, especially the Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, were quite courteous to him, Yan Kai broadly and clearly trying to win him over.

When the man approached Sun Zaizhi, he said, "Principal Sun, I've heard that your school has been through quite a bit of trouble lately. You look much thinner; you must be exhausted."

"It's my job, so it's not a matter of whether it's hard or not. Since I'm in this position, I have to take responsibility."

Sun Zaizhi replied in a lukewarm manner, impeccably polite, but everyone could sense his refusal to continue the conversation.

The man smiled, greeted the other person, and continued forward without causing them any trouble.

Sun Zaizhi was well Chu were indifferent to him, because of his surname, but even more so because of his background.

The man's surname was Huang, and his given name was Yan. He was the youngest brother of the current King of Nation of Valor. But in addition to this identity, he was also a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster and a military commander, nicknamed "Hundred-Victory Military God".

Just by looking at his nickname, one can understand the life story of this Spirit Transformation Grandmaster. In fact, ten years ago, many people in Nation of Valor were debating whether the War God or the Military God was stronger.

The War God refers to Ba Shenhuang, while the Military God refers to Huang Yan. The former's martial prowess is comparable to that of Void Returning Great Grandmaster Rejuvenation Realm, while the latter excels in military strategy. Since their debut, they have never suffered a defeat. One is a martial artist and the other a scholar, together upholding the illustrious reputation of the Military School overlords.

However, Huang Yan's identity was too sensitive. Nation of Valor has a tradition of succession by the younger brother, with instances of sons killing their fathers and younger brothers usurping their brothers' positions. Such examples have occurred throughout history. If Huang Yan had not been a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster with extraordinary martial prowess, he would have been stripped of his military power and given a cup of poison to die long ago. Even so, he was still suppressed by various parties.

The Nation of Valor emperor feared he would usurp the throne and guarded against him like a thief. The ministers also did not want a Spirit Transformation emperor who was powerful, knowledgeable in military strategy, and skilled in tactics. If such a monarch appeared above them, their lives would be difficult. Not to mention anything else, at least they would not be able to deceive the public with their various lies.

If this were a chaotic world, perhaps some people would support Huang Yan in order to seek peace. However, although there is war now, it is far from being a chaotic world. Even if the current emperor is not a wise and capable ruler, he is more than capable of maintaining the status quo. Moreover, he has practiced martial arts for many years and is still as agile as ever even in his eighties. It is obvious that he will live for many more years. Even if it is to prevent internal strife in the country, no one will support Huang Yan.

Thus, since Nation of Valor changed its policy more than ten years ago, ceasing foreign wars and only engaging in localized skirmishes while focusing its main forces on combating the demon tide, Huang Yan has been sidelined. Although he was not stripped of his military power, he has been suppressed from all sides, and his troops are not as strong as before. Even his reputation has been neglected. More than ten years later, most people only know War God of the Military School and have long forgotten that there was another Military God Military School.

"Why did this man suddenly go out? I heard that in recent years he has been staying at home playing the zither, playing chess, appreciating paintings, enjoying tea and wine, and seeking out secluded spots under the moon, calling himself the Layman of Eight Elegances rarely cares about martial arts. Why is he suddenly here to see the Martial King Cup? Isn't he afraid of arousing suspicion from some people?"

"Haha, as if just because he doesn't care about martial arts, no one will be wary of him? Even if he spends his days indulging in pleasure, people will still suspect he's a hidden dragon."

"You're all making a big fuss over nothing. This person isn't imprisoned; they can go wherever they want. It's none of your business. There are plenty of Nascent Spirit Transformation participating in the Martial King Cup. Maybe they're just feeling restless and want to go out for a stroll. As the saying goes, 'If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will.'"

"You're overthinking it. Among the participants in the Martial King Cup is a contestant named Gu Xinglie, and his recommender is this Military God. What's wrong with him checking in on the person he recommended? It's already the fourth day of the Martial King Cup, and Gu Xinglie is still not eliminated. As his recommender, it would be strange if he didn't come to check on him."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but Sun Zaizhi ignored it all and didn't join in. He sympathized with Huang Yan's plight of having talent but nowhere to use it, and he didn't want the country to fall into war because of the struggle for the throne, so he could only choose to keep quiet and not express any opinion.

After a while, everyone turned their attention back to the broadcast screen. Ultimately, it was a Nation of Valor family matter, and only a family matter for a portion of the population. It had little to do with most people, and once the novelty wore off, they stopped paying attention to it.

"By the way, that Son of Light hasn't appeared for a long time. What's he doing?"

"Didn't you come yesterday? This kid's plan succeeded. His opponents are killing each other and can no longer form an alliance, so he naturally doesn't need to fight with others frequently anymore."

"I used to see his face on the screen all the time, which was a bit annoying. Now that I can't see him, I feel like something's missing."

As everyone was chatting and laughing, suddenly, the three screens flickered, emitted a buzzing sound, and then disappeared completely.

"What's going on? Is the signal being interfered with?"